Steven A. Kawamoto

Bio: Steven A. Kawamoto is an academic researcher from University of Michigan. The author has contributed to research in topics: Surface plasmon resonance & Wnt signaling pathway. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 3 publications receiving 269 citations.

Design of Triazole-Stapled BCL9 α-Helical Peptides to Target the β-Catenin/B-Cell CLL/lymphoma 9 (BCL9) Protein–Protein Interaction

Abstract: The interaction between β-catenin and B-cell CLL/lymphoma 9 (BCL9), critical for the transcriptional activity of β-catenin, is mediated by a helical segment from BCL9 and a large binding groove in β-catenin. Design of potent, metabolically stable BCL9 peptides represents an attractive approach to inhibit the activity of β-catenin. In this study, we report the use of the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction to generate triazole-stapled BCL9 α-helical peptides. The high efficiency and mild conditions of this “click” reaction combined with the ease of synthesis of the necessary unnatural amino acids allows for facile synthesis of triazole-stapled peptides. We have performed extensive optimization of this approach and identified the optimal combinations of azido and alkynyl linkers necessary for stapling BCL9 helices. The unsymmetrical nature of the triazole staple also allowed the synthesis of double-stapled BCL9 peptides, which show a marked increase in helical character and an improvement in binding ...

Analysis of the Interaction of BCL9 with β-Catenin and Development of Fluorescence Polarization and Surface Plasmon Resonance Binding Assays for this Interaction

Abstract: The transcriptional activator β-catenin is the primary mediator of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and is frequently upregulated in many types of human cancer Recent studies have suggested that the interaction of β-catenin and its cofactor, B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9), is crucial for its transcriptional activity Targeting this interaction using small molecules will improve our understanding of the β-catenin/Wnt signaling pathway and may lead to the development of a new class of anticancer drugs In this study, we developed a fluorescence polarization (FP)-based BCL9 binding assay Using our initial FP assay, we performed extensive mutational analysis on four critical hydrophobic residues in the BCL9 peptide and determined the precise region in BCL9 responsible for binding to β-catenin These results led to further optimization of our FP assay, making it amenable for high-throughput screening (HTS) We also developed and validated a complementary surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based binding assay and s

Structure-Based Design of Inhibitors of Protein-Protein Interactions: Mimicking Peptide Binding Epitopes

Abstract: Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are involved at all levels of cellular organization, thus making the development of PPI inhibitors extremely valuable The identification of selective inhibitors is challenging because of the shallow and extended nature of PPI interfaces Inhibitors can be obtained by mimicking peptide binding epitopes in their bioactive conformation For this purpose, several strategies have been evolved to enable a projection of side chain functionalities in analogy to peptide secondary structures, thereby yielding molecules that are generally referred to as peptidomimetics Herein, we introduce a new classification of peptidomimetics (classes A–D) that enables a clear assignment of available approaches Based on this classification, the Review summarizes strategies that have been applied for the structure-based design of PPI inhibitors through stabilizing or mimicking turns, β-sheets, and helices

The mystery of BCL2 family: Bcl-2 proteins and apoptosis: an update.

Abstract: Apoptosis is a critically important biological process that plays an essential role in cell fate and homeostasis. An important component of the apoptotic pathway is the family of proteins commonly known as the B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). The primary role of Bcl-2 family members is the regulation of apoptosis. Although the structure of Bcl-2 family of proteins was reported nearly 10 years ago, however, it still surprises us with its structural and functional complexity and diversity. A number of studies have demonstrated that Bcl-2 family influences many other cellular processes beyond apoptosis which are generally independent of the regulation of apoptosis, suggesting additional roles for Bcl-2. The disruption of the regulation of apoptosis is a causative event in many diseases. Since the Bcl-2 family of proteins is the key regulator of apoptosis, the abnormalities in its function have been implicated in many diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, ischemia and autoimmune diseases. In the past few years, our understanding of the mechanism of action of Bcl-2 family of proteins and its implications in various pathological conditions has enhanced significantly. The focus of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the structure and function of Bcl-2 family of proteins in apoptotic cellular processes. A number of drugs have been developed in the past few years that target different Bcl-2 members. The role of Bcl-2 proteins in the pathogenesis of various diseases and their pharmacological significance as effective molecular therapeutic targets is also discussed.

Peptide stapling techniques based on different macrocyclisation chemistries

Abstract: Peptide stapling is a strategy for constraining short peptides typically in an alpha-helical conformation. Stapling is carried out by covalently linking the side-chains of two amino acids, thereby forming a peptide macrocycle. There is an expanding repertoire of stapling techniques based on different macrocyclisation chemistries. In this tutorial review, we categorise and analyse key examples of peptide stapling in terms of their synthesis and applicability to biological systems.