Chantelle J. Capicciotti

Total Synthesis of Homogeneous Antifreeze Glycopeptides and Glycoproteins

Antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) are a class of natural products found in deep sea teleost fish in Arctic and Antarctic waters. The physiological role of these biomolecules is to protect against cryoinjury in environments with subzero temperatures by preventing the growth of ice crystals in vivo. Structurally, AFGPs are polymeric, mucin-type glycoproteins that consist of a single glycotripeptide repeat (Ala-Thr-Ala/Pro) in which each secondary hydroxy group on threonine is linked to the disaccharide b-d-galactosyl-(1!3)a-N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (Scheme 1). AFGPs range in molecular weight from approximately 2.6 kDa (4 repeat units) to 33.7 kDa (50 repeat units).

Potent inhibition of ice recrystallization by low molecular weight carbohydrate-based surfactants and hydrogelators

Ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity is a very desirable property for an effective cryoprotectant. This property was first observed in biological antifreezes (BAs), which cannot be utilized in cryopreservation due to their ability to bind to ice. To date, potent IRI active compounds have been limited to BAs or synthetic C-linked AFGP analogues (1 and 2), all of which are large peptide-based molecules. This paper describes the first example of low molecular weight carbohydrate-based derivatives that exhibit potent IRI activity. Non-ionic surfactant n-octyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (4) exhibited potent IRI activity at a concentration of 22 mM, whereas hydrogelator N-octyl-D-gluconamide (5) exhibited potent IRI activity at a low concentration of 0.5 mM. Thermal hysteresis measurements and solid-state NMR experiments indicated that these derivatives are not exhibiting IRI activity by binding to ice. For non-ionic surfactant derivatives (3 and 4), we demonstrated that carbohydrate hydration is important for IRI activity and that the formation of micelles in solution is not a prerequisite for IRI activity. Furthermore, using solid-state NMR and rheology we demonstrated that the ability of hydrogelators 5 and 6 to form a hydrogel is not relevant to IRI activity. Structure–function studies indicated that the amide bond in 5 is an essential structural feature required for potent IRI activity.

Small molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors enable freezing of human red blood cells with reduced glycerol concentrations.

In North America, red blood cells (RBCs) are cryopreserved in a clinical setting using high glycerol concentrations (40% w/v) with slow cooling rates (~1°C/min) prior to storage at −80°C, while European protocols use reduced glycerol concentrations with rapid freezing rates. After thawing and prior to transfusion, glycerol must be removed to avoid intravascular hemolysis. This is a time consuming process requiring specialized equipment. Small molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors (IRIs) such as β-PMP-Glc and β-pBrPh-Glc have the ability to prevent ice recrystallization, a process that contributes to cellular injury and decreased cell viability after cryopreservation. Herein, we report that addition of 110 mM β-PMP-Glc or 30 mM β-pBrPh-Glc to a 15% glycerol solution increases post-thaw RBC integrity by 30-50% using slow cooling rates and emphasize the potential of small molecule IRIs for the preservation of cells.

Designing ice recrystallization inhibitors: from antifreeze (glyco)proteins to small molecules

Ice recrystallization occurs during cryopreservation and is correlated with reduced cell viability after thawing. Therefore, ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity is a very desirable property for an effective cryoprotectant. Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) were the first compounds discovered with this property, however they are poor cryoprotectants due to their unique ability to bind to ice and alter habits of ice crystals. Consequently, AFGP analogues with “custom-tailored” antifreeze activity have been developed which exhibit potent IRI activity but do not bind to ice. Subsequent to this, it was reported that simple mono- and disaccharides exhibit moderate IRI activity and this has ultimately facilitated the discovery of several small carbohydrate-based ice recrystallization inhibitors with IRI activity similar to that of native AFGP-8. This represents a major advancement in the field of ice recrystallization inhibitors (IRIs). The recent developments of IRIs will be reviewed, focusing on novel small molecules that have great potential for use as cryoprotectants.

Developing highly active small molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors based upon C-linked antifreeze glycoprotein analogues

Ice recrystallization during cryopreservation results in a significant amount of cellular damage making compounds that exhibit ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity desirable as a novel class of cryoprotectants. Herein, we report a systematic structure–function study on a previously identified IRI active C-linked antifreeze glycoprotein (C-AFGP) analogue (1). These studies indicate that while C-AFGPs containing three tripeptide repeats exhibit weak IRI activity 5.5 μM, a minimum number of four tripeptide repeats is required for potent IRI activity at this concentration. In addition, the galactosyl–ornithine building block 5 exhibited only moderate activity at 22 mM, but IRI activity was significantly increased upon addition of two glycine units to the C-terminal end of the amino acid bearing the C-linked galactopyranose residue. Finally, we report that conjugation of long alkyl chains (octyl, nonyl and decyl) to the C-linked galactosyl moiety of 1 can furnish IRI active small molecules. The “ideal” hydrocarbon chain length was 10 carbons for potent activity in this series of compounds. Longer hydrocarbon chain lengths dramatically decreased solubilities. The results of this study emphasize the importance of hydrophobic moieties for IRI activity and while consistent with previously reported small molecule carbohydrate-based and lysine-based ice recrystallization inhibitors, is the first example where a large IRI active glycoconjugate has been successfully truncated to small molecule IRI active components.

Synthesis of peptides and glycopeptides with polyproline II helical topology as potential antifreeze molecules

A library of peptides and glycopeptides containing (4R)-hydroxy-L-proline (Hyp) residues were designed with a view to providing stable polyproline II (PPII) helical molecules with antifreeze activity. A library of dodecapeptides containing contiguous Hyp residues or an Ala-Hyp-Ala tripeptide repeat sequence were synthesized with and without α-O-linked N-acetylgalactosamine and α-O-linked galactose-β-(1→3)-N-acetylgalactosamine appended to the peptide backbone. All (glyco)peptides possessed PPII helical secondary structure with some showing significant thermal stability. The majority of the (glyco)peptides did not exhibit thermal hysteresis (TH) activity and were not capable of modifying the morphology of ice crystals. However, an unglycosylated Ala-Hyp-Ala repeat peptide did show significant TH and ice crystal re-shaping activity suggesting that it was capable of binding to the surface of ice. All (glyco)peptides synthesized displayed some ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity with unglycosylated peptides containing the Ala-Hyp-Ala motif exhibiting the most potent inhibitory activity. Interestingly, although glycosylation is critical to the activity of native antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) that possess an Ala-Thr-Ala tripeptide repeat, this same structural modification is detrimental to the antifreeze activity of the Ala-Hyp-Ala repeat peptides studied here.

Small molecule ice recrystallization inhibitors mitigate red blood cell lysis during freezing, transient warming and thawing.

During cryopreservation, ice recrystallization is a major cause of cellular damage. Conventional cryoprotectants such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and glycerol function by a number of different mechanisms but do not mitigate or control ice recrystallization at concentrations utilized in cryopreservation procedures. In North America, cryopreservation of human red blood cells (RBCs) utilizes high concentrations of glycerol. RBC units frozen under these conditions must be subjected to a time-consuming deglycerolization process after thawing in order to remove the glycerol to <1% prior to transfusion thus limiting the use of frozen RBC units in emergency situations. We have identified several low molecular mass ice recrystallization inhibitors (IRIs) that are effective cryoprotectants for human RBCs, resulting in 70–80% intact RBCs using only 15% glycerol and slow freezing rates. These compounds are capable of reducing the average ice crystal size of extracellular ice relative to a 15% glycerol control validating the positive correlation between a reduction in ice crystal size and increased post-thaw recovery of RBCs. The most potent IRI from this study is also capable of protecting frozen RBCs against the large temperature fluctuations associated with transient warming.

Synthesis and evaluation of linear CuAAC-oligomerized antifreeze neo-glycopeptides

Antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) are important naturally occurring biological antifreezes that lower the freezing point of a solution, thereby preventing uncontrolled ice growth. These compounds also inhibit ice recrystallization. Described in this paper is a synthetic antifreeze glycopeptide-based polymer synthesized from an azide/alkyne glycopeptide building block by partial reduction of the azide and subsequent copper catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) polymerization to obtain linear oligomers. To compare the activity with native AFGPs, a linear dodecapeptide (oligomer with four repeating units) was synthesized and isolated which had a comparable length to AFGP-8, the lowest molecular mass glycoprotein AFGP found in nature. In terms of ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity, the triazole-based oligomers displayed only modest IRI activity compared with AFGP-8 and a previously described carbon-linked AFGP analogue. However, CD spectroscopy showed that the triazole-based tetramer possessed a similar secondary structure to the related amide based carbon-linked AFGP tetramer based on AFGP-8.

Carbohydrate-Based Ice Recrystallization Inhibitors Increase Infectivity and Thermostability of Viral Vectors

The inability of vaccines to retain sufficient thermostability has been an obstacle to global vaccination programs. To address this major limitation, we utilized carbohydrate-based ice recrystallization inhibitors (IRIs) to eliminate the cold chain and stabilize the potency of Vaccinia virus (VV), Vesicular Stomatitis virus (VSV) and Herpes virus-1 (HSV-1). The impact of these IRIs was tested on the potency of the viral vectors using a plaque forming unit assay following room temperature storage, cryopreservation with successive freeze-thaw cycles and lyophilization. Viral potency after storage with all three conditions demonstrated that N-octyl-gluconamide (NOGlc) recovered the infectivity of shelf stored VV, 5.6 Log10 PFU mL−1 during 40 days, and HSV-1, 2.7 Log10 PFU mL−1 during 9 days. Carbon-linked antifreeze glycoprotein analogue ornithine-glycine-glycine-galactose (OGG-Gal) increases the recovery of VV and VSV more than 1 Log10 PFU mL−1 after 10 freeze-thaw cycles. In VSV, cryostorage with OGG-Gal maintains high infectivity and reduces temperature-induced aggregation of viral particles by 2 times that of the control. In total, OGG-Gal and NOGlc preserve virus potency during cryostorage. Remarkably, NOGlc has potential to eliminate the cold chain and permit room temperature storage of viral vectors.

O-Aryl-Glycoside Ice Recrystallization Inhibitors as Novel Cryoprotectants: A Structure–Function Study

Low-molecular-weight ice recrystallization inhibitors (IRIs) are ideal cryoprotectants that control the growth of ice and mitigate cell damage during freezing. Herein, we describe a detailed study correlating the ice recrystallization inhibition activity and the cryopreservation ability with the structure of O-aryl-glycosides. Many effective IRIs are efficient cryoadditives for the freezing of red blood cells (RBCs). One effective cryoadditive did not inhibit ice recrystallization but instead inhibited ice nucleation, demonstrating the significance of inhibiting both processes and illustrating the importance of this emerging class of cryoprotectants.