Colette T. Dooley

The use of positional scanning synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries for the rapid determination of opioid receptor ligands

The application of a new synthetic peptide combinatorial library (SPCL) is described. This library, termed a positional scanning SPCL, contains six positional SPCLs, each of which contains all possible hexameric combinations of 18 of the 20 natural L-amino acids (18(6) = 34,012,224 peptides). Each positional SPCL (O1XXXXX-NH2, XO2XXXX-NH2, XXO3XXX-NH2, XXXO4XX-NH2, XXXXO5X-NH2, and XXXXXO6-NH2) was used to determine the most active amino acid for the six positions of a hexamer. Combinations of these amino acids were used to synthesize 24 individual peptides, which were then tested for activity. The most active peptide found corresponded to a hexameric analogue of methionine-enkephalin. Results obtained in this study are compared to those obtained using the SPCL described earlier (1) (O1O2XXXX-NH2), and the subsequent iterative process.

Orphanin FQ: Receptor binding and analog structure activity relationships in rat brain

A tritiated form of orphanin FQ (a heptadecapeptide also known as Nociceptin) has been prepared. This radioligand (33 Ci/mmole) was used to develop a radioreceptor assay using rat brain homogenates. Binding was observed to be saturable, and analyses of the binding data indicate the presence of a single binding site with a dissociation constant of 5 +/- 1.1 nM and Bmax of 535 +/- 85 fmoles/mg protein. Thirty-four analogues of orphanin FQ, including a complete alanine scan of orphanin FQ, and truncation analogues from both the N- and C- terminals were synthesized and tested. The data obtained indicate that the N-terminus plays a more critical role in binding than the C-terminus and that residues 1, 2, 4, and 8 are essential for binding.

Combinatorial chemistry: From peptides and peptidomimetics to small organic and heterocyclic compounds

Modified dipeptides have been used successfully for the generation of a variety of small organic and heterocyclic combinatorial libraries, including linear urea, polyamine, hydantoin, thiohydantoin, cyclic urea, cyclic thiourea and bicyclic guanidine. The synthesis and screening results for a number of these libraries are described. The solid phase synthesis of heterocyclic compounds such as diazepine and thiomorpholinone are also described.

The use of synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries for the determination of peptide ligands in radio-receptor assays: Opioid peptides

Abstract A synthetic peptide combinatorial library (SPCL) was prepared, composed of 52,128,400 L-amino acid hexapeptides, which was used with an iterative selection process to determine peptides capable of inhibiting binding of [3H] [D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAGO) to crude rat brain homogenates. The first five residues corresponded exactly to the naturally occurring opioid peptide sequences of methionine and leucine enkephalin.

Identification of Two Novel, Potent, Low-Liability Antinociceptive Compounds from the Direct In Vivo Screening of a Large Mixture-Based Combinatorial Library

Synthetic combinatorial methods now make it practical to readily produce hundreds of thousands of individual compounds, but it is clearly impractical to screen each separately in vivo. We theorized that the direct in vivo testing of mixture-based combinatorial libraries during the discovery phase would enable the identification of novel individual compounds with desirable antinociceptive profiles while simultaneously eliminating many compounds with poor absorption, distribution, metabolism, or pharmacokinetic properties. The TPI 1346 small-molecule combinatorial library is grouped in 120 mixtures derived from 26 functionalities at the first three positions and 42 functionalities at the fourth position of a pyrrolidine bis-cyclic guanidine core scaffold, totaling 738,192 compounds. These 120 mixtures were screened in vivo using the mouse 55°C warm water tail-withdrawal assay to identify mixtures producing antinociception. From these data, two fully defined individual compounds (TPI 1818-101 and TPI 1818-109) were synthesized. These were examined for antinociceptive, respiratory, locomotor, and conditioned place preference effects. The tail-withdrawal assay consistently demonstrated distinctly active mixtures with analgesic activity that was blocked by pretreatment with the non-selective opioid antagonist, naloxone. Based on these results, synthesis and testing of TPI 1818-101 and 1818-109 demonstrated a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect three to five times greater than morphine that was antagonized by mu- or mu- and kappa-opioid receptor selective antagonists, respectively. Neither 1818-101 nor 1818-109 produced significant respiratory depression, hyperlocomotion, or conditioned place preference. Large, highly diverse mixture-based libraries can be screened directly in vivo to identify individual compounds, potentially accelerating the development of promising therapeutics.

New opioid peptides, peptidomimetics, and heterocyclic compounds from combinatorial libraries

Here we review the use of combinatorial libraries in opioid receptor assays. Following a brief description of the history of the combinatorial field, methods for the generation of synthetic libraries and the deconvolution of mixture-based libraries are presented. Case studies involving opioid assays used to demonstrate the viability of combinatorial libraries are described. The identification of new opioid peptides from combinatorial libraries is reviewed. The peptides found are composed of L-amino acids, D-amino acids, or L-, D-, and unnatural amino acids, and range from tetrapeptides to decapeptides. Likewise, new opioid compounds identified from peptidomimetic libraries, such as peptoids and alkylated dipeptides, and those identified from acyclic (e.g., polyamine, urea) and heterocyclic (e.g., bicyclic guanidine) libraries, are reviewed.

Orphanin FQ/nociceptin receptor binding studies.

A review of the binding studies performed on the receptor (ORL) for Orphanin FQ/Nociceptin is presented. Binding studies have been conducted using a variety of receptor sources: cell lines expressing the cloned receptor, cell lines endogenously expressing the receptor, and brain and other tissue from several different species. Binding studies of opioids, new ligands and antagonists at the ORL receptor are briefly discussed. Saturation, competition and binding kinetic experiments, and the effects of buffer composition are reviewed. There are numerous instances of conflicting data in published reports on OFQ; the basis for these disparities is as yet undetermined. This review endeavors to compile the results and conditions employed in binding studies as an aid to current and new researchers in this field. In an attempt to explain binding disparities, we have determined that Orphanin/Nociceptin binds to glass fiber filtermats in a specific manner; these new data are presented.

Libraries from libraries: Generation and comparison of screening profiles

SummaryA positional scanning tetrapeptide library was chemically modified through alkylation and/or reduction of the amide bonds, thus generating three new combinatorial libraries with physico-chemical properties very different from the parent peptide library (‘libraries from libraries’). Specific results were obtained with each of these libraries upon screening in κ-opioid receptor binding and microdilution antimicrobial assays, illustrating the potential of the ‘libraries from libraries’ concept for the efficient generation of a variety of chemically diverse combinatorial libraries.

Conformation-opioid activity relationships of bicyclic guanidines from 3D similarity analysis

Conformation of bicyclic guanidines with kappa-opioid receptor activity derived in our laboratory from a positional scanning synthetic combinatorial library is presented in this work. We propose a common bioactive conformation and putative pharmacophoric features by means of 3D similarity methods. Our Y shape molecular binding model explains structure-activity relationships and suggests that the guanidine functionality and a 4-methoxybenzyl group may be involved in key interactions with the receptor. Comparison of our model with known opiates suggest a similar binding mode showing that the bicyclic guanidines presented in this work are suitable scaffolds for further development of new opioid receptors ligands.

The pharmacological properties of a novel MCH1 receptor antagonist isolated from combinatorial libraries

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a neuropeptide that exhibits potent orexigenic activity. In rodents, it exerts its actions by interacting with one receptor, MCH(1) receptor which is expressed in many parts of the central nervous system (CNS). To study the physiological implications of the MCH system, we need to be able to block it locally and acutely. This necessitates the use of MCH(1) receptor antagonists. While MCH(1) receptor antagonists have been previously reported, they are mainly not accessible to academic research. We apply here a strategy that leads to the isolation of a high affinity and selective MCH(1) receptor antagonist amenable to in vivo analyses without further chemical modifications. This antagonist, TPI 1361-17, was identified through the screening of multiple non-peptide positional scanning synthetic combinatorial libraries (PS-SCL) totaling more than eight hundred thousand compounds in conditions that allow for the identification of only high-affinity compounds. TPI 1361-17 exhibited an IC(50) value of 6.1 nM for inhibition of 1 nM MCH-induced Ca(2+) mobilization and completely displaced the binding of [(125)I] MCH to rat MCH(1) receptor. TPI 1361-17 was found specific, having no affinity for a variety of other G-protein coupled receptors and channels. TPI 1361-17 was found active in vivo since it blocked MCH-induced food intake by 75%. Our results indicate that TPI 1361-17 is a novel and selective MCH(1) receptor antagonist and is an effective tool to study the physiological functions of the MCH system. These results also illustrate the successful application of combinatorial library screening to identify specific surrogate antagonists in an academic setting.