The Sam-Sam interaction between Ship2 and the EphA2 receptor: design and analysis of peptide inhibitors

Sci Rep. 2017 Dec 12;7(1):17474. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-17684-5.

Abstract

The lipid phosphatase Ship2 represents a drug discovery target for the treatment of different diseases, including cancer. Its C-terminal sterile alpha motif domain (Ship2-Sam) associates with the Sam domain from the EphA2 receptor (EphA2-Sam). This interaction is expected to mainly induce pro-oncogenic effects in cells therefore, inhibition of the Ship2-Sam/EphA2-Sam complex may represent an innovative route to discover anti-cancer therapeutics. In the present work, we designed and analyzed several peptide sequences encompassing the interaction interface of EphA2-Sam for Ship2-Sam. Peptide conformational analyses and interaction assays with Ship2-Sam conducted through diverse techniques (CD, NMR, SPR and MST), identified a positively charged penta-amino acid native motif in EphA2-Sam, that once repeated three times in tandem, binds Ship2-Sam. NMR experiments show that the peptide targets the negatively charged binding site of Ship2-Sam for EphA2-Sam. Preliminary in vitro cell-based assays indicate that -at 50 µM concentration- it induces necrosis of PC-3 prostate cancer cells with more cytotoxic effect on cancer cells than on normal dermal fibroblasts. This work represents a pioneering study that opens further opportunities for the development of inhibitors of the Ship2-Sam/EphA2-Sam complex for therapeutic applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Design
  • Escherichia coli
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Models, Molecular
  • Necrosis / chemically induced
  • Necrosis / metabolism
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-Trisphosphate 5-Phosphatases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-Trisphosphate 5-Phosphatases / chemistry
  • Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-Trisphosphate 5-Phosphatases / genetics
  • Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-Trisphosphate 5-Phosphatases / metabolism*
  • Preliminary Data
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptor, EphA2 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptor, EphA2 / chemistry
  • Receptor, EphA2 / genetics
  • Receptor, EphA2 / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Sterile Alpha Motif* / drug effects

Substances

  • ASI1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Receptor, EphA2
  • Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-Trisphosphate 5-Phosphatases