Unveiling a VEGF-mimetic peptide sequence in the IQGAP1 protein

Mol Biosyst. 2017 Jul 25;13(8):1619-1629. doi: 10.1039/c7mb00190h.

Abstract

The ability to modulate angiogenesis by chemical tools has several important applications in different scientific fields. With the perspective of finding novel proangiogenic molecules, we searched peptide sequences with a chemical profile similar to that of the QK peptide, a well described VEGF mimetic peptide. We found that residues 1617-1627 of the IQGAP1 protein show molecular features similar to those of the QK peptide sequence. The IQGAP1-derived synthetic peptide was analyzed by NMR spectroscopy and its biological activity was characterized in endothelial cells. These studies showed that this IQGAP1-derived peptide has a biological activity similar to that of VEGF and could be considered as a novel tool for reparative angiogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Aorta / cytology
  • Aorta / drug effects
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Caspase 3 / genetics
  • Caspase 3 / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Transformed
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Endothelial Cells / cytology
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects*
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / cytology
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / drug effects*
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Molecular Mimicry
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects
  • Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical
  • Swine
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / chemistry
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / pharmacology*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / metabolism
  • ras GTPase-Activating Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
  • IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1
  • Peptides
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • ras GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2
  • Caspase 3