Hepatocyte targeting and intracellular copper chelation by a thiol-containing glycocyclopeptide

AM Pujol, M Cuillel, O Renaudet… - Journal of the …, 2011 - ACS Publications
AM Pujol, M Cuillel, O Renaudet, C Lebrun, P Charbonnier, D Cassio, C Gateau, P Dumy
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2011ACS Publications
Metal overload plays an important role in several diseases or intoxications, like in Wilson's
disease, a major genetic disorder of copper metabolism in humans. To efficiently and
selectively decrease copper concentration in the liver that is highly damaged, chelators
should be targeted at the hepatocytes. In the present work, we synthesized a molecule able
to both lower intracellular copper, namely Cu (I), and target hepatocytes, combining within
the same structure a chelating unit and a carbohydrate recognition element. A …
Metal overload plays an important role in several diseases or intoxications, like in Wilson’s disease, a major genetic disorder of copper metabolism in humans. To efficiently and selectively decrease copper concentration in the liver that is highly damaged, chelators should be targeted at the hepatocytes. In the present work, we synthesized a molecule able to both lower intracellular copper, namely Cu(I), and target hepatocytes, combining within the same structure a chelating unit and a carbohydrate recognition element. A cyclodecapeptide scaffold displaying a controlled conformation with two independent faces was chosen to introduce both units. One face displays a cluster of carbohydrates to ensure an efficient recognition of the asialoglycoprotein receptors, expressed on the surface of hepatocytes. The second face is devoted to metal ion complexation thanks to the thiolate functions of two cysteine side-chains. To obtain a chelator that is active only once inside the cells, the two thiol functions were oxidized in a disulfide bridge to afford the glycopeptide P3. Two simple cyclodecapeptides modeling the reduced and complexing form of P3 in cells proved a high affinity for Cu(I) and a high selectivity with respect to Zn(II). As expected, P3 becomes an efficient Cu(I) chelator in the presence of glutathione that mimics the intracellular reducing environment. Finally, cellular uptake and ability to lower intracellular copper were demonstrated in hepatic cell lines, in particular in WIF-B9, making P3 a good candidate to fight copper overload in the liver.
ACS Publications