Cyclotides, a novel ultrastable polypeptide scaffold for drug discovery.

ABSTRACT: Cyclotides are a unique and growing family of backbone cyclized peptides that also contain a cystine knot motif built from six conserved cysteine residues. This unique circular backbone topology and knotted arrangement of three disulfide bonds makes them exceptionally stable to thermal, chemical, and enzymatic degradation compared to other peptides of similar size. Aside from the conserved residues forming the cystine knot, cyclotides have been shown to have high variability in their sequences. Consisting of over 160 known members, cyclotides have many biological activities, ranging from anti-HIV, antimicrobial, hemolytic, and uterotonic capabilities; additionally, some cyclotides have been shown to have cell penetrating properties. Originally discovered and isolated from plants, cyclotide

SUBMITTER: Gould A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3330703 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature