Short Peptides Regulate Gene Expression

Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016 Dec;162(2):288-292. doi: 10.1007/s10517-016-3596-7. Epub 2016 Dec 1.

Abstract

Short peptides constitute the system of signal molecules regulating the functions of the organism at the molecular, genetic, subcellular, cellular, and tissue levels. One short peptide can regulate dozens of genes, but the molecular mechanism of this process remains unclear. We suppose that short peptides penetrate through the cytoplasmic and nuclear membrane and bind to DNA. Spatial models of DNA-peptide complexes are constructed for 19 short peptides by the docking method. Some peptides have the same binding sites. Peptides KE and EDP bind agat sequence, peptides KEDW and AED to acct sequence, and peptides AEDL and EDL to ctcc sequence.

Keywords: DNA—peptide interactions; molecular simulation; short peptides.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Epigenesis, Genetic / drug effects*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Ki-67 Antigen / genetics*
  • Ki-67 Antigen / metabolism
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Nucleotide Motifs
  • Oligopeptides / chemical synthesis
  • Oligopeptides / pharmacology*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Binding
  • Static Electricity
  • Thermodynamics
  • Trans-Activators / genetics*
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Ki-67 Antigen
  • Oligopeptides
  • Trans-Activators
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein