In Situ Assembly of Platinum (II)-Metallopeptide Nanostructures Inhibits Energy Homeostasis and Cellular Metabolism

Abstract

Nanostructure-based functions are omnipresent in nature and essential for the diversity of life. Unlike small molecules, which are often inhibitors of enzymes or biomimetics with established methods of elucidation, we show that functions of nanoscale structures in cells are complex and can implicate system-level effects such as the regulation of energy and redox homeostasis. Herein, we design a platinum (II) containing tripeptide that assembles into intracellular fibrillar nanostructures upon molecular rearrangement in the presence of endogenous H2O2. The formed nanostructures blocked metabolic functions, including aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, thereby shutting down ATP production. As a consequence, ATP-dependent actin formation and glucose metabolite- dependent histone deacetylase activity are downregulated. We demonstrate that assembly-driven nanomaterials offer a rich avenue to achieve broad-spectrum bioactivities that could provide new opportunities in drug discovery.

Version notes

The changes are made in the main text to provide a more extensive explanation on the chemical concepts so that it appeals to the general scientific audience. The technical aspects of the manuscript has not changed.

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Supplementary material

In Situ Assembly of Platinum (II)-Metallopeptide Nanostructures Inhibits Energy Homeostasis and Cellular Metabolism
Nanostructure-based functions are omnipresent in nature and essential for the diversity of life. Unlike small molecules, which are often inhibitors of enzymes or biomimetics with established methods of elucidation, we show that functions of nanoscale structures in cells are complex and can implicate system-level effects such as the regulation of energy and redox homeostasis. Herein, we design a platinum (II) containing tripeptide that assembles into intracellular fibrillar nanostructures upon molecular rearrangement in the presence of endogenous H2O2. The formed nanostructures blocked metabolic functions, including aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, thereby shutting down ATP production. As a consequence, ATP-dependent actin formation and glucose metabolite- dependent histone deacetylase activity are downregulated. We demonstrate that assembly-driven nanomaterials offer a rich avenue to achieve broad-spectrum bioactivities that could provide new opportunities in drug discovery.