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38 results on '"Monti, Alessandra"'

3. Oreoch‐1: A broad‐spectrum virus and host‐targeting peptide against animal infections

Author

Nastri, Bianca M., primary, Chianese, Annalisa, additional, Giugliano, Rosa, additional, Di Clemente, Laura, additional, Capasso, Carla, additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, Doti, Nunzianna, additional, Iovane, Valentina, additional, Montagnaro, Serena, additional, Pagnini, Ugo, additional, Iovane, Giuseppe, additional, Zannella, Carla, additional, De Filippis, Anna, additional, and Galdiero, Massimiliano, additional

Published
2024
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4. The antiherpetic and anti-inflammatory activity of the frog-derived peptide Hylin-a1.

Author

Chianese, Annalisa, Giugliano, Rosa, Palma, Francesca, Nastri, Bianca M, Monti, Alessandra, Doti, Nunzianna, Zannella, Carla, Galdiero, Massimiliano, and De Filippis, Anna

Subjects
HUMAN herpesvirus 1, ANTIMICROBIAL peptides, PEPTIDES, VIRAL envelopes, VIRAL genes
Abstract

Aim The high incidence of virus-related infections and the large diffusion of drug-resistant pathogens stimulate the search and identification of new antiviral agents with a broad spectrum of action. Antivirals can be designed to act on a single target by interfering with a specific step in the viral lifecycle. On the contrary, antiviral peptides (AVPs) are known for acting on a wide range of viruses, with a diversified mechanism of action targeting virus and/or host cell. In the present study, we evaluated the antiviral potential of the peptide Hylin-a1 secreted by the frog Hypsiobas albopunctatus against members of the Herpesviridae family. Methods and Results The inhibitory capacity of the peptide was evaluated in vitro by plaque assays in order to understand the possible mechanism of action. The results were also confirmed by real-time PCR and Western blot evaluating the expression of viral genes. Hylin-a1 acts to block the herpetic infection interfering at the early stages of both herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 infection. Its mechanism is mainly directed on the membrane, probably by damaging the viral envelope. The same effect was also observed against HSV-1 strains resistant to acyclovir. Conclusions The data presented in this study, such as the increased activity of the peptide when combined to acyclovir, a weak hemolytic profile, an anti-inflammatory effect, and a tolerable half-life in serum, indicates Hylin-a1 as a novel antiherpetic molecule with promising potential in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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9. Oreoch-1: A Peptide from Oreochromis niloticus as a Potential Tool against Staphylococci

Author

Palma, Francesca, primary, Chianese, Annalisa, additional, Panico, Erica, additional, Greco, Giuseppe, additional, Fusco, Alessandra, additional, Savio, Vittoria, additional, Ruocco, Eleonora, additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, Doti, Nunzianna, additional, Zannella, Carla, additional, Donnarumma, Giovanna, additional, De Filippis, Anna, additional, and Galdiero, Massimiliano, additional

Published
2023
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11. Synthetic Frog-Derived-like Peptides: A New Weapon against Emerging and Potential Zoonotic Viruses

Author

Chianese, Annalisa, primary, Iovane, Valentina, additional, Zannella, Carla, additional, Capasso, Carla, additional, Nastri, Bianca Maria, additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, Doti, Nunzianna, additional, Montagnaro, Serena, additional, Pagnini, Ugo, additional, Iovane, Giuseppe, additional, De Filippis, Anna, additional, and Galdiero, Massimiliano, additional

Published
2023
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14. Antiviral Peptides Delivered by Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles to Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43

Author

Mali, Avinash, primary, Franci, Gianluigi, additional, Zannella, Carla, additional, Chianese, Annalisa, additional, Anthiya, Shubaash, additional, López-Estévez, Ana M., additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, De Filippis, Anna, additional, Doti, Nunzianna, additional, Alonso, María José, additional, and Galdiero, Massimiliano, additional

Published
2023
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19. Design of Three Residues Peptides against SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Author

Zannella, Carla, primary, Chianese, Annalisa, additional, Greco, Giuseppe, additional, Santella, Biagio, additional, Squillaci, Giuseppe, additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, Doti, Nunzianna, additional, Sanna, Giuseppina, additional, Manzin, Aldo, additional, Morana, Alessandra, additional, De Filippis, Anna, additional, D’Angelo, Gianni, additional, Palmieri, Francesco, additional, Franci, Gianluigi, additional, and Galdiero, Massimiliano, additional

Published
2022
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20. Design and Synthesis of Oligopeptidic Parvulin Inhibitors

Author

Relitti, Nicola, primary, Prasanth Saraswati, A., additional, Carullo, Gabriele, additional, Papa, Alessandro, additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, Benedetti, Rosaria, additional, Passaro, Eugenia, additional, Brogi, Simone, additional, Calderone, Vincenzo, additional, Butini, Stefania, additional, Gemma, Sandra, additional, Altucci, Lucia, additional, Campiani, Giuseppe, additional, and Doti, Nunzianna, additional

Published
2022
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24. Design, Optimization, and Structural Characterization of an Apoptosis-Inducing Factor Peptide Targeting Human Cyclophilin A to Inhibit Apoptosis Inducing Factor-Mediated Cell Death

Author

Russo, Luigi, primary, Mascanzoni, Fabiola, additional, Farina, Biancamaria, additional, Dolga, Amalia Mihaela, additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, Caporale, Andrea, additional, Culmsee, Carsten, additional, Fattorusso, Roberto, additional, Ruvo, Menotti, additional, and Doti, Nunzianna, additional

Published
2021
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25. Synthetic Peptides That Antagonize the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE-2) Interaction with SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Spike Protein

Author

Sadremomtaz, Afsaneh, primary, Al-Dahmani, Zayana M., additional, Ruiz-Moreno, Angel J., additional, Monti, Alessandra, additional, Wang, Chao, additional, Azad, Taha, additional, Bell, John C., additional, Doti, Nunzianna, additional, Velasco-Velázquez, Marco A., additional, de Jong, Debora, additional, de Jonge, Jørgen, additional, Smit, Jolanda, additional, Dömling, Alexander, additional, van Goor, Harry, additional, and Groves, Matthew R., additional

Published
2021
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31. The use and perceived value of green spaces : a comparison of two Vancouver parks

Author

Monti, Alessandra

Abstract

Increasing urbanization has determined a progressive detachment of people from a daily contact with nature, causing a series of public health and social concerns. Nonetheless, various studies recognized that green spaces in urban contexts play an important role in providing a series of benefits to the surrounding communities. Typically, benefits of urban nature have been studied from an anthropocentric perspective. Conversely, this thesis adopts a ‘regenerative approach’, which recognizes that humans and nature are part of the same living system and therefore they both contribute to the health of the system. Accordingly, a classification of benefits was proposed, which distinguishes between social benefits (or benefits to humans) and environmental benefits (or benefits to nature). Whilst social and environmental benefits of green spaces are numerous, review of the evidence demonstrates that different groups of people perceive and use green spaces differently, depending on a series of personal characteristics (such as age group, cultural background, everyday exposure to ‘nearby nature’, different images and values of nature, life experiences), physical characteristics (such as quality, quantity and proximity of green spaces, presence and maintenance of park features, support for certain activities) and on the type of exposure (intensity, frequency and duration of the experience). Through the analysis – conducted through observations and questionnaires – and comparison of two case studies in Vancouver, patterns of use and perceived value of urban parks were investigated. In particular, two indicators were examined: ‘social interactions’ and ‘perceived nature’. Results suggest that the intensity of the experience that urban parks provide – determined by the presence of certain park and natural features and by the opportunity of performing certain activities – positively affects their use and perceived value. In particular, social interactions were promoted by the presence of playgrounds and grass, while perception of nature was enhanced by the presence of street trees in the neighbourhood and by the exposure to a variety of natural elements within the park. This suggests that perception of social and environmental benefits of urban nature may be enhanced by green space policies providing certain park and natural features at the park and neighbourhood scale.

Published
2017
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34. Relevance of AIF/CypA Lethal Pathway in SH-SY5Y Cells Treated with Staurosporine.

Author

Conte, Mariarosaria, Palumbo, Rosanna, Monti, Alessandra, Fontana, Elisabetta, Nebbioso, Angela, Ruvo, Menotti, Altucci, Lucia, and Doti, Nunzianna

Subjects
CELL death, PEPTIDES, PARKINSON'S disease, CELL nuclei, BRAIN injuries, CELL survival
Abstract

The AIF/CypA complex exerts a lethal activity in several rodent models of acute brain injury. Upon formation, it translocates into the nucleus of cells receiving apoptotic stimuli, inducing chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and cell death by a caspase-independent mechanism. Inhibition of this complex in a model of glutamate-induced cell death in HT-22 neuronal cells by an AIF peptide (AIF(370-394)) mimicking the binding site on CypA, restores cell survival and prevents brain injury in neonatal mice undergoing hypoxia-ischemia without apparent toxicity. Here, we explore the effects of the peptide on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells stimulated with staurosporine (STS), a cellular model widely used to study Parkinson's disease (PD). This will pave the way to understanding the role of the complex and the potential therapeutic efficacy of inhibitors in PD. We find that AIF(370-394) confers resistance to STS-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells similar to that observed with CypA silencing and that the peptide works on the AIF/CypA translocation pathway and not on caspases activation. These findings suggest that the AIF/CypA complex is a promising target for developing novel therapeutic strategies against PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2022
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35. Design and Synthesis of Oligopeptidic Parvulin Inhibitors

Author

Nicola Relitti, A. Prasanth Saraswati, Gabriele Carullo, Alessandro Papa, Alessandra Monti, Rosaria Benedetti, Eugenia Passaro, Simone Brogi, Vincenzo Calderone, Stefania Butini, Sandra Gemma, Lucia Altucci, Giuseppe Campiani, Nunzianna Doti, Relitti, Nicola, Saraswati, A Prasanth, Carullo, Gabriele, Papa, Alessandro, Monti, Alessandra, Benedetti, Rosaria, Passaro, Eugenia, Brogi, Simone, Calderone, Vincenzo, Butini, Stefania, Gemma, Sandra, Altucci, Lucia, Campiani, Giuseppe, and Doti, Nunzianna

Subjects
Pharmacology, Models, Molecular, Organic Chemistry, biological activity, Peptidylprolyl Isomerase, Biochemistry, molecular modelling, peptide synthesis, Pin1/4, PPIase, NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase, PPIase * Pin1/4 * peptide synthesis * molecular modelling * biological activity, Drug Discovery, Molecular Medicine, General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics, Phosphorylation, Peptides
Abstract

Pin1 catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of pThr-Pro or pSer-Pro amide bonds of various proteins involved in several physio/pathological processes. In this framework, recent research activity is directed toward the identification of new selective Pin1 inhibitors. Here, we developed a set of peptide-based Pin1 inhibitors. Direct-binding experiments allowed the identification of the peptide-based inhibitor 5 k (methylacetyl-l-alanyl-l-histidyl-l-prolyl-l-phenylalaninate) as a potent ligand of Pin1. Notably, 5 k binds Pin1 with higher affinity than Pin4. The comparative analysis of molecular models of Pin1 and Pin4 with the selected compound gave a rational explanation of the biochemical activity and pinpointed the chemical elements that, if opportunely modified, may further improve inhibitory potency, pharmacological properties, and selectivity of future peptide-based parvulin inhibitors. Since 5 k showed limited cell penetration and no antiproliferative activity, it was conjugated to a polyarginine stretch (R8), known to promote cell penetration of peptides, to obtain the R8-5 k derivative, which displayed antiproliferative effects on cancer cell lines over non-tumor cells. The effect of R8 on cell proliferation was also investigated. This work warrants caution about applying the R8 strategy in the development of cell-penetrating antiproliferative peptides, as it is not inert.

Published
2022

36. Design of Three Residues Peptides against SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Author

Carla Zannella, Annalisa Chianese, Giuseppe Greco, Biagio Santella, Giuseppe Squillaci, Alessandra Monti, Nunzianna Doti, Giuseppina Sanna, Aldo Manzin, Alessandra Morana, Anna De Filippis, Gianni D’Angelo, Francesco Palmieri, Gianluigi Franci, Massimiliano Galdiero, Zannella, Carla, Chianese, Annalisa, Greco, Giuseppe, Santella, Biagio, Squillaci, Giuseppe, Monti, Alessandra, Doti, Nunzianna, Sanna, Giuseppina, Manzin, Aldo, Morana, Alessandra, De Filippis, Anna, D'Angelo, Gianni, Palmieri, Francesco, Franci, Gianluigi, and Galdiero, Massimiliano

Subjects
SARS-CoV-2, Nucleotides, spike protein, Antiviral Agents, peptide, COVID-19 Drug Treatment, coronaviru, Molecular Docking Simulation, Infectious Diseases, Virology, docking, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus, Humans, coronavirus, peptides, entry inhibitors, Peptides, Pandemics, entry inhibitor, Peptide Hydrolases
Abstract

The continuous and rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need to seek new therapeutic and prophylactic treatments. Peptide inhibitors are a valid alternative approach for the treatment of emerging viral infections, mainly due to their low toxicity and high efficiency. Recently, two small nucleotide signatures were identified in the genome of some members of the Coronaviridae family and many other human pathogens. In this study, we investigated whether the corresponding amino acid sequences of such nucleotide sequences could have effects on the viral infection of two representative human coronaviruses: HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2. Our results showed that the synthetic peptides analyzed inhibit the infection of both coronaviruses in a dose-dependent manner by binding the RBD of the Spike protein, as suggested by molecular docking and validated by biochemical studies. The peptides tested do not provide toxicity on cultured cells or human erythrocytes and are resistant to human serum proteases, indicating that they may be very promising antiviral peptides.

Published
2022

37. Binding mode of AIF(370–394) peptide to CypA: insights from NMR, label-free and molecular docking studies

Author

Mattia Sturlese, Andrea Caporale, Menotti Ruvo, Alessandra Monti, Nunzianna Doti, Fabiola Mascanzoni, Gianluigi Di Sorbo, Roberto Fattorusso, Biancamaria Farina, Farina, Biancamaria, Sturlese, Mattia, Mascanzoni, Fabiola, Caporale, Andrea, Monti, Alessandra, Di Sorbo, Gianluigi, Fattorusso, Roberto, Ruvo, Menotti, and Doti, Nunzianna

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, AIF(370–394) peptide, Ala-scanning, CypA, NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Molecular model, Mutant, Cypa, Peptide, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Biochemistry, 03 medical and health sciences, Cyclophilin A, AIF(370-394) peptide, 0302 clinical medicine, Humans, cardiovascular diseases, Molecular Biology, chemistry.chemical_classification, biology, Apoptosis Inducing Factor, Cell Biology, Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, biology.organism_classification, In vitro, Cell biology, Amino acid, Molecular Docking Simulation, 030104 developmental biology, chemistry, Peptides, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

The complex formation between the proteins apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and cyclophilin A (CypA) following oxidative stress in neuronal cells has been suggested as a main target for reverting ischemia-stroke damage. Recently, a peptide encompassing AIF residues 370–394 has been developed to target the AIF-binding site on CypA, to prevent the association between the two proteins and suppress glutamate-induced cell death in neuronal cells. Using a combined approach based on NMR spectroscopy, synthesis and in vitro testing of all Ala-scan mutants of the peptide and molecular docking/molecular dynamics, we have generated a detailed model of the AIF (370–394)/CypA complex. The model suggests us that the central region of the peptide spanning residues V374–K384 mostly interacts with the protein and that for efficient complex inhibition and preservation of CypA activity, it is bent around amino acids F46–G75 of the protein. The model is consistent with experimental data also from previous works and supports the concept that the peptide does not interfere with other CypA activities unrelated to AIF activation; therefore, it may serve as an ideal template for generating future non-peptidic antagonists.

Published
2018

38. The Characterization of Multifaceted PREP1 Peptides Provides Insights into Correlations between Spectroscopic and Structural Properties of Amyloid-like Assemblies.

Author

Monti A, Scognamiglio PL, Ruvo M, Vitagliano L, and Doti N

Subjects
Spectrometry, Fluorescence, Amino Acid Sequence, Peptides chemistry, Amyloid chemistry
Abstract

The widespread ability of proteins and peptides to self-assemble by forming cross-β structure is one of the most significant discoveries in structural biology. Intriguingly, the cross-β association of proteins/peptides may generate intricate supramolecular architectures with uncommon spectroscopic properties. We have recently characterized self-assembled peptides extracted from the PREP1 protein that are endowed with interesting structural/spectroscopic properties. We here demonstrate that the green fluorescence emission of the peptide PREP1[117-132] (λem ~520 nm), can be induced by excitation with UV radiation. The associated unusually large Stokes shift (Δλ ~150 nm) represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence of an internal resonance energy transfer in amyloid-like structures, where the blue emission of some assemblies becomes the excitation radiation for others. Moreover, the characterization of PREP1[117-132] variants provides insights into the sequence/structure and structure/spectroscopic properties relationships. Our data suggests that the green fluorescence is plausibly associated with antiparallel β-sheet states of the peptide whereas parallel β-sheet assemblies are only endowed with blue fluorescence. Notably, the different PREP1[117-132] variants also form assemblies characterized by distinct morphologies. Indeed, the parent peptide and single mutants form compact but structured aggregates whereas most of the double mutants exhibit elongated and highly extended fibers., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Published
2024
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