NEMO coiled coil mimics and methods of using same

1. A macrostructure comprising a parallel coiled-coil, wherein the parallel coiled-coil comprises:

a first coil of Formula I and a second coil of Formula II:

T 1 -f 0 -g 0 -a 1 -b 1 -c 1 -d 1 -e 1 -f 1 -g 1 -a 2 -b 2 -c 2 -d 2 -e 2 -f 2 -g 2 -a 3 -b 3 -c 3 -d 3 -e 3 -T 2   (Formula I) (SEQ ID NO: 1)

T 3 -g′ 0 -a′ 1 -b′ 1 -c′ 1 -d′ 1 -e′ 1 -f′ 1 -g′ 1 -a′ 2 -b′ 2 -c′ 2 -d′ 2 -e′ 2 -f′ 2 -g′ 2 -a′ 3 -b′ 3 -c′ 3 -d′ 3 -e′ 3 -f′ 3 -T 4   (Formula II) (SEQ ID NO: 2),

wherein:

each a 1-3 , b 1-3 , c 1-3 , d 1-3 , e 1-3 , f 0-2 , g 0-2 , a′ 1-3 , b′ 1-3 , c′ 1-3 , d′ 1-3 , e′ 1-3 , f′ 1-3 , and g′ 0-2 is independently absent or a residue selected from the group consisting of modified or unmodified amino acid residues and analogues thereof,

one or more of the following residue pairs are covalently bound by a linker: g 0 -e′ 1 , g 1 -e′ 2 , g 2 -e′ 3 , d 1 -d′ 1 , d 2 -d′ 2 , d 3 -d′ 3 , a 1 -a′ 1 , a 2 a′ 2 , a 3 -a 3 , e 1 -g′ 0 , e 2 -g′ 1 , and e 3 -g′ 2 ;

each T 1 and T 3 is independently a point of attachment from a terminal nitrogen to one or more moieties, wherein each moiety is independently H, -PG 1 , —C(O)R, —C(O)NR 2 , —C(O)NH2, —R, —C(O)OR, an amino acid or analogue thereof, a peptide, a targeting moiety, or a tag, where PG 1 is an amine protecting group and each R is independently hydrogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, a cycloalkyl, an aryl, a heteroaryl, a heterocyclyl, an arylalkyl, a peptide, a targeting moiety, or a tag; and

each T 2 and T 4 is independently a point of attachment from a terminal carbonyl to H, —OPG 2 , —NPG 2 , —OR, —OH, —NR 2 , —NH 2 , —N(R)C(O)C 1-6 alkyl, —N(H)C(O)C 1-6 alkyl, an amino acid or analogue thereof, a peptide, a targeting moiety, or a tag, where PG 2 is a carboxylic acid protecting group and each R is independently hydrogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, a cycloalkyl, an aryl, a heteroaryl, a heterocyclyl, an arylalkyl, a peptide, a targeting moiety, or a tag;

and wherein:

the first coil comprises fourteen contiguous residues which correlate to positions f 0 -e 2 of Formula I, wherein said fourteen contiguous residues of the first coil have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4; and the second coil comprises fourteen contiguous residues which correlate to positions g′ 0 -f′ 2 of Formula II, wherein said fourteen contiguous residues of the second coil have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.

2. The macrostructure of claim 1 , wherein:

the length of any linker between residue pairs g 0 -e′ 1 , g 1 -e′ 2 , g 2 -e′ 3 , e 1 -g′ 0 , e 2 -g′ 1 , and e 3 -g′ 2 is such that the spatial distance between the Ca positions of each residue in the pair is 10-25 Å; and

the length of any linker between residue pairs d 1 -d′ 1 , d 2 -d′ 2 , d 3 -d′ 3 , a 1 -a′ 1 , a 2 -a′ 2 , and a 3 -a′ 3 is such that the spatial distance between the Cα positions of each residue in the pair is 5-15 Å.

3. The macrostructure of claim 1 , wherein:

(1) at least f 0 , g 0 , a 1 , b 1 , c 1 , d 1 , e 1 , f 1 , g 1 , a 2 , b 2 , c 2 , d 2 , and e 2 are present in the first coil and at least g′ 0 , a′ 1 , b′ 1 , c′ 1 , d′ 1 , e′ 1 , f′ 1 , g′ 1 , a′ 2 , b′ 2 , c′ 2 , d′ 2 , e′ 2 , and f′ 2 are present in the second coil; or

(2) at least f 1 , g 1 , a 2 , b 2 , c 2 , d 2 , e 2 , f 2 , g 2 , a 3 , b 3 , c 3 , d 3 , and e 3 are present in the first coil and at least g′ 1 , a′ 2 , b′ 2 , c′ 2 , d′ 2 , e′ 2 , f′ 2 , g′ 2 , a′ 3 , b′ 3 , c′ 3 , d′ 3 , e′ 3 , and f′ 3 are present in the second coil.

4. The macrostructure of claim 1 , wherein a linker between at least one of residue pairs g 0 -e′ 1 , g 1 -e′ 2 , g 2 -e′ 3 , e 1 -g′ 0 , e 2 -g′ 1 , and e 3 -g′ 2 is present.

5. The macrostructure of claim 1 , wherein a linker between at least one of residue pairs g 0 -e′ 1 , g 1 -e′ 2 , g 2 -e′ 3 , e 1 -g′ 0 , e 2 -g′ 1 , and e 3 -g′ 2 has the formula —Z n —, wherein n is a number from 1 to 25 and each Z is independently selected at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of alkylene, alkenylene, arylene, heteroarylene, triazole-diyl, thiazole-diyl, oxazole-diyl, ethers, amides, esters, maleimides, thioethers, O, S, and Se.

6. The macrostructure of claim 1 , wherein a linker between at least one of residue pairs g 0 -e′ 1 , g 1 -e′ 2 , g 2 -e′ 3 , e 1 -g′ 0 , e 2 -g′ 1 , and e 3 -g′ 2 has a formula selected from:

(a) the group consisting of:

wherein:

X is O, S, CR 2 , NR, or P;

each X 1 is independently O, S, NH, or NR;

each R is independently H, alkyl, or aryl; and

each Y is S;

(b) the group consisting of:

wherein:

X is O, S, CR 2 , NR, or P;

each X 1 is independently O, S, C, CR, N, NH, or NR;

each R is independently H, alkyl, or aryl; and

each Y is S; and

(c) the group consisting of:

7. The macrostructure of claim 1 , wherein the parallel coiled-coil has the formula set forth in FIG. 16.

8. The macrostructure of claim 1 , wherein, first coil comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13 and the second coil comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14.

9. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a macrostructure according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle.