A Bivalent Protease-Activated Receptor-Derived Peptide Mimics Neuronal Anti-Apoptotic Activity of Activated Protein C

Activated protein C (APC) exerts anticoagulant and cytoprotective cell signaling activities. APC’s cell signaling requires protease-activated receptor (PAR) PAR1 and PAR3, and APC’s PAR cleavages generate peptides capable of agonizing biased G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) cytoprotective signaling, resulting in anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities and endothelial barrier stabilization. The PAR-sequence-derived 34-residue “G10 peptide” comprising PAR1 residues 47–55 covalently attached by a 10-glycine linker to PAR3 residues 51–65 is an orthosteric/allosteric bivalent GPCR agonist that potently mimics APC’s anti-inflammatory activity and endothelial barrier stabilization activity. The objective of this study was to determine whether the G10 peptide mimics APC’s anti-apoptotic activity using cultured murine neurons challenged by N-methyl-d-aspartate that provokes neuronal apoptosis. In these new studies, the G10 peptide mimicked APC’s anti-apoptotic activity. Thus, the PAR-derived 34-residue G10 peptide mimics APC’s three major cytoprotective activities, namely anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities and endothelial barrier stabilization. Peptides that agonize GPCRs provide promising and currently approved drugs; e.g., semaglutide and tirzepatide that contain 31 and 39 amino acid residues, respectively. Thus, this new study adds to the rationale for pursuing further studies of the G10 peptide for potential therapeutic value for multiple pathologies where APC or signaling-selective APC variants are therapeutic in preclinical animal studies.