Rapid isolation of peptidic inhibitors of the solute carrier family transporters OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 by cell-based phage display selections.

OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 (1B3) are members of organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs), a family of sodium-independent organic anion membrane transporters that contribute to transport of various drugs. To identify peptide inhibitors of OATP1B1, we developed a direct selection system on live cells using phage-displayed peptide libraries. Selections against OATP1B1 overexpressed cell-lines yielded three unique peptides able to inhibit the transport function of OATP1B1 and 1B3. Affinity maturation of one peptide led to identification of two peptides that demonstrated improved inhibition efficacy on drug uptake mediated by OATP1B1 and 1B3. We anticipate that these peptides will assist the identification of novel substrates for OATP1B1 and 1B3. Moreover, our selection system is a practical method for generating inhibitors of other membrane transporters.