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Kamal I, Ashfaq UA, Hayat S, Aslam B, Sarfraz MH, Yaseen H, Rajoka MSR, Shah AA, Khurshid M. Prospects of antimicrobial peptides as an alternative to chemical preservatives for food safety. Biotechnol Lett 2023; 45:137-162. [PMID: 36504266 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-022-03328-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a potential alternative to antimicrobial agents that have got considerable research interest owing to their significant role in the inhibition of bacterial pathogens. These AMPs can essentially inhibit the growth and multiplication of microbes through multiple mechanisms including disruption of cellular membranes, inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis, or affecting intracellular components and cell division. Moreover, AMPs are biocompatible and biodegradable therefore, they can be a good alternative to antimicrobial agents and chemical preservatives. A few of their features for example thermostability and high selectivity are quite appealing for their potential use in the food industry for food preservation to prevent the spoilage caused by microorganisms and foodborne pathogens. Despite these advantages, very few AMPs are being used at an industrial scale for food preservation as these peptides are quite vulnerable to external environmental factors which deter their practical applications and commercialization. The review aims to provide an outline of the mechanism of action of AMPs and their prospects as an alternative to chemical preservatives in the food industry. Further studies related to the structure-activity relationship of AMPs will help to expand the understanding of their mechanism of action and to determine specific conditions to increase their stability and applicability in food preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqra Kamal
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sumreen Hayat
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Bilal Aslam
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Hamna Yaseen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shahid Riaz Rajoka
- Laboratory of Animal Food Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8572, Japan
| | - Asad Ali Shah
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Mohsin Khurshid
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
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Arguelles J, Lee J, Cardenas LV, Govind S, Singh S. In Silico Analysis of a Drosophila Parasitoid Venom Peptide Reveals Prevalence of the Cation-Polar-Cation Clip Motif in Knottin Proteins. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010143. [PMID: 36678491 PMCID: PMC9865768 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
As generalist parasitoid wasps, Leptopilina heterotoma are highly successful on many species of fruit flies of the genus Drosophila. The parasitoids produce specialized multi-strategy extracellular vesicle (EV)-like structures in their venom. Proteomic analysis identified several immunity-associated proteins, including the knottin peptide, LhKNOT, containing the structurally conserved inhibitor cysteine knot (ICK) fold, which is present in proteins from diverse taxa. Our structural and docking analysis of LhKNOT's 36-residue core knottin fold revealed that in addition to the knottin motif itself, it also possesses a Cation-Polar-Cation (CPC) clip. The CPC clip motif is thought to facilitate antimicrobial activity in heparin-binding proteins. Surprisingly, a majority of ICKs tested also possess the CPC clip motif, including 75 bona fide plant and arthropod knottin proteins that share high sequence and/or structural similarity with LhKNOT. Like LhKNOT and these other 75 knottin proteins, even the Drosophila Drosomycin antifungal peptide, a canonical target gene of the fly's Toll-NF-kappa B immune pathway, contains this CPC clip motif. Together, our results suggest a possible defensive function for the parasitoid LhKNOT. The prevalence of the CPC clip motif, intrinsic to the cysteine knot within the knottin proteins examined here, suggests that the resultant 3D topology is important for their biochemical functions. The CPC clip is likely a highly conserved structural motif found in many diverse proteins with reported heparin binding capacity, including amyloid proteins. Knottins are targets for therapeutic drug development, and insights into their structure-function relationships will advance novel drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Arguelles
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
| | - Jenny Lee
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
| | - Lady V. Cardenas
- Department of Biology, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Shubha Govind
- Department of Biology, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Shaneen Singh
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Correspondence:
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3
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Gu J, Isozumi N, Gao B, Ohki S, Zhu S. Mutation-driven evolution of antibacterial function in an ancestral antifungal scaffold: Significance for peptide engineering. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1053078. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1053078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation-driven evolution of novel function on an old gene has been documented in many development- and adaptive immunity-related genes but is poorly understood in immune effector molecules. Drosomycin-type antifungal peptides (DTAFPs) are a family of defensin-type effectors found in plants and ecdysozoans. Their primitive function was to control fungal infection and then co-opted for fighting against bacterial infection in plants, insects, and nematodes. This provides a model to study the structural and evolutionary mechanisms behind such functional diversification. In the present study, we determined the solution structure of mehamycin, a DTAFP from the Northern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla with antibacterial activity and an 18-mer insert, and studied the mutational effect through using a mutant with the insert deleted. Mehamycin adopts an expected cysteine-stabilized α-helix and β-sheet fold in its core scaffold and the inserted region, called single Disulfide Bridge-linked Domain (abbreviated as sDBD), forms an extended loop protruding from the scaffold. The latter folds into an amphipathic architecture stabilized by one disulfide bridge, which likely confers mehamycin a bacterial membrane permeability. Deletion of the sDBD remarkably decreased the ability but accompanying an increase in thermostability, indicative of a structure-function trade-off in the mehamycin evolution. Allosteric analysis revealed an interior interaction between the two domains, which might promote point mutations at some key sites of the core domain and ultimately give rise to the emergence of antibacterial function. Our work may be valuable in guiding protein engineering of mehamycin to improve its activity and stability.
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Transgenic Silkworms Overexpressing Relish and Expressing Drosomycin Confer Enhanced Immunity to Multiple Pathogens. Mol Biotechnol 2022; 64:711-724. [DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00438-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Omidvar R, Vosseler N, Abbas A, Gutmann B, Grünwald-Gruber C, Altmann F, Siddique S, Bohlmann H. Analysis of a gene family for PDF-like peptides from Arabidopsis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18948. [PMID: 34556705 PMCID: PMC8460643 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98175-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant defensins are small, basic peptides that have a characteristic three-dimensional folding pattern which is stabilized by four disulfide bridges. We show here that Arabidopsis contains in addition to the proper plant defensins a group of 9 plant defensin-like (PdfL) genes. They are all expressed at low levels while GUS fusions of the promoters showed expression in most tissues with only minor differences. We produced two of the encoded peptides in E. coli and tested the antimicrobial activity in vitro. Both were highly active against fungi but had lower activity against bacteria. At higher concentrations hyperbranching and swollen tips, which are indicative of antimicrobial activity, were induced in Fusarium graminearum by both peptides. Overexpression lines for most PdfL genes were produced using the 35S CaMV promoter to study their possible in planta function. With the exception of PdfL4.1 these lines had enhanced resistance against F. oxysporum. All PDFL peptides were also transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves with agroinfiltration using the pPZP3425 vector. In case of PDFL1.4 this resulted in complete death of the infiltrated tissues after 7 days. All other PDFLs resulted only in various degrees of small necrotic lesions. In conclusion, our results show that at least some of the PdfL genes could function in plant resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Omidvar
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Institute of Biotechnology in Plant Production, Department of Agrobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Tulln, Austria
| | - Nadine Vosseler
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Amjad Abbas
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Birgit Gutmann
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- RIVIERA Pharma and Cosmetics GmbH, Holzhackerstraße 1, Tulln, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shahid Siddique
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Holger Bohlmann
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
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Moretta A, Scieuzo C, Petrone AM, Salvia R, Manniello MD, Franco A, Lucchetti D, Vassallo A, Vogel H, Sgambato A, Falabella P. Antimicrobial Peptides: A New Hope in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Fields. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:668632. [PMID: 34195099 PMCID: PMC8238046 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.668632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics are essential drugs used to treat pathogenic bacteria, but their prolonged use contributes to the development and spread of drug-resistant microorganisms. Antibiotic resistance is a serious challenge and has led to the need for new alternative molecules less prone to bacterial resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have aroused great interest as potential next-generation antibiotics, since they are bioactive small proteins, naturally produced by all living organisms, and representing the first line of defense against fungi, viruses and bacteria. AMPs are commonly classified according to their sources, which are represented by microorganisms, plants and animals, as well as to their secondary structure, their biosynthesis and their mechanism of action. They find application in different fields such as agriculture, food industry and medicine, on which we focused our attention in this review. Particularly, we examined AMP potential applicability in wound healing, skin infections and metabolic syndrome, considering their ability to act as potential Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme I and pancreatic lipase inhibitory peptides as well as antioxidant peptides. Moreover, we argued about the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic approaches to develop new antibiotics, the drug development strategies and the formulation approaches which need to be taken into account in developing clinically suitable AMP applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Moretta
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Carmen Scieuzo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | | | - Rosanna Salvia
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Franco
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Donatella Lucchetti
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Vassallo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Heiko Vogel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Alessandro Sgambato
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Patrizia Falabella
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
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Struyfs C, Cammue BPA, Thevissen K. Membrane-Interacting Antifungal Peptides. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:649875. [PMID: 33912564 PMCID: PMC8074791 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.649875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of invasive fungal infections is increasing worldwide, resulting in more than 1.6 million deaths every year. Due to growing antifungal drug resistance and the limited number of currently used antimycotics, there is a clear need for novel antifungal strategies. In this context, great potential is attributed to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are part of the innate immune system of organisms. These peptides are known for their broad-spectrum activity that can be directed toward bacteria, fungi, viruses, and/or even cancer cells. Some AMPs act via rapid physical disruption of microbial cell membranes at high concentrations causing cell leakage and cell death. However, more complex mechanisms are also observed, such as interaction with specific lipids, production of reactive oxygen species, programmed cell death, and autophagy. This review summarizes the structure and mode of action of antifungal AMPs, thereby focusing on their interaction with fungal membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Struyfs
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bruno P A Cammue
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karin Thevissen
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Costa LSM, Pires ÁS, Damaceno NB, Rigueiras PO, Maximiano MR, Franco OL, Porto WF. In silico characterization of class II plant defensins from Arabidopsis thaliana. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2020; 179:112511. [PMID: 32931963 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Defensins comprise a polyphyletic group of multifunctional defense peptides. Cis-defensins, also known as cysteine stabilized αβ (CSαβ) defensins, are one of the most ancient defense peptide families. In plants, these peptides have been divided into two classes, according to their precursor organization. Class I defensins are composed of the signal peptide and the mature sequence, while class II defensins have an additional C-terminal prodomain, which is proteolytically cleaved. Class II defensins have been described in Solanaceae and Poaceae species, indicating this class could be spread among all flowering plants. Here, a search by regular expression (RegEx) was applied to the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome, a model plant with more than 300 predicted defensin genes. Two sequences were identified, A7REG2 and A7REG4, which have a typical plant defensin structure and an additional C-terminal prodomain. TraVA database indicated they are expressed in flower, ovules and seeds, and being duplicated genes, this indicates they could be a result of a subfunctionalization process. The presence of class II defensin sequences in Brassicaceae and Solanaceae and evolutionary distance between them suggest class II defensins may be present in other eudicots. Discovery of class II defensins in other plants could shed some light on flower, ovules and seed physiology, as this class is expressed in these locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S M Costa
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Állan S Pires
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Neila B Damaceno
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Pietra O Rigueiras
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Mariana R Maximiano
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Octavio L Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil; S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - William F Porto
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil; Porto Reports, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
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Plant Defensins from a Structural Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155307. [PMID: 32722628 PMCID: PMC7432377 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant defensins form a family of proteins with a broad spectrum of protective activities against fungi, bacteria, and insects. Furthermore, some plant defensins have revealed anticancer activity. In general, plant defensins are non-toxic to plant and mammalian cells, and interest in using them for biotechnological and medicinal purposes is growing. Recent studies provided significant insights into the mechanisms of action of plant defensins. In this review, we focus on structural and dynamics aspects and discuss structure-dynamics-function relations of plant defensins.
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Aumer T, Voisin SN, Knobloch T, Landon C, Bulet P. Impact of an Antifungal Insect Defensin on the Proteome of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Botrytis cinerea. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:1131-1146. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Aumer
- CR Université Grenoble Alpes, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, 38700 La Tronche, France
| | - Sébastien N. Voisin
- Plateforme BioPark d’Archamps, Archamps Technopole, 74166 Saint Julien en Genevois, France
| | - Thomas Knobloch
- Bayer SAS, Bayer CropScience, Centre de Recherche de la Dargoire, 69263 Lyon, France
| | - Céline Landon
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Philippe Bulet
- CR Université Grenoble Alpes, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, 38700 La Tronche, France
- Plateforme BioPark d’Archamps, Archamps Technopole, 74166 Saint Julien en Genevois, France
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Gu J, Gao B, Zhu S. Characterization of bi-domain drosomycin-type antifungal peptides in nematodes: An example of convergent evolution. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 87:90-97. [PMID: 29894713 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Drosomycin-type antifungal peptides (DTAFPs) are natural effectors of the innate immune system, which are restrictedly distributed in plants and ecdysozoans. Mehamycin is a bi-domain DTAFP (abbreviated as bDTAFP) firstly found in the Northern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla. Here, we report its structural and functional features and the evolution of bDTAFPs in nematodes. Different from classical DTAFPs, mehamycin contains an insertion, called single Disulfide Bridge-linked Domain (abbreviated as sDBD), located in a loop region of the drosomycin scaffold. Despite this, recombinant mehamycin likely adopts a similar fold to drosomycin, as revealed by the circular dichroism spectral analysis. Functionally, it showed some weak activity against three species of fungi but relatively stronger activity against seven species of Gram-positive bacteria, indicative of functional diversification between mehamycin and classical DTAFPs. By computational data mining of the nematode databases, we identified polymorphic genes encoding mehamycin and a new multigene family of bDTAFPs (named roremycins) from Rotylenchulus reniformis. A combination of data suggests that the origination of sDBDs from M. hapla and R. reniformis is a consequence of convergent evolution, in which some probably suffered positive selection during evolution. Our study may be valuable in understanding the role of these unique antimicrobial peptides in the innate immunity of nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
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12
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Design of antimicrobial peptides from a cuttlefish database. Amino Acids 2018; 50:1573-1582. [PMID: 30121851 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-018-2633-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
No antimicrobial peptide has been identified in cephalopods to date. Annotation of transcriptomes or genomes using basic local alignment Search Tool failed to yield any from sequence identities. Therefore, we searched for antimicrobial sequences in the cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) database by in silico analysis of a transcriptomic database. Using an original approach based on the analysis of cysteine-free antimicrobial peptides selected from our Antimicrobial Peptide Database (APD3), the online prediction tool of the Collection of Anti-Microbial Peptides (CAMPR3), and a homemade software program, we identified potential antibacterial sequences. Nine peptides less than 25 amino acids long were synthesized. The hydrophobic content of all nine of them ranged from 30 to 70%, and they could form alpha-helices. Three peptides possessed similarities with piscidins, one with BMAP-27, and five were totally new. Their antibacterial activity was evaluated on eight bacteria including the aquatic pathogens Vibrio alginolyticus, Aeromonas salmonicida, or human pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, or Staphylococcus aureus. Despite the prediction of an antimicrobial potential for eight of the peptides, only two-GR21 and KT19-inhibited more than one bacterial strain with minimal inhibitory concentrations below 25 µM. Some sequences like VA20 and FK19 were hemolytic, while GR21 induced less than 10% of hemolysis on human blood cells at a concentration of 200 µM. GR21 was the only peptide derived from a precursor with a signal peptide, suggesting a real role in cuttlefish immune defense.
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13
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Müller A, Wolf D, Gutzeit HO. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens - a promising source for sustainable production of proteins, lipids and bioactive substances. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 72:351-363. [PMID: 28742526 DOI: 10.1515/znc-2017-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The growing demand worldwide for proteins and lipids cannot be met by the intensive use of agricultural land currently available. Insect mass cultures as a source for proteins and lipids have been in focus for various reasons. An insect with many positive properties is the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, whose larvae could be used for the sustainable production of proteins and lipids. Furthermore, the larvae produce bioactive substances which could potentially be used for human and animal welfare.
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14
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Franzoi M, van Heuvel Y, Thomann S, Schürch N, Kallio PT, Venier P, Essig A. Structural Insights into the Mode of Action of the Peptide Antibiotic Copsin. Biochemistry 2017; 56:4992-5001. [PMID: 28825809 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Defensins make up a class of cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides, expressed by virtually all eukaryotes as part of their innate immune response. Because of their unique mode of action and rapid killing of pathogenic microbes, defensins are considered promising alternatives to clinically applied antibiotics. Copsin is a defensin-like peptide, previously identified in the mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea. It exerts its activity against a range of Gram-positive bacteria by binding to the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II and prevention of proper cell wall formation. In this study, we present a new workflow for the generation, production, and activity-driven selection of copsin derivatives, based on their expression in Pichia pastoris. One hundred fifty-two single-amino acid mutants and combinations thereof allowed the identification of k-copsin, a peptide variant exhibiting significantly enhanced activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, we performed in silico characterizations of membrane interactions of copsin and k-copsin, in the presence and absence of lipid II. The molecular dynamics data highlighted a high variability in lipid II binding, with a preference for the MurNAc moiety with 47 and 35% of the total contacts for copsin and k-copsin, respectively. Mutated amino acids were located in loop regions of k-copsin and shown to be crucial in the perturbation of the bacterial membrane. These structural studies provide a better understanding of how defensins can be developed toward antibacterial therapies less prone to resistance issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Franzoi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova , Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Yasemin van Heuvel
- Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Thomann
- Biology Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection , CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Nadia Schürch
- Biology Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection , CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Pauli T Kallio
- Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paola Venier
- Department of Biology, University of Padova , Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Andreas Essig
- Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich , CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Koehbach J. Structure-Activity Relationships of Insect Defensins. Front Chem 2017; 5:45. [PMID: 28748179 PMCID: PMC5506212 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects make up the largest and most diverse group of organisms on earth with several million species to exist in total. Considering the sheer number of insect species and the vast variety of ways they interact with their environment through chemistry, it is clear that they have significant potential as a source of new lead molecules. They have adapted to a range of ecological habitats and exhibit a symbiotic lifestyle with various microbes such as bacteria and fungi. Accordingly, numerous antimicrobial compounds have been identified including for example defensin peptides. Insect defensins were found to have broad-spectrum activity against various gram-positive/negative bacteria as well as fungi. They exhibit a unique structural topology involving the complex arrangement of three disulfide bonds as well as an alpha helix and beta sheets, which is known as cysteine-stabilized αβ motif. Their stability and amenability to peptide engineering make them promising candidates for the development of novel antibiotics lead molecules. This review highlights the current knowledge regarding the structure-activity relationships of insect defensin peptides and provides basis for future studies focusing on the rational design of novel cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Koehbach
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of QueenslandSt. Lucia, QLD, Australia
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16
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Santussi WM, Bordon KCF, Rodrigues Alves APN, Cologna CT, Said S, Arantes EC. Antifungal Activity against Filamentous Fungi of Ts1, a Multifunctional Toxin from Tityus serrulatus Scorpion Venom. Front Microbiol 2017. [PMID: 28634472 PMCID: PMC5459920 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are ubiquitous and multipotent components of the innate immune defense arsenal used by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The search for new AMPs has increased in recent years, due to the growing development of microbial resistance to therapeutical drugs. In this work, we evaluate the effects of Tityus serrulatus venom (Tsv), its fractions and its major toxin Ts1, a beta-neurotoxin, on fungi growth. The fractions were obtained by ion-exchange chromatography of Tsv. The growth inhibition of 11 pathogenic and non-pathogenic filamentous fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. terreus, Neurospora crassa, Penicillium corylophilum, P. ochrochloron, P. verrucosum, P. viridicatum, P. waksmanii, and Talaromyces flavus) was evaluated by quantitative microplate reader assay. Tsv (100 and 500 μg/well, which correspond to 1 and 5 mg/mL, respectively, of total soluble protein) was active in inhibiting growth of A. nidulans, A. terreus, P. corylophilum, and P. verrucosum, especially in the higher concentration used and at the first 30 h. After this period, fungi might have used Tsv components as alternative sources of nutrients, and therefore, increased their growth tax. Only fractions IX, X, XI, XIIA, XIIB (3 and 7.5 μg/well, which correspond to 30 and 75 μg/mL, respectively, of total soluble protein) and Ts1 (1.5, 3, and 6 μg/well, which correspond to 2.18, 4.36, and 8.72 μM, respectively) showed antifungal activity. Ts1 showed to be a non-morphogenic toxin with dose-dependent activity against A. nidulans, inhibiting 100% of fungal growth from 3 μg/well (4.36 μM). The inhibitory effect of Ts1 against A. nidulans growth was accompanied by fungistatic effects and was not amended by 1 mM CaCl2 or tetrodotoxin (46.98 and 93.96 μM). The structural differences between Ts1 and drosomycin, a potent cysteine-rich antifungal peptide, are discussed here. Our results highlight the antifungal potential of the first cysteine-containing scorpion toxin. Since Ts1 is a multifunctional toxin, we suggest that it could be used as a template in the design of engineered scorpion AMPs and in the search for new mechanisms of action of antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Welligton M Santussi
- Laboratory of Animal Toxins, Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Karla C F Bordon
- Laboratory of Animal Toxins, Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ana P N Rodrigues Alves
- Laboratory of Animal Toxins, Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Camila T Cologna
- Laboratory of Animal Toxins, Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Suraia Said
- Laboratory of Industrial Enzymology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Eliane C Arantes
- Laboratory of Animal Toxins, Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
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17
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Porto W, Pires A, Franco O. Computational tools for exploring sequence databases as a resource for antimicrobial peptides. Biotechnol Adv 2017; 35:337-349. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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18
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Shafee TMA, Lay FT, Phan TK, Anderson MA, Hulett MD. Convergent evolution of defensin sequence, structure and function. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:663-682. [PMID: 27557668 PMCID: PMC11107677 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are a well-characterised group of small, disulphide-rich, cationic peptides that are produced by essentially all eukaryotes and are highly diverse in their sequences and structures. Most display broad range antimicrobial activity at low micromolar concentrations, whereas others have other diverse roles, including cell signalling (e.g. immune cell recruitment, self/non-self-recognition), ion channel perturbation, toxic functions, and enzyme inhibition. The defensins consist of two superfamilies, each derived from an independent evolutionary origin, which have subsequently undergone extensive divergent evolution in their sequence, structure and function. Referred to as the cis- and trans-defensin superfamilies, they are classified based on their secondary structure orientation, cysteine motifs and disulphide bond connectivities, tertiary structure similarities and precursor gene sequence. The utility of displaying loops on a stable, compact, disulphide-rich core has been exploited by evolution on multiple occasions. The defensin superfamilies represent a case where the ensuing convergent evolution of sequence, structure and function has been particularly extreme. Here, we discuss the extent, causes and significance of these convergent features, drawing examples from across the eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M A Shafee
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Fung T Lay
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Thanh Kha Phan
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Marilyn A Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
| | - Mark D Hulett
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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Zhang S, Gao B, Zhu S. Independent Origins of Scorpion Toxins Affecting Potassium and Sodium Channels. EVOLUTION OF VENOMOUS ANIMALS AND THEIR TOXINS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-6458-3_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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20
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Tarr DEK. Establishing a reference array for the CS-αβ superfamily of defensive peptides. BMC Res Notes 2016; 9:490. [PMID: 27863510 PMCID: PMC5116183 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-016-2291-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND "Invertebrate defensins" belong to the cysteine-stabilized alpha-beta (CS-αβ), also known as the scorpion toxin-like, superfamily. Some other peptides belonging to this superfamily of defensive peptides are indistinguishable from "defensins," but have been assigned other names, making it unclear what, if any, criteria must be met to qualify as an "invertebrate defensin." In addition, there are other groups of defensins in invertebrates and vertebrates that are considered to be evolutionarily unrelated to those in the CS-αβ superfamily. This complicates analyses and discussions of this peptide group. This paper investigates the criteria for classifying a peptide as an invertebrate defensin, suggests a reference cysteine array that may be helpful in discussing peptides in this superfamily, and proposes that the superfamily (rather than the name "defensin") is the appropriate context for studying the evolution of invertebrate defensins with the CS-αβ fold. METHODS CS-αβ superfamily sequences were identified from previous literature and BLAST searches of public databases. Sequences were retrieved from databases, and the relevant motifs were identified and used to create a conceptual alignment to a ten-cysteine reference array. Amino acid sequences were aligned in MEGA6 with manual adjustments to ensure accurate alignment of cysteines. Phylogenetic analyses were performed in MEGA6 (maximum likelihood) and MrBayes (Bayesian). RESULTS Across invertebrate taxa, the term "defensin" is not consistently applied based on number of cysteines, cysteine spacing pattern, spectrum of antimicrobial activity, or phylogenetic relationship. The analyses failed to reveal any criteria that unify "invertebrate defensins" and differentiate them from other defensive peptides in the CS-αβ superfamily. Sequences from various groups within the CS-αβ superfamily of defensive peptides can be described by a ten-cysteine reference array that aligns their defining structural motifs. CONCLUSIONS The proposed ten-cysteine reference array can be used in addition to current nomenclature to compare sequences in the CS-αβ superfamily and clarify their features relative to one another. This will facilitate analysis and discussion of "invertebrate defensins" in an appropriate evolutionary context, rather than relying on nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Ellen K Tarr
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.
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21
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NMR structure and conformational dynamics of AtPDFL2.1, a defensin-like peptide from Arabidopsis thaliana. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2016; 1864:1739-1747. [PMID: 27592418 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2016.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Plant defensins constitute the innate immune response against pathogens such as fungi and bacteria. Typical plant defensins are small, basic peptides that possess a characteristic three-dimensional fold stabilized by three or four disulfide bridges. In addition to known defensin genes, the Arabidopsis genome comprises >300 defensin-like genes coding for small cysteine-rich peptides. One of such genes encodes for AtPDFL2.1, a putative antifungal peptide of 55 amino acids, with six cysteine residues in its primary sequence. To understand the functional role of AtPDFL2.1, we carried out antifungal activity assays and determined its high-resolution three-dimensional structure using multidimensional solution NMR spectroscopy. We found that AtPDFL2.1 displays a strong inhibitory effect against Fusarium graminearum (IC50≈4μM). This peptide folds in the canonical cysteine-stabilized αβ (CSαβ) motif, consisting of one α-helix and one triple-stranded antiparallel β-sheet stabilized by three disulfide bridges and a hydrophobic cluster of residues within its core where the α-helix packs tightly against the β-sheets. Nuclear spin relaxation measurements show that the structure of AtPDFL2.1 is essentially rigid, with the L3 loop located between β-strands 2 and 3 being more flexible and displaying conformational exchange. Interestingly, the dynamic features of loop L3 are conserved among defensins and are probably correlated to the antifungal and receptor binding activities.
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22
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Gao B, Zhu S. The drosomycin multigene family: three-disulfide variants from Drosophila takahashii possess antibacterial activity. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32175. [PMID: 27562645 PMCID: PMC4999892 DOI: 10.1038/srep32175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosomycin (DRS) is a strictly antifungal peptide in Drosophila melanogaster, which contains four disulfide bridges (DBs) with three buried in molecular interior and one exposed on molecular surface to tie the amino- and carboxyl-termini of the molecule together (called wrapper disulfide bridge, WDB). Based on computational analysis of genomes of Drosophila species belonging to the Oriental lineage, we identified a new multigene family of DRS in Drosphila takahashii that includes a total of 11 DRS-encoding genes (termed DtDRS-1 to DtDRS-11) and a pseudogene. Phylogenetic tree and synteny analyses reveal orthologous relationship between DtDRSs and DRSs, indicating that orthologous genes of DRS-1, DRS-2, DRS-3 and DRS-6 have undergone duplication in D. takahashii and three amplifications (DtDRS-9 to DtDRS-11) of DRS-3 have lost WDB. Among the 11 genes, five are transcriptionally active in adult fruitflies. The ortholog of DRS (DtDRS-1) shows high structural and functional similarity to DRS while two WDB-deficient members display antibacterial activity accompanying complete loss or remarkable reduction of antifungal activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence of three-disulfide antibacterial DRSs in a specific Drosophila species, suggesting a potential role of DB loss in neofunctionalization of a protein via structural adjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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23
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Al Souhail Q, Hiromasa Y, Rahnamaeian M, Giraldo MC, Takahashi D, Valent B, Vilcinskas A, Kanost MR. Characterization and regulation of expression of an antifungal peptide from hemolymph of an insect, Manduca sexta. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 61:258-68. [PMID: 26976231 PMCID: PMC4866881 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Insects secrete antimicrobial peptides as part of the innate immune response. Most antimicrobial peptides from insects have antibacterial but not antifungal activity. We have characterized an antifungal peptide, diapausin-1 from hemolymph of a lepidopteran insect, Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm). Diapausin-1 was isolated by size exclusion chromatography from hemolymph plasma of larvae that were previously injected with a yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fractions containing activity against S. cerevisiae were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF MS/MS and found to contain a 45-residue peptide that was encoded by sequences identified in M. sexta transcriptome and genome databases. A cDNA for diapausin-1 was cloned from cDNA prepared from fat body RNA. Diapausin-1 is a member of the diapausin family of peptides, which includes members known to have antifungal activity. The M. sexta genome contains 14 genes with high similarity to diapausin-1, each with 6 conserved Cys residues. Diapausin-1 was produced as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant diapausin-1 was active against S. cerevisiae, with IC50 of 12 μM, but had no detectable activity against bacteria. Spores of some plant fungal pathogens treated with diapausin-1 had curled germination tubes or reduced and branched hyphal growth. Diapausin-1 mRNA level in fat body strongly increased after larvae were injected with yeast or with Micrococcus luteus. In addition, diapausin-1 mRNA levels increased in midgut and fat body at the wandering larval stage prior to pupation, suggesting developmental regulation of the gene. Our results indicate that synthesis of diapausin-1 is part of an antifungal innate immune response to infection in M. sexta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qasim Al Souhail
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Yasuaki Hiromasa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- LOEWE Center for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Giessen Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Martha C Giraldo
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Daisuke Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Barbara Valent
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- LOEWE Center for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Giessen Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 39592 Giessen, Germany
| | - Michael R Kanost
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
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Balandin SV, Ovchinnikova TV. Antimicrobial peptides of invertebrates. Part 1. structure, biosynthesis, and evolution. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2016. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162016030055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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25
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How to improve antifungal bioactivity: POM and DFT study of some chiral amides derivatives of diacetyl-L-tartaric acid and amines. RESEARCH ON CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11164-016-2578-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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26
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He Y, Cao X, Li K, Hu Y, Chen YR, Blissard G, Kanost MR, Jiang H. A genome-wide analysis of antimicrobial effector genes and their transcription patterns in Manduca sexta. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 62:23-37. [PMID: 25662101 PMCID: PMC4476920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Revised: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial proteins/peptides (AMPs) are effectors of innate immune systems against pathogen infection in multicellular organisms. Over half of the AMPs reported so far come from insects, and these effectors act in concert to suppress or kill bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. In this work, we have identified 86 AMP genes in the Manduca sexta genome, most of which seem likely to be functional. They encode 15 cecropins, 6 moricins, 6 defensins, 3 gallerimycins, 4 X-tox splicing variants, 14 diapausins, 15 whey acidic protein homologs, 11 attacins, 1 gloverin, 4 lebocins, 6 lysozyme-related proteins, and 4 transferrins. Some of these genes (e.g. attacins, cecropins) constitute large clusters, likely arising after rounds of gene duplication. We compared the amino acid sequences of M. sexta AMPs with their homologs in other insects to reveal conserved structural features and phylogenetic relationships. Expression data showed that many of them are synthesized in fat body and midgut during the larval-pupal molt. Certain genes contain one or more predicted κB binding sites and other regulatory elements in their promoter regions, which may account for the dramatic mRNA level increases in fat body and hemocytes after an immune challenge. Consistent with these strong mRNA increases, many AMPs become highly abundant in the larval plasma at 24 h after the challenge, as demonstrated in our previous peptidomic study. Taken together, these data suggest the existence of a large repertoire of AMPs in M. sexta, whose expression is up-regulated via immune signaling pathways to fight off invading pathogens in a coordinated manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan He
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Xiaolong Cao
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; Institute of Biological Sciences, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 310029, China
| | - Yingxia Hu
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Yun-ru Chen
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Gary Blissard
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michael R Kanost
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Haobo Jiang
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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Shin A, Lee E, Kim JK, Bang JK, Kim Y. 9-Meric Peptide Analogs of Defensin-like Antimicrobial Peptide Coprisin with Potent Antibacterial Activities with Bacterial Sell Selectivites. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2014. [DOI: 10.5012/bkcs.2014.35.9.2809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Porto WF, Fensterseifer GM, Franco OL. In silico identification, structural characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of MdesDEF-2: a novel defensin from the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor. J Mol Model 2014; 20:2339. [DOI: 10.1007/s00894-014-2339-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Yi HY, Chowdhury M, Huang YD, Yu XQ. Insect antimicrobial peptides and their applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:5807-22. [PMID: 24811407 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5792-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 346] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects are one of the major sources of antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs). Since observation of antimicrobial activity in the hemolymph of pupae from the giant silk moths Samia Cynthia and Hyalophora cecropia in 1974 and purification of first insect AMP (cecropin) from H. cecropia pupae in 1980, over 150 insect AMPs have been purified or identified. Most insect AMPs are small and cationic, and they show activities against bacteria and/or fungi, as well as some parasites and viruses. Insect AMPs can be classified into four families based on their structures or unique sequences: the α-helical peptides (cecropin and moricin), cysteine-rich peptides (insect defensin and drosomycin), proline-rich peptides (apidaecin, drosocin, and lebocin), and glycine-rich peptides/proteins (attacin and gloverin). Among insect AMPs, defensins, cecropins, proline-rich peptides, and attacins are common, while gloverins and moricins have been identified only in Lepidoptera. Most active AMPs are small peptides of 20-50 residues, which are generated from larger inactive precursor proteins or pro-proteins, but gloverins (~14 kDa) and attacins (~20 kDa) are large antimicrobial proteins. In this mini-review, we will discuss current knowledge and recent progress in several classes of insect AMPs, including insect defensins, cecropins, attacins, lebocins and other proline-rich peptides, gloverins, and moricins, with a focus on structural-functional relationships and their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yu Yi
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
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Silva PM, Gonçalves S, Santos NC. Defensins: antifungal lessons from eukaryotes. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:97. [PMID: 24688483 PMCID: PMC3960590 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been the focus of intense research toward the finding of a viable alternative to current antifungal drugs. Defensins are one of the major families of AMPs and the most represented among all eukaryotic groups, providing an important first line of host defense against pathogenic microorganisms. Several of these cysteine-stabilized peptides present a relevant effect against fungi. Defensins are the AMPs with the broader distribution across all eukaryotic kingdoms, namely, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia, and were recently shown to have an ancestor in a bacterial organism. As a part of the host defense, defensins act as an important vehicle of information between innate and adaptive immune system and have a role in immunomodulation. This multidimensionality represents a powerful host shield, hard for microorganisms to overcome using single approach resistance strategies. Pathogenic fungi resistance to conventional antimycotic drugs is becoming a major problem. Defensins, as other AMPs, have shown to be an effective alternative to the current antimycotic therapies, demonstrating potential as novel therapeutic agents or drug leads. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on some eukaryotic defensins with antifungal action. An overview of the main targets in the fungal cell and the mechanism of action of these AMPs (namely, the selectivity for some fungal membrane components) are presented. Additionally, recent works on antifungal defensins structure, activity, and cytotoxicity are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia M Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sónia Gonçalves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
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Lucifensins, the Insect Defensins of Biomedical Importance: The Story behind Maggot Therapy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2014; 7:251-64. [PMID: 24583934 PMCID: PMC3978492 DOI: 10.3390/ph7030251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Defensins are the most widespread antimicrobial peptides characterised in insects. These cyclic peptides, 4–6 kDa in size, are folded into α-helical/β-sheet mixed structures and have a common conserved motif of three intramolecular disulfide bridges with a Cys1-Cys4, Cys2-Cys5 and Cys3-Cys6 connectivity. They have the ability to kill especially Gram-positive bacteria and some fungi, but Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant against them. Among them are the medicinally important compounds lucifensin and lucifensin II, which have recently been identified in the medicinal larvae of the blowflies Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina, respectively. These defensins contribute to wound healing during a procedure known as maggot debridement therapy (MDT) which is routinely used at hospitals worldwide. Here we discuss the decades-long story of the effort to isolate and characterise these two defensins from the bodies of medicinal larvae or from their secretions/excretions. Furthermore, our previous studies showed that the free-range larvae of L. sericata acutely eliminated most of the Gram-positive strains of bacteria and some Gram-negative strains in patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers, but MDT was ineffective during the healing of wounds infected with Pseudomonas sp. and Acinetobacter sp. The bactericidal role of lucifensins secreted into the infected wound by larvae during MDT and its ability to enhance host immunity by functioning as immunomodulator is also discussed.
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Zhu S, Gao B. Nematode-derived drosomycin-type antifungal peptides provide evidence for plant-to-ecdysozoan horizontal transfer of a disease resistance gene. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3154. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of cysteine-free coprisin nonapeptides. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 443:483-8. [PMID: 24321546 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.11.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Coprisin is a 43-mer defensin-like peptide from the dung beetle, Copris tripartitus. CopA3 (LLCIALRKK-NH₂), a 9-mer peptide containing a single free cysteine residue at position 3 of its sequence, was derived from the α-helical region of coprisin and exhibits potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. The single cysteine implies a tendency for dimerization; however, it remains unknown whether this cysteine residue is indispensible for CopA3's antimicrobial activity. To address this issue, in the present study we synthesized eight cysteine-substituted monomeric CopA3 analogs and two dimeric analogs, CopA3 (Dimer) and CopIK (Dimer), and evaluated their antimicrobial effects against bacteria and fungi, as well as their hemolytic activity toward human erythrocytes. Under physiological conditions, CopA3 (Mono) exhibits a 6/4 (monomer/dimer) molar ratio in HPLC area percent, indicating that its effects on bacterial strains likely reflect a CopA3 (Mono)/CopA3 (Dimer) mixture. We also report the identification of CopW, a new cysteine-free nonapeptide derived from CopA3 that has potent antimicrobial activity with virtually no hemolytic activity. Apparently, the cysteine residue in CopA3 is not essential for its antimicrobial function. Notably, CopW also exhibited significant synergistic activity with ampicillin and showed more potent antifungal activity than either wild-type coprisin or melittin.
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van der Weerden NL, Bleackley MR, Anderson MA. Properties and mechanisms of action of naturally occurring antifungal peptides. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013; 70:3545-70. [PMID: 23381653 PMCID: PMC11114075 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1260-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2012] [Revised: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are a vital component of the innate immune system of all eukaryotic organisms and many of these peptides have potent antifungal activity. They have potential application in the control of fungal pathogens that are a serious threat to both human health and food security. Development of antifungal peptides as therapeutics requires an understanding of their mechanism of action on fungal cells. To date, most research on antimicrobial peptides has focused on their activity against bacteria. Several antimicrobial peptides specifically target fungal cells and are not active against bacteria. Others with broader specificity often have different mechanisms of action against bacteria and fungi. This review focuses on the mechanism of action of naturally occurring antifungal peptides from a diverse range of sources including plants, mammals, amphibians, insects, crabs, spiders, and fungi. While antimicrobial peptides were originally proposed to act via membrane permeabilization, the mechanism of antifungal activity for these peptides is generally more complex and often involves entry of the peptide into the cell.
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Karri V, Bharadwaja KP. Tandem combination of Trigonella foenum-graecum defensin (Tfgd2) and Raphanus sativus antifungal protein (RsAFP2) generates a more potent antifungal protein. Funct Integr Genomics 2013; 13:435-43. [PMID: 24022215 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-013-0334-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2013] [Revised: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant defensins are small (45 to 54 amino acids) positively charged antimicrobial peptides produced by the plant species, which can inhibit the growth of a broad range of fungi at micro-molar concentrations. These basic peptides share a common characteristic three-dimensional folding pattern with one α-helix and three β-sheets that are stabilized by eight disulfide-linked cysteine residues. Instead of using two single-gene constructs, it is beneficial when two effective genes are made into a single fusion gene with one promoter and terminator. In this approach, we have linked two plant defensins namely Trigonella foenum-graecum defensin 2 (Tfgd2) and Raphanus sativus antifungal protein 2 (RsAFP2) genes by a linker peptide sequence (occurring in the seeds of Impatiens balsamina) and made into a single-fusion gene construct. We used pET-32a+ vector system to express Tfgd2-RsAFP2 fusion gene with hexahistidine tag in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS cells. Induction of these cells with 1 mM IPTG achieved expression of the fusion protein. The solubilized His6-tagged recombinant fusion protein was purified by immobilized-metal (Ni2+) affinity column chromatography. The final yield of the fusion protein was 500 ng/μL. This method produced biologically active recombinant His6-tagged fusion protein, which exhibited potent antifungal action towards the plant pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium oxysporum, Phaeoisariopsis personata and Rhizoctonia solani along with an oomycete pathogen Phytophthora parasitica var nicotianae) at lower concentrations under in vitro conditions. This strategy of combining activity of two defensin genes into a single-fusion gene will definitely be a promising utility for biotechnological applications.
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Yi HY, Deng XJ, Yang WY, Zhou CZ, Cao Y, Yu XQ. Gloverins of the silkworm Bombyx mori: structural and binding properties and activities. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 43:612-25. [PMID: 23567591 PMCID: PMC3760519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2013.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Revised: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Gloverins are basic, glycine-rich and heat-stable antibacterial proteins (∼14- kDa) in lepidopteran insects with activity against Escherichia coli, Gram-positive bacteria, fungi and a virus. Hyalophora gloveri gloverin adopts a random coil structure in aqueous solution but has α-helical structure in membrane-like environment, and it may interact with the lipid A moiety of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Manduca sexta gloverin binds to the O-specific antigen and outer core carbohydrate of LPS. In the silkworm Bombyx mori, there are four gloverins with slightly acidic to neutral isoelectric points. In this study, we investigate structural and binding properties and activities of B. mori gloverins (BmGlvs), as well as correlations between structure, binding property and activity. Recombinant BmGlv1-4 were expressed in bacteria and purified. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed that all four BmGlvs mainly adopted random coli structure (>50%) in aqueous solution in regardless of pH, but contained α-helical structure in the presence of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP), smooth and rough mutants (Ra, Rc and Re) of LPS and lipid A. Plate ELISA assay showed that BmGlvs at pH 5.0 bound to rough mutants of LPS and lipid A but not to smooth LPS. Antibacterial activity assay showed that positively charged BmGlvs (at pH 5.0) were active against E. coli mutant strains containing rough LPS but inactive against E. coli with smooth LPS. Our results suggest that binding to rough LPS is the prerequisite for the activity of BmGlvs against E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yu Yi
- Laboratory of Insect Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 5007 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Xiao-Juan Deng
- Laboratory of Insect Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wan-Ying Yang
- Laboratory of Insect Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Cong-Zhao Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Yang Cao
- Laboratory of Insect Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Corresponding author. (Y. Cao),
| | - Xiao-Qiang Yu
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 5007 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 816 235 6379; fax: +1 816 235 1503. (X.-Q. Yu)
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Antimicrobial peptides: versatile biological properties. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEPTIDES 2013; 2013:675391. [PMID: 23935642 PMCID: PMC3710626 DOI: 10.1155/2013/675391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are diverse group of biologically active molecules with multidimensional properties. In recent past, a wide variety of AMPs with diverse structures have been reported from different sources such as plants, animals, mammals, and microorganisms. The presence of unusual amino acids and structural motifs in AMPs confers unique structural properties to the peptide that attribute for their specific mode of action. The ability of these active AMPs to act as multifunctional effector molecules such as signalling molecule, immune modulators, mitogen, antitumor, and contraceptive agent makes it an interesting candidate to study every aspect of their structural and biological properties for prophylactic and therapeutic applications. In addition, easy cloning and recombinant expression of AMPs in heterologous plant host systems provided a pipeline for production of disease resistant transgenic plants. Besides these properties, AMPs were also used as drug delivery vectors to deliver cell impermeable drugs to cell interior. The present review focuses on the diversity and broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of AMPs along with its multidimensional properties that could be exploited for the application of these bioactive peptides as a potential and promising drug candidate in pharmaceutical industries.
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Wang ZZ, Shi M, Ye XQ, Chen MY, Chen XX. Identification, characterization and expression of a defensin-like antifungal peptide from the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 22:297-305. [PMID: 23496414 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are a class of small and diverse cysteine-rich proteins which have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. We identified and characterized a full-length cDNA encoding a putative defensin-like peptide from the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by RACE and quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. The full-length cDNA, named Btdef, was 388 bp long and contained an open reading frame of 228 bp. The putative mature Btdef had 46 amino acids with a molecular weight of 5.06 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed significant homology with insect defensins from Heliothis virescens (76%) and Galleria mellonella (75%). The predicted mature form of Btdef was expressed as a recombinant peptide in Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial assays of the purified product indicated that Btdef was most active against fungi. qRT-PCR analyses indicated that Btdef mRNA was constitutively expressed in different tissues of B. tabaci, including fat body, midgut, ovaries and salivary gland, and was induced by fungal infection. Btdef mRNA expression was also significantly altered after feeding on different host plants, indicating that diet affects immune defences in B. tabaci. These results describe for the first time the basic properties of a defensin-like peptide from B. tabaci that probably plays an important role in the immune response against pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z-Z Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Ma X, Liu D, Tang H, Wang Y, Wu T, Li Y, Yang J, Yang J, Sun S, Zhang F. Purification and characterization of a novel antifungal protein with antiproliferation and anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activities from Peganum harmala seeds. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2013; 45:87-94. [PMID: 23165744 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gms094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel antifungal protein, designated as PHP, was isolated from the seeds of Peganum harmala, by cationic exchange chromatography on Resource S column and gel filtration on Sephadex 75 10/300 GL column. PHP was found to form a homodimer of about 16 kDa. Isoelectric focusing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the isoelectric point of PHP was ∼8.4. The N-terminal 20-amino acid sequence of PHP, ITCPQVTQSLAPCVPYLISG, resembles the non-specific lipid transfer proteins in certain plants. PHP exhibited lipid-binding activity. Furthermore, PHP exerted antifungal activity against Alternaria alternate, Penicillium degitatum, Rhizopus stuolonifer, and Magnaporthe grisea, and its antifungal activity was stable in the temperature range 4-60°C, and in the pH range 4-10. It inhibited the mycelial growth in A. alternate, P. degitatum, R. stuolonifer, and M. grisea with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 1.5, 37.5, 8.44, and 12.19 μM, respectively. PHP was also able to inhibit the proliferation of esophagus carcinoma (Eca-109), cervical carcinoma (HeLa), gastric carcinoma (MGC-7), and melanoma (B16) cells with IC(50) of 0.7, 2.74, 3.13, and 1.47 μM, respectively. Moreover, PHP significantly inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) with an IC(50) of 1.26 μM. It did not have hemagglutinating and antibacterial activities. In conclusion, a novel antifungal protein with antiproliferation and anti-HIV-1 RT activities was obtained from P. harmala seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojin Ma
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
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Hegedüs N, Marx F. Antifungal proteins: More than antimicrobials? FUNGAL BIOL REV 2013; 26:132-145. [PMID: 23412850 PMCID: PMC3569713 DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2012] [Revised: 07/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) are widely distributed in nature. In higher eukaryotes, AMPs provide the host with an important defence mechanism against invading pathogens. AMPs of lower eukaryotes and prokaryotes may support successful competition for nutrients with other microorganisms of the same ecological niche. AMPs show a vast variety in structure, function, antimicrobial spectrum and mechanism of action. Most interestingly, there is growing evidence that AMPs also fulfil important biological functions other than antimicrobial activity. The present review focuses on the mechanistic function of small, cationic, cysteine-rich AMPs of mammals, insects, plants and fungi with antifungal activity and specifically aims at summarizing current knowledge concerning additional biological properties which opens novel aspects for their future use in medicine, agriculture and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Florentine Marx
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +43 512 9003 70207; fax: +43 512 9003 73100.
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Porto WF, Pires ÁS, Franco OL. CS-AMPPred: an updated SVM model for antimicrobial activity prediction in cysteine-stabilized peptides. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51444. [PMID: 23240023 PMCID: PMC3519874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have been proposed as an alternative to control resistant pathogens. However, due to multifunctional properties of several AMP classes, until now there has been no way to perform efficient AMP identification, except through in vitro and in vivo tests. Nevertheless, an indication of activity can be provided by prediction methods. In order to contribute to the AMP prediction field, the CS-AMPPred (Cysteine-Stabilized Antimicrobial Peptides Predictor) is presented here, consisting of an updated version of the Support Vector Machine (SVM) model for antimicrobial activity prediction in cysteine-stabilized peptides. The CS-AMPPred is based on five sequence descriptors: indexes of (i) α-helix and (ii) loop formation; and averages of (iii) net charge, (iv) hydrophobicity and (v) flexibility. CS-AMPPred was based on 310 cysteine-stabilized AMPs and 310 sequences extracted from PDB. The polynomial kernel achieves the best accuracy on 5-fold cross validation (85.81%), while the radial and linear kernels achieve 84.19%. Testing in a blind data set, the polynomial and radial kernels achieve an accuracy of 90.00%, while the linear model achieves 89.33%. The three models reach higher accuracies than previously described methods. A standalone version of CS-AMPPred is available for download at <http://sourceforge.net/projects/csamppred/> and runs on any Linux machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- William F. Porto
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF, Brazil
| | - Állan S. Pires
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF, Brazil
| | - Octavio L. Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Lee E, Kim JK, Shin S, Jeong KW, Shin A, Lee J, Lee DG, Hwang JS, Kim Y. Insight into the antimicrobial activities of coprisin isolated from the dung beetle, Copris tripartitus, revealed by structure-activity relationships. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2012; 1828:271-83. [PMID: 23137439 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2012.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Revised: 10/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The novel 43-residue, insect defensin-like peptide coprisin, isolated from the dung beetle, Copris tripartitus, is a potent antibiotic with bacterial cell selectivity, exhibiting antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria without exerting hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes. Tests against Staphylococcus aureus using fluorescent dye leakage and depolarization measurements showed that coprisin targets the bacterial cell membrane. To understand structure-activity relationships, we determined the three-dimensional structure of coprisin in aqueous solution by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which showed that coprisin has an amphipathic α-helical structure from Ala(19) to Arg(28), and β-sheets from Gly(31) to Gln(35) and Val(38) to Arg(42). Coprisin has electropositive regions formed by Arg(28), Lys(29), Lys(30), and Arg(42) and ITC results proved that coprisin and LPS have electrostatically driven interactions. Using measurements of nitric oxide release and inflammatory cytokine production, we provide the first verification of the anti-inflammatory activity and associated mechanism of an insect defensin, demonstrating that the anti-inflammatory actions of the defensin-like peptide, coprisin, are initiated by suppressing the binding of LPS to toll-like receptor 4, and subsequently inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear translocation of NF-kB. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that an amphipathic helix and an electropositive surface in coprisin may play important roles in its effective interaction with bacterial cell membranes and, ultimately, in its high antibacterial activity and potent anti-inflammatory activity. In addition to elucidating the antimicrobial action of coprisin, this work may provide insight into the mechanism of action of insect defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunjung Lee
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Institute of SMART Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, South Korea
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Li M, Zhu L, Zhou CY, Sun S, Fan YJ, Zhuang ZM. Molecular characterization and expression of a novel big defensin (Sb-BDef1) from ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2012; 33:1167-1173. [PMID: 23000749 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2012.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Revised: 08/22/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Big defensins, endogenous cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with antimicrobial activity and immunomodulatory property, play crucial roles in host defense against various microbial pathogens. A novel big defensin (Sb-BDef1) of ark shell Scapharca broughtonii was identified by expressed sequence tag (EST) and RACE techniques. The Sb-BDef1 cDNA contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 336-bp encoding a polypeptide of 111 amino acids with a putative signal peptide of 21 amino acid residues, followed by a putative propeptide of 11 residues and a putative mature peptide of 79 residues. The mature peptide shared the common features of big defensins, including a high hydrophobic residues region (59%) in the N-terminus, a defensin domain in the C-terminus, which perfectly corresponds to the six conserved disulfide-bonded cysteine residues involved in the formation of the internal disulfide bridges (C1-C5, C2-C4 and C3-C6) in all big defensins from mollusk, horseshoe crab and amphioxus. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression of Sb-BDef1 transcript was detected in all the tissues examined from normal ark shells, and the temporal expression of Sb-BDef1 mRNA was remarkably up-regulated at 8, 16 h in hemocytes, and at 16, 24 h in hepatopancreas after Vibrio anguillarum-challenge, respectively. These results suggested that Sb-BDef1 was a constitutive and inducible acute-phase protein and should be involved in immune response of Gram-negative microbial infection in ark shell S. broughtonii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, PR China
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Oeemig JS, Lynggaard C, Knudsen DH, Hansen FT, Nørgaard KD, Schneider T, Vad BS, Sandvang DH, Nielsen LA, Neve S, Kristensen HH, Sahl HG, Otzen DE, Wimmer R. Eurocin, a new fungal defensin: structure, lipid binding, and its mode of action. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:42361-72. [PMID: 23093408 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.382028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are a new class of antibiotics that are promising for pharmaceutical applications because they have retained efficacy throughout evolution. One class of antimicrobial peptides are the defensins, which have been found in different species. Here we describe a new fungal defensin, eurocin. Eurocin acts against a range of Gram-positive human pathogens but not against Gram-negative bacteria. Eurocin consists of 42 amino acids, forming a cysteine-stabilized α/β-fold. The thermal denaturation data point shows the disulfide bridges being responsible for the stability of the fold. Eurocin does not form pores in cell membranes at physiologically relevant concentrations; it does, however, lead to limited leakage of a fluorophore from small unilamellar vesicles. Eurocin interacts with detergent micelles, and it inhibits the synthesis of cell walls by binding equimolarly to the cell wall precursor lipid II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper S Oeemig
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, Sohngaardsholmsvej 49, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark
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Structural characterization of plant defensin protein superfamily. Mol Biol Rep 2011; 39:4461-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-011-1235-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2011] [Accepted: 09/13/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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46
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Ultra-high resolution crystal structure of a dimeric defensin SPE10. FEBS Lett 2010; 585:300-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.12.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2010] [Revised: 12/02/2010] [Accepted: 12/22/2010] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Song KJ, Park BR, Kim SY, Park KS. Molecular characterization of anionic defensin-like peptide in immune response of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera). Genes Genomics 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s13258-010-0038-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2022]
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48
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Zhang Z, Zhu S. Functional role of charged residues in drosomycin, a Drosophila antifungal peptide. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 34:953-958. [PMID: 20420852 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2010.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2010] [Revised: 04/17/2010] [Accepted: 04/17/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The functional importance of positively charged residues in antibacterial peptides (ABPs) has been well documented. However, their role in antifungal peptides (AFPs) has not been extensively evaluated. To address this question, we investigated the functional role of charged residues in drosomycin, a specific Drosophila antifungal peptide, using site-directed mutagenesis in combination with circular dichroism (CD) analysis and antifungal assays. As a result, we firstly identified five cationic residues (R6, K8, R20, R21 and K38) whose alterations significantly affected the antifungal activity. Intriguingly, two negatively charged residues (D1 and E25) are also recognized as functional determinants of drosomycin. This indicates that it is the location of these charged residues rather than net charges that is crucial for activity. These functional sites are located in different secondary structure elements, including the N-loop, alpha-helix and gamma-core regions, all highly exposed on the molecular surface, suggesting that drosomycin may bind to fungal targets through electrostatic interactions. Our work has implications for further modification of drosomycin to obtain new antifungal peptides with enhanced activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenting Zhang
- Group of Animal Innate Immunity, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects & Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Beijing 100101, China
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Ravichandr S, Kumaravel K, Rameshkuma G, AjithKumar T. Antimicrobial Peptides from the Marine Fishes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.3923/rji.2010.146.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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50
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Gene expression divergence and evolutionary analysis of the drosomycin gene family in Drosophila melanogaster. J Biomed Biotechnol 2009; 2009:315423. [PMID: 19888430 PMCID: PMC2771159 DOI: 10.1155/2009/315423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2009] [Revised: 06/06/2009] [Accepted: 08/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosomycin (Drs) encoding an inducible 44-residue antifungal peptide is clustered with six additional genes, Dro1, Dro2, Dro3, Dro4, Dro5, and Dro6, forming a multigene family on the 3L chromosome arm in Drosophila melanogaster. To get further insight into the regulation of each member of the drosomycin gene family, here we investigated gene expression patterns of this family by either microbe-free injury or microbial challenges using real time RT-PCR. The results indicated that among the seven drosomycin genes, Drs, Dro2, Dro3, Dro4, and Dro5 showed constitutive expressions. Three out of five, Dro2, Dro3, and Dro5, were able to be upregulated by simple injury. Interestingly, Drs is an only gene strongly upregulated when Drosophila was infected with microbes. In contrast to these five genes, Dro1 and Dro6 were not transcribed at all in either noninfected or infected flies. Furthermore, by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends, two transcription start sites were identified in Drs and Dro2, and one in Dro3, Dro4, and Dro5. In addition, NF-kappaB binding sites were found in promoter regions of Drs, Dro2, Dro3, and Dro5, indicating the importance of NF-kappaB binding sites for the inducibility of drosomycin genes. Based on the analyses of flanking sequences of each gene in D. melanogaster and phylogenetic relationship of drosomycins in D. melanogaster species-group, we concluded that gene duplications were involved in the formation of the drosomycin gene family. The possible evolutionary fates of drosomycin genes were discussed according to the combining analysis of gene expression pattern, gene structure, and functional divergence of these genes.
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