1
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Tahlan S, Singh S, Dey H, Kaira M, Pandey KC. Recent research frontiers of heterocycles as antifungal Agents: Insights from the past five years. Eur J Med Chem 2025; 295:117801. [PMID: 40440790 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2025] [Revised: 05/13/2025] [Accepted: 05/22/2025] [Indexed: 06/11/2025]
Abstract
This review explores the growing global concern of fungal infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, and highlights the critical need for improved antifungal therapies. With the rise of multidrug-resistant strains, such as Candida auris and Aspergillus fumigatus, current antifungal treatments face limitations, including toxicity, low bioavailability, and the development of resistance. Heterocyclic compounds, particularly those targeting key fungal enzymes and pathways, are emerging as promising candidates in the fight against these infections. The review focuses on the structural diversity and mechanisms of action of heterocyclic antifungal agents, including azoles, echinocandins, novel dual-target inhibitors, and more. Additionally, it discusses advancements in drug design, delivery systems, and the role of artificial intelligence in identifying new compounds. By addressing gaps in existing therapies and presenting new insights into heterocyclic drug development, this study aims to guide future research towards more effective and safer antifungal treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Tahlan
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, 11007, India.
| | - Sucheta Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, India.
| | - Hrithik Dey
- Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot No.-11, Knowledge Park-II, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, 201306.
| | - Meenakshi Kaira
- Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot No.-11, Knowledge Park-II, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, 201306.
| | - Kailash C Pandey
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, 11007, India.
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2
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Sun Y, Luo Z, Li K, Wang H, Gao Z, Zhang J, Liu R, Liu R, Wu X, Liu N, Zhang H, Su X, Yin W, Zhao D, Cheng M. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity Evaluation of Deuterated Diphenyl Azole Alcohol-Based CYP51 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2025; 68:12229-12257. [PMID: 40461049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c01068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2025]
Abstract
In recent years, the incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has risen significantly, leading to increased clinical use of azole antifungals. However, their therapeutic utility remains limited by emerging drug resistance, inadequate oral bioavailability, and adverse effects. This study focused on optimizing in vivo pharmacokinetic properties through a molecular hybridization strategy, integrating structural features of Oteseconazole and A33. After multiple rounds of structural refinement, a series of deuterated biphenyl aryl azolol derivatives were developed. Compound C52 demonstrated potent broad-spectrum antifungal activity in vitro, antibiofilm properties, and inhibition of fungal morphological transition. Notably, it exhibited favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics, with an oral bioavailability (F) of 63.4%. In vivo efficacy studies revealed that the compound significantly prolonged survival in murine models and maintained potent activity against drug-resistant strain 17#. These findings position compound C52 as a promising CYP51-targeting candidate for treating IFIs, establishing a robust chemical foundation for developing next-generation antifungal therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zirui Luo
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Kejian Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hongjian Wang
- The School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zixuan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jiachen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Rongrong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xudong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Nian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Haoyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xin Su
- The School of life Science and Biopharmaceutical, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wenbo Yin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Dongmei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Maosheng Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe, Shenyang 110016, China
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3
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Mei Q, Wu S, Luo M, Ji S, Guo J, Dong C, Sun G, Wang J, Deng Z, Zhao YL, Zhang Z, Sun Y. Formation of the Diketopiperazine Moiety by a Distinct Condensation-Like Domain in Hangtaimycin Biosynthesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202421950. [PMID: 40000413 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202421950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2025] [Accepted: 02/24/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025]
Abstract
Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are key enzymes in pharmaceutical synthesis, with condensation (C) domains catalyzing amide bond formation between aminoacyl substrates. However, recent research has elucidated that the catalytic capabilities of C domains extend beyond the traditional formation of peptide bonds. In this study, we elucidate the cyclization mechanism of the NRPS-derived natural products hangtaimycin (HTM), characterized by the formation of a 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP) moiety which involves an intramolecular vinylamide-mediated nucleophilic attack instead of an N-terminal amino group. This cyclization is catalyzed by a terminal condensation-like (CT) domain within the NRPS enzyme HtmB2. We investigated the evolutionary specificity of the HtmB2-CT within Streptomyces spectabilis CCTCC M2017417. Employing a multidisciplinary analytical approach, we have delineated the molecular underpinnings of DKP formation within the HTM biosynthesis. This process is facilitated by residue R2776, which modulates the formation of reactive species and stabilizes the amidate through electrostatic interactions. Besides, we found a positive correlation between the alkaline strength of the residue at position 2776 and the activity of HtmB2-CT. Our study elucidates the formation mechanism of DKPs in NRPS-derived natural products, thereby bridging a critical gap in the structural and mechanistic understanding of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Mei
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijuan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghe Luo
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Shunjia Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayi Guo
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuan Dong
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo Sun
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Zixin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuhui Sun
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, No. 185 East Lake Road, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
- School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
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4
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Schrey H, Lambert C, Stadler M. Fungi: Pioneers of chemical creativity - Techniques and strategies to uncover fungal chemistry. IMA Fungus 2025; 16:e142462. [PMID: 40093757 PMCID: PMC11909596 DOI: 10.3897/imafungus.16.142462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025] Open
Abstract
Natural product discovery from fungi for drug development and description of novel chemistry has been a tremendous success. This success is expected to accelerate even further, owing to the advent of sophisticated technical advances of technical advances that recently led to the discovery of an unparalleled biodiversity in the fungal kingdom. This review aims to give an overview on i) important secondary metabolite-derived drugs or drug leads, ii) discuss the analytical and strategic framework of how natural product discovery and drug lead identification transformed from earlier days to the present, iii) how knowledge of fungal biology and biodiversity facilitates the discovery of new compounds, and iv) point out endeavors in understanding fungal secondary metabolite chemistry in order to systematically explore fungal genomes by utilizing synthetic biology. An outlook is given, underlining the necessity for a collaborative and cooperative scenario to harness the full potential of the fungal secondary metabolome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedda Schrey
- Department Microbial Drugs (MWIS), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, GermanyHelmholtz-Centre for Infection ResearchBraunschweigGermany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Christopher Lambert
- Department Microbial Drugs (MWIS), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, GermanyHelmholtz-Centre for Infection ResearchBraunschweigGermany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Marc Stadler
- Department Microbial Drugs (MWIS), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, GermanyHelmholtz-Centre for Infection ResearchBraunschweigGermany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
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5
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Diaconu D, Savu M, Ciobanu C, Mangalagiu V, Mangalagiu II. Current strategies in design and synthesis of antifungals hybrid and chimeric diazine derivatives. Bioorg Med Chem 2025; 119:118069. [PMID: 39818112 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2025.118069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2024] [Revised: 01/04/2025] [Accepted: 01/09/2025] [Indexed: 01/18/2025]
Abstract
In the last decades fungal infections became a major threat to human health having an unacceptably occurrence, a high rate of mortality and the number of patients at risk for these infections continue to increase every year. An effective, modern and very useful strategy in antifungal therapy is represented by the use of chimeric and hybrid drugs, most of them being with azaheterocycle skeleton. In this review, we present an overview from the last five years of the most representative achievements in the field of chimeric and hybrid diazine derivatives with antifungal properties. Within this work we emphasize the most relevant data concerning the synthesis, design, Structure Activity Relationships (SAR) correlations and antifungal activity of the main classes of diazine: 1,2-diazine (pyridazine), 1,3-diazine (pyrimidine), 1,4-diazine (pyrazine) and their fused derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dumitrela Diaconu
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Faculty of Chemistry, Bd. Carol 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania; Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, RECENT-AIR Center, Bd. Carol 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Marius Savu
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Faculty of Chemistry, Bd. Carol 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Catalina Ciobanu
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, CERNESIM Center, Bd. Carol 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Violeta Mangalagiu
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, CERNESIM Center, Bd. Carol 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania; Stefan Cel Mare University of Suceava, Faculty of Food Engineering, 13 Universitatii Str., 720229 Suceava, Romania
| | - Ionel I Mangalagiu
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Faculty of Chemistry, Bd. Carol 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania.
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6
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Lends A, Lamon G, Delcourte L, Sturny-Leclere A, Grélard A, Morvan E, Abdul-Shukkoor MB, Berbon M, Vallet A, Habenstein B, Dufourc EJ, Schanda P, Aimanianda V, Loquet A. Molecular Distinction of Cell Wall and Capsular Polysaccharides in Encapsulated Pathogens by In Situ Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Techniques. J Am Chem Soc 2025; 147:6813-6824. [PMID: 39955787 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c16975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2025]
Abstract
Pathogenic fungal and bacterial cells are enveloped within a cell wall, a molecular barrier at their cell surface, and a critical architecture that constantly evolves during pathogenesis. Understanding the molecular composition, structural organization, and mobility of polysaccharides constituting this cell envelope is crucial to correlate cell wall organization with its role in pathogenicity and to identify potential antifungal targets. For the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, the characterization of the cell envelope has been complexified by the presence of an additional external polysaccharide capsular shell. Here, we investigate how magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR techniques increase the analytical capabilities to characterize the structure and dynamics of this encapsulated pathogen. The versatility of proton detection experiments, dynamic-based filters, and relaxation measurements facilitate the discrimination of the highly mobile external capsular structure from the internal rigid cell wall of C. neoformans. In addition, we report the in situ detection of triglyceride molecules from lipid droplets based on NMR dynamic filters. Together, we demonstrate a nondestructive technique to study the cell wall architecture of encapsulated microbes using C. neoformans as a model, an airborne opportunistic fungal pathogen that infects mainly immunocompromised but also competent hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alons Lends
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Gaelle Lamon
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Loic Delcourte
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Aude Sturny-Leclere
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Mycologie Moléculaire, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Axelle Grélard
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Estelle Morvan
- Inserm, IECB, UAR3033, US01, Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | | | - Mélanie Berbon
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Alicia Vallet
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, 71 avenue des martyrs, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Birgit Habenstein
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Erick J Dufourc
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Paul Schanda
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Vishukumar Aimanianda
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Mycologie Moléculaire, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Antoine Loquet
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, F-33607 Pessac, France
- Inserm, IECB, UAR3033, US01, Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, F-33607 Pessac, France
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7
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Al Musaimi O. FDA-Approved Antibacterials and Echinocandins. Antibiotics (Basel) 2025; 14:166. [PMID: 40001410 PMCID: PMC11851826 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics14020166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2025] [Revised: 02/01/2025] [Accepted: 02/06/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025] Open
Abstract
Since 1955, a total of 12 peptide-based drugs with antimicrobial or antifungal properties have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Peptides present a promising opportunity to address serious infections that may be challenging to manage through other means. Peptides exhibit the capability to leverage various mechanisms, and in some cases, multiple mechanisms are employed for this purpose. Despite the initial approval dating back to 1955, the FDA recently approved an echinocandin peptide just last year. The ongoing approvals underscore the significance of peptides in addressing ongoing medical challenges. Approximately 22 peptide therapeutics with an antibacterial and antifungal spectrum are currently undergoing various phases of clinical trials, showing promising results. In this review, antimicrobial and antifungal peptides are analyzed in terms of their chemical structure, indication, mode of action, and development journey, concluding with their arrival in the pharmaceutical market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Othman Al Musaimi
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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8
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Pistofidis A, Ma P, Li Z, Munro K, Houk KN, Schmeing TM. Structures and mechanism of condensation in non-ribosomal peptide synthesis. Nature 2025; 638:270-278. [PMID: 39662504 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08417-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 11/15/2024] [Indexed: 12/13/2024]
Abstract
Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are megaenzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of many clinically important natural products, from early modern medicines (penicillin, bacitracin) to current blockbuster drugs (cubicin, vancomycin) and newly approved therapeutics (rezafungin)1,2. The key chemical step in these biosyntheses is amide bond formation between aminoacyl building blocks, catalysed by the condensation (C) domain3. There has been much debate over the mechanism of this reaction3-12. NRPS condensation has been difficult to fully characterize because it is one of many successive reactions in the NRPS synthetic cycle and because the canonical substrates are each attached transiently as thioesters to mobile carrier domains, which are often both contained in the same very flexible protein as the C domain. Here we have produced a dimodular NRPS protein in two parts, modified each with appropriate non-hydrolysable substrate analogues13,14, assembled the two parts with protein ligation15, and solved the structures of the substrate- and product-bound states. The structures show the precise orientation of the megaenzyme preparing the nucleophilic attack of its key chemical step, and enable biochemical assays and quantum mechanical simulations to precisely interrogate the reaction. These data suggest that NRPS C domains use a concerted reaction mechanism, whereby the active-site histidine likely functions not as a general base, but as a crucial stabilizing hydrogen bond acceptor for the developing ammonium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelos Pistofidis
- Department of Biochemistry and Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pengchen Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Sustainable Energy Material Chemistry and Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zihao Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kim Munro
- Department of Biochemistry and Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - K N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T Martin Schmeing
- Department of Biochemistry and Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
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9
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Souza CMD, Bezerra BT, Mellon DA, de Oliveira HC. The evolution of antifungal therapy: Traditional agents, current challenges and future perspectives. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2025; 8:100341. [PMID: 39897698 PMCID: PMC11786858 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2025.100341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2025] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections kill more than 3 million people every year. This high number reflects the significant challenges that treating these diseases worldwide presents. The current arsenal of antifungal drugs is limited and often accompanied by high toxicity to patients, elevated treatment costs, increased frequency of resistance rates, and the emergence of naturally resistant species. These treatment challenges highlight the urgency of developing new antifungal therapies, which could positively impact millions of lives each year globally. Our review offers an overview of the antifungal drugs currently available for treatment, presents the status of new antifungal drugs under clinical study, and explores ahead to future candidates that aim to help address this important global health issue.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Agreda Mellon
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Haroldo Cesar de Oliveira
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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10
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Andes D, Brüggemann RJ, Flanagan S, Lepak AJ, Lewis RE, Ong V, Rubino CM, Sandison T. The distinctive pharmacokinetic profile of rezafungin, a long-acting echinocandin developed in the era of modern pharmacometrics. J Antimicrob Chemother 2025; 80:18-28. [PMID: 39540899 PMCID: PMC11695911 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkae415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Echinocandin drugs are the current first-line therapy for fungal infections caused by Candida spp. Most patients require once-daily intravenous (IV) administration in a hospital or outpatient setting for treatment, which may negatively impact their quality of life and stress healthcare resources. Similar to other echinocandins, the novel FDA-, EMA-, and Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency-approved echinocandin, rezafungin (CD101), exhibited strong antifungal activity against several fungal pathogens and a low drug-drug interaction liability, which are important for medically complex patients. A pharmacometric-based approach has been adopted throughout the development of rezafungin, which contrasts with older echinocandins where dosing regimens were largely derived empirically, and only recently based on pharmacometric guidance. This state-of-the-art approach used model-based simulations incorporating pre-clinical and clinical data as it became available to optimize the dosing regimen for rezafungin. The enhanced stability of the molecular structure and the safety profile of rezafungin allow for the administration of once-weekly IV doses, compared to the daily dosing requirement for other echinocandin drugs, with this distinctive pharmacokinetic profile of rezafungin resulting in a front-loaded dosing regimen with high exposures early in therapy for enhanced fungal killing. The long shelf-life of rezafungin makes this echinocandin more flexible in terms of storage and manufacturing. Demonstrated across clinical development, rezafungin may provide patients with next-generation first-line antifungal treatment for the treatment of candidaemia and invasive candidiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Andes
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Roger J Brüggemann
- Department of Pharmacy and Radboudumc Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, and Radboudumc-CWZ Nijmegen Center of Expertise in Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alexander J Lepak
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Russell E Lewis
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Voon Ong
- Cidara Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
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11
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Gao Y, Cui J, Cao S, Guo J, Liu Z, Long S. Recent advances in peptoids as promising antimicrobial agents to target diverse microbial species. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 280:116982. [PMID: 39461038 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2024] [Revised: 10/11/2024] [Accepted: 10/17/2024] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant microbial species has become a global health concern, calling for novel antimicrobial agents. Peptoids, a class of synthetic peptidomimetics with unique structural properties, exhibit antimicrobial activity against a broad-spectrum of microbes, in addition to their stability to enzymatic degradation, selectivity, and relative ease of synthesis. Thus, peptoids have great potential in combating various drug-resistant pathogenic microbes. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the recent advances in utilizing peptoids as effective antimicrobial agents against a wide range of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. In addition, some of the synthetic strategies and antimicrobial mechanisms are discussed. The imperfections of antimicrobial peptoids and the defects in current antimicrobial peptoids research are pointed out and promising directions for future development in peptoids are highlighted, to pave the way for innovating better antimicrobial peptoids to address the challenges posed by multidrug-resistant microbial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Gao
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei 430205, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Advanced Fine Chemicals, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China
| | - Jingliang Cui
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei 430205, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Advanced Fine Chemicals, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China
| | - Shuang Cao
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei 430205, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Advanced Fine Chemicals, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China
| | - Ju Guo
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei 430205, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Advanced Fine Chemicals, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China
| | - Ziwei Liu
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei 430205, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Advanced Fine Chemicals, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China.
| | - Sihui Long
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei 430205, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Advanced Fine Chemicals, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology 206 1st Rd Optics Valley, East Lake New Technology Development District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430205, China.
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12
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Prusty JS, Kumar A, Kumar A. Anti-fungal peptides: an emerging category with enthralling therapeutic prospects in the treatment of candidiasis. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024:1-37. [PMID: 39440616 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2024.2418125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 10/10/2024] [Accepted: 10/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024]
Abstract
Candida infections, particularly invasive candidiasis, pose a serious global health threat. Candida albicans is the most prevalent species causing candidiasis, and resistance to key antifungal drugs, such as azoles, echinocandins, polyenes, and fluoropyrimidines, has emerged. This growing multidrug resistance (MDR) complicates treatment options, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Antifungal peptides (AFPs) are gaining recognition for their potential as new antifungal agents due to their diverse structures and functions. These natural or recombinant peptides can effectively target fungal virulence and viability, making them promising candidates for future antifungal development. This review examines infections caused by Candida species, the limitations of current antifungal treatments, and the therapeutic potential of AFPs. It emphasizes the importance of identifying novel AFP targets and their production for advancing treatment strategies. By discussing the therapeutic development of AFPs, the review aims to draw researchers' attention to this promising field. The integration of knowledge about AFPs could pave the way for novel antifungal agents with broad-spectrum activity, reduced toxicity, targeted action, and mechanisms that limit resistance in pathogenic fungi, offering significant advancements in antifungal therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Sankar Prusty
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Raipur, Raipur, India
| | - Ashwini Kumar
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India
| | - Awanish Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Raipur, Raipur, India
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13
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Delcourte L, Berbon M, Rodriguez M, Subban K, Lends A, Grélard A, Morvan E, Habenstein B, Saupe SJ, Delhaes L, Aimanianda V, Daskalov A, Loquet A. Magic-angle spinning NMR spectral editing of polysaccharides in whole cells using the DREAM scheme. Methods 2024; 230:59-67. [PMID: 39047926 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2024.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Most bacterial, plant and fungal cells possess at their surface a protective layer called the cell wall, conferring strength, plasticity and rigidity to withstand the osmotic pressure. This molecular barrier is crucial for pathogenic microorganisms, as it protects the cell from the local environment and often constitutes the first structural component encountered in the host-pathogen interaction. In pathogenic molds and yeasts, the cell wall constitutes the main target for the development of clinically-relevant antifungal drugs. In the past decade, solid-state NMR has emerged as a powerful analytical technique to investigate the molecular organization of microbial cell walls in the context of intact cells. 13C NMR chemical shift is an exquisite source of information to identify the polysaccharides present in the cell wall, and two-dimensional 13C-13C correlation experiments provide an efficient tool to rapidly access the polysaccharide composition in whole cells. Here we investigate the use of the adiabatic DREAM (for dipolar recoupling enhancement through amplitude modulation) recoupling scheme to improve solid-state NMR analysis of polysaccharides in intact cells. We demonstrate the advantages of two-dimensional 13C-13C experiments using the DREAM recoupling scheme. We report the spectral editing of polysaccharide signals by varying the radio-frequency carrier position. We provide practical considerations for the implementation of DREAM experiments to characterize polysaccharides in whole cells. We demonstrate the approach on intact fungal cells of Neurospora crassa and Aspergillus fumigatus, a model and a pathogenic filamentous fungus, respectively. The approach could be envisioned to efficiently reduce the spectral crowding of more complex cell surfaces, such as cell wall and peptidoglycan in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loic Delcourte
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, Pessac, France
| | - Mélanie Berbon
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, Pessac, France
| | - Marion Rodriguez
- CNR des Aspergilloses Chroniques, Mycology-Parasitology Department, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux 33000, France
| | - Kamalraj Subban
- ImmunoConcEpT, CNRS, UMR 5164, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alons Lends
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, Pessac, France
| | - Axelle Grélard
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, Pessac, France
| | - Estelle Morvan
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Inserm, IECB, UAR3033, US01, Pessac, France
| | - Birgit Habenstein
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, Pessac, France
| | - Sven J Saupe
- CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, IBGC, UMR 5095, Bordeaux, France
| | - Laurence Delhaes
- CNR des Aspergilloses Chroniques, Mycology-Parasitology Department, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux 33000, France; Centre de Recherche Cardio-Thoracique de Bordeaux, Inserm UMR 1045, Univ Bordeaux, Bordeaux 33000, France
| | - Vishukumar Aimanianda
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Immunobiology of Aspergillus, Mycology Department, Paris, France
| | - Asen Daskalov
- ImmunoConcEpT, CNRS, UMR 5164, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Antoine Loquet
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, Pessac, France.
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14
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Schaefer S, Corrigan N, Brunke S, Lenardon MD, Boyer C. Combatting Fungal Infections: Advances in Antifungal Polymeric Nanomaterials. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:5670-5701. [PMID: 39177507 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens cause over 6.5 million life-threatening systemic infections annually, with mortality rates ranging from 20 to 95%, even with medical intervention. The World Health Organization has recently emphasized the urgent need for new antifungal drugs. However, the range of effective antifungal agents remains limited and resistance is increasing. This Review explores the current landscape of fungal infections and antifungal drugs, focusing on synthetic polymeric nanomaterials like nanoparticles that enhance the physicochemical properties of existing drugs. Additionally, we examine intrinsically antifungal polymers that mimic naturally occurring peptides. Advances in polymer characterization and synthesis now allow precise design and screening for antifungal activity, biocompatibility, and drug interactions. These antifungal polymers represent a promising new class of drugs for combating fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schaefer
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Nathaniel Corrigan
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Megan D Lenardon
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Cyrille Boyer
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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15
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Zhen C, Wang L, Feng Y, Whiteway M, Hang S, Yu J, Lu H, Jiang Y. Otilonium Bromide Exhibits Potent Antifungal Effects by Blocking Ergosterol Plasma Membrane Localization and Triggering Cytotoxic Autophagy in Candida Albicans. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2406473. [PMID: 38995235 PMCID: PMC11425263 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202406473] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Candidiasis, which presents a substantial risk to human well-being, is frequently treated with azoles. However, drug-drug interactions caused by azoles inhibiting the human CYP3A4 enzyme, together with increasing resistance of Candida species to azoles, represent serious issues with this class of drug, making it imperative to develop innovative antifungal drugs to tackle this growing clinical challenge. A drug repurposing approach is used to examine a library of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, ultimately identifying otilonium bromide (OTB) as an exceptionally encouraging antifungal agent. Mechanistically, OTB impairs vesicle-mediated trafficking by targeting Sec31, thereby impeding the plasma membrane (PM) localization of the ergosterol transporters, such as Sip3. Consequently, OTB obstructs the movement of ergosterol across membranes and triggers cytotoxic autophagy. It is noteworthy that C. albicans encounters challenges in developing resistance to OTB because it is not a substrate for drug transporters. This study opens a new door for antifungal therapy, wherein OTB disrupts ergosterol subcellular distribution and induces cytotoxic autophagy. Additionally, it circumvents the hepatotoxicity associated with azole-mediated liver enzyme inhibition and avoids export-mediated drug resistance in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhen
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalSchool of MedicineTongji UniversityNo.1239 Siping RoadShanghai200092China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalSchool of MedicineTongji UniversityNo.1239 Siping RoadShanghai200092China
| | - Yanru Feng
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalSchool of MedicineTongji UniversityNo.1239 Siping RoadShanghai200092China
| | - Malcolm Whiteway
- Department of BiologyConcordia UniversityMontrealQCH4B 1R6Canada
| | - Sijin Hang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalSchool of MedicineTongji UniversityNo.1239 Siping RoadShanghai200092China
| | - Jinhua Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalSchool of MedicineTongji UniversityNo.1239 Siping RoadShanghai200092China
| | - Hui Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalSchool of MedicineTongji UniversityNo.1239 Siping RoadShanghai200092China
| | - Yuanying Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalSchool of MedicineTongji UniversityNo.1239 Siping RoadShanghai200092China
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16
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Yin M, Xie L, Chen K, Zhang L, Yue Q, Wang C, Zeng J, Hao X, Gu X, Molnár I, Xu Y. Re-Engineering Fungal Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases by Module Dissection and Duplicated Thiolation Domains. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202406360. [PMID: 38822735 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Unnatural product (uNP) nonribosomal peptides promise to be a valuable source of pharmacophores for drug discovery. However, the extremely large size and complexity of the nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) enzymes pose formidable challenges to the production of such uNPs by combinatorial biosynthesis and synthetic biology. Here we report a new NRPS dissection strategy that facilitates the engineering and heterologous production of these NRPSs. This strategy divides NRPSs into "splitting units", each forming an enzyme subunit that contains catalytically independent modules. Functional collaboration between the subunits is then facilitated by artificially duplicating, at the N-terminus of the downstream subunit, the linker - thiolation domain - linker fragment that is resident at the C-terminus of the upstream subunit. Using the suggested split site that follows a conserved motif in the linker connecting the adenylation and the thiolation domains allows cognate or chimeric splitting unit pairs to achieve productivities that match, and in many cases surpass those of hybrid chimeric enzymes, and even those of intact NRPSs, upon production in a heterologous chassis. Our strategy provides facile options for the rational engineering of fungal NRPSs and for the combinatorial reprogramming of nonribosomal peptide production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
| | - Linan Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
- Zhongyuan Research Center, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453000, P.R. China
| | - Kang Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
| | - Liwen Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
- Zhongyuan Research Center, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453000, P.R. China
| | - Qun Yue
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
- Zhongyuan Research Center, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453000, P.R. China
| | - Chen Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
- Zhongyuan Research Center, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453000, P.R. China
| | - Juntian Zeng
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyang Hao
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Gu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
| | - István Molnár
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, 02150, Finland
| | - Yuquan Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China
- Zhongyuan Research Center, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453000, P.R. China
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17
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Ren H, Huang C, Pan Y, Dommaraju SR, Cui H, Li M, Gadgil MG, Mitchell DA, Zhao H. Non-modular fatty acid synthases yield distinct N-terminal acylation in ribosomal peptides. Nat Chem 2024; 16:1320-1329. [PMID: 38528101 PMCID: PMC11321927 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01491-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Recent efforts in genome mining of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) have expanded the diversity of post-translational modification chemistries. However, RiPPs are rarely reported as hybrid molecules incorporating biosynthetic machinery from other natural product families. Here we report lipoavitides, a class of RiPP/fatty-acid hybrid lipopeptides that display a unique, putatively membrane-targeting 4-hydroxy-2,4-dimethylpentanoyl (HMP)-modified N terminus. The HMP is formed via condensation of isobutyryl-coenzyme A (isobutyryl-CoA) and methylmalonyl-CoA catalysed by a 3-ketoacyl-(acyl carrier protein) synthase III enzyme, followed by successive tailoring reactions in the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway. The HMP and RiPP substructures are then connected by an acyltransferase exhibiting promiscuous activity towards the fatty acyl and RiPP substrates. Overall, the discovery of lipoavitides contributes a prototype of RiPP/fatty-acid hybrids and provides possible enzymatic tools for lipopeptide bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengqian Ren
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Chunshuai Huang
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Yuwei Pan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Shravan R Dommaraju
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Haiyang Cui
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Maolin Li
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Mayuresh G Gadgil
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Douglas A Mitchell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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18
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Takahashi JA, de Queiroz LL, Vidal DM. A Close View of the Production of Bioactive Fungal Metabolites Mediated by Chromatin Modifiers. Molecules 2024; 29:3536. [PMID: 39124942 PMCID: PMC11314158 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29153536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Secondary metabolites produced by fungi are well known for their biological properties, which play important roles in medicine. These metabolites aid in managing infections and treating chronic illnesses, thereby contributing substantially to human health improvement. Despite this extensive knowledge, the vast biodiversity and biosynthetic potential of fungi is still largely unexplored, highlighting the need for further research in natural products. In this review, several secondary metabolites of fungal origin are described, emphasizing novel structures and skeletons. The detection and characterization of these metabolites have been significantly facilitated by advancements in analytical systems, particularly modern hyphenated liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. These improvements have primarily enhanced sensitivity, resolution, and analysis flow velocity. Since the in vitro production of novel metabolites is often lower than the re-isolation of known metabolites, understanding chromatin-based alterations in fungal gene expression can elucidate potential pathways for discovering new metabolites. Several protocols for inducing metabolite production from different strains are discussed, demonstrating the need for uniformity in experimental procedures to achieve consistent biosynthetic activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Aparecida Takahashi
- Departamento de Química, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.L.d.Q.); (D.M.V.)
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19
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Tang H, Zhu HY, Huang YF, Wu ZY, Zou SP, Liu ZQ, Zheng YG. Hydrophobic substrate binding pocket remodeling of echinocandin B deacylase based on multi-dimensional rational design. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131473. [PMID: 38614185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Actinoplanes utahensis deacylase (AAC)-catalyzed deacylation of echinocandin B (ECB) is a promising method for the synthesis of anidulafungin, the newest of the echinocandin antifungal agents. However, the low activity of AAC significantly limits its practical application. In this work, we have devised a multi-dimensional rational design strategy for AAC, conducting separate analyses on the substrate-binding pocket's volume, curvature, and length. Furthermore, we quantitatively analyzed substrate properties, particularly on hydrophilic and hydrophobic. Accordingly, we tailored the linoleic acid-binding pocket of AAC to accommodate the extended long lipid chain of ECB. By fine-tuning the key residues, the resulting AAC mutants can accommodate the ECB lipid chain with a lower curvature binding pocket. The D53A/I55F/G57M/F154L/Q661L mutant (MT) displayed 331 % higher catalytic efficiency than the wild-type (WT) enzyme. The MT product conversion was 94.6 %, reaching the highest reported level. Utilizing a multi-dimensional rational design for a customized mutation strategy of the substrate-binding pocket is an effective approach to enhance the catalytic efficiency of enzymes in handling complicated substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Tang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Han-Yue Zhu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Yin-Feng Huang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Ze-Yu Wu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Shu-Ping Zou
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China.
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Yu-Guo Zheng
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
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20
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Sreelakshmi KP, Madhuri M, Swetha R, Rangarajan V, Roy U. Microbial lipopeptides: their pharmaceutical and biotechnological potential, applications, and way forward. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:135. [PMID: 38489053 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-03908-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
As lead molecules, cyclic lipopeptides with antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties have garnered a lot of attention in recent years. Because of their potential, cyclic lipopeptides have earned recognition as a significant class of antimicrobial compounds with applications in pharmacology and biotechnology. These lipopeptides, often with biosurfactant properties, are amphiphilic, consisting of a hydrophilic moiety, like a carboxyl group, peptide backbone, or carbohydrates, and a hydrophobic moiety, mostly a fatty acid. Besides, several lipopeptides also have cationic groups that play an important role in biological activities. Antimicrobial lipopeptides can be considered as possible substitutes for antibiotics that are conventional to address the current drug-resistant issues as pharmaceutical industries modify the parent antibiotic molecules to render them more effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi, leading to the development of more resistant microbial strains. Bacillus species produce lipopeptides, which are secondary metabolites that are amphiphilic and are typically synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). They have been identified as potential biocontrol agents as they exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. A further benefit of lipopeptides is that they can be produced and purified biotechnologically or biochemically in a sustainable manner using readily available, affordable, renewable sources without harming the environment. In this review, we discuss the biochemical and functional characterization of antifungal lipopeptides, as well as their various modes of action, method of production and purification (in brief), and potential applications as novel antibiotic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- K P Sreelakshmi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-KK Birla Goa Campus Goa, NH 17 B Bypass Rd., Goa, 403726, India
| | - M Madhuri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-KK Birla Goa Campus Goa, NH 17 B Bypass Rd., Goa, 403726, India
| | - R Swetha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-KK Birla Goa Campus Goa, NH 17 B Bypass Rd., Goa, 403726, India
| | - Vivek Rangarajan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-KK Birla Goa Campus Goa, NH 17 B Bypass Rd., Goa, 403726, India
| | - Utpal Roy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-KK Birla Goa Campus Goa, NH 17 B Bypass Rd., Goa, 403726, India.
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21
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Jospe-Kaufman M, Ben-Zeev E, Mottola A, Dukhovny A, Berman J, Carmeli S, Fridman M. Reshaping Echinocandin Antifungal Drugs To Circumvent Glucan Synthase Point-Mutation-Mediated Resistance. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202314728. [PMID: 38161189 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202314728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Echinocandins are a class of antifungal drugs that inhibit the activity of the β-(1,3)-glucan synthase complex, which synthesizes fungal cell wall β-(1,3)-glucan. Echinocandin resistance is linked to mutations in the FKS gene, which encodes the catalytic subunit of the glucan synthase complex. We present a molecular-docking-based model that provides insight into how echinocandins interact with the target Fks protein: echinocandins form a ternary complex with both Fks and membrane lipids. We used reductive dehydration of alcohols to generate dehydroxylated echinocandin derivatives and evaluated their potency against a panel of Candida pathogens constructed by introducing resistance-conferring mutations in the FKS gene. We found that removing the hemiaminal alcohol, which drives significant conformational alterations in the modified echinocandins, reduced their efficacy. Conversely, eliminating the benzylic alcohol of echinocandins enhanced potency by up to two orders of magnitude, in a manner dependent upon the resistance-conferring mutation. Strains that have developed resistance to either rezafungin, the most recently clinically approved echinocandin, or its dehydroxylated derivative RZF-1, exhibit high resistance to rezafungin while demonstrating moderate resistance to RZF-1. These findings provide valuable insight for combating echinocandin resistance through chemical modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriah Jospe-Kaufman
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Efrat Ben-Zeev
- The Whol Drug Discovery institute of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Austin Mottola
- Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anna Dukhovny
- Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Judith Berman
- Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shmuel Carmeli
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Micha Fridman
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
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22
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Jiang K, Luo P, Wang X, Lu L. Insight into advances for the biosynthetic progress of fermented echinocandins of antifungals. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14359. [PMID: 37885073 PMCID: PMC10832530 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections have increased remarkably, which have become unprecedented concern to human health. However, the effectiveness of current antifungal drugs is limited due to drug resistance and toxic side-effects. It is urgently required to establish the effective biosynthetic strategy for developing novel and safe antifungal molecules economically. Echinocandins become a promising option as a mainstay family of antifungals, due to specifically targeting the fungal specific cell wall. To date, three kinds of echinocandins for caspofungin, anidulafungin, and micafungin, which derived from pneumocandin B0 , echinocandin B, and FR901379, are commercially available in clinic and have shown potential in managing invasive fungal infections in a cost-effective manner. However, current echinocandins-derived precursors all are produced by environmental fungal isolates with long fermentation cycle and low yields, which challenge the production efficacy of these precursors in industry. Therefore, understanding their biosynthetic machinery is of great importance for improving antifungal titres and creating new echinocandins-derived products. With the development of genome-wide sequencing and establishment of gene-editing technology, there are a growing number of reports on echinocandins-derived products and their biosynthetic gene clusters. This review briefly summarizes the discovery and development history of echinocandins, compares their structural characteristics and biosynthetic processes, and sums up existed strategies for improving their production. Moreover, the genomic analysis of related biosynthetic gene clusters of echinocandins is discussed, highlighting the similarities and differences among the clusters. Last, the biosynthetic processes of echinocandins are compared, focusing on the activation and attachment of side-chains and the formation of the hexapeptide core. This review aims to provide insights into the development and production of new echinocandin drugs by modifying the structure of echinocandin-derived precursors and/or optimizing the fermentation processes; and achieve a new microbial chassis for efficient production of echinocandins in heterologous hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaili Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu, Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Pan Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu, Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu, Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Ling Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu, Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
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23
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Boakye-Yiadom E, Odoom A, Osman AH, Ntim OK, Kotey FCN, Ocansey BK, Donkor ES. Fungal Infections, Treatment and Antifungal Resistance: The Sub-Saharan African Context. Ther Adv Infect Dis 2024; 11:20499361241297525. [PMID: 39544852 PMCID: PMC11562003 DOI: 10.1177/20499361241297525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 10/16/2024] [Indexed: 11/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens cause a wide range of infections in humans, from superficial to disfiguring, allergic syndromes, and life-threatening invasive infections, affecting over a billion individuals globally. With an estimated 1.5 million deaths annually attributable to them, fungal pathogens are a major cause of mortality in humans, especially people with underlying immunosuppression. The continuous increase in the population of individuals at risk of fungal infections in sub-Saharan Africa, such as HIV patients, tuberculosis patients, intensive care patients, patients with haematological malignancies, transplant (haematopoietic stem cell and organ) recipients and the growing global threat of multidrug-resistant fungal strains, raise the need for an appreciation of the region's perspective on antifungal usage and resistance. In addition, the unavailability of recently introduced novel antifungal drugs in sub-Saharan Africa further calls for regular evaluation of resistance to antifungal agents in these settings. This is critical for ensuring appropriate and optimal use of the limited available arsenal to minimise antifungal resistance. This review, therefore, elaborates on the multifaceted nature of fungal resistance to the available antifungal drugs on the market and further provides insights into the prevalence of fungal infections and the use of antifungal agents in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Boakye-Yiadom
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Alex Odoom
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Halim Osman
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
| | - Onyansaniba K. Ntim
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
| | - Fleischer C. N. Kotey
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
| | - Bright K. Ocansey
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Eric S. Donkor
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, P.O. Box KB 4236, Ghana
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24
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Ren H, Huang C, Pan Y, Cui H, Dommaraju SR, Mitchell DA, Zhao H. Non-modular Fatty Acid Synthases Yield Unique Acylation in Ribosomal Peptides. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.25.564083. [PMID: 37961664 PMCID: PMC10634828 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.25.564083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent efforts in genome mining of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) have expanded the diversity of post-translational modification chemistries 1, 2 . However, RiPPs are rarely reported as hybrid molecules incorporating biosynthetic machineries from other natural product families 3-8 . Here, we report lipoavitides, a class of RiPP/fatty acid hybrid lipopeptides that display a unique, membrane-targeting 4-hydroxy-2,4-dimethylpentanoyl (HMP)-modified N -terminus. The HMP is formed via condensation of isobutyryl-CoA and methylmalonyl-CoA catalyzed by a 3-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III enzyme, followed by successive tailoring reactions in the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway. The HMP and RiPP substructures are then connected by an acyltransferase exhibiting promiscuous activity towards the fatty acyl and RiPP substrates. Overall, the discovery of lipoavitides contributes a prototype of RiPP/fatty acid hybrids and provides possible enzymatic tools for lipopeptide bioengineering.
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25
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Liu X, Li RQ, Zeng QX, Li YQ, Chen XA. A Novel Zn 2Cys 6 Transcription Factor, TopC, Positively Regulates Trichodin A and Asperpyridone A Biosynthesis in Tolypocladium ophioglossoides. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2578. [PMID: 37894236 PMCID: PMC10609478 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Asperpyridone A represents an unusual class of pyridone alkaloids with demonstrated potential for hypoglycemic activity, primarily by promoting glucose consumption in HepG2 cells. Trichodin A, initially isolated from the marine fungus Trichoderma sp. strain MF106, exhibits notable antibiotic activities against Staphylococcus epidermidis. Despite their pharmacological significance, the regulatory mechanisms governing their biosynthesis have remained elusive. In this investigation, we initiated the activation of a latent gene cluster, denoted as "top", through the overexpression of the Zn2Cys6 transcription factor TopC in Tolypocladium ophioglossoides. The activation of the top cluster led to the biosynthesis of asperpyridone A, pyridoxatin, and trichodin A. Our study also elucidated that the regulator TopC exerts precise control over the biosynthesis of asperpyridone A and trichodin A through the detection of protein-nucleic acid interactions. Moreover, by complementing these findings with gene deletions involving topA and topH, we proposed a comprehensive biosynthesis pathway for asperpyridone A and trichodin A in T. ophioglossoides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Liu
- School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (X.L.); (R.-Q.L.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
| | - Rui-Qi Li
- School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (X.L.); (R.-Q.L.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
| | - Qing-Xin Zeng
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China;
| | - Yong-Quan Li
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
| | - Xin-Ai Chen
- School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (X.L.); (R.-Q.L.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
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26
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Pilz M, Cavelius P, Qoura F, Awad D, Brück T. Lipopeptides development in cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications: A comprehensive review. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108210. [PMID: 37460047 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Lipopeptides are surface active, natural products of bacteria, fungi and green-blue algae origin, having diverse structures and functionalities. In analogy, a number of chemical synthesis techniques generated new designer lipopeptides with desirable features and functions. Lipopetides are self-assembly guided, supramolecular compounds which have the capacity of high-density presentation of the functional epitopes at the surface of the nanostructures. This feature contributes to their successful application in several industry sectors, including food, feed, personal care, and pharmaceutics. In this comprehensive review, the novel class of ribosomally synthesized lipopeptides is introduced alongside the more commonly occuring non-ribosomal lipopeptides. We highlight key representatives of the most researched as well as recently described lipopeptide families, with emphasis on structural features, self-assembly and associated functions. The common biological, chemical and hybrid production routes of lipopeptides, including prominent analogues and derivatives are also discussed. Furthermore, genetic engineering strategies aimed at increasing lipopeptide yields, diversity and biological activity are summarized and exemplified. With respect to application, this work mainly details the potential of lipopeptides in personal care and cosmetics industry as cleansing agents, moisturizer, anti-aging/anti-wrinkling, skin whitening and preservative agents as well as the pharmaceutical industry as anitimicrobial agents, vaccines, immunotherapy, and cancer drugs. Given that this review addresses human applications, we conclude on the topic of safety of lipopeptide formulations and their sustainable production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melania Pilz
- Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Philipp Cavelius
- Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Farah Qoura
- Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Dania Awad
- Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Thomas Brück
- Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany.
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27
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Mehta D, Saini V, Bajaj A. Recent developments in membrane targeting antifungal agents to mitigate antifungal resistance. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1603-1628. [PMID: 37731690 PMCID: PMC10507810 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00151b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections cause severe and life-threatening complications especially in immunocompromised individuals. Antifungals targeting cellular machinery and cell membranes including azoles are used in clinical practice to manage topical to systemic fungal infections. However, continuous exposure to clinically used antifungal agents in managing the fungal infections results in the development of multi-drug resistance via adapting different kinds of intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. The unique chemical composition of fungal membranes presents attractive targets for antifungal drug discovery as it is difficult for fungal cells to modify the membrane targets for emergence of drug resistance. Here, we discussed available antifungal drugs with their detailed mechanism of action and described different antifungal resistance mechanisms. We further emphasized structure-activity relationship studies of membrane-targeting antifungal agents, and classified membrane-targeting antifungal agents on the basis of their core scaffold with detailed pharmacological properties. This review aims to pique the interest of potential researchers who could explore this interesting and intricate fungal realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devashish Mehta
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology Faridabad-121001 Haryana India
| | - Varsha Saini
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology Faridabad-121001 Haryana India
| | - Avinash Bajaj
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology Faridabad-121001 Haryana India
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28
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Liang X, Chen D, Wang J, Liao B, Shen J, Ye X, Wang Z, Zhu C, Gou L, Zhou X, Cheng L, Ren B, Zhou X. Artemisinins inhibit oral candidiasis caused by Candida albicans through the repression on its hyphal development. Int J Oral Sci 2023; 15:40. [PMID: 37699886 PMCID: PMC10497628 DOI: 10.1038/s41368-023-00245-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most abundant fungal species in oral cavity. As a smart opportunistic pathogen, it increases the virulence by switching its forms from yeasts to hyphae and becomes the major pathogenic agent for oral candidiasis. However, the overuse of current clinical antifungals and lack of new types of drugs highlight the challenges in the antifungal treatments because of the drug resistance and side effects. Anti-virulence strategy is proved as a practical way to develop new types of anti-infective drugs. Here, seven artemisinins, including artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin, artemisinic acid, dihydroartemisinic acid, artesunate, artemether and arteether, were employed to target at the hyphal development, the most important virulence factor of C. albicans. Artemisinins failed to affect the growth, but significantly inhibited the hyphal development of C. albicans, including the clinical azole resistant isolates, and reduced their damage to oral epithelial cells, while arteether showed the strongest activities. The transcriptome suggested that arteether could affect the energy metabolism of C. albicans. Seven artemisinins were then proved to significantly inhibit the productions of ATP and cAMP, while reduced the hyphal inhibition on RAS1 overexpression strain indicating that artemisinins regulated the Ras1-cAMP-Efg1 pathway to inhibit the hyphal development. Importantly, arteether significantly inhibited the fungal burden and infections with no systemic toxicity in the murine oropharyngeal candidiasis models in vivo caused by both fluconazole sensitive and resistant strains. Our results for the first time indicated that artemisinins can be potential antifungal compounds against C. albicans infections by targeting at its hyphal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ding Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiannan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Binyou Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiawei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xingchen Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chengguang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lichen Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinxuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Biao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xuedong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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29
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Hosler J, Hoang N, Edwards KS. The cyclic lipopeptide micafungin induces rupture of isolated mitochondria by reprograming the mitochondrial inner membrane anion channel. Mitochondrion 2023; 71:50-62. [PMID: 37201620 PMCID: PMC10524837 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The antifungal activity of the drug micafungin, a cyclic lipopeptide that interacts with membrane proteins, may involve inhibition of fungal mitochondria. In humans, mitochondria are spared by the inability of micafungin to cross the cytoplasmic membrane. Using isolated mitochondria, we find that micafungin initiates the uptake of salts, causing rapid swelling and rupture of mitochondria with release of cytochrome c. The inner membrane anion channel (IMAC) is altered by micafungin to transfer both cations and anions. We propose that binding of anionic micafungin to IMAC attracts cations into the ion pore for the rapid transfer of ion pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Hosler
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39216, United States
| | - Ngoc Hoang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39216, United States
| | - Kristin Shirey Edwards
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39216, United States.
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30
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Prescott TAK, Hill R, Mas-Claret E, Gaya E, Burns E. Fungal Drug Discovery for Chronic Disease: History, New Discoveries and New Approaches. Biomolecules 2023; 13:986. [PMID: 37371566 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal-derived drugs include some of the most important medicines ever discovered, and have proved pivotal in treating chronic diseases. Not only have they saved millions of lives, but they have in some cases changed perceptions of what is medically possible. However, now the low-hanging fruit have been discovered it has become much harder to make the kind of discoveries that have characterised past eras of fungal drug discovery. This may be about to change with new commercial players entering the market aiming to apply novel genomic tools to streamline the discovery process. This review examines the discovery history of approved fungal-derived drugs, and those currently in clinical trials for chronic diseases. For key molecules, we discuss their possible ecological functions in nature and how this relates to their use in human medicine. We show how the conservation of drug receptors between fungi and humans means that metabolites intended to inhibit competitor fungi often interact with human drug receptors, sometimes with unintended benefits. We also plot the distribution of drugs, antimicrobial compounds and psychoactive mushrooms onto a fungal tree and compare their distribution to those of all fungal metabolites. Finally, we examine the phenomenon of self-resistance and how this can be used to help predict metabolite mechanism of action and aid the drug discovery process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rowena Hill
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, Norfolk, UK
| | | | - Ester Gaya
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, Surrey, UK
| | - Edie Burns
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, Surrey, UK
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Konakbayeva D, Karlsson AJ. Strategies and opportunities for engineering antifungal peptides for therapeutic applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 81:102926. [PMID: 37028003 PMCID: PMC10229436 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Antifungal peptides (AFPs) are widely described as promising prospects to treat and prevent fungal infections, though they are far less studied than their antibacterial counterparts. Although promising, AFPs have practical limitations that have hindered their use as therapeutics. Rational design and combinatorial engineering are powerful protein engineering strategies with much potential to address the limitations of AFPs by designing peptides with improved physiochemical and biological characteristics. We examine how rational design and combinatorial engineering approaches have already been used to improve the properties of AFPs and propose key opportunities for applying these strategies to push the design and application of AFPs forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinara Konakbayeva
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), 4418 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Amy J Karlsson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), 4418 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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32
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Niu K, Qi YX, Cai HW, Ye YX, Zhou HY, Liu XT, Liu ZQ, Zheng YG. Investigation of the enhancement for Echinocandin B fermentation with methyl oleate from transcription level. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2023:10.1007/s00449-023-02883-4. [PMID: 37253987 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-023-02883-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Echinocandin B (ECB) is the key precursor compound of the antifungal drug Anidulafungin. The effects of the five precursor amino acids on ECB biosynthesis were firstly investigated. It showed that although L-threonine was a main compound of the hexapeptide scaffold of ECB, exogenous addition of L-threonine had no significant effect on the increase of ECB fermentation titer. Meanwhile, the ECB fermentation titer with methyl oleate showed two times higher than that of the other carbon sources. Transcription level analysis of the key genes for ECB biosynthesis indicated that the gene an655543 related to L-threonine biosynthesis showed higher value during the fermentation process, therefore, the exogenous addition of L-threonine had no obvious affection. Furthermore, it indicated that the transcription level of gene ecdA might be the main restriction factor for the ECB biosynthesis. The study provided the research foundation for the modification of the ECB producing strains in the following work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Niu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Xin Qi
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Wei Cai
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Xin Ye
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-Yan Zhou
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Tian Liu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 200235, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu-Guo Zheng
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China
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Zhu P, Li Y, Guo T, Liu S, Tancer RJ, Hu C, Zhao C, Xue C, Liao G. New antifungal strategies: drug combination and co-delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 198:114874. [PMID: 37211279 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The growing occurrence of invasive fungal infections and the mounting rates of drug resistance constitute a significant menace to human health. Antifungal drug combinations have garnered substantial interest for their potential to improve therapeutic efficacy, reduce drug doses, reverse, or ameliorate drug resistance. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying antifungal drug resistance and drug combination is key to developing new drug combinations. Here we discuss the mechanisms of antifungal drug resistance and elucidate how to discover potent drug combinations to surmount resistance. We also examine the challenges encountered in developing such combinations and discuss prospects, including advanced drug delivery strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China
| | - Yan Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ting Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China
| | - Simei Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 402760, China; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Robert J Tancer
- Public Health Research Institute and Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Changhua Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhao
- Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, 400700, PR China.
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- Public Health Research Institute and Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Guojian Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China.
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Yang Y, Kessler MGC, Marchán-Rivadeneira MR, Han Y. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance in the Post-Genomic Era: Rapid Antibiotic Discovery. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28104183. [PMID: 37241928 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28104183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Constantly evolving drug-resistant "superbugs" have caused an urgent demand for novel antimicrobial agents. Natural products and their analogs have been a prolific source of antimicrobial agents, even though a high rediscovery rate and less targeted research has made the field challenging in the pre-genomic era. With recent advancements in technology, natural product research is gaining new life. Genome mining has allowed for more targeted excavation of biosynthetic potential from natural sources that was previously overlooked. Researchers use bioinformatic algorithms to rapidly identify and predict antimicrobial candidates by studying the genome before even entering the lab. In addition, synthetic biology and advanced analytical instruments enable the accelerated identification of novel antibiotics with distinct structures. Here, we reviewed the literature for noteworthy examples of novel antimicrobial agents discovered through various methodologies, highlighting the candidates with potent effectiveness against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehan Yang
- Translational Biomedical Sciences Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Mara Grace C Kessler
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
- Honors Tutorial College, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Maria Raquel Marchán-Rivadeneira
- Translational Biomedical Sciences Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
- Center for Research on Health in Latinamerica (CISeAL)-Biological Science Department, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Yong Han
- Translational Biomedical Sciences Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
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35
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Weiss ZF, Little J, Hammond S. Evolution of antifungals for invasive mold infections in immunocompromised hosts, then and now. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2023; 21:535-549. [PMID: 37104686 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2207821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The current armamentarium of antifungal agents for invasive mold infections (IMI) has dramatically improved over the last 50 years. Existing therapies are, however, associated with toxicities, drug interactions, and in some cases, therapeutic failures. Novel antifungals are needed to address the increasing prevalence of IMI and the growing threat of antifungal resistance. AREAS COVERED We review the history and development of the most commonly used antifungals. We discuss the current consensus guidelines and supporting data for treatment of invasive mold infection (IMI), the role of susceptibility testing, and the niche that novel antifungals could fill. We review the current data for aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and hyalohyphomycosis. EXPERT OPINION Robust clinical trial data demonstrating the relative effectiveness of our current antifungal agents for treating IMI outside of A. fumigatus remains limited. Clinical trials are urgently needed to delineate the relationship between MICs and clinical outcomes for existing agents and to better evaluate the invitro and in-vivo aspects of antifungal synergy. Continued international multicenter collaboration and standardized clinical endpoints for trials evaluating both existing and new agents is necessary to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Freeman Weiss
- Tufts Medical Center, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Boston MA, USA
- Tufts Medical Center, Division of Pathology, Boston MA, USA
| | - Jessica Little
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston MA, USA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medical Oncology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Hammond
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medical Oncology, Boston, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Hematology Oncology, Boston MA, USA
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36
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Zhang S, Chen Y, Zhu J, Lu Q, Cryle MJ, Zhang Y, Yan F. Structural diversity, biosynthesis, and biological functions of lipopeptides from Streptomyces. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:557-594. [PMID: 36484454 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00044j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2022Streptomyces are ubiquitous in terrestrial and marine environments, where they display a fascinating metabolic diversity. As a result, these bacteria are a prolific source of active natural products. One important class of these natural products is the nonribosomal lipopeptides, which have diverse biological activities and play important roles in the lifestyle of Streptomyces. The importance of this class is highlighted by the use of related antibiotics in the clinic, such as daptomycin (tradename Cubicin). By virtue of recent advances spanning chemistry and biology, significant progress has been made in biosynthetic studies on the lipopeptide antibiotics produced by Streptomyces. This review will serve as a comprehensive guide for researchers working in this multidisciplinary field, providing a summary of recent progress regarding the investigation of lipopeptides from Streptomyces. In particular, we highlight the structures, properties, biosynthetic mechanisms, chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis, and biological functions of lipopeptides. In addition, the application of genome mining techniques to Streptomyces that have led to the discovery of many novel lipopeptides is discussed, further demonstrating the potential of lipopeptides from Streptomyces for future development in modern medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songya Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yunliang Chen
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
- The Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 1000050, China.
| | - Jing Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qiujie Lu
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
| | - Max J Cryle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800 Australia
- EMBL Australia, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800 Australia
| | - Youming Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
| | - Fu Yan
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
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Men P, Zhou Y, Xie L, Zhang X, Zhang W, Huang X, Lu X. Improving the production of the micafungin precursor FR901379 in an industrial production strain. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:44. [PMID: 36879280 PMCID: PMC9987125 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02050-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Micafungin is an echinocandin-type antifungal agent used for the clinical treatment of invasive fungal infections. It is semisynthesized from the sulfonated lipohexapeptide FR901379, a nonribosomal peptide produced by the filamentous fungus Coleophoma empetri. However, the low fermentation efficiency of FR901379 increases the cost of micafungin production and hinders its widespread clinical application. RESULTS Here, a highly efficient FR901379-producing strain was constructed via systems metabolic engineering in C. empetri MEFC09. First, the biosynthesis pathway of FR901379 was optimized by overexpressing the rate-limiting enzymes cytochrome P450 McfF and McfH, which successfully eliminated the accumulation of unwanted byproducts and increased the production of FR901379. Then, the functions of putative self-resistance genes encoding β-1,3-glucan synthase were evaluated in vivo. The deletion of CEfks1 affected growth and resulted in more spherical cells. Additionally, the transcriptional activator McfJ for the regulation of FR901379 biosynthesis was identified and applied in metabolic engineering. Overexpressing mcfJ markedly increased the production of FR901379 from 0.3 g/L to 1.3 g/L. Finally, the engineered strain coexpressing mcfJ, mcfF, and mcfH was constructed for additive effects, and the FR901379 titer reached 4.0 g/L under fed-batch conditions in a 5 L bioreactor. CONCLUSIONS This study represents a significant improvement for the production of FR901379 and provides guidance for the establishment of efficient fungal cell factories for other echinocandins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Men
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Institute for Smart Materials & Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, China
| | - Li Xie
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330096, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuenian Huang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.
| | - Xuefeng Lu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,Marine Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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Shekunov EV, Zlodeeva PD, Efimova SS, Muryleva AA, Zarubaev VV, Slita AV, Ostroumova OS. Cyclic lipopeptides as membrane fusion inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2: New tricks for old dogs. Antiviral Res 2023; 212:105575. [PMID: 36868316 PMCID: PMC9977712 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
With the resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic, the repositioning of FDA-approved drugs against coronovirus and finding alternative strategies for antiviral therapy are both important. We previously identified the viral lipid envelope as a potential target for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection with plant alkaloids (Shekunov et al., 2021). Here, we investigated the effects of eleven cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs), including well-known antifungal and antibacterial compounds, on the liposome fusion triggered by calcium, polyethylene glycol 8000, and a fragment of SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide (816-827) by calcein release assays. Differential scanning microcalorimetry of the gel-to-liquid-crystalline and lamellar-to-inverted hexagonal phase transitions and confocal fluorescence microscopy demonstrated the relation of the fusion inhibitory effects of CLPs to alterations in lipid packing, membrane curvature stress and domain organization. The antiviral effects of CLPs were evaluated in an in vitro Vero-based cell model, and aculeacin A, anidulafugin, iturin A, and mycosubtilin attenuated the cytopathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 without specific toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egor V Shekunov
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky 4, 194064, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Polina D Zlodeeva
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky 4, 194064, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Svetlana S Efimova
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky 4, 194064, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna A Muryleva
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky 4, 194064, Saint Petersburg, Russia; Saint-Petersburg Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Mira 14, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir V Zarubaev
- Saint-Petersburg Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Mira 14, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander V Slita
- Saint-Petersburg Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Mira 14, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga S Ostroumova
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky 4, 194064, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
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Wang X, Jarmusch SA, Frisvad JC, Larsen TO. Current status of secondary metabolite pathways linked to their related biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus section Nigri. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:237-274. [PMID: 35587705 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00074h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Covering: up to the end of 2021Aspergilli are biosynthetically 'talented' micro-organisms and therefore the natural products community has continually been interested in the wealth of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding numerous secondary metabolites related to these fungi. With the rapid increase in sequenced fungal genomes combined with the continuous development of bioinformatics tools such as antiSMASH, linking new structures to unknown BGCs has become much easier when taking retro-biosynthetic considerations into account. On the other hand, in most cases it is not as straightforward to prove proposed biosynthetic pathways due to the lack of implemented genetic tools in a given fungal species. As a result, very few secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways have been characterized even amongst some of the most well studied Aspergillus spp., section Nigri (black aspergilli). This review will cover all known biosynthetic compound families and their structural diversity known from black aspergilli. We have logically divided this into sub-sections describing major biosynthetic classes (polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides, terpenoids, meroterpenoids and hybrid biosynthesis). Importantly, we will focus the review on metabolites which have been firmly linked to their corresponding BGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Wang
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Scott A Jarmusch
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Jens C Frisvad
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Thomas O Larsen
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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40
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Zhang L, Wang C, Chen K, Zhong W, Xu Y, Molnár I. Engineering the biosynthesis of fungal nonribosomal peptides. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:62-88. [PMID: 35796260 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00036a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2011 up to the end of 2021.Fungal nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) and the related polyketide-nonribosomal peptide hybrid products (PK-NRPs) are a prolific source of bioactive compounds, some of which have been developed into essential drugs. The synthesis of these complex natural products (NPs) utilizes nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), multidomain megaenzymes that assemble specific peptide products by sequential condensation of amino acids and amino acid-like substances, independent of the ribosome. NRPSs, collaborating polyketide synthase modules, and their associated tailoring enzymes involved in product maturation represent promising targets for NP structure diversification and the generation of small molecule unnatural products (uNPs) with improved or novel bioactivities. Indeed, reprogramming of NRPSs and recruiting of novel tailoring enzymes is the strategy by which nature evolves NRP products. The recent years have witnessed a rapid development in the discovery and identification of novel NRPs and PK-NRPs, and significant advances have also been made towards the engineering of fungal NRP assembly lines to generate uNP peptides. However, the intrinsic complexities of fungal NRP and PK-NRP biosynthesis, and the large size of the NRPSs still present formidable conceptual and technical challenges for the rational and efficient reprogramming of these pathways. This review examines key examples for the successful (and for some less-successful) re-engineering of fungal NRPS assembly lines to inform future efforts towards generating novel, biologically active peptides and PK-NRPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Chen Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Kang Chen
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Weimao Zhong
- Southwest Center for Natural Products Research, University of Arizona, 250 E. Valencia Rd., Tucson, AZ 85706, USA
| | - Yuquan Xu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - István Molnár
- Southwest Center for Natural Products Research, University of Arizona, 250 E. Valencia Rd., Tucson, AZ 85706, USA.,VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Espoo, Finland.
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Bricout A, Morris CE, Chandeysson C, Duban M, Boistel C, Chataigné G, Lecouturier D, Jacques P, Leclère V, Rochex A. The Diversity of Lipopeptides in the Pseudomonas syringae Complex Parallels Phylogeny and Sheds Light on Structural Diversification during Evolutionary History. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0145622. [PMID: 36287007 PMCID: PMC9769872 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01456-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas spp. colonize diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats and produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites, including lipopeptides. However, previous studies have often examined a limited number of lipopeptide-producing strains. In this study, we performed a systematic analysis of lipopeptide production across a wide data set of strains of the Pseudomonas syringae complex (724) by using a combined bioinformatics, mass spectrometry, and phylogenetics approach. The large P. syringae complex, which is composed of 13 phylogroups, is known to produce factins (including syringafactin-like lipopeptides), mycins (including syringomycin-like lipopeptides), and peptins (such as syringopeptins). We found that 80.8% of P. syringae strains produced lipopeptides and that factins were the most frequently produced (by 96% of the producing strains). P. syringae strains were either factin monoproducers or factin, mycin, and peptin coproducers or lipopeptide nonproducers in relation to their phylogenetic group. Our analyses led to the discovery of 42 new lipopeptides, bringing the number of lipopeptides identified in the P. syringae complex to 75. We also highlighted that factins have high structural resemblance and are widely distributed among the P. syringae complex, while mycins and peptins are highly structurally diverse and patchily distributed. IMPORTANCE This study provides an insight into the P. syringae metabolome that emphasizes the high diversity of lipopeptides produced within the P. syringae complex. The production profiles of strains are closely related to their phylogenetic classification, indicating that structural diversification of lipopeptides parallels the phylogeny of this bacterial complex, thereby further illustrating the inherent importance of lipopeptides in the ecology of this group of bacteria throughout its evolutionary history. Furthermore, this overview of P. syringae lipopeptides led us to propose a refined classification that could be extended to the lipopeptides produced by other bacterial groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Bricout
- Université de Lille, Université de Liège, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, Charles Viollette Institute, Lille, France
- Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME), Angers, France
| | | | | | - Matthieu Duban
- Université de Lille, Université de Liège, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, Charles Viollette Institute, Lille, France
| | - Corinne Boistel
- Université de Lille, Université de Liège, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, Charles Viollette Institute, Lille, France
| | - Gabrielle Chataigné
- Université de Lille, Université de Liège, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, Charles Viollette Institute, Lille, France
| | - Didier Lecouturier
- Université de Lille, Université de Liège, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, Charles Viollette Institute, Lille, France
| | - Philippe Jacques
- Université de Liège, Université de Lille, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Valérie Leclère
- Université de Lille, Université de Liège, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, Charles Viollette Institute, Lille, France
| | - Alice Rochex
- Université de Lille, Université de Liège, UMRt BioEcoAgro 1158-INRAE, Métabolites Secondaires d’Origine Microbienne, Charles Viollette Institute, Lille, France
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de Carvalho Patricio BF, da Silva Lopes Pereira JO, Sarcinelli MA, de Moraes BPT, Rocha HVA, Gonçalves-de-Albuquerque CF. Could the Lung Be a Gateway for Amphotericin B to Attack the Army of Fungi? Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:2707. [PMID: 36559201 PMCID: PMC9784761 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, primarily affecting immunocompromised patients. Aspergillus, Pneumocystis, and Cryptococcus are opportunistic fungi and may cause severe lung disease. They can develop mechanisms to evade the host immune system and colonize or cause lung disease. Current fungal infection treatments constitute a few classes of antifungal drugs with significant fungi resistance development. Amphotericin B (AmB) has a broad-spectrum antifungal effect with a low incidence of resistance. However, AmB is a highly lipophilic antifungal with low solubility and permeability and is unstable in light, heat, and oxygen. Due to the difficulty of achieving adequate concentrations of AmB in the lung by intravenous administration and seeking to minimize adverse effects, nebulized AmB has been used. The pulmonary pathway has advantages such as its rapid onset of action, low metabolic activity at the site of action, ability to avoid first-pass hepatic metabolism, lower risk of adverse effects, and thin thickness of the alveolar epithelium. This paper presented different strategies for pulmonary AmB delivery, detailing the potential of nanoformulation and hoping to foster research in the field. Our finds indicate that despite an optimistic scenario for the pulmonary formulation of AmB based on the encouraging results discussed here, there is still no product registration on the FDA nor any clinical trial undergoing ClinicalTrial.gov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Ferreira de Carvalho Patricio
- Pharmacology Laboratory, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro, 94 Frei Caneca Street, Rio de Janeiro 20211-010, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro, 94 Frei Caneca Street, Rio de Janeiro 20211-010, Brazil
| | | | - Michelle Alvares Sarcinelli
- Laboratory of Micro and Nanotechnology, Institute of Technology of Drugs, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil Av., 4036, Rio de Janeiro 213040-361, Brazil
| | - Bianca Portugal Tavares de Moraes
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology, Biology Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Rua Prof. Marcos Waldemar de Freitas Reis, Niterói 24210-201, Brazil
- Immunopharmacology Laboratory, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro, 94 Frei Caneca Street, Rio de Janeiro 20211-010, Brazil
| | - Helvécio Vinicius Antunes Rocha
- Laboratory of Micro and Nanotechnology, Institute of Technology of Drugs, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil Av., 4036, Rio de Janeiro 213040-361, Brazil
| | - Cassiano Felippe Gonçalves-de-Albuquerque
- Postgraduate Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro, 94 Frei Caneca Street, Rio de Janeiro 20211-010, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology, Biology Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Rua Prof. Marcos Waldemar de Freitas Reis, Niterói 24210-201, Brazil
- Immunopharmacology Laboratory, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro, 94 Frei Caneca Street, Rio de Janeiro 20211-010, Brazil
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Men P, Geng C, Zhang X, Zhang W, Xie L, Feng D, Du S, Wang M, Huang X, Lu X. Biosynthesis mechanism, genome mining and artificial construction of echinocandin O-sulfonation. Metab Eng 2022; 74:160-167. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Toure S, Millot M, Ory L, Roullier C, Khaldi Z, Pichon V, Girardot M, Imbert C, Mambu L. Access to Anti-Biofilm Compounds from Endolichenic Fungi Using a Bioguided Networking Screening. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101012. [PMID: 36294577 PMCID: PMC9604612 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Endolichenic microorganisms represent a new source of bioactive natural compounds. Lichens, resulting from a symbiotic association between algae or cyanobacteria and fungi, constitute an original ecological niche for these microorganisms. Endolichenic fungi inhabiting inside the lichen thallus have been isolated and characterized. By cultivation on three different culture media, endolichenic fungi gave rise to a wide diversity of bioactive metabolites. A total of 38 extracts were screened for their anti-maturation effect on Candida albicans biofilms. The 10 most active ones, inducing at least 50% inhibition, were tested against 24 h preformed biofilms of C. albicans, using a reference strain and clinical isolates. The global molecular network was associated to bioactivity data in order to identify and priorize active natural product families. The MS-targeted isolation led to the identification of new oxygenated fatty acid in Preussia persica endowed with an interesting anti-biofilm activity against C. albicans yeasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seinde Toure
- Laboratoire PEIRENE, University Limoges, UR 22722, F-87000 Limoges, France
| | - Marion Millot
- Laboratoire PEIRENE, University Limoges, UR 22722, F-87000 Limoges, France
| | - Lucie Ory
- Institut des Substances et Organismes de la Mer (ISOMer), Nantes Université, UR 2160, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Catherine Roullier
- Institut des Substances et Organismes de la Mer (ISOMer), Nantes Université, UR 2160, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Zineb Khaldi
- Laboratoire PEIRENE, University Limoges, UR 22722, F-87000 Limoges, France
| | - Valentin Pichon
- Laboratoire PEIRENE, University Limoges, UR 22722, F-87000 Limoges, France
| | - Marion Girardot
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions (EBI), University Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7267, F-86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Christine Imbert
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions (EBI), University Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7267, F-86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Lengo Mambu
- Laboratoire PEIRENE, University Limoges, UR 22722, F-87000 Limoges, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-5-55-43-58-34
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45
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Xie Y, Zhou X, Zhang J, Yu H, Song Z. Immunomodulatory responses of differentially polarized macrophages to fungal infections. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 111:109089. [PMID: 35964406 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109089] [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: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Macrophages, the first line of defense against invasive fungi in the innate immune system, are widely distributed in the blood and tissues of the body. In response to various internal and external stimulators, macrophages can polarize into classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2). These two types of polarized macrophages play different roles in antifungal activity and in maintaining the steady-state balance between inflammation and tissue repair. However, the antifungal mechanisms of M1- and M2-type macrophages have not been fully described. In this review, the immune regulatory mechanisms against pathogenic fungi of these two classical types of macrophages in various tissues are summarized. The effects of antifungal factors on macrophage differentiation are also highlighted. The description of these data, on the one hand provides valuable insight for future investigations and also highlights new strategies for the treatment of pathogenic fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Xie
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China.
| | - Xue Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China.
| | - Jinping Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China; The Public Platform of Molecular Biotechnology, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong Yu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China; The Public Platform of Cell Biotechnology, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China.
| | - Zhangyong Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, PR China; The Public Platform of Molecular Biotechnology, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, People's Republic of China.
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46
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Jaber QZ, Logviniuk D, Yona A, Fridman M. Echinocandins Localized to the Target-Harboring Cell Surface Are Not Degraded but Those Entering the Vacuole Are. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:1155-1163. [PMID: 35404573 PMCID: PMC9127807 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Echinocandin antifungal drugs have a broad spectrum of activities and excellent safety profiles. These agents noncompetitively inhibit the formation of the major polysaccharide component of the fungal cell wall, a reaction catalyzed by the membrane-bound β-glucan synthase (GS) protein complex. We have developed fluorescent probes of three echinocandin drugs: caspofungin (CSF), anidulafungin (ANF), and rezafungin (RZF). Fluorescent echinocandins had the same spectrum of activities as the parent echinocandins, supporting the fact that conjugation of the dye did not alter their mode of action. Of the three echinocandins, ANF has the most potent in vitro activity. Investigation of the subcellular distribution of the fluorescent echinocandins in live Candida yeast cells revealed that despite their high structural similarity, each of the drug probes had a unique subcellular distribution pattern. Fluorescent CSF, which is the least potent of the three echinocandins, accumulated in Candida vacuoles; fluorescent ANF localized in the extracellular environment and on the yeast cell surface where the target GS resides; and fluorescent RZF was partitioned between the surface and the vacuole over time. Recovery of fluorescent CSF from Candida cells revealed substantial degradation over time; functional vacuoles were necessary for this degradation. Under the same conditions, fluorescent ANF was not degraded. This study supports the "target-oriented drug subcellular localization" principle. In the case of echinocandins, localization to the cell surface can contribute to improved potency and accumulation in vacuoles induces degradation leading to drug deactivation.
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47
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Fang Z, Zhang Q, Zhang L, She J, Li J, Zhang W, Zhang H, Zhu Y, Zhang C. Antifungal Macrolides Kongjuemycins from Coral-Associated Rare Actinomycete Pseudonocardia kongjuensis SCSIO 11457. Org Lett 2022; 24:3482-3487. [PMID: 35476540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c01089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Four new macrolides, kongjuemycins A and B1-B3 (1-4), were isolated from a coral-associated actinomycete Pseudonocardia kongjuensis SCSIO 11457. Their structures were characterized by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were established by electronic circular dichroism calculation and the modified Mosher's method. Kongjuemycins displayed antifungal activity against three phytopathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuangjie Fang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qingbo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.,Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Yazhou Scientific Bay, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.,Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Yazhou Scientific Bay, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Jianglian She
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.,Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Yazhou Scientific Bay, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.,Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Yazhou Scientific Bay, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.,Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Yazhou Scientific Bay, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Yiguang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.,Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Yazhou Scientific Bay, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Changsheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.,Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Yazhou Scientific Bay, Sanya 572000, China
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48
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Logviniuk D, Jaber QZ, Dobrovetsky R, Kozer N, Ksiezopolska E, Gabaldón T, Carmeli S, Fridman M. Benzylic Dehydroxylation of Echinocandin Antifungal Drugs Restores Efficacy against Resistance Conferred by Mutated Glucan Synthase. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:5965-5975. [PMID: 35347986 PMCID: PMC8991007 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Each year, infections caused by fungal pathogens claim the lives of about 1.6 million people and affect the health of over a billion people worldwide. Among the most recently developed antifungal drugs are the echinocandins, which noncompetitively inhibit β-glucan synthase, a membrane-bound protein complex that catalyzes the formation of the main polysaccharide component of the fungal cell wall. Resistance to echinocandins is conferred by mutations in FKS genes, which encode the catalytic subunit of the β-glucan synthase complex. Here, we report that selective removal of the benzylic alcohol of the nonproteinogenic amino acid 3S,4S-dihydroxy-l-homotyrosine of the echinocandins anidulafungin and rezafungin, restored their efficacy against a large panel of echinocandin-resistant Candida strains. The dehydroxylated compounds did not significantly affect the viability of human-derived cell culture lines. An analysis of the efficacy of the dehydroxylated echinocandins against resistant Candida strains, which contain mutations in the FKS1 and/or FKS2 genes of the parental strains, identified amino acids of the Fks proteins that are likely to reside in proximity to the l-homotyrosine residue of the bound drug. This study describes the first example of a chemical modification strategy to restore the efficacy of echinocandin drugs, which have a critical place in the arsenal of antifungal drugs, against resistant fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Logviniuk
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Qais Z Jaber
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Roman Dobrovetsky
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Noga Kozer
- The Wohl Drug Discovery institute of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Ewa Ksiezopolska
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Jordi Girona, 29, Barcelona 08034, Spain.,Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Jordi Girona, 29, Barcelona 08034, Spain.,Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain.,Centro Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Shmuel Carmeli
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Micha Fridman
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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49
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Szymański M, Chmielewska S, Czyżewska U, Malinowska M, Tylicki A. Echinocandins - structure, mechanism of action and use in antifungal therapy. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2022; 37:876-894. [PMID: 35296203 PMCID: PMC8933026 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2050224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
With increasing number of immunocompromised patients as well as drug resistance in fungi, the risk of fatal fungal infections in humans increases as well. The action of echinocandins is based on the inhibition of β-(1,3)-d-glucan synthesis that builds the fungal cell wall. Caspofungin, micafungin, anidulafungin and rezafungin are semi-synthetic cyclic lipopeptides. Their specific chemical structure possess a potential to obtain novel derivatives with better pharmacological properties resulting in more effective treatment, especially in infections caused by Candida and Aspergillus species. In this review we summarise information about echinocandins with closer look on their chemical structure, mechanism of action, drug resistance and usage in clinical practice. We also introduce actual trends in modification of this antifungals as well as new methods of their administration, and additional use in viral and bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Szymański
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Cytobiochemistry, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Sandra Chmielewska
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Urszula Czyżewska
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Cytobiochemistry, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Marta Malinowska
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Natural Product Chemistry, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Adam Tylicki
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Cytobiochemistry, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
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50
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Ivanov M, Ćirić A, Stojković D. Emerging Antifungal Targets and Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2756. [PMID: 35269898 PMCID: PMC8911111 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite abundant research in the field of antifungal drug discovery, fungal infections remain a significant healthcare burden. There is an emerging need for the development of novel antifungals since those currently available are limited and do not completely provide safe and secure protection. Since the current knowledge regarding the physiology of fungal cells and the infection mechanisms is greater than ever, we have the opportunity to use this for the development of novel generations of antifungals. In this review, we selected and summarized recent studies describing agents employing different antifungal mechanisms. These mechanisms include interference with fungal resistance, including impact on the efflux pumps and heat shock protein 90. Additionally, interference with virulence factors, such as biofilms and hyphae; the impact on fungal enzymes, metabolism, mitochondria, and cell wall; and antifungal vaccines are explored. The agents investigated belong to different classes of natural or synthetic molecules with significant attention given also to plant extracts. The efficacy of these antifungals has been studied mainly in vitro with some in vivo, and clinical studies are needed. Nevertheless, there is a large quantity of products employing novel antifungal mechanisms that can be further explored for the development of new generation of antifungals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Ivanov
- Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.Ć.); (D.S.)
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