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Larder M, Crowley J, Hossain SI, Deplazes E. Steroids and steroid-like compounds alter the ion permeability of phospholipid bilayers via distinct interactions with lipids and interfacial water. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2025; 27:2101-2113. [PMID: 39764716 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp03254c] [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: 01/23/2025]
Abstract
Steroids are organic compounds found in all forms of biological life. Besides their structural roles in cell membranes, steroids act as signalling molecules in various physiological processes and are used to treat inflammatory conditions. It has been hypothesised that in addition to their well-characterised genomic and non-genomic pathways, steroids exert their biological or pharmacological activities via an indirect, nonreceptor-mediated membrane mechanism caused by steroid-induced changes to the physicochemical properties of cell membranes. While the effect of cholesterol on phospholipid bilayer properties has been extensively studied, much less is known about the effect of other steroids and steroid-like molecules. Here, we combine electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experiments with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the effect of the steroids cortisone, prednisolone and progesterone and the steroid-like compounds enoxolone and carbenoxolone on the ion permeability and structure of phospholipid bilayers composed of the zwitterionic lipid POPC. The EIS data shows that all five compounds increase permeability, while the simulations suggest that this is accompanied by a thinning of the bilayer and reduced lipid order. We show that for steroids, a previously proposed structure-activity relationship that classifies steroids into order-promoting or order-disrupting compounds based on domain formations translates to ion permeability. We confirmed this by additional experiments with cholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol. In contrast, the previously reported relationship between log P and molecular area and a steroid being a promoter does not translate to the steroid-like compounds enoxolone and carbenoxolone. We propose that their membrane-disruption activity can be explained by their hydrogen-bonding capacity that dictates the compound's orientation at the water-lipid interface. Specifically, their membrane-disrupting ability is a result of the steroids to intercalate between lipids and form stable interactions with lipid headgroups and interfacial water, thereby pushing lipids apart and lowering the energy required for ion-induced pores, an effect previously reported for other membrane-altering small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Larder
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Jackson Crowley
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS & University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Sheikh I Hossain
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Evelyne Deplazes
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia
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Hazarosova R, Momchilova A, Vitkova V, Yordanova V, Kostadinova A, Angelova MI, Tessier C, Nuss P, Staneva G. Structural Changes Induced by Resveratrol in Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Phosphatidylcholine-Enriched Model Membranes. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:909. [PMID: 38132913 PMCID: PMC10744944 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13120909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Resveratrol (Resv) is considered to exert a beneficial impact due to its radical scavenger, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties through several mechanisms that could include its interaction with the cell plasma membrane. To address this issue, we investigated the influence of Resv on membrane lipid order and organization in large unilamellar vesicles composed of different lipids and ratios. The studied lipid membrane models were composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) species (either palmitoyl-docosahexaenoyl phosphatidylcholine (PDPC) or palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC)), sphingomyelin (SM) and cholesterol (Chol). This study found that the addition of Resv resulted in complex membrane reorganization depending on the degree of fatty acid unsaturation at the sn-2 position, and the Lipid/Resv and SM/Chol ratios. Resv rigidified POPC-containing membranes and increased liquid-ordered (Lo) domain formation in 40/40/20 POPC/SM/Chol mixtures as this increase was lower at a 33/33/34 ratio. In contrast, Resv interacted with PDPC/SM/Chol mixtures in a bimodal manner by fluidizing/rigidifying the membranes in a dose-dependent way. Lo domain formation upon Resv addition occurred via the following bimodal mode of action: Lo domain size increased at low Resv concentrations; then, Lo domain size decreased at higher ones. To account for the variable effect of Resv, we suggest that it may act as a "spacer" at low doses, with a transition to a more "filler" position in the lipid bulk. We hypothesize that one of the roles of Resv is to tune the lipid order and organization of cell plasma membranes, which is closely linked to important cell functions such as membrane sorting and trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusina Hazarosova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.H.); (A.M.); (V.Y.); (A.K.)
| | - Albena Momchilova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.H.); (A.M.); (V.Y.); (A.K.)
| | - Victoria Vitkova
- Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Vesela Yordanova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.H.); (A.M.); (V.Y.); (A.K.)
| | - Aneliya Kostadinova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.H.); (A.M.); (V.Y.); (A.K.)
| | - Miglena I. Angelova
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, Sorbonne University, 75005 Paris, France;
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), CNRS UMR 7057, University Paris Cite, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Cedric Tessier
- Department of Psychiatry, Saint-Antoine Hospital, DMU Neuroscience, Sorbonne University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 75012 Paris, France; (C.T.); (P.N.)
| | - Philippe Nuss
- Department of Psychiatry, Saint-Antoine Hospital, DMU Neuroscience, Sorbonne University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 75012 Paris, France; (C.T.); (P.N.)
- Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, INSERM UMRS 938, Sorbonne Université, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Galya Staneva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (R.H.); (A.M.); (V.Y.); (A.K.)
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Ma X, Chen Y, Shu A, Jiang Y, Chen X, Ma C, Zhou M, Wang T, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L. A Novel Antimicrobial Peptide, Dermaseptin-SS1, with Anti-Proliferative Activity, Isolated from the Skin Secretion of Phyllomedusa tarsius. Molecules 2023; 28:6558. [PMID: 37764334 PMCID: PMC10535717 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186558] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has severely increased the burden on the global health system, and such pathogenic infections are considered a great threat to human well-being. Antimicrobial peptides, due to their potent antimicrobial activity and low possibility of inducing resistance, are increasingly attracting great interest. Herein, a novel dermaseptin peptide, named Dermaseptin-SS1 (SS1), was identified from a skin-secretion-derived cDNA library of the South/Central American tarsier leaf frog, Phyllomedusa tarsius, using a 'shotgun' cloning strategy. The chemically synthesized peptide SS1 was found to be broadly effective against Gram-negative bacteria with low haemolytic activity in vitro. A designed synthetic analogue of SS1, named peptide 14V5K, showed lower salt sensitivity and more rapid bacteria killing compared to SS1. Both peptides employed a membrane-targeting mechanism to kill Escherichia coli. The antiproliferative activity of SS1 and its analogues against lung cancer cell lines was found to be significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Yuping Chen
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China; (Y.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Anmei Shu
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China; (Y.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Yangyang Jiang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Tao Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.M.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
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