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Temporins: Multifunctional Peptides from Frog Skin. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065426. [PMID: 36982501 PMCID: PMC10049141 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporins are short peptides secreted by frogs from all over the world. They exert antimicrobial activity, mainly against Gram-positive bacteria, including resistant pathogens; recent studies highlight other possible applications of these peptides as anticancer or antiviral agents. This review is meant to describe the main features of temporins produced by different ranid genera. Due to the abundance of published papers, we focus on the most widely investigated peptides. We report studies on their mechanism of action and three-dimensional structure in model systems mimicking bacterial membranes or in the presence of cells. The design and the antimicrobial activity of peptide analogues is also described, with the aim of highlighting elements that are crucial to improve the bioactivity of peptides while reducing their toxicity. Finally, a short section is dedicated to the studies aimed at applying these peptides as drugs, to produce new antimicrobial materials or in other technological uses.
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Punginelli D, Schillaci D, Mauro M, Deidun A, Barone G, Arizza V, Vazzana M. The potential of antimicrobial peptides isolated from freshwater crayfish species in new drug development: A review. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 126:104258. [PMID: 34530039 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The much-publicised increased resistance of pathogenic bacteria to conventional antibiotics has focused research effort on the characterization of new antimicrobial drugs. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) extracted from animals are considered a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics. In recent years, freshwater crayfish species have emerged as an important source of bioactive compounds. In fact, these invertebrates rely on an innate immune system based on cellular responses and on the production of important effectors in the haemolymph, such as AMPs, which are produced and stored in granules in haemocytes and released after stimulation. These effectors are active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this review, we summarise the recent progress on AMPs isolated from the several species of freshwater crayfish and their prospects for future pharmaceutical applications to combat infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Punginelli
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Domenico Schillaci
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alan Deidun
- Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, Msida MSD, 2080, Malta
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy.
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Gaglione R, Smaldone G, Cesaro A, Rumolo M, De Luca M, Di Girolamo R, Petraccone L, Del Vecchio P, Oliva R, Notomista E, Pedone E, Arciello A. Impact of a Single Point Mutation on the Antimicrobial and Fibrillogenic Properties of Cryptides from Human Apolipoprotein B. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14070631. [PMID: 34209895 PMCID: PMC8308739 DOI: 10.3390/ph14070631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs) are gaining increasing interest, since they are endowed with multiple activities, are often effective on multidrug resistant bacteria and do not generally lead to the development of resistance phenotypes. Cryptic HDPs have been recently identified in human apolipoprotein B and found to be endowed with a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, with anti-biofilm, wound healing and immunomodulatory properties, and with the ability to synergistically act in combination with conventional antibiotics, while being not toxic for eukaryotic cells. Here, a multidisciplinary approach was used, including time killing curves, differential scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism, ThT binding assays, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The effects of a single point mutation (Pro → Ala in position 7) on the biological properties of ApoB-derived peptide r(P)ApoBLPro have been evaluated. Although the two versions of the peptide share similar antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties, only r(P)ApoBLAla peptide was found to exert bactericidal effects. Interestingly, antimicrobial activity of both peptide versions appears to be dependent from their interaction with specific components of bacterial surfaces, such as LPS or LTA, which induce peptides to form β-sheet-rich amyloid-like structures. Altogether, obtained data indicate a correlation between ApoB-derived peptides self-assembling state and their antibacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Gaglione
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), 00136 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Angela Cesaro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Mariano Rumolo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Maria De Luca
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Rocco Di Girolamo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Luigi Petraccone
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Pompea Del Vecchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Rosario Oliva
- Physical Chemistry I—Biophysical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany;
| | - Eugenio Notomista
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Emilia Pedone
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy;
- Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Arciello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), 00136 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-679147
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Gelmi ML, D'Andrea LD, Romanelli A. Application of Biophysical Techniques to Investigate the Interaction of Antimicrobial Peptides With Bacterial Cells. FRONTIERS IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2020; 2:606079. [PMID: 35047889 PMCID: PMC8757709 DOI: 10.3389/fmedt.2020.606079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaining new understanding on the mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides is the basis for the design of new and more efficient antibiotics. To this aim, it is important to detect modifications occurring to both the peptide and the bacterial cell upon interaction; this will help to understand the peptide structural requirement, if any, at the base of the interaction as well as the pathways triggered by peptides ending in cell death. A limited number of papers have described the interaction of peptides with bacterial cells, although most of the studies published so far have been focused on model membrane-peptides interactions. Investigations carried out with bacterial cells highlighted the limitations connected to the use of oversimplified model membranes and, more importantly, helped to identify molecular targets of antimicrobial peptides and changes occurring to the bacterial membrane. In this review, details on the mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides, as determined by the application of spectroscopic techniques, as well as scattering, microscopy, and calorimetry techniques, to complex systems such as peptide/bacteria mixtures are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Functional Characterization of Temporin-SHe, a New Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial and Leishmanicidal Temporin-SH Paralog from the Sahara Frog ( Pelophylax saharicus). Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186713. [PMID: 32933215 PMCID: PMC7555312 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibian skin is a promising natural resource for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), key effectors of innate immunity with attractive therapeutic potential to fight antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Our previous studies showed that the skin of the Sahara Frog (Pelophylax saharicus) contains broad-spectrum AMPs of the temporin family, named temporins-SH. Here, we focused our study on temporin-SHe, a temporin-SHd paralog that we have previously identified in this frog but was never structurally and functionally characterized. We synthesized and determined the structure of temporin-SHe. This non-amphipathic α-helical peptide was demonstrated to strongly destabilize the lipid chain packing of anionic multilamellar vesicles mimicking bacterial membranes. Investigation of the antimicrobial activity revealed that temporin-SHe targets Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including clinical isolates of multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Temporin-SHe exhibited also antiparasitic activity toward different Leishmania species responsible for visceral leishmaniasis, as well as cutaneous and mucocutaneous forms. Functional assays revealed that temporin-SHe exerts bactericidal effects with membrane depolarization and permeabilization, via a membranolytic mechanism observed by scanning electron microscopy. Temporin-SHe represents a new member of the very limited group of antiparasitic temporins/AMPs. Despite its cytotoxicity, it is nevertheless an interesting tool to study the AMP antiparasitic mechanism and design new antibacterial/antiparasitic agents.
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Kumari T, Verma DP, Afshan T, Verma NK, Pant G, Ali M, Shukla PK, Mitra K, Ghosh JK. A Noncytotoxic Temporin L Analogue with In Vivo Antibacterial and Antiendotoxin Activities and a Nonmembrane-Lytic Mode of Action. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:2369-2385. [PMID: 32786286 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cytotoxic frog antimicrobial peptide Temporin L (TempL) is an attractive molecule for the design of lead antimicrobial agents due to its short size and versatile biological activities. However, noncytotoxic TempL variants with desirable biological activities have rarely been reported. TempL analogue Q3K,TempL is water-soluble and possesses a significant antiendotoxin property along with comparable cytotoxicity to TempL. A phenylalanine residue, located at the hydrophobic face of Q3K,TempL and the "d" position of its phenylalanine zipper sequence, was replaced with a cationic lysine residue. This analogue, Q3K,F8K,TempL, showed reduced hydrophobic moment and was noncytotoxic with lower antimicrobial activity. Interestingly, swapping between tryptophan at the fourth and serine at the sixth positions turned Q3K,F8K,TempL totally amphipathic as reflected by its helical wheel projection with clusters of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues and the highest hydrophobic moment among these peptides. Surprisingly, this analogue, SW,Q3K,F8K,TempL, was as noncytotoxic as Q3K,F8K,TempL but showed augmented antimicrobial and antiendotoxin properties, comparable to that of TempL and Q3K,TempL. SW,Q3K,F8K,TempL exhibited appreciable survival of mice against P. aeruginosa infection and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Unlike TempL and Q3K,TempL, SW,Q3K,F8K,TempL adopted an unordered secondary structure in bacterial membrane mimetic lipid vesicles and did not permeabilize them or depolarize the bacterial membrane. Overall, the results demonstrate the design of a nontoxic TempL analogue that possesses clusters of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues with impaired secondary structure and shows a nonmembrane-lytic mechanism and in vivo antiendotoxin and antimicrobial activities. This paradigm of design of antimicrobial peptide with clusters of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues and high hydrophobic moment but low secondary structure could be attempted further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tripti Kumari
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Devesh Pratap Verma
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Tayyaba Afshan
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Neeraj Kumar Verma
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Garima Pant
- Electron Microscopy Unit, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Mehmood Ali
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - P. K. Shukla
- Microbiology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Kalyan Mitra
- Electron Microscopy Unit, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Jimut Kanti Ghosh
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
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Bhattacharjya S, Straus SK. Design, Engineering and Discovery of Novel α-Helical and β-Boomerang Antimicrobial Peptides against Drug Resistant Bacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165773. [PMID: 32796755 PMCID: PMC7460851 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In an era where the pipeline of new antibiotic development is drying up, the continuous rise of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) bacteria are genuine threats to human health. Although antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may serve as promising leads against drug resistant bacteria, only a few AMPs are in advanced clinical trials. The limitations of AMPs, namely their low in vivo activity, toxicity, and poor bioavailability, need to be addressed. Here, we review engineering of frog derived short α-helical AMPs (aurein, temporins) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding designed β-boomerang AMPs for further development. The discovery of novel cell selective AMPs from the human proprotein convertase furin is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
- Correspondence: (S.B.); (S.K.S.)
| | - Suzana K. Straus
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Correspondence: (S.B.); (S.K.S.)
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Sinha S, Ng WJ, Bhattacharjya S. NMR structure and localization of the host defense antimicrobial peptide thanatin in zwitterionic dodecylphosphocholine micelle: Implications in antimicrobial activity. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183432. [PMID: 32781154 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potentially vital as the next generation of antibiotics against multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens. Thanatin, an insect derived pathogen inducible 21-residue long antimicrobial peptide, demonstrates antimicrobial activity toward broad range of pathogens. Thanatin is an excellent candidate for antibiotics development due to potent in vivo activity in animal model and low toxicity to human cells. Recent studies indicated mode of action of thanatin could be intriguing and may comprise bacterial membrane permeabilization and interactions with periplasmic proteins. In order to better understand selectivity and membrane disruption, here, we determined 3-D structure of the thanatin in zwitterionic DPC-d38 micelle by NMR spectroscopy. The depth of insertion of thanatin into micelle structure was investigated by spin labelled doxyl lipids, 5-DSA and 16-DSA. DPC-bound structure of thanatin is defined by a β-hairpin structure and an extended and turn conformations, for residues G1-I8, at the N-terminus. The β-hairpin structure is delineated by two antiparallel β-strands, residues I9-C11 and residues K17-R20, which is connected by loop consisted of residues N12-G16. There are cross β-strands sidechain-sidechain packing interactions among hydrophobic and aromatic residues. Spin labelled lipid studies revealed a set of spatially proximal residues V6, I8, Q19, R20 and M21 may be deeply inserted into the hydrophobic core of the DPC micelle. While, residues including those at the turn/loop are merely surface localized. The atomic resolution structure and orientation of thanatin in zwitterionic DPC micelle may be utilized for understating mode of action in lipid membrane and further development of non-toxic analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheetal Sinha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore; Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore 637141, Singapore
| | - Wun Jern Ng
- Environmental Bio-Innovation Group (EBiG), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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Sperandeo P, Bosco F, Clerici F, Polissi A, Gelmi ML, Romanelli A. Covalent Grafting of Antimicrobial Peptides onto Microcrystalline Cellulose. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2020; 3:4895-4901. [DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Sperandeo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bosco
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Clerici
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy
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Li J, Fernández-Millán P, Boix E. Synergism between Host Defence Peptides and Antibiotics Against Bacterial Infections. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:1238-1263. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200303122626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Background:Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to conventional antibiotics is becoming one of the main global health threats and novel alternative strategies are urging. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), once forgotten, are coming back into the scene as promising tools to overcome bacterial resistance. Recent findings have attracted attention to the potentiality of AMPs to work as antibiotic adjuvants.Methods:In this review, we have tried to collect the currently available information on the mechanism of action of AMPs in synergy with other antimicrobial agents. In particular, we have focused on the mechanisms of action that mediate the inhibition of the emergence of bacterial resistance by AMPs.Results and Conclusion:We find in the literature many examples where AMPs can significantly reduce the antibiotic effective concentration. Mainly, the peptides work at the bacterial cell wall and thereby facilitate the drug access to its intracellular target. Complementarily, AMPs can also contribute to permeate the exopolysaccharide layer of biofilm communities, or even prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm growth. Secondly, we find other peptides that can directly block the emergence of bacterial resistance mechanisms or interfere with the community quorum-sensing systems. Interestingly, the effective peptide concentrations for adjuvant activity and inhibition of bacterial resistance are much lower than the required for direct antimicrobial action. Finally, many AMPs expressed by innate immune cells are endowed with immunomodulatory properties and can participate in the host response against infection. Recent studies in animal models confirm that AMPs work as adjuvants at non-toxic concentrations and can be safely administrated for novel combined chemotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| | - Pablo Fernández-Millán
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| | - Ester Boix
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
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Structural Insight of the Full-Length Ros Protein: A Prototype of the Prokaryotic Zinc-Finger Family. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9283. [PMID: 32518326 PMCID: PMC7283297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66204-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ros/MucR is a widespread family of bacterial zinc-finger (ZF) containing proteins that integrate multiple functions such as virulence, symbiosis and/or cell cycle transcription. NMR solution structure of Ros DNA-binding domain (region 56–142, i.e. Ros87) has been solved by our group and shows that the prokaryotic ZF domain shows interesting structural and functional features that differentiate it from its eukaryotic counterpart as it folds in a significantly larger zinc-binding globular domain. We have recently proposed a novel functional model for this family of proteins suggesting that they may act as H-NS-‘like’ gene silencers. Indeed, the N-terminal region of this family of proteins appears to be responsible for the formation of functional oligomers. No structural characterization of the Ros N-terminal domain (region 1–55) is available to date, mainly because of serious solubility problems of the full-length protein. Here we report the first structural characterization of the N-terminal domain of the prokaryotic ZF family examining by means of MD and NMR the structural preferences of the full-length Ros protein from Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
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Yacoub T, Rima M, Karam M, Sabatier JM, Fajloun Z. Antimicrobials from Venomous Animals: An Overview. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25102402. [PMID: 32455792 PMCID: PMC7287856 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25102402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The inappropriate or excessive use of antimicrobial agents caused an emerging public health problem due to the resulting resistance developed by microbes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective antimicrobial strategies relying on natural agents with different mechanisms of action. Nature has been known to offer many bioactive compounds, in the form of animal venoms, algae, and plant extracts that were used for decades in traditional medicine. Animal venoms and secretions have been deeply studied for their wealth in pharmaceutically promising molecules. As such, they were reported to exhibit many biological activities of interest, such as antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the antimicrobial activities of crude animal venoms/secretions, and describe the peptides that are responsible of these activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Yacoub
- Department of Biology, University of Balamand, Kalhat, Al-Kurah, P.O. box 100 Tripoli, Lebanon; (T.Y.); (M.K.)
| | - Mohamad Rima
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS U7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France;
| | - Marc Karam
- Department of Biology, University of Balamand, Kalhat, Al-Kurah, P.O. box 100 Tripoli, Lebanon; (T.Y.); (M.K.)
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Université Aix-Marseille, Institut de NeuroPhysiopathologie, UMR 7051, Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, 51, Boulevard Pierre Dramard-CS80011, 13344-Marseille CEDEX 15, France
- Correspondence: (J.-M.S.); (Z.F.)
| | - Ziad Fajloun
- Faculty of Sciences 3, Lebanese University, Michel Slayman Tripoli Campus, Ras Maska 1352, Lebanon
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology (LBA3B), Azm Center for Research in Biotechnology and its Applications, Doctoral School for Sciences and Technology, Lebanese University, El Mittein Street, 1300 Tripoli, Lebanon
- Correspondence: (J.-M.S.); (Z.F.)
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13
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Di Somma A, Avitabile C, Cirillo A, Moretta A, Merlino A, Paduano L, Duilio A, Romanelli A. The antimicrobial peptide Temporin L impairs E. coli cell division by interacting with FtsZ and the divisome complex. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2020; 1864:129606. [PMID: 32229224 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The comprehension of the mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides is fundamental for the design of new antibiotics. Studies performed looking at the interaction of peptides with bacterial cells offer a faithful picture of what really happens in nature. METHODS In this work we focused on the interaction of the peptide Temporin L with E. coli cells, using a variety of biochemical and biophysical techniques that include: functional proteomics, docking, optical microscopy, TEM, DLS, SANS, fluorescence. RESULTS We identified bacterial proteins specifically interacting with the peptides that belong to the divisome machinery; our data suggest that the GTPase FtsZ is the specific peptide target. Docking experiments supported the FtsZ-TL interaction; binding and enzymatic assays using recombinant FtsZ confirmed this hypothesis and revealed a competitive inhibition mechanism. Optical microscopy and TEM measurements demonstrated that, upon incubation with the peptide, bacterial cells are unable to divide forming long necklace-like cell filaments. Dynamic light scattering studies and Small Angle Neutron Scattering experiments performed on treated and untreated bacterial cells, indicated a change at the nanoscale level of the bacterial membrane. CONCLUSIONS The peptide temporin L acts by a non-membrane-lytic mechanism of action, inhibiting the divisome machinery. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Identification of targets of antimicrobial peptides is pivotal to the tailored design of new antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Di Somma
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II" Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy; National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Viale Medaglie d'Oro 305, 00136 Roma, Italy
| | - Concetta Avitabile
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (CNR), via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Arianna Cirillo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II" Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Moretta
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Antonello Merlino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II" Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Paduano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II" Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Angela Duilio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II" Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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14
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Santoro AM, Lanza V, Bellia F, Sbardella D, Tundo GR, Cannizzo A, Grasso G, Arizzi M, Nicoletti VG, Alcaro S, Costa G, Pietropaolo A, Malgieri G, D'Abrosca G, Fattorusso R, García‐Viñuales S, Ahmed IMM, Coletta M, Milardi D. Pyrazolones Activate the Proteasome by Gating Mechanisms and Protect Neuronal Cells from β‐Amyloid Toxicity. ChemMedChem 2019; 15:302-316. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Santoro
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Cristallografia Via P. Gaifami 18 95126 Catania Italy
| | - Valeria Lanza
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Cristallografia Via P. Gaifami 18 95126 Catania Italy
| | - Francesco Bellia
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Cristallografia Via P. Gaifami 18 95126 Catania Italy
| | - Diego Sbardella
- IRCCS – Fondazione G.B. Bietti Via Livenza 3 00189 Roma Italy
- Università di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale Via Montpellier 1 00133 Roma Italy
| | - Grazia R. Tundo
- Università di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale Via Montpellier 1 00133 Roma Italy
| | - Alessandra Cannizzo
- Università degli Studi di Catania Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche V.le Andrea Doria 6 95125 Catania Italy
| | - Giuseppe Grasso
- Università degli Studi di Catania Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche V.le Andrea Doria 6 95125 Catania Italy
| | - Mariaconcetta Arizzi
- Università degli Studi di Catania Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche V.le Andrea Doria 6 95125 Catania Italy
| | - Vincenzo G. Nicoletti
- Università degli Studi di Catania Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologiche (BIOMETEC) Università di Catania Via Santa Sofia 97 95124 Catania
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro Italy
| | - Giosuè Costa
- Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro Italy
| | - Adriana Pietropaolo
- Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro Italy
| | - Gaetano Malgieri
- Università della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Gianluca D'Abrosca
- Università della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Università della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Sara García‐Viñuales
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Cristallografia Via P. Gaifami 18 95126 Catania Italy
| | - Ikhlas M. M. Ahmed
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Cristallografia Via P. Gaifami 18 95126 Catania Italy
| | - Massimiliano Coletta
- Università di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale Via Montpellier 1 00133 Roma Italy
| | - Danilo Milardi
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Cristallografia Via P. Gaifami 18 95126 Catania Italy
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15
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Stulz A, Vogt A, Saar JS, Akil L, Lienkamp K, Hoernke M. Quantified Membrane Permeabilization Indicates the Lipid Selectivity of Membrane-Active Antimicrobials. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:16366-16376. [PMID: 31710807 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Most antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their synthetic mimics (SMAMPs) are thought to act by permeabilizing cell membranes. For antimicrobial therapy, selectivity for pathogens over mammalian cells is a key requirement. Understanding membrane selectivity is thus essential for designing AMPs and SMAMPs to complement classical antibiotics in the future. This study focuses on membrane permeabilization induced by SMAMPs and their selectivity for membranes with different lipid compositions. We measure release and fluorescence lifetime of a self-quenching dye in lipid vesicles. Apart from the dose-response, we quantify the strength of individual leakage events, and, employing cumulative kinetics, categorize permeabilization behavior. We propose that differing selectivities in a series of SMAMPs arise from a combination of the effect of the antimicrobial agent and the susceptibility of the membrane (with a given lipid composition) for certain types of leakage behavior. The unselective and hemolytic SMAMP is found to act mainly by the asymmetry stress mechanism, mediated by hydrophobic insertion of SMAMPs into lipid layers. The more selective SMAMPs induced leakage events occurring stochastically over several hours. Lipid intrinsic properties might additionally amplify the efficiency of leakage events. Leakage behavior changes with both the design of the SMAMP and the lipid composition of the membrane. Understanding how leakage behavior contributes to the selectivity and activity of antimicrobial agents will aid the design and screening of antimicrobials. An understanding of the underlying processes facilitates the comparison of membrane permeabilization across in vitro and in vivo assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Stulz
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität , Freiburg i.Br ., Germany
| | - Annika Vogt
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität , Freiburg i.Br ., Germany
- Faculty of Applied Chemistry , Reutlingen University , Reutlingen , Germany
| | - Julia Selina Saar
- Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) and Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT) , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität , Freiburg i.Br ., Germany
| | - Larissa Akil
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität , Freiburg i.Br ., Germany
| | - Karen Lienkamp
- Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) and Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT) , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität , Freiburg i.Br ., Germany
| | - Maria Hoernke
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität , Freiburg i.Br ., Germany
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität , Freiburg i.Br ., Germany
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16
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Romero SM, Cardillo AB, Martínez Ceron MC, Camperi SA, Giudicessi SL. Temporins: An Approach of Potential Pharmaceutic Candidates. Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2019; 21:309-322. [PMID: 31804896 DOI: 10.1089/sur.2019.266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides, are small and mostly polycationic molecules that form part of the innate immune response. There are currently more than 3000 experimentally reported AMPs. Particularly in frogs, the temporin family has been discovered as potential AMPs. The aim of this work is to review the latest publications about this class of peptides, discuss their properties, and present an update of the last studies and new discoveries in the field. More than 130 temporins have been identified in this family. The most studied temporins are temporin A (TA), temporin B (TB), and temporin L (TL). These peptides showed antimicrobial activity against gram-negative, gram-positive bacteria and fungi. Since the discovery of temporins in 1996, several groups of researchers isolated different peptides from various species of frogs that were included as members of this family. Although antimicrobial activity of many temporins has not been analyzed yet, most of them showed antimicrobial and antifungal activities. A combination of nanotechnology and AMPs for temporins in different antimicrobial treatments could be a promising alternative for resistant pathogens. These studies demonstrate that, even with the advancement in scientific research on the composition and antimicrobial activity of temporins, further studies are necessary to wholly understand their components and mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Maris Romero
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alejandra Beatriz Cardillo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biotecnología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Camila Martínez Ceron
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biotecnología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvia Andrea Camperi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biotecnología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvana Laura Giudicessi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biotecnología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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17
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De Luca S, Verdoliva V, Saviano M, Fattorusso R, Diana D. SPR and NMR characterization of the molecular interaction between A9 peptide and a model system of HER2 receptor: A fragment approach for selecting peptide structures specific for their target. J Pept Sci 2019; 26:e3231. [PMID: 31749266 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The binding process of A9 peptide toward HER2-DIVMP, a synthetic model of the receptor domain IV, was studied by using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique, with the aim of validating it as a fast and reliable screening method for selecting peptide ligands specifically targeting a domain of their target. To investigate the structural basis of A9 binding to the model of HER2-DIVMP, multiple ligand-based nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods were applied. The use of saturation transfer difference (STD) and WaterLOGSY NMR experiments identified key residues in the peptide for the receptor binding. Moreover, the bound conformation of the A9 peptide was obtained using transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (trNOESY) experiments. The NMR data revealed an extended binding surface that confirms an in silico model previously reported. These structural findings could provide good starting points for future lead structures optimization specific for the receptor target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania De Luca
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, National Research Council, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Verdoliva
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, National Research Council, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Saviano
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Donatella Diana
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, National Research Council, 80134, Naples, Italy
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18
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Manzo G, Ferguson PM, Gustilo VB, Hind CK, Clifford M, Bui TT, Drake AF, Atkinson RA, Sutton JM, Batoni G, Lorenz CD, Phoenix DA, Mason AJ. Minor sequence modifications in temporin B cause drastic changes in antibacterial potency and selectivity by fundamentally altering membrane activity. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1385. [PMID: 30718667 PMCID: PMC6362004 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37630-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a potential source of new molecules to counter the increase in antimicrobial resistant infections but a better understanding of their properties is required to understand their native function and for effective translation as therapeutics. Details of the mechanism of their interaction with the bacterial plasma membrane are desired since damage or penetration of this structure is considered essential for AMPs activity. Relatively modest modifications to AMPs primary sequence can induce substantial changes in potency and/or spectrum of activity but, hitherto, have not been predicted to substantially alter the mechanism of interaction with the bacterial plasma membrane. Here we use a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, circular dichroism, solid-state NMR and patch clamp to investigate the extent to which temporin B and its analogues can be distinguished both in vitro and in silico on the basis of their interactions with model membranes. Enhancing the hydrophobicity of the N-terminus and cationicity of the C-terminus in temporin B improves its membrane activity and potency against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In contrast, enhancing the cationicity of the N-terminus abrogates its ability to trigger channel conductance and renders it ineffective against Gram-positive bacteria while nevertheless enhancing its potency against Escherichia coli. Our findings suggest even closely related AMPs may target the same bacterium with fundamentally differing mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Manzo
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Philip M Ferguson
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - V Benjamin Gustilo
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte K Hind
- Technology Development Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Salisbury, UK
| | - Melanie Clifford
- Technology Development Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Salisbury, UK
| | - Tam T Bui
- Centre for Biomolecular Spectroscopy and Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Alex F Drake
- Centre for Biomolecular Spectroscopy and Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - R Andrew Atkinson
- Centre for Biomolecular Spectroscopy and Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - J Mark Sutton
- Technology Development Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Salisbury, UK
| | - Giovanna Batoni
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Christian D Lorenz
- Department of Physics, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - David A Phoenix
- School of Applied Science, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA, United Kingdom
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom.
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19
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Structural Characterization of the Lactobacillus Plantarum FlmC Protein Involved in Biofilm Formation. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23092252. [PMID: 30181476 PMCID: PMC6225345 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the most predominant species in the human gut microbiota of healthy individuals. We have previously characterized some probiotic features of L. plantarum LM3, as the high resistance to different stress, the binding ability toward some extracellular matrix proteins and plasminogen and the immunomodulatory role of the surface expressed adhesin EnoA1. We have also identified the flmA, flmB and flmC genes, coding for putative proteins named FlmA, FlmB and FlmC, whose null mutations partially impaired biofilm development; the L. plantarum LM3–6 strain, carrying a deletion in flmC, showed a high rate of autolysis, supporting the hypothesis that FlmC might be involved in cell wall integrity. Here, we report the in-silico characterization of ΔTM-FlmC, a portion of the FlmC protein. The protein has been also expressed, purified and characterized by means of CD spectroscopy, ICP-mass and UHPLC-HRMS. The obtained experimental data validated the predicted model unveiling also the presence of a bound lipid molecule and of a Mg(II) ion. Overall, we provide strong evidences that ΔTM-FlmC belongs to the LytR-CpsA-Psr (LCP) family of domains and is involved in cell envelope biogenesis.
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20
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Avitabile C, D'Andrea LD, D'Aversa E, Milani R, Gambari R, Romanelli A. Effect of Acylation on the Antimicrobial Activity of Temporin B Analogues. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:1549-1554. [PMID: 29920962 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
New peptides derived from the natural antimicrobial temporin B were obtained. The design, antimicrobial activity, and characterization of the secondary structure of peptides in the presence of bacterial cells is described herein. TB_KKG6K (KKLLPIVKNLLKSLL) has been identified as the most active analogue against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, compared with natural temporin B (LLPIVGNLLKSLL) and TB_KKG6A (KKLLPIVANLLKSLL). Acylation with hydrophobic moieties generally led to reduced activity; however, acylation at the 6-position of TB_KKG6K led to retained sub-micromolar activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Avitabile
- Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council-CNR, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Domenico D'Andrea
- Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council-CNR, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta D'Aversa
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberta Milani
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, via Venezian 21, 20133, Milan, Italy
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21
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Hollmann A, Martinez M, Maturana P, Semorile LC, Maffia PC. Antimicrobial Peptides: Interaction With Model and Biological Membranes and Synergism With Chemical Antibiotics. Front Chem 2018; 6:204. [PMID: 29922648 PMCID: PMC5996110 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising novel antibiotics since they have shown antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacterial species, including multiresistant bacteria; however, toxicity is the major barrier to convert antimicrobial peptides into active drugs. A profound and proper understanding of the complex interactions between these peptides and biological membranes using biophysical tools and model membranes seems to be a key factor in the race to develop a suitable antimicrobial peptide therapy for clinical use. In the search for such therapy, different combined approaches with conventional antibiotics have been evaluated in recent years and demonstrated to improve the therapeutic potential of AMPs. Some of these approaches have revealed promising additive or synergistic activity between AMPs and chemical antibiotics. This review will give an insight into the possibilities that physicochemical tools can give in the AMPs research and also address the state of the art on the current promising combined therapies between AMPs and conventional antibiotics, which appear to be a plausible future opportunity for AMPs treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Hollmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Basic and Applied Microbiology, National University of Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina.,Centro de Investigación en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and National University of Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Melina Martinez
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Basic and Applied Microbiology, National University of Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricia Maturana
- Centro de Investigación en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and National University of Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Liliana C Semorile
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Basic and Applied Microbiology, National University of Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Paulo C Maffia
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Basic and Applied Microbiology, National University of Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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22
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Russo L, Farina B, Del Gatto A, Comegna D, Di Gaetano S, Capasso D, Liguoro A, Malgieri G, Saviano M, Fattorusso R, Zaccaro L. Deciphering RGDechi peptide‐α
5
β
1
integrin interaction mode in isolated cell membranes. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Russo
- Department of EnvironmentalBiological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, University of Campania—Luigi Vanvitelli, via Vivaldi 43Caserta81100 Italy
| | - Biancamaria Farina
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging‐CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
| | - Annarita Del Gatto
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging‐CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
- Interdepartmental Center of Bioactive PeptideUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
| | - Daniela Comegna
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging‐CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
| | - Sonia Di Gaetano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging‐CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
- Interdepartmental Center of Bioactive PeptideUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
| | - Domenica Capasso
- Department of PharmacyUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
| | - Annamaria Liguoro
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging‐CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
| | - Gaetano Malgieri
- Department of EnvironmentalBiological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, University of Campania—Luigi Vanvitelli, via Vivaldi 43Caserta81100 Italy
| | - Michele Saviano
- Institute of Crystallography‐CNR, Via Amendola 122/OBari70126 Italy
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Department of EnvironmentalBiological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, University of Campania—Luigi Vanvitelli, via Vivaldi 43Caserta81100 Italy
- Interdepartmental Center of Bioactive PeptideUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
| | - Laura Zaccaro
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging‐CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
- Interdepartmental Center of Bioactive PeptideUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16Naples80134 Italy
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23
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Brancaccio D, Diana D, Di Maro S, Di Leva FS, Tomassi S, Fattorusso R, Russo L, Scala S, Trotta AM, Portella L, Novellino E, Marinelli L, Carotenuto A. Ligand-Based NMR Study of C-X-C Chemokine Receptor Type 4 (CXCR4)–Ligand Interactions on Living Cancer Cells. J Med Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Brancaccio
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Donatella Diana
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, C.N.R., 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore Di Maro
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Tomassi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Luigi Russo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Stefania Scala
- Molecular Immunology and Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”, IRCCS-Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Trotta
- Molecular Immunology and Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”, IRCCS-Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Portella
- Molecular Immunology and Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”, IRCCS-Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Ettore Novellino
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luciana Marinelli
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Alfonso Carotenuto
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
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24
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Gong Z, Ikonomova SP, Karlsson AJ. Secondary structure of cell-penetrating peptides during interaction with fungal cells. Protein Sci 2018; 27:702-713. [PMID: 29247564 PMCID: PMC5818750 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are peptides that cross cell membranes, either alone or while carrying molecular cargo. Although their interactions with mammalian cells have been widely studied, much less is known about their interactions with fungal cells, particularly at the biophysical level. We analyzed the interactions of seven CPPs (penetratin, Pep-1, MPG, pVEC, TP-10, MAP, and cecropin B) with the fungal pathogen Candida albicans using experiments and molecular simulations. Circular dichroism (CD) of the peptides revealed a structural transition from a random coil or weak helix to an α-helix occurs for all peptides when the solvent is changed from aqueous to hydrophobic. However, CD performed in the presence of C. albicans cells showed that proximity to the cell membrane is not necessarily sufficient to induce this structural transition, as penetratin, Pep-1, and MPG did not display a structural shift in the presence of cells. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to further probe the molecular-level interaction with the cell membrane, and these simulations suggested that pVEC, TP-10, MAP, and cecropin B strongly penetrate into the hydrophobic domain of the membrane lipid bilayer, inducing a transition to an α-helical conformation. In contrast, penetratin, Pep-1 and MPG remained in the hydrophilic region without a shift in conformation. The experimental data and MC simulations combine to explain how peptide structure affects their interaction with cells and their mechanism of translocation into cells (direct translocation vs. endocytosis). Our work also highlights the utility of combining biophysical experiments, biological experiments, and molecular modeling to understand biological phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zifan Gong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), College ParkMaryland20742
| | - Svetlana P. Ikonomova
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), College ParkMaryland20742
| | - Amy J. Karlsson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), College ParkMaryland20742
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25
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Savini F, Bobone S, Roversi D, Mangoni ML, Stella L. From liposomes to cells: Filling the gap between physicochemical and microbiological studies of the activity and selectivity of host‐defense peptides. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Savini
- Department of Chemical Science and TechnologiesUniversity of Rome Tor VergataRome00133 Italy
| | - Sara Bobone
- Department of Chemical Science and TechnologiesUniversity of Rome Tor VergataRome00133 Italy
| | - Daniela Roversi
- Department of Chemical Science and TechnologiesUniversity of Rome Tor VergataRome00133 Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory affiliated to Pasteur Italia‐Fondazione Cenci BolognettiSapienza University of RomeRome, via degli Apuli9‐00185 Italy
| | - Lorenzo Stella
- Department of Chemical Science and TechnologiesUniversity of Rome Tor VergataRome00133 Italy
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26
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The Road from Host-Defense Peptides to a New Generation of Antimicrobial Drugs. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23020311. [PMID: 29389911 PMCID: PMC6017364 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23020311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Host-defense peptides, also called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), whose protective action has been used by animals for millions of years, fulfill many requirements of the pharmaceutical industry, such as: (1) broad spectrum of activity; (2) unlike classic antibiotics, they induce very little resistance; (3) they act synergically with conventional antibiotics; (4) they neutralize endotoxins and are active in animal models. However, it is considered that many natural peptides are not suitable for drug development due to stability and biodisponibility problems, or high production costs. This review describes the efforts to overcome these problems and develop new antimicrobial drugs from these peptides or inspired by them. The discovery process of natural AMPs is discussed, as well as the development of synthetic analogs with improved pharmacological properties. The production of these compounds at acceptable costs, using different chemical and biotechnological methods, is also commented. Once these challenges are overcome, a new generation of versatile, potent and long-lasting antimicrobial drugs is expected.
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27
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Gaglione R, Pirone L, Farina B, Fusco S, Smaldone G, Aulitto M, Dell'Olmo E, Roscetto E, Del Gatto A, Fattorusso R, Notomista E, Zaccaro L, Arciello A, Pedone E, Contursi P. Insights into the anticancer properties of the first antimicrobial peptide from Archaea. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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28
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Datta A, Yadav V, Ghosh A, Choi J, Bhattacharyya D, Kar RK, Ilyas H, Dutta A, An E, Mukhopadhyay J, Lee D, Sanyal K, Ramamoorthy A, Bhunia A. Mode of Action of a Designed Antimicrobial Peptide: High Potency against Cryptococcus neoformans. Biophys J 2017; 111:1724-1737. [PMID: 27760359 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a significant need for developing compounds that kill Cryptococcus neoformans, the fungal pathogen that causes meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. Here, we report the mode of action of a designed antifungal peptide, VG16KRKP (VARGWKRKCPLFGKGG) against C. neoformans. It is shown that VG16KRKP kills fungal cells mainly through membrane compromise leading to efflux of ions and cell metabolites. Intracellular localization, inhibition of in vitro transcription, and DNA binding suggest a secondary mode of action for the peptide, hinting at possible intracellular targets. Atomistic structure of the peptide determined by NMR experiments on live C. neoformans cells reveals an amphipathic arrangement stabilized by hydrophobic interactions among A2, W5, and F12, a conventional folding pattern also known to play a major role in peptide-mediated Gram-negative bacterial killing, revealing the importance of this motif. These structural details in the context of live cell provide valuable insights into the design of potent peptides for effective treatment of human and plant fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritreyee Datta
- Department of Biophysics, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), Kolkata, India
| | - Vikas Yadav
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Anirban Ghosh
- Department of Biophysics, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), Kolkata, India
| | - Jaesun Choi
- Department of Fine Chemistry, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Rajiv K Kar
- Department of Biophysics, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), Kolkata, India
| | - Humaira Ilyas
- Department of Biophysics, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), Kolkata, India
| | | | - Eunseol An
- Department of Fine Chemistry, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Dongkuk Lee
- Department of Fine Chemistry, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Anirban Bhunia
- Department of Biophysics, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), Kolkata, India.
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29
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Grassi L, Maisetta G, Maccari G, Esin S, Batoni G. Analogs of the Frog-skin Antimicrobial Peptide Temporin 1Tb Exhibit a Wider Spectrum of Activity and a Stronger Antibiofilm Potential as Compared to the Parental Peptide. Front Chem 2017; 5:24. [PMID: 28443279 PMCID: PMC5387044 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The frog skin-derived peptide Temporin 1Tb (TB) has gained increasing attention as novel antimicrobial agent for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant and/or biofilm-mediated infections. Nevertheless, such a peptide possesses a preferential spectrum of action against Gram-positive bacteria. In order to improve the therapeutic potential of TB, the present study evaluated the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of two TB analogs against medically relevant bacterial species. Of the two analogs, TB_KKG6A has been previously described in the literature, while TB_L1FK is a new analog designed by us through statistical-based computational strategies. Both TB analogs displayed a faster and stronger bactericidal activity than the parental peptide, especially against Gram-negative bacteria in planktonic form. Differently from the parental peptide, TB_KKG6A and TB_L1FK were able to inhibit the formation of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms by more than 50% at 12 μM, while only TB_KKG6A prevented the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms at 24 μM. A marked antibiofilm activity against preformed biofilms of both bacterial species was observed for the two TB analogs when used in combination with EDTA. Analysis of synergism at the cellular level suggested that the antibiofilm activity exerted by the peptide-EDTA combinations against mature biofilms might be due mainly to a disaggregating effect on the extracellular matrix in the case of S. aureus, and to a direct activity on biofilm-embedded cells in the case of P. aeruginosa. Both analogs displayed a low hemolytic effect at the active concentrations and, overall, TB_L1FK resulted less cytotoxic toward mammalian cells. Collectively, the results obtained demonstrated that subtle changes in the primary sequence of TB may provide TB analogs that, used alone or in combination with adjuvant molecules such as EDTA, exhibit promising features against both planktonic and biofilm cells of medically relevant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Grassi
- Department of Translational Research and new Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppantonio Maisetta
- Department of Translational Research and new Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maccari
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Italian Institute of TechnologyPisa, Italy
| | - Semih Esin
- Department of Translational Research and new Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Giovanna Batoni
- Department of Translational Research and new Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of PisaPisa, Italy
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30
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Insight into the mechanism of action of temporin-SHa, a new broad-spectrum antiparasitic and antibacterial agent. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174024. [PMID: 28319176 PMCID: PMC5358776 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising drugs to kill resistant pathogens. In contrast to bacteria, protozoan parasites, such as Leishmania, were little studied. Therefore, the antiparasitic mechanism of AMPs is still unclear. In this study, we sought to get further insight into this mechanism by focusing our attention on temporin-SHa (SHa), a small broad-spectrum AMP previously shown to be active against Leishmania infantum. To improve activity, we designed analogs of SHa and compared the antibacterial and antiparasitic mechanisms. [K3]SHa emerged as a highly potent compound active against a wide range of bacteria, yeasts/fungi, and trypanosomatids (Leishmania and Trypanosoma), with leishmanicidal intramacrophagic activity and efficiency toward antibiotic-resistant strains of S. aureus and antimony-resistant L. infantum. Multipassage resistance selection demonstrated that temporins-SH, particularly [K3]SHa, are not prone to induce resistance in Escherichia coli. Analysis of the mode of action revealed that bacterial and parasite killing occur through a similar membranolytic mechanism involving rapid membrane permeabilization and depolarization. This was confirmed by high-resolution imaging (atomic force microscopy and field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy). Multiple combined techniques (nuclear magnetic resonance, surface plasmon resonance, differential scanning calorimetry) allowed us to detail peptide-membrane interactions. [K3]SHa was shown to interact selectively with anionic model membranes with a 4-fold higher affinity (KD = 3 x 10−8 M) than SHa. The amphipathic α-helical peptide inserts in-plane in the hydrophobic lipid bilayer and disrupts the acyl chain packing via a detergent-like effect. Interestingly, cellular events, such as mitochondrial membrane depolarization or DNA fragmentation, were observed in L. infantum promastigotes after exposure to SHa and [K3]SHa at concentrations above IC50. Our results indicate that these temporins exert leishmanicidal activity via a primary membranolytic mechanism but can also trigger apoptotis-like death. The many assets demonstrated for [K3]SHa make this small analog an attractive template to develop new antibacterial/antiparasitic drugs.
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31
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Savini F, Luca V, Bocedi A, Massoud R, Park Y, Mangoni ML, Stella L. Cell-Density Dependence of Host-Defense Peptide Activity and Selectivity in the Presence of Host Cells. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:52-56. [PMID: 27935673 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Host-defense peptides (HDPs) are promising compounds against multidrug-resistant microbes. In vitro, their bactericidal and toxic concentrations are significantly different, but this might be due to the use of separate assays, with different cell densities. For experiments with a single cell type, the cell-density dependence of the active concentration of the DNS-PMAP23 HDP could be predicted based on the water/cell-membrane partition equilibrium and exhibited a lower bound at low cell counts. On the basis of these data, in the simultaneous presence of both bacteria and an excess of human cells, one would expect no significant toxicity, but also inhibition of the bactericidal activity due to peptide sequestration by host cells. However, this inhibition did not take place in assays with mixed cell populations, showing that for the HDP esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2, a range of bactericidal, nontoxic concentrations exists and confirming the effective selectivity of HDPs. Mixed-cell assays might be necessary to effectively asses HDP selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincenzo Luca
- Department
of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”, Istituto
Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Yoonkyung Park
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chosun University, 501−759 Gwangju, Korea
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Department
of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”, Istituto
Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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32
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Avitabile C, D'Andrea LD, Romanelli A. Studying the Interaction of Magainin 2 and Cecropin A with E. coli Bacterial Cells Using Circular Dichroism. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1548:247-253. [PMID: 28013509 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6737-7_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The potential of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as an effective therapeutic alternative to classic and current antibiotics has encouraged studies to understand how they interact with the bacterial membrane. Here we describe how to detect, by circular dichroism (CD), the secondary structures of two antimicrobial peptides, magainin 2 and cecropin A, in the presence of E. coli bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Avitabile
- Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging CNR, via Mezzocannnone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Domenico D'Andrea
- Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging CNR, via Mezzocannnone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging CNR, via Mezzocannnone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy.
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, 80134, Italy.
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33
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Avitabile C, D'Andrea LD, Saviano M, Olivieri M, Cimmino A, Romanelli A. Binding studies of antimicrobial peptides to Escherichia coli cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 478:149-153. [PMID: 27450805 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.07.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides is pivotal to the design of new and more active peptides. In the last few years it has become clear that the behavior of antimicrobial peptides on membrane model systems does not always translate to cells; therefore the need to develop methods aimed at capturing details of the interactions of peptides with bacterial cells is compelling. In this work we analyzed binding of two peptides, namely temporin B and TB_KKG6A, to Escherichia coli cells and to Escherichia coli LPS. Temporin B is a natural peptide active against Gram positive bacteria but inactive against Gram negative bacteria, TB_KKG6A is an analogue of temporin B showing activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. We found that binding to cells occurs only for the active peptide TB_KKG6A; stoichiometry and affinity constant of this peptide toward Escherichia coli cells were determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Avitabile
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luca D D'Andrea
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Michele Saviano
- Istituto di Cristallografia, CNR, Via Amendola 122, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Olivieri
- Istituto di Genetica e Biofisica "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Amelia Cimmino
- Istituto di Genetica e Biofisica "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy; Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy.
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34
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Mohanram H, Bhattacharjya S. 'Lollipop'-shaped helical structure of a hybrid antimicrobial peptide of temporin B-lipopolysaccharide binding motif and mapping cationic residues in antibacterial activity. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1860:1362-72. [PMID: 27015761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temporins are attractive templates for the development of antibiotics. However, many temporins are inactive against Gram-negative bacteria. Previously, we demonstrated conjugation of a lipopolysaccharide binding motif peptide to temporins yielded hybrid non-haemolytic AMPs that killed several Gram-negative bacteria. METHODS We carried out a systematic Ala replacement of individual cationic and polar amino acid residues of LG21, a hybrid AMP consisted of temporin B (TB) and LPS binding motif. These Ala containing analogs of LG21 were examined for antibacterial activity, cell membrane permeabilization and liposome leakage assays using optical spectroscopic methods. Atomic resolution structure of LG21 was determined in zwitterionic dodecyl phosphocholine (DPC) micelles by NMR spectroscopy. RESULTS Cationic residues in the LPS binding motif of LG21 were critical for bactericidal and membrane permeabilization. Detergent bound structure of LG21 revealed helical conformation containing extensive sidechain/sidechain packing including cation/π interactions in the LPS binding motif. The helical structure of LG21 resembled a 'lollipop' like shape that was sustained by a compacted bulky aromatic/cationic head with a comparatively thinner 'stick' at the N-terminal region. The 'head' of the structure could be localized into micelle-water interfacial region whereas the 'stick' region may be inserted into the hydrophobic core of micelle. CONCLUSIONS The LPS binding motif of LG21 played dominant roles in broad spectrum activity and the 3-D structure provided plausible mechanistic insights for permeabilization of bacterial membrane. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Hybrid AMPs containing LPS binding motif could be useful for the structure based development of broad spectrum antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harini Mohanram
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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35
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Avitabile C, D'Andrea LD, Saviano M, Romanelli A. Determination of the secondary structure of peptides in the presence of Gram positive bacterium S. epidermidis cells. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra06877d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporin L folds into α helix upon incubation with S. epidermidis cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Avitabile
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini
- CNR
- 80134 Napoli
- Italy
| | - L. D. D'Andrea
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini
- CNR
- 80134 Napoli
- Italy
| | - M. Saviano
- Istituto di Cristallografia
- CNR
- 70126 Bari
- Italy
| | - A. Romanelli
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini
- CNR
- 80134 Napoli
- Italy
- Dipartimento di Farmacia
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