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Zhang ZL, Meng YQ, Li JJ, Zhang XX, Li JT, Xu JR, Zheng PH, Xian JA, Lu YP. Effects of antimicrobial peptides from dietary Hermetia illucens larvae on the growth, immunity, gene expression, intestinal microbiota and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila of juvenile red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 147:109437. [PMID: 38360192 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are widely present in animals and plants, have a broad distribution, strong broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, low likelihood of developing drug resistance, high thermal stability and antiviral properties. The present study investigated the effects of adding AMPs from Hermetia illucens larvae on the growth performance, muscle composition, antioxidant capacity, immune response, gene expression, antibacterial ability and intestinal microbiota of Cherax quadricarinatus (red claw crayfish). Five experimental diets were prepared by adding 50 (M1), 100 (M2), 150 (M3) and 200 (M4) mg/kg of crude AMP extract from H. illucens larvae to the basal diet feed, which was also used as the control (M0). After an eight-week feeding experiment, it was discovered that the addition of 100-150 mg/kg of H. illucens larvae AMPs to the feed significantly improved the weight gain rate and specific growth rate of C. quadricarinatus. Furthermore, the addition of H. illucens larvae AMPs to the feed had no significant effect on the moisture content, crude protein, crude fat and ash content of the C. quadricarinatus muscle. The addition of 100-150 mg/kg of H. illucens larvae AMPs in the feed also increased the antioxidant capacity, nonspecific immune enzyme activity and related gene expression levels in C. quadricarinatus, thereby enhancing their antioxidant capacity and immune function. The H. illucens larvae AMPs improved the structure and composition of the intestinal microbiota of C. quadricarinatus, increasing the microbial community diversity of the crayfish gut. Finally, the addition of 100-150 mg/kg of H. illucens larvae AMPs in the feed enhanced the resistance of C. quadricarinatus against Aeromonas hydrophila, improving the survival rate of the crayfish. Based on the aforementioned findings, it is recommended that H. illucens larvae AMPs be incorporated into the C. quadricarinatus feed at a concentration of 100-150 mg/kg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Long Zhang
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China; Ocean College, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yong-Qi Meng
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China; Ocean College, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Jia-Jun Li
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Xiu-Xia Zhang
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Jun-Tao Li
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Jia-Rui Xu
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Pei-Hua Zheng
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Jian-An Xian
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China; Ocean College, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
| | - Yao-Peng Lu
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Components Research and Utilization of Marine Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences & Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Hainan Province, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Haikou, 571101, China.
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Pfeiffer IPM, Schröder MP, Mordhorst S. Opportunities and challenges of RiPP-based therapeutics. Nat Prod Rep 2024. [PMID: 38411278 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00057e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2024Ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) comprise a substantial group of peptide natural products exhibiting noteworthy bioactivities ranging from antiinfective to anticancer and analgesic effects. Furthermore, RiPP biosynthetic pathways represent promising production routes for complex peptide drugs, and the RiPP technology is well-suited for peptide engineering to produce derivatives with specific functions. Thus, RiPP natural products possess features that render them potentially ideal candidates for drug discovery and development. Nonetheless, only a small number of RiPP-derived compounds have successfully reached the market thus far. This review initially outlines the therapeutic opportunities that RiPP-based compounds can offer, whilst subsequently discussing the limitations that require resolution in order to fully exploit the potential of RiPPs towards the development of innovative drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel P-M Pfeiffer
- University of Tübingen, Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Maria-Paula Schröder
- University of Tübingen, Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Silja Mordhorst
- University of Tübingen, Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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Gao B, Li P, Zhu S. Single Deletion Unmasks Hidden Anti-Gram-Negative Bacterial Activity of an Insect Defensin-Derived Peptide. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2512-2528. [PMID: 38335999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Insect defensins are a large family of antimicrobial peptides primarily active against Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we explore their hidden anti-Gram-negative bacterial potential via a nature-guided strategy inspired by natural deletion variants of Drosophila defensins. Referring to these variants, we deleted the equivalent region of an insect defensin with the first cysteine-containing N-terminus, and the last three cysteine-containing C-terminal regions remained. This 15-mer peptide exhibits low solubility and specifically targets Gram-positive bacteria. Further deletion of alanine-9 remarkably improves its solubility, unmasks its hidden anti-Gram-negative bacterial activity, and alters its states in different environments. Intriguingly, compared with the oxidized form, the 14-mer reduced peptide shows increased activity on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria through a membrane-disruptive mechanism. The broad-spectrum activity and tolerance to high-salt environments and human serum, together with no toxicity to mammalian or human cells, make it a promising candidate for the design of new peptide antibiotics against Gram-negative bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ping Li
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety (Chinese Academy of Sciences), National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, No.11 ZhongGuanCun BeiYiTiao, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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Liu L, He M, Yang Z, Wang H, Zhang X, He J, Buttino I, Qi P, Yan X, Liao Z. Myticofensin, a novel antimicrobial peptide family identified from Mytilus coruscus. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 131:817-826. [PMID: 36349653 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.10.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this study, seven transcripts representing a novel antimicrobial peptide (AMP) family with structural features similar to those of arthropod defensins were identified from Mytilus coruscus. These novel defensins from the Mytilus AMP family were named myticofensins. To explore the possible immune-related functions of these myticofensins, we examined their expression profiles in different tissues and larval stages, as well as in three immune-related tissues under the threat of different microbes. Our data revealed that the seven myticofensins had relatively high expression levels in immune-related tissues. Most myticofensins were undetectable, or had low expression levels, in different larval mussel stages. Additionally, in vivo microbial challenges significantly increased the expression levels of myticofensins in M. coruscus hemocytes, gills, and digestive glands, showing different immune response patterns under challenges from different microbes. Our data indicates that different myticofensins may have different immune functions in different tissues. Furthermore, peptide sequences corresponding to the beta-hairpin, alpha-helix, and N-terminal loop of myticofensin were synthesized and the antimicrobial activities of these peptide fragments were tested. Our data confirms the diversity of defensins in Mytilus and reports the complex regulation of these defensins in the mussel immune response to different microbes in immune-related tissues. The immune system of Mytilus has been studied for years as they are a species with strong environmental adaptations. Our data can be regarded as a step forward in the study of the adaptation of Mytilus spp. to an evolving microbial world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Menglan He
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zongxin Yang
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haodong Wang
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhang
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianyu He
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China; Donghai Laboratory, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Isabella Buttino
- Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research ISPRA, Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Pengzhi Qi
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Zhi Liao
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China.
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Wang B, Wei PW, Yao Y, Song CR, Wang X, Yang YX, Long YH, Yang SW, Hu Y, Gai ZC, Wu JW, Liu HM. Functional and expression characteristics identification of Phormicins, novel AMPs from Musca domestica with anti-MRSA biofilm activity, in response to different stimuli. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 209:299-314. [PMID: 35381282 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.03.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (including MRSA) in the clinic pose a growing threat to public health, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have great potential as efficient treatment alternatives. Houseflies have evolved over long periods in complex, dirty environments, developing a special immune system to overcome challenges in harmful environments. AMPs are key innate immune molecules. Herein, two differentially expressed AMPs, Phormicins A and B, were identified by screening transcriptomic changes in response to microbial stimulation. Structural mimic assays indicated that these AMPs exhibited functional divergence due to their C-terminal features. Expression analysis showed that they had different expression patterns. Phormicin B had higher constitutive expression than Phormicin A. However, Phormicin B was sharply downregulated, whereas Phormicin A was highly upregulated, after microbial stimulation. The MIC, MBC and time-growth curves showed the antibacterial spectrum of these peptides. Crystal violet staining and SEM showed that Phormicin D inhibited MRSA biofilm formation. TEM suggested that Phormicin D disrupted the MRSA cell membrane. Furthermore, Phormicin D inhibited biofilm formation by downregulating the expression of biofilm-related genes, including altE and embp. Therefore, housefly Phormicins were functionally characterized as having differential expression patterns and antibacterial & antibiofilm activities. This study provides a new potential peptide for clinical MRSA therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
| | - Peng-Wei Wei
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Yang Yao
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Chao-Rong Song
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Yong-Xin Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Yao-Hang Long
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Su-Wen Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Yong Hu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhong-Chao Gai
- Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xiaan, Shaanxi 710021, China.
| | - Jian-Wei Wu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
| | - Hong-Mei Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
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Identification and Functional Analysis of a Defensin CcDef2 from Coridius chinensis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052789. [PMID: 35269935 PMCID: PMC8911331 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Coridius chinensis belongs to Dinidoridae, Hemiptera. Previous studies have indicated that C. chinensis contains abundant polypeptides with antibacterial and anticancer activities. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), as endogenous peptides with immune function, play an indispensable role in the process of biological development and immunity. AMPs have become one of the most potential substitutes for antibiotics due to their small molecular weight and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In this study, a defensin CcDef2 from C. chinensis was characterized based on bioinformatics and functional analyses. The mature peptide of CcDef2 is a typical cationic peptide composed of 43 amino acid residues with five cations, and contains three intramolecular disulfide bonds and a typical cysteine-stabilized αβ motif in defensins. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CcDef2 belongs to the insect defensin family. Analysis of gene expression patterns showed that CcDef2 was expressed throughout developmental stages of C. chinensis with high levels at the nymphal stage and in adult tissues tested with the highest level in the fat body. In addition, the CcDef2 expression was significantly upregulated in adults infected by bacteria. After expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and renatured, the recombinant CcDef2 showed a significant antibacterial effect on three kinds of Gram-positive bacteria. These results indicate that CcDef2 is an excellent antibacterial peptide and a highly effective immune effector in the innate immunity of C. chinensis. This study provides a foundation for further understanding the function of CcDef2 and developing new antimicrobial drugs.
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Structural and functional characterizations and heterogenous expression of the antimicrobial peptides, Hidefensins, from black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.). Protein Expr Purif 2021; 192:106032. [PMID: 34922007 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.106032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Insect defensins are effector components of the innate defense system. Defensins, which are widely distributed among insects, are a type of small cysteine-rich plant antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Here, the cDNAs of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.), encoding six defensins, designated herein as Hidefensin1-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Moreover, Hidefensin1-1, 2, and 5 were identified for the first time by genome-targeted analysis. These Hidefensins were found to mainly adopt α-helix and β-sheet conformation homology as modeled by PRABI, Swiss-Model and ProFunc server. Six conserved cysteine residues that contribute to three disulfide bonds formed the spacing pattern "C-X12-C-X3-C-X9-C-X5-C-X-C", which play a vital role in the molecular stability of Hidefensins. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the homology of five Hidefensins (except Hidefensin4) was about 59%-92% compared with other insect defensins, indicating that they are novel antimicrobial peptides genes in black soldier fly. Furthermore, the Hidefensin1-1 was expressed in the Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3) as a fusion protein with thioredoxin. Results showed that the purified TRX-Hidefensin1-1 exerted strong inhibitory effects against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The inhibitory efficacy of TRX-Hidefensin1-1 against Gram-positive bacteria was better than that against Gram-negative bacteria. These results indicated that Hidefensin1-1 has potent antimicrobial activities against test pathogens.
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Ayala-Ortiz CO, Farriester JW, Pratt CJ, Goldkamp AK, Matts J, Hoback WW, Gustafson JE, Hagen DE. Effect of food source availability in the salivary gland transcriptome of the unique burying beetle Nicrophorus pustulatus (Coleoptera: Silphidae). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255660. [PMID: 34555059 PMCID: PMC8460033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicrophorus is a genus of beetles that bury and transform small vertebrate carcasses into a brood ball coated with their oral and anal secretions to prevent decay and that will serve as a food source for their young. Nicrophorus pustulatus is an unusual species with the ability to overtake brood of other burying beetles and whose secretions, unlike other Nicrophorus species, has been reported not to exhibit antimicrobial properties. This work aims to better understand how the presence or absence of a food source influences the expression of genes involved in the feeding process of N. pustulatus. To achieve that, total RNA was extracted from pooled samples of salivary gland tissue from N. pustulatus and sequenced using an Illumina platform. The resulting reads were used to assemble a de novo transcriptome using Trinity. Duplicates with more than 95% similarity were removed to obtain a "unigene" set. Annotation of the unigene set was done using the Trinotate pipeline. Transcript abundance was determined using Kallisto and differential gene expression analysis was performed using edgeR. A total of 651 genes were found to be differentially expressed, including 390 upregulated and 261 downregulated genes in fed insects compared to starved. Several genes upregulated in fed beetles are associated with the insect immune response and detoxification processes with only one transcript encoding for the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) defensin. These results confirm that N. pustulatus does not upregulate the production of genes encoding AMPs during feeding. This study provides a snapshot of the changes in gene expression in the salivary glands of N. pustulatus following feeding while providing a well described transcriptome for the further analysis of this unique burying beetle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian O. Ayala-Ortiz
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Jacob W. Farriester
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Carrie J. Pratt
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Anna K. Goldkamp
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Jessica Matts
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - W. Wyatt Hoback
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - John E. Gustafson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Darren E. Hagen
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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Pérez C, Díaz-Roa A, Bernal Y, Arenas NE, Kalume DE, Côrtes LMDC, da PI, Varela Y, Patarroyo MA, Torres O, Bello FJ. Characterising four Sarconesiopsis magellanica (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larval fat body-derived antimicrobial peptides. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2021; 116:e200587. [PMID: 34287503 PMCID: PMC8291954 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760200587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the accelerated growth of resistance to antibiotics. The search for new therapeutic strategies (i.e., antimicrobial peptides-AMPs) has thus become a pressing need. OBJECTIVE Characterising and evaluating Sarconesiopsis magellanica larval fat body-derived AMPs. METHODS Fat body extracts were analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC); mass spectrometry was used for characterising the primary structure of the AMPs so found. ProtParam (Expasy) was used for analysing the AMPs' physico-chemical properties. Synthetic AMPs' antibacterial activity was evaluated. FINDINGS Four new AMPs were obtained and called sarconesin III, IV, V and VI. Sarconesin III had an α-helix structure and sarconesins IV, V and VI had linear formations. Oligomer prediction highlighted peptide-peptide interactions, suggesting that sarconesins III, V and VI could form self-aggregations when in contact with the microbial membrane. AMPs synthesised from their native molecules' sequences had potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria and, to a lesser extent, against Gram-negative and drug-resistant bacteria. Sarconesin VI was the most efficient AMP. None of the four synthetic AMPs had a cytotoxic effect. MAIN CONCLUSIONS S. magellanica larval fat body-derived antimicrobial peptides are an important source of AMPs and could be used in different antimicrobial therapies and overcoming bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Pérez
- Universidad Antonio Nariño, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Andrea Díaz-Roa
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Toxinología Aplicada, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia, Escuela de Ciencias Agrícolas, Pecuarias y de Medio Ambiente, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Yuly Bernal
- Universidad Antonio Nariño, Facultad de Ciencias, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nelson E Arenas
- Universidad Antonio Nariño, Facultad de Ciencias, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Dario Eluan Kalume
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Luzia Monteiro de Castro Côrtes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Pedro I da
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Toxinología Aplicada, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Yahson Varela
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Manuel A Patarroyo
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Faculty of Medicine, Microbiology Department, Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad Santo Tomás, Health Sciences Division, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Orlando Torres
- Universidad Antonio Nariño, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Felio J Bello
- Universidad de La Salle, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Programa de Medicina Veterinaria, Bogotá, Colombia
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Lutzomyia longipalpis Antimicrobial Peptides: Differential Expression during Development and Potential Involvement in Vector Interaction with Microbiota and Leishmania. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061271. [PMID: 34207941 PMCID: PMC8230673 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced to control bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other infectious agents. Sand fly larvae develop and feed on a microbe-rich substrate, and the hematophagous females are exposed to additional pathogens. We focused on understanding the role of the AMPs attacin (Att), cecropin (Cec), and four defensins (Def1, Def2, Def3, and Def4) in Lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. Larvae and adults were collected under different feeding regimens, in addition to females artificially infected by Leishmania infantum. AMPs’ gene expression was assessed by qPCR, and gene function of Att and Def2 was investigated by gene silencing. The gene knockdown effect on bacteria and parasite abundance was evaluated by qPCR, and parasite development was verified by light microscopy. We demonstrate that L. longipalpis larvae and adults trigger AMPs expression during feeding, which corresponds to an abundant presence of bacteria. Att and Def2 expression were significantly increased in Leishmania-infected females, while Att suppression favored bacteria growth. In conclusion, L. longipalpis AMPs’ expression is tuned in response to bacteria and parasites but does not seem to interfere with the Leishmania cycle.
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Wang B, Yao Y, Wei P, Song C, Wan S, Yang S, Zhu GM, Liu HM. Housefly Phormicin inhibits Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA by disrupting biofilm formation and altering gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 167:1424-1434. [PMID: 33202277 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The increasing drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria is a crisis that threatens public health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been suggested to be potentially effective alternatives to solve this problem. Here, we tested housefly Phormicin-derived peptides for effects on Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in vitro and in vivo. A decreased bacterial load of MRSA was observed in the mouse scald model after treatment with Phormicin and in the positive control group (vancomycin). A mouse scrape model indicated that Phormicin helps the host fight drug-resistant MRSA infections. The protective effect of Phormicin on MRSA was confirmed in the Hermetia illucens larvae model. Phormicin also disrupted the formation of S. aureus and MRSA biofilms. Furthermore, this effect coincided with the downregulation of biofilm formation-related gene expression (agrC, sigB, RNAIII, altA, rbf, hla, hld, geh and psmɑ). Notably, virulence genes and several regulatory factors were also altered by Phormicin treatment. Based on these findings, housefly Phormicin helps the host inhibit MRSA infection through effects on biofilm formation and related gene networks. Therefore, housefly Phormicin potential represents a candidate agent for clinical MRSA chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
| | - Yang Yao
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - PengWei Wei
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - ChaoRong Song
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Shan Wan
- Department of Microbial Immunology, The first affiliated hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - SuWen Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Gui Ming Zhu
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Hong Mei Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
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Greco S, Gerdol M, Edomi P, Pallavicini A. Molecular Diversity of Mytilin-Like Defense Peptides in Mytilidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia). Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E37. [PMID: 31963793 PMCID: PMC7168163 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The CS-αβ architecture is a structural scaffold shared by a high number of small, cationic, cysteine-rich defense peptides, found in nearly all the major branches of the tree of life. Although several CS-αβ peptides involved in innate immune response have been described so far in bivalve mollusks, a clear-cut definition of their molecular diversity is still lacking, leaving the evolutionary relationship among defensins, mytilins, myticins and other structurally similar antimicrobial peptides still unclear. In this study, we performed a comprehensive bioinformatic screening of the genomes and transcriptomes available for marine mussels (Mytilida), redefining the distribution of mytilin-like CS-αβ peptides, which in spite of limited primary sequence similarity maintain in all cases a well-conserved backbone, stabilized by four disulfide bonds. Variations in the size of the alpha-helix and the two antiparallel beta strand region, as well as the positioning of the cysteine residues involved in the formation of the C1-C5 disulfide bond might allow a certain degree of structural flexibility, whose functional implications remain to be investigated. The identification of mytilins in Trichomya and Perna spp. revealed that many additional CS-αβ AMPs remain to be formally described and functionally characterized in Mytilidae, and suggest that a more robust scheme should be used for the future classification of such peptides with respect with their evolutionary origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Greco
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (S.G.); (P.E.); (A.P.)
| | - Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (S.G.); (P.E.); (A.P.)
| | - Paolo Edomi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (S.G.); (P.E.); (A.P.)
| | - Alberto Pallavicini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (S.G.); (P.E.); (A.P.)
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, 34151 Trieste, Italy
- Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, 80121 Naples, Italy
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14
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Koehbach J, Craik DJ. The Vast Structural Diversity of Antimicrobial Peptides. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:517-528. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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15
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Li Z, Meng M, Li S, Deng B. The transcriptome analysis of Protaetia brevitarsis Lewis larvae. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214001. [PMID: 30897120 PMCID: PMC6428405 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Larvae of the pest Protaetia brevitarsis are used to treat infections in traditional Chinese medicine. However, genomic information about this non-model species is currently lacking. To better understand the fundamental biology of this non-model species, its transcriptome was obtained using next generation sequencing and then analyzed. A total of 7.62 Gb of clean reads were obtained, which were assembled into 169,087 transcripts corresponding to 142,000 annotated unigenes. These unigenes were functionally classified according to Gene Ontology (GO), euKaryotic Ortholog Groups of proteins (KOG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations. A total of 41,921 unigenes were assigned to 56 GO terms, 21,454 unigenes were divided among 26 KOG categories, and 16,368 unigenes were assigned to 32 KEGG pathways. In addition, 19,144 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified. Furthermore, several kinds of natural antimicrobial peptides and proteins, 4 histones with potential antimicrobial activity, and 41 potential antimicrobial peptide sequences were identified. These data are the first reported whole transcriptome sequence of P. brevitarsis larvae, which represents a valuable genomic resource for studying this species, thus promoting the utilization of its medical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjie Li
- Medical College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, PR China
- * E-mail:
| | - Miaomiao Meng
- Medical College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, PR China
| | - Shasha Li
- Medical College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, PR China
| | - Bo Deng
- Medical College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, PR China
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Liu SH, Li HF, Yang Y, Wei D, Jiang HB, Dou W, Yuan GR, Wang JJ. Antimicrobial peptide gene BdPho responds to peptidoglycan infection and mating stimulation in oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). AMB Express 2018; 8:5. [PMID: 29327267 PMCID: PMC5764898 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-017-0533-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Phormicins belong to defensin family, which are important antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in insects. These AMPs are inducible upon challenging by immune triggers. In the present study, we identified the cDNA of a phormicin gene (BdPho) in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), a ruinous agricultural pest causing great economic losses to fruits and vegetables. The cDNA of BdPho contains a 282 bp open reading frame encoding 93 amino acid residues, and the predicted molecular weight and isoelectric point of BdPho peptide were 9.83 kDa and 7.54, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses showed that the transcription level of BdPho was the highest in adult during different developmental stages and was the highest in abdomen among adult tagmata. Moreover, BdPho was highly expressed in fat body among different tissues, both in female and male adult. The mRNA level of BdPho was significantly up-regulated to 7.46- and 14.53-fold at 3 and 6 h after the insects were challenged with peptidoglycans from Escherichia coli (PGN-EB), respectively, suggesting its antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative microorganisms. Furthermore, the expression level of BdPho was significantly up-regulated to 3.83-fold after mating, suggesting that female adults might enhance their immunity by up-regulating the expression level of BdPho during mating. These results firstly describe the basic properties of the phormicin gene from B. dorsalis, and lay the foundation for investigating functional properties of AMPs and exploring the molecular mechanisms in the immune system.
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17
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Mylonakis E, Podsiadlowski L, Muhammed M, Vilcinskas A. Diversity, evolution and medical applications of insect antimicrobial peptides. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0290. [PMID: 27160593 PMCID: PMC4874388 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short proteins with antimicrobial activity. A large portion of known AMPs originate from insects, and the number and diversity of these molecules in different species varies considerably. Insect AMPs represent a potential source of alternative antibiotics to address the limitation of current antibiotics, which has been caused by the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens. To get more insight into AMPs, we investigated the diversity and evolution of insect AMPs by mapping their phylogenetic distribution, allowing us to predict the evolutionary origins of selected AMP families and to identify evolutionarily conserved and taxon-specific families. Furthermore, we highlight the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole-animal model in high-throughput screening methods to identify AMPs with efficacy against human pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumanii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. We also discuss the potential medical applications of AMPs, including their use as alternatives for conventional antibiotics in ectopic therapies, their combined use with antibiotics to restore the susceptibility of multidrug-resistant pathogens, and their use as templates for the rational design of peptidomimetic drugs that overcome the disadvantages of therapeutic peptides. The article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolutionary ecology of arthropod antimicrobial peptides’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleftherios Mylonakis
- Division of Infectious Disease, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lars Podsiadlowski
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Zooecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maged Muhammed
- Division of Infectious Disease, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
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18
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Koehbach J. Structure-Activity Relationships of Insect Defensins. Front Chem 2017; 5:45. [PMID: 28748179 PMCID: PMC5506212 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects make up the largest and most diverse group of organisms on earth with several million species to exist in total. Considering the sheer number of insect species and the vast variety of ways they interact with their environment through chemistry, it is clear that they have significant potential as a source of new lead molecules. They have adapted to a range of ecological habitats and exhibit a symbiotic lifestyle with various microbes such as bacteria and fungi. Accordingly, numerous antimicrobial compounds have been identified including for example defensin peptides. Insect defensins were found to have broad-spectrum activity against various gram-positive/negative bacteria as well as fungi. They exhibit a unique structural topology involving the complex arrangement of three disulfide bonds as well as an alpha helix and beta sheets, which is known as cysteine-stabilized αβ motif. Their stability and amenability to peptide engineering make them promising candidates for the development of novel antibiotics lead molecules. This review highlights the current knowledge regarding the structure-activity relationships of insect defensin peptides and provides basis for future studies focusing on the rational design of novel cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Koehbach
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of QueenslandSt. Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Azambuja P, Garcia ES, Waniek PJ, Vieira CS, Figueiredo MB, Gonzalez MS, Mello CB, Castro DP, Ratcliffe NA. Rhodnius prolixus: from physiology by Wigglesworth to recent studies of immune system modulation by Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 97:45-65. [PMID: 27866813 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This review is dedicated to the memory of Professor Sir Vincent B. Wigglesworth (VW) in recognition of his many pioneering contributions to insect physiology which, even today, form the basis of modern-day research in this field. Insects not only make vital contributions to our everyday lives by their roles in pollination, balancing eco-systems and provision of honey and silk products, but they are also outstanding models for studying the pathogenicity of microorganisms and the functioning of innate immunity in humans. In this overview, the immune system of the triatomine bug, Rhodnius prolixus, is considered which is most appropriate to this dedication as this insect species was the favourite subject of VW's research. Herein are described recent developments in knowledge of the functioning of the R. prolixus immune system. Thus, the roles of the cellular defences, such as phagocytosis and nodule formation, as well as the role of eicosanoids, ecdysone, antimicrobial peptides, reactive oxygen and nitrogen radicals, and the gut microbiota in the immune response of R. prolixus are described. The details of many of these were unknown to VW although his work gives indications of his awareness of the importance to R. prolixus of cellular immunity, antibacterial activity, prophenoloxidase and the gut microbiota. This description of R. prolixus immunity forms a backdrop to studies on the interaction of the parasitic flagellates, Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli, with the host defences of this important insect vector. These parasites remarkably utilize different strategies to avoid/modulate the triatomine immune response in order to survive in the extremely hostile host environments present in the vector gut and haemocoel. Much recent information has also been gleaned on the remarkable diversity of the immune system in the R. prolixus gut and its interaction with trypanosome parasites. This new data is reviewed and gaps in our knowledge of R. prolixus immunity are identified as subjects for future endeavours. Finally, the publication of the T. cruzi, T. rangeli and R. prolixus genomes, together with the use of modern molecular techniques, should lead to the enhanced identification of the determinants of infection derived from both the vector and the parasites which, in turn, could form targets for new molecular-based control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Azambuja
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Departamento de Entomologia Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - E S Garcia
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Departamento de Entomologia Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - P J Waniek
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - C S Vieira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - M B Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - M S Gonzalez
- Laboratório de Biologia de Insetos, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
| | - C B Mello
- Laboratório de Biologia de Insetos, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
| | - D P Castro
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Departamento de Entomologia Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - N A Ratcliffe
- Laboratório de Biologia de Insetos, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom.
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20
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Xu XX, Zhang YQ, Freed S, Yu J, Gao YF, Wang S, Ouyang LN, Ju WY, Jin FL. An anionic defensin from Plutella xylostella with potential activity against Bacillus thuringiensis. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2016; 106:790-800. [PMID: 27443911 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485316000596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Insect defensins, are cationic peptides that play an important role in immunity against microbial infection. In the present study, an anionic defensin from Plutella xylostella, (designated as PxDef) was first cloned and characterized. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that the mature peptide owned characteristic six-cysteine motifs with predicted isoelectric point of 5.57, indicating an anionic defensin. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that PxDef was significantly induced in epidermis, fat body, midgut and hemocytes after injection of heat-inactivated Bacillus thuringiensis, while such an induction was delayed by the injection of live B. thuringiensis in the 4th instar larvae of P. xylostella. Knocking down the expression of nuclear transcription factor Dorsal in P. xylostella by RNA interference significantly decreased the mRNA level of PxDef, and increased the sensitivity of P. xylostella larvae to the infection by live B. thuringiensis. The purified recombinant mature peptide (PxDef) showed higher activity against Gram-positive bacteria, with the minimum inhibition concentrations of 1.6 and 2.6 µM against B. thuringiensis and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report about an anionic PxDef, which may play an important role in the immune system of P. xylostella against B. thuringiensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- X-X Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
| | - Y-Q Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
| | - S Freed
- Department of Entomology,Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology,Bahauddin Zakariya University,Multan 60800,Pakistan
| | - J Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
| | - Y-F Gao
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
| | - S Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
| | - L-N Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
| | - W-Y Ju
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
| | - F-L Jin
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province,College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,P. R. China
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Tarr DEK. Establishing a reference array for the CS-αβ superfamily of defensive peptides. BMC Res Notes 2016; 9:490. [PMID: 27863510 PMCID: PMC5116183 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-016-2291-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND "Invertebrate defensins" belong to the cysteine-stabilized alpha-beta (CS-αβ), also known as the scorpion toxin-like, superfamily. Some other peptides belonging to this superfamily of defensive peptides are indistinguishable from "defensins," but have been assigned other names, making it unclear what, if any, criteria must be met to qualify as an "invertebrate defensin." In addition, there are other groups of defensins in invertebrates and vertebrates that are considered to be evolutionarily unrelated to those in the CS-αβ superfamily. This complicates analyses and discussions of this peptide group. This paper investigates the criteria for classifying a peptide as an invertebrate defensin, suggests a reference cysteine array that may be helpful in discussing peptides in this superfamily, and proposes that the superfamily (rather than the name "defensin") is the appropriate context for studying the evolution of invertebrate defensins with the CS-αβ fold. METHODS CS-αβ superfamily sequences were identified from previous literature and BLAST searches of public databases. Sequences were retrieved from databases, and the relevant motifs were identified and used to create a conceptual alignment to a ten-cysteine reference array. Amino acid sequences were aligned in MEGA6 with manual adjustments to ensure accurate alignment of cysteines. Phylogenetic analyses were performed in MEGA6 (maximum likelihood) and MrBayes (Bayesian). RESULTS Across invertebrate taxa, the term "defensin" is not consistently applied based on number of cysteines, cysteine spacing pattern, spectrum of antimicrobial activity, or phylogenetic relationship. The analyses failed to reveal any criteria that unify "invertebrate defensins" and differentiate them from other defensive peptides in the CS-αβ superfamily. Sequences from various groups within the CS-αβ superfamily of defensive peptides can be described by a ten-cysteine reference array that aligns their defining structural motifs. CONCLUSIONS The proposed ten-cysteine reference array can be used in addition to current nomenclature to compare sequences in the CS-αβ superfamily and clarify their features relative to one another. This will facilitate analysis and discussion of "invertebrate defensins" in an appropriate evolutionary context, rather than relying on nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Ellen K Tarr
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.
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22
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Fat body and hemocyte contribution to the antimicrobial peptide synthesis in Calliphora vicina R.-D. (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2016; 53:33-42. [PMID: 27586266 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-016-0078-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides accumulated in the hemolymph in response to infection are a key element of insect innate immunity. The involvement of the fat body and hemocytes in the antimicrobial peptide synthesis is widely acknowledged, although release of the peptides present in the hemolymph from the immune cells was not directly verified so far. Here, we studied the presence of antimicrobial peptides in the culture medium of fat body cells and hemocytes isolated from the blue blowfly Calliphora vicina using complex of liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and antimicrobial activity assays. Both fat body and hemocytes are shown to synthesize and release to culture medium defensin, cecropin, diptericins, and proline-rich peptides. The spectra of peptide antibiotics released by the fat body and hemocytes partially overlap. Thus, the results suggest that insect fat body and blood cells are capable of releasing mature antimicrobial peptides to the hemolymph. It is notable that the data obtained demonstrate dramatic difference in the functioning of insect antimicrobial peptides and their mammalian counterparts localized into blood cells' phagosomes where they exert their antibacterial activity.
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Anstead CA, Batterham P, Korhonen PK, Young ND, Hall RS, Bowles VM, Richards S, Scott MJ, Gasser RB. A blow to the fly — Lucilia cuprina draft genome and transcriptome to support advances in biology and biotechnology. Biotechnol Adv 2016; 34:605-620. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2016.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Shafee TMA, Lay FT, Hulett MD, Anderson MA. The Defensins Consist of Two Independent, Convergent Protein Superfamilies. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2345-56. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Faye I, Lindberg BG. Towards a paradigm shift in innate immunity-seminal work by Hans G. Boman and co-workers. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150303. [PMID: 27160604 PMCID: PMC4874399 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Four decades ago, immunological research was dominated by the field of lymphoid biology. It was commonly accepted that multicellular eukaryotes defend themselves through phagocytosis. The lack of lymphoid cells in insects and other simpler animals, however, led to the common notion that they might simply lack the capacity defend themselves with humoral factors. This view was challenged by microbiologist Hans G. Boman and co-workers in a series of publications that led to the advent of antimicrobial peptides as a universal arm of the immune system. Besides ingenious research, Boman ignited his work by posing the right questions. He started off by asking himself a simple question: 'Antibodies take weeks to produce while many microbes divide hourly; so how come we stay healthy?'. This led to two key findings in the field: the discovery of an inducible and highly potent antimicrobial immune response in Drosophila in 1972, followed by the characterization of cecropin in 1981. Despite broadly being considered an insect-specific response at first, the work of Boman and co-workers eventually created a bandwagon effect that unravelled various aspects of innate immunity.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evolutionary ecology of arthropod antimicrobial peptides'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Faye
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
| | - Bo G Lindberg
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Rodríguez-García MJ, García-Reina A, Machado V, Galián J. Identification, structural characterisation and expression analysis of a defensin gene from the tiger beetle Calomera littoralis (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Gene 2016; 589:56-62. [PMID: 27210512 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a defensin gene (Clit-Def) has been characterised in the tiger beetle Calomera littoralis for the first time. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the gene has an open reading frame of 246bp that contains a 46 amino acid mature peptide. The phylogenetic analysis showed a high variability in the coleopteran defensins analysed. The Clit-Def mature peptide has the features to be involved in the antimicrobial function: a predicted cationic isoelectric point of 8.94, six cysteine residues that form three disulfide bonds, and the typical cysteine-stabilized α-helix β-sheet (CSαβ) structural fold. Real time quantitative PCR analysis showed that Clit-Def was upregulated in the different body parts analysed after infection with lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coli, and also indicated that has an expression peak at 12h post infection. The expression patterns of Clit-Def suggest that this gene plays important roles in the humoral system in the adephagan beetle Calomera littoralis.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Juliana Rodríguez-García
- University of Murcia, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, Campus Mare Nostrum, E-30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Andrés García-Reina
- University of Murcia, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, Campus Mare Nostrum, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Vilmar Machado
- University of Murcia, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, Campus Mare Nostrum, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - José Galián
- University of Murcia, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, Campus Mare Nostrum, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
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Liu Z, Yuan K, Zhang R, Ren X, Liu X, Zhao S, Wang D. Cloning and purification of the first termicin-like peptide from the cockroach Eupolyphaga sinensis. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2016; 22:5. [PMID: 26823660 PMCID: PMC4730610 DOI: 10.1186/s40409-016-0058-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Termicin is an antimicrobial peptide with six cysteines forming three disulfide bridges that was firstly isolated from the salivary glands and hemocytes of the termite Pseudacanthotermes spiniger. In contrast to many broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides, termicin is most active against filamentous fungi. Although more than one hundred complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding termicin-like peptides have been reported to date, all these termicin-like peptides were obtained from Isoptera insects. Methods The cDNA was cloned by combination of cDNA library construction kit and DNA sequencing. The polypeptide was purified by gel filtration and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Its amino acid sequence was determined by Edman degradation and mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial activity was tested against several bacterial and fungal strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by microdilution tests. Results A novel termicin-like peptide with primary structure ACDFQQCWVTCQRQYSINFISARCNGDSCVCTFRT was purified from extracts of the cockroach Eupolyphaga sinensis (Insecta: Blattodea). The cDNA encoding Es-termicin was cloned by cDNA library screening. This cDNA encoded a 60 amino acid precursor which included a 25 amino acid signal peptide. Amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA matched well with the result of protein Edman degradation. Susceptibility test indicated that Es-termicin showed strong ability to kill fungi with a MIC of 25 μg/mL against Candida albicans ATCC 90028. It only showed limited potency to affect the growth of Gram-positive bacteria with a MIC of 200 μg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. It was inactive against gram-negative bacteria at the highest concentration tested (400 μg/mL). Es-termicin showed high sequence similarity with termicins from many species of termites (Insecta: Isoptera). Conclusions This is the first report of a termicin-like peptide isolated from E. sinensis that belongs to the insect order Blattodea. Our results demonstrate the diversity of termicin-like peptides, as well as antimicrobial peptides in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Special Biological Resource Development and Utilization of Universities in Yunnan Province, Key Lab of Aquatic Ecological Restoration of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Department of Biological Science and Technology, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214 China
| | - Kehua Yuan
- Department of Oncology, Yan'an Hospital of Kunming City; Yunnan, Cardiovascular Hospital; and Yan'an Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650051 China
| | - Ruopeng Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shenzhen Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Affiliated to Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518028 China
| | - Xuchen Ren
- Key Laboratory of Special Biological Resource Development and Utilization of Universities in Yunnan Province, Key Lab of Aquatic Ecological Restoration of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Department of Biological Science and Technology, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214 China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Special Biological Resource Development and Utilization of Universities in Yunnan Province, Key Lab of Aquatic Ecological Restoration of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Department of Biological Science and Technology, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214 China
| | - Shuhua Zhao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation and Minority Eugenics, Yunnan Population and Family Planning Research Institute, Kunming, 650021 China.,First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Xichang Road 295#, Kunming, Yunnan 650032 China
| | - Dingkang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Special Biological Resource Development and Utilization of Universities in Yunnan Province, Key Lab of Aquatic Ecological Restoration of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Department of Biological Science and Technology, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214 China.,Kunming University, Puxin Road 2#, Kunming, Yunnan 650214 China
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Tonk M, Knorr E, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdés JJ, Kollewe C, Vilcinskas A. Tribolium castaneum defensins are primarily active against Gram-positive bacteria. J Invertebr Pathol 2015; 132:208-215. [PMID: 26522790 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum is a destructive insect pest of stored food and feed products, and a model organism for development, evolutionary biology and immunity. The insect innate immune system includes antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with a wide spectrum of targets including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Defensins are an evolutionarily-conserved class of AMPs and a potential new source of antimicrobial agents. In this context, we report the antimicrobial activity, phylogenetic and structural properties of three T. castaneum defensins (Def1, Def2 and Def3) and their relevance in the immunity of T. castaneum against bacterial pathogens. All three recombinant defensins showed bactericidal activity against Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus thuringiensis serovar tolworthi, but only Def1 and Def2 showed a bacteriostatic effect against Staphylococcus epidermidis. None of the defensins showed activity against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas entomophila or against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All three defensins were transcriptionally upregulated following a bacterial challenge, suggesting a key role in the immunity of T. castaneum against bacterial pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis showed that defensins from T. castaneum, mealworms, Udo longhorn beetle and houseflies cluster within a well-defined clade of insect defensins. We conclude that T. castaneum defensins are primarily active against Gram-positive bacteria and that other AMPs may play a more prominent role against Gram-negative species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Tonk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Eileen Knorr
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
| | - James J Valdés
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Christian Kollewe
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
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Park SI, Kim JW, Yoe SM. Purification and characterization of a novel antibacterial peptide from black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 52:98-106. [PMID: 25956195 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we induced and purified a novel antimicrobial peptide exhibiting activity against Gram-positive bacteria from the immunized hemolymph of Hermetia illucens larvae. The immunized hemolymph was extracted, and the novel defensin-like peptide 4 (DLP4) was purified using solid-phase extraction and reverse-phase chromatography. The purified DLP4 demonstrated a molecular weight of 4267 Da, as determined using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) method. From analysis of DLP4 by N-terminal amino acid sequencing using Edman degradation, combined with MALDI-TOF and rapid amplification of cDNA ends-polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR), the amino acid sequence of the mature peptide was determined to be ATCDLLSPFKVGHAACAAHCIARGKRGGWCDKRAVCNCRK. In NCBI BLAST, the amino acid sequence of DPL4 was found to be 75% identical to the Phlebotomus duboscqi defensin. Analysis of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) revealed that DLP4 have antibacterial effects against Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The expression of DLP4 transcripts in several tissues after bacterial challenge was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Expression of the DLP4 gene hardly occurred throughout the body before immunization, but was mostly evident in the fat body after immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soon-Ik Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dankook University, Cheonan 330-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Wan Kim
- Department of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University Graduate School, Cheonan 330-714, Republic of Korea; Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan 330-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Moon Yoe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dankook University, Cheonan 330-714, Republic of Korea.
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Lucilia cuprina genome unlocks parasitic fly biology to underpin future interventions. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7344. [PMID: 26108605 PMCID: PMC4491171 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Lucilia cuprina is a parasitic fly of major economic importance worldwide. Larvae of this fly invade their animal host, feed on tissues and excretions and progressively cause severe skin disease (myiasis). Here we report the sequence and annotation of the 458-megabase draft genome of Lucilia cuprina. Analyses of this genome and the 14,544 predicted protein-encoding genes provide unique insights into the fly's molecular biology, interactions with the host animal and insecticide resistance. These insights have broad implications for designing new methods for the prevention and control of myiasis.
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Wei L, Mu L, Wang Y, Bian H, Li J, Lu Y, Han Y, Liu T, Lv J, Feng C, Wu J, Yang H. Purification and characterization of a novel defensin from the salivary glands of the black fly, Simulium bannaense. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:71. [PMID: 25649358 PMCID: PMC4324660 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0669-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) are haematophagous insects that can cause allergic reactions and act as vectors of pathogens. Although their saliva has been thought to contain a diverse array of physiologically active molecules, little information is available on antimicrobial factors in black fly salivary glands, especially no defensins have been reported so far. Methods A novel cationic defensin designated SibaDef was purified using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) from the salivary glands of the black fly Simulium bannaense. The amino acid sequence of SibaDef was determined by a combination method of automated Edman degradation and cDNA sequencing. The morphologic changes of Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus subtilis treated with SibaDef were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to analyze the expression of SibaDef mRNA in whole bodies of insects after oral infection with the bacteria S. aureus or B. subtilis. Results Surprisingly, the phylogenetic analysis of defensin-related amino acid sequences demonstrated that SibaDef is most closely related to defensins from the human body louse Pediculus humanus corporis (Anoplura: Pediculidae), rather than to other dipteran defensins. SibaDef showed potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.83 μM to 2.29 μM. SEM analysis indicated that SibaDef killed microorganisms through the disruption of cell membrane integrity. The transcript levels of SibaDef in the bacteria-immunized flies increased with the time course, reaching maximum at 36 h and then slowly decreased from that time point. Conclusions Our results indicate that SibaDef is involved in the innate humoral response of the black fly S. bannaense, and it might play a significant role in the defence against microorganisms in both sugar and blood meals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wei
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Lixian Mu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Yipeng Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hui Bian
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Jun Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Yiling Lu
- Institute of Marine biological technology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Yi Han
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Tong Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Jing Lv
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Cuiping Feng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Hailong Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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Evaluación de la actividad antibacterial de los extractos de cuerpos grasos y hemolinfa derivados de la mosca Sarconesiopsis magellanica (Diptera: Calliphoridae). INFECTIO 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infect.2014.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Fleming A, Kumar H, Joyner C, Reynolds A, Nayduch D. Temporospatial fate of bacteria and immune effector expression in house flies fed GFP-Escherichia coli O157:H7. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 28:364-71. [PMID: 24712451 PMCID: PMC4192108 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The house fly Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae) harbours and transmits a variety of human enteropathogens including Escherichia coli (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) O157:H7. Interactions between ingested bacteria and the fly gut directly impact bacterial persistence, survival and ultimately fly vector competence. We assessed the temporospatial fate of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing E. coli O157:H7 (GFP-ECO157) in house flies along with fly antimicrobial responses up to 12 h post-ingestion. In flies fed GFP-ECO157, culture and microscopy revealed a steady decrease in bacterial load over 12 h, which is likely to be attributable to the combined effects of immobilization within the peritrophic matrix, lysis and peristaltic excretion. However, flies can putatively transmit this pathogen in excreta because intact bacteria were observed in the crop and rectum. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and lysozyme gene expression showed minimal upregulation in both the gut and carcass of house flies fed GFP-ECO157. However, these genes were upregulated in fly heads and salivary glands, and effector proteins were detected in the gut in some flies. Collectively, these data indicate that house flies can serve as reservoirs of E. coli O157:H7 for up to 12 h, and factors in addition to AMPs and lysozyme may contribute to bacteria destruction in the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Fleming
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, U.S.A
| | - H.V. Kumar
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, U.S.A
| | - C. Joyner
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, U.S.A
| | - A. Reynolds
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, U.S.A
| | - D. Nayduch
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, U.S.A
- Correspondence: D. Nayduch, Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Manhattan, KS, U.S.A, Tel: +1 785-537-5566, Fax: +1 785-537-5560,
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Gene Expression of a Novel Defensin Antimicrobial Peptide in the Silkworm,Bombyx mori. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2014; 72:2353-61. [DOI: 10.1271/bbb.80263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Yi HY, Chowdhury M, Huang YD, Yu XQ. Insect antimicrobial peptides and their applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:5807-22. [PMID: 24811407 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5792-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 346] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects are one of the major sources of antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs). Since observation of antimicrobial activity in the hemolymph of pupae from the giant silk moths Samia Cynthia and Hyalophora cecropia in 1974 and purification of first insect AMP (cecropin) from H. cecropia pupae in 1980, over 150 insect AMPs have been purified or identified. Most insect AMPs are small and cationic, and they show activities against bacteria and/or fungi, as well as some parasites and viruses. Insect AMPs can be classified into four families based on their structures or unique sequences: the α-helical peptides (cecropin and moricin), cysteine-rich peptides (insect defensin and drosomycin), proline-rich peptides (apidaecin, drosocin, and lebocin), and glycine-rich peptides/proteins (attacin and gloverin). Among insect AMPs, defensins, cecropins, proline-rich peptides, and attacins are common, while gloverins and moricins have been identified only in Lepidoptera. Most active AMPs are small peptides of 20-50 residues, which are generated from larger inactive precursor proteins or pro-proteins, but gloverins (~14 kDa) and attacins (~20 kDa) are large antimicrobial proteins. In this mini-review, we will discuss current knowledge and recent progress in several classes of insect AMPs, including insect defensins, cecropins, attacins, lebocins and other proline-rich peptides, gloverins, and moricins, with a focus on structural-functional relationships and their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yu Yi
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
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Lucifensins, the Insect Defensins of Biomedical Importance: The Story behind Maggot Therapy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2014; 7:251-64. [PMID: 24583934 PMCID: PMC3978492 DOI: 10.3390/ph7030251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Defensins are the most widespread antimicrobial peptides characterised in insects. These cyclic peptides, 4–6 kDa in size, are folded into α-helical/β-sheet mixed structures and have a common conserved motif of three intramolecular disulfide bridges with a Cys1-Cys4, Cys2-Cys5 and Cys3-Cys6 connectivity. They have the ability to kill especially Gram-positive bacteria and some fungi, but Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant against them. Among them are the medicinally important compounds lucifensin and lucifensin II, which have recently been identified in the medicinal larvae of the blowflies Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina, respectively. These defensins contribute to wound healing during a procedure known as maggot debridement therapy (MDT) which is routinely used at hospitals worldwide. Here we discuss the decades-long story of the effort to isolate and characterise these two defensins from the bodies of medicinal larvae or from their secretions/excretions. Furthermore, our previous studies showed that the free-range larvae of L. sericata acutely eliminated most of the Gram-positive strains of bacteria and some Gram-negative strains in patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers, but MDT was ineffective during the healing of wounds infected with Pseudomonas sp. and Acinetobacter sp. The bactericidal role of lucifensins secreted into the infected wound by larvae during MDT and its ability to enhance host immunity by functioning as immunomodulator is also discussed.
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Gao B, Zhu S. An insect defensin-derived β-hairpin peptide with enhanced antibacterial activity. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:405-13. [PMID: 24228718 DOI: 10.1021/cb400591d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Insect defensins are a class of small, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides primarily active on Gram-positive bacteria. Their roles in maggot therapy for treating chronic wound infection have been reported recently. However, a relatively narrow antibacterial spectrum together with the lack of a cost-effective means of commercial-scale production has limited their application. To further exploit the therapeutic potential of these molecules, we engineered the carboxyl-terminal β-sheet of navidefensin2-2, an insect defensin from Nasonia vitripennis, based on its structural similarity to naturally occurring microbicidal β-hairpin peptides. The designed peptide of 14 residues, referred to as NvBH, spans the β-sheet region of the defensin with two amino acids substituted for assembly of a disulfide-bonded amphipathic β-hairpin structure. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) combined with circular dichroism (CD) analysis shows that the oxidized NvBH (oNvBH), produced from the synthetic peptide by air oxidization in an alkaline environment, folds into a typical β-hairpin structure linked by two disulfide bridges (Cys1-Cys4; Cys2-Cys3). However, such a structure appears not to be functionally necessary as synthetic NvBH with a spontaneously oxidized disulfide bridge (Cys2-Cys3) (termed poNvBH) displayed similar antibacterial potency to oNvBH. In comparison with oNvBH, poNvBH exhibited higher serum stability and more resistance on tryptic digestion. These two forms of peptides are capable of killing an array of Gram-positive (including antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus) and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens at low micromolar concentrations through a membrane disruptive mode of action. Our work indicates that the β-sheet region of insect defensins is a promising subdomain of proteins in anti-infective drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Gao
- Group of
Animal Innate Immunity, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management
of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of
Animal Innate Immunity, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management
of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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Imler JL. Overview of Drosophila immunity: a historical perspective. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 42:3-15. [PMID: 24012863 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2013.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The functional analysis of genes from the model organism Drosophila melanogaster has provided invaluable information for many cellular and developmental or physiological processes, including immunity. The best-understood aspect of Drosophila immunity is the inducible humoral response, first recognized in 1972. This pioneering work led to a remarkable series of findings over the next 30 years, ranging from the identification and characterization of the antimicrobial peptides produced, to the deciphering of the signalling pathways activating the genes that encode them and, ultimately, to the discovery of the receptors sensing infection. These studies on an insect model coincided with a revival of the field of innate immunity, and had an unanticipated impact on the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Luc Imler
- Faculté des Sciences de la Vie, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; UPR9022 du CNRS, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France.
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Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of cysteine-free coprisin nonapeptides. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 443:483-8. [PMID: 24321546 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.11.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Coprisin is a 43-mer defensin-like peptide from the dung beetle, Copris tripartitus. CopA3 (LLCIALRKK-NH₂), a 9-mer peptide containing a single free cysteine residue at position 3 of its sequence, was derived from the α-helical region of coprisin and exhibits potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. The single cysteine implies a tendency for dimerization; however, it remains unknown whether this cysteine residue is indispensible for CopA3's antimicrobial activity. To address this issue, in the present study we synthesized eight cysteine-substituted monomeric CopA3 analogs and two dimeric analogs, CopA3 (Dimer) and CopIK (Dimer), and evaluated their antimicrobial effects against bacteria and fungi, as well as their hemolytic activity toward human erythrocytes. Under physiological conditions, CopA3 (Mono) exhibits a 6/4 (monomer/dimer) molar ratio in HPLC area percent, indicating that its effects on bacterial strains likely reflect a CopA3 (Mono)/CopA3 (Dimer) mixture. We also report the identification of CopW, a new cysteine-free nonapeptide derived from CopA3 that has potent antimicrobial activity with virtually no hemolytic activity. Apparently, the cysteine residue in CopA3 is not essential for its antimicrobial function. Notably, CopW also exhibited significant synergistic activity with ampicillin and showed more potent antifungal activity than either wild-type coprisin or melittin.
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Wang ZZ, Shi M, Zhao W, Bian QL, Ye GY, Chen XX. Identification and characterization of defensin genes from the endoparasitoid wasp Cotesia vestalis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:1095-1103. [PMID: 24013003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 08/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are members of a large and diverse family of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) containing three or four intramolecular disulfide bonds. They are widely distributed from vertebrates to invertebrates, and serve as critical defense molecules protecting the host from the invasion of pathogens or protozoan parasites. Cotesia vestalis is a small endoparasitoid wasp that lays eggs in larvae of Plutella xylostella, a cosmopolitan pest of cruciferous crops. We identified and characterized three full-length cDNAs encoding putative defensin-like peptides from C. vestalis, named CvDef1, CvDef2 and CvDef3. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences showed that they are present in two clades, CITDs and PITDs, indicating a diversity of defensins in C. vestalis. We analyzed their expression patterns in larvae, pupae and adults by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The results showed that CvDef1 mRNA was expressed from the end stage of the second instar larva, CvDef3 mRNA from the early stage of the second instar larva, and CvDef2 mRNA was expressed in all developmental stages of C. vestalis. Furthermore, CvDef1 showed antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Growth kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus indicated that CvDef1 had much better antimicrobial ability than ampicillin, making it a potential candidate for practical use. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) examination of CvDef1-treated S. aureus cells showed extensive damage to the cell membranes. Our results revealed the basic properties of three defensins in C. vestalis for the first time, which may pave the way for further study of the functions of defensins in parasitism and innate immunity of C. vestalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Zhi Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Imler JL. WITHDRAWN: Overview of Drosophila immunity: A historical perspective. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2013:S0145-305X(13)00128-6. [PMID: 23665509 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Luc Imler
- Faculté des Sciences de la Vie, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; UPR9022 du CNRS, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France.
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El Shazely B, Veverka V, Fucík V, Voburka Z, Zdárek J, Cerovský V. Lucifensin II, a defensin of medicinal maggots of the blowfly Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 50:571-578. [PMID: 23802451 DOI: 10.1603/me12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A novel homolog of insect defensin, designated lucifensin II (Lucilia cuprina Wiedemann [Diptera: Calliphoridae] defensin), was purified from hemolymph extract from larvae of the blowfly L. cuprina. The full-length primary sequence of this peptide of 40 amino acid residues and three intramolecular disulfide bridges was determined by electrospray ionization-orbitrap mass spectrometry and Edman degradation and is almost identical to the previously identified sequence of lucifensin (Lucilia sericata Meigen defensin). Lucifensin II sequence differs from that of lucifensin by only one amino acid residue, that is, by isoleucine instead of valine at position 11. The presence of lucifensin II also was detected in the extracts of other larval tissues, such as gut, salivary glands, fat body, and whole body extract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baydaa El Shazely
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Nayduch D, Cho H, Joyner C. Staphylococcus aureus in the house fly: temporospatial fate of bacteria and expression of the antimicrobial peptide defensin. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 50:171-8. [PMID: 23427667 PMCID: PMC3767466 DOI: 10.1603/me12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
House flies disseminate numerous species of bacteria acquired during feeding and breeding activities in microbe-rich habitats. Previous house fly surveys have detected the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach 1884, which causes cutaneous and septic infections in mammals, and enterotoxic food poisoning. We assessed the fate of GFP-expressing S. aureus (GFP-S. aureus) in the house fly alimentary canal with microscopy and by culture of whole flies and excreta. Furthermore, the concurrent expression of the antimicrobial peptide gene defensin was measured in the crop, proventriculus, midgut, and fat body. As soon as 4 h postingestion (PI), GFP-S. aureus were visualized as cocci or diplococci in the hindgut and rectum of flies fed approximately equal 10(5) colony forming units. Bacteria persisted up to 6 h PI but significantly decreased. Excretion of viable GFP-S. aureus peaked at 2 h PI and, although significantly less, continued up to 4 h PI. defensin was highly upregulated locally in the alimentary canal and systemically in fat body at 2, 4, and 6 h PI making this study the first to report, to our knowledge, an epithelial and systemic response to a bacterium with lysine-type peptidoglycan in flies exposed via feeding. While flies harbored S. aureus for up to 6 h PI, the highest probability of vectoring biologically relevant amounts of bacteria occurred 0-2 h PI. The combined effects of excretion, digestion and antimicrobial effectors likely contribute to loss of ingested bacteria. Nonetheless, house flies are relevant vectors for S. aureus up to 2 h PI and environmental reservoirs up to 6 h PI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Nayduch
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 69 Georgia Avenue, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA.
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Transcriptome of the plant virus vector Graminella nigrifrons, and the molecular interactions of maize fine streak rhabdovirus transmission. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40613. [PMID: 22808205 PMCID: PMC3395673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leafhoppers (HEmiptera: Cicadellidae) are plant-phloem feeders that are known for their ability to vector plant pathogens. The black-faced leafhopper (Graminella nigrifrons) has been identified as the only known vector for the Maize fine streak virus (MFSV), an emerging plant pathogen in the Rhabdoviridae. Within G. nigrifrons populations, individuals can be experimentally separated into three classes based on their capacity for viral transmission: transmitters, acquirers and non-acquirers. Understanding the molecular interactions between vector and virus can reveal important insights in virus immune defense and vector transmission. RESULTS RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed to characterize the transcriptome of G. nigrifrons. A total of 38,240 ESTs of a minimum 100 bp were generated from two separate cDNA libraries consisting of virus transmitters and acquirers. More than 60% of known D. melanogaster, A. gambiae, T. castaneum immune response genes mapped to our G. nigrifrons EST database. Real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) showed significant down-regulation of three genes for peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRP - SB1, SD, and LC) in G. nigrifrons transmitters versus control leafhoppers. CONCLUSIONS Our study is the first to characterize the transcriptome of a leafhopper vector species. Significant sequence similarity in immune defense genes existed between G. nigrifrons and other well characterized insects. The down-regulation of PGRPs in MFSV transmitters suggested a possible role in rhabdovirus transmission. The results provide a framework for future studies aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms of plant virus vector competence.
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Abstract
Surface tissues of the body such as the skin and intestinal tract are in direct contact with the external environment and are thus continuously exposed to large numbers of microorganisms. To cope with the substantial microbial exposure, epithelial surfaces produce a diverse arsenal of antimicrobial proteins that directly kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. In this Review, we highlight new advances in our understanding of how epithelial antimicrobial proteins protect against pathogens and contribute to microbiota-host homeostasis at the skin and gut mucosae. Further, we discuss recent insights into the regulatory mechanisms that control antimicrobial protein expression. Finally, we consider how impaired antimicrobial protein expression and function can contribute to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Gallo
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA.
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Yakovlev AY. Induction of antimicrobial peptide synthesis by the fat body cells of maggots of Calliphora vicina R.-D. (Diptera, Calliphoridae). J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2012. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093011060056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Kruglikova AA. Antimicrobial components of haemolymph and exosecretion of larvae Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera, Calliphoridae). J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2012. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093011060044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Abstract
Synopsis:The diversity of biological functions that are exerted by toxins from snake and scorpion venoms is associated with a limited number of structural frameworks. At present, one predominant basic fold has been observed among scorpion toxins whereas six folds have been found among snake toxins. Most toxin folds have the capacity to accept multiple insertions, deletions and mutations and to exert various recognition functions. We suggest that such folds may serve as guides to engineer new protein functions.
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Ren Q, Li M, Zhang CY, Chen KP. Six defensins from the triangle-shell pearl mussel Hyriopsis cumingii. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2011; 31:1232-1238. [PMID: 21839173 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2011.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2011] [Revised: 07/10/2011] [Accepted: 07/14/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are the first line of defense of invertebrates against invading pathogens. Defensins, unique AMPs, have a cysteine-stabilized α-helix and β-sheet (CSαβ) motif. In invertebrates, defensins have been reported in arthropods and mussels. Recently, six defensins were identified from Hyriopsis cumingii for the first time, and were designated as HcDef1, HcDef2, HcDef3, HcDef4, HcDef5, and HcDef6. HcDef1 and HcDef2 encode a protein containing 61 and 60 amino acids, respectively. HcDef3, HcDef4, and HcDef6 have 65 amino acids each. HcDef5 is longer than the other five defensins, comprising 83 amino acids. HcDef3 and HcDef4 have three pairs of disulfide bonds. HcDef1, HcDef5, and HcDef6 are exceptions; each has four pairs of disulfide bonds. Evolutionary analysis revealed that only purifying selection and no positive selection could be detected in defensin genes; purifying selection might be the major evolutionary driving force in the evolution of defensin genes. The present study reveals for the first time that the defensins from H. cumingii are diverse and phylogenetic analysis showed that these 6 defensins from H. cumingii were clustered into one group. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed that HcDef1-HcDef4 could be detected in the hepatopancreas and gills whereas HcDef5-HcDef6 could only be detected in gills. In addition, the expression levels of HcDef2, HcDef3, and HcDef5 in H. cumingii with pearls were higher than that in H. cumingii without pearls. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that HcDef1, HcDef2, HcDef3, and HcDef5 were downregulated by Vibrio anguillarum challenge whereas HcDef4 and HcDef6 were upregulated under Vibrio challenge. Our results suggest the roles of defensins in the innate immunity of H. cumingii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Ren
- Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, 27 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
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