Cathelicidin PR-39 peptide inhibits hypoxia/reperfusion-induced kidney cell apoptosis by suppression of the endoplasmic reticulum-stress pathway

Carrier proteins boost expression of PR-39-derived peptide in Pichia pastoris

AIMS

Multidrug resistance presents difficulties in preventing and treating bacterial infections. Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) inhibit bacterial growth by affecting the intracellular targets rather than by permeabilizing the membrane. The aim of this study was to develop a yeast-based fusion carrier system using calmodulin (CaM) and xylanase (XynCDBFV) as two carriers to express the model PrAMP PR-39-derived peptide (PR-39-DP) in Pichia pastoris.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Fusion protein secreted into the culture supernatant was purified in a one-step on-column digestion using human rhinovirus 3C protease, obtaining the target peptide PR-39-DP. The growth curves of Escherichia coli were monitored by recording the OD600 values of the bacteria. The antibacterial activity of PR-39-DP was evaluated in killing assays performed on E. coli. The yield of PR-39-DP was 1.0-1.2 mg l-1 in the CaM fusion carrier system, approximately three times that of the XynCDBFV fusion carrier system. The minimal inhibitory concentration of PR-39-DP was ∼10.5 µg ml-1.

CONCLUSIONS

CaM and XynCDBFV provide increased stability and promote the expression and secretion of active PR-39-DP.

Cathelicidin preserves intestinal barrier function in polymicrobial sepsis

Objectives

The intestinal epithelium compartmentalizes the sterile bloodstream and the commensal bacteria in the gut. Accumulating evidence suggests that this barrier is impaired in sepsis, aggravating systemic inflammation. Previous studies reported that cathelicidin is differentially expressed in various tissues in sepsis. However, its role in sepsis-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction has not been investigated.

Design

To examine the role of cathelicidin in polymicrobial sepsis, cathelicidin wild-(Cnlp^+/+) and knockout (Cnlp^−/−) mice underwent cecal-ligation and puncture (CLP) followed by the assessment of septic mortality and morbidity as well as histological, biochemical, immunological, and transcriptomic analyses in the ileal tissues. We also evaluated the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies of vitamin D3 (an inducer of endogenous cathelicidin) in the CLP-induced murine polymicrobial sepsis model.

Results

The ileal expression of cathelicidin was increased by three-fold after CLP, peaking at 4 h. Knockout of Cnlp significantly increased 7-day mortality and was associated with a higher murine sepsis score. Alcian-blue staining revealed a reduced number of mucin-positive goblet cells, accompanied by reduced mucin expression. Increased number of apoptotic cells and cleavage of caspase-3 were observed. Cnlp deletion increased intestinal permeability to 4kD fluorescein-labeled dextran and reduced the expression of tight junction proteins claudin-1 and occludin. Notably, circulating bacterial DNA load increased more than two-fold. Transcriptome analysis revealed upregulation of cytokine/inflammatory pathway. Depletion of Cnlp induced more M1 macrophages and neutrophils compared with the wild-type mice after CLP. Mice pre-treated with cholecalciferol (an inactive form of vitamin D3) or treated with 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (an active form of VD3) had decreased 7-day mortality and significantly less severe symptoms. Intriguingly, the administration of cholecalciferol after CLP led to worsened 7-day mortality and the associated symptoms.

Conclusions

Endogenous cathelicidin promotes intestinal barrier integrity accompanied by modulating the infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages in polymicrobial sepsis. Our data suggested that 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 but not cholecalciferol is a potential therapeutic agent for treating sepsis.

Cathelicidin- derived PR39 protects enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 challenged mice by improving epithelial function and balancing the microbiota in the intestine

The zoonotic enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 can disrupt intestinal epithelial barrier function and in turn leading to serious intestinal and systemic disease. PR39 could effectively inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria, but there is little knowledge of its effects on intestinal barrier function and the microbiota in E. coli-challenged mice. In this study, an intestinal disease caused by EHEC O157:H7 was established, to analyze the effect of PR39 on EHEC O157:H7 induced intestinal epithelial barrier injury and disorder. Interestingly, PR39 attenuated EHEC O157:H7-induced systemic symptoms and significantly decreased mortality and the degree of E. coli shedding in faeces. Furthermore, the infiltration index of macrophages and neutrophils in intestine of the PR39 treatment group were obviously attenuated, along with the level of apoptosis. PR39 treatment group had distinctly improved tight junction associated proteins’ expression after EHEC O157:H7 caused injury. Additionally, the sequencing analysis of cecum microbiota showed that PR39 altered the abnormal increase in Bacteroides caused by EHEC O157:H7 and promoted the growth of probiotics such as Lactobacillus. In conclusion, cathelicidin-derived PR39 could effectively improve EHEC O157:H7-induced epithelial barrier injury, and dysfunction of immune and microbiota homeostasis in the intestinal tract, indicating that PR39 could be an excellent potential drug for zoonotic EHEC O157:H7-related intestinal disease.

Pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) protects against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) is a key mediator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis in diabetes and atherosclerosis. Studies also confirmed that circulating FABP4 depended on renal function in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI) patients. However, the function of FABP4 in AKI remains poorly understood and the aim of this study was to investigate the role of FABP4 in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced AKI. In the present study, renal I/R injury triggered the high expression of the FABP4 gene and protein in the nucleus and cytoplasm of tubular cells of mouse kidney tissue compared to that of Sham. Pretreatment with BMS309403, a highly selective inhibitor of FABP4 at a dose of 20 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ for 4 d, significantly reduced serum creatinine levels to improve acute renal dysfunction and attenuated renal tubular damage in injured kidneys. Pharmacological inhibition of FABP4 also decreased the number of TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) positive apoptotic tubular cells, accompanied by the down-regulation of cleaved-caspase-3 expression. Furthermore, oral administration of FABP4 inhibitor resulted in a significant attenuation of ER stress indicated by its maker proteins expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and caspase-12 in I/R injured kidneys. In vitro, the increased expression of FABP4 in the human renal proximal tubule cell line (HK-2 cell) was induced by hypoxia followed by reoxygenation (HR) and the FABP4 inhibitor resulted in a significant attenuation of cell apoptosis and ER stress in HR-induced HK-2 cells. In summary, these findings indicated that FABP4 contributed to the pathogenesis of I/R-induced AKI and suggested that the inhibition of FABP4 might be a promising therapeutic strategy for AKI treatment.

FABP4 inhibition might attenuate I/R-induced AKI through reducing ER stress and apoptosis.

The importance of the glycosylation of antimicrobial peptides: natural and synthetic approaches

Glycosylation is one of the most prevalent post-translational modifications of a protein, with a defining impact on its structure and function. Many of the proteins involved in the innate or adaptive immune response, including cytokines, chemokines, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are glycosylated, contributing to their myriad activities. The current availability of synthetic coupling and glycoengineering technology makes it possible to customise the most beneficial glycan modifications for improved AMP stability, microbicidal potency, pathogen specificity, tissue or cell targeting, and immunomodulation.