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Alberghini-Dos-Santos JV, Sanchez CA, Bordon KDCF, Pucca MB, Antunes LMG, Arantes EC, Oliveira ISD. Effects of crotamine in human prostate cancer cell line. Toxicon 2024; 243:107746. [PMID: 38704124 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Our study presents the anticancer potential of crotamine from Crotalus durissus terrificus in human prostate cancer cell line DU-145. Crotamine isolation was conducted through RP-FPLC, its molecular mass analyzed by MALDI-TOF was 4881.4 kDa, and N-terminal sequencing confirmed crotamine identity. Crotamine demonstrated no toxicity and did not inhibit migration in HUVEC cells. Although no cell death occurred in DU-145 cells, crotamine inhibited their migration. Thus, crotamine presented potential to be a prototype of anticancer drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Victor Alberghini-Dos-Santos
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Caroline Andolfato Sanchez
- Department of Clinical Analysis, Toxicology and Food Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Karla de Castro Figueiredo Bordon
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Manuela Berto Pucca
- Health and Sciences Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, RR, Brazil; Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lusânia Maria Greggi Antunes
- Department of Clinical Analysis, Toxicology and Food Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliane Candiani Arantes
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Isadora Sousa de Oliveira
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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2
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Machado Marinho AC, Chapeaurouge A, Dutra BM, Quintela BCSF, Pereira SS, Fernandes CFC. The role of venom proteomics and single-domain antibodies for antivenoms: Progress in snake envenoming treatment. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:103967. [PMID: 38555033 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.103967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) hold promise for developing new biopharmaceuticals to treat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including snakebites, which are severe and occur frequently. In addition, limitations of conventional snakebite treatments, especially in terms of local action, and the global antivenom crisis incentivize the use of this biotechnological tool to design next-generation snakebite antivenoms. Conventional antivenoms for snakebite treatment are usually composed of immunoglobulin G or F(ab')2 fragments derived from the plasma of immunized animals. sdAbs, the smallest antigen-binding fragments, are derived from the variable domains of camelid heavy-chain antibodies. sdAbs may have some advantages over conventional antivenoms for local toxicity, such as better penetration into tissues due to their small size, and high solubility and affinity for venom antigens due to their unique antigen-binding loops and ability to access cryptic epitopes. We present an overview of current antivenom therapy in the context of sdAb development for toxin neutralization. Furthermore, strategies are presented for identifying snake venom's major toxins as well as for developing antisnake toxin sdAbs by employing proteomic tools for toxin neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Carolina Machado Marinho
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Ceará, FIOCRUZ CE, Eusébio-CE, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Ceará, UFC, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Alexander Chapeaurouge
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Ceará, FIOCRUZ CE, Eusébio-CE, Brazil
| | - Brunheld Maia Dutra
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Ceará, FIOCRUZ CE, Eusébio-CE, Brazil
| | - Barbara Cibelle S F Quintela
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Ceará, FIOCRUZ CE, Eusébio-CE, Brazil
| | - Soraya S Pereira
- Laboratório de Engenharia de Anticorpos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Rondônia, FIOCRUZ RO, Porto Velho-RO, Brazil
| | - Carla Freire C Fernandes
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Ceará, FIOCRUZ CE, Eusébio-CE, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Ceará, UFC, Fortaleza, Brazil
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3
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AlShammari AK, Abd El-Aziz TM, Al-Sabi A. Snake Venom: A Promising Source of Neurotoxins Targeting Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 16:12. [PMID: 38251229 PMCID: PMC10820993 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The venom derived from various sources of snakes represents a vast collection of predominantly protein-based toxins that exhibit a wide range of biological actions, including but not limited to inflammation, pain, cytotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. The venom of a particular snake species is composed of several toxins, while the venoms of around 600 venomous snake species collectively encompass a substantial reservoir of pharmacologically intriguing compounds. Despite extensive research efforts, a significant portion of snake venoms remains uncharacterized. Recent findings have demonstrated the potential application of neurotoxins derived from snake venom in selectively targeting voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv). These neurotoxins include BPTI-Kunitz polypeptides, PLA2 neurotoxins, CRISPs, SVSPs, and various others. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on the significance of Kv channels in various tissues, highlighting their crucial role as proteins susceptible to modulation by diverse snake venoms. These toxins have demonstrated potential as valuable pharmacological resources and research tools for investigating the structural and functional characteristics of Kv channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Altaf K. AlShammari
- College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait;
| | - Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ahmed Al-Sabi
- College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait;
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4
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Jang J, Nguyen MQ, Park S, Ryu D, Park H, Lee G, Kim CJ, Jang YJ, Choe H. Crotamine-based recombinant immunotoxin targeting HER2 for enhanced cancer cell specificity and cytotoxicity. Toxicon 2023; 230:107157. [PMID: 37196787 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Crotamine, one of the major toxins present in the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, exhibits potent cytotoxic properties and has been suggested for cancer therapy applications. However, its selectivity for cancer cells needs to be improved. This study designed and produced a novel recombinant immunotoxin, HER2(scFv)-CRT, composed of crotamine and single-chain Fv (scFv) derived from trastuzumab targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The recombinant immunotoxin was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using various chromatographic techniques. The cytotoxicity of HER2(scFv)-CRT was assessed in three breast cancer cell lines, demonstrating enhanced specificity and toxicity in HER2-expressing cells. These findings suggest that the crotamine-based recombinant immunotoxin has the potential to expand the repertoire of recombinant immunotoxin applications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaepyeong Jang
- Department of Physiology, Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Minh Quan Nguyen
- Department of Physiology, Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Sangsu Park
- Department of Physiology, Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Dayoung Ryu
- Department of Physiology, Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Hyeseon Park
- Department of Physiology, Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Gunsup Lee
- R&D Center, Fatiabgen Co. Ltd., Seoul, 05855, South Korea
| | - Chong Jai Kim
- Department of Pathology, Asan-Minnesota Institute for Innovating Transplantation, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Yeon Jin Jang
- Department of Physiology, Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Han Choe
- Department of Physiology, Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
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Yadav A, Kelich P, Kallmyer N, Reuel NF, Vuković L. Characterizing the Interactions of Cell-Membrane-Disrupting Peptides with Lipid-Functionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:24084-24096. [PMID: 37184257 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c01217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Lipid-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have garnered significant interest for their potential use in a wide range of biomedical applications. In this work, we used molecular dynamics simulations to study the equilibrium properties of SWNTs surrounded by the phosphatidylcholine (POPC) corona phase and their interactions with three cell membrane disruptor peptides: colistin, TAT peptide, and crotamine-derived peptide. Our results show that SWNTs favor asymmetrical positioning within the POPC corona, so that one side of the SWNT, covered by the thinnest part of the corona, comes in contact with charged and polar functional groups of POPC and water. We also observed that colistin and TAT insert deeply into the POPC corona, while crotamine-derived peptide only adsorbs to the corona surface. In separate simulations, we show that three examined peptides exhibit similar insertion and adsorption behaviors when interacting with POPC bilayers, confirming that peptide-induced perturbations to POPC in conjugates and bilayers are similar in nature and magnitude. Furthermore, we observed correlations between the peptide-induced structural perturbations and the near-infrared emission of the lipid-functionalized SWNTs, which suggest that the optical signal of the conjugates transduces the morphological changes in the lipid corona. Overall, our findings indicate that lipid-functionalized SWNTs could serve as simplified cell membrane model systems for prescreening of new antimicrobial compounds that disrupt cell membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anju Yadav
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States of America
| | - Payam Kelich
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States of America
| | | | - Nigel F Reuel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States of America
| | - Lela Vuković
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States of America
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6
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Yadav A, Kelich P, Kallmyer NE, Reuel NF, VukoviÄ L. Characterizing the Interactions of Cell Membrane-Disrupting Peptides with Lipid-Functionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Systems for Antimicrobial Screening. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.25.525557. [PMID: 36747775 PMCID: PMC9900920 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.25.525557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Lipid-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have garnered significant interest for their potential use in a wide range of biomedical applications. In this work, we used molecular dynamics simulations to study the equilibrium properties of SWNTs surrounded by the phosphatidylcholine (POPC) corona phase, and their interactions with three cell membrane disruptor peptides: colistin, TAT peptide, and crotamine-derived peptide. Our results show that SWNTs favor asymmetrical positioning within the POPC corona, so that one side of the SWNT, covered by the thinnest part of the corona, comes in contact with charged and polar functional groups of POPC and water. We also observed that colistin and TAT insert deeply into POPC corona, while crotamine-derived peptide only adsorbs to the corona surface. Compared to crotamine-derived peptide, colistin and TAT also induce larger perturbations in the thinnest region of the corona, by allowing more water molecules to directly contact the SWNT surface. In separate simulations, we show that three examined peptides exhibit similar insertion and adsorption behaviors when interacting with POPC bilayers, confirming that peptide-induced perturbations to POPC in conjugates and bilayers are similar in nature and magnitude. Furthermore, we observed correlations between the peptide-induced structural perturbations and the near-infrared emission of the lipid-functionalized SWNTs, which suggest that the optical signal of the conjugates transduces the morphological changes in the lipid corona. Overall, our findings indicate that lipid-functionalized SWNTs could serve as simplified cell membrane model systems for pre-screening of new antimicrobial compounds that disrupt cell membranes.
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Nogrado K, Adisakwattana P, Reamtong O. Antimicrobial peptides: On future antiprotozoal and anthelminthic applications. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106665. [PMID: 36030045 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Control and elimination of parasitic diseases are nowadays further complicated by emergence of drug resistance. Drug resistance is a serious threat as there are not many effective antiparasitic drugs available. Aside from drug resistance, it is also favorable to look for alternative therapeutics that have lesser adverse effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were found to address these issues. Some of its desirable traits are they are fast-acting, it has broad action that the pathogen will have difficulty developing resistance to, it has high specificity, and most importantly there are extensive sources such as bacteria; invertebrate and vertebrate animals as well as plants. Aside from this, AMPs are also found to modulate the immune response. This review would like to describe AMPs that have been studied for their antiparasitic activities especially on parasitic diseases that causes high mortality and exhibits drug resistance like malaria and leishmaniasis and to discuss the mechanism of action of these AMPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathyleen Nogrado
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Poom Adisakwattana
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Onrapak Reamtong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
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8
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Valentim-Silva JR, de Barros NB, Macedo SRA, Ferreira ADS, Silva RS, Dill LSM, Zanchi FB, do Nascimento JR, do Nascimento FRF, Lourenzoni MR, Soares AM, Calderon LDA, Nicolete R. Antileishmanial activity, cytotoxicity and cellular response of amphotericin B in combination with crotamine derived from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom using in vitro and in silico approaches. Toxicon 2022; 217:96-106. [PMID: 35977615 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the in vitro activity, synergism, cytotoxicity and cellular immunological response, as well as the molecular affinity between amphotericin B (AmB) and crotamine (CTA), derived from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom against Leishmania amazonensis. METHODS This study performed the inhibition of promastigotes and amastigotes' growth under different concentrations of the drug and pharmacological combinations (AmB + CTA) based on the Berimbaum method (synergism study). The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) quantification method was used to determine the cytotoxicity of the drug and combinations employing four cell lines (J774, HepG2, VERO, and C2C12). Following, the levels of Tumour Necrose Factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin-12 (IL-12) cytokines, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and nitrites, as an indirect measure of Nitric Oxide (NO), using the Griess reaction were assessed in the supernatants of infected macrophages. In silico approach (molecular docking and dynamics) and binding affinity (surface plasmon resonance) between the drug and toxin were also investigated. RESULTS CTA enhanced AmB effect against promastigote and amastigote forms of L. amazonensis, decreased the drug toxicity in different cell lines and induced the production of important Th1-like cytokines and NO by infected macrophages. The pharmacological combination also displayed consistent molecular interactions with low energy of coupling and a concentration-dependent profile. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that this pharmacological approach is a promising alternative treatment against L. amazonensis infection due to the improved activity (synergistic effect) achieved against the parasites' forms and to the decreased cytotoxic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- João R Valentim-Silva
- Post-Doctoral Fellow in Health Sciences, Federal University of Acre (UFAC), Rio Branco, AC, Brazil; Physical Education Department of Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Rondônia), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Rodrigo S Silva
- Center of Study of Biomolecules Applied in Medicine (CEBio), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Rondônia) and Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Leandro S M Dill
- Center of Study of Biomolecules Applied in Medicine (CEBio), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Rondônia) and Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Fernando B Zanchi
- Center of Study of Biomolecules Applied in Medicine (CEBio), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Rondônia) and Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Johnny R do Nascimento
- Immunophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Flávia R F do Nascimento
- Immunophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | | | - Andreimar M Soares
- Center of Study of Biomolecules Applied in Medicine (CEBio), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Rondônia) and Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; eCentro Universitário São Lucas (UniSL), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Leonardo de A Calderon
- Center of Study of Biomolecules Applied in Medicine (CEBio), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Rondônia) and Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Roberto Nicolete
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Rondônia), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz Ceará), Eusébio, CE, Brazil.
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9
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Urra FA, Vivas-Ruiz DE, Sanchez EF, Araya-Maturana R. An Emergent Role for Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in the Action of Snake Venom Toxins on Cancer Cells. Front Oncol 2022; 12:938749. [PMID: 35924151 PMCID: PMC9343075 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.938749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Beyond the role of mitochondria in apoptosis initiation/execution, some mitochondrial adaptations support the metastasis and chemoresistance of cancer cells. This highlights mitochondria as a promising target for new anticancer strategies. Emergent evidence suggests that some snake venom toxins, both proteins with enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities, act on the mitochondrial metabolism of cancer cells, exhibiting unique and novel mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. Currently, six toxin classes (L-amino acid oxidases, thrombin-like enzymes, secreted phospholipases A2, three-finger toxins, cysteine-rich secreted proteins, and snake C-type lectin) that alter the mitochondrial bioenergetics have been described. These toxins act through Complex IV activity inhibition, OXPHOS uncoupling, ROS-mediated permeabilization of inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), IMM reorganization by cardiolipin interaction, and mitochondrial fragmentation with selective migrastatic and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. Notably, selective internalization and direct action of snake venom toxins on tumor mitochondria can be mediated by cell surface proteins overexpressed in cancer cells (e.g. nucleolin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans) or facilitated by the elevated Δψm of cancer cells compared to that non-tumor cells. In this latter case, selective mitochondrial accumulation, in a Δψm-dependent manner, of compounds linked to cationic snake peptides may be explored as a new anti-cancer drug delivery system. This review analyzes the effect of snake venom toxins on mitochondrial bioenergetics of cancer cells, whose mechanisms of action may offer the opportunity to develop new anticancer drugs based on toxin scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix A. Urra
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Metabólica y Bioenergética, Programa de Farmacología Clínica y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, Chile
- *Correspondence: Félix A. Urra,
| | - Dan E. Vivas-Ruiz
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Ciudad Universitaria, Lima, Peru
| | - Eladio Flores Sanchez
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory of Biochemistry of Proteins from Animal Venoms, Research and Development Center, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ramiro Araya-Maturana
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, Chile
- Laboratorio de Productos Bioactivos, Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
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10
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Gopalan SS, Perry BW, Schield DR, Smith CF, Mackessy SP, Castoe TA. Origins, genomic structure and copy number variation of snake venom myotoxins. Toxicon 2022; 216:92-106. [PMID: 35820472 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.06.014] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine, myotoxin a and homologs are short peptides that often comprise major fractions of rattlesnake venoms and have been extensively studied for their bioactive properties. These toxins are thought to be important for rapidly immobilizing mammalian prey and are implicated in serious, and sometimes fatal, responses to envenomation in humans. While high quality reference genomes for multiple venomous snakes are available, the loci that encode myotoxins have not been successfully assembled in any existing genome assembly. Here, we integrate new and existing genomic and transcriptomic data from the Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) to reconstruct, characterize, and infer the chromosomal locations of myotoxin-encoding loci. We integrate long-read transcriptomics (Pacific Bioscience's Iso-Seq) and short-read RNA-seq to infer gene sequence diversity and characterize patterns of myotoxin and paralogous β-defensin expression across multiple tissues. We also identify two long non-coding RNA sequences which both encode functional myotoxins, demonstrating a newly discovered source of venom coding sequence diversity. We also integrate long-range mate-pair chromatin contact data and linked-read sequencing to infer the structure and chromosomal locations of the three myotoxin-like loci. Further, we conclude that the venom-associated myotoxin is located on chromosome 1 and is adjacent to non-venom paralogs. Consistent with this locus contributing to venom composition, we find evidence that the promoter of this gene is selectively open in venom gland tissue and contains transcription factor binding sites implicated in broad trans-regulatory pathways that regulate snake venoms. This study provides the best genomic reconstruction of myotoxin loci to date and raises questions about the physiological roles and interplay between myotoxin and related genes, as well as the genomic origins of snake venom variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth S Gopalan
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Cara F Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 12801 East 17th Avenue, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
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11
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Joglekar AV, Dehari D, Anjum MM, Dulla N, Chaudhuri A, Singh S, Agrawal AK. Therapeutic potential of venom peptides: insights in the nanoparticle-mediated venom formulations. FUTURE JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s43094-022-00415-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Venoms are the secretions produced by animals, generally for the purpose of self-defense or catching a prey. Biochemically venoms are mainly composed of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, ions, etc., and classified into three major classes, viz. neurotoxic, hemotoxic and cytotoxic based upon their mode of action. Venoms are composed of different specific peptides/toxins which are responsible for their unique biological actions. Though venoms are generally seen as a source of death, scientifically venom is a complex biochemical substance having a specific pharmacologic action which can be used as agents to diagnose and cure a variety of diseases in humans.
Main body
Many of these venoms have been used since centuries, and their specified therapies can also be found in ancient texts such as Charka Samhita. The modern-day example of such venom therapeutic is captopril, an antihypertensive drug developed from venom of Bothrops jararaca. Nanotechnology is a modern-day science of building materials on a nanoscale with advantages like target specificity, increased therapeutic response and diminished side effects. In the present review we have introduced the venom, sources and related constituents in brief, by highlighting the therapeutic potential of venom peptides and focusing more on the nanoformulations-based approaches. This review is an effort to compile all such report to have an idea about the future direction about the nanoplatforms which should be focused to have more clinically relevant formulations for difficult to treat diseases.
Conclusion
Venom peptides which are fatal in nature if used cautiously and effectively can save life. Several research findings suggested that many of the fatal diseases can be effectively treated with venom peptides. Nanotechnology has emerged as novel strategy in diagnosis, treatment and mitigation of diseases in more effective ways. A variety of nanoformulation approaches have been explored to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the toxicity and targeted delivery of the venom peptide conjugated with it. We concluded that venom peptides along with nanoparticles can evolve as the new era for potential treatments of ongoing and untreatable diseases.
Graphical Abstract
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12
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Oliveira AL, Viegas MF, da Silva SL, Soares AM, Ramos MJ, Fernandes PA. The chemistry of snake venom and its medicinal potential. Nat Rev Chem 2022; 6:451-469. [PMID: 37117308 PMCID: PMC9185726 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-022-00393-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The fascination and fear of snakes dates back to time immemorial, with the first scientific treatise on snakebite envenoming, the Brooklyn Medical Papyrus, dating from ancient Egypt. Owing to their lethality, snakes have often been associated with images of perfidy, treachery and death. However, snakes did not always have such negative connotations. The curative capacity of venom has been known since antiquity, also making the snake a symbol of pharmacy and medicine. Today, there is renewed interest in pursuing snake-venom-based therapies. This Review focuses on the chemistry of snake venom and the potential for venom to be exploited for medicinal purposes in the development of drugs. The mixture of toxins that constitute snake venom is examined, focusing on the molecular structure, chemical reactivity and target recognition of the most bioactive toxins, from which bioactive drugs might be developed. The design and working mechanisms of snake-venom-derived drugs are illustrated, and the strategies by which toxins are transformed into therapeutics are analysed. Finally, the challenges in realizing the immense curative potential of snake venom are discussed, and chemical strategies by which a plethora of new drugs could be derived from snake venom are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Oliveira
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,LAQV/Requimte, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Matilde F Viegas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,LAQV/Requimte, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Saulo L da Silva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,LAQV/Requimte, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreimar M Soares
- Biotechnology Laboratory for Proteins and Bioactive Compounds from the Western Amazon, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, National Institute of Epidemiology in the Western Amazon (INCT-EpiAmO), Porto Velho, Brazil.,Sao Lucas Universitary Center (UniSL), Porto Velho, Brazil
| | - Maria J Ramos
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,LAQV/Requimte, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro A Fernandes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,LAQV/Requimte, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Pompeia C, Frare EO, Peigneur S, Tytgat J, da Silva ÁP, de Oliveira EB, Pereira A, Kerkis I, Kolonin MG. Synthetic polypeptide crotamine: characterization as a myotoxin and as a target of combinatorial peptides. J Mol Med (Berl) 2022; 100:65-76. [PMID: 34643765 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-021-02140-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a rattlesnake-derived toxin that causes fast-twitch muscle paralysis. As a cell-penetrating polypeptide, crotamine has been investigated as an experimental anti-cancer and immunotherapeutic agent. We hypothesized that molecules targeting crotamine could be designed to study its function and intervene in its adverse activities. Here, we characterize synthetic crotamine and show that, like the venom-purified toxin, it induces hindlimb muscle paralysis by affecting muscle contraction and inhibits KCNA3 (Kv1.3) channels. Synthetic crotamine, labeled with a fluorophore, displayed cell penetration, subcellular myofiber distribution, ability to induce myonecrosis, and bind to DNA and heparin. Here, we used this functionally validated synthetic polypeptide to screen a combinatorial phage display library for crotamine-binding cyclic peptides. Selection for tryptophan-rich peptides was observed, binding of which to crotamine was confirmed by ELISA and gel shift assays. One of the peptides (CVWSFWGMYC), synthesized chemically, was shown to bind both synthetic and natural crotamine and to block crotamine-DNA binding. In summary, our study establishes a functional synthetic substitute to the venom-derived toxin and identifies peptides that could further be developed as probes to target crotamine. KEY MESSAGES: Synthetic crotamine was characterized as a functional substitute for venom-derived crotamine based on myotoxic effects. A combinatorial peptide library was screened for crotamine-binding peptides. Tryptophan-rich peptides were shown to bind to crotamine and interfere with its DNA binding. Crotamine myofiber distribution and affinity for tryptophan-rich peptides provide insights on its mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Pompeia
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Currently an Independent Researcher, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Steve Peigneur
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Irina Kerkis
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mikhail G Kolonin
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Antimicrobial Activity of Snake β-Defensins and Derived Peptides. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 14:toxins14010001. [PMID: 35050978 PMCID: PMC8777785 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
β-defensins are antimicrobial peptides presenting in vertebrate animals. They participate in innate immunity, but little is known about them in reptiles, including snakes. Although several β-defensin genes were described in Brazilian snakes, their function is still unknown. The peptide sequence from these genes was deduced, and synthetic peptides (with approximately 40 amino acids and derived peptides) were tested against pathogenic bacteria and fungi using microbroth dilution assays. The linear peptides, derived from β-defensins, were designed applying the bioisosterism strategy. The linear β-defensins were more active against Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Citrobacter freundii, and Staphylococcus aureus. The derived peptides (7–14 mer) showed antibacterial activity against those bacteria and on Klebsiella pneumoniae. Nonetheless, they did not present activity against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trychophyton rubrum, and Aspergillus fumigatus showing that the cysteine substitution to serine is deleterious to antifungal properties. Tryptophan residue showed to be necessary to improve antibacterial activity. Even though the studied snake β-defensins do not have high antimicrobial activity, they proved to be attractive as template molecules for the development of antibiotics.
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D Vaz de Melo P, de Almeida Lima S, Araújo P, Medina Santos R, Gonzalez E, Alves Belo A, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Costal-Oliveira F, T Soccol V, Guerra-Duarte C, Rezende L, Chavez-Olortegui C. Immunoprotection against lethal effects of Crotalus durissus snake venom elicited by synthetic epitopes trapped in liposomes. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 161:299-307. [PMID: 32464201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.05.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Snakebites caused by Crotalus genus are the second most frequent in Brazil. Crotoxin is a beta-neurotoxin responsible for the main envenomation effects of Crotalus biting, while crotamine immobilizes the animal hind limbs, contributing to prey immobilization and to envenoming symptoms. As crotoxin and crotamine represent about 90% of Crotalus venom dry weight, these toxins are of great importance for antivenom therapy. In this sense, knowledge regarding the antigenicity/immunogenicity at the molecular level of these toxins can provide valuable information for the improvement of specific antivenoms. Therefore, the aims of this study are the identification of the B-cell epitopes from crotoxin and crotamine; and the characterization of the neutralizing potency of antibodies directed against the corresponding synthetic epitopes defined in the current study. Linear B-cell epitopes were identified using the Spot Synthesis technique probed with specific anti-C. d. terrificus venom horse IgG. One epitope of crotamine (F12PKEKICLPPSSDFGKMDCRW32) and three of crotoxin (L10LVGVEGHLLQFNKMIKFETR30; Y43CGWGGRGRPKDATDRCCFVH63 and T118YKYGYMFYPDSRCRGPSETC138) were identified. After synthesis in their soluble form, the peptides mixture correspondent to the mapped epitopes was entrapped in liposomes and used as immunogens for antibody production in rabbits. Anti-synthetic peptide antibodies were able to protect mice from the lethal activity of C. d. terrificus venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia D Vaz de Melo
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Labtest Diagnostica SA, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sabrina de Almeida Lima
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Priscila Araújo
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raíssa Medina Santos
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Edgar Gonzalez
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, United States of America
| | - Andreza Alves Belo
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Labtest Diagnostica SA, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Fernanda Costal-Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Clara Guerra-Duarte
- Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, 30510-010 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos Chavez-Olortegui
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Urra FA, Araya-Maturana R. Putting the brakes on tumorigenesis with snake venom toxins: New molecular insights for cancer drug discovery. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 80:195-204. [PMID: 32428714 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells exhibit molecular characteristics that confer them different proliferative capacities and survival advantages to adapt to stress conditions, such as deregulation of cellular bioenergetics, genomic instability, ability to promote angiogenesis, invasion, cell dormancy, immune evasion, and cell death resistance. In addition to these hallmarks of cancer, the current cytostatic drugs target the proliferation of malignant cells, being ineffective in metastatic disease. These aspects highlight the need to identify promising therapeutic targets for new generations of anti-cancer drugs. Toxins isolated from snake venoms are a natural source of useful molecular scaffolds to obtain agents with a selective effect on cancer cells. In this article, we discuss the recent advances in the molecular mechanisms of nine classes of snake toxins that suppress the hallmarks of cancer by induction of oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction, reactive oxygen species-dependent DNA damage, blockage of extracellular matrix-integrin signaling, disruption of cytoskeleton network and inhibition of growth factor-dependent signaling. The possible therapeutic implications of toxin-based anti-cancer drug development are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix A Urra
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago 7800003, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago 7800003, Chile.
| | - Ramiro Araya-Maturana
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago 7800003, Chile; Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile; Programa de Investigación Asociativa en Cáncer Gástrico, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile.
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17
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Hitchhiking with Nature: Snake Venom Peptides to Fight Cancer and Superbugs. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12040255. [PMID: 32326531 PMCID: PMC7232197 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12040255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract For decades, natural products in general and snake venoms (SV) in particular have been a rich source of bioactive compounds for drug discovery, and they remain a promising substrate for therapeutic development. Currently, a handful of SV-based drugs for diagnosis and treatment of various cardiovascular disorders and blood abnormalities are on the market. Likewise, far more SV compounds and their mimetics are under investigation today for diverse therapeutic applications, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria and cancer. In this review, we analyze the state of the art regarding SV-derived compounds with therapeutic potential, focusing on the development of antimicrobial and anticancer drugs. Specifically, information about SV peptides experimentally validated or predicted to act as antimicrobial and anticancer peptides (AMPs and ACPs, respectively) has been collected and analyzed. Their principal activities both in vitro and in vivo, structures, mechanisms of action, and attempts at sequence optimization are discussed in order to highlight their potential as drug leads. Key Contribution This review describes the state of the art in snake venom-derived peptides and their therapeutic applications. This work reinforces the potential of snake venom components as therapeutic agents, particularly in the quest for new antimicrobial and anticancer drugs.
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Falcao CB, Radis-Baptista G. Crotamine and crotalicidin, membrane active peptides from Crotalus durissus terrificus rattlesnake venom, and their structurally-minimized fragments for applications in medicine and biotechnology. Peptides 2020; 126:170234. [PMID: 31857106 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2019.170234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A global public health crisis has emerged with the extensive dissemination of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from plants and animals have represented promising tools to counteract those resistant pathogens due to their multiple pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory and cell-penetrating activities. In this review, we will focus on crotamine and crotalicidin, which are two interesting examples of membrane active peptides derived from the South America rattlesnake Crotalus durrisus terrificus venom. Their full-sequences and structurally-minimized fragments have potential applications, as anti-infective and anti-proliferative agents and diagnostics in medicine and in pharmaceutical biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Borges Falcao
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil; Peter Pan Association to Fight Childhood Cancer, Fortaleza, CE, 60410-770, Brazil.
| | - Gandhi Radis-Baptista
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate program in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Av da Abolição 3207, Fortaleza, CE, 60165-081, Brazil.
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Mitchell ML, Shafee T, Papenfuss AT, Norton RS. Evolution of cnidarian
trans
‐defensins: Sequence, structure and exploration of chemical space. Proteins 2019; 87:551-560. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.25679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michela L. Mitchell
- Medicinal Chemistry Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Bioinformatics Division Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Parkville Victoria Australia
- Marine Invertebrates, Museum Victoria Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences, Queensland Museum South Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Thomas Shafee
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Department of Animal Plant, and Soil Sciences, AgriBio, La Trobe University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Anthony T. Papenfuss
- Bioinformatics Division Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Parkville Victoria Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Department of Medical Biology University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Raymond S. Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
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Silvestrini AVP, de Macedo LH, de Andrade TAM, Mendes MF, Pigoso AA, Mazzi MV. Intradermal Application of Crotamine Induces Inflammatory and Immunological Changes In Vivo. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11010039. [PMID: 30646542 PMCID: PMC6357061 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Crotamine is a single-chain polypeptide with cell-penetrating properties, which is considered a promising molecule for clinical use. Nevertheless, its biosafety data are still scarce. Herein, we assessed the in vivo proinflammatory properties of crotamine, including its local effect and systemic serum parameters. Sixty male Wistar rats were intradermically injected with 200, 400 and 800 µg crotamine and analyzed after 1, 3 and 7 days. Local effect of crotamine was assessed by determination of MPO and NAG activities, NO levels and angiogenesis. Systemic inflammatory response was assessed by determination of IL-10, TNF-α, CRP, NO, TBARS and SH groups. Crotamine induced macrophages and neutrophils chemotaxis as evidenced by the upregulation of both NAG (0.5–0.6 OD/mg) and MPO (0.1–0.2 OD/mg) activities, on the first and third day of analysis, respectively. High levels of NO were observed for all concentrations and time-points. Moreover, 800 μg crotamine resulted in serum NO (64.7 μM) and local tissue NO (58.5 μM) levels higher or equivalent to those recorded for their respective histamine controls (55.7 μM and 59.0 μM). Crotamine also induced a significant angiogenic response compared to histamine. Systemically, crotamine induced a progressive increase in serum CRP levels up to the third day of analysis (22.4–45.8 mg/mL), which was significantly greater than control values. Crotamine (400 μg) also caused an increase in serum TNF-α, in the first day of analysis (1095.4 pg/mL), however a significant increase in IL-10 (122.2 pg/mL) was also recorded for the same time-point, suggesting the induction of an anti-inflammatory effect. Finally, crotamine changed the systemic redox state by inducing gradual increase in serum levels of TBARS (1.0–1.8 μM/mL) and decrease in SH levels (124.7–19.5 μM/mL) throughout the experimental period of analysis. In summary, rats intradermally injected with crotamine presented local and systemic acute inflammatory responses similarly to histamine, which limits crotamine therapeutic use on its original form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Vitória Pupo Silvestrini
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, CEP 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Luana Henrique de Macedo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, CEP 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Thiago Antônio Moretti de Andrade
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, FHO-UNIARARAS, Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339 Araras, SP, Brazil.
| | - Maíra Felonato Mendes
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, FHO-UNIARARAS, Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339 Araras, SP, Brazil.
| | - Acácio Antônio Pigoso
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, FHO-UNIARARAS, Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339 Araras, SP, Brazil.
| | - Maurício Ventura Mazzi
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, FHO-UNIARARAS, Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339 Araras, SP, Brazil.
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Munawar A, Ali SA, Akrem A, Betzel C. Snake Venom Peptides: Tools of Biodiscovery. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10110474. [PMID: 30441876 PMCID: PMC6266942 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10110474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature endowed snakes with a lethal secretion known as venom, which has been fine-tuned over millions of years of evolution. Snakes utilize venom to subdue their prey and to survive in their natural habitat. Venom is known to be a very poisonous mixture, consisting of a variety of molecules, such as carbohydrates, nucleosides, amino acids, lipids, proteins and peptides. Proteins and peptides are the major constituents of the dry weight of snake venoms and are of main interest for scientific investigations as well as for various pharmacological applications. Snake venoms contain enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins and peptides, which are grouped into different families based on their structure and function. Members of a single family display significant similarities in their primary, secondary and tertiary structures, but in many cases have distinct pharmacological functions and different bioactivities. The functional specificity of peptides belonging to the same family can be attributed to subtle variations in their amino acid sequences. Currently, complementary tools and techniques are utilized to isolate and characterize the peptides, and study their potential applications as molecular probes, and possible templates for drug discovery and design investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Munawar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan.
| | - Syed Abid Ali
- H.E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan.
| | - Ahmed Akrem
- Botany Division, Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan.
| | - Christian Betzel
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
- Laboratory for Structural Biology of Infection and Inflammation, DESY, Build. 22a, Notkestr. 85, 22603 Hamburg, Germany.
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Dietz JDC, Almeida DAD, Cintra LC, Oliveira BFRD, Magalhães MR, Jesuíno RSA. EVALUATION OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF Crotalus durissus terrificus CRUDE VENOM. CIÊNCIA ANIMAL BRASILEIRA 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1809-6891v19e-51322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract Snake venoms are recognized as a promising source of pharmacologically active substances and are potentially useful for the development of new antimicrobial drugs. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of the venom from the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus against several bacteria. Antibacterial activity was determined by using the plate microdilution method and the activity on the bacterial envelope structure was screened by using the crystal violet assay. The proteins in crude venom were separated by electrophoresis and characterized regarding their proteolytic activity. C. d. terrificus venom exhibited antimicrobial action against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. MIC values were defined for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (62.5 µg/mL), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (125 µg/mL), and Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 (≤500 µg/mL). For Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium ATCC 14028 and Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032, the decrease in bacterial growth was not detected visually, but was statistically significant. The crystal violet assay demonstrated that the crude venom increased bacterial cell permeability and the secreted protein profile agreed with previous reports. The results suggest that the proteins with lytic activity against bacteria in C. d. terrificus venom deserve further characterization as they may offer reinforcements to the weak therapeutic arsenal used to fight microbial multidrug resistance.
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23
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Avci FG, Akbulut BS, Ozkirimli E. Membrane Active Peptides and Their Biophysical Characterization. Biomolecules 2018; 8:biom8030077. [PMID: 30135402 PMCID: PMC6164437 DOI: 10.3390/biom8030077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last 20 years, an increasing number of studies have been reported on membrane active peptides. These peptides exert their biological activity by interacting with the cell membrane, either to disrupt it and lead to cell lysis or to translocate through it to deliver cargos into the cell and reach their target. Membrane active peptides are attractive alternatives to currently used pharmaceuticals and the number of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and peptides designed for drug and gene delivery in the drug pipeline is increasing. Here, we focus on two most prominent classes of membrane active peptides; AMPs and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Antimicrobial peptides are a group of membrane active peptides that disrupt the membrane integrity or inhibit the cellular functions of bacteria, virus, and fungi. Cell penetrating peptides are another group of membrane active peptides that mainly function as cargo-carriers even though they may also show antimicrobial activity. Biophysical techniques shed light on peptide–membrane interactions at higher resolution due to the advances in optics, image processing, and computational resources. Structural investigation of membrane active peptides in the presence of the membrane provides important clues on the effect of the membrane environment on peptide conformations. Live imaging techniques allow examination of peptide action at a single cell or single molecule level. In addition to these experimental biophysical techniques, molecular dynamics simulations provide clues on the peptide–lipid interactions and dynamics of the cell entry process at atomic detail. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in experimental and computational investigation of membrane active peptides with particular emphasis on two amphipathic membrane active peptides, the AMP melittin and the CPP pVEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Gizem Avci
- Bioengineering Department, Marmara University, Kadikoy, 34722 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | | | - Elif Ozkirimli
- Chemical Engineering Department, Bogazici University, Bebek, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey.
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24
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Batista da Cunha D, Pupo Silvestrini AV, Gomes da Silva AC, Maria de Paula Estevam D, Pollettini FL, de Oliveira Navarro J, Alves AA, Remédio Zeni Beretta AL, Annichino Bizzacchi JM, Pereira LC, Mazzi MV. Mechanistic insights into functional characteristics of native crotamine. Toxicon 2018; 146:1-12. [PMID: 29574214 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The chemical composition of snake venoms is a complex mixture of proteins and peptides that can be pharmacologically active. Crotamine, a cell-penetrating peptide, has been described to have antimicrobial properties and it exerts its effects by interacting selectively with different structures, inducing changes in the ion flow pattern and cellular responses. However, its real therapeutic potential is not yet fully known. Bearing in mind that crotamine is a promising molecule in therapeutics, this study investigated the action of purified molecule in three aspects: I) antibacterial action on different species of clinical interest, II) the effect of two different concentrations of the molecule on platelet aggregation, and III) its effects on isolated mitochondria. Crotamine was purified to homogeneity in a single step procedure using Heparin Sepharose. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 4881.4 Da, as determined by mass spectrometry. To assess antibacterial action, changes in the parameters of bacterial oxidative stress were determined. The peptide showed antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli (MIC: 2.0 μg/μL), Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 8-16 μg/μL) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 4.0-8.0 μg/μL), inducing bacterial death by lipid peroxidation and oxidation of target proteins, determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and sulfhydryl groups, respectively. Crotamine induced increased platelet aggregation (IPA) at the two concentrations analyzed (0.1 and 1.4 μg/μL) compared to ADP-induced aggregation of PRP. Mitochondrial respiratory parameters and organelle structure assays were used to elucidate the action of the compound in this organelle. The exposure of mitochondria to crotamine caused a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation and changes in mitochondrial permeability, without causing damage in the mitochondrial redox state. Together, these results support the hypothesis that, besides the antimicrobial potential, crotamine acts on different molecular targets, inducing platelet aggregation and mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Batista da Cunha
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Vitória Pupo Silvestrini
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Gomes da Silva
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Deborah Maria de Paula Estevam
- Graduate Program in Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, State University Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho-UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávia Lino Pollettini
- Graduate Program in Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, State University Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho-UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana de Oliveira Navarro
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Armindo Antônio Alves
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura Remédio Zeni Beretta
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Joyce M Annichino Bizzacchi
- Blood Hemostasis Laboratory, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Lilian Cristina Pereira
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, State University Paulista Júlio Mesquita Filho-UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Maurício Ventura Mazzi
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil.
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25
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Venomics: integrative venom proteomics and beyond*. Biochem J 2017; 474:611-634. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Venoms are integrated phenotypes that evolved independently in, and are used for predatory and defensive purposes by, a wide phylogenetic range of organisms. The same principles that contribute to the evolutionary success of venoms, contribute to making the study of venoms of great interest in such diverse fields as evolutionary ecology and biotechnology. Evolution is profoundly contingent, and nature also reinvents itself continuosly. Changes in a complex phenotypic trait, such as venom, reflect the influences of prior evolutionary history, chance events, and selection. Reconstructing the natural history of venoms, particularly those of snakes, which will be dealt with in more detail in this review, requires the integration of different levels of knowledge into a meaningful and comprehensive evolutionary framework for separating stochastic changes from adaptive evolution. The application of omics technologies and other disciplines have contributed to a qualitative and quantitative advance in the road map towards this goal. In this review we will make a foray into the world of animal venoms, discuss synergies and complementarities of the different approaches used in their study, and identify current bottlenecks that prevent inferring the evolutionary mechanisms and ecological constraints that molded snake venoms to their present-day variability landscape.
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26
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Oliveira KC, Spencer PJ, Ferreira RS, Nascimento N. New insights into the structural characteristics of irradiated crotamine. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2015; 21:14. [PMID: 26029245 PMCID: PMC4449564 DOI: 10.1186/s40409-015-0013-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Since ionizing radiation has the potential to alter the molecular structure and affect the biological properties of biomolecules, it has been successfully employed to attenuate animal toxins. The present study aimed to characterize the structural modifications on irradiated crotamine, a toxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, using circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Methods A combination of size exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography was used to purify the peptide using crude venom. The pure toxin was then submitted to 2 kGy gamma irradiation doses from a cobalt-60 source. Native and irradiated crotamine were analyzed using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Wavelength was fixed at 295 nm and fluorescence emission scans were collected from 300 to 400 nm. CD and FTIR techniques were used to identify the secondary structure of both samples. DSC analyses were performed at a starting temperature of 20 °C up to a final temperature of 90 °C. AFM provided a 3D profile of the surfaces of both crotamine forms adsorbed on mica. Results Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the quantum yield of the irradiated form decreased. CD spectra of native and irradiated crotamine solutions showed differences between the samples in wavelength, indicating that irradiation induced a transition of a small portion of the random coil regions towards an α-helical conformation. FTIR and CD showed that the native and irradiated crotamine spectra were different with regard to secondary structure. The thermodynamic analysis showed that irradiation caused changes in the calorimetric profile and CD showed that temperature-induced changes also occur in the secondary structure. Finally, AFM showed the possible formation of insoluble aggregates. Conclusions Our results indicate that irradiation leads to progressive changes in the structure of the toxin, which could explain a decrease in myotoxic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Corleto Oliveira
- Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 2242, São Paulo, SP 05508-000 Brazil
| | - Patrick Jack Spencer
- Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 2242, São Paulo, SP 05508-000 Brazil
| | - Rui Seabra Ferreira
- Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals (CEVAP), São Paulo State University (UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Nanci Nascimento
- Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 2242, São Paulo, SP 05508-000 Brazil
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27
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Vu TTT, Jeong B, Yu J, Koo BK, Jo SH, Robinson RC, Choe H. Soluble prokaryotic expression and purification of crotamine using an N-terminal maltose-binding protein tag. Toxicon 2014; 92:157-65. [PMID: 25448388 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a peptide toxin found in the venom of the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus. Interestingly, crotamine demonstrates promising anticancer, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities. The crotamine peptide can also deliver plasmids into rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer and stem cells, and demonstrates potent analgesic effects. Efficiently producing crotamine in mammalian cells is difficult because it is both cell-permeable and cytotoxic. Prokaryotic expression of this peptide is also difficult to maintain because it does not fold properly in the cytoplasm, resulting in aggregation and in the formation of inclusion bodies. In our current study, we show for the first time that N-terminal fusion with three protein tags-N-utilization substance protein A (NusA), protein disulfide isomerase b'a' domain (PDIb'a'), and maltose-binding protein (MBP)-enables the soluble overexpression of crotamine in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. MBP-tagged crotamine was purified using Ni affinity, anion exchange, and MBP chromatography. The tag was cleaved using TEV protease, and the final product was pure on a silver-stained gels. In total, 0.9 mg pure crotamine was obtained from each liter of bacterial culture with endotoxin level approximately 0.15 EU/μg, which is low enough to use in biomedical applications. The identity and intramolecular disulfide bonds were confirmed using MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Purified crotamine inhibited the hKv1.3 channel (but not hKv1.5) in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 value of 67.2 ± 44.7 nM (n = 10), indicating the correct protein folding. The crotamine product fused with MBP at its N-terminus also inhibited the hKv1.3 channel, suggesting that the N-terminus is not involved in the channel binding of the toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thu Trang Thi Vu
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Boram Jeong
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Jing Yu
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Bon-Kyung Koo
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Hyun Jo
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
| | - Robert Charles Robinson
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency of Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
| | - Han Choe
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea.
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28
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Costa BA, Sanches L, Gomide AB, Bizerra F, Dal Mas C, Oliveira EB, Perez KR, Itri R, Oguiura N, Hayashi MAF. Interaction of the Rattlesnake Toxin Crotamine with Model Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:5471-9. [DOI: 10.1021/jp411886u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno A. Costa
- Departamento
de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São
Paulo 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Sanches
- Laboratório
Especial de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São
Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Andreza Barbosa Gomide
- Departamento
de Física Aplicada, Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Fernando Bizerra
- Departamento
de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Caroline Dal Mas
- Departamento
de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São
Paulo 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Eduardo B. Oliveira
- Departamento
de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão
Preto, São Paulo, 14096-000, Brazil
| | - Katia Regina Perez
- Departamento
de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Itri
- Departamento
de Física Aplicada, Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Nancy Oguiura
- Laboratório
Especial de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São
Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Mirian A. F. Hayashi
- Departamento
de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São
Paulo 04044-020, Brazil
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29
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Kerkis I, Hayashi MAF, Prieto da Silva ARB, Pereira A, De Sá Júnior PL, Zaharenko AJ, Rádis-Baptista G, Kerkis A, Yamane T. State of the art in the studies on crotamine, a cell penetrating peptide from South American rattlesnake. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:675985. [PMID: 24551848 PMCID: PMC3914522 DOI: 10.1155/2014/675985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Animal venoms comprise a naturally selected cocktail of bioactive peptides/proteins and other molecules, each of which playing a defined role thanks to the highly specific interactions with diverse molecular targets found in the prey. Research focused on isolation, structural, and functional characterizations of novel natural biologics (bioactive peptides/proteins from natural sources) has a long way to go through from the basic science to clinical applications. Herein, we overview the structural and functional characteristics of the myoneurotoxin crotamine, firstly isolated from the South American rattlesnake venom. Crotamine is the first venom peptide classified as a natural cell penetrating and antimicrobial peptide (CPP and AMP) with a more pronounced antifungal activity. In contrast to other known natural CPPs and AMPs, crotamine demonstrates a wide spectrum of biological activities with potential biotechnological and therapeutic values. More recent studies have demonstrated the selective in vitro anticancer activity of crotamine. In vivo, using a murine melanoma model, it was shown that crotamine delays tumor implantation, inhibits tumor cells proliferation, and also increases the survival of mice engrafted with subcutaneous melanoma. The structural and functional properties and also the possible biotechnological applications of minimized molecules derived from crotamine are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kerkis
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mirian A. F. Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandre Pereira
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Luiz De Sá Júnior
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Andre J. Zaharenko
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gandhi Rádis-Baptista
- Labomar-Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Kerkis
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Tetsuo Yamane
- Universidade Estadual da Amazônia (UEA) e Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia da Amazônia (CBA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
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