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Mhlongo JT, Waddad AY, Albericio F, de la Torre BG. Antimicrobial Peptide Synergies for Fighting Infectious Diseases. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300472. [PMID: 37407512 PMCID: PMC10502873 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential elements of thehost defense system. Characterized by heterogenous structures and broad-spectrumaction, they are promising candidates for combating multidrug resistance. Thecombined use of AMPs with other antimicrobial agents provides a new arsenal ofdrugs with synergistic action, thereby overcoming the drawback of monotherapiesduring infections. AMPs kill microbes via pore formation, thus inhibitingintracellular functions. This mechanism of action by AMPs is an advantage overantibiotics as it hinders the development of drug resistance. The synergisticeffect of AMPs will allow the repurposing of conventional antimicrobials andenhance their clinical outcomes, reduce toxicity, and, most significantly,prevent the development of resistance. In this review, various synergies ofAMPs with antimicrobials and miscellaneous agents are discussed. The effect ofstructural diversity and chemical modification on AMP properties is firstaddressed and then different combinations that can lead to synergistic action,whether this combination is between AMPs and antimicrobials, or AMPs andmiscellaneous compounds, are attended. This review can serve as guidance whenredesigning and repurposing the use of AMPs in combination with other antimicrobialagents for enhanced clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica T. Mhlongo
- KwaZulu‐Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP)School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical SciencesCollege of Health SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurban4041South Africa
- Peptide Science LaboratorySchool of Chemistry and PhysicsUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalWestvilleDurban4000South Africa
| | - Ayman Y. Waddad
- Peptide Science LaboratorySchool of Chemistry and PhysicsUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalWestvilleDurban4000South Africa
| | - Fernando Albericio
- Peptide Science LaboratorySchool of Chemistry and PhysicsUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalWestvilleDurban4000South Africa
- CIBER‐BBNNetworking Centre on BioengineeringBiomaterials and Nanomedicineand Department of Organic ChemistryUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelona08028Spain
| | - Beatriz G. de la Torre
- KwaZulu‐Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP)School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical SciencesCollege of Health SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurban4041South Africa
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Wang Y, Zhu G, Wang W, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Wang J, Geng M, Lu H, Chen Y, Zhou M, Chen J, Zhang F, Yang J, Cheng X. Rational design of HJH antimicrobial peptides to improve antimicrobial activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2023; 83:129176. [PMID: 36764469 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129176] [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: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted considerable interest in the past decade due to their advantages for tackling antibiotic resistance. They exhibit potential antimicrobial activity through unique cell membrane destruction mechanism based on their net charge, hydrophobic properties, and α-helix. In this work, a series of HJH peptides was rationally designed and synthesized. The antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity assays indicated that HJH-5 and HJH-6 containing hydrophobic residues and helices displayed prominent antimicrobial activity and mild cytotoxicity, respectively. These peptides may be developed for combatting microbial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Wang
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Guilan Zhu
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yong Zhu
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Ming Geng
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Hongxia Lu
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yajun Chen
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Minghui Zhou
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Fangyan Zhang
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Junjie Yang
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Xiaozhong Cheng
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Medicinal and Food Homologous Natural Resources Exploration, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China.
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Anju MV, Archana K, Anooja VV, Athira PP, Neelima S, Singh ISB, Philip R. A novel anti-lipopolysaccharide factor from blue swimmer crab Portunus pelagicus and its cytotoxic effect on the prokaryotic expression host, E. coli on heterologous expression. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2023; 21:22. [PMID: 36805357 PMCID: PMC9941410 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-023-00478-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invertebrates like crabs employ their own immune systems to fight against a number of invasive infections. Anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs) are an important class of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibiting binding and neutralizing activities against lipopolysaccharides. RESULTS This study identified and characterized a novel homolog of ALF (Pp-ALF) from the blue swimmer crab Portunus pelagicus. Pp-ALF has a 369bp open-reading frame encoding a protein with 123 amino acids. The deduced protein featured an LPS-binding domain and a signal peptide. The predicted tertiary structure of Pp-ALF contains three α helices packed against four β sheets. The deduced amino acid sequence of Pp-ALF had a net positive charge of +10.75 and an isoelectric point of 9.8. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Pp-ALF has a strong ancestral relationship with crab ALFs. CONCLUSION Antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer, and antibiofilm activities of Pp-ALF could be revealed by in silico prediction tools. Recombinant expression of Pp-ALF was unsuccessful in the Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami expression system due to the cytotoxic effect of the peptide to the host. The toxic effect of Pp-ALF to the host was displayed by membrane permeabilization and death of the host cells by fluorescent staining with Syto9-Propidium Iodide and CTC-DAPI- FITC.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. V. Anju
- grid.411771.50000 0001 2189 9308Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala 682016 India
| | - K. Archana
- grid.411771.50000 0001 2189 9308Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala 682016 India
| | - V. V. Anooja
- grid.411771.50000 0001 2189 9308Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala 682016 India
| | - P. P. Athira
- grid.411771.50000 0001 2189 9308Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala 682016 India
| | - S. Neelima
- grid.411771.50000 0001 2189 9308Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala 682016 India
| | - I. S. Bright Singh
- grid.411771.50000 0001 2189 9308National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala 682016 India
| | - Rosamma Philip
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India.
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Makowska M, Kosikowska-Adamus P, Zdrowowicz M, Wyrzykowski D, Prahl A, Sikorska E. Lipidation of Naturally Occurring α-Helical Antimicrobial Peptides as a Promising Strategy for Drug Design. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043951. [PMID: 36835362 PMCID: PMC9959048 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we describe the chemical synthesis, preliminary evaluation of antimicrobial properties and mechanisms of action of a novel group of lipidated derivatives of three naturally occurring α-helical antimicrobial peptides, LL-I (VNWKKVLGKIIKVAK-NH2), LK6 (IKKILSKILLKKL-NH2), ATRA-1 (KRFKKFFKKLK-NH2). The obtained results showed that biological properties of the final compounds were defined both by the length of the fatty acid and by the structural and physico-chemical properties of the initial peptide. We consider C8-C12 length of the hydrocarbon chain as the optimal for antimicrobial activity improvement. However, the most active analogues exerted relatively high cytotoxicity toward keratinocytes, with the exception of the ATRA-1 derivatives, which had a higher selectivity for microbial cells. The ATRA-1 derivatives had relatively low cytotoxicity against healthy human keratinocytes but high cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cells. Taking into account that ATRA-1 analogues carry the highest positive net charge, it can be assumed that this feature contributes to cell selectivity. As expected, the studied lipopeptides showed a strong tendency to self-assembly into fibrils and/or elongated and spherical micelles, with the least cytotoxic ATRA-1 derivatives forming apparently smaller assemblies. The results of the study also confirmed that the bacterial cell membrane is the target for the studied compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Makowska
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Paulina Kosikowska-Adamus
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Zdrowowicz
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dariusz Wyrzykowski
- Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Adam Prahl
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (E.S.)
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Guanidine-Containing Antifungal Agents against Human-Relevant Fungal Pathogens (2004-2022)-A Review. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101085. [PMID: 36294650 PMCID: PMC9605545 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The guanidine moiety is typically a highly basic group, and can be found in a wide variety of drugs, such as zanamivir (Relenza) and metformin (Fortamet), as well as in biologically active compounds for numerous disease areas, including central nervous system (CNS) diseases and chemotherapeutics. This review will focus on antifungal agents which contain at least one guanidine group, for the treatment of human-related fungal pathogens, described in the literature between 2004 and 2022. These compounds include small molecules, steroids, polymers, metal complexes, sesquiterpenes, natural products, and polypeptides. It shall be made clear that a diverse range of guanidine-containing derivatives have been published in the literature and have antifungal activity, including efficacy in in vivo experiments.
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Effects of Medicinal Leech-Related Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides on Human Blood Cells and Plasma. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27185848. [PMID: 36144584 PMCID: PMC9503446 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) are considered as next-generation antibiotics with a lower probability of developing bacterial resistance. In view of potential clinical use, studies on CAMP biocompatibility are important. This work aimed to evaluate the behavior of synthetic short CAMPs (designed using bioinformatic analysis of the medicinal leech genome and microbiome) in direct contact with blood cells and plasma. Eight CAMPs were included in the study. Hemolysis and lactate dehydrogenase assays showed that the potency to disrupt erythrocyte, neutrophil and mononuclear cell membranes descended in the order pept_1 > pept_3 ~ pept_5 > pept_2 ~ pept_4. Pept_3 caused both cell lysis and aggregation. Blood plasma and albumin inhibited the CAMP-induced hemolysis. The chemiluminescence method allowed the detection of pept_3-mediated neutrophil activation. In plasma coagulation assays, pept_3 prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (at 50 μM by 75% and 320%, respectively). Pept_3 was also capable of causing fibrinogen aggregation. Pept_6 prolonged APTT (at 50 μM by 115%). Pept_2 was found to combine higher bactericidal activity with lower effects on cells and coagulation. Our data emphasize the necessity of investigating CAMP interaction with plasma.
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Morales-Martínez A, Bertrand B, Hernández-Meza JM, Garduño-Juárez R, Silva-Sanchez J, Munoz-Garay C. Membrane fluidity, composition, and charge affect the activity and selectivity of the AMP ascaphin-8. Biophys J 2022; 121:3034-3048. [PMID: 35842753 PMCID: PMC9463648 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.07.018] [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: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascaphins are cationic antimicrobial peptides that have been shown to have potential in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens (MDR). However, to date, their principal molecular target and mechanism of action are unknown. Results from peptide prediction software and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that ascaphin-8 is an alpha-helical peptide. For the first time, the peptide was described as membranotrophic using biophysical approaches including calcein liposome leakage, Laurdan general polarization, and dynamic light scattering. Ascaphin-8's activity and selectivity were modulated by rearranging the spatial distribution of lysine (Var-K5), aspartic acid (Var-D4) residues, or substitution of phenylalanine with tyrosine (Var-Y). The parental peptide and its variants presented high affinity toward the bacterial membrane model (≤2 μM), but lost activity in sterol-enriched membranes (mammal and fungal models, with cholesterol and ergosterol, respectively). The peptide-induced pore size was estimated to be >20 nm in the bacterial model, with no difference among peptides. The same pattern was observed in membrane fluidity (general polarization) assays, where all peptides reduced membrane fluidity of the bacterial model but not in the models containing sterols. The peptides also showed high activity toward MDR bacteria. Moreover, peptide sensitivity of the artificial membrane models compared with pathogenic bacterial isolates were in good agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Morales-Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Brandt Bertrand
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Juan M Hernández-Meza
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Ramón Garduño-Juárez
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Jesús Silva-Sanchez
- Centro de Investigación sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Carlos Munoz-Garay
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
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Zheng X, Yuan C, Zhang Y, Zha S, Mao F, Bao Y. Prediction and characterization of a novel hemoglobin-derived mutant peptide (mTgHbP7) from Tegillarca granosa. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 125:84-89. [PMID: 35537672 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The hemoglobin (Hb) is identified in Tegillarca granosa and its derived peptides have been proved to possess antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we identified a series of novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and artificially mutated AMPs derived from subunits of T. granosa Hbs, among which, a mutant T. granosa hemoglobin peptide (mTgHbP) mTgHbP7, was proved to possess predominant antibacterial activity against three bacteria strains (Vibrio alginolyticus, V. parahaemolyticus and Escherichia coli). Besides, mTgHbP7 was predicted to form α-helical structure, which was known to be an important feature of bactericidal AMPs. Furthermore, upon contact with HEK293 cell line, we confirmed that mTgHbP7 had no cytotoxicity to mammalian cell even at a high concentration of 160 μM. Therefore, the findings reported here provide a rationalization for antimicrobial peptide prediction and optimization from mollusk hemoglobin, which will be useful for future development of antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Zheng
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Chun Yuan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanjie Zha
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, China; Ninghai Institute of Mariculture Breeding and Seed Industry, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ninghai, 315604, China
| | - Fan Mao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yongbo Bao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, China; Ninghai Institute of Mariculture Breeding and Seed Industry, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ninghai, 315604, China.
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Cashman-Kadri S, Lagüe P, Fliss I, Beaulieu L. Determination of the Relationships between the Chemical Structure and Antimicrobial Activity of a GAPDH-Related Fish Antimicrobial Peptide and Analogs Thereof. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030297. [PMID: 35326761 PMCID: PMC8944596 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure–activity relationships and mode of action of synthesized glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)-related antimicrobial peptides were investigated. Including the native skipjack tuna GAPDH-related peptide (SJGAP) of 32 amino acid residues (model for the study), 8 different peptide analogs were designed and synthesized to study the impact of net charge, hydrophobicity, amphipathicity, and secondary structure on both antibacterial and antifungal activities. A net positive charge increase, by the substitution of anionic residues or C-terminal amidation, improved the antimicrobial activity of the SJGAP analogs (minimal inhibitory concentrations of 16–64 μg/mL), whereas the alpha helix content, as determined by circular dichroism, did not have a very definite impact. The hydrophobicity of the peptides was also found to be important, especially for the improvement of antifungal activity. Membrane permeabilization assays showed that the active peptides induced significant cytoplasmic membrane permeabilization in the bacteria and yeast tested, but that this permeabilization did not cause leakage of 260 nm-absorbing intracellular material. This points to a mixed mode of action involving both membrane pore formation and targeting of intracellular components. This study is the first to highlight the links between the physicochemical properties, secondary structure, antimicrobial activity, and mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides from scombrids or homologous to GAPDH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Cashman-Kadri
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (S.C.-K.); (I.F.)
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Patrick Lagüe
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-Informatics, Pavillon, Alexandre-Vachon, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Medecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- The Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Engineering, and Applications (PROTEO), 1045 Avenue de la Medecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Ismail Fliss
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (S.C.-K.); (I.F.)
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Lucie Beaulieu
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (S.C.-K.); (I.F.)
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-418-656-2131 (ext. 404767)
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10
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Antifungal Peptides and Proteins to Control Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxin Biosynthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413261. [PMID: 34948059 PMCID: PMC8703302 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The global challenge to prevent fungal spoilage and mycotoxin contamination on food and feed requires the development of new antifungal strategies. Antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) with antifungal activity are gaining much interest as natural antifungal compounds due to their properties such as structure diversity and function, antifungal spectrum, mechanism of action, high stability and the availability of biotechnological production methods. Given their multistep mode of action, the development of fungal resistance to AMPs is presumed to be slow or delayed compared to conventional fungicides. Interestingly, AMPs also accomplish important biological functions other than antifungal activity, including anti-mycotoxin biosynthesis activity, which opens novel aspects for their future use in agriculture and food industry to fight mycotoxin contamination. AMPs can reach intracellular targets and exert their activity by mechanisms other than membrane permeabilization. The mechanisms through which AMPs affect mycotoxin production are varied and complex, ranging from oxidative stress to specific inhibition of enzymatic components of mycotoxin biosynthetic pathways. This review presents natural and synthetic antifungal AMPs from different origins which are effective against mycotoxin-producing fungi, and aims at summarizing current knowledge concerning their additional effects on mycotoxin biosynthesis. Antifungal AMPs properties and mechanisms of action are also discussed.
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Henao Arias DC, Toro LJ, Téllez Ramirez GA, Osorio-Méndez JF, Rodríguez-Carlos A, Valle J, Marín-Luevano SP, Rivas-Santiago B, Andreu D, Castaño Osorio JC. Novel antimicrobial cecropins derived from O. curvicornis and D. satanas dung beetles. Peptides 2021; 145:170626. [PMID: 34391826 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing global problem and therapeutic alternatives to traditional antibiotics are needed. Antimicrobial and host defense peptides represent an attractive source for new therapeutic strategies, given their wide range of activities including antimicrobial, antitumoral and immunomodulatory. Insects produce several families of these peptides, including cecropins. Herein, we characterized the sequence, structure, and biological activity of three cecropins called satanin 1, 2, and curvicin, found in the transcriptome of two dung beetle species Dichotomius satanas and Onthophagus curvicornis. Sequence and circular dichroism analyses show that they have typical features of the cecropin family: short length (38-39 amino acids), positive charge, and amphipathic α-helical structure. They are active mainly against Gram-negative bacteria (3.12-12.5 μg/mL), with low toxicity on eukaryotic cells resulting in high therapeutic indexes (TI > 30). Peptides also showed effects on TNFα production in LPS-stimulated PBMCs. The biological activity of Satanin 1, 2 and Curvicin makes them interesting leads for antimicrobial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Carolina Henao Arias
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Lily Johana Toro
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Germán Alberto Téllez Ramirez
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia.
| | - Juan Felipe Osorio-Méndez
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Adrián Rodríguez-Carlos
- Medical Research Unit Zacatecas, IMSS, Interior de la Alameda #45, col. Centro, Zacatecas, Cp. 98000, Mexico
| | - Javier Valle
- Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Unit, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Paulina Marín-Luevano
- Medical Research Unit Zacatecas, IMSS, Interior de la Alameda #45, col. Centro, Zacatecas, Cp. 98000, Mexico
| | - Bruno Rivas-Santiago
- Medical Research Unit Zacatecas, IMSS, Interior de la Alameda #45, col. Centro, Zacatecas, Cp. 98000, Mexico.
| | - David Andreu
- Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Unit, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jhon Carlos Castaño Osorio
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
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12
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Seyedjavadi SS, Khani S, Goudarzi M, Zare-Zardini H, Shams-Ghahfarokhi M, Jamzivar F, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Characterization, Biological Activity, and Mechanism of Action of a Plant-Based Novel Antifungal Peptide, Cc-AFP1, Isolated From Carum carvi. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:743346. [PMID: 34708005 PMCID: PMC8544420 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.743346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the increasing rate of invasive fungal infections and emerging antifungal resistance, development of novel antifungal drugs has been an urgent necessity. Antifungal peptides (AFPs) have recently attracted attention due to their unique ability to evade drug-resistant fungal pathogens. In this study, a novel AFP, Cc-AFP1, with a molecular weight of ~3.759 kDa, was isolated from Carum carvi L., purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and reversed-phase HPLC and finally identified by sequence analysis using Edman degradation. Peptide sequence analysis revealed a fragment of 36 amino acid residues as RVCFRPVAPYLGVGVSGAVRDQIGVKLGSVYKGPRG for Cc-AFP1 with a net charge of +5 and a hydrophobicity ratio of 38%. The antifungal activity of Cc-AFP1 was confirmed against Aspergillus species with MIC values in the range of 8–16 µg/ml. Cc-AFP1 had less than 5% hemolytic activity at 8–16 µg/ml on human red blood cells with no obvious cytotoxicity against the HEK293 cell line. Stability analysis showed that the activity of Cc-AFP1 was maintained at different temperatures (20°C to 80°C) and pH (8 to 10). The results of a propidium iodide uptake and transmission electron microscopy showed that the antifungal activity of Cc-AFP1 could be attributed to alteration in the fungal cell membrane permeability. Taken together, these results indicate that Cc-AFP1 may be an attractive molecule to develop as a novel antifungal agent combating fungal infections cause by Aspergillus species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Soghra Khani
- Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Goudarzi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hadi Zare-Zardini
- Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran
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13
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Potent Activity of Hybrid Arthropod Antimicrobial Peptides Linked by Glycine Spacers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168919. [PMID: 34445625 PMCID: PMC8396199 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising source of new leads to address the declining number of novel antibiotics and the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. AMPs with potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria and distinct modes of action have been identified in insects and scorpions, allowing the discovery of AMP combinations with additive and/or synergistic effects. Here, we tested the synergistic activity of two AMPs, from the dung beetle Copris tripartitus (CopA3) and the scorpion Heterometrus petersii (Hp1090), against two strains of Escherichia coli. We also tested the antibacterial activity of two hybrid peptides generated by joining CopA3 and Hp1090 with linkers comprising two (InSco2) or six (InSco6) glycine residues. We found that CopA3 and Hp1090 acted synergistically against both bacterial strains, and the hybrid peptide InSco2 showed more potent bactericidal activity than the parental AMPs or InSco6. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the short linker stabilizes an N-terminal 310-helix in the hybrid peptide InSco2. This secondary structure forms from a coil region that interacts with phosphatidylethanolamine in the membrane bilayer model. The highest concentration of the hybrid peptides used in this study was associated with stronger hemolytic activity than equivalent concentrations of the parental AMPs. As observed for CopA3, the increasing concentration of InSco2 was also cytotoxic to BHK-21 cells. We conclude that AMP hybrids linked by glycine spacers display potent antibacterial activity and that the cytotoxic activity can be modulated by adjusting the nature of the linker peptide, thus offering a strategy to produce hybrid peptides as safe replacements or adjuncts for conventional antibiotic therapy.
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14
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Shwaiki LN, Arendt EK, Lynch KM. Plant compounds for the potential reduction of food waste - a focus on antimicrobial peptides. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2021; 62:4242-4265. [PMID: 33480260 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1873733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
A large portion of global food waste is caused by microbial spoilage. The modern approach to preserve food is to apply different hurdles for microbial pathogens to overcome. These vary from thermal processes and chemical additives, to the application of irradiation and modified atmosphere packaging. Even though such preservative techniques exist, loss of food to spoilage still prevails. Plant compounds and peptides represent an untapped source of potential novel natural food preservatives. Of these, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are very promising for exploitation. AMPs are a significant component of a plant's innate defense system. Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential application of these AMPs; however, more studies, particularly in the area of food preservation are warranted. This review examines the literature on the application of AMPs and other plant compounds for the purpose of reducing food losses and waste (including crop protection). A focus is placed on the plant defensins, their natural extraction and synthetic production, and their safety and application in food preservation. In addition, current challenges and impediments to their full exploitation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila N Shwaiki
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Elke K Arendt
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kieran M Lynch
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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15
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Yang Y, Wang C, Gao N, Lyu Y, Zhang L, Zhang S, Wang J, Shan A. A Novel Dual-Targeted α-Helical Peptide With Potent Antifungal Activity Against Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans Clinical Isolates. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:548620. [PMID: 33101226 PMCID: PMC7554340 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.548620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to compromised immune system, fungal infection incidences have markedly increased in the last few decades. Pathogenic fungi have developed resistance to the clinically available antifungal agents. Antifungal resistance poses a great challenge to clinical treatment and has stimulated the demand for novel antifungal agents. A promising alternative to the treatment of fungal diseases is the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, the antifungal activities of AMPs have not been fully determined. Therefore, this study aimed at designing and screening α-helical peptides with potential antifungal activities. The effects of key physicochemical parameters on antifungal activities were also investigated. A series of lengthened and residue-substituted derivatives of the template peptide KV, a hexapeptide truncated from the α-helical region of porcine myeloid antimicrobial peptide-36, were designed and synthesized. Enhancement of hydrophobicity by introducing aromatic hydrophobic amino acids (tryptophan and phenylalanine) significantly increased the efficacies of the peptides against Candida albicans strains, including fluconazole-resistant isolates. Increased hydrophobicity also elevated the toxic properties of these peptides. RF3 with moderate hydrophobicity exhibited potent anticandidal activities (GM = 6.96 μM) and modest hemolytic activities (HC10 > 64 μM). Additionally, repeated exposure to a subinhibitory concentration of RF3 did not induce resistance development. The antifungal mechanisms of RF3 were due to membrane disruptions and induction of reactive oxygen species production. Such a dual-targeted mechanism was active against drug-resistant fungi. These results show the important role of hydrophobicity and provide new insights into designing and developing antifungal peptides. Meanwhile, the successful design of RF3 highlights the potential utility of AMPs in preventing the spread of drug-resistant fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Chenxi Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Nan Gao
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Yinfeng Lyu
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Licong Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Sujiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, Tarim University, Alar, China
| | - Jiajun Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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16
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Characterization of multi-functional, biodegradable sodium metabisulfite-incorporated films based on polycarprolactone for active food packaging applications. Food Packag Shelf Life 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fpsl.2020.100512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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17
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Muhialdin BJ, Algboory HL, Kadum H, Mohammed NK, Saari N, Hassan Z, Meor Hussin AS. Antifungal activity determination for the peptides generated by Lactobacillus plantarum TE10 against Aspergillus flavus in maize seeds. Food Control 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2019.106898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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18
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Patel KD, De Zoysa GH, Kanamala M, Patel K, Pilkington LI, Barker D, Reynisson J, Wu Z, Sarojini V. Novel Cell-Penetrating Peptide Conjugated Proteasome Inhibitors: Anticancer and Antifungal Investigations. J Med Chem 2019; 63:334-348. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kamal D. Patel
- School of Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Gayan Heruka De Zoysa
- School of Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Manju Kanamala
- School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Krunal Patel
- School of Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Lisa I. Pilkington
- School of Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - David Barker
- School of Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jóhannes Reynisson
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Hornbeam Building, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Zimei Wu
- School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Vijayalekshmi Sarojini
- School of Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
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19
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Immunomodulatory Functions of the Human Cathelicidin LL-37 (aa 13-31)-Derived Peptides are Associated with Predicted α-Helical Propensity and Hydrophobic Index. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9090501. [PMID: 31540479 PMCID: PMC6769993 DOI: 10.3390/biom9090501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The anti-endotoxin activity of the cationic peptide LL-37 and its derivative IG-19 is attributed to electrostatic interaction of the peptides’ positive charge with negatively charged bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and in part to the alteration of intracellular mechanisms independent of peptide binding to LPS. We examined the immunomodulatory responses induced by IG-19 and four IG-19-derived scrambled peptides (IG-19a–d), in the presence and absence of LPS, in macrophages and peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells. All peptides had identical net charge (+5) and amino acid composition, but different hydrophobicity and α-helical propensity. Peptide IG-19 suppressed LPS-induced cytokine/chemokine production by >90%, IG-19a and IG-19b suppressed it by 40–50%, and IG-19c and IG-19d did not suppress cytokine/chemokine production at all. In silico prediction algorithms and the peptide retention time (RT) on a C18 RP HPLC column indicated a linear association between α-helical propensity and hydrophobicity with the ability of the peptides to inhibit LPS-induced responses. Peptide RT exhibited a significant correlation (>70%) between the suppression of LPS-induced cytokine/chemokine production and peptide-induced production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1RA. These results indicate that RT on a C18 column can be used as a predictor for the immunomodulatory functions of cationic peptides. Overall, we demonstrated that the immunomodulatory functions of LL-37-derived peptides with identical positive charge and amino acid composition are directly associated with the predicted α-helical propensity and hydrophobicity of the peptides.
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20
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Thery T, Lynch KM, Arendt EK. Natural Antifungal Peptides/Proteins as Model for Novel Food Preservatives. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2019; 18:1327-1360. [DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Thery
- School of Food and Nutritional SciencesUniv. College Cork Ireland
| | - Kieran M. Lynch
- School of Food and Nutritional SciencesUniv. College Cork Ireland
| | - Elke K. Arendt
- School of Food and Nutritional SciencesUniv. College Cork Ireland
- Microbiome IrelandUniv. College Cork Ireland
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21
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Mant CT, Jiang Z, Gera L, Davis T, Nelson KL, Bevers S, Hodges RS. De Novo Designed Amphipathic α-Helical Antimicrobial Peptides Incorporating Dab and Dap Residues on the Polar Face To Treat the Gram-Negative Pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3354-3366. [PMID: 30848594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We have designed de novo and synthesized ten 26-residue D-conformation amphipathic α-helical cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), seven with "specificity determinants", which provide specificity for prokaryotic cells over eukaryotic cells. The ten AMPs contain five or six positively charged residues (d-Arg, d-Lys, d-Orn, l-Dab, or l-Dap) on the polar face to understand their role in hemolytic activity against human red blood cells and antimicrobial activity against seven Acinetobacter baumannii strains, resistant to polymyxin B and colistin, and 20 A. baumannii worldwide isolates from 2016 and 2017 with antibiotic resistance to 18 different antibiotics. AMPs with specificity determinants and with l-Dab and l-Dap residues on the polar face have essentially no hemolytic activity at 1000 μg/mL (380 μM), showing for the first time the importance of these unusual amino acid residues in solving long-standing hemolysis issues of AMPs. Specificity determinants maintained excellent antimicrobial activity in the presence of human sera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin T Mant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Ziqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Lajos Gera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Tim Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | | | - Shaun Bevers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
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22
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Kumar P, Pletzer D, Haney EF, Rahanjam N, Cheng JTJ, Yue M, Aljehani W, Hancock REW, Kizhakkedathu JN, Straus SK. Aurein-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides Formulated with Pegylated Phospholipid Micelles to Target Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infections. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:443-453. [PMID: 30565465 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides have been the focus of considerable research; however, issues associated with toxicity and aggregation have the potential to limit clinical applications. Here, a derivative of a truncated version of aurein 2.2 (aurein 2.2Δ3), namely peptide 73, was investigated, along with its d-amino acid counterpart (D-73) and a retro-inverso version (RI-73). A version that incorporated a cysteine residue to the C-terminus (73c) was also generated, as this form is required to covalently attach antimicrobial peptides to polymers (e.g., polyethylene glycol (PEG) or hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG)). The antimicrobial activity of the 73-derived peptides was enhanced 2- to 8-fold, and all the derivatives eradicated preformed Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. Formulation of the peptides with compatible polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified phospholipid micelles alleviated toxicity toward human cells and reduced aggregation. When evaluated in vivo, the unformulated d-enantiomers aggregated when injected under the skin of mice, but micelle encapsulated peptides were well absorbed. Pegylated micelle formulated peptides were investigated for their potential as therapeutic agents for treating high-density infections in a murine cutaneous abscess model. Formulated peptide 73 reduced abscess size by 36% and bacterial loads by 2.2-fold compared to the parent peptide aurein 2.2Δ3. Micelle encapsulated peptides 73c and D-73 exhibited superior activity, further reducing abscess sizes by 85% and 63% and lowering bacterial loads by 510- and 9-fold compared to peptide 73.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z1
- Centre for Blood Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Life Sciences Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Daniel Pletzer
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2259 Lower Mall Research Station, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Evan F. Haney
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2259 Lower Mall Research Station, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Negin Rahanjam
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2259 Lower Mall Research Station, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - John T. J. Cheng
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2259 Lower Mall Research Station, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Marty Yue
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z1
| | - Waleed Aljehani
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z1
| | - Robert E. W. Hancock
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 2259 Lower Mall Research Station, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Jayachandran N. Kizhakkedathu
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z1
- Centre for Blood Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Life Sciences Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Suzana K. Straus
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z1
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23
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Tarus BK, Mwasiagi JI, Fadel N, Al-Oufy A, Elmessiry M. Electrospun cellulose acetate and poly(vinyl chloride) nanofiber mats containing silver nanoparticles for antifungi packaging. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-019-0271-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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24
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Lee MR, Raman N, Ortiz-Bermúdez P, Lynn DM, Palecek SP. 14-Helical β-Peptides Elicit Toxicity against C. albicans by Forming Pores in the Cell Membrane and Subsequently Disrupting Intracellular Organelles. Cell Chem Biol 2018; 26:289-299.e4. [PMID: 30581136 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic peptidomimetics of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising antimicrobial drug candidates because they promote membrane disruption and exhibit greater structural and proteolytic stability than natural AMPs. We previously reported selective antifungal 14-helical β-peptides, but the mechanism of antifungal toxicity of β-peptides remains unknown. To provide insight into the mechanism, we studied antifungal β-peptide binding to artificial membranes and living Candida albicans cells. We investigated the ability of β-peptides to interact with and permeate small unilamellar vesicle models of fungal membranes. The partition coefficient supported a pore-mediated mechanism characterized by the existence of a critical β-peptide concentration separating low- and high-partition coefficient regimes. Live cell intracellular tracking of β-peptides showed that β-peptides translocated into the cytoplasm, and then disrupted the nucleus and vacuole sequentially, leading to cell death. This understanding of the mechanisms of antifungal activity will facilitate design and development of peptidomimetic AMPs, including 14-helical β-peptides, for antifungal applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung-Ryul Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Namrata Raman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Patricia Ortiz-Bermúdez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
| | - David M Lynn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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25
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Mohammadi M, Taheri B, Momenzadeh N, Salarinia R, Nabipour I, Farshadzadeh Z, Bargahi A. Identification and Characterization of Novel Antimicrobial Peptide from Hippocampus comes by In Silico and Experimental Studies. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 20:718-728. [PMID: 30039186 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-018-9843-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted attentions as a novel antimicrobial agent because of their unique activity against microbes. In the present study, we described a new, previously unreported AMP, moronecidin-like peptide, from Hippocampus comes and compared its antimicrobial activity with moronecidin from hybrid striped bass. Antibacterial assay indicated that gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to moronecidin and moronecidin-like compared with gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, both AMPs were found to exhibit effective antifungal activity. Comparative analysis of the antimicrobial activity revealed that moronecidin-like peptide has higher activity against Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus epidermidis relative to moronecidin. Both moronecidin-like and moronecidin peptides retained their antibacterial activity in physiological pH and salt concentration. The time-killing assay showed that the AMPs completely killed A. baumannii and S. epidermidis isolates after 1 and 5 h at five- and tenfold above their corresponding MICs, respectively. Anti-biofilm assay demonstrated that peptides were able to inhibit 50% of biofilm formation at sub-MIC of 1/8 MIC. Furthermore, moronecidin-like significantly inhibited biofilm formation more than moronecidin at 1/16 MIC. Collectively, our results revealed that antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities of moronecidin-like are comparable to moronecidin. In addition, the hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of moronecidin-like were lower than those of moronecidin, suggesting it as a potential novel therapeutic agent, and a template to design new therapeutic AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Mohammadi
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Moallem Street, Bushehr, 7514633196, Iran.
| | - Behrouz Taheri
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Niloofar Momenzadeh
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Moallem Street, Bushehr, 7514633196, Iran
| | - Reza Salarinia
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Sciences, School of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Iraj Nabipour
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Moallem Street, Bushehr, 7514633196, Iran
| | - Zahra Farshadzadeh
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Afshar Bargahi
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Moallem Street, Bushehr, 7514633196, Iran
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Thery T, Shwaiki LN, O'Callaghan YC, O'Brien NM, Arendt EK. Antifungal activity of a de novo synthetic peptide and derivatives against fungal food contaminants. J Pept Sci 2018; 25:e3137. [PMID: 30488526 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of novel solutions to fight microbial food contaminants rests upon two pillars, which are the development of resistant strains and consumers' desire for a reduced consumption of synthetic drugs. Natural antimicrobial peptides possess the qualities to overcome these issues. De novo synthesis of novel antifungal compounds is a major progress that has been facilitated by the identification of parameters involved in the antimicrobial activity. A 14-residue peptide named KK14, with the sequence KKFFRAWWAPRFLK-NH2 , was designed and inhibited conidial germination and fungal growth of food contaminants within the range 6.25 to 50 μg/ml and 6.25 to 100 μg/ml, respectively. The study of three analogues of the peptide highlighted the role of some residues in the structural conformation of the peptide and its antifungal activity. The substitution of a Pro residue with Arg increased the helical content of the peptide not only its antifungal activity but also its cytotoxicity. The insertion of an unnatural bulky residue β-diphenylalanine or a full d-enantiomerization overall increased the antifungal potency. The four peptides showed similar behaviour towards salt increase, heat treatment, and pH decrease. Interestingly, the denantiomer remained the most active at high pH and after proteolytic digestion. The four peptides did not present haemolytic activity up to 200 μg/ml but had different behaviours of cytotoxicity. These differences could be crucial for potential application as pharmaceutical or food preservatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Thery
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Laila N Shwaiki
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Nora M O'Brien
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Elke K Arendt
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Identification of novel antimicrobial peptide from Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) by in silico and activity characterization. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206578. [PMID: 30365554 PMCID: PMC6203393 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The global crisis of antibiotic resistance increases the demand for the new promising alternative drugs such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Accordingly, we have described a new, previously unrecognized effective AMP, named dicentracin-like, from Asian sea bass and characterized its antimicrobial activity by comparison with moronecidin. Methodology/ Results Gene expression analysis demonstrated the expression of dicentracin-like peptide in tissues of the immune system such as the skin and the head kidney, which is an important endocrine and lymphoid organ. Moronecidin and dicentracin-like exhibited a higher antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria relative to gram-negative ones, while both peptides showed a greater binding ability to gram-negative bacteria compared to gram-positive ones. This contradiction between antibacterial activity and binding affinity may be related to the outer membrane from gram-negative bacteria. Compared with moronecidin, dicentracin-like peptide showed more potent binding ability to all gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In addition, dicentracin-like peptide exhibited a high antibacterial activity against the investigated microorganisms, except against Staphylococcus aureus. A direct relationship was found between the binding affinity/cationicity and the antibiofilm activity of the peptides wherein, an elevation in pH corresponded to a decrease in their antibiofilm property. Time-kill kinetics analysis against clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolate indicated that bactericidal effect of dicentracin-like and moronecidin at inhibitory concentration (1XMIC) was observed after 4 and 6 hours, respectively, while bactericidal effect of both AMPs at concentration of 2XMIC was observed after 2 hours. Dicentracin-like peptide showed higher inhibitory activity at subinhibitory concentration (1/2XMIC), relative to moronecidin. Compared with moronecidin, dicentracin-like peptide possessed greater binding affinity to bacteria at high salt concentration, as well as at alkaline pH; In addition, dicentracin-like exhibited a higher antibiofilm activity in comparison to moronecidin even at alkaline pH. Hemolytic analysis against human RBC revealed that hemolytic activity of moronecidin was more potent than that of dicentracin-like, which is consistent with its greater non-polar face hydrophobicity. Conclusions In the present study, In Silico comparative sequence analysis and antimicrobial characterization led to identify a new, previously unrecognized antimicrobial function for named dicentracin-like peptide by comparison with moronecidin, representing a possible template for designing new effective AMPs and improving known ones.
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Wang J, Chou S, Yang Z, Yang Y, Wang Z, Song J, Dou X, Shan A. Combating Drug-Resistant Fungi with Novel Imperfectly Amphipathic Palindromic Peptides. J Med Chem 2018; 61:3889-3907. [PMID: 29648811 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are an important weapon against invading pathogens and are potential candidates as novel antibacterial agents, but their antifungal activities are not fully developed. In this study, a set of imperfectly amphipathic peptides was developed based on the imperfectly amphipathic palindromic structure R n(XRXXXRX)R n ( n = 1, 2; X represents L, I, F, or W), and the engineered peptides exhibited high antimicrobial activities against all fungi and bacteria tested (including fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans), with geometric mean (GM) MICs ranging from 2.2 to 6.62 μM. Of such peptides, 13 (I6) (RRIRIIIRIRR-NH2) that was Ile rich in its hydrophobic face had the highest antifungal activity (GMfungi = 1.64 μM) while showing low toxicity and high salt and serum tolerance. It also had dramatic LPS-neutralizing propensity and a potent membrane-disruptive mechanism against microbial cells. In summary, these findings were useful for short AMPs design to combat the growing threat of drug-resistant fungal and bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
| | - Shuli Chou
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
| | - Zhanyi Yang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
| | - Jing Song
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
| | - Xiujing Dou
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , P. R. China
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Lee MR, Raman N, Gellman SH, Lynn DM, Palecek SP. Incorporation of β-Amino Acids Enhances the Antifungal Activity and Selectivity of the Helical Antimicrobial Peptide Aurein 1.2. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:2975-2980. [PMID: 29091404 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are attractive antifungal drug candidates because they kill microbes via membrane disruption and are thus unlikely to provoke development of resistance. Low selectivity for fungal vs human cells and instability in physiological environments have limited the development of AMPs as therapeutics, but peptidomimetic AMPs can overcome these obstacles and also provide useful insight into AMP structure-function relationships. Here, we describe antifungal peptidomimetic α/β-peptides templated on the natural α-peptidic AMP aurein 1.2. These α/β-aurein analogs fold into i → i + 4 H-bonded helices that present arrays of side chain functionality in a manner virtually identical to that of aurein 1.2. By varying charge, hydrophobicity, conformational stability, and α/β-amino acid organization, we designed active and selective α/β-peptide aurein analogs that exhibit minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans that are 4-fold lower than that of aurein 1.2 and elicit less than 5% hemolysis at the MIC. These α/β-aurein analogs are promising candidates for development as antifungal therapeutics and as tools to elucidate mechanisms of AMP activity and specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung-Ryul Lee
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Namrata Raman
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Samuel H. Gellman
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - David M. Lynn
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Sean P. Palecek
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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Lin S, Sin WLW, Koh JJ, Lim F, Wang L, Cao D, Beuerman RW, Ren L, Liu S. Semisynthesis and Biological Evaluation of Xanthone Amphiphilics as Selective, Highly Potent Antifungal Agents to Combat Fungal Resistance. J Med Chem 2017; 60:10135-10150. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuimu Lin
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wan Ling Wendy Sin
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Jun-Jie Koh
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Fanghui Lim
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Lin Wang
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Derong Cao
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Roger W. Beuerman
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- SRP
Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Li Ren
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shouping Liu
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- SRP
Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
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AlMatar M, Makky EA, Yakıcı G, Var I, Kayar B, Köksal F. Antimicrobial peptides as an alternative to anti-tuberculosis drugs. Pharmacol Res 2017; 128:288-305. [PMID: 29079429 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) presently accounts for high global mortality and morbidity rates, despite the introduction four decades ago of the affordable and efficient four-drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol). Thus, a strong need exists for new drugs with special structures and uncommon modes of action to effectively overcome M. tuberculosis. Within this scope, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are small, cationic and amphipathic peptides that comprise a section of the innate immune system, are currently the leading potential agents for the treatment of TB. Many studies have recently illustrated the capability of anti-mycobacterial peptides to disrupt the normal mycobacterial cell wall function through various modes, thereby interacting with the intracellular targets, as well as encompassing nucleic acids, enzymes and organelles. This review presents a wide array of antimicrobial activities, alongside the associated properties of the AMPs that could be utilized as potential agents in therapeutic tactics for TB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manaf AlMatar
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences (Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü) Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
| | - Essam A Makky
- Faculty of Industrial Sciences & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Gambang, 26300 Kuantan, Malaysia
| | - Gülfer Yakıcı
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Işıl Var
- Department of Food Engineering, Agricultural Faculty, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Begüm Kayar
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Fatih Köksal
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
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Jiang Z, Mant CT, Vasil M, Hodges RS. Role of positively charged residues on the polar and non-polar faces of amphipathic α-helical antimicrobial peptides on specificity and selectivity for Gram-negative pathogens. Chem Biol Drug Des 2017. [PMID: 28636788 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We have designed de novo and synthesized eight 26-residue all D-conformation amphipathic α-helical cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), four with "specificity determinants" which provide specificity for prokaryotic cells over eukaryotic cells and four AMPs without specificity determinants. The eight AMPs contain six positively charged Lys residues on the polar face in four different arrangements to understand the role of these residues have on antimicrobial activity against 14 Acinetobacter baumannii strains, seven of which were resistant to polymyxin B and colistin; six diverse Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains and 17 Staphylococcus aureus strains, nine of which were methicillin-sensitive, and eight of which were methicillin-resistant. The four AMPs without specificity determinants are extremely hemolytic. In contrast, the four AMPs with specificity determinants had dramatic improvements in therapeutic indices showing the importance of specificity determinants in removing eukaryotic cell toxicity. The specificity determinants combined with the location of positively charged residues on the polar face provide Gram-negative pathogen selectivity between A. baumannii and S. aureus. Specificity determinants maintain excellent antimicrobial activity in the presence of human sera, whereas the AMPs without specificity determinants were inactive. This study clearly shows the potential of amphipathic α-helical AMPs with specificity determinants as therapeutics to replace existing antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Colin T Mant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Michael Vasil
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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Abstract
AIM Toxicity arising from hemolytic activity of peptides hinders its further progress as drug candidates. MATERIALS & METHODS This study describes a sequence-based predictor based on a random forest classifier using amino acid composition, dipeptide composition and physicochemical descriptors (named HemoPred). RESULTS This approach could outperform previously reported method and typical classification methods (e.g., support vector machine and decision tree) verified by fivefold cross-validation and external validation with accuracy and Matthews correlation coefficient in excess of 95% and 0.91, respectively. Results revealed the importance of hydrophobic and Cys residues on α-helix and β-sheet, respectively, on the hemolytic activity. CONCLUSION A sequence-based predictor which is publicly available as the web service of HemoPred, is proposed to predict and analyze the hemolytic activity of peptides.
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Ravichandran G, Kumaresan V, Bhatt P, Arasu MV, Al-Dhabi NA, Arockiaraj J. A Cumulative Strategy to Predict and Characterize Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) from Protein Database. Int J Pept Res Ther 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-016-9559-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
Fungal organisms are ubiquitous in the environment. Pathogenic fungi, although relatively few in the whole gamut of microbial pathogens, are able to cause disease with varying degrees of severity in individuals with normal or impaired immunity. The disease state is an outcome of the fungal pathogen's interactions with the host immunity, and therefore, it stands to reason that deep/invasive fungal diseases be amenable to immunotherapy. Therefore, antifungal immunotherapy continues to be attractive as an adjunct to the currently available antifungal chemotherapy options for a number of reasons, including the fact that existing antifungal drugs, albeit largely effective, are not without limitations, and that morbidity and mortality associated with invasive mycoses are still unacceptably high. For several decades, intense basic research efforts have been directed at development of fungal immunotherapies. Nevertheless, this approach suffers from a severe bench-bedside disconnect owing to several reasons: the chemical and biological peculiarities of the fungal antigens, the complexities of host-pathogen interactions, an under-appreciation of the fungal disease landscape, the requirement of considerable financial investment to bring these therapies to clinical use, as well as practical problems associated with immunizations. In this general, non-exhaustive review, we summarize the features of ongoing research efforts directed towards devising safe and effective immunotherapeutic options for mycotic diseases, encompassing work on antifungal vaccines, adoptive cell transfers, cytokines, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and other agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kausik Datta
- a Division of Infectious Diseases , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA , and
| | - Mawieh Hamad
- b Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research , University of Sharjah , Sharjah , UAE
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Madsen JLH, Hjørringgaard CU, Vad BS, Otzen D, Skrydstrup T. Incorporation of β-Silicon-β3-Amino Acids in the Antimicrobial Peptide Alamethicin Provides a 20-Fold Increase in Membrane Permeabilization. Chemistry 2016; 22:8358-67. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201600445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie L. H. Madsen
- Department of Chemistry and; Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center; Center for Insoluble Protein Structures; Aarhus University; Gustav Wieds Vej 14 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Claudia U. Hjørringgaard
- Department of Chemistry and; Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center; Center for Insoluble Protein Structures; Aarhus University; Gustav Wieds Vej 14 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Brian S. Vad
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and; Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center; Center for Insoluble Protein Structures; Aarhus University; Gustav Wieds Vej 14 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Daniel Otzen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and; Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center; Center for Insoluble Protein Structures; Aarhus University; Gustav Wieds Vej 14 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Troels Skrydstrup
- Department of Chemistry and; Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center; Center for Insoluble Protein Structures; Aarhus University; Gustav Wieds Vej 14 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
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Khara JS, Lim FK, Wang Y, Ke XY, Voo ZX, Yang YY, Lakshminarayanan R, Ee PLR. Designing α-helical peptides with enhanced synergism and selectivity against Mycobacterium smegmatis: Discerning the role of hydrophobicity and helicity. Acta Biomater 2015; 28:99-108. [PMID: 26380930 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recently, we reported on a series of short amphipathic α-helical peptides, comprising the backbone sequence (LLKK)2, with the ability to kill susceptible and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, the effect of key physicochemical parameters including hydrophobicity and helicity of α-helical peptides on anti-mycobacterial activity and synergism with rifampicin was investigated. The most hydrophobic analogue, W(LLKK)2W, displayed low selectivity against mycobacteria while peptides with intermediate hydrophobicity were shown to be equally active, yet significantly less toxic. Furthermore, proline substitution impeded the formation of stable amphipathic structures, rendering P(LLKK)2P as one of the least active analogues. Terminal capping with isoleucine was found to promote α-helical folding and the resultant peptide demonstrated the highest selectivity and minimal cytotoxicity against mammalian macrophages. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that enhancements in hydrophobicity and α-helicity increased the rate and extent of peptide-mediated membrane permeabilization. This finding corroborated the hypothesis that synergism between the peptides and rifampicin was likely mediated via peptide-induced pore formation. The rapid, concentration-dependent membrane depolarization, leakage of intracellular ATP and calcein release from PE/PG LUVs supported the membrane-lytic mechanism of action of the peptides. Together, these findings suggest that hydrophobicity and α-helicity significantly impact anti-mycobacterial activity and optimization of both parameters is necessary to develop synthetic analogues with superior selectivity indices and enhanced synergistic potential with conventional antibiotics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE There is an urgent clinical need for the discovery of new antimicrobials, effective not just for drug susceptible, but also rapidly emerging drug-resistant TB. Recently, we reported on a series of short amphipathic α-helical peptides, comprising the backbone sequence (LLKK)2, with the ability to kill susceptible and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis. In this study, we evaluated a series of synthetic α-helical (LLKK)2 peptides over a range of hydrophobicities for their activity against mycobacteria and provide the first report on the modulating effect of hydrophobicity and α-helicity on the antimicrobial mechanisms of synthetic AMPs and their synergism with first-line antibiotics. These findings demonstrate the applicability of strategies employed here for the rational design of AMPs with the aim of improving cell selectivity and synergistic interactions when co-administered with first-line antibiotics in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmeet Singh Khara
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Fang Kang Lim
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Xi-Yu Ke
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Zhi Xiang Voo
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Yi Yan Yang
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Rajamani Lakshminarayanan
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, SRP Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Pui Lai Rachel Ee
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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Raman N, Lee MR, Lynn DM, Palecek SP. Antifungal Activity of 14-Helical β-Peptides against Planktonic Cells and Biofilms of Candida Species. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2015; 8:483-503. [PMID: 26287212 PMCID: PMC4588179 DOI: 10.3390/ph8030483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most prevalent cause of fungal infections and treatment is further complicated by the formation of drug resistant biofilms, often on the surfaces of implanted medical devices. In recent years, the incidence of fungal infections by other pathogenic Candida species such as C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis has increased. Amphiphilic, helical β-peptide structural mimetics of natural antimicrobial α-peptides have been shown to exhibit specific planktonic antifungal and anti-biofilm formation activity against C. albicans in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that β-peptides are also active against clinically isolated and drug resistant strains of C. albicans and against other opportunistic Candida spp. Different Candida species were susceptible to β-peptides to varying degrees, with C. tropicalis being the most and C. glabrata being the least susceptible. β-peptide hydrophobicity directly correlated with antifungal activity against all the Candida clinical strains and species tested. While β-peptides were largely ineffective at disrupting existing Candida biofilms, hydrophobic β-peptides were able to prevent the formation of C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis biofilms. The broad-spectrum antifungal activity of β-peptides against planktonic cells and in preventing biofilm formation suggests the promise of this class of molecules as therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Raman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Myung-Ryul Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - David M Lynn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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López-Abarrategui C, McBeth C, Mandal SM, Sun ZJ, Heffron G, Alba-Menéndez A, Migliolo L, Reyes-Acosta O, García-Villarino M, Nolasco DO, Falcão R, Cherobim MD, Dias SC, Brandt W, Wessjohann L, Starnbach M, Franco OL, Otero-González AJ. Cm-p5: an antifungal hydrophilic peptide derived from the coastal mollusk Cenchritis muricatus (Gastropoda: Littorinidae). FASEB J 2015; 29:3315-25. [PMID: 25921828 DOI: 10.1096/fj.14-269860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides form part of the first line of defense against pathogens for many organisms. Current treatments for fungal infections are limited by drug toxicity and pathogen resistance. Cm-p5 (SRSELIVHQRLF), a peptide derived from the marine mollusk Cenchritis muricatus peptide Cm-p1, has a significantly increased fungistatic activity against pathogenic Candida albicans (minimal inhibitory concentration, 10 µg/ml; EC50, 1.146 µg/ml) while exhibiting low toxic effects against a cultured mammalian cell line. Cm-p5 as characterized by circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance revealed an α-helical structure in membrane-mimetic conditions and a tendency to random coil folding in aqueous solutions. Additional studies modeling Cm-p5 binding to a phosphatidylserine bilayer in silico and isothermal titration calorimetry using lipid monophases demonstrated that Cm-p5 has a high affinity for the phospholipids of fungal membranes (phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine), only moderate interactions with a mammalian membrane phospholipid, low interaction with ergosterol, and no interaction with chitin. Adhesion of Cm-p5 to living C. albicans cells was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy with FITC-labeled peptide. In a systemic candidiasis model in mice, intraperitoneal administration of Cm-p5 was unable to control the fungal kidney burden, although its low amphiphaticity could be modified to generate new derivatives with improved fungicidal activity and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos López-Abarrategui
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, Havana University, Branch of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kourí," and Laboratory of Peptide Analysis and Synthesis, Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
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Sun J, Xia Y, Li D, Du Q, Liang D. Relationship between peptide structure and antimicrobial activity as studied by de novo designed peptides. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2014; 1838:2985-93. [PMID: 25157672 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2014] [Revised: 07/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
As fundamental components in innate immunity, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold great potentials in the treatment of persistent infections involving slow-growing or dormant bacteria in which, selective inhibition of prokaryotic bacteria in the context of eukaryotic cells is not only an essential requirement, but also a critical challenge in the development of antimicrobial peptides. To identify the sequence and structural properties critical for antimicrobial activity, a series of peptides varying in sequence, length, hydrophobicity/charge ratio, and secondary structure, were designed and synthesized. Their antimicrobial activities were then tested using Escherichia coli and HEK293 cells, together with several index activities against model membrane, including liposome leakage, fusion, and aggregation. While no evident correlation between the antimicrobial activity and the property of the peptides was observed, common activities against model membrane were nevertheless identified for the active antimicrobial peptides: mediating efficient membrane leakage, negligible membrane fusion and liposome aggregation. Therefore, in addition to identifying one highly active antimicrobial peptide, our study further sheds light on the design principle for these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and the Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100871 China
| | - Yuqiong Xia
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Quan Du
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Dehai Liang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and the Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100871 China.
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41
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Fang Y, Zhong W, Wang Y, Xun T, Lin D, Liu W, Wang J, Lv L, Liu S, He J. Tuning the antimicrobial pharmacophore to enable discovery of short lipopeptides with multiple modes of action. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 83:36-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2014] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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42
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Design and characterization of short antimicrobial peptides using leucine zipper templates with selectivity towards microorganisms. Amino Acids 2014; 46:2531-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-014-1802-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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43
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Lee MR, Raman N, Gellman SH, Lynn DM, Palecek SP. Hydrophobicity and helicity regulate the antifungal activity of 14-helical β-peptides. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:1613-21. [PMID: 24837702 PMCID: PMC4105187 DOI: 10.1021/cb500203e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
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Candida albicans is one of the most prevalent
fungal pathogens, causing both mucosal candidiasis and invasive candidemia.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), part of the human innate immune system,
have been shown to exhibit antifungal activity but have not been effective
as pharmaceuticals because of low activity and selectivity in physiologically
relevant environments. Nevertheless, studies on α-peptide AMPs
have revealed key features that can be designed into more stable structures,
such as the 14-helix of β-peptide-based oligomers. Here, we
report on the ways in which two of those features, hydrophobicity
and helicity, govern the activity and selectivity of 14-helical β-peptides
against C. albicans and human red blood cells. Our
results reveal both antifungal activity and hemolysis to correlate
to hydrophobicity, with intermediate levels of hydrophobicity leading
to high antifungal activity and high selectivity toward C.
albicans. Helical structure-forming propensity further influenced
this window of selective antifungal activity, with more stable helical
structures eliciting specificity for C. albicans over
a broader range of hydrophobicity. Our findings also reveal cooperativity
between hydrophobicity and helicity in regulating antifungal activity
and specificity. The results of this study provide critical insight
into the ways in which hydrophobicity and helicity govern the activity
and specificity of AMPs and identify criteria that may be useful for
the design of potent and selective antifungal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung-Ryul Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Namrata Raman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Samuel H. Gellman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - David M. Lynn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Sean P. Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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44
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Jiang Z, Vasil AI, Vasil ML, Hodges RS. "Specificity Determinants" Improve Therapeutic Indices of Two Antimicrobial Peptides Piscidin 1 and Dermaseptin S4 Against the Gram-negative Pathogens Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2014; 7:366-91. [PMID: 24670666 PMCID: PMC4014698 DOI: 10.3390/ph7040366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A new class of antimicrobial agents with lower rates of resistance and different targets is urgently needed because of the rapidly increasing resistance to classical antibiotics. Amphipathic cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent such a class of compounds. In our previous studies, using a 26-residue de novo designed antimicrobial peptide, we proposed the concept of “specificity determinant(s)”: positively charged residue(s) in the center of the non-polar face of AMPs that could decrease hemolytic activity/toxicity but increase or maintain the same level of antimicrobial activity to increase dramatically the therapeutic index. In the current study, we used d-enantiomers of two AMPs, Piscidin 1 isolated from fish and dermaseptin S4 isolated from frog. We substituted different positions in the center of the hydrophobic face with one or two lysine residue(s) (one or two “specificity determinant(s)”). This simple modification not only maintained or improved antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative pathogens Acinetobacter baumannii (11 strains) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6 strains), but also dramatically decreased hemolytic activity of human red blood cells, as predicted. Therapeutic indices improved by 55-fold and 730-fold for piscidin 1 (I9K) and dermaseptin S4 (L7K, A14K), respectively, against A. baumannii. Similarly, the therapeutic indices improved 32-fold and 980-fold for piscidin 1 (I9K) and dermaseptin S4 (L7K, A14K), respectively, against P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Adriana I Vasil
- Department of Microbiology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Michael L Vasil
- Department of Microbiology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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45
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Wu S, Nie Y, Zeng XC, Cao H, Zhang L, Zhou L, Yang Y, Luo X, Liu Y. Genomic and functional characterization of three new venom peptides from the scorpion Heterometrus spinifer. Peptides 2014; 53:30-41. [PMID: 24389272 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Three new cysteine-free venom peptides, which are referred to as Heterin-1, Heterin-2 and Spiniferin, respectively, were identified from the scorpion Heterometrus spinifer. Heterin-1, Heterin-2 and Spiniferin contain 43, 24 and 13 amino acid residues, respectively. Genomic analysis showed that the genomic organizations of the three peptides are consistent with those of the known Na(+), K(+) or Cl(-)-channel specific toxins from scorpions; this suggests that the genes of the cysteine-free and cysteine-rich peptides from scorpions were derived from a common ancestor. Antimicrobial assay demonstrated that Heterin-1 possesses potent activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Among the tested bacterial species, Heterin-1 is the most active against Bacillus megaterium and Micrococcus luteus with MICs of 4.0 μM and 4.0 μM, respectively. Heterin-2 is able to potently inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria with MICs from 5.6 μM to 30.0 μM; however, it has weaker activities against the tested Gram-negative bacteria. It is interesting to see that deletion of the C-terminal random coiled tail (KKD) in Heterin-2 markedly changed the antimicrobial specificity and activity of the peptide. Spiniferin has very weak antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We found that introducing three net charges into the polar face of Spiniferin significantly increased its antimicrobial activity against the majority of the tested bacteria; however, in some instances, net charge on the polar face is not important for the antimicrobial activity of the peptide. These studies have expanded our understanding of the diversity, evolution and structure/function relationships of the cysteine-free peptides from scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Xian-Chun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hanjun Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingli Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuesong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Yichen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
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46
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Abraham T, Prenner EJ, Lewis RNAH, Mant CT, Keller S, Hodges RS, McElhaney RN. Structure-activity relationships of the antimicrobial peptide gramicidin S and its analogs: aqueous solubility, self-association, conformation, antimicrobial activity and interaction with model lipid membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2014; 1838:1420-9. [PMID: 24388950 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2013.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 12/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
GS10 [cyclo-(VKLdYPVKLdYP)] is a synthetic analog of the naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide gramicidin (GS) in which the two positively charged ornithine (Orn) residues are replaced by two positively charged lysine (Lys) residues and the two less polar aromatic phenylalanine (Phe) residues are replaced by the more polar tyrosine (Tyr) residues. In this study, we examine the effects of these seemingly conservative modifications to the parent GS molecule on the physical properties of the peptide, and on its interactions with lipid bilayer model and biological membranes, by a variety of biophysical techniques. We show that although GS10 retains the largely β-sheet conformation characteristic of GS, it is less structured in both water and membrane-mimetic solvents. GS10 is also more water soluble and less hydrophobic than GS, as predicted, and also exhibits a reduced tendency for self-association in aqueous solution. Surprisingly, GS10 associates more strongly with zwitterionic and anionic phospholipid bilayer model membranes than does GS, despite its greater water solubility, and the presence of anionic phospholipids and cholesterol (Chol) modestly reduces the association of both GS10 and GS to these model membranes. The strong partitioning of both peptides into lipid bilayers is driven by a large favorable entropy change opposed by a much smaller unfavorable enthalpy change. However, GS10 is also less potent than GS at inducing inverted cubic phases in phospholipid bilayer model membranes and at inhibiting the growth of the cell wall-less bacterium Acholeplasma laidlawii B. These results are discussed in terms of the comparative antibiotic and hemolytic activities of these peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Abraham
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Elmar J Prenner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Ruthven N A H Lewis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Colin T Mant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Sandro Keller
- Molecular Biophysics, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrodinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Ronald N McElhaney
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada.
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47
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Huang Y, Pan L, Zhao L, Mant CT, Hodges RS, Chen Y. Structure-guided RP-HPLC chromatography of diastereomeric α-helical peptide analogs substituted with single amino acid stereoisomers. Biomed Chromatogr 2013; 28:511-7. [PMID: 24127254 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.3061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
An α-helical model peptide (Ac-EAEKAAKE-X-EKAAKEAEK-amide) was used as a template to examine the efficacy of conventional reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) in separating peptide analogs with single substitutions (at position X) of diasteromeric amino acids Ile, allo-Ile, d-Ile and d-allo-Ile. We compared differences in peptide retention behavior on a C8 column and a C18 column at different temperatures. We demonstrated how subtle differences in peptide secondary structure affected by the different substitutions of amino acids with identical overall hydrophobicity enabled effective resolution of these peptide analogs. We also demonstrated the ability of RP-HPLC to separate Ile- and allo-Ile-substituted analogs of a 26-residue α-helical antimicrobial peptide (AMP), with the substitution site towards the C-terminus of the α-helix. These peptides show different values of antibacterial activity and hemolytic activity, and different selectivity against bacteria and human cells. Our results underline the ability of RP-HPLC to resolve even difficult diasteromeric peptide mixtures as well as its value in monitoring very subtle hydrophobicity changes in de novo-designed AMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibing Huang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, 2699 QianJin Street, Changchun, 130012, China; National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, Jilin University, 2699 QianJin Street, Changchun, 130012, China; School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, 2699 QianJin Street, Changchun, 130012, China
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48
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Characterization of Antimicrobial Peptides toward the Development of Novel Antibiotics. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2013; 6:1055-81. [PMID: 24276381 PMCID: PMC3817730 DOI: 10.3390/ph6081055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial agents have eradicated many infectious diseases and significantly improved our living environment. However, abuse of antimicrobial agents has accelerated the emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and there is an urgent need for novel antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted attention as a novel class of antimicrobial agents because AMPs efficiently kill a wide range of species, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, via a novel mechanism of action. In addition, they are effective against pathogens that are resistant to almost all conventional antibiotics. AMPs have promising properties; they directly disrupt the functions of cellular membranes and nucleic acids, and the rate of appearance of AMP-resistant strains is very low. However, as pharmaceuticals, AMPs exhibit unfavorable properties, such as instability, hemolytic activity, high cost of production, salt sensitivity, and a broad spectrum of activity. Therefore, it is vital to improve these properties to develop novel AMP treatments. Here, we have reviewed the basic biochemical properties of AMPs and the recent strategies used to modulate these properties of AMPs to enhance their safety.
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49
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Kuhn-Nentwig L, Sheynis T, Kolusheva S, Nentwig W, Jelinek R. N-terminal aromatic residues closely impact the cytolytic activity of cupiennin 1a, a major spider venom peptide. Toxicon 2013; 75:177-86. [PMID: 23523532 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2012] [Revised: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cupiennins are small cationic α-helical peptides from the venom of the ctenid spider Cupiennius salei which are characterized by high bactericidal as well as hemolytic activities. To gain insight into the determinants responsible for the broad cytolytic activities, two analogues of cupiennin 1a with different N-terminal hydrophobicities were designed. The insecticidal, bactericidal and hemolytic activities of these analogues were assayed and compared to the native peptide. Specifically, substitution of two N-terminal Phe residues by Ala results in less pronounced insecticidal and cytolytic activity, whereas a substitution by Lys reduces strongly its bactericidal activity and completely diminishes its hemolytic activity up to very high tested concentrations. Biophysical analyses of peptide/bilayer membrane interactions point to distinct interactions of the analogues with lipid bilayers, and dependence upon membrane surface charge. Indeed, we find that lower hemolytic activity was correlated with less surface association of the analogues. In contrast, our data indicate that the reduced bactericidal activity of the two cupiennin 1a analogues likely correspond to greater bilayer-surface localization of the peptides. Overall, ultimate insertion and destruction of the host cell membrane is highly dependent on the presence of Phe-2 and Phe-6 (Cu 1a) or Leu-6 (Cu 2a) in the N-terminal sequences of native cupiennins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Kuhn-Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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50
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A peptide derived from phage display library exhibits antibacterial activity against E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56081. [PMID: 23409125 PMCID: PMC3569419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergence of drug resistant strains to currently available antibiotics has resulted in the quest for novel antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are receiving attention as alternatives to antibiotics. In this study, we used phage-display random peptide library to identify peptides binding to the cell surface of E. coli. The peptide with sequence RLLFRKIRRLKR (EC5) bound to the cell surface of E. coli and exhibited certain features common to AMPs and was rich in Arginine and Lysine residues. Antimicrobial activity of the peptide was tested in vitro by growth inhibition assays and the bacterial membrane permeabilization assay. The peptide was highly active against gram-negative organisms and showed significant bactericidal activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa resulting in a reduction of 5 log(10) CFU/ml. In homologous plasma and platelets, incubation of EC5 with the bacteria resulted in significant reduction of E. coli and P. aeruginosa, compared to the peptide-free controls. The peptide was non-hemolytic and non-cytotoxic when tested on eukaryotic cells in culture. EC5 was able to permeabilize the outer membrane of E. coli and P. aeruginosa causing rapid depolarization of cytoplasmic membrane resulting in killing of the cells at 5 minutes of exposure. The secondary structure of the peptide showed a α-helical conformation in the presence of aqueous environment. The bacterial lipid interaction with the peptide was also investigated using Molecular Dynamic Simulations. Thus this study demonstrates that peptides identified to bind to bacterial cell surface through phage-display screening may additionally aid in identifying and developing novel antimicrobial peptides.
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