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Jandl B, Dighe S, Gasche C, Makristathis A, Muttenthaler M. Intestinal biofilms: pathophysiological relevance, host defense, and therapeutic opportunities. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0013323. [PMID: 38995034 PMCID: PMC11391705 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00133-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYThe human intestinal tract harbors a profound variety of microorganisms that live in symbiosis with the host and each other. It is a complex and highly dynamic environment whose homeostasis directly relates to human health. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and polymicrobial biofilms have been associated with gastrointestinal diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, and colorectal cancers. This review covers the molecular composition and organization of intestinal biofilms, mechanistic aspects of biofilm signaling networks for bacterial communication and behavior, and synergistic effects in polymicrobial biofilms. It further describes the clinical relevance and diseases associated with gut biofilms, the role of biofilms in antimicrobial resistance, and the intestinal host defense system and therapeutic strategies counteracting biofilms. Taken together, this review summarizes the latest knowledge and research on intestinal biofilms and their role in gut disorders and provides directions toward the development of biofilm-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Jandl
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Satish Dighe
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christoph Gasche
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Loha for Life, Center for Gastroenterology and Iron Deficiency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Athanasios Makristathis
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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2
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Park H, Jin H, Kim D, Lee J. Cell-Free Systems: Ideal Platforms for Accelerating the Discovery and Production of Peptide-Based Antibiotics. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9109. [PMID: 39201795 PMCID: PMC11354240 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25169109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptide-based antibiotics (PBAs), including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their synthetic mimics, have received significant interest due to their diverse and unique bioactivities. The integration of high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics tools has dramatically enhanced the discovery of enzymes, allowing researchers to identify specific genes and metabolic pathways responsible for producing novel PBAs more precisely. Cell-free systems (CFSs) that allow precise control over transcription and translation in vitro are being adapted, which accelerate the identification, characterization, selection, and production of novel PBAs. Furthermore, these platforms offer an ideal solution for overcoming the limitations of small-molecule antibiotics, which often lack efficacy against a broad spectrum of pathogens and contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. In this review, we highlight recent examples of how CFSs streamline these processes while expanding our ability to access new antimicrobial agents that are effective against antibiotic-resistant infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeongwoo Park
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea;
| | - Haneul Jin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea; (H.J.); (D.K.)
| | - Dayeong Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea; (H.J.); (D.K.)
| | - Joongoo Lee
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea; (H.J.); (D.K.)
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3
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Li C, Cai Y, Luo L, Tian G, Wang X, Yan A, Wang L, Wu S, Wu Z, Zhang T, Chen W, Zhang Z. TC-14, a cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptide with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and high safety profile. iScience 2024; 27:110404. [PMID: 39092176 PMCID: PMC11292558 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110404] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidins, a major class of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), hold considerable potential for antimicrobial drug development. In the present study, we identified a novel cathelicidin AMP (TC-33) derived from the Chinese tree shrew. Despite TC-33 demonstrating weak antimicrobial activity, the novel peptide TC-14, developed based on its active region, exhibited a 432-fold increase in antimicrobial activity over the parent peptide. Structural analysis revealed that TC-14 adopted an amphipathic α-helical conformation. The bactericidal mechanism of TC-14 involved targeting and disrupting the bacterial membrane, leading to rapid membrane permeabilization and rupture. Furthermore, TC-14 exhibited a high-safety profile, as evidenced by the absence of cytotoxic and hemolytic activities, as well as high biocompatibility and safety in vivo. Of note, its potent antimicrobial activity provided significant protection in a murine model of skin infection. Overall, this study presents TC-14 as a promising drug candidate for antimicrobial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Li
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
- Third Department of Breast Surgery, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (Yunnan Cancer Hospital), Kunming 650118, Yunnan, China
| | - Ying Cai
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Lin Luo
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
- Third Department of Breast Surgery, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (Yunnan Cancer Hospital), Kunming 650118, Yunnan, China
| | - Gengzhou Tian
- Department of Breast Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650032, China
| | - Xingyu Wang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - An Yan
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Liunan Wang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Sijing Wu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhongxiang Wu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Wenlin Chen
- Third Department of Breast Surgery, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (Yunnan Cancer Hospital), Kunming 650118, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhiye Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China
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4
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Yoshida M, Hayashi S, Haraguchi T, Ito M, Hatanaka Y, Yoshii M, Tatsuoka H, Tanaka S, Nagao T. Antimicrobial Activity of Positively Charged Oligopeptides with Theoretical High α-Helix Content against Cutibacterium acnes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7445. [PMID: 39000551 PMCID: PMC11242407 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cutibacterium acnes is abundant and commonly exists as a superficial bacteria on human skin. Recently, the resistance of C. acnes to antimicrobial agents has become a serious concern, necessitating the development of alternative pharmaceutical products with antimicrobial activity against C. acnes. To address this need, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of CKR-13-a mutant oligopeptide of FK-13 with increased net charge and theoretical α-helical content-against C. acnes in modified Gifu Anaerobic Medium broth by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). CKR-13 exerted greater antimicrobial activity against C. acnes than FK-13 in the broth at pH 7.0. The antimicrobial activity of CKR-13 with RXM against C. albicans was pH-dependent. The ionization of CKR-13 and pH-dependent growth delay of C. albicans was suggested to be associated with the increase in CKR-13 antimicrobial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyako Yoshida
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University, 11-68 Koshien 9-Bancho, Nishinomiya City 663-8179, Hyogo, Japan; (S.H.); (T.H.); (M.I.)
| | - Saki Hayashi
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University, 11-68 Koshien 9-Bancho, Nishinomiya City 663-8179, Hyogo, Japan; (S.H.); (T.H.); (M.I.)
| | - Tamami Haraguchi
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University, 11-68 Koshien 9-Bancho, Nishinomiya City 663-8179, Hyogo, Japan; (S.H.); (T.H.); (M.I.)
| | - Momoka Ito
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University, 11-68 Koshien 9-Bancho, Nishinomiya City 663-8179, Hyogo, Japan; (S.H.); (T.H.); (M.I.)
| | - Yoshiro Hatanaka
- Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 1-6-50 Morinomiya, Joto-ku, Osaka City 536-8553, Osaka, Japan; (Y.H.); (M.Y.); (H.T.); (S.T.); (T.N.)
| | - Miki Yoshii
- Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 1-6-50 Morinomiya, Joto-ku, Osaka City 536-8553, Osaka, Japan; (Y.H.); (M.Y.); (H.T.); (S.T.); (T.N.)
| | - Hiroaki Tatsuoka
- Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 1-6-50 Morinomiya, Joto-ku, Osaka City 536-8553, Osaka, Japan; (Y.H.); (M.Y.); (H.T.); (S.T.); (T.N.)
| | - Shigemitsu Tanaka
- Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 1-6-50 Morinomiya, Joto-ku, Osaka City 536-8553, Osaka, Japan; (Y.H.); (M.Y.); (H.T.); (S.T.); (T.N.)
| | - Toshihiro Nagao
- Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 1-6-50 Morinomiya, Joto-ku, Osaka City 536-8553, Osaka, Japan; (Y.H.); (M.Y.); (H.T.); (S.T.); (T.N.)
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5
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Andrés MT, Fierro P, Antuña V, Fierro JF. The Antimicrobial Activity of Human Defensins at Physiological Non-Permeabilizing Concentrations Is Caused by the Inhibition of the Plasma Membrane H +-ATPases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7335. [PMID: 39000442 PMCID: PMC11242853 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Human defensins are cysteine-rich peptides (Cys-rich peptides) of the innate immune system. Defensins contain an ancestral structural motif (i.e., γ-core motif) associated with the antimicrobial activity of natural Cys-rich peptides. In this study, low concentrations of human α- and β-defensins showed microbicidal activity that was not associated with cell membrane permeabilization. The cell death pathway was similar to that previously described for human lactoferrin, also an immunoprotein containing a γ-core motif. The common features were (1) cell death not related to plasma membrane (PM) disruption, (2) the inhibition of microbicidal activity via extracellular potassium, (3) the influence of cellular respiration on microbicidal activity, and (4) the influence of intracellular pH on bactericidal activity. In addition, in yeast, we also observed (1) partial K+-efflux mediated via Tok1p K+-channels, (2) the essential role of mitochondrial ATP synthase in cell death, (3) the increment of intracellular ATP, (4) plasma membrane depolarization, and (5) the inhibition of external acidification mediated via PM Pma1p H+-ATPase. Similar features were also observed with BM2, an antifungal peptide that inhibits Pma1p H+-ATPase, showing that the above coincident characteristics were a consequence of PM H+-ATPase inhibition. These findings suggest, for the first time, that human defensins inhibit PM H+-ATPases at physiological concentrations, and that the subsequent cytosolic acidification is responsible for the in vitro microbicidal activity. This mechanism of action is shared with human lactoferrin and probably other antimicrobial peptides containing γ-core motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- María T. Andrés
- Laboratory of Oral Microbiology (LMO), University Clinic of Dentistry (CLUO), University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; (M.T.A.); (P.F.); (V.A.)
- Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- SamerLabs SL, Asturias Technology Park, 33428 Llanera, Spain
| | - Patricia Fierro
- Laboratory of Oral Microbiology (LMO), University Clinic of Dentistry (CLUO), University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; (M.T.A.); (P.F.); (V.A.)
- Primary Care Emergency Service, Cantabrian Health Service, 39000 Santander, Spain
| | - Victoria Antuña
- Laboratory of Oral Microbiology (LMO), University Clinic of Dentistry (CLUO), University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; (M.T.A.); (P.F.); (V.A.)
| | - José F. Fierro
- Laboratory of Oral Microbiology (LMO), University Clinic of Dentistry (CLUO), University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; (M.T.A.); (P.F.); (V.A.)
- Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Deparment of Functional Biology (Microbiology), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
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6
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Enninful GN, Kuppusamy R, Tiburu EK, Kumar N, Willcox MDP. Non-canonical amino acid bioincorporation into antimicrobial peptides and its challenges. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3560. [PMID: 38262069 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistance and multi-drug resistant pathogens has necessitated explorations for novel antibiotic agents as the discovery of conventional antibiotics is becoming economically less viable and technically more challenging for biopharma. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising alternative because of their particular mode of action, broad spectrum and difficulty that microbes have in becoming resistant to them. The AMPs bacitracin, gramicidin, polymyxins and daptomycin are currently used clinically. However, their susceptibility to proteolytic degradation, toxicity profile, and complexities in large-scale manufacture have hindered their development. To improve their proteolytic stability, methods such as integrating non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into their peptide sequence have been adopted, which also improves their potency and spectrum of action. The benefits of ncAA incorporation have been made possible by solid-phase peptide synthesis. However, this method is not always suitable for commercial production of AMPs because of poor yield, scale-up difficulties, and its non-'green' nature. Bioincorporation of ncAA as a method of integration is an emerging field geared towards tackling the challenges of solid-phase synthesis as a green, cheaper, and scalable alternative for commercialisation of AMPs. This review focusses on the bioincorporation of ncAAs; some challenges associated with the methods are outlined, and notes are given on how to overcome these challenges. The review focusses particularly on addressing two key challenges: AMP cytotoxicity towards microbial cell factories and the uptake of ncAAs that are unfavourable to them. Overcoming these challenges will draw us closer to a greater yield and an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to make AMPs more druggable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rajesh Kuppusamy
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Naresh Kumar
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark D P Willcox
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
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7
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Kenneally C, Murphy CP, Sleator RD, Culligan EP. Turbidimetric bioassays: A solution to antimicrobial activity detection in asymptomatic bacteriuria isolates against uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Microbiologyopen 2024; 13:e1411. [PMID: 38706434 PMCID: PMC11070844 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional bacteriocin screening methods often face limitations due to diffusion-related challenges in agar matrices, which can prevent the peptides from reaching their target organism. Turbidimetric techniques offer a solution to these issues, eliminating diffusion-related problems and providing an initial quantification of bacteriocin efficacy in producer organisms. This study involved screening the cell-free supernatant (CFS) from eight uncharacterized asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) isolates and Escherichia coli 83972 for antimicrobial activity against clinical uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains using turbidimetric growth methods. ABU isolates exhibiting activity against five or more UPEC strains were further characterized (PUTS 37, PUTS 58, PUTS 59, S-07-4, and SK-106-1). The inhibition of the CFS by proteinase K suggested that the antimicrobial activity was proteinaceous in nature, potentially bacteriocins. The activity of E. coli PUTS 58 and SK-106-1 was enhanced in an artificial urine medium, with both inhibiting all eight UPECs. A putative microcin H47 operon was identified in E. coli SK-106-1, along with a previously identified microcin V and colicin E7 in E. coli PUTS 37 and PUTS 58, respectively. These findings indicate that ABU bacteriocin-producers could serve as viable prophylactics and therapeutics in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance among uropathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara Kenneally
- Department of Biological SciencesMunster Technological University, BishopstownCorkIreland
| | - Craig P. Murphy
- Department of Biological SciencesMunster Technological University, BishopstownCorkIreland
| | - Roy D. Sleator
- Department of Biological SciencesMunster Technological University, BishopstownCorkIreland
| | - Eamonn P. Culligan
- Department of Biological SciencesMunster Technological University, BishopstownCorkIreland
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8
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Watts S, Hänni E, Smith GN, Mahmoudi N, Freire RVM, Lim S, Salentinig S. Human antimicrobial peptide inactivation mechanism of enveloped viruses. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 657:971-981. [PMID: 38096780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.11.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/02/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Enveloped viruses are pivotal in causing various illnesses, including influenza and COVID-19. The antimicrobial peptide LL-37, a critical part of the human innate immune system, exhibits potential as an antiviral agent capable of thwarting these viral threats. Its mode of action involves versatile and non-specific interactions that culminate in dismantling the viral envelope, ultimately rendering the viruses inert. However, the exact mechanism of action is not yet understood. EXPERIMENTS Here, the mechanism of LL-37 triggered changes in the structure and function of an enveloped virus is investigated. The bacteriophage "Phi6" is used as a surrogate for pathogenic enveloped viruses. Small angle X-ray and neutron scattering combined with light scattering techniques demonstrate that LL-37 actively integrates into the virus's lipid envelope. FINDINGS LL-37 addition to Phi6 leads to curvature modification in the lipid bilayer, ultimately separating the envelope from the nucleocapsid. Additional biological assays confirm the loss of virus infectivity in the presence of LL-37, which coincides with the structural transformations. The results provide a fundamental understanding of the structure-activity relationship related to enveloped viruses. The knowledge of peptide-virus interactions can guide the design of future peptide-based antiviral drugs and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Watts
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, 70 Nanyang Drive, Block N1.3, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637457, Singapore
| | - Eliane Hänni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Gregory N Smith
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Souce, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Najet Mahmoudi
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Souce, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael V M Freire
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Sierin Lim
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, 70 Nanyang Drive, Block N1.3, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637457, Singapore
| | - Stefan Salentinig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
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9
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Abdelmaksoud SR, Mostafa MAA, Khashaba RA, Assar E. Lower Vitamin D Level as a Risk Factor for Late Onset Neonatal Sepsis: An Observational Case-Control Study. Am J Perinatol 2024; 41:143-149. [PMID: 34839468 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to investigate the relation of neonatal and maternal vitamin D and late-onset sepsis (LOS). STUDY DESIGN One-hundred twenty term neonates along with their mothers were enrolled in this case-control study. Sixty neonates who were admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit by LOS and had not been previously admitted for last 48 hours and did not receive antibiotics or vitamin D were enrolled as cases (sepsis) group. On the other hand, 60 healthy term neonates were referred as control group. Maternal and neonatal serum 25-OH vitamin D levels were assessed in both the cohorts. RESULTS Maternal and neonatal 25-OH vitamin D levels in cases (17.2 and 16.1 ng/mL, respectively) were significantly lower than in controls (22.7 and 21 ng/mL, respectively) p = 0.001. In the study group, the neonatal 25-OH vitamin D was negatively correlated with C-reactive protein and length of hospital stay (r = -0.616 and -0.596, respectively) p <0.001 for both. With a cut-off value of 12.9 ng/mL, the specificity and positive predictive value of neonatal vitamin D were 83.3 and 74.4%, respectively. The odds ratio was 1.088 (95% CI = 1.034-1.144)) for LOS in vitamin D-deficient neonates. CONCLUSION Neonates with higher vitamin D level are at lower risk of LOS than those with vitamin D deficiency. Maternal vitamin D correlates with neonatal vitamin D. These data suggest that maternal vitamin supplementation during pregnancy may lower the risk of LOS. KEY POINTS · Neonatal and maternal vitamin D deficiency increase risk of LOS.. · Neonatal vitamin D correlates with maternal vitamin D.. · Neonatal vitamin D is independent predictor for LOS..
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rana Atef Khashaba
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Chemistry, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Effat Assar
- Department of Pediatrics, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
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10
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Muteeb G, Rehman MT, Shahwan M, Aatif M. Origin of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance, and Their Impacts on Drug Development: A Narrative Review. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1615. [PMID: 38004480 PMCID: PMC10675245 DOI: 10.3390/ph16111615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics have revolutionized medicine, saving countless lives since their discovery in the early 20th century. However, the origin of antibiotics is now overshadowed by the alarming rise in antibiotic resistance. This global crisis stems from the relentless adaptability of microorganisms, driven by misuse and overuse of antibiotics. This article explores the origin of antibiotics and the subsequent emergence of antibiotic resistance. It delves into the mechanisms employed by bacteria to develop resistance, highlighting the dire consequences of drug resistance, including compromised patient care, increased mortality rates, and escalating healthcare costs. The article elucidates the latest strategies against drug-resistant microorganisms, encompassing innovative approaches such as phage therapy, CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and the exploration of natural compounds. Moreover, it examines the profound impact of antibiotic resistance on drug development, rendering the pursuit of new antibiotics economically challenging. The limitations and challenges in developing novel antibiotics are discussed, along with hurdles in the regulatory process that hinder progress in this critical field. Proposals for modifying the regulatory process to facilitate antibiotic development are presented. The withdrawal of major pharmaceutical firms from antibiotic research is examined, along with potential strategies to re-engage their interest. The article also outlines initiatives to overcome economic challenges and incentivize antibiotic development, emphasizing international collaborations and partnerships. Finally, the article sheds light on government-led initiatives against antibiotic resistance, with a specific focus on the Middle East. It discusses the proactive measures taken by governments in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to combat this global threat. In the face of antibiotic resistance, a multifaceted approach is imperative. This article provides valuable insights into the complex landscape of antibiotic development, regulatory challenges, and collaborative efforts required to ensure a future where antibiotics remain effective tools in safeguarding public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazala Muteeb
- Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Science, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Tabish Rehman
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11437, Saudi Arabia;
- Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Moayad Shahwan
- Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates;
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammad Aatif
- Department of Public Health, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;
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11
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Mechesso AF, Su Y, Xie J, Wang G. Enhanced Antimicrobial Screening Sensitivity Enabled the Identification of an Ultrashort Peptide KR-8 for Engineering of LL-37mini to Combat Drug-Resistant Pathogens. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2215-2225. [PMID: 37812567 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Identification of novel antibiotics is of top importance because of the threat of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Antimicrobial screening in Mueller-Hinton broth is frequently the first step in antimicrobial discovery. Although widely utilized, this medium is not ideal as it could mask activity of candidates such as human cathelicidin LL-37 against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This study identified a sensitive medium where LL-37 displayed excellent activity against numerous pathogens, including MRSA. Our screen of ultrashort overlapping LL-37 peptides in this medium led to the identification of KR-8, four residues shorter than KR-12. Hence, our screen condition may increase positive compound hits during antimicrobial screening. KR-8 provided an appealing template for us to design LL-37mini, which was potent against MRSA, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but not toxic to mammalian cells. LL-37mini also inhibited bacterial attachment and biofilm formation and disrupted preformed biofilms in vitro and killed MRSA in murine wound biofilms in vivo. Consistent with membrane targeting, MRSA failed to develop resistance to LL-37mini in a multiple-passage experiment. Because LL-37mini can be made cost effectively, it can be developed into new antibiofilm and antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Fikru Mechesso
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Yajuan Su
- Department of Surgery-Transplant and Mary & Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Jingwei Xie
- Department of Surgery-Transplant and Mary & Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
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12
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Bhatt T, Dam B, Khedkar SU, Lall S, Pandey S, Kataria S, Ajnabi J, Gulzar SEJ, Dias PM, Waskar M, Raut J, Sundaramurthy V, Vemula PK, Ghatlia N, Majumdar A, Jamora C. Niacinamide enhances cathelicidin mediated SARS-CoV-2 membrane disruption. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1255478. [PMID: 38022563 PMCID: PMC10663372 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1255478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The continual emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens to compromise the effectiveness of worldwide vaccination programs, and highlights the need for complementary strategies for a sustainable containment plan. An effective approach is to mobilize the body's own antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection and propagation. We have found that human cathelicidin (LL37), an AMP found at epithelial barriers as well as in various bodily fluids, has the capacity to neutralise multiple strains of SARS-CoV-2. Biophysical and computational studies indicate that LL37's mechanism of action is through the disruption of the viral membrane. This antiviral activity of LL37 is enhanced by the hydrotropic action of niacinamide, which may increase the bioavailability of the AMP. Interestingly, we observed an inverse correlation between LL37 levels and disease severity of COVID-19 positive patients, suggesting enhancement of AMP response as a potential therapeutic avenue to mitigate disease severity. The combination of niacinamide and LL37 is a potent antiviral formulation that targets viral membranes of various variants and can be an effective strategy to overcome vaccine escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanay Bhatt
- IFOM-inStem Joint Research Laboratory, Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Binita Dam
- IFOM-inStem Joint Research Laboratory, Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Sneha Uday Khedkar
- IFOM-inStem Joint Research Laboratory, Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sahil Lall
- National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Subhashini Pandey
- Integrative Chemical Biology, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sunny Kataria
- IFOM-inStem Joint Research Laboratory, Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Johan Ajnabi
- IFOM-inStem Joint Research Laboratory, Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Praveen Kumar Vemula
- Integrative Chemical Biology, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | - Colin Jamora
- IFOM-inStem Joint Research Laboratory, Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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13
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Jeon BJ, Yoo N, Kim JD, Choi J. A peptide encoded by a highly conserved gene belonging to the genus Streptomyces shows antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1250906. [PMID: 37868322 PMCID: PMC10585065 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1250906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The genus Streptomyces has been unceasingly highlighted for the versatility and diversity of the antimicrobial agents they produce. Moreover, it is a heavily sequenced taxon in the phylum Actinobacteria. In this study, 47 sequence profiles were identified as proteins highly conserved within the genus Streptomyces. Significant hits to the 38 profiles were found in more than 2000 Streptomyces genomes, 11 of which were further conserved in more than 90% of Actinobacterial genomes analyzed. Only a few genes corresponding to these sequence profiles were functionally characterized, which play regulatory roles in the morphology and biosynthesis of antibiotics. Here a highly conserved sequence, namely, SHC-AMP (Streptomyces highly conserved antimicrobial peptide), which exhibited antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal plant pathogens, was reported. In particular, Arabidopsis thaliana was effectively protected against infection with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 by treatment with this peptide. Results indicated the potential application of this peptide as an antimicrobial agent for control of plant diseases. Our results suggest putative target genes for controlling Streptomyces spp., including the one exhibiting antimicrobial activity against a wide range of phytopathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byeong Jun Jeon
- Smart Farm Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung, Republic of Korea
| | - Nayeon Yoo
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Do Kim
- Smart Farm Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyoung Choi
- Department of Oriental Medicine Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Republic of Korea
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14
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Mourenza A, Ganesan R, Camarero JA. Resistance is futile: targeting multidrug-resistant bacteria with de novo Cys-rich cyclic polypeptides. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:722-735. [PMID: 37799576 PMCID: PMC10549238 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00015j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The search for novel antimicrobial agents to combat microbial pathogens is intensifying in response to rapid drug resistance development to current antibiotic therapeutics. The use of disulfide-rich head-to-tail cyclized polypeptides as molecular frameworks for designing a new type of peptide antibiotics is gaining increasing attention among the scientific community and the pharmaceutical industry. The use of macrocyclic peptides, further constrained by the presence of several disulfide bonds, makes these peptide frameworks remarkably more stable to thermal, biological, and chemical degradation showing better activities when compared to their linear analogs. Many of these novel peptide scaffolds have been shown to have a high tolerance to sequence variability in those residues not involved in disulfide bonds, able to cross biological membranes, and efficiently target complex biomolecular interactions. Hence, these unique properties make the use of these scaffolds ideal for many biotechnological applications, including the design of novel peptide antibiotics. This article provides an overview of the new developments in the use of several disulfide-rich cyclic polypeptides, including cyclotides, θ-defensins, and sunflower trypsin inhibitor peptides, among others, in the development of novel antimicrobial peptides against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Mourenza
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy Los Angeles CA90033 USA +1-(323) 442-1417
| | - Rajasekaran Ganesan
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy Los Angeles CA90033 USA +1-(323) 442-1417
| | - Julio A Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy Los Angeles CA90033 USA +1-(323) 442-1417
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Los Angeles CA90033 USA
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15
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Yang S, Duncan GA. Synthetic mucus biomaterials for antimicrobial peptide delivery. J Biomed Mater Res A 2023; 111:1616-1626. [PMID: 37199137 PMCID: PMC10524183 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Despite the promise of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections, their therapeutic efficacy is limited due to the rapid degradation and low bioavailability of AMPs. To address this, we have developed and characterized a synthetic mucus (SM) biomaterial capable of delivering LL37 AMPs and enhancing their therapeutic effect. LL37 is an AMP that exhibits a wide range of antimicrobial activity against bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. LL37 loaded SM hydrogels demonstrated controlled release with 70%-95% of loaded LL37 over 8 h due to charge-mediated interactions between mucins and LL37 AMPs. Compared to treatment with LL37 alone where antimicrobial activity was reduced after 3 h, LL37-SM hydrogels inhibited P. aeruginosa (PAO1) growth over 12 h. LL37-SM hydrogel treatment reduced PAO1 viability over 6 h whereas a rebound in bacterial growth was observed when treated with LL37 only. These data demonstrate LL37-SM hydrogels enhance antimicrobial activity by preserving LL37 AMP activity and bioavailability. Overall, this work establishes SM biomaterials as a platform for enhanced AMP delivery for antimicrobial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney Yang
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Gregg A Duncan
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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16
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Wei Z, Rolle MW, Camesano TA. Characterization of LL37 Binding to Collagen through Peptide Modification with a Collagen-Binding Domain. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:35370-35381. [PMID: 37779975 PMCID: PMC10536065 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Collagen-based biomaterials loaded with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) present a promising approach for promoting wound healing while providing protection against infections. In our previous work, we modified the AMP LL37 by incorporating a collagen-binding domain (cCBD) as an anchoring unit for collagen-based wound dressings. We demonstrated that cCBD-modified LL37 (cCBD-LL37) exhibited improved retention on collagen after washing with PBS. However, the binding mechanism of cCBD-LL37 to collagen remained to be elucidated. In this study, we found that cCBD-LL37 showed a slightly higher affinity for collagen compared to LL37. Our results indicated that cCBD inhibited cCBD-LL37 binding to collagen but did not fully eliminate the binding. This suggests that cCBD-LL37 binding to collagen may involve more than just one-site-specific binding through the collagen-binding domain, with non-specific interactions also playing a role. Electrostatic studies revealed that both LL37 and cCBD-LL37 interact with collagen via long-range electrostatic forces, initiating low-affinity binding that transitions to close-range or hydrophobic interactions. Circular dichroism analysis showed that cCBD-LL37 exhibited enhanced structural stability compared to LL37 under varying ionic strengths and pH conditions, implying potential improvements in antimicrobial activity. Moreover, we demonstrated that the release of LL37 and cCBD-LL37 into the surrounding medium was influenced by the electrostatic environment, but cCBD could enhance the retention of peptide on collagen scaffolds. Collectively, these results provide important insights into cCBD-modified AMP-binding mechanisms and suggest that the addition of cCBD may enhance peptide structural stability and retention under varying electrostatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Wei
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic
Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Marsha W. Rolle
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic
Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Terri A. Camesano
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic
Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
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17
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Chen X, Su S, Yan Y, Yin L, Liu L. Anti- Pseudomonas aeruginosa activity of natural antimicrobial peptides when used alone or in combination with antibiotics. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1239540. [PMID: 37731929 PMCID: PMC10508351 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1239540] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization has recently published a list of 12 drug-resistant bacteria that posed a significant threat to human health, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was among them. In China, P. aeruginosa is a common pathogen in hospital acquired pneumonia, accounting for 16.9-22.0%. It is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen that can infect individuals with weakened immune systems, leading to hospital-acquired acute and systemic infections. The excessive use of antibiotics has led to the development of various mechanisms in P. aeruginosa to resist conventional drugs. Thus, there is an emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, posing a major challenge to conventional antibiotics and therapeutic approaches. Antimicrobial peptides are an integral component of host defense and have been found in many living organisms. Most antimicrobial peptides are characterized by negligible host toxicity and low resistance rates, making them become promising for use as antimicrobial products. This review particularly focuses on summarizing the inhibitory activity of natural antimicrobial peptides against P. aeruginosa planktonic cells and biofilms, as well as the drug interactions when these peptides used in combination with conventional antibiotics. Moreover, the underlying mechanism of these antimicrobial peptides against P. aeruginosa strains was mainly related to destroy the membrane structure through interacting with LPS or increasing ROS levels, or targeting cellular components, leaded to cell lysis. Hopefully, this analysis will provide valuable experimental data on developing novel compounds to combat P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqi Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Su
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Limei Yin
- Department of Pharmacy, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lihong Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
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18
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Han W, Camesano TA. LL37-Derived Fragments Improve the Antibacterial Potential of Penicillin G and Ampicillin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1398. [PMID: 37760695 PMCID: PMC10525415 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091398] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are a severe threat to public health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are novel and potential antimicrobials with specific antibacterial mechanisms. Our aim was to study the potential of LL37, FK16, and FK13 to enhance the anti-MRSA activity of antibiotics in vitro, particularly penicillin G and ampicillin. Our results showed that FK16 and FK13 have more synergistic inhibitory effects to MRSA strains when combined with penicillin G and ampicillin. In addition, AMPs exhibited strong membrane permeabilizing properties, and membrane permeabilizing effects can provide a possible explanation for the improved antibacterial effects of antibiotics, since permeabilizing AMPs have the potential to increase the access of antibiotics. To further study the electrostatic interactions among cationic AMPs with negatively charged bacteria, we measured the zeta potentials of three MRSA strains and also neutralized three MRSA strains with the addition of cationic AMPs. Further, we demonstrated the connection between membrane permeabilization and zeta potential neutralization. Finally, we treated MRSA strains with AMPs and characterized the MICs of penicillin G and ampicillin. FK16 was the most promising AMP among the three AMPs, since exposure to FK16 decreased the MICs of both penicillin G and ampicillin for all MRSA strains and also demonstrated more synergistic combinations when combined with antibiotics. AMP exposure and subsequent membrane permeabilization provide a possible pathway to re-sensitize drug-resistant bacteria to traditional antibiotics. Re-sensitization may help preserve the effectiveness of traditional antibiotics, thus providing a potential new strategy for fighting MRSA infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Terri A. Camesano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA;
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19
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Soundrarajan N, Somasundaram P, Kim D, Cho HS, Jeon H, Ahn B, Kang M, Song H, Park C. Effective Healing of Staphylococcus aureus-Infected Wounds in Pig Cathelicidin Protegrin-1-Overexpressing Transgenic Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11658. [PMID: 37511418 PMCID: PMC10380341 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising alternatives to existing treatments for multidrug-resistant bacteria-infected wounds. Therefore, the effect of protegrin-1 (PG1), a potent porcine AMP with broad-spectrum activity, on wound healing was evaluated. PG1-overexpressing transgenic mice were used as an in vivo model to evaluate its healing efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus-infected (106 colony forming units) wounds. We analyzed the wounds under four specific conditions in the presence or absence of antibiotic treatment. We observed the resolution of bacterial infection and formation of neo-epithelium in S. aureus-infected wounds of the mice, even without antibiotic treatment, whereas all wild-type mice with bacterial infection died within 8 to 10 days due to uncontrolled bacterial proliferation. Interestingly, the wound area on day 7 was smaller (p < 0.01) in PG1 transgenic mice than that in the other groups, including antibiotic-treated mice, suggesting that PG1 exerts biological effects other than bactericidal effect. Additionally, we observed that the treatment of primary epidermal keratinocytes with recombinant PG1 enhanced cell migration in in vitro scratch and cell migration assays. This study contributes to the understanding of broad-spectrum endogenous cathelicidins with potent antimicrobial activities, such as PG1, on wound healing. Furthermore, our findings suggest that PG1 is a potent therapeutic candidate for wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Prathap Somasundaram
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohun Kim
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Sun Cho
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoim Jeon
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeonyong Ahn
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingue Kang
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyuk Song
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Chankyu Park
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
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20
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Dong X, Shan H, Wang S, Jiang Z, Wang S, Qin Z. High expression of antimicrobial peptides cathelicidin-BF in Pichia pastoris and verification of its activity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1153365. [PMID: 37362941 PMCID: PMC10288212 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1153365] [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: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibacterial peptides are endogenous polypeptides produced by multicellular organisms to protect the host against pathogenic microbes, they show broad spectrum antimicrobial activities against various microorganisms and possess low propensity for developing resistance. The purpose of this study is to develop recombinant antibacterial peptide cathelicidin-BF by genetic engineering and protein engineering technology, and study its antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo, so as to provide reference for the production and application of recombinant antibacterial peptide cathelicidin-BF. In this study, on account of Pichia pastoris eukaryotic expression system, we expressed and prepared antibacterial peptide cathelicidin-BF. Then, the minimum inhibitory concentration of antibacterial peptide cathelicidin-BF and the comparison with the antibacterial activity of antibiotics were determined through the antibacterial experiment in vitro. Chickens as infection model were used to verify the antibacterial peptide activity in vivo. The results show that the bacteriostatic ability of antibacterial peptide cathelicidin-BF is similar to that of antibiotics in certain concentration, and can reach the treatment level of antibiotics. Although the mode of administration of antibacterial peptide is still limited, this study can provide reference for the future research of antibacterial peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Dong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hu Shan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Shubai Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhengjun Jiang
- Shandong Hwatson Biochem Co. Ltd, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Shaojuan Wang
- Shandong Hwatson Biochem Co. Ltd, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Zhihua Qin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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21
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Blest HTW, Chauveau L. cGAMP the travelling messenger. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1150705. [PMID: 37287967 PMCID: PMC10242147 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1150705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
2'3'-cGAMP is a key molecule in the cGAS-STING pathway. This cyclic dinucleotide is produced by the cytosolic DNA sensor cGAS in response to the presence of aberrant dsDNA in the cytoplasm which is associated with microbial invasion or cellular damage. 2'3'-cGAMP acts as a second messenger and activates STING, the central hub of DNA sensing, to induce type-I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines necessary for responses against infection, cancer or cellular stress. Classically, detection of pathogens or danger by pattern recognition receptors (PRR) was thought to signal and induce the production of interferon and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the cell where sensing occurred. These interferon and cytokines then signal in both an autocrine and paracrine manner to induce responses in neighboring cells. Deviating from this dogma, recent studies have identified multiple mechanisms by which 2'3'-cGAMP can travel to neighboring cells where it activates STING independent of DNA sensing by cGAS. This observation is of great importance, as the cGAS-STING pathway is involved in immune responses against microbial invaders and cancer while its dysregulation drives the pathology of a wide range of inflammatory diseases to which antagonists have been elusive. In this review, we describe the fast-paced discoveries of the mechanisms by which 2'3'-cGAMP can be transported. We further highlight the diseases where they are important and detail how this change in perspective can be applied to vaccine design, cancer immunotherapies and treatment of cGAS-STING associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry T. W. Blest
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lise Chauveau
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM) - CNRS UMR 9004, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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22
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van Dijk A, Guabiraba R, Bailleul G, Schouler C, Haagsman HP, Lalmanach AC. Evolutionary diversification of defensins and cathelicidins in birds and primates. Mol Immunol 2023; 157:53-69. [PMID: 36996595 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Divergent evolution for more than 310 million years has resulted in an avian immune system that is complex and more compact than that of primates, sharing much of its structure and functions. Not surprisingly, well conserved ancient host defense molecules, such as defensins and cathelicidins, have diversified over time. In this review, we describe how evolution influenced the host defense peptides repertoire, its distribution, and the relationship between structure and biological functions. Marked features of primate and avian HDPs are linked to species-specific characteristics, biological requirements, and environmental challenge.
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23
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Abreu R, Semedo-Lemsaddek T, Cunha E, Tavares L, Oliveira M. Antimicrobial Drug Resistance in Poultry Production: Current Status and Innovative Strategies for Bacterial Control. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11040953. [PMID: 37110376 PMCID: PMC10141167 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11040953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The world population’s significant increase has promoted a higher consumption of poultry products, which must meet the specified demand while maintaining their quality and safety. It is well known that conventional antimicrobials (antibiotics) have been used in livestock production, including poultry, as a preventive measure against or for the treatment of infectious bacterial diseases. Unfortunately, the use and misuse of these compounds has led to the development and dissemination of antimicrobial drug resistance, which is currently a serious public health concern. Multidrug-resistant bacteria are on the rise, being responsible for serious infections in humans and animals; hence, the goal of this review is to discuss the consequences of antimicrobial drug resistance in poultry production, focusing on the current status of this agroeconomic sector. Novel bacterial control strategies under investigation for application in this industry are also described. These innovative approaches include antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophages, probiotics and nanoparticles. Challenges related to the application of these methods are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Abreu
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Eva Cunha
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luís Tavares
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Manuela Oliveira
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
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Lu K, Tan JS, Li TQ, Yuan J, Wang H, Wang W. An inverse causal association between genetically predicted vitamin D and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1111950. [PMID: 37006939 PMCID: PMC10050703 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1111950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
AimObservational studies have reported that levels of vitamin D were associated with the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the relationship between them may have been confounded in previous studies. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and the risk of COPD by two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.MethodsSummary statistics for 25OHD and COPD in this study were obtained from the EBI (n = 496,946) consortium and Finn (n = 187,754) consortium. MR was adopted to explore the effect of the genetically predicted levels of 25OHD on the risk of COPD. Based on three assumptions of MR analysis, inverse variance weighting was used as the main analysis. To make our results more robust and reliable, MR Egger’s intercept test, Cochran’s Q test, funnel plot, and “leave-one-out” sensitivity analysis were used to assess the potential pleiotropy and heterogeneity in this study. Then, colocalization analysis and MR Steiger approaches were used to estimate the possible directions of estimates between them. Finally, we analyzed the causal associations between the four core genes (DHCR7, GC, CYP2R1, and CYP24A1) of vitamin D and the levels of 25OHD or the risk of COPD.ResultsOur results showed that each 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in the genetically predicted 25OHD level was associated with a 57.2% lower relative risk of COPD [odds ratio (OR): 0.428, 95% Cl: 0.279–0.657, p = 1.041 × 10−4], and the above association was also verified by maximum likelihood (OR: 0.427, 95% Cl: 0.277–0.657, p = 1.084 × 10−4), MR–Egger (OR: 0.271, 95% CI: 0.176–0.416, p = 2.466 × 10−4), MR-PRESSO (OR: 0.428, 95% Cl: 0.281–0.652, p = 1.421 × 10−4) and MR-RAPS (OR: 0.457, 95% Cl: 0.293–0.712, p = 5.450 × 10−4). Furthermore, colocalization analyses (rs3829251, PP.H4 = 0.99) and MR Steiger (“TRUE”) also showed a reverse association between them. Besides, the core genes of vitamin D also showed similar results except for CYP24A1.ConclusionOur findings provide evidence for a reverse association between genetically predicted 25OHD levels and COPD risk. Taking measures to supplement 25OHD may help reduce the incidence of COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kening Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Cotton Hybrid R&D Engineering Center (Ministry of Education), College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiang-Shan Tan
- Emergency Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tian-Qi Li
- Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Vascular Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaqin Yuan
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second People’s Hospital of Yibin, Yibin, China
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
- *Correspondence: Wenting Wang,
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Yang S, Duncan G. Synthetic Mucus Biomaterials for Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531025. [PMID: 36945438 PMCID: PMC10028879 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite the promise of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections, their therapeutic efficacy is limited due to the rapid degradation and low bioavailability of AMPs. To address this, we have developed and characterized a synthetic mucus (SM) biomaterial capable of delivering AMPs and enhancing their therapeutic effect. LL37 loaded SM hydrogels demonstrated controlled release of LL37 over 8 hours as a result of charge-mediated interactions between mucins and LL37 AMPs. Compared to treatment with LL37 alone where antimicrobial activity was reduced after 3 hours, LL37-SM hydrogels inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 growth over 12 hours. LL37-SM hydrogel treatment reduced PAO1 viability over 6 hours whereas a rebound in bacterial growth was observed when treated with LL37 only. These data demonstrate LL37-SM hydrogels enhance antimicrobial activity by preserving LL37 AMP activity and bioavailability. Overall, this work establishes SM biomaterials as a platform for enhanced AMP delivery for antimicrobial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney Yang
- University of Maryland, Fischell Department of Bioengineering, College Park, MD
| | - Gregg Duncan
- University of Maryland, Fischell Department of Bioengineering, College Park, MD
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Jin S, Yang R, Hu C, Xiao S, Zuo Y, Man Y, Li Y, Li J. Plant-Derived Polyphenol and LL-37 Peptide-Modified Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Promotion of Antibacterial Activity, Anti-Inflammation, and Type-H Vascularized Bone Regeneration. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:7804-7820. [PMID: 36725088 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c20776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The regeneration of oral tissues is a challenging clinical problem because of the complex microbial and biological stress environments. Electrospun fibrous scaffolds have attracted significant interest as effective barrier membranes for guided bone regeneration (GBR); however, no mature strategy yet exists for the surface modification of fibers to provide versatility to satisfy clinical requirements. This study demonstrated a practical biosafety strategy: the combined use of plant polyphenols and LL-37 peptides to modify the fiber surface to endow the fibrous scaffold with antimicrobial activity, immunoregulation, and vascularized bone regeneration. We confirmed that the LL-37 peptides interacted with tannic acid (TA) through noncovalent bonds through experiments and molecular docking simulation analysis. In vitro experiments showed that the TA coating imparted strong antibacterial properties to the fibrous scaffold, but it also caused cytotoxicity. The grafting of LL-37 peptide promoted the spreading, migration, and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and was also conducive to the M2 polarization of RAW264.7 cells. In vivo experiments further verified that the LL-37 peptide-grafted fibrous scaffold significantly enhanced angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory effects, and type-H vascularized bone regeneration. Overall, the fibrous scaffold modified by the LL-37 peptide through TA grafting has significant potential for GBR applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shue Jin
- Analytical & Testing Center, Orthopedic Research Institute, Department of Orthopedic, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610065, P. R. China
| | - Renli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu610041, P. R. China
| | - Chen Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu610041, P. R. China
| | - Shiqi Xiao
- Analytical & Testing Center, Orthopedic Research Institute, Department of Orthopedic, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610065, P. R. China
| | - Yi Zuo
- Analytical & Testing Center, Orthopedic Research Institute, Department of Orthopedic, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610065, P. R. China
| | - Yi Man
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu610041, P. R. China
| | - Yubao Li
- Analytical & Testing Center, Orthopedic Research Institute, Department of Orthopedic, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610065, P. R. China
| | - Jidong Li
- Analytical & Testing Center, Orthopedic Research Institute, Department of Orthopedic, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610065, P. R. China
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Muhammad T, Strömstedt AA, Gunasekera S, Göransson U. Transforming Cross-Linked Cyclic Dimers of KR-12 into Stable and Potent Antimicrobial Drug Leads. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020504. [PMID: 36831040 PMCID: PMC9953701 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Is it possible to enhance structural stability and biological activity of KR-12, a truncated antimicrobial peptide derived from the human host defense peptide LL-37? Based on the mapping of essential residues in KR-12, we have designed backbone-cyclized dimers, cross-linked via a disulfide bond to improve peptide stability, while at the same time improving on-target activity. Circular dichroism showed that each of the dimers adopts a primarily alpha-helical conformation (55% helical content) when bound to lyso-phosphatidylglycerol micelles, indicating that the helical propensity of the parent peptide is maintained in the new cross-linked cyclic form. Compared to KR-12, one of the cross-linked dimers showed 16-fold more potent antimicrobial activity against human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans and 8-fold increased activity against Escherichia coli. Furthermore, these peptides retained antimicrobial activity at physiologically relevant conditions, including in the presence of salts and in human serum, and with selective Gram-negative antibacterial activity in rich growth media. In addition to giving further insight into the structure-activity relationship of KR-12, the current work demonstrates that by combining peptide stabilization strategies (dimerization, backbone cyclization, and cross-linking via a disulfide bond), KR-12 can be engineered into a potent antimicrobial peptide drug lead with potential utility in a therapeutic context.
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Omptin Proteases of Enterobacterales Show Conserved Regulation by the PhoPQ Two-Component System but Exhibit Divergent Protection from Antimicrobial Host Peptides and Complement. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0051822. [PMID: 36533918 PMCID: PMC9872669 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00518-22] [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: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria that colonize eukaryotic surfaces interact with numerous antimicrobial host-produced molecules, including host defense peptides, complement, and antibodies. Bacteria have evolved numerous strategies to both detect and resist these molecules, and in the Enterobacterales order of bacteria these include alterations of the cell surface lipopolysaccharide structure and/or charge and the production of proteases that can degrade these antimicrobial molecules. Here, we show that omptin family proteases from Escherichia coli and Citrobacter rodentium are regulated by the PhoPQ system. Omptin protease activity is induced by growth in low Mg2+, and deletion of PhoP dramatically reduces omptin protease activity, transcriptional regulation, and protein levels. We identify conserved PhoP-binding sites in the promoters of the E. coli omptin genes ompT, ompP, and arlC as well as in croP of Citrobacter rodentium and show that mutation of the putative PhoP-binding site in the ompT promoter abrogates PhoP-dependent expression. Finally, we show that although regulation by PhoPQ is conserved, each of the omptin proteins has differential activity toward host defense peptides, complement components, and resistance to human serum, suggesting that each omptin confers unique survival advantages against specific host antimicrobial factors.
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Zarei-Mehrvarz E, Fahimirad S, Ghaznavi-Rad E, Abbasian SS, Abtahi H. The LL-37 Antimicrobial Peptide as a Treatment for Systematic Infection of Acinetobacter baumannii in a Mouse Model. Protein Pept Lett 2023; 30:44-53. [PMID: 36177621 DOI: 10.2174/0929866529666220929160704] [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: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) played a critical role in the innate immunity of the host and are considered natural sources illustrating a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity with high specificity and low cytotoxicity. AMPs generally possess a net positive charge and have amphipathic structures. Thus, AMPs can bind and interact with negatively charged bacterial cell membranes, leading to destructive defects in biomembranes and ending in cell death. LL37 is the only human cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptide that shows a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS To determine the antibacterial efficiency of LL37 in a mouse model of systemic A. baumannii infection, LL37 corresponding gene was expressed in E. coli, purification and refolding situations were optimized. The antimicrobial performance of produced LL-37 against A. baumannii was evaluated in vitro via MIC and Time Kill assays, and its destructive effects on the bacterial cell were confirmed by SEM image. RESULTS The recombinant LL37 showed strong antibacterial function against A. baumannii at 1.5 μg/mL concentration. Time kill assay showed a sharp reduction of cell viability during the first period of exposure, and complete cell death was recorded after 40 min exposure. CONCLUSION Furthermore, in vivo results represented a significant ability of LL37 in the treatment of systematic infected mouse models, and all infected mice receiving LL37 protein survived without no trace of bacteria in their blood samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Zarei-Mehrvarz
- Molecular and Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Shohreh Fahimirad
- Molecular and Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Ehsanollah Ghaznavi-Rad
- Molecular and Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | | | - Hamid Abtahi
- Molecular and Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
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Modified Drug-Susceptibility Testing and Screening Culture Agar for Colistin-Susceptible Enterobacteriaceae Isolates Harboring a Mobilized Colistin Resistance Gene mcr-9. J Clin Microbiol 2022; 60:e0139922. [PMID: 36445156 PMCID: PMC9769915 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01399-22] [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: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Three isolates of the Enterobacter cloacae complex harboring mcr-9, a member of the colistin resistance mcr gene family encoded on plasmids, were susceptible to colistin, with MICs of 0.125 to 0.5 μg/mL in standard broth microdilution (BMD) tests using cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CA-MHB) in accordance with European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing guidelines. In contrast, their MICs for colistin were significantly higher (4 to 128 μg/mL) when BMD tests were performed using brain-heart infusion (BHI) medium, Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, tryptic soy broth (TSB), or CA-MHB supplemented with casein, tryptonen or peptone. Colistin significantly induced mcr-9 expression in a dose-dependent manner when these mcr-9-positive isolates were cultured in BHI or CA-MHB supplemented with peptone/casein. Pretreatment of mcr-9-positive isolates and Escherichia coli DH5α harboring mcr-9 with colistin significantly increased their survival rates against LL-37, a human antimicrobial peptide. Electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis showed that a lipid A moiety of lipopolysaccharide was partially modified by phosphoethanolamine in E. coli DH5α harboring mcr-9 when treated with colistin. Of 93 clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, only the mcr-9-positive isolates showed MICs to colistin that were at least 32 times higher in BHI than in CA-MHB. These mcr-9-positive isolates grew on a modified BHI agar, MCR9-JU, containing 3 μg/mL colistin. These results suggest that the BMD method using BHI is useful when performed together with the BMD method using CA-MHB to detect mcr-9-positive isolates and that MCR9-JU agar is useful in screening for Enterobacteriaceae isolates harboring mcr-9 and other colistin-resistant isolates.
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Deciphering Structure-Function Relationship Unveils Salt-Resistant Mode of Action of a Potent MRSA-Inhibiting Antimicrobial Peptide, RR14. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0031222. [PMID: 36377870 PMCID: PMC9765028 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00312-22] [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: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria lead to considerable morbidity and mortality, threatening public health worldwide. In particular, infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital and community settings are becoming a serious health problem. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered novel therapeutic targets against MDR bacteria. However, salt sensitivity reduces the bactericidal potency of AMPs, posing a major obstacle for their development as antibiotics. Thus, the design and development of salt-insensitive peptides with potent antibacterial activity is imperative. Here, we employed biochemical and biophysical examinations coupled with molecular modeling to systematically investigate the structure-function relationship of a novel salt-insensitive AMP, RR14. The secondary structure of RR14 was characterized as an apparent α-helix, a structure that confers strong membrane-permeabilizing ability targeting bacterial-mimetic membranes. Additionally, the bioactive structure of RR14 was determined in complex with dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles, where it possesses a central α-helical segment comprising residues R4 to K13 (R4-K13). RR14 was observed to orient itself into the DPC micelle with its N terminus and the α-helical segment (I5-R10) buried inside the micelles, which is essential for membrane permeabilization and bactericidal activity. Moreover, the specific and featured arrangement of positively charged residues of RR14 on its amphipathic helical conformation has great potential to render its strong salt resistance ability. Our study explored the structure-function relationship of RR14, explaining its possible mode of action against MRSA and other microbes. The insights obtained are of great applicability for the development of new antibacterial agents. IMPORTANCE Many antimicrobial peptides have been observed to become inactive in the presence of high salt concentrations. To further develop new and novel AMPs with potent bactericidal activity and salt insensitivity, understanding the structural basis for salt resistance is important. Here, we employed biochemical and biophysical examinations to systematically investigate the structure-function relationship of a novel salt-insensitive AMP, RR14. RR14 was observed to orient itself into DPC micelles with the N terminus and the α-helical segment (I5-R10) buried inside the micelles, which is essential for membrane permeabilization and bactericidal activity. Moreover, the specific and featured arrangement of cationic residues of RR14 on its amphipathic helical conformation renders its strong salt resistance ability. The insights obtained are of great applicability for developing new antibacterial agents.
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Liu Y, Zhang X, Meng C, Ji S, Guo K. Antimicrobial activity of the recombinant peptide Melittin-Thanatin with three glycine to tryptophan mutations. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2022:1-11. [PMID: 36508334 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2022.2151016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide was considered an important target for developing novel antibacterial drugs. However, the unstable biological activity and the low antibacterial activity are challenges for the application of recombinant proteins. In this study, the fusion peptide of Melittin-Thanatin (MT) was designed and produced, and its derivative sequence (MT-W) was obtained by replacing three glycines (Gly, G) with tryptophan (Trp, W). The MT-W peptide were synthesized in Bacillus subtilis WB700 by EDDIE self-cleavage protein fusion. Compared with MT, MT-W exhibited 2-4 times higher antibacterial rate against Escherichia coli K88. In addition, MT-W showed lower cytotoxicity (IC50 > 300 mg·L-1) to the red blood cell, and more stable biological activities under the conditions of different temperatures (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 °C), pH values (2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0) and different proteases. Especially, MT-W showed a broader antibacterial effect on three drug-resistant strains than florfenicol and oxytetracycline calcium. In conclusion, compared with MT, the MT-W showed increased antibacterial activity, stability, lower cytotoxicity, and broader antimicrobial effect. Therefore, it would become a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xiuping Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, China
| | - Chunyan Meng
- Beijing Sinogene High-Tech Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Shengyue Ji
- Beijing Sinogene High-Tech Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kangkang Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Disparate Regions of the Human Chemokine CXCL10 Exhibit Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Activity against Biodefense and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 9:122-139. [PMID: 36475632 PMCID: PMC9841529 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
CXCL10 is a pro-inflammatory chemokine produced by the host in response to microbial infection. In addition to canonical, receptor-dependent actions affecting immune-cell migration and activation, CXCL10 has also been found to directly kill a broad range of pathogenic bacteria. Prior investigations suggest that the bactericidal effects of CXCL10 occur through two distinct pathways that compromise the cell envelope. These observations raise the intriguing notion that CXCL10 features a separable pair of antimicrobial domains. Herein, we affirm this possibility through peptide-based mapping and structure/function analyses, which demonstrate that discrete peptides derived from the N- and C-terminal regions of CXCL10 mediate bacterial killing. The N-terminal derivative, peptide P1, exhibited marked antimicrobial activity against Bacillus anthracis vegetative bacilli and spores, as well as antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecium, and Staphylococcus aureus, among others. At bactericidal concentrations, peptide P1 had a minimal degree of chemotactic activity, but did not cause red blood cell hemolysis or cytotoxic effects against primary human cells. The C-terminal derivative, peptide P9, exhibited antimicrobial effects, but only against Gram-negative bacteria in low-salt medium─conditions under which the peptide can adopt an α-helical conformation. The introduction of a hydrocarbon staple induced and stabilized α-helicity; accordingly, stapled peptide P9 displayed significantly improved bactericidal effects against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in media containing physiologic levels of salt. Together, our findings identify and characterize the antimicrobial regions of CXCL10 and functionalize these novel determinants as discrete peptides with potential therapeutic utility against difficult-to-treat pathogens.
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De San Nicolas N, Asokan A, Rosa RD, Voisin SN, Travers MA, Rocha G, Dantan L, Dorant Y, Mitta G, Petton B, Charrière GM, Escoubas JM, Boulo V, Pouzadoux J, Meudal H, Loth K, Aucagne V, Delmas AF, Bulet P, Montagnani C, Destoumieux-Garzón D. Functional Diversification of Oyster Big Defensins Generates Antimicrobial Specificity and Synergy against Members of the Microbiota. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:745. [PMID: 36547892 PMCID: PMC9786018 DOI: 10.3390/md20120745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Big defensins are two-domain antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that have highly diversified in mollusks. Cg-BigDefs are expressed by immune cells in the oyster Crassostrea gigas, and their expression is dampened during the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS), which evolves toward fatal bacteremia. We evaluated whether Cg-BigDefs contribute to the control of oyster-associated microbial communities. Two Cg-BigDefs that are representative of molecular diversity within the peptide family, namely Cg-BigDef1 and Cg-BigDef5, were characterized by gene cloning and synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis and native chemical ligation. Synthetic peptides were tested for antibacterial activity against a collection of culturable bacteria belonging to the oyster microbiota, characterized by 16S sequencing and MALDI Biotyping. We first tested the potential of Cg-BigDefs to control the oyster microbiota by injecting synthetic Cg-BigDef1 into oyster tissues and analyzing microbiota dynamics over 24 h by 16S metabarcoding. Cg-BigDef1 induced a significant shift in oyster microbiota β-diversity after 6 h and 24 h, prompting us to investigate antimicrobial activities in vitro against members of the oyster microbiota. Both Cg-BigDef1 and Cg-BigDef5 were active at a high salt concentration (400 mM NaCl) and showed broad spectra of activity against bacteria associated with C. gigas pathologies. Antimicrobial specificity was observed for both molecules at an intra- and inter-genera level. Remarkably, antimicrobial spectra of Cg-BigDef1 and Cg-BigDef5 were complementary, and peptides acted synergistically. Overall, we found that primary sequence diversification of Cg-BigDefs has generated specificity and synergy and extended the spectrum of activity of this peptide family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie De San Nicolas
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Aromal Asokan
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire UPR4301 CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Rafael D. Rosa
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
| | | | - Marie-Agnès Travers
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Gustavo Rocha
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
| | - Luc Dantan
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Yann Dorant
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Guillaume Mitta
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Ifremer, IRD, ILM, Université de Polynésie Française, UMR EIO, Vairao 98179, French Polynesia
| | - Bruno Petton
- Ifremer, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR UMR 6539, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 29840 Argenton-en-Landunvez, France
| | - Guillaume M. Charrière
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Michel Escoubas
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Viviane Boulo
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Juliette Pouzadoux
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Hervé Meudal
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire UPR4301 CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Karine Loth
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire UPR4301 CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France
- UFR ST, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Vincent Aucagne
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire UPR4301 CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Agnès F. Delmas
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire UPR4301 CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Philippe Bulet
- Plateforme BioPark d’Archamps, Archparc, 74160 Archamps, France
- CR UGA, IAB, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR5309, 74160 La Tronche-Archamps, France
| | - Caroline Montagnani
- IHPE, University Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 34090 Montpellier, France
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Chinipardaz Z, Zhong JM, Yang S. Regulation of LL-37 in Bone and Periodontium Regeneration. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12101533. [PMID: 36294968 PMCID: PMC9604716 DOI: 10.3390/life12101533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The goal of regenerative therapy is to restore the structure and function of the lost tissues in the fields of medicine and dentistry. However, there are some challenges in regeneration therapy such as the delivery of oxygen and nutrition, and the risk of infection in conditions such as periodontitis, osteomyelitis, etc. Leucine leucine-37 (LL-37) is a 37-residue, amphipathic, and helical peptide found only in humans and is expressed throughout the body. It has been shown to induce neovascularization and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. LL-37 also stimulates the migration and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Recent studies have shown that LL-37 plays an important role in the innate defense system through the elimination of pathogenic microbes and the modulation of the host immune response. LL-37 also manifests other functions such as promoting wound healing, angiogenesis, cell differentiation, and modulating apoptosis. This review summarizes the current studies on the structure, expression, and function of LL-37 and highlights the contributions of LL-37 to oral cavity, periodontium, and bone regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Chinipardaz
- Department of Basic and Translation Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 40th Street, Levy 437, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jessica M. Zhong
- Department of Basic and Translation Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 40th Street, Levy 437, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shuying Yang
- Department of Basic and Translation Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 40th Street, Levy 437, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- The Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Correspondence:
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Bourgade K, Frost EH, Dupuis G, Witkowski JM, Laurent B, Calmettes C, Ramassamy C, Desroches M, Rodrigues S, Fülöp T. Interaction Mechanism Between the HSV-1 Glycoprotein B and the Antimicrobial Peptide Amyloid-β. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2022; 6:599-606. [DOI: 10.3233/adr-220061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Unravelling the mystery of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) requires urgent resolution given the worldwide increase of the aging population. There is a growing concern that the current leading AD hypothesis, the amyloid cascade hypothesis, does not stand up to validation with respect to emerging new data. Indeed, several paradoxes are being discussed in the literature, for instance, both the deposition of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and the intracellular neurofibrillary tangles could occur within the brain without any cognitive pathology. Thus, these paradoxes suggest that something more fundamental is at play in the onset of the disease and other key and related pathomechanisms must be investigated. Objective: The present study follows our previous investigations on the infectious hypothesis, which posits that some pathogens are linked to late onset AD. Our studies also build upon the finding that Aβ is a powerful antimicrobial agent, produced by neurons in response to viral infection, capable of inhibiting pathogens as observed in in vitro experiments. Herein, we ask what are the molecular mechanisms in play when Aβ neutralizes infectious pathogens? Methods: To answer this question, we probed at nanoscale lengths with FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer), the interaction between Aβ peptides and glycoprotein B (responsible of virus-cell binding) within the HSV-1 virion Results: The experiments show an energy transfer between Aβ peptides and glycoprotein B when membrane is intact. No energy transfer occurs after membrane disruption or treatment with blocking antibody. Conclusion: We concluded that Aβ insert into viral membrane, close to glycoprotein B, and participate in virus neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Bourgade
- Research Center on Aging, Geriatric Division, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Eric H. Frost
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Gilles Dupuis
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate Program in Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Jacek M. Witkowski
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Benoit Laurent
- Research Center on Aging, Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Mathieu Desroches
- MathNeuro Team, Inria Sophia Antipolis Méditerranée, France
- Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
| | - Serafim Rodrigues
- Ikerbasque, The Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- BCAM - The Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Tamás Fülöp
- Research Center on Aging, Geriatric Division, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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Perez-Rodriguez A, Eraso E, Quindós G, Mateo E. Antimicrobial Peptides with Anti-Candida Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169264. [PMID: 36012523 PMCID: PMC9409312 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycoses are accountable for millions of infections yearly worldwide. Invasive candidiasis is the most usual, presenting a high morbidity and mortality. Candida albicans remains the prevalent etiologic agent, but the incidence of other species such as Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata and Candida auris keeps increasing. These pathogens frequently show a reduced susceptibility to commonly used antifungal drugs, including polyenes, triazoles and echinocandins, and the incidence of emerging multi-drug-resistant strains of these species continues to increase. Therefore, the need to search for new molecules that target these pathogenic species in a different manner is now more urgent than ever. Nature is an almost endless source of interesting new molecules that could meet this need. Among these molecules, antimicrobial peptides, present in different sources in nature, possess some advantages over conventional antifungal agents, even with their own drawbacks, and are considered as a promising pharmacological option against a wide range of microbial infections. In this review, we describe 20 antimicrobial peptides from different origins that possess an activity against Candida.
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Choi M, Cho HS, Ahn B, Prathap S, Nagasundarapandian S, Park C. Genomewide Analysis and Biological Characterization of Cathelicidins with Potent Antimicrobial Activity and Low Cytotoxicity from Three Bat Species. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:989. [PMID: 35892379 PMCID: PMC9330922 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11080989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidins are potent antimicrobial peptides with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity in many vertebrates and an important component of the innate immune system. However, our understanding of the genetic variations and biological characteristics of bat cathelicidins is limited. In this study, we performed genome-level analysis of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidins from seven bat species in the six families, listed 19 cathelicidin-like sequences, and showed that the number of functional cathelicidin genes differed among bat species. Based on the identified biochemical characteristics of bat cathelicidins, three cathelicidins, HA-CATH (from Hipposideros armiger), ML-CATH (from Myotis lucifugus), and PD-CATH (from Phyllostomus discolor), with clear antimicrobial signatures were chemically synthesized and evaluated antimicrobial activity. HA-CATH showed narrow-spectrum antibacterial activity against a panel of 12 reference bacteria, comprising 6 Gram-negative and 6 Gram-positive strains. However, ML-CATH and PD-CATH showed potent antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 and 3 μg/mL, respectively, against Staphylococcus aureus. ML-CATH and PD-CATH also showed antifungal activities against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus cuniculi with MIC of 5 to 40 μg/mL, respectively, and 80% inhibition of the metabolism of Mucor hiemalis hyphae at 80 μg/mL, while displaying minimal cytotoxicity to HaCaT cells. Taken together, although the spectrum and efficacy of bat cathelicidins were species-dependent, the antimicrobial activity of ML-CATH and PD-CATH was comparable to that of other highly active cathelicidins in vertebrates while having negligible cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. ML-CATH and PD-CATH can be exploited as promising candidates for the development of antimicrobial therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Chankyu Park
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea; (M.C.); (H.-s.C.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (S.N.)
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White JK, Muhammad T, Alsheim E, Mohanty S, Blasi-Romero A, Gunasekera S, Strömstedt AA, Ferraz N, Göransson U, Brauner A. A stable cyclized antimicrobial peptide derived from LL-37 with host immunomodulatory effects and activity against uropathogens. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:411. [PMID: 35821354 PMCID: PMC9276586 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04440-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The increasing antibiotic resistance among uropathogenic bacteria warrants alternative therapeutic strategies. We demonstrate the potential of the synthetic peptide CD4-PP, designed by dimerization and backbone cyclization of the shortest antimicrobial region of human cathelicidin, LL-37. CD4-PP is active against clinical and type strains of common uropathogens Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at concentrations substantially below cellular cytotoxic levels and induced membrane deformation and leakage in E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, CD4-PP treatment prevented the formation of new biofilm and dissolved mature biofilm created by E. coli and P. aeruginosa and targeted curli amyloid in E. coli biofilms. In addition, CD4-PP also induced production of LL-37 by uroepithelial cells and increased the expression of tight junction proteins claudin-14 and occludin. During uroepithelial cell infection, CD4-PP significantly reduced uropathogen survival when treatment was given at the start of infection. Low micromolar of CD4-PP treatment initiated after 2 h was successful with all tested species, except P. aeruginosa where CD4-PP was unable to reduce survival, which could be attributed by early biofilm formation. Finally, we demonstrated that urinary catheter pieces coated with saline fluid supplemented with CD4-PP reduced the attachment of E. coli, giving it a potential clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Kerr White
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Taj Muhammad
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emelie Alsheim
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Soumitra Mohanty
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Blasi-Romero
- Nanotechnology and Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Box 35, 75103, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sunithi Gunasekera
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Adam A Strömstedt
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Natalia Ferraz
- Nanotechnology and Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Box 35, 75103, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulf Göransson
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Annelie Brauner
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Otazo-Pérez A, Asensio-Calavia P, González-Acosta S, Baca-González V, López MR, Morales-delaNuez A, Pérez de la Lastra JM. Antimicrobial Activity of Cathelicidin-Derived Peptide from the Iberian Mole Talpa occidentalis. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10071105. [PMID: 35891269 PMCID: PMC9323388 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10071105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune systems of all vertebrates contain cathelicidins, a family of antimicrobial peptides. Cathelicidins are a type of innate immune effector that have a number of biological functions, including a well-known direct antibacterial action and immunomodulatory function. In search of new templates for antimicrobial peptide discovery, we have identified and characterized the cathelicidin of the small mammal Talpa occidentalis. We describe the heterogeneity of cathelicidin in the order Eulipotyphla in relation to the Iberian mole and predict its antibacterial activity using bioinformatics tools. In an effort to correlate these findings, we derived the putative active peptide and performed in vitro hemolysis and antimicrobial activity assays, confirming that Iberian mole cathelicidins are antimicrobial. Our results showed that the Iberian mole putative peptide, named To-KL37 (KLFGKVGNLLQKGWQKIKNIGRRIKDFFRNIRPMQEA) has antibacterial and antifungal activity. Understanding the antimicrobial defense of insectivores may help scientists prevent the spread of pathogens to humans. We hope that this study can also provide new, effective antibacterial peptides for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Otazo-Pérez
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain; (A.O.-P.); (P.A.-C.); (S.G.-A.); (V.B.-G.); (M.R.L.); (A.M.-d.)
- Escuela de Doctorado y Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, SN. Edificio Calabaza-Apdo. 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Patricia Asensio-Calavia
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain; (A.O.-P.); (P.A.-C.); (S.G.-A.); (V.B.-G.); (M.R.L.); (A.M.-d.)
- Escuela de Doctorado y Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, SN. Edificio Calabaza-Apdo. 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Sergio González-Acosta
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain; (A.O.-P.); (P.A.-C.); (S.G.-A.); (V.B.-G.); (M.R.L.); (A.M.-d.)
- Escuela de Doctorado y Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, SN. Edificio Calabaza-Apdo. 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Victoria Baca-González
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain; (A.O.-P.); (P.A.-C.); (S.G.-A.); (V.B.-G.); (M.R.L.); (A.M.-d.)
| | - Manuel R. López
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain; (A.O.-P.); (P.A.-C.); (S.G.-A.); (V.B.-G.); (M.R.L.); (A.M.-d.)
| | - Antonio Morales-delaNuez
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain; (A.O.-P.); (P.A.-C.); (S.G.-A.); (V.B.-G.); (M.R.L.); (A.M.-d.)
| | - José Manuel Pérez de la Lastra
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain; (A.O.-P.); (P.A.-C.); (S.G.-A.); (V.B.-G.); (M.R.L.); (A.M.-d.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-922260112
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Houston S, Schovanek E, Conway KME, Mustafa S, Gomez A, Ramaswamy R, Haimour A, Boulanger MJ, Reynolds LA, Cameron CE. Identification and Functional Characterization of Peptides With Antimicrobial Activity From the Syphilis Spirochete, Treponema pallidum. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:888525. [PMID: 35722306 PMCID: PMC9200625 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.888525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The etiological agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum, is a highly invasive “stealth” pathogen that can evade the host immune response and persist within the host for decades. This obligate human pathogen is adept at establishing infection and surviving at sites within the host that have a multitude of competing microbes, sometimes including pathogens. One survival strategy employed by bacteria found at polymicrobial sites is elimination of competing microorganisms by production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Antimicrobial peptides are low molecular weight proteins (miniproteins) that function directly via inhibition and killing of microbes and/or indirectly via modulation of the host immune response, which can facilitate immune evasion. In the current study, we used bioinformatics to show that approximately 7% of the T. pallidum proteome is comprised of miniproteins of 150 amino acids or less with unknown functions. To investigate the possibility that AMP production is an unrecognized defense strategy used by T. pallidum during infection, we developed a bioinformatics pipeline to analyze the complement of T. pallidum miniproteins of unknown function for the identification of potential AMPs. This analysis identified 45 T. pallidum AMP candidates; of these, Tp0451a and Tp0749 were subjected to further bioinformatic analyses to identify AMP critical core regions (AMPCCRs). Four potential AMPCCRs from the two predicted AMPs were identified and peptides corresponding to these AMPCCRs were experimentally confirmed to exhibit bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against a panel of biologically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Immunomodulation assays performed under inflammatory conditions demonstrated that one of the AMPCCRs was also capable of differentially regulating expression of two pro-inflammatory chemokines [monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8)]. These findings demonstrate proof-of-concept for our developed AMP identification pipeline and are consistent with the novel concept that T. pallidum expresses AMPs to defend against competing microbes and modulate the host immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Houston
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Ethan Schovanek
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Kate M. E. Conway
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah Mustafa
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Alloysius Gomez
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Raghavendran Ramaswamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Ayman Haimour
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Martin J. Boulanger
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa A. Reynolds
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Caroline E. Cameron
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- *Correspondence: Caroline E. Cameron,
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Lousada MB, Lachnit T, Edelkamp J, Paus R, Bosch TCG. Hydra and the hair follicle - An unconventional comparative biology approach to exploring the human holobiont. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100233. [PMID: 35261041 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The microbiome of human hair follicles (HFs) has emerged as an important player in different HF and skin pathologies, yet awaits in-depth exploration. This raises questions regarding the tightly linked interactions between host environment, nutrient dependency of host-associated microbes, microbial metabolism, microbe-microbe interactions and host immunity. The use of simple model systems facilitates addressing generally important questions and testing overarching, therapeutically relevant principles that likely transcend obvious interspecies differences. Here, we evaluate the potential of the freshwater polyp Hydra, to dissect fundamental principles of microbiome regulation by the host, that is the human HF. In particular, we focus on therapeutically targetable host-microbiome interactions, such as nutrient dependency, microbial interactions and host defence. Offering a new lens into the study of HF - microbiota interactions, we argue that general principles of how Hydra manages its microbiota can inform the development of novel, microbiome-targeting therapeutic interventions in human skin disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta B Lousada
- Monasterium Laboratory Skin & Hair Research, Münster, Germany.,Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tim Lachnit
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Janin Edelkamp
- Monasterium Laboratory Skin & Hair Research, Münster, Germany
| | - Ralf Paus
- Monasterium Laboratory Skin & Hair Research, Münster, Germany.,Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Thomas C G Bosch
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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ELSALEM L, KHASAWNEH A, AL SHEBOUL S. WLBU2 Antimicrobial Peptide as a Potential Therapeutic for Treatment of Resistant Bacterial Infections. Turk J Pharm Sci 2022; 19:110-116. [DOI: 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2020.43078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Abstract
Ceragenins are a family of synthetic amphipathic molecules designed to mimic the properties of naturally occurring cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). Although ceragenins have potent antimicrobial activity, whether their mode of action is similar to that of CAMPs has remained elusive. Here, we reported the results of a comparative study of the bacterial responses to two well-studied CAMPs, LL37 and colistin, and two ceragenins with related structures, CSA13 and CSA131. Using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we found that Escherichia coli responded similarly to both CAMPs and ceragenins by inducing a Cpx envelope stress response. However, whereas E. coli exposed to CAMPs increased expression of genes involved in colanic acid biosynthesis, bacteria exposed to ceragenins specifically modulated functions related to phosphate transport, indicating distinct mechanisms of action between these two classes of molecules. Although traditional genetic approaches failed to identify genes that confer high-level resistance to ceragenins, using a Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats interference (CRISPRi) approach we identified E. coli essential genes that when knocked down modify sensitivity to these molecules. Comparison of the essential gene-antibiotic interactions for each of the CAMPs and ceragenins identified both overlapping and distinct dependencies for their antimicrobial activities. Overall, this study indicated that, while some bacterial responses to ceragenins overlap those induced by naturally occurring CAMPs, these synthetic molecules target the bacterial envelope using a distinctive mode of action. IMPORTANCE The development of novel antibiotics is essential because the current arsenal of antimicrobials will soon be ineffective due to the widespread occurrence of antibiotic resistance. The development of naturally occurring cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) for therapeutics to combat antibiotic resistance has been hampered by high production costs and protease sensitivity, among other factors. The ceragenins are a family of synthetic CAMP mimics that kill a broad spectrum of bacterial species but are less expensive to produce, resistant to proteolytic degradation, and seemingly resistant to the development of high-level resistance. Determining how ceragenins function may identify new essential biological pathways of bacteria that are less prone to the development of resistance and will further our understanding of the design principles for maximizing the effects of synthetic CAMPs.
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45
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Bodahl S, Cerps S, Uller L, Nilsson BO. LL-37 and Double-Stranded RNA Synergistically Upregulate Bronchial Epithelial TLR3 Involving Enhanced Import of Double-Stranded RNA and Downstream TLR3 Signaling. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020492. [PMID: 35203701 PMCID: PMC8962275 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The human host defense peptide LL-37 influences double-stranded RNA signaling, but this process is not well understood. Here, we investigate synergistic actions of LL-37 and synthetic double-stranded RNA (poly I:C) on toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) expression and signaling, and examine underlying mechanisms. In bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells, LL-37 potentiated poly I:C-induced TLR3 mRNA and protein expression demonstrated by qPCR and Western blot, respectively. Interestingly, these effects were associated with increased uptake of rhodamine-tagged poly I:C visualized by immunocytochemistry. The LL-37/poly I:C-induced upregulation of TLR3 mRNA expression was prevented by the endosomal acidification inhibitor chloroquine, indicating involvement of downstream TLR3 signaling. The glucocorticoid dexamethasone reduced LL-37/poly I:C-induced TLR3 expression on both mRNA and protein levels, and this effect was associated with increased IκBα protein expression, suggesting that dexamethasone acts via attenuation of NF-κB activity. We conclude that LL-37 potentiates poly I:C-induced upregulation of TLR3 through a mechanism that may involve enhanced import of poly I:C and that LL-37/poly I:C-induced TLR3 expression is associated with downstream TLR3 signaling and sensitive to inhibition of NF-κB activity.
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Schwäbe FV, Happonen L, Ekestubbe S, Neumann A. Host Defense Peptides LL-37 and Lactoferrin Trigger ET Release from Blood-Derived Circulating Monocytes. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020469. [PMID: 35203676 PMCID: PMC8962388 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020469] [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: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are commonly regarded as the first line of immune response during infection or in tissue injury-induced inflammation. The rapid influx of these cells results in the release of host defense proteins (HDPs) or formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). As a second wave during inflammation or infection, circulating monocytes arrive at the site. Earlier studies showed that HDPs LL-37 and Lactoferrin (LTF) activate monocytes while neutrophil elastase facilitates the formation of extracellular traps (ETs) in monocytes. However, the knowledge about the impact of HDPs on monocytes remains sparse. In the present study, we investigated the effect of LL-37 and LTF on blood-derived CD14+ monocytes. Both HDPs triggered a significant release of TNFα, nucleosomes, and monocyte ETs. Microscopic analysis indicated that ET formation by LL-37 depends on storage-operated calcium entry (SOCE), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and ERK1/2, whereas the LTF-mediated ET release is not affected by any of the here used inhibitors. Quantitative proteomics mass spectrometry analysis of the neutrophil granular content (NGC) revealed a high abundance of Lactoferrin. The stimulation of CD14+ monocytes with NGC resulted in a significant secretion of TNFα and nucleosomes, and the formation of monocyte ETs. The findings of this study provide new insight into the complex interaction of HDPs, neutrophils, and monocytes during inflammation.
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Kotlyarov S. Involvement of the Innate Immune System in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:985. [PMID: 35055174 PMCID: PMC8778852 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, socially significant disease characterized by progressive airflow limitation due to chronic inflammation in the bronchi. Although the causes of COPD are considered to be known, the pathogenesis of the disease continues to be a relevant topic of study. Mechanisms of the innate immune system are involved in various links in the pathogenesis of COPD, leading to persistence of chronic inflammation in the bronchi, their bacterial colonization and disruption of lung structure and function. Bronchial epithelial cells, neutrophils, macrophages and other cells are involved in the development and progression of the disease, demonstrating multiple compromised immune mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Kotlyarov
- Department of Nursing, Ryazan State Medical University, 390026 Ryazan, Russia
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Elsalem L, Al Sheboul S, Khasawneh A. Synergism between WLBU2 peptide and antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacter cloacae. J Appl Biomed 2021; 19:14-25. [PMID: 34907712 DOI: 10.32725/jab.2021.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacter cloacae are considered as major therapeutic challenge due to their multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype against conventional antibiotics. WLBU2 is an engineered cationic peptide with potent antimicrobial activity. This in-vitro study aimed to evaluate the effects of WLBU2 against clinical isolates of the aforementioned bacteria and assess whether synergistic effects can be achieved upon combination with conventional antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antimicrobial agents against bacterial clinical isolates (n = 30/strain) were determined using the microbroth dilution assay. The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of WLBU2 were determined from microbroth dilution (MICs) tests by subculturing to agar plates. MICs of WLBU2 were evaluated in the presence of physiological concentrations of salts including NaCl, CaCl2 and MgCl2. To identify bacterial resistance profile, MRSA were treated with Oxacillin, Erythromycin and Vancomycin, while Ceftazidime, Ceftriaxone, Ciprofloxacin and Imipenem were used against Enterobacter cloacae. Combination treatments of antibiotics and sub-inhibitory concentrations of WLBU2 were conducted when MICs indicated intermediate/resistant susceptibility. The MICs/MBCs of WLBU2 were identical for each respective bacteria with values of 0.78-6.25 μM and 1.5-12.5 μM against MRSA and Enterobacter cloacae, respectively. WLBU2 was found as salt resistant. Combination treatment showed that synergistic and additive effects were achieved in many isolates of MRSA and Enterobacter cloacae. Our data revealed that WLBU2 is a potent peptide with bactericidal activity. In addition, it demonstrated the selective advantage of WLBU2 as a potential therapeutic agent under physiological solutions. Our findings also support the combination of WLBU2 and conventional antibiotics with potential application for treatment of resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Elsalem
- Jordan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Suhaila Al Sheboul
- Jordan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Ayat Khasawneh
- Jordan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Irbid, Jordan.,The Jordanian Royal Medical Services, Department of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, Amman, Jordan
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Allen JL, Kennedy SJ, Shaw LN. Colorimetric assays for the rapid and high-throughput screening of antimicrobial peptide activity against diverse bacterial pathogens. Methods Enzymol 2021; 663:131-156. [PMID: 35168786 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
With the post-antibiotic era rapidly approaching, naturally-sourced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a prime resource for restocking our antibiotic medicine cupboard. The efficiency of identification requires high-throughput screens that can identify bioactive peptides present within abundant natural-products chemical-space. While there are multiple amenable and high sensitivity colorimetric-based screening approaches available, resazurin-based assays are cost-effective, peptide compatible, and expedient, allowing one to screen a multitude of AMPs in a high-throughput fashion. Herein, we provide a detailed protocol for the optimization and use of resazurin assays for AMP testing, providing key experimental insight, and highlight pitfalls to be avoided.
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Jabbar-Lopez ZK, Ezzamouri B, Briley A, Greenblatt D, Gurung N, Chalmers JR, Thomas KS, Frost T, Kezic S, Common JEA, Danby S, Cork MJ, Peacock JL, Flohr C. Randomized controlled pilot trial with ion-exchange water softeners to prevent eczema (SOFTER trial). Clin Exp Allergy 2021; 52:405-415. [PMID: 34854157 DOI: 10.1111/cea.14071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies suggest an increased risk of eczema in children living in hard versus soft water areas, and there is, therefore, an interest in knowing whether softening water may prevent eczema. We evaluated the feasibility of a parallel-group assessor-blinded pilot randomized controlled trial to test whether installing a domestic ion-exchange water softener before birth in hard water areas reduces the risk of eczema in infants with a family history of atopy. METHODS Pregnant women living in hard water areas (>250 mg/L calcium carbonate) in and around London UK, were randomized 1:1 antenatally to either have an ion-exchange water softener installed in their home or not (ie to continue to receive usual domestic hard water). Infants were assessed at birth and followed up for 6 months. The main end-points were around feasibility, the primary end-point being the proportion of eligible families screened who were willing and able to be randomized. Clinical end-points were evaluated including frequency of parent-reported doctor-diagnosed eczema and visible eczema on skin examination. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and no statistical testing was performed as this was a pilot study. RESULTS One hundred and forty-nine families screened were eligible antenatally and 28% (41/149) could not have a water softener installed due to technical reasons or lack of landlord approval. Eighty of 149 (54%) were randomized, the primary end-point. Two participants withdrew immediately after randomization, leaving 39 participants in each arm (78 total). Attrition was 15% (12/78) by 6 months postpartum. All respondents (n = 69) to the study acceptability questionnaire reported that the study was acceptable. Fifty-six of 708 (7.9%) water samples in the water softener arm were above the hard water threshold of 20 mg/L CaCO3 . At 6 months of age 27/67 infants (40%) developed visible eczema, 12/36 (33%) vs. 15/31 (48%) in the water softener and control groups, respectively, difference -15% (95% CI -38, 8.3%), with most assessments (≥96%) remaining blinded. Similarly, a lower proportion of infants in the water softener arm had parent-reported, doctor-diagnosed eczema by 6 months compared to the control arm, 6/17 (35%) versus 9/19 (47%), difference -12% (95% CI -44, 20%). CONCLUSION A randomized controlled trial of water softeners for the prevention of atopic eczema in high-risk infants is feasible and acceptable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z K Jabbar-Lopez
- Unit for Population-Based Dermatology, St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - B Ezzamouri
- Unit for Population-Based Dermatology, St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - A Briley
- Women's Health, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - D Greenblatt
- Unit for Population-Based Dermatology, St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - N Gurung
- Unit for Population-Based Dermatology, St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - J R Chalmers
- Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - K S Thomas
- Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - T Frost
- Aqua Focus Ltd., Shrewsbury, UK
| | - S Kezic
- Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - J E A Common
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - S Danby
- Department of Infection, Sheffield Dermatology Research, Immunity & Cardiovascular Diseases, The University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK
| | - M J Cork
- Department of Infection, Sheffield Dermatology Research, Immunity & Cardiovascular Diseases, The University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK
| | - J L Peacock
- School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - C Flohr
- Unit for Population-Based Dermatology, St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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