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Song X, Qiao Y, Ma J, Zhang X, Liu J, Xin W, Xing S, Wang Y. Co-expression of four penaeidins in transgenic rice seeds: an alternative strategy for substitute antibiotic agricultural products. Transgenic Res 2023; 32:463-473. [PMID: 37535257 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-023-00361-x] [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: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
The co-expression of multiple antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in genetically modified (GM) crops can give plants a broader antibacterial spectrum and lower the pathogen risk of drug resistance. Therefore, four penaeidins (shrimp-derived AMPs) were fused and encoded in an artificial gene (PEN1234), driven by the seed-specific promoter Pzein, with the aim of co-expression in seeds of transgenic rice. The resistant rice plants, acquired via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and glufosinate screening, were identified by PCR and the modified disk-diffusion method, and eight GM lines with high AMP content in the seeds were obtained. Among them, the PenOs017 line had the largest penaeidin content, at approximately 251-300 μg/g in seeds and 15-47 μg/g in roots and leaves. The AMPs in the seeds kept their antibacterial properties even after the seed had been boiled in hot water and could significantly inhibit the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and AMPs in the leaves could effectively inhibit Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae. The results indicate that PenOs017 seeds containing AMPs are an ideal raw-material candidate for antibiotic-free food and feed, and may require fewer petrochemical fungicides or bactericides for disease control during cultivation than conventional rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Song
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Yu Qiao
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Jian Ma
- Faculty of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130000, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Wen Xin
- Beijing TransGen Biotech Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100192, China
| | - Shaochen Xing
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China.
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China.
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2
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Tiwari P, Srivastava Y, Sharma A, Vinayagam R. Antimicrobial Peptides: The Production of Novel Peptide-Based Therapeutics in Plant Systems. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1875. [PMID: 37763279 PMCID: PMC10532476 DOI: 10.3390/life13091875] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance is alarming and has a significant impact on the economies of emerging and underdeveloped nations. The redundancy of antibiotic discovery platforms (ADPs) and injudicious use of conventional antibiotics has severely impacted millions, across the globe. Potent antimicrobials from biological sources have been extensively explored as a ray of hope to counter the growing menace of antibiotic resistance in the population. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are gaining momentum as powerful antimicrobial therapies to combat drug-resistant bacterial strains. The tremendous therapeutic potential of natural and synthesized AMPs as novel and potent antimicrobials is highlighted by their unique mode of action, as exemplified by multiple research initiatives. Recent advances and developments in antimicrobial discovery and research have increased our understanding of the structure, characteristics, and function of AMPs; nevertheless, knowledge gaps still need to be addressed before these therapeutic options can be fully exploited. This thematic article provides a comprehensive insight into the potential of AMPs as potent arsenals to counter drug-resistant pathogens, a historical overview and recent advances, and their efficient production in plants, defining novel upcoming trends in drug discovery and research. The advances in synthetic biology and plant-based expression systems for AMP production have defined new paradigms in the efficient production of potent antimicrobials in plant systems, a prospective approach to countering drug-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Tiwari
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yashdeep Srivastava
- RR Institute of Modern Technology, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226201, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Koba Institutional Area, Gandhinagar 392426, Gujarat, India;
| | - Ramachandran Vinayagam
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea;
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Abstract
Plant disease control requires novel approaches to mitigate the spread of and losses caused by current, emerging, and re-emerging diseases and to adapt plant protection to global climate change and the restrictions on the use of conventional pesticides. Currently, disease management relies mainly on biopesticides, which are required for the sustainable use of plant-protection products. Functional peptides are candidate biopesticides because they originate from living organisms or are synthetic analogs and provide novel mechanisms of action against plant pathogens. Hundreds of compounds exist that cover an extensive range of activities against viruses, bacteria and phytoplasmas, fungi and oomycetes, and nematodes. Natural sources, chemical synthesis, and biotechnological platforms may provide peptides at large scale for the industry and growers. The main challenges for their use in plant disease protection are (a) the requirement of stability in the plant environment and counteracting resistance in pathogen populations, (b) the need to develop suitable formulations to increase their shelf life and methods of application, (c) the selection of compounds with acceptable toxicological profiles, and (d) the high cost of production for agricultural purposes. In the near future, it is expected that several functional peptides will be commercially available for plant disease control, but more effort is needed to validate their efficacy at the field level and fulfill the requirements of the regulatory framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Montesinos
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, Plant Pathology-CIDSAV, University of Girona, Girona, Spain;
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4
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Tang R, Tan H, Dai Y, Li L, Huang Y, Yao H, Cai Y, Yu G. Application of antimicrobial peptides in plant protection: making use of the overlooked merits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1139539. [PMID: 37538059 PMCID: PMC10394246 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1139539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Pathogen infection is one of the major causes of yield loss in the crop field. The rapid increase of antimicrobial resistance in plant pathogens has urged researchers to develop both new pesticides and management strategies for plant protection. The antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) showed potential on eliminating plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Here, we first summarize several overlooked advantages and merits of AMPs, which includes the steep dose-response relations, fast killing ability, broad synergism, slow resistance selection. We then discuss the possible application of AMPs for plant protection with above merits, and highlight how AMPs can be incorporated into a more efficient integrated management system that both increases the crop yield and reduce resistance evolution of pathogens.
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Liu D, Yang H, Zhang Z, Chen Q, Guo W, Rossi V, Xin M, Du J, Hu Z, Liu J, Peng H, Ni Z, Sun Q, Yao Y. An elite γ-gliadin allele improves end-use quality in wheat. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:87-101. [PMID: 36617723 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Gluten is composed of glutenins and gliadins and determines the viscoelastic properties of dough and end-use quality in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Gliadins are important for wheat end-use traits, but the contribution of individual gliadin genes is unclear, since gliadins are encoded by a complex, multigenic family, including many pseudogenes. We used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing and map-based cloning to investigate the contribution of the γ-gliadin genes annotated in the wheat cultivar 'Fielder', showing that Gli-γ1-1D and Gli-γ2-1B account for most of the γ-gliadin accumulation. The impaired activity of only two γ-gliadin genes in knockout mutants improved end-use quality and reduced gluten epitopes associated with celiac disease (CD). Furthermore, we identified an elite haplotype of Gli-γ1-1D linked to higher end-use quality in a wheat germplasm collection and developed a molecular marker for this allele for marker-assisted selection. Our findings provide information and tools for biotechnology-based and classical breeding programs aimed at improving wheat end-use quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Huaimao Yang
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhaoheng Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Weilong Guo
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Vincenzo Rossi
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, I-24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Mingming Xin
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jinkun Du
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhaorong Hu
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Huiru Peng
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhongfu Ni
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qixin Sun
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yingyin Yao
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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Chinnadurai RK, Khan N, Meghwanshi GK, Ponne S, Althobiti M, Kumar R. Current research status of anti-cancer peptides: Mechanism of action, production, and clinical applications. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 164:114996. [PMID: 37311281 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The escalating rate of cancer cases, together with treatment deficiencies and long-term side effects of currently used cancer drugs, has made this disease a global burden of the 21st century. The number of breast and lung cancer patients has sharply increased worldwide in the last few years. Presently, surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy strategies are used to cure cancer, which cause severe side effects, toxicities, and drug resistance. In recent years, anti-cancer peptides have become an eminent therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment due to their high specificity and fewer side effects and toxicity. This review presents an updated overview of different anti-cancer peptides, their mechanisms of action and current production strategies employed for their manufacture. In addition, approved and under clinical trials anti-cancer peptides and their applications have been discussed. This review provides updated information on therapeutic anti-cancer peptides that hold great promise for cancer treatment in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj Kumar Chinnadurai
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidhyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University), Pondicherry 607402, India
| | - Nazam Khan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Science, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Saravanaraman Ponne
- Department of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 605014, India
| | - Maryam Althobiti
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Science, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Rajender Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden.
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7
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Chaudhary S, Ali Z, Tehseen M, Haney EF, Pantoja-Angles A, Alshehri S, Wang T, Clancy GJ, Ayach M, Hauser C, Hong PY, Hamdan SM, Hancock REW, Mahfouz M. Efficient in planta production of amidated antimicrobial peptides that are active against drug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1464. [PMID: 36928189 PMCID: PMC10020429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37003-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising next-generation antibiotics that can be used to combat drug-resistant pathogens. However, the high cost involved in AMP synthesis and their short plasma half-life render their clinical translation a challenge. To address these shortcomings, we report efficient production of bioactive amidated AMPs by transient expression of glycine-extended AMPs in Nicotiana benthamiana line expressing the mammalian enzyme peptidylglycine α-amidating mono-oxygenase (PAM). Cationic AMPs accumulate to substantial levels in PAM transgenic plants compare to nontransgenic N. benthamiana. Moreover, AMPs purified from plants exhibit robust killing activity against six highly virulent and antibiotic resistant ESKAPE pathogens, prevent their biofilm formation, analogous to their synthetic counterparts and synergize with antibiotics. We also perform a base case techno-economic analysis of our platform, demonstrating the potential economic advantages and scalability for industrial use. Taken together, our experimental data and techno-economic analysis demonstrate the potential use of plant chassis for large-scale production of clinical-grade AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Chaudhary
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zahir Ali
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Tehseen
- Laboratory of DNA Replication and Recombination, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Evan F Haney
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Aarón Pantoja-Angles
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salwa Alshehri
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, 21577, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tiannyu Wang
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gerard J Clancy
- Analytical Chemistry Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Maya Ayach
- Imaging & Characterization Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Charlotte Hauser
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pei-Ying Hong
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samir M Hamdan
- Laboratory of DNA Replication and Recombination, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Robert E W Hancock
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Magdy Mahfouz
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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8
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Sharma P, Kaur J, Sharma G, Kashyap P. Plant derived antimicrobial peptides: Mechanism of target, isolation techniques, sources and pharmaceutical applications. J Food Biochem 2022; 46:e14348. [PMID: 35945701 DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.14348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a global health and development threat which is caused by the excess and prolonged usage of antimicrobial compounds in agriculture and pharmaceutical industries. Resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to the already existing drugs represent a serious risk to public health. Plant sources such as cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables are potential substrates for the isolation of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi and viruses with novel immunomodulatory activities. Thus, in the quest of new antimicrobial agents, AMPs have recently gained interest. Therefore, AMP can be used in agriculture, pharmaceutical and food industries. This review focuses on various explored and unexplored plant based food sources of AMPs, their isolation techniques and antimicrobial mechanism of peptides. Therefore, the literature discussed in this review paper will prove beneficial the research purposes for agriculture, pharmaceutical and food industries. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Isolation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be done on industrial scale. AMP isolated from food sources can be used in pharmaceutical and agriculture industries. AMP from natural sources mitigate the problem of antimicrobial resistance. AMP isolated from food products can be used as nutraceutical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poorva Sharma
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
| | - Jasleen Kaur
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
| | - Geetika Sharma
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
| | - Piyush Kashyap
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
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9
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Deo S, Turton KL, Kainth T, Kumar A, Wieden HJ. Strategies for improving antimicrobial peptide production. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107968. [PMID: 35489657 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in a wide range of animal, insect, and plant species are host defense peptides forming an integral part of their innate immunity. Although the exact mode of action of some AMPs is yet to be deciphered, many exhibit membrane lytic activity or interact with intracellular targets. The ever-growing threat of antibiotic resistance has brought attention to research on AMPs to enhance their clinical use as a therapeutic alternative. AMPs have several advantages over antibiotics such as broad range of antimicrobial activities including anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial, and have not reported to contribute to resistance development. Despite the numerous studies to develop efficient production methods for AMPs, limitations including low yield, degradation, and loss of activity persists in many recombinant approaches. In this review, we outline available approaches for AMP production and various expression systems used to achieve higher yield and quality. In addition, recent advances in recombinant strategies, suitable fusion protein partners, and other molecular engineering strategies for improved AMP production are surveyed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Deo
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Kristi L Turton
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Dr. W., Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Tajinder Kainth
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Ayush Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Hans-Joachim Wieden
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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Harnkit N, Khongsonthi T, Masuwan N, Prasartkul P, Noikaew T, Chumnanpuen P. Virtual Screening for SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitory Peptides from the Putative Hydrolyzed Peptidome of Rice Bran. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11101318. [PMID: 36289976 PMCID: PMC9598432 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the loss of life and has affected the life quality, economy, and lifestyle. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which hydrolyzes the polyprotein, is an interesting antiviral target to inhibit the spreading mechanism of COVID-19. Through predictive digestion, the peptidomes of the four major proteins in rice bran, albumin, glutelin, globulin, and prolamin, with three protease enzymes (pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin), the putative hydrolyzed peptidome was established and used as the input dataset. Then, the prediction of the antiviral peptides (AVPs) was performed by online bioinformatics tools, i.e., AVPpred, Meta-iAVP, AMPfun, and ENNAVIA programs. The amino acid composition and cytotoxicity of candidate AVPs were analyzed by COPid and ToxinPred, respectively. The ten top-ranked antiviral peptides were selected and docked to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease using GalaxyPepDock. Only the top docking scored candidate (AVP4) was further analyzed by molecular dynamics simulation for one nanosecond. According to the bioinformatic analysis results, the candidate SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitory peptides were 7–33 amino acid residues and formed hydrogen bonds at Thr22–24, Glu154, and Thr178 in domain 2 with short bonding distances. In addition, these top-ten candidate bioactive peptides contain hydrophilic amino acid residues and have a positive net charge. We hope that this study will provide a potential starting point for peptide-based therapeutic agents against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaphat Harnkit
- Medicinal Plant Research Institute, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
| | - Thanakamol Khongsonthi
- Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, 364 Salaya, Phuttamonthon District, Nakhon Prathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Noprada Masuwan
- Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, 364 Salaya, Phuttamonthon District, Nakhon Prathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Pornpinit Prasartkul
- Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, 364 Salaya, Phuttamonthon District, Nakhon Prathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Tipanart Noikaew
- Department of Biology and Health Science, Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, 364 Salaya, Phuttamonthon District, Nakhon Prathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Pramote Chumnanpuen
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Correspondence:
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Hashemi S, Niazi A, Baghizadeh A, Taghizadeh MS. Successful use of Nicotiana tabacum hairy roots for the recombinant production of Cecropin A peptide. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2022; 69:876-886. [PMID: 33788287 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cecropin A, as an antimicrobial peptide (AMP), is possible to use in medical and agricultural fields as a new and safe biocontrol agent. Therefore, it is highly necessary to find a cost-effective and scalable approach to generate a large scale of it. In this research, the Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain ATCC 15834 was used to transfer the Cecropin A gene to the Nicotiana tabacum. After confirmation of transgenic hairy roots, the antibacterial activity of purified Cecropin A peptide was measured using the agar gel diffusion method. Successful transforming of Cecropin A was confirmed at the RNA and protein levels in hairy root cells using RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The highest Cecropin A amount was detected in line 4 of the transgenic lines using ELISA in comparison with the nontransgenic line. Subsequently, the antimicrobial activity of Cecropin A extracted from line 4 showed the highest inhibition activity against Aspergillus niger. Besides, this activity was stable against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans pathogens after 7 days. The recombinant production of Cecropin A AMP had a yield of 63.81 μg/g of fresh weight. According to a significant yield, this system can be used to produce the Cecropin A peptide for pharmacological and food science applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Hashemi
- Biotechnology Research Group, Institute of Environmental Science, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amin Baghizadeh
- Biotechnology Research Group, Institute of Environmental Science, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
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12
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Kong J, Qiang W, Jiang J, Hu X, Chen Y, Guo Y, Liu H, Sun S, Gao H, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Liu X, Liu X, Li H. Safflower oil body nanoparticles deliver hFGF10 to hair follicles and reduce microinflammation to accelerate hair regeneration in androgenetic alopecia. Int J Pharm 2022; 616:121537. [PMID: 35150848 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) affects physical and mental health with limited therapeutic options. Novel materials and delivery methods have considerable potential to improve the current paradigm of treatment. In this study, we used a novel plant nanoparticle of safflower oil body (SOB) loaded with human fibroblast growth factor 10 (hFGF10) to target hair follicles and accelerate hair regeneration in AGA mice with few adverse effects. Our data revealed that the average particle size of SOB-hFGF10 was 226.73 ± 9.98 nm, with a spherical and uniform structure, and that SOB-hFGF10 was quicker to preferentially penetrate into hair follicles than hFGF2 alone. Using a mouse model of AGA, SOB-hFGF10 was found to significantly improve hair regeneration without any significant toxicity. Furthermore, SOB-hFGF10 inhibited dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 overproduction in macrophages in relation to hair follicle microinflammation, thereby enhancing the proliferation of dermal papilla cells. Overall, this study provides an applicable therapeutic method through targeting hair follicles and reducing microinflammation to accelerate hair regeneration in AGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kong
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Weidong Qiang
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Jingyi Jiang
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Xingli Hu
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Yining Chen
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - YongXin Guo
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Hongxiang Liu
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Siming Sun
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Hongtao Gao
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Yanyan Gao
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Xiuming Liu
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Xin Liu
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China.
| | - Haiyan Li
- College of Life Science, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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13
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Improving Protein Quantity and Quality—The Next Level of Plant Molecular Farming. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031326. [PMID: 35163249 PMCID: PMC8836236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants offer several unique advantages in the production of recombinant pharmaceuticals for humans and animals. Although numerous recombinant proteins have been expressed in plants, only a small fraction have been successfully put into use. The hugely distinct expression systems between plant and animal cells frequently cause insufficient yield of the recombinant proteins with poor or undesired activity. To overcome the issues that greatly constrain the development of plant-produced pharmaceuticals, great efforts have been made to improve expression systems and develop alternative strategies to increase both the quantity and quality of the recombinant proteins. Recent technological revolutions, such as targeted genome editing, deconstructed vectors, virus-like particles, and humanized glycosylation, have led to great advances in plant molecular farming to meet the industrial manufacturing and clinical application standards. In this review, we discuss the technological advances made in various plant expression platforms, with special focus on the upstream designs and milestone achievements in improving the yield and glycosylation of the plant-produced pharmaceutical proteins.
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14
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Recent advances in molecular farming using monocot plants. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 58:107913. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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15
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Luo X, Wu W, Feng L, Treves H, Ren M. Short Peptides Make a Big Difference: The Role of Botany-Derived AMPs in Disease Control and Protection of Human Health. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11363. [PMID: 34768793 PMCID: PMC8583512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Botany-derived antimicrobial peptides (BAMPs), a class of small, cysteine-rich peptides produced in plants, are an important component of the plant immune system. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated their powerful antimicrobial activity. Besides in plants, BAMPs have cross-kingdom applications in human health, with toxic and/or inhibitory effects against a variety of tumor cells and viruses. With their diverse molecular structures, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, multiple mechanisms of action, and low cytotoxicity, BAMPs provide ideal backbones for drug design, and are potential candidates for plant protection and disease treatment. Lots of original research has elucidated the properties and antimicrobial mechanisms of BAMPs, and characterized their surface receptors and in vivo targets in pathogens. In this paper, we review and introduce five kinds of representative BAMPs belonging to the pathogenesis-related protein family, dissect their antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer mechanisms, and forecast their prospects in agriculture and global human health. Through the deeper understanding of BAMPs, we provide novel insights for their applications in broad-spectrum and durable plant disease prevention and control, and an outlook on the use of BAMPs in anticancer and antiviral drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiumei Luo
- Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu Agricultural Science and Technology Center, Chengdu 610000, China; (X.L.); (W.W.); (L.F.)
- Key Laboratory of Plant Hormones and Development Regulation of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Science of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Wenxian Wu
- Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu Agricultural Science and Technology Center, Chengdu 610000, China; (X.L.); (W.W.); (L.F.)
| | - Li Feng
- Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu Agricultural Science and Technology Center, Chengdu 610000, China; (X.L.); (W.W.); (L.F.)
| | - Haim Treves
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel;
| | - Maozhi Ren
- Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu Agricultural Science and Technology Center, Chengdu 610000, China; (X.L.); (W.W.); (L.F.)
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Science of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
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16
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Shanmugaraj B, Bulaon CJI, Malla A, Phoolcharoen W. Biotechnological Insights on the Expression and Production of Antimicrobial Peptides in Plants. Molecules 2021; 26:4032. [PMID: 34279372 PMCID: PMC8272150 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26134032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens poses a serious critical threat to global public health and requires immediate action. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of short peptides ubiquitously found in all living forms, including plants, insects, mammals, microorganisms and play a significant role in host innate immune system. These peptides are considered as promising candidates to treat microbial infections due to its distinct advantages over conventional antibiotics. Given their potent broad spectrum of antimicrobial action, several AMPs are currently being evaluated in preclinical/clinical trials. However, large quantities of highly purified AMPs are vital for basic research and clinical settings which is still a major bottleneck hindering its application. This can be overcome by genetic engineering approaches to produce sufficient amount of diverse peptides in heterologous host systems. Recently plants are considered as potential alternatives to conventional protein production systems such as microbial and mammalian platforms due to their unique advantages such as rapidity, scalability and safety. In addition, AMPs can also be utilized for development of novel approaches for plant protection thereby increasing the crop yield. Hence, in order to provide a spotlight for the expression of AMP in plants for both clinical or agricultural use, the present review presents the importance of AMPs and efforts aimed at producing recombinant AMPs in plants for molecular farming and plant protection so far.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine Joy I Bulaon
- Research Unit for Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | | | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Research Unit for Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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17
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Camelina lipid droplets as skin delivery system promotes wound repair by enhancing the absorption of hFGF2. Int J Pharm 2021; 598:120327. [PMID: 33540033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Human basic fibroblast growth factor (hFGF2) is widely recognized for accelerating skin wound healing in both animal models and randomized clinical trials. However, the low skin permeation and bioavailability of hFGF2 remain the most limiting factors in the pharmacological application. For the first time, Camelina Lipid Droplets (CLD) delivery system was displayed important virtue, by promoting the skin absorption of hFGF2, which is a key factor that accelerates the skin wound repair, and provide a new alternative for skin therapy. In this study, we used the CLD as a safer material to prepare the nanoparticles, which were characterized by size and morphology. Our data revealed that particle sizes of Camelina Lipid Droplets linked to hFGF2 (CLD-hFGF2) were around 133.5 nm; it also displayed that the complex of CLD-hFGF2 penetrates the skin barrier in deeper than an individual hFGF2. This suggests that once the hFGF2 is fixed onto the surface of CLD, it can cross the stratum corneum and play a therapeutic role into the dermis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CLD-hFGF2 enhances fibroblast migration, and significantly improves skin regeneration for accelerating wound healing without any significant toxicity. This paper highlights the importance of CLD as an emerging delivery system; it is also providing a new and applicable therapeutic research direction through enhancing the skin permeation of hFGF2 to accelerate wound healing.
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18
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Tiwari P, Khare T, Shriram V, Bae H, Kumar V. Plant synthetic biology for producing potent phyto-antimicrobials to combat antimicrobial resistance. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 48:107729. [PMID: 33705914 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inappropriate and injudicious use of antimicrobial drugs in human health, hygiene, agriculture, animal husbandry and food industries has contributed significantly to rapid emergence and persistence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the serious global public health threats. The crisis of AMR versus slower discovery of newer antibiotics put forth a daunting task to control these drug-resistant superbugs. Several phyto-antimicrobials have been identified in recent years with direct-killing (bactericidal) and/or drug-resistance reversal (re-sensitization of AMR phenotypes) potencies. Phyto-antimicrobials may hold the key in combating AMR owing to their abilities to target major microbial drug-resistance determinants including cell membrane, drug-efflux pumps, cell communication and biofilms. However, limited distribution, low intracellular concentrations, eco-geographical variations, beside other considerations like dynamic environments, climate change and over-exploitation of plant-resources are major blockades in full potential exploration phyto-antimicrobials. Synthetic biology (SynBio) strategies integrating metabolic engineering, RNA-interference, genome editing/engineering and/or systems biology approaches using plant chassis (as engineerable platforms) offer prospective tools for production of phyto-antimicrobials. With expanding SynBio toolkit, successful attempts towards introduction of entire gene cluster, reconstituting the metabolic pathway or transferring an entire metabolic (or synthetic) pathway into heterologous plant systems highlight the potential of this field. Through this perspective review, we are presenting herein the current situation and options for addressing AMR, emphasizing on the significance of phyto-antimicrobials in this apparently post-antibiotic era, and effective use of plant chassis for phyto-antimicrobial production at industrial scales along with major SynBio tools and useful databases. Current knowledge, recent success stories, associated challenges and prospects of translational success are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Tiwari
- Molecular Metabolic Engineering Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Tushar Khare
- Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411016, India; Department of Environmental Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, India
| | - Varsha Shriram
- Department of Botany, Prof. Ramkrishna More Arts, Commerce and Science College, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Akurdi, Pune 411044, India
| | - Hanhong Bae
- Molecular Metabolic Engineering Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38541, Republic of Korea.
| | - Vinay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411016, India; Department of Environmental Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, India.
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19
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Rahman M, Browne JJ, Van Crugten J, Hasan MF, Liu L, Barkla BJ. In Silico, Molecular Docking and In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of the Major Rapeseed Seed Storage Proteins. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1340. [PMID: 33013372 PMCID: PMC7508056 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In addition to their use as an edible oil and condiment crop, mustard and rapeseed (Brassica napus L., B. juncea (L.) Czern., B. nigra (L.) W.D.J.Koch, B. rapa L. and Sinapis alba L.) have been commonly used in traditional medicine for relieving pain, coughs and treating infections. The seeds contain high amounts of oil, while the remaining by-product meal after oil extraction, about 40% of seed dry weight, has a low value despite its high protein-content (~85%). The seed storage proteins (SSP) 2S albumin-type napin and 12S globulin-type cruciferin are the two predominant proteins in the seeds and show potential for value adding to the waste stream; however, information on their biological activities is scarce. In this study, purified napin and cruciferin were tested using in silico, molecular docking, and in vitro approaches for their bioactivity as antimicrobial peptides. MATERIALS AND METHODS The 3D-structure of 2S albumin and 12S globulin storage proteins from B. napus were investigated to predict antimicrobial activity employing an antimicrobial peptide database survey. To gain deeper insights into the potential antimicrobial activity of these SSP, in silico molecular docking was performed. The purified B. napus cruciferin and napin were then tested against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria for in vitro antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion and microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing. RESULTS In silico analysis demonstrated both SSP share similar 3D-structure with other well studied antimicrobial proteins. Molecular docking revealed that the proteins exhibited high binding energy to bacterial enzymes. Cruciferin and napin proteins appeared as a double triplet and a single doublet, respectively, following SDS-PAGE. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting also confirmed the purity of the protein samples used for assessment of antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing provided strong evidence for antimicrobial activity for the purified napin protein; however, cruciferin showed no antimicrobial activity, even at the highest dose applied. DISCUSSION In silico and molecular docking results presented evidence for the potential antimicrobial activity of rapeseed cruciferin and napin SSP. However, only the in vitro antimicrobial activity of napin was confirmed. These findings warrant further investigation of this SSP protein as a potential new agent against infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmudur Rahman
- Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
| | - Jessica J. Browne
- School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Bilinga, QLD, Australia
| | - Jacoba Van Crugten
- School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Bilinga, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Lei Liu
- Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
| | - Bronwyn J. Barkla
- Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
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20
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Ghidey M, Islam SMA, Pruett G, Kearney CM. Making plants into cost-effective bioreactors for highly active antimicrobial peptides. N Biotechnol 2020; 56:63-70. [PMID: 31812667 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens become an ever-increasing concern, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have grown increasingly attractive as alternatives. Potentially, plants could be used as cost-effective AMP bioreactors; however, reported heterologous AMP expression is much lower in plants than in E. coli expression systems and often results in plant cytotoxicity, even for AMPs fused to carrier proteins. This suggests that there may be a physical characteristic of the previously described heterologous AMPs which impedes efficient expression in plants. Using a meta-analysis of protein databases, this study has determined that native plant AMPs were significantly less cationic than AMPs native to other taxa. To apply this finding to plant expression, the transient expression of 10 different heterologous AMPs, ranging in charge from +7 to -5, was tested in the tobacco, Nicotiana benthamiana. Elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) was used as the carrier protein for AMP expression. ELP fusion allowed for a simple, cost-effective temperature shift purification. Using this system, all five anionic AMPs expressed well, with two at unusually high levels (375 and 563 μg/gfw). Furthermore, antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis was an order of magnitude greater (average minimum inhibitory concentration MIC of 0.26μM) than that typically seen for AMPs expressed in E. coli systems and was associated with the uncleaved fusion peptide. In summary, this study describes a means of expressing AMP fusions in plants in high yield, purified by a simple temperature-shift protocol, resulting in a fusion peptide with high antimicrobial activity and without the need for a peptide cleavage step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meron Ghidey
- Biomedical Studies Program, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | | | - Grace Pruett
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #7388, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Christopher Michel Kearney
- Biomedical Studies Program, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #7388, Waco, TX, 76798, USA.
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21
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Brady D, Grapputo A, Romoli O, Sandrelli F. Insect Cecropins, Antimicrobial Peptides with Potential Therapeutic Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5862. [PMID: 31766730 PMCID: PMC6929098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The alarming escalation of infectious diseases resistant to conventional antibiotics requires urgent global actions, including the development of new therapeutics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent potential alternatives in the treatment of multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections. Here, we focus on Cecropins (Cecs), a group of naturally occurring AMPs in insects, and on synthetic Cec-analogs. We describe their action mechanisms and antimicrobial activity against MDR bacteria and other pathogens. We report several data suggesting that Cec and Cec-analog peptides are promising antibacterial therapeutic candidates, including their low toxicity against mammalian cells, and anti-inflammatory activity. We highlight limitations linked to the use of peptides as therapeutics and discuss methods overcoming these constraints, particularly regarding the introduction of nanotechnologies. New formulations based on natural Cecs would allow the development of drugs active against Gram-negative bacteria, and those based on Cec-analogs would give rise to therapeutics effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Cecs and Cec-analogs might be also employed to coat biomaterials for medical devices as an approach to prevent biomaterial-associated infections. The cost of large-scale production is discussed in comparison with the economic and social burden resulting from the progressive diffusion of MDR infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Brady
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
| | - Alessandro Grapputo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
| | - Ottavia Romoli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
- Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, 23 Avenue Pasteur, 97306 Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Federica Sandrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
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22
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Abstract
Approaches to manipulating disease resistance in plants is expanding exponentially due to advances in our understanding of plant defense mechanisms and new tools for manipulating the plant genome. The application of effective strategies is only limited now by adoption of rapid classical genetic techniques and the acceptance of genetically engineered traits for some problems. The use of genome editing and cis-genetics, where possible, may facilitate applications that otherwise require considerable time or genetic engineering, depending on settling legal definitions of the products. Nonetheless, the variety of approaches to developing disease resistance has never been greater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Sharma
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jeffrey B. Jones
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Frank F. White
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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23
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Popa C, Shi X, Ruiz T, Ferrer P, Coca M. Biotechnological Production of the Cell Penetrating Antifungal PAF102 Peptide in Pichia pastoris. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1472. [PMID: 31316491 PMCID: PMC6610294 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have potent and durable antimicrobial activity to a wide range of fungi and bacteria. The growing problem of drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, together with the lack of new effective compounds, has stimulated interest in developing AMPs as anti-infective molecules. PAF102 is an AMP that was rationally designed for improved antifungal properties. This cell penetrating peptide has potent and specific activity against major fungal pathogens. Cecropin A is a natural AMP with strong and fast lytic activity against bacterial and fungal pathogens, including multidrug resistant pathogens. Both peptides, PAF102 and Cecropin A, are alternative antibiotic compounds. However, their exploitation requires fast, cost-efficient production systems. Here, we developed an innovative system to produce AMPs in Pichia pastoris using the oleosin fusion technology. Oleosins are plant-specific proteins with a structural role in lipid droplet formation and stabilization, which are used as carriers for recombinant proteins to lipid droplets in plant-based production systems. This study reports the efficient production of PAF102 in P. pastoris when fused to the rice plant Oleosin 18, whereas no accumulation of Cecropin A was detected. The Ole18-PAF102 fusion protein targets the lipid droplets of the heterologous system where it accumulates to high levels. Interestingly, the production of this fusion protein induces the formation of lipid droplets in yeast cells, which can be additionally enhanced by the coexpression of a diacylglycerol transferase gene that allows a three-fold increase in the production of the fusion protein. Using this high producer strain, PAF102 reaches commercially relevant yields of up to 180 mg/l of yeast culture. Moreover, the accumulation of PAF102 in the yeast lipid droplets facilitates its downstream extraction and recovery by flotation on density gradients, with the recovered PAF102 being biologically active against pathogenic fungi. Our results demonstrate that plant oleosin fusion technology can be transferred to the well-established P. pastoris cell factory to produce the PAF102 antifungal peptide, and potentially other AMPs, for multiple applications in crop protection, food preservation and animal and human therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crina Popa
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xiaoqing Shi
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tarik Ruiz
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Ferrer
- Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Coca
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Bundó M, Shi X, Vernet M, Marcos JF, López-García B, Coca M. Rice Seeds as Biofactories of Rationally Designed and Cell-Penetrating Antifungal PAF Peptides. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:731. [PMID: 31231409 PMCID: PMC6566136 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PAFs are short cationic and tryptophan-rich synthetic peptides with cell-penetrating antifungal activity. They show potent and selective killing activity against major fungal pathogens and low toxicity to other eukaryotic and bacterial cells. These properties make them a promising alternative to fulfill the need of novel antifungals with potential applications in crop protection, food preservation, and medical therapies. However, the difficulties of cost-effective manufacturing of PAFs by chemical synthesis or biotechnological production in microorganisms have hampered their development for practical use. This work explores the feasibility of using rice seeds as an economical and safe production system of PAFs. The rationally designed PAF102 peptide with improved antifungal properties was selected for assessing PAF biotechnological production. Two different strategies are evaluated: (1) the production as a single peptide targeted to protein bodies and (2) the production as an oleosin fusion protein targeted to oil bodies. Both strategies are designed to offer stability to the PAF peptide in the host plant and to facilitate its downstream purification. Our results demonstrate that PAF does not accumulate to detectable levels in rice seeds when produced as a single peptide, whereas it is successfully produced as fusion protein to the Oleosin18, up to 20 μg of peptide per gram of grain. We show that the expression of the chimeric Ole18-PAF102 gene driven by the Ole18 promoter results in the specific accumulation of the fusion protein in the embryo and aleurone layer of the rice seed. Ole18-PAF102 accumulation has no deleterious effects on seed yield, germination capacity, or seedling growth. We also show that the Oleosin18 protein serves as carrier to target the fusion protein to oil bodies facilitating PAF102 recovery. Importantly, the recovered PAF102 is active against the fungal phytopathogen Fusarium proliferatum. Altogether, our results prove that the oleosin fusion technology allows the production of PAF bioactive peptides to assist the exploitation of these antifungal compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Bundó
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xiaoqing Shi
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Vernet
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose F. Marcos
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA, CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | - Belén López-García
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Coca
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
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Shi X, Cordero T, Garrigues S, Marcos JF, Daròs J, Coca M. Efficient production of antifungal proteins in plants using a new transient expression vector derived from tobacco mosaic virus. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2019; 17:1069-1080. [PMID: 30521145 PMCID: PMC6523586 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Fungi that infect plants, animals or humans pose a serious threat to human health and food security. Antifungal proteins (AFPs) secreted by filamentous fungi are promising biomolecules that could be used to develop new antifungal therapies in medicine and agriculture. They are small highly stable proteins with specific potent activity against fungal pathogens. However, their exploitation requires efficient, sustainable and safe production systems. Here, we report the development of an easy-to-use, open access viral vector based on Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). This new system allows the fast and efficient assembly of the open reading frames of interest in small intermediate entry plasmids using the Gibson reaction. The manipulated TMV fragments are then transferred to the infectious clone by a second Gibson assembly reaction. Recombinant proteins are produced by agroinoculating plant leaves with the resulting infectious clones. Using this simple viral vector, we have efficiently produced two different AFPs in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, namely the Aspergillus giganteus AFP and the Penicillium digitatum AfpB. We obtained high protein yields by targeting these bioactive small proteins to the apoplastic space of plant cells. However, when AFPs were targeted to intracellular compartments, we observed toxic effects in the host plants and undetectable levels of protein. We also demonstrate that this production system renders AFPs fully active against target pathogens, and that crude plant extracellular fluids containing the AfpB can protect tomato plants from Botrytis cinerea infection, thus supporting the idea that plants are suitable biofactories to bring these antifungal proteins to the market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Shi
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAGCSIC‐IRTA‐UAB‐UB)Cerdanyola del VallèsSpain
| | - Teresa Cordero
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCPCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de València)ValenciaSpain
| | - Sandra Garrigues
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA, CSIC)PaternaSpain
| | - Jose F. Marcos
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA, CSIC)PaternaSpain
| | - José‐Antonio Daròs
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCPCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de València)ValenciaSpain
| | - María Coca
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAGCSIC‐IRTA‐UAB‐UB)Cerdanyola del VallèsSpain
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Sinha R, Shukla P. Antimicrobial Peptides: Recent Insights on Biotechnological Interventions and Future Perspectives. Protein Pept Lett 2019; 26:79-87. [PMID: 30370841 PMCID: PMC6416458 DOI: 10.2174/0929866525666181026160852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
With the unprecedented rise of drug-resistant pathogens, particularly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and no new antibiotics in the pipeline over the last three decades, the issue of antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a critical public health threat. Antimicrobial Peptides (AMP) have garnered interest as a viable solution to this grave issue and are being explored for their potential antimicrobial applications. Given their low bioavailability in nature, tailoring new AMPs or strategizing approaches for increasing the yield of AMPs, therefore, becomes pertinent. The present review focuses on biotechnological interventions directed towards enhanced AMP synthesis and revisits existing genetic engineering and synthetic biology strategies for production of AMPs. This review further underscores the importance and potential applications of advanced gene editing technologies for the synthesis of novel AMPs in future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pratyoosh Shukla
- Address correspondence to this author at the Enzyme Technology and Protein Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Microbiology,
Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak-124001, Haryana, India; E-mail:
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Holásková E, Galuszka P, Mičúchová A, Šebela M, Öz MT, Frébort I. Molecular Farming in Barley: Development of a Novel Production Platform to Produce Human Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1700628. [PMID: 29369519 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The peptide LL-37, a component of the human innate immune system, represents a promising drug candidate. In particular, the development of low-cost production platform technology is a critical bottleneck in its use in medicine. In the present study, a viable approach for the LL-37 production in transgenic barley is developed. First, comparative analyses of the effects of different fused peptide epitope tags applicable for accumulation and purification on LL-37 production yield are performed using transient expression in tobacco leaves. Following the selection of the most yielding fusion peptide strategies, eight different constructs for the expression of codon optimized chimeric LL-37 genes in transgenic barley plants are created. The expression of individual constructs is driven either by an endosperm-specific promoter of the barley B1 hordein gene or by the maize ubiquitin promoter. The transgenes are stably integrated into the barley genome and inherited in the subsequent generation. All transgenic lines show normal phenotypes and are fertile. LL-37 accumulated in the barley seeds up to 0.55 mg per 1 kg of grain. The fused epitope tags are cleaved off by the use of enterokinase. Furthermore, in planta produced LL-37 including the fused versions is biologically active.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edita Holásková
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Galuszka
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Alžbeta Mičúchová
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Šebela
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Mehmet Tufan Öz
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Ivo Frébort
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
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28
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The Road from Host-Defense Peptides to a New Generation of Antimicrobial Drugs. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23020311. [PMID: 29389911 PMCID: PMC6017364 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23020311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Host-defense peptides, also called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), whose protective action has been used by animals for millions of years, fulfill many requirements of the pharmaceutical industry, such as: (1) broad spectrum of activity; (2) unlike classic antibiotics, they induce very little resistance; (3) they act synergically with conventional antibiotics; (4) they neutralize endotoxins and are active in animal models. However, it is considered that many natural peptides are not suitable for drug development due to stability and biodisponibility problems, or high production costs. This review describes the efforts to overcome these problems and develop new antimicrobial drugs from these peptides or inspired by them. The discovery process of natural AMPs is discussed, as well as the development of synthetic analogs with improved pharmacological properties. The production of these compounds at acceptable costs, using different chemical and biotechnological methods, is also commented. Once these challenges are overcome, a new generation of versatile, potent and long-lasting antimicrobial drugs is expected.
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Pachón-Ibáñez ME, Smani Y, Pachón J, Sánchez-Céspedes J. Perspectives for clinical use of engineered human host defense antimicrobial peptides. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 41:323-342. [PMID: 28521337 PMCID: PMC5435762 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fux012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The emergence of drug-resistance mechanisms, especially among bacteria, threatens the efficacy of all current antimicrobial agents, some of them already ineffective. As a result, there is an urgent need for new antimicrobial drugs. Host defense antimicrobial peptides (HDPs) are natural occurring and well-conserved peptides of innate immunity, broadly active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, viruses and fungi. They also are able to exert immunomodulatory and adjuvant functions by acting as chemotactic for immune cells, and inducing cytokines and chemokines secretion. Moreover, they show low propensity to elicit microbial adaptation, probably because of their non-specific mechanism of action, and are able to neutralize exotoxins and endotoxins. HDPs have the potential to be a great source of novel antimicrobial agents. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the advances made in the development of human defensins as well as the cathelicidin LL-37 and their derivatives as antimicrobial agents against bacteria, viruses and fungi for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Pachón-Ibáñez
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville
| | - Younes Smani
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville
| | - Jerónimo Pachón
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville.,Department of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Sánchez-Céspedes
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville.,Department of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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Bundó M, Coca M. Calcium-dependent protein kinase OsCPK10 mediates both drought tolerance and blast disease resistance in rice plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:2963-2975. [PMID: 28472292 PMCID: PMC5853374 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plant growth and productivity is negatively affected by different stresses. Most stresses trigger calcium signals that initiate acclimation responses in plants. The multigene family of plant calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) functions in multiple stress responses by transducing calcium signals into phosphorylation events. This work reports that the OsCPK10 isoform positively mediates tolerance to different stresses in rice plants by enhancing their antioxidant capacity and protecting them from reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage, with the uncontrolled generation of ROS being a common feature of these stresses. Here, we show that the constitutive accumulation of an HA-tagged OsCPK10 full-length protein enhances the hydrogen peroxide detoxifying capacity of rice plants during desiccation. This is achived by modulating the accumulation of catalase proteins, which reduces the extent of lipid peroxidation and protects the integrity of cell membranes, resulting in drought tolerance. OsCPK10HA accumulation also confers blast disease resistance by interfering with fungal necrotrophic growth via a reduction in the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, we show by bimolecular complementation assays that OsCPK10 is a plasma membrane protein that physically interacts in vivo with catalase A. OsCPK10 therefore appears to be a good molecular target to improve tolerance to abiotic stresses as well as to blast disease, which limit rice crop productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Coca
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Edifici CRAG, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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Montesinos L, Bundó M, Badosa E, San Segundo B, Coca M, Montesinos E. Production of BP178, a derivative of the synthetic antibacterial peptide BP100, in the rice seed endosperm. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 17:63. [PMID: 28292258 PMCID: PMC5351061 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-017-1011-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND BP178 peptide is a synthetic BP100-magainin derivative possessing strong inhibitory activity against plant pathogenic bacteria, offering a great potential for future applications in plant protection and other fields. Here we report the production and recovery of a bioactive BP178 peptide using rice seeds as biofactories. RESULTS A synthetic gene encoding the BP178 peptide was prepared and introduced in rice plants. The gene was efficiently expressed in transgenic rice under the control of an endosperm-specific promoter. Among the three endosperm-specific rice promoters (Glutelin B1, Glutelin B4 or Globulin 1), best results were obtained when using the Globulin 1 promoter. The BP178 peptide accumulated in the seed endosperm and was easily recovered from rice seeds using a simple procedure with a yield of 21 μg/g. The transgene was stably inherited for at least three generations, and peptide accumulation remained stable during long term storage of transgenic seeds. The purified peptide showed in vitro activity against the bacterial plant pathogen Dickeya sp., the causal agent of the dark brown sheath rot of rice. Seedlings of transgenic events showed enhanced resistance to the fungal pathogen Fusarium verticillioides, supporting that the in planta produced peptide was biologically active. CONCLUSIONS The strategy developed in this work for the sustainable production of BP178 peptide using rice seeds as biofactories represents a promising system for future production of peptides for plant protection and possibly in other fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Montesinos
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, University of Girona, Girona, 17071 Spain
| | - Mireia Bundó
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB. Edifici CRAG, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona Spain
| | - Esther Badosa
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, University of Girona, Girona, 17071 Spain
| | - Blanca San Segundo
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB. Edifici CRAG, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona Spain
| | - María Coca
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB. Edifici CRAG, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona Spain
| | - Emilio Montesinos
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, University of Girona, Girona, 17071 Spain
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Bundó M, Coca M. Enhancing blast disease resistance by overexpression of the calcium-dependent protein kinase OsCPK4 in rice. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 14:1357-67. [PMID: 26578239 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 10/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Rice is the most important staple food for more than half of the human population, and blast disease is the most serious disease affecting global rice production. In this work, the isoform OsCPK4 of the rice calcium-dependent protein kinase family is reported as a regulator of rice immunity to blast fungal infection. It shows that overexpression of OsCPK4 gene in rice plants enhances resistance to blast disease by preventing fungal penetration. The constitutive accumulation of OsCPK4 protein prepares rice plants for a rapid and potentiated defence response, including the production of reactive oxygen species, callose deposition and defence gene expression. OsCPK4 overexpression leads also to constitutive increased content of the glycosylated salicylic acid hormone in leaves without compromising rice yield. Given that OsCPK4 overexpression was known to confer also salt and drought tolerance in rice, the results reported in this article demonstrate that OsCPK4 acts as a convergence component that positively modulates both biotic and abiotic signalling pathways. Altogether, our findings indicate that OsCPK4 is a potential molecular target to improve not only abiotic stress tolerance, but also blast disease resistance of rice crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Bundó
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB. Edifici CRAG, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Coca
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB. Edifici CRAG, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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33
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Merlin M, Pezzotti M, Avesani L. Edible plants for oral delivery of biopharmaceuticals. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2016; 83:71-81. [PMID: 27037892 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular farming is the use of plants for the production of high value recombinant proteins. Over the last 25 years, molecular farming has achieved the inexpensive, scalable and safe production of pharmaceutical proteins using a range of strategies. One of the most promising approaches is the use of edible plant organs expressing biopharmaceuticals for direct oral delivery. This approach has proven to be efficacious in several clinical vaccination and tolerance induction trials as well as multiple preclinical studies for disease prevention. The production of oral biopharmaceuticals in edible plant tissues could revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry by reducing the cost of production systems based on fermentation, and also eliminating expensive downstream purification, cold storage and transportation costs. This review considers the unique features that make plants ideal as platforms for the oral delivery of protein-based therapeutics and describes recent developments in the production of plant derived biopharmaceuticals for oral administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Merlin
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 15, 37 134, Verona, Italy
| | - Mario Pezzotti
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 15, 37 134, Verona, Italy
| | - Linda Avesani
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 15, 37 134, Verona, Italy
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Ruiz C, Pla M, Company N, Riudavets J, Nadal A. High CO2 concentration as an inductor agent to drive production of recombinant phytotoxic antimicrobial peptides in plant biofactories. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 90:329-343. [PMID: 26687131 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-015-0419-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides such as BP100 are of increasing interest for developing novel phytosanitary or therapeutic agents and products with industrial applications. Biotechnological production of these peptides in plants can be severely impaired due to the toxicity exerted on the host by high-level expression. This can be overcome by using inducible promoters with extremely low activity throughout plant development, although the yields are limited. We examined the use of modified atmospheres using the increased levels of [CO2], commonly used in the food industry, as the inductor agent to biotechnologically produce phytotoxic compounds with higher yields. Here we show that 30% [CO2] triggered a profound transcriptional response in rice leaves, including a change in the energy provision from photosynthesis to glycolysis, and the activation of stress defense mechanisms. Five genes with central roles in up-regulated pathways were initially selected and their promoters successfully used to drive the expression of phytotoxic BP100 in genetically modified (GM) rice. GM plants had a normal phenotype on development and seed production in non-induction conditions. Treatment with 30 % [CO2] led to recombinant peptide accumulation of up to 1 % total soluble protein when the Os.hb2 promoter was used. This is within the range of biotechnological production of other peptides in plants. Using BP100 as a proof-of-concept we demonstrate that very high [CO2] can be considered an economically viable strategy to drive production of recombinant phytotoxic antimicrobial peptides in plant biofactories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ruiz
- Institute for Agricultural and Food Technology (INTEA), University of Girona, Campus Montilivi s/n, 17071, Girona, Spain
| | - Maria Pla
- Institute for Agricultural and Food Technology (INTEA), University of Girona, Campus Montilivi s/n, 17071, Girona, Spain
| | - Nuri Company
- Institute for Agricultural and Food Technology (INTEA), University of Girona, Campus Montilivi s/n, 17071, Girona, Spain
| | - Jordi Riudavets
- Institute for Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Ctra. de Cabrils Km 2, 08348, Cabrils, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Nadal
- Institute for Agricultural and Food Technology (INTEA), University of Girona, Campus Montilivi s/n, 17071, Girona, Spain.
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35
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Production of Biologically Active Cecropin A Peptide in Rice Seed Oil Bodies. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146919. [PMID: 26760761 PMCID: PMC4711921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cecropin A is a natural antimicrobial peptide that exhibits fast and potent activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens and neoplastic cells, and that has important biotechnological applications. However, cecropin A exploitation, as for other antimicrobial peptides, is limited by their production and purification costs. Here, we report the efficient production of this bioactive peptide in rice bran using the rice oleosin 18 as a carrier protein. High cecropin A levels were reached in rice seeds driving the expression of the chimeric gene by the strong embryo-specific oleosin 18 own promoter, and targeting the peptide to the oil body organelle as an oleosin 18-cecropin A fusion protein. The accumulation of cecropin A in oil bodies had no deleterious effects on seed viability and seedling growth, as well as on seed yield. We also show that biologically active cecropin A can be easily purified from the transgenic rice seeds by homogenization and simple flotation centrifugation methods. Our results demonstrate that the oleosin fusion technology is suitable for the production of cecropin A in rice seeds, which can potentially be extended to other antimicrobial peptides to assist their exploitation.
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36
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Antimicrobial peptide production and plant-based expression systems for medical and agricultural biotechnology. Biotechnol Adv 2015; 33:1005-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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37
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Schubert M, Houdelet M, Kogel KH, Fischer R, Schillberg S, Nölke G. Thanatin confers partial resistance against aflatoxigenic fungi in maize (Zea mays). Transgenic Res 2015; 24:885-95. [PMID: 26071308 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-015-9888-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Aflatoxin-producing fungi can contaminate plants and plant-derived products with carcinogenic secondary metabolites that present a risk to human and animal health. In this study, we investigated the effect of antimicrobial peptides on the major aflatoxigenic fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. In vitro assays with different chemically-synthesized peptides demonstrated that the broad-spectrum peptide thanatin from the spined soldier bug (Podisus maculiventris) had the greatest potential to eliminate aflatoxigenic fungi. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of thanatin against A. flavus and A. parasiticus were 3.13 and 12.5 µM, respectively. A thanatin cDNA was subsequently cloned in a plant expression vector under the control of the ubiquitin-1 promoter allowing the recombinant peptide to be directed to the apoplast in transgenic maize plants. Successful integration of the thanatin expression cassette was confirmed by PCR and expression was demonstrated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in transgenic maize kernels. Infection assays with maize kernels from T1 transgenic plants showed up to three-fold greater resistance against Aspergillus spp. infections compared to non-transgenic kernels. We demonstrated for the first time that heterologous expression of the antimicrobial peptide thanatin inhibits the growth of Aspergillus spp. in transgenic maize plants offering a solution to protect crops from aflatoxin-producing fungi and the resulting aflatoxin contamination in the field and under storage conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Schubert
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Marcel Houdelet
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Karl-Heinz Kogel
- Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Schillberg
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Greta Nölke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
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Concatemerization increases the inhibitory activity of short, cell-penetrating, cationic and tryptophan-rich antifungal peptides. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:8011-21. [PMID: 25846331 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6541-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Revised: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
There are short cationic and tryptophan-rich antifungal peptides such as the hexapeptide PAF26 (RKKWFW) that have selective toxicity and cell penetration properties against fungal cells. This study demonstrates that concatemeric peptides with tandem repeats of the heptapeptide PAF54 (which is an elongated PAF26 sequence) show increased fungistatic and bacteriostatic activities while maintaining the absence of hemolytic activity of the monomer. The increase in antimicrobial activity of the double-repeated PAF sequences (diPAFs), compared to the nonrepeated PAF, was higher (4-8-fold) than that seen for the triple-repeated sequences (triPAFs) versus the diPAFs (2-fold). However, concatemerization diminished the fungicidal activity against quiescent spores of the filamentous fungus Penicillium digitatum. Peptide solubility and sensitivity to proteolytic degradation were affected by the design of the concatemers: incorporation of the AGPA sequence hinge to separate PAF54 repeats increased solubility while the C-terminal addition of the KDEL sequence decreased in vitro stability. These results led to the design of the triPAF sequence PAF102 of 30 amino acid residues, with increased antimicrobial activity and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 1-5 μM depending on the fungus. Further characterization of the mode-of-action of PAF102 demonstrated that it colocalizes first with the fungal cell wall, it is thereafter internalized in an energy dependent manner into hyphal cells of the filamentous fungus Fusarium proliferatum, and finally kills hyphal cells intracellularly. Therefore, PAF102 showed mechanistic properties against fungi similar to the parental PAF26. These observations are of high interest in the future development of PAF-based antimicrobial molecules optimized for their production in biofactories.
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Breen S, Solomon PS, Bedon F, Vincent D. Surveying the potential of secreted antimicrobial peptides to enhance plant disease resistance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:900. [PMID: 26579150 PMCID: PMC4621407 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural products found across diverse taxa as part of the innate immune system against pathogen attacks. Some AMPs are synthesized through the canonical gene expression machinery and are called ribosomal AMPs. Other AMPs are assembled by modular enzymes generating nonribosomal AMPs and harbor unusual structural diversity. Plants synthesize an array of AMPs, yet are still subject to many pathogen invasions. Crop breeding programs struggle to release new cultivars in which complete disease resistance is achieved, and usually such resistance becomes quickly overcome by the targeted pathogens which have a shorter generation time. AMPs could offer a solution by exploring not only plant-derived AMPs, related or unrelated to the crop of interest, but also non-plant AMPs produced by bacteria, fungi, oomycetes or animals. This review highlights some promising candidates within the plant kingdom and elsewhere, and offers some perspectives on how to identify and validate their bioactivities. Technological advances, particularly in mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), have been instrumental in identifying and elucidating the structure of novel AMPs, especially nonribosomal peptides which cannot be identified through genomics approaches. The majority of non-plant AMPs showing potential for plant disease immunity are often tested using in vitro assays. The greatest challenge remains the functional validation of candidate AMPs in plants through transgenic experiments, particularly introducing nonribosomal AMPs into crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Breen
- Plant Sciences Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Peter S. Solomon
- Plant Sciences Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Frank Bedon
- Department of Economic Development, AgriBioBundoora, VIC, Australia
- AgriBio, La Trobe UniversityBundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Delphine Vincent
- Department of Economic Development, AgriBioBundoora, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Delphine Vincent
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