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Wongchai M, Wongkaewkhiaw S, Kanthawong S, Roytrakul S, Aunpad R. Dual-function antimicrobial-antibiofilm peptide hybrid to tackle biofilm-forming Staphylococcus epidermidis. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2024; 23:44. [PMID: 38755634 PMCID: PMC11100219 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-024-00701-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to their resistance and difficulty in treatment, biofilm-associated infections are problematic among hospitalized patients globally and account for 60% of all bacterial infections in humans. Antibiofilm peptides have recently emerged as an alternative treatment since they can be effectively designed and exert a different mode of biofilm inhibition and eradication. METHODS A novel antibiofilm peptide, BiF, was designed from the conserved sequence of 18 α-helical antibiofilm peptides by template-assisted technique and its activity was improved by hybridization with a lipid binding motif (KILRR). Novel antibiofilm peptide derivatives were modified by substituting hydrophobic amino acids at positions 5 or 7, and both, with positively charged lysines (L5K, L7K). These peptide derivatives were tested for antibiofilm and antimicrobial activities against biofilm-forming Staphylococcus epidermidis and multiple other microbes using crystal violet and broth microdilution assays, respectively. To assess their impact on mammalian cells, the toxicity of peptides was determined through hemolysis and cytotoxicity assays. The stability of candidate peptide, BiF2_5K7K, was assessed in human serum and its secondary structure in bacterial membrane-like environments was analyzed using circular dichroism. The action of BiF2_5K7K on planktonic S. epidermidis and its effect on biofilm cell viability were assessed via viable counting assays. Its biofilm inhibition mechanism was investigated through confocal laser scanning microscopy and transcription analysis. Additionally, its ability to eradicate mature biofilms was examined using colony counting. Finally, a preliminary evaluation involved coating a catheter with BiF2_5K7K to assess its preventive efficacy against S. epidermidis biofilm formation on the catheter and its surrounding area. RESULTS BiF2_5K7K, the modified antibiofilm peptide, exhibited dose-dependent antibiofilm activity against S. epidermidis. It inhibited biofilm formation at subinhibitory concentrations by altering S. epidermidis extracellular polysaccharide production and quorum-sensing gene expression. Additionally, it exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and no significant hemolysis or toxicity against mammalian cell lines was observed. Its activity is retained when exposed to human serum. In bacterial membrane-like environments, this peptide formed an α-helix amphipathic structure. Within 4 h, a reduction in the number of S. epidermidis colonies was observed, demonstrating the fast action of this peptide. As a preliminary test, a BiF2_5K7K-coated catheter was able to prevent the development of S. epidermidis biofilm both on the catheter surface and in its surrounding area. CONCLUSIONS Due to the safety and effectiveness of BiF2_5K7K, we suggest that this peptide be further developed to combat biofilm infections, particularly those of biofilm-forming S. epidermidis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathira Wongchai
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Saharut Wongkaewkhiaw
- School of Dentistry, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sakawrat Kanthawong
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Sittiruk Roytrakul
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Ratchaneewan Aunpad
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
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Li H, Kalunke R, Tetorya M, Czymmek KJ, Shah DM. Modes of action and potential as a peptide-based biofungicide of a plant defensin MtDef4. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2024; 25:e13458. [PMID: 38619888 PMCID: PMC11018249 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Due to rapidly emerging resistance to single-site fungicides in fungal pathogens of plants, there is a burgeoning need for safe and multisite fungicides. Plant antifungal peptides with multisite modes of action (MoA) have potential as bioinspired fungicides. Medicago truncatula defensin MtDef4 was previously reported to exhibit potent antifungal activity against fungal pathogens. Its MoA involves plasma membrane disruption and binding to intracellular targets. However, specific biochemical processes inhibited by this defensin and causing cell death have not been determined. Here, we show that MtDef4 exhibited potent antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea. It induced severe plasma membrane and organelle irregularities in the germlings of this pathogen. It bound to fungal ribosomes and inhibited protein translation in vitro. A MtDef4 variant lacking antifungal activity exhibited greatly reduced protein translation inhibitory activity. A cation-tolerant MtDef4 variant was generated that bound to β-glucan of the fungal cell wall with higher affinity than MtDef4. It also conferred a greater reduction in the grey mould disease symptoms than MtDef4 when applied exogenously on Nicotiana benthamiana plants, tomato fruits and rose petals. Our findings revealed inhibition of protein synthesis as a likely target of MtDef4 and the potential of its cation-tolerant variant as a peptide-based fungicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | | | | | - Kirk J. Czymmek
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMissouriUSA
- Advanced Bioimaging LaboratoryDonald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Dilip M. Shah
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMissouriUSA
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3
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Parisi K, McKenna JA, Lowe R, Harris KS, Shafee T, Guarino R, Lee E, van der Weerden NL, Bleackley MR, Anderson MA. Hyperpolarisation of Mitochondrial Membranes Is a Critical Component of the Antifungal Mechanism of the Plant Defensin, Ppdef1. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:54. [PMID: 38248963 PMCID: PMC10817573 DOI: 10.3390/jof10010054] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant defensins are a large family of small cationic proteins with diverse functions and mechanisms of action, most of which assert antifungal activity against a broad spectrum of fungi. The partial mechanism of action has been resolved for a small number of members of plant defensins, and studies have revealed that many act by more than one mechanism. The plant defensin Ppdef1 has a unique sequence and long loop 5 with fungicidal activity against a range of human fungal pathogens, but little is known about its mechanism of action. We screened the S. cerevisiae non-essential gene deletion library and identified the involvement of the mitochondria in the mechanism of action of Ppdef1. Further analysis revealed that the hyperpolarisation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) activates ROS production, vacuolar fusion and cell death and is an important step in the mechanism of action of Ppdef1, and it is likely that a similar mechanism acts in Trichophyton rubrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Parisi
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - James A. McKenna
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - Rohan Lowe
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - Karen S. Harris
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - Thomas Shafee
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Rosemary Guarino
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - Eunice Lee
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - Nicole L. van der Weerden
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - Mark R. Bleackley
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
| | - Marilyn A. Anderson
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., Preston 3072, Australia
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4
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van der Weerden NL, Parisi K, McKenna JA, Hayes BM, Harvey PJ, Quimbar P, Wevrett SR, Veneer PK, McCorkelle O, Vasa S, Guarino R, Poon S, Gaspar YM, Baker MJ, Craik DJ, Turner RB, Brown MB, Bleackley MR, Anderson MA. The Plant Defensin Ppdef1 Is a Novel Topical Treatment for Onychomycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1111. [PMID: 37998916 PMCID: PMC10672221 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Onychomycosis, or fungal nail infection, causes not only pain and discomfort but can also have psychological and social consequences for the patient. Treatment of onychomycosis is complicated by the location of the infection under the nail plate, meaning that antifungal molecules must either penetrate the nail or be applied systemically. Currently, available treatments are limited by their poor nail penetration for topical products or their potential toxicity for systemic products. Plant defensins with potent antifungal activity have the potential to be safe and effective treatments for fungal infections in humans. The cystine-stabilized structure of plant defensins makes them stable to the extremes of pH and temperature as well as digestion by proteases. Here, we describe a novel plant defensin, Ppdef1, as a peptide for the treatment of fungal nail infections. Ppdef1 has potent, fungicidal activity against a range of human fungal pathogens, including Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp., dermatophytes, and non-dermatophytic moulds. In particular, Ppdef1 has excellent activity against dermatophytes that infect skin and nails, including the major etiological agent of onychomycosis Trichophyton rubrum. Ppdef1 also penetrates human nails rapidly and efficiently, making it an excellent candidate for a novel topical treatment of onychomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. van der Weerden
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Kathy Parisi
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - James A. McKenna
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Brigitte M. Hayes
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Peta J. Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Pedro Quimbar
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | | | - Prem K. Veneer
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Owen McCorkelle
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Shaily Vasa
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Rosemary Guarino
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Simon Poon
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Yolanda M. Gaspar
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Michael J. Baker
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Rob B. Turner
- MedPharm Ltd., Surrey Research Park, Surrey GU2 7AB, UK
| | - Marc B. Brown
- MedPharm Ltd., Surrey Research Park, Surrey GU2 7AB, UK
| | - Mark R. Bleackley
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Marilyn A. Anderson
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Hexima Ltd., La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
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Nguyen NN, Lamotte O, Alsulaiman M, Ruffel S, Krouk G, Berger N, Demolombe V, Nespoulous C, Dang TMN, Aimé S, Berthomieu P, Dubos C, Wendehenne D, Vile D, Gosti F. Reduction in PLANT DEFENSIN 1 expression in Arabidopsis thaliana results in increased resistance to pathogens and zinc toxicity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:5374-5393. [PMID: 37326591 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ectopic expression of defensins in plants correlates with their increased capacity to withstand abiotic and biotic stresses. This applies to Arabidopsis thaliana, where some of the seven members of the PLANT DEFENSIN 1 family (AtPDF1) are recognised to improve plant responses to necrotrophic pathogens and increase seedling tolerance to excess zinc (Zn). However, few studies have explored the effects of decreased endogenous defensin expression on these stress responses. Here, we carried out an extensive physiological and biochemical comparative characterization of (i) novel artificial microRNA (amiRNA) lines silenced for the five most similar AtPDF1s, and (ii) a double null mutant for the two most distant AtPDF1s. Silencing of five AtPDF1 genes was specifically associated with increased aboveground dry mass production in mature plants under excess Zn conditions, and with increased plant tolerance to different pathogens - a fungus, an oomycete and a bacterium, while the double mutant behaved similarly to the wild type. These unexpected results challenge the current paradigm describing the role of PDFs in plant stress responses. Additional roles of endogenous plant defensins are discussed, opening new perspectives for their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc Nga Nguyen
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Olivier Lamotte
- Agroécologie, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne-Franche Comté, F-21 000 Dijon, France
| | - Mohanad Alsulaiman
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Sandrine Ruffel
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Gabriel Krouk
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Nathalie Berger
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Vincent Demolombe
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Claude Nespoulous
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Thi Minh Nguyet Dang
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Sébastien Aimé
- Agroécologie, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne-Franche Comté, F-21 000 Dijon, France
| | - Pierre Berthomieu
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Christian Dubos
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - David Wendehenne
- Agroécologie, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne-Franche Comté, F-21 000 Dijon, France
| | - Denis Vile
- LEPSE, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2 Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
| | - Françoise Gosti
- IPSiM, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 2, Place P. Viala, F-34 060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France
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6
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Pandurangi R, Karwa A, Sagaram US, Henzler-Wildman K, Shah D. Medicago Sativa Defensin1 as a tumor sensitizer for improving chemotherapy: translation from anti-fungal agent to a potential anti-cancer agent. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1141755. [PMID: 37305575 PMCID: PMC10251204 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1141755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant defensins including Medicago Sativa defensin 1 (MsDef1) are cysteine-rich antifungal peptides which are known for potent broad-spectrum antifungal activity against bacterial or fungal pathogens of plants. The antimicrobial activities of these cationic defensins are attributed to their capacity to bind to cell membranes to create potentially structural defects tin the cell membranes to interact with intracellular target (s) and mediates cytotoxic effects. Our earlier work identified Glucosylceramide (GlcCer) of fungus F. graminearum as a potential target for biological activity. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) cancer cells overexpress GlcCer on the surface of plasma membrane. Hence, MsDef1 may have a potential to bind to GlcCer of MDR cancer cells to induce cell death. We have characterized the three-dimensional structure of MsDef1 and the solution dynamics using of 15N-labeled MsDef1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy which showed that GlcCer binds MsDef1 at two specific sites on the peptide molecule. The ability of MsDef1 to permeate MDR cancer cells was demonstrated by measuring the release of apoptotic ceramide in drug resistant MCF-7R cells. It was also shown that MsDef1 activated dual cell death pathways ceramide and Apoptosis Stimulating Kinase ASK1 by disintegrating GlcCer and oxidizing tumor specific biomarker thioredoxin (Trx) respectively. As a result, MsDef1 sensitizes MDR cancer cells to evoke a better response from Doxorubicin, a front-line chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment. The combination of MsDef1 and Doxorubicin induced 5 to10-fold greater apoptosis in vitro MDR cells MDA-MB-231R compared to either MsDef1 or Doxorubicin alone. Confocal microscopy revealed that MsDef1 facilitates a) influx of Doxorubicin in MDR cancer cells, b) preferential uptake by MDR cells but not by normal fibroblasts and breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A). These results suggest that MsDef1 targets MDR cancer cells and may find utility as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Hence, the extension of antifungal properties of MsDef1 to cancer my result in addressing the MDR problems in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Pandurangi
- Sci-Engi-Medco Solutions Inc (SEMCO), St Charles, MO, United States
| | - Amol Karwa
- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Hazelwood, MO, United States
| | - Uma Shankar Sagaram
- DeLuca Biochemistry Laboratories, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | | | - Dilip Shah
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, United States
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Shahmiri M, Bleackley MR, Dawson CS, van der Weerden NL, Anderson MA, Mechler A. Membrane binding properties of plant defensins. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2023; 209:113618. [PMID: 36828099 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2023.113618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The membrane interaction characteristics of five antifungal plant defensin peptides: NaD1, and the related HXP4 and L5, as well as NaD2 and the related ZmD32 were studied. These peptides were chosen to cover a broad range of cationic charges with little structural variations, allowing for assessment of the role of charge in their membrane interactions. Membrane permeabilizing activity against C. albicans was confirmed and quantified for benchmarking purposes. Viscoelastic characteristics of the membrane interactions were studied in typical neutral and charged model membranes using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D. Frequency-dissipation fingerprinting analysis of the QCM-D results revealed that all of the peptides were able to bind to all studied model membranes albeit with slightly different viscoelastic character for each membrane type. However, characteristic disruption patterns were not observed suggesting that the membrane disrupting activity of these defensins is mostly specific to fungal membranes, and that increasing the peptide charge does not enhance their action. The results also show that the presence of specific sterols has a profound effect on the ability of the peptides to disrupt the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Shahmiri
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086, Australia; Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine (SATiM), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mark R Bleackley
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086, Australia
| | - Charlotte S Dawson
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086, Australia
| | - Nicole L van der Weerden
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086, Australia
| | - Marilyn A Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086, Australia
| | - Adam Mechler
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086, Australia.
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Flores-Alvarez LJ, Jiménez-Alcántar P, Ochoa-Zarzosa A, López-Meza JE. The Antimicrobial Peptide γ-Thionin from Habanero Chile ( Capsicum chinense) Induces Caspase-Independent Apoptosis on Human K562 Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells and Regulates Epigenetic Marks. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28093661. [PMID: 37175071 PMCID: PMC10180109 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28093661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a relevant health problem worldwide. In 2020, leukemias represented the 13th most commonly reported cancer cases worldwide but the 10th most likely to cause deaths. There has been a progressive increase in the efficacy of treatments for leukemias; however, these still generate important side effects, so it is imperative to search for new alternatives. Defensins are a group of antimicrobial peptides with activity against cancer cells. However, the cytotoxic mechanism of these peptides has been described mainly for animal defensins. This study shows that defensin γ-thionin (Capsicum chinense) is cytotoxic to the K562 leukemia cells with an IC50 = 290 μg/mL (50.26 μM) but not for human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results showed that γ-thionin did not affect the membrane potential; however, the peptide modified the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and the intracellular calcium release. In addition, γ-thionin induced apoptosis in K562 cells, but the activation of caspases 8 and 9 was not detected. Moreover, the activation of calpains was detected at one hour of treatment, suggesting that γ-thionin activates the caspase-independent apoptosis. Furthermore, the γ-thionin induced epigenetic modifications on histone 3 in K562 cells, increased global acetylation (~2-fold), and specific acetylation marks at lysine 9 (H3K9Ac) (~1.5-fold). In addition, γ-thionin increased the lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) and dimethylation marks (H3K9me2) (~2-fold), as well as the trimethylation mark (H3K9me3) (~2-fold). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a defensin that triggers caspase-independent apoptosis in cancer cells via calpains and regulating chromatin remodelation, a novel property for a plant defensin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis José Flores-Alvarez
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carretera Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Morelia C.P. 58893, Mexico
| | - Paola Jiménez-Alcántar
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carretera Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Morelia C.P. 58893, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Ochoa-Zarzosa
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carretera Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Morelia C.P. 58893, Mexico
| | - Joel E López-Meza
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carretera Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Morelia C.P. 58893, Mexico
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9
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Adrover JM, McDowell SAC, He XY, Quail DF, Egeblad M. NETworking with cancer: The bidirectional interplay between cancer and neutrophil extracellular traps. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:505-526. [PMID: 36827980 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophils are major effectors and regulators of the immune system. They play critical roles not only in the eradication of pathogens but also in cancer initiation and progression. Conversely, the presence of cancer affects neutrophil activity, maturation, and lifespan. By promoting or repressing key neutrophil functions, cancer cells co-opt neutrophil biology to their advantage. This co-opting includes hijacking one of neutrophils' most striking pathogen defense mechanisms: the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are web-like filamentous extracellular structures of DNA, histones, and cytotoxic granule-derived proteins. Here, we discuss the bidirectional interplay by which cancer stimulates NET formation, and NETs in turn support disease progression. We review how vascular dysfunction and thrombosis caused by neutrophils and NETs underlie an elevated risk of death from cardiovascular events in cancer patients. Finally, we propose therapeutic strategies that may be effective in targeting NETs in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Adrover
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Sheri A C McDowell
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Xue-Yan He
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Daniela F Quail
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Mikala Egeblad
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
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10
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Crocodile defensin (CpoBD13) antifungal activity via pH-dependent phospholipid targeting and membrane disruption. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1170. [PMID: 36859344 PMCID: PMC9977887 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36280-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Crocodilians are an order of ancient reptiles that thrive in pathogen-rich environments. The ability to inhabit these harsh environments is indicative of a resilient innate immune system. Defensins, a family of cysteine-rich cationic host defence peptides, are a major component of the innate immune systems of all plant and animal species, however crocodilian defensins are poorly characterised. We now show that the saltwater crocodile defensin CpoBD13 harbors potent antifungal activity that is mediated by a pH-dependent membrane-targeting action. CpoBD13 binds the phospholipid phosphatidic acid (PA) to form a large helical oligomeric complex, with specific histidine residues mediating PA binding. The utilisation of histidine residues for PA engagement allows CpoBD13 to exhibit differential activity at a range of environmental pH values, where CpoBD13 is optimally active in an acidic environment.
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11
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Mulla JA, Tamhane VA. Novel insights into plant defensin ingestion induced metabolic responses in the polyphagous insect pest Helicoverpa armigera. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3151. [PMID: 36823197 PMCID: PMC9950371 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29250-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Lepidopteran insect pest Helicoverpa armigera is one of the most destructive pests of crop plants and several biotechnological approaches are being developed for its control. Plant defensins are small cationic and cysteine-rich peptides that play a role in plant defense. Ingestion of a defensin from Capsicum annuum (CanDef-20) induced a dose-dependent reduction in larval and pupal mass, delayed metamorphosis and also severely reduced fecundity and fertility in H. armigera. To understand the molecular mechanisms of CanDef-20 ingestion-mediated antibiosis in H. armigera larvae, a comparative transcriptomics analysis was carried out. Predominant downregulation of GOs represents serine-type endopeptidases, structural constituents of ribosomes and integral membrane components and differential upregulation of ATP binding, nucleus and translation, while up-regulation of nucleic acid binding represented by transposable elements, were detected. Different isoforms of lipase, serine endopeptidase, glutathione S-transferase, cadherin, alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidases were found to be upregulated as a compensatory response to CanDef-20 ingestion. In vitro enzyme assays and qPCR analysis of some representative genes associated with vital cellular processes like metamorphosis, food digestion and gut membrane indicated adaptive differential regulations in CanDef-20 fed H. armigera larvae. We conclude that CanDef-20 ingestion affects insect metabolism in a number of ways through its interaction with cell membrane, enzymes, cytoplasmic proteins and triggering transposon mobilization which are linked to growth retardation and adaptive strategies in H. armigera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javed A. Mulla
- grid.32056.320000 0001 2190 9326Department of Biotechnology (Jointly Merged With Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB)), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411007 India
| | - Vaijayanti A. Tamhane
- grid.32056.320000 0001 2190 9326Department of Biotechnology (Jointly Merged With Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB)), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411007 India
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12
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Giner-Llorca M, Gallego del Sol F, Marcos JF, Marina A, Manzanares P. Rationally designed antifungal protein chimeras reveal new insights into structure-activity relationship. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 225:135-148. [PMID: 36460243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Antifungal proteins (AFPs) are promising antimicrobial compounds that represent a feasible alternative to fungicides. Penicillium expansum encodes three phylogenetically distinct AFPs (PeAfpA, PeAfpB and PeAfpC) which show different antifungal profiles and fruit protection effects. To gain knowledge about the structural determinants governing their activity, we solved the crystal structure of PeAfpB and rationally designed five PeAfpA::PeAfpB chimeras (chPeAFPV1-V5). Chimeras showed significant differences in their antifungal activity. chPeAFPV1 and chPeAFPV2 improved the parental PeAfpB potency, and it was very similar to that of PeAfpA. chPeAFPV4 and chPeAFPV5 showed an intermediate profile of activity compared to the parental proteins while chPeAFPV3 was inactive towards most of the fungi tested. Structural analysis of the chimeras evidenced an identical scaffold to PeAfpB, suggesting that the differences in activity are due to the contributions of specific residues and not to induced conformational changes or structural rearrangements. Results suggest that mannoproteins determine protein interaction with the cell wall and its antifungal activity while there is not a direct correlation between binding to membrane phospholipids and activity. This work provides new insights about the relevance of sequence motifs and the feasibility of modifying protein specificity, opening the door to the rational design of chimeras with biotechnological applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés Giner-Llorca
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisca Gallego del Sol
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV), CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Jaume Roig 11, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jose F Marcos
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alberto Marina
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV), CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Jaume Roig 11, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Paloma Manzanares
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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13
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Huang Z. A Function of Amyloid-β in Mediating Activity-Dependent Axon/Synapse Competition May Unify Its Roles in Brain Physiology and Pathology. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 92:29-57. [PMID: 36710681 PMCID: PMC10023438 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) gives rise to amyloid-β (Aβ), a peptide at the center of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AβPP, however, is also an ancient molecule dating back in evolution to some of the earliest forms of metazoans. This suggests a possible ancestral function that may have been obscured by those that evolve later. Based on literature from the functions of Aβ/AβPP in nervous system development, plasticity, and disease, to those of anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) in bacterial competition as well as mechanisms of cell competition uncovered first by Drosophila genetics, I propose that Aβ/AβPP may be part of an ancient mechanism employed in cell competition, which is subsequently co-opted during evolution for the regulation of activity-dependent neural circuit development and plasticity. This hypothesis is supported by foremost the high similarities of Aβ to AMPs, both of which possess unique, opposite (i.e., trophic versus toxic) activities as monomers and oligomers. A large body of data further suggests that the different Aβ oligomeric isoforms may serve as the protective and punishment signals long predicted to mediate activity-dependent axonal/synaptic competition in the developing nervous system and that the imbalance in their opposite regulation of innate immune and glial cells in the brain may ultimately underpin AD pathogenesis. This hypothesis can not only explain the diverse roles observed of Aβ and AβPP family molecules, but also provide a conceptual framework that can unify current hypotheses on AD. Furthermore, it may explain major clinical observations not accounted for and identify approaches for overcoming shortfalls in AD animal modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Huang
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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14
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Histidine 19 Residue Is Essential for Cell Internalization of Antifungal Peptide SmAPα1-21 Derived from the α-Core of the Silybum marianum Defensin DefSm2-D in Fusarium graminearum. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11111501. [PMID: 36358156 PMCID: PMC9686561 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthetic peptide SmAPα1-21 (KLCEKPSKTWFGNCGNPRHCG) derived from DefSm2-D defensin α-core is active at micromolar concentrations against the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum and has a multistep mechanism of action that includes alteration of the fungal cell wall and membrane permeabilization. Here, we continued the study of this peptide’s mode of action and explored the correlation between the biological activity and its primary structure. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the ultrastructural effects of SmAPα1-21 in conidial cells. New peptides were designed by modifying the parent peptide SmAPα1-21 (SmAPH19R and SmAPH19A, where His19 was replaced by Arg or Ala, respectively) and synthesized by the Fmoc solid phase method. Antifungal activity was determined against F. graminearum. Membrane permeability and subcellular localization in conidia were studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was assessed by fluorescence spectroscopy and CLSM. SmAPα1-21 induced peroxisome biogenesis and oxidative stress through ROS production in F. graminearum and was internalized into the conidial cells’ cytoplasm. SmAPH19R and SmAPH19A were active against F. graminearum with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 38 and 100 µM for SmAPH19R and SmAPH19A, respectively. The replacement of His19 by Ala produced a decrease in the net charge with a significant increase in the MIC, thus evidencing the importance of the positive charge in position 19 of the antifungal peptide. Like SmAPα1-21, SmAP2H19A and SmAP2H19R produced the permeabilization of the conidia membrane and induced oxidative stress through ROS production. However, SmAPH19R and SmAPH19A were localized in the conidia cell wall. The replacement of His19 by Ala turned all the processes slower. The extracellular localization of peptides SmAPH19R and SmAPH19A highlights the role of the His19 residue in the internalization.
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15
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Antimicrobial Activity Developed by Scorpion Venoms and Its Peptide Component. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14110740. [PMID: 36355990 PMCID: PMC9693228 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14110740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial infections represent a problem of great importance at the public health level, with a high rate of morbidity-mortality worldwide. However, treating the different diseases generated by microorganisms requires a gradual increase in acquired resistance when applying or using them against various antibiotic therapies. Resistance is caused by various molecular mechanisms of microorganisms, thus reducing their effectiveness. Consequently, there is a need to search for new opportunities through natural sources with antimicrobial activity. One alternative is using peptides present in different scorpion venoms, specifically from the Buthidae family. Different peptides with biological activity in microorganisms have been characterized as preventing their growth or inhibiting their replication. Therefore, they represent an alternative to be used in the design and development of new-generation antimicrobial drugs in different types of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Essential aspects for its disclosure, as shown in this review, are the studies carried out on different types of peptides in scorpion venoms with activity against pathogenic microorganisms, highlighting their high therapeutic potential.
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16
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Li G, Wang Q, Feng J, Wang J, Wang Y, Huang X, Shao T, Deng X, Cao Y, Zhou M, Zhao C. Recent insights into the role of defensins in diabetic wound healing. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113694. [PMID: 36099789 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113694] [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: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic wound, one of the most common serious complications of diabetic patients, is an important factor in disability and death. Much of the research on the pathophysiology of diabetic wound healing has long focused on mechanisms mediated by hyperglycemia, chronic inflammation, microcirculatory and macrocirculatory dysfunction. However, recent evidence suggests that defensins may play a crucial role in the development and perpetuation of diabetic wound healing. The available findings suggest that defensins exert a beneficial influence on diabetic wound healing through antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, angiogenic, tissue regenerator effects, and insulin resistance improvement. Therefore, summarizing the existing research progress on defensins in the diabetic wound may present a promising strategy for diabetic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Li
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China; Graduate School, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qixue Wang
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China; Institute for Interdisciplinary Medicine Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Graduate School, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiawei Feng
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China; Graduate School, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jialin Wang
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China; Graduate School, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China; Graduate School, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaoting Huang
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China; Graduate School, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Tengteng Shao
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Xiaofei Deng
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Yemin Cao
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China
| | - Mingmei Zhou
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China; Institute for Interdisciplinary Medicine Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Cheng Zhao
- Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China.
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17
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Perez-Rodriguez A, Eraso E, Quindós G, Mateo E. Antimicrobial Peptides with Anti-Candida Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169264. [PMID: 36012523 PMCID: PMC9409312 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycoses are accountable for millions of infections yearly worldwide. Invasive candidiasis is the most usual, presenting a high morbidity and mortality. Candida albicans remains the prevalent etiologic agent, but the incidence of other species such as Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata and Candida auris keeps increasing. These pathogens frequently show a reduced susceptibility to commonly used antifungal drugs, including polyenes, triazoles and echinocandins, and the incidence of emerging multi-drug-resistant strains of these species continues to increase. Therefore, the need to search for new molecules that target these pathogenic species in a different manner is now more urgent than ever. Nature is an almost endless source of interesting new molecules that could meet this need. Among these molecules, antimicrobial peptides, present in different sources in nature, possess some advantages over conventional antifungal agents, even with their own drawbacks, and are considered as a promising pharmacological option against a wide range of microbial infections. In this review, we describe 20 antimicrobial peptides from different origins that possess an activity against Candida.
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18
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Du YB, Wang XF, Liu XJ, Li Y, Miao QF, Jiang M, Sheng WJ, Zhen YS. The recombinant defensin/HSA fusion protein that inhibits NF-κb associated with intensive macropinocytosis shows potent efficacy against pancreatic cancer. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 201:115057. [PMID: 35489393 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
KRAS mutation and NF-κB both play crucial role in pancreatic cancer; in addition, defensin, the peptide mediator in innate immunity, can inhibit NF-κB. Assuming a strategy that targets both NF-κB and concomitantly the mutated KRAS indirectly via intensive macropinocytosis, we designed and generated a recombinant protein DF2-HSA which consists of two molecules of human beta-defensin 2 (HBD2) and a moiety of human serum albumin (HSA). As shown, the recombinant protein DF2-HSA markedly down-regulated NF-κB in both KRAS mutant MIA PaCa-2 cells and wild type BxPC-3 cells. Determined by confocal microscopy, the uptake of DF2-HSA in MIA PaCa-2 cells was more intense than that in BxPC-3 cells. The uptake was blocked by the specific inhibitor EIPA, indicating that DF2-HSA internalized via macropinocytosis. DF2-HSA displayed more potent cytotoxicity to cancer cells than HBD2. DF2-HSA induced apoptosis in cancer cells. Notably, DF2-HSA inhibited tumor cell spheroid formation, an effect comparable to that of salinomycin. DF2-HSA inhibited tumor cell migration and invasion. As detected with scanning electron microscopy, DF2-HSA strongly depleted filopodia on cell surface; and salinomycin induced similar changes. By in vivo imaging, DF2-HSA displayed intense tumor-site accumulation and lasting retention for over 14 days; however, HBD2 showed much less tumor-site accumulation and a shorter retention time for only 24 h. DF2-HSA suppressed the growth of pancreatic cancer MIA PaCa-2 xenograft in athymic mice; and its combination with gemcitabine achieved higher antitumor efficacy. In summary, the recombinant defensin/HSA fusion protein that inhibits NF-κb associated with intensive macropinocytosis is highly effective against pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Bo Du
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | | | - Xiu-Jun Liu
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yi Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Qing-Fang Miao
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Min Jiang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Wei-Jin Sheng
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Yong-Su Zhen
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
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19
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Neurotoxic amyloidogenic peptides in the proteome of SARS-COV2: potential implications for neurological symptoms in COVID-19. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3387. [PMID: 35697699 PMCID: PMC9189797 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is primarily known as a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. However, neurological symptoms such as memory loss, sensory confusion, severe headaches, and even stroke are reported in up to 30% of cases and can persist even after the infection is over (long COVID). These neurological symptoms are thought to be produced by the virus infecting the central nervous system, however we don’t understand the molecular mechanisms triggering them. The neurological effects of COVID-19 share similarities to neurodegenerative diseases in which the presence of cytotoxic aggregated amyloid protein or peptides is a common feature. Following the hypothesis that some neurological symptoms of COVID-19 may also follow an amyloid etiology we identified two peptides from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome that self-assemble into amyloid assemblies. Furthermore, these amyloids were shown to be highly toxic to neuronal cells. We suggest that cytotoxic aggregates of SARS-CoV-2 proteins may trigger neurological symptoms in COVID-19. Here the authors report the formation of toxic clumps of protein, similar to amyloid assemblies found in Alzheimer’s disease and suggest their possible role for some of the neurological symptoms of long-COVID.
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20
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Bechtella L, Chalouhi E, Milán Rodríguez P, Cosset M, Ravault D, Illien F, Sagan S, Carlier L, Lequin O, Fuchs PFJ, Sachon E, Walrant A. Structural Bases for the Involvement of Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate in the Internalization of the Cell-Penetrating Peptide Penetratin. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:1427-1439. [PMID: 35608167 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides cross cell membranes through various parallel internalization pathways. Herein, we analyze the role of the negatively charged lipid phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) in the internalization of Penetratin. Contributions of both inner leaflet and outer leaflet pools of PI(4,5)P2 were revealed by quantifying the internalization of Penetratin in cells treated with PI(4,5)P2 binders. Studies on model systems showed that Penetratin has a strong affinity for PI(4,5)P2 and interacts selectively with this lipid, even in the presence of other negatively charged lipids, as demonstrated by affinity photo-crosslinking experiments. Differential scanning calorimetry experiments showed that Penetratin induces lateral segregation in PI(4,5)P2-containing liposomes, which was confirmed by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. NMR experiments indicated that Penetratin adopts a stabilized helical conformation in the presence of PI(4,5)P2-containing membranes, with an orientation parallel to the bilayer plane, which was also confirmed by all-atom simulations. NMR and photo-crosslinking experiments also suggest a rather shallow insertion of the peptide in the membrane. Put together, our findings suggest that PI(4,5)P2 is a privileged interaction partner for Penetratin and that it plays an important role in Penetratin internalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leïla Bechtella
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Edward Chalouhi
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Paula Milán Rodríguez
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marine Cosset
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Delphine Ravault
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Françoise Illien
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Sagan
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ludovic Carlier
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Lequin
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Patrick F. J. Fuchs
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
- Université de Paris, UFR Sciences du Vivant, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Sachon
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Mass Spectrometry Sciences Sorbonne Université, MS3U platform, UFR 926, UFR 927, Paris 75005, France
| | - Astrid Walrant
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
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21
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Amyloidogenic Peptides: New Class of Antimicrobial Peptides with the Novel Mechanism of Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105463. [PMID: 35628272 PMCID: PMC9140876 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are recognized as one of the leading causes of death in the world. We proposed and successfully tested peptides with a new mechanism of antimicrobial action “protein silencing” based on directed co-aggregation. The amyloidogenic antimicrobial peptide (AAMP) interacts with the target protein of model or pathogenic bacteria and forms aggregates, thereby knocking out the protein from its working condition. In this review, we consider antimicrobial effects of the designed peptides on two model organisms, E. coli and T. thermophilus, and two pathogenic organisms, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. We compare the amino acid composition of proteomes and especially S1 ribosomal proteins. Since this protein is inherent only in bacterial cells, it is a good target for studying the process of co-aggregation. This review presents a bioinformatics analysis of these proteins. We sum up all the peptides predicted as amyloidogenic by several programs and synthesized by us. For the four organisms we studied, we show how amyloidogenicity correlates with antibacterial properties. Let us especially dwell on peptides that have demonstrated themselves as AMPs for two pathogenic organisms that cause dangerous hospital infections, and in which the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) turned out to be comparable to the MIC of gentamicin sulfate. All this makes our study encouraging for the further development of AAMP. The hybrid peptides may thus provide a starting point for the antibacterial application of amyloidogenic peptides.
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22
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Hein MJA, Kvansakul M, Lay FT, Phan TK, Hulett MD. Defensin-lipid interactions in membrane targeting: mechanisms of action and opportunities for the development of antimicrobial and anticancer therapeutics. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:423-437. [PMID: 35015081 PMCID: PMC9022979 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Defensins are a class of host defence peptides (HDPs) that often harbour antimicrobial and anticancer activities, making them attractive candidates as novel therapeutics. In comparison with current antimicrobial and cancer treatments, defensins uniquely target specific membrane lipids via mechanisms distinct from other HDPs. Therefore, defensins could be potentially developed as therapeutics with increased selectivity and reduced susceptibility to the resistance mechanisms of tumour cells and infectious pathogens. In this review, we highlight recent advances in defensin research with a particular focus on membrane lipid-targeting in cancer and infection settings. In doing so, we discuss strategies to harness lipid-binding defensins for anticancer and anti-infective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. A. Hein
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Marc Kvansakul
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Fung T. Lay
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Thanh Kha Phan
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Correspondence: Thanh Kha Phan () or Mark D. Hulett ()
| | - Mark D. Hulett
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Correspondence: Thanh Kha Phan () or Mark D. Hulett ()
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23
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Bindra GK, Williams SA, Lay FT, Baxter AA, Poon IKH, Hulett MD, Phan TK. Human β-Defensin 2 (HBD-2) Displays Oncolytic Activity but Does Not Affect Tumour Cell Migration. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020264. [PMID: 35204765 PMCID: PMC8961614 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Defensins form an integral part of the cationic host defence peptide (HDP) family, a key component of innate immunity. Apart from their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities, many HDPs exert multifaceted effects on tumour cells, notably direct oncolysis and/or inhibition of tumour cell migration. Therefore, HDPs have been explored as promising anticancer therapeutics. Human β-defensin 2 (HBD-2) represents a prominent member of human HDPs, being well-characterised for its potent pathogen-killing, wound-healing, cytokine-inducing and leukocyte-chemoattracting functions. However, its anticancer effects remain largely unknown. Recently, we demonstrated that HBD-2 binds strongly to phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2), a key mediator of defensin-induced cell death and an instructional messenger during cell migration. Hence, in this study, we sought to investigate the lytic and anti-migratory effects of HBD-2 on tumour cells. Using various cell biological assays and confocal microscopy, we showed that HBD-2 killed tumour cells via acute lytic cell death rather than apoptosis. In addition, our data suggested that, despite the reported PI(4,5)P2 interaction, HBD-2 does not affect cytoskeletal-dependent tumour cell migration. Together, our findings provide further insights into defensin biology and informs future defensin-based drug development.
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24
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Silva CMS, Wanderley CWS, Veras FP, Sonego F, Nascimento DC, Gonçalves AV, Martins TV, Cólon DF, Borges VF, Brauer VS, Damasceno LEA, Silva KP, Toller-Kawahisa JE, Batah SS, Souza ALJ, Monteiro VS, Oliveira AER, Donate PB, Zoppi D, Borges MC, Almeida F, Nakaya HI, Fabro AT, Cunha TM, Alves-Filho JC, Zamboni DS, Cunha FQ. Gasdermin D inhibition prevents multiple organ dysfunction during sepsis by blocking NET formation. Blood 2021; 138:2702-2713. [PMID: 34407544 PMCID: PMC8703366 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021011525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple organ dysfunction is the most severe outcome of sepsis progression and is highly correlated with a worse prognosis. Excessive neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are critical players in the development of organ failure during sepsis. Therefore, interventions targeting NET release would likely effectively prevent NET-based organ injury associated with this disease. Herein, we demonstrate that the pore-forming protein gasdermin D (GSDMD) is active in neutrophils from septic humans and mice and plays a crucial role in NET release. Inhibition of GSDMD with disulfiram or genic deletion abrogated NET formation, reducing multiple organ dysfunction and sepsis lethality. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that during sepsis, activation of the caspase-11/GSDMD pathway controls NET release by neutrophils during sepsis. In summary, our findings uncover a novel therapeutic use for disulfiram and suggest that GSDMD is a therapeutic target to improve sepsis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Meirelles S Silva
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology
- Department of Pharmacology, and
| | - Carlos Wagner S Wanderley
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology
- Department of Pharmacology, and
| | | | | | - Daniele C Nascimento
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology
- Department of Pharmacology, and
| | - Augusto V Gonçalves
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Timna V Martins
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology
| | - David F Cólon
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology
| | - Vanessa F Borges
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Pharmacology, and
| | | | | | - Katiussia P Silva
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Institute of Biosciences, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Valter S Monteiro
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology
| | | | - Paula B Donate
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Pharmacology, and
| | - Daniel Zoppi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and
| | - Marcos C Borges
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and
| | | | - Helder I Nakaya
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Thiago M Cunha
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Pharmacology, and
| | | | - Dario S Zamboni
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Q Cunha
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases
- Department of Pharmacology, and
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25
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Ceballo Y, Gonzalez C, Ramos O, Tiel K, Limonta L, Piloto S, Lopez A, Hernandez A. Production of Soluble Bioactive NmDef02 Plant Defensin in Escherichia coli. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10338-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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26
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Zhao Q, Zheng Y, Lv X, Gong J, Yang L. IMB5036 inhibits human pancreatic cancer growth primarily through activating necroptosis. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2021; 130:375-384. [PMID: 34841678 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
IMB5036 is a novel pyridazinone compound with potent cytotoxicity. In this study, we reported its antitumour activity against pancreatic cancer and the underlying mechanism. We found that IMB5036 induced rapid cell swelling and increased membrane permeability in pancreatic cancer cells. IMB5036 increased the ratio of PI+ cells, which could be rescued by necroptosis inhibitor. Furthermore, MLKL inhibitor NSA attenuated the killing effect of IMB5036 on pancreatic cancer cells. IMB5036 stimulated translocation of MLKL and p-MLKL from cytoplasm to cell membrane. IMB5036 upregulated the level of p-RIPK1, p-RIPK3, and p-MLKL. At the same time, IMB5036 also partially activated apoptosis and pyroptosis. IMB5036 inhibited tumour growth in pancreatic xenograft. IMB5036 induced larger necrosis area, increased p-MLKL level, and inhibited Ki67 expression in tumour mass. The study indicates that IMB5036 inhibits human pancreatic cancer growth primarily activating necroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yanbo Zheng
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Lv
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Medical University, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jianhua Gong
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
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27
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Shalovylo YI, Yusypovych YM, Hrunyk NI, Roman II, Zaika VK, Krynytskyy HT, Nesmelova IV, Kovaleva VA. Seed-derived defensins from Scots pine: structural and functional features. PLANTA 2021; 254:129. [PMID: 34817648 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-021-03788-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The recombinant PsDef5.1 defensin inhibits the growth of phytopathogenic fungi, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and human pathogen Candida albicans. Expression of seed-derived Scots pine defensins is tissue-specific and developmentally regulated. Plant defensins are ubiquitous antimicrobial peptides that possess a broad spectrum of activities and multi-functionality. The genes for these antimicrobial proteins form a multigenic family in the plant genome and are expressed in every organ. Most of the known defensins have been isolated from seeds of various monocot and dicot species, but seed-derived defensins have not yet been characterized in gymnosperms. This study presents the isolation of two new 249 bp cDNA sequences from Scots pine seeds with 97.9% nucleotide homology named PsDef5.1 and PsDef5.2. Their deduced amino acid sequences have typical plant defensin features, including an endoplasmic reticulum signal sequence of 31 amino acids (aa), followed by a characteristic defensin domain of 51 aa. To elucidate the functional activity of new defensins, we expressed the mature form of PsDef5.1 in a prokaryotic system. The purified recombinant peptide exhibited activity against the phytopathogenic fungi and Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with the IC50 of 5-18 µM. Moreover, it inhibited the growth of the human pathogen Candida albicans with the IC50 of 6.0 µM. Expression analysis showed that transcripts of PsDef5.1-2 genes were present in immature and mature pine seeds and different parts of seedlings at the early stage of germination. In addition, unlike the PsDef5.2, the PsDef5.1 gene was expressed in the reproductive organs. Our findings indicate that novel defensins are promising candidates for transgenic application and the development of new antimicrobial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia I Shalovylo
- Ukrainian National Forestry University, 103, Gen. Chuprynka, St., Lviv, 79057, Ukraine
| | - Yurii M Yusypovych
- Ukrainian National Forestry University, 103, Gen. Chuprynka, St., Lviv, 79057, Ukraine
| | - Nataliya I Hrunyk
- Ukrainian National Forestry University, 103, Gen. Chuprynka, St., Lviv, 79057, Ukraine
| | - Ivan I Roman
- Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, 1, Saksagansky St., Lviv, 79005, Ukraine
| | - Volodymyr K Zaika
- Ukrainian National Forestry University, 103, Gen. Chuprynka, St., Lviv, 79057, Ukraine
| | - Hryhoriy T Krynytskyy
- Ukrainian National Forestry University, 103, Gen. Chuprynka, St., Lviv, 79057, Ukraine
| | - Irina V Nesmelova
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, 28223, USA
| | - Valentina A Kovaleva
- Ukrainian National Forestry University, 103, Gen. Chuprynka, St., Lviv, 79057, Ukraine.
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28
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Chen YC, Yang Y, Zhang C, Chen HY, Chen F, Wang KJ. A Novel Antimicrobial Peptide Sparamosin 26-54 From the Mud Crab Scylla paramamosain Showing Potent Antifungal Activity Against Cryptococcus neoformans. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:746006. [PMID: 34690992 PMCID: PMC8531530 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.746006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant fungi and the limitations of current treatment strategies to fungal infections, exploration and development of new antifungal drugs or substituents are necessary. In the study, a novel antimicrobial peptide, named Sparamosin, was identified in the mud crab Scylla paramamosain, which contains a signal peptide of 22 amino acids and a mature peptide of 54 amino acids. The antimicrobial activity of its synthetic mature peptide and two truncated peptides (Sparamosin1–25 and Sparamosin26–54) were determined. The results showed that Sparamosin26–54 had the strongest activity against a variety of Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and fungi, in particular had rapid fungicidal kinetics (killed 99% Cryptococcus neoformans within 10 min) and had potent anti-biofilm activity against C. neoformans, but had no cytotoxic effect on mammalian cells. The RNA-seq results showed that after Sparamosin26–54 treatment, the expression of genes involved in cell wall component biosynthesis, cell wall integrity signaling pathway, anti-oxidative stress, apoptosis and DNA repair were significantly up-regulated, indicating that Sparamosin26–54 might disrupt the cell wall of C. neoformans, causing oxidative stress, DNA damage and cell apoptosis. The underlying mechanism was further confirmed. Sparamosin26–54 could bind to several phospholipids in the cell membrane and effectively killed C. neoformans through disrupting the integrity of the cell wall and cell membrane observed by electron microscope and staining assay. In addition, it was found that the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was disrupted, and DNA fragmentation was induced after Sparamosin26–54 treatment, which are all hallmarks of apoptosis. Taken together, Sparamosin26–54 has a good application prospect as an effective antimicrobial agent, especially for C. neoformans infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Chao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Chang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Hui-Yun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Fangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ke-Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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29
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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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30
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Zhang L. Interaction of Human β Defensin Type 3 (hBD-3) with Different PIP2-Containing Membranes, a Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4670-4686. [PMID: 34473496 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Human β defensin type 3 (hBD-3) is a cysteine-rich small antibacterial peptide. It belongs to the human innate immune system. hBD-3 has six cysteine residues, which form three pairs of disulfide bonds, and those bonds break in the reducing condition. It is known that hBD-3 can interact with bacterial membrane, and even eukaryotic cell membrane, which has a low concentration of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) lipids. PIP2 is a vital component in cell membranes and has been found to play important roles during antimicrobial peptide (AMP) interaction with membranes. To understand the functional mechanism of hBD-3 interacting with PIP2-containing membranes, the binding structures of hBD-3 on 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayers mixed with 10% of PIP2 were predicted using two kinds of methods. The first one is by placing the hBD-3 monomer in different orientations above the POPC + 10%PIP2 membrane to set up five different initial simulation systems and performing long-term simulations on each to predict the most stable binding structure. It was found that hBD-3 analogue binds on the mixed lipid membrane on the two loop regions. The second method is by running long-term simulations on one or nine hBD-3 dimers binding on POPC mixed with 10%PIP2 lipid bilayer starting from the solid-state NMR (ssNMR)-suggested orientation. The dimer dissociated, and the most stable binding of hBD-3 in wild-type on the mixed membrane is also through the two loop regions, which agrees with the prediction from both the first method and the lipid self-assembly result. The PIP2 lipids can form long-lasting hydrogen bonds with positively charged residues such as Arg and Lys on hBD-3, thus forming clusters with hBD-3. As a comparison, hBD-3 dimers binding with a combined bilayer having 1,2-palmitoyl-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine (POPS) on the upper and POPC on the lower leaflets and the combined POPS + POPC bilayer mixing with 10%PIP2 were also studied. The long-term simulation result shows that hBD-3 can bind with the heads of negatively charged POPS and PIP2 lipids and form hydrogen bonds. The stable binding sites of hBD-3 on PIP2 or POPS mixed bilayers are still on the two loop regions. On the combined POPS + POPC mixed with 10%PIP2 bilayer, the binding of hBD-3 with PIP2 lipids became less stable and fewer because of the competition of binding with the POPS lipids. Besides that, binding with hBD-3 can decrease the membrane thickness of the POPC + PIP2, POPS + POPC, and POPS + POPC + PIP2 bilayers and make POPS and PIP2 lipids more flexible based on the order parameter calculations. Our results supply molecular insight on AMP binding with different membranes and can help understand the functional mechanism of hBD-3 disrupting PIP2-containing membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqun Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, United States
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31
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Miles MA, Caruso S, Baxter AA, Poon IKH, Hawkins CJ. Smac mimetics can provoke lytic cell death that is neither apoptotic nor necroptotic. Apoptosis 2021; 25:500-518. [PMID: 32440848 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-020-01610-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Smac mimetics, or IAP antagonists, are a class of drugs currently being evaluated as anti-cancer therapeutics. These agents antagonize IAP proteins, including cIAP1/2 and XIAP, to induce cell death via apoptotic or, upon caspase-8 deficiency, necroptotic cell death pathways. Many cancer cells are unresponsive to Smac mimetic treatment as a single agent but can be sensitized to killing in the presence of the cytokine TNFα, provided either exogenously or via autocrine production. We found that high concentrations of a subset of Smac mimetics could provoke death in cells that did not produce TNFα, despite sensitization at lower concentrations by TNFα. The ability of these drugs to kill did not correlate with valency. These cells remained responsive to the lethal effects of Smac mimetics at high concentrations despite genetic or pharmacological impairments in apoptotic, necroptotic, pyroptotic, autophagic and ferroptotic cell death pathways. Analysis of dying cells revealed necrotic morphology, which was accompanied by the release of lactate dehydrogenase and cell membrane rupture without prior phosphatidylserine exposure implying cell lysis, which occurred over a several hours. Our study reveals that cells incapable of autocrine TNFα production are sensitive to some Smac mimetic compounds when used at high concentrations, and this exposure elicits a lytic cell death phenotype that occurs via a mechanism not requiring apoptotic caspases or necroptotic effectors RIPK3 or MLKL. These data reveal the possibility that non-canonical cell death pathways can be triggered by these drugs when applied at high concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Miles
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
| | - Sarah Caruso
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Amy A Baxter
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Ivan K H Poon
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Christine J Hawkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
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32
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Ochoa-Zarzosa A, Báez-Magaña M, Guzmán-Rodríguez JJ, Flores-Alvarez LJ, Lara-Márquez M, Zavala-Guerrero B, Salgado-Garciglia R, López-Gómez R, López-Meza JE. Bioactive Molecules From Native Mexican Avocado Fruit (Persea americana var. drymifolia): A Review. PLANT FOODS FOR HUMAN NUTRITION (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 76:133-142. [PMID: 33704631 DOI: 10.1007/s11130-021-00887-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tree native from central and eastern México that belongs to the Lauraceae family. Avocado has three botanical varieties known as Mexican (P. americana var. drymifolia), West Indian (P. americana var. americana), and Guatemalan (P. americana var. guatemalensis). It is an oil-rich fruit appreciated worldwide because of its nutritional value and the content of bioactive molecules. Several avocado molecules show attractive activities of interest in medicine. Avocado fatty acids have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Besides, this fruit possesses a high content of carotenoids and phenolic compounds with possible antifungal, anti-cancer and antioxidant activities. Moreover, several metabolites have been reported with anti-inflammatory effects. Also, an unsaponifiable fraction of avocado in combination with soybean oil is used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The Mexican variety is native from México and is characterized by the anise aroma in leaves and by small thin-skinned fruits of rich flavor and excellent quality. However, the study of the bioactive molecules of the fruit has not been addressed in detail. In this work, we achieved a literature review on the inflammatory, immunomodulatory and cytotoxic properties of long-chain fatty acids and derivatives from Mexican avocado seed. Also, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the oil extracted from the avocado seed are referred. Finally, the antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and cytotoxic activities of some antimicrobial peptides expressed in the fruit are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Ochoa-Zarzosa
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carr, Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Michoacán, C.P. 58893, Morelia, México
| | - Marisol Báez-Magaña
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carr, Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Michoacán, C.P. 58893, Morelia, México
| | - Jaquelina Julia Guzmán-Rodríguez
- Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato, 36500, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Luis José Flores-Alvarez
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carr, Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Michoacán, C.P. 58893, Morelia, México
| | - Mónica Lara-Márquez
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carr, Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Michoacán, C.P. 58893, Morelia, México
| | - Baruc Zavala-Guerrero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 58004, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Rafael Salgado-Garciglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 58004, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Rodolfo López-Gómez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 58004, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Joel Edmundo López-Meza
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 Carr, Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Posta Veterinaria, Michoacán, C.P. 58893, Morelia, México.
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Zeng Y, Yu Q, Cheng S. Antibacterial Mechanism of Liangguoan against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Arch Microbiol 2021; 203:4025-4032. [PMID: 34041558 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02368-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the antibacterial activity of the biological pesticide Liangguoan against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as a potential replacement for chemical pesticide use in the fruit and vegetable industry. We measured the minimum inhibitory concentration and observed the changes in bacterial morphology, mortality, conductivity, nucleic acid content, and ATP content in response to the bactericide. The minimum inhibitory concentration of Liangguoan was 20 mg/mL for S. aureus and 40 mg/mL for E. coli. After treatment with Liangguoan, the mortality rates of S. aureus and E. coli reached 78.3% and 63.7%, respectively. We observed that the cells were scattered and that the cell morphology was altered in that the cells shortened. The interconnection effect and ATP content decreased, whereas cell conductivity and the nucleic acid content increased. In summary, Liangguoan inhibited S. aureus and E. coli by destroying their cell structure and disrupting their metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoying Zeng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, No. 501 Zhongkai Road, Haizhu District, 510225, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Yu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, No. 501 Zhongkai Road, Haizhu District, 510225, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shujun Cheng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, No. 501 Zhongkai Road, Haizhu District, 510225, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
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Cavaco AR, Matos AR, Figueiredo A. Speaking the language of lipids: the cross-talk between plants and pathogens in defence and disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4399-4415. [PMID: 33638652 PMCID: PMC11073031 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03791-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Lipids and fatty acids play crucial roles in plant immunity, which have been highlighted over the past few decades. An increasing number of studies have shown that these molecules are pivotal in the interactions between plants and their diverse pathogens. The roles played by plant lipids fit in a wide spectrum ranging from the first physical barrier encountered by the pathogens, the cuticle, to the signalling pathways that trigger different immune responses and expression of defence-related genes, mediated by several lipid molecules. Moreover, lipids have been arising as candidate biomarkers of resistance or susceptibility to different pathogens. Studies on the apoplast and extracellular vesicles have been highlighting the possible role of lipids in the intercellular communication and the establishment of systemic acquired resistance during plant-pathogen interactions. From the pathogen perspective, lipid metabolism and specific lipid molecules play pivotal roles in the pathogen's life cycle completion, being crucial during recognition by the plant and evasion from the host immune system, therefore potentiating infection. Studies conducted in the last years have contributed to a better understanding of the language of lipids during the cross-talk between plants and pathogens. However, it is essential to continue exploring the knowledge brought up to light by transcriptomics and proteomics studies towards the elucidation of lipid signalling processes during defence and disease. In this review, we present an updated overview on lipids associated to plant-pathogen interactions, exploiting their roles from the two sides of this battle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Cavaco
- Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Matos
- Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andreia Figueiredo
- Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
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Moyer TB, Purvis AL, Wommack AJ, Hicks LM. Proteomic response of Escherichia coli to a membrane lytic and iron chelating truncated Amaranthus tricolor defensin. BMC Microbiol 2021; 21:110. [PMID: 33845758 PMCID: PMC8042948 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02176-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant defensins are a broadly distributed family of antimicrobial peptides which have been primarily studied for agriculturally relevant antifungal activity. Recent studies have probed defensins against Gram-negative bacteria revealing evidence for multiple mechanisms of action including membrane lysis and ribosomal inhibition. Herein, a truncated synthetic analog containing the γ-core motif of Amaranthus tricolor DEF2 (Atr-DEF2) reveals Gram-negative antibacterial activity and its mechanism of action is probed via proteomics, outer membrane permeability studies, and iron reduction/chelation assays. RESULTS Atr-DEF2(G39-C54) demonstrated activity against two Gram-negative human bacterial pathogens, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Quantitative proteomics revealed changes in the E. coli proteome in response to treatment of sub-lethal concentrations of the truncated defensin, including bacterial outer membrane (OM) and iron acquisition/processing related proteins. Modification of OM charge is a common response of Gram-negative bacteria to membrane lytic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to reduce electrostatic interactions, and this mechanism of action was confirmed for Atr-DEF2(G39-C54) via an N-phenylnaphthalen-1-amine uptake assay. Additionally, in vitro assays confirmed the capacity of Atr-DEF2(G39-C54) to reduce Fe3+ and chelate Fe2+ at cell culture relevant concentrations, thus limiting the availability of essential enzymatic cofactors. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the utility of plant defensin γ-core motif synthetic analogs for characterization of novel defensin activity. Proteomic changes in E. coli after treatment with Atr-DEF2(G39-C54) supported the hypothesis that membrane lysis is an important component of γ-core motif mediated antibacterial activity but also emphasized that other properties, such as metal sequestration, may contribute to a multifaceted mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa B Moyer
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 South Rd. CB#3290, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | | | - Andrew J Wommack
- Department of Chemistry, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
| | - Leslie M Hicks
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 South Rd. CB#3290, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Struyfs C, Cammue BPA, Thevissen K. Membrane-Interacting Antifungal Peptides. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:649875. [PMID: 33912564 PMCID: PMC8074791 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.649875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of invasive fungal infections is increasing worldwide, resulting in more than 1.6 million deaths every year. Due to growing antifungal drug resistance and the limited number of currently used antimycotics, there is a clear need for novel antifungal strategies. In this context, great potential is attributed to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are part of the innate immune system of organisms. These peptides are known for their broad-spectrum activity that can be directed toward bacteria, fungi, viruses, and/or even cancer cells. Some AMPs act via rapid physical disruption of microbial cell membranes at high concentrations causing cell leakage and cell death. However, more complex mechanisms are also observed, such as interaction with specific lipids, production of reactive oxygen species, programmed cell death, and autophagy. This review summarizes the structure and mode of action of antifungal AMPs, thereby focusing on their interaction with fungal membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Struyfs
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bruno P A Cammue
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karin Thevissen
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Parthasarathy A, Borrego EJ, Savka MA, Dobson RCJ, Hudson AO. Amino acid-derived defense metabolites from plants: A potential source to facilitate novel antimicrobial development. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100438. [PMID: 33610552 PMCID: PMC8024917 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For millennia, humanity has relied on plants for its medicines, and modern pharmacology continues to reexamine and mine plant metabolites for novel compounds and to guide improvements in biological activity, bioavailability, and chemical stability. The critical problem of antibiotic resistance and increasing exposure to viral and parasitic diseases has spurred renewed interest into drug treatments for infectious diseases. In this context, an urgent revival of natural product discovery is globally underway with special attention directed toward the numerous and chemically diverse plant defensive compounds such as phytoalexins and phytoanticipins that combat herbivores, microbial pathogens, or competing plants. Moreover, advancements in “omics,” chemistry, and heterologous expression systems have facilitated the purification and characterization of plant metabolites and the identification of possible therapeutic targets. In this review, we describe several important amino acid–derived classes of plant defensive compounds, including antimicrobial peptides (e.g., defensins, thionins, and knottins), alkaloids, nonproteogenic amino acids, and phenylpropanoids as potential drug leads, examining their mechanisms of action, therapeutic targets, and structure–function relationships. Given their potent antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties, which can be superior to existing drugs, phytoalexins and phytoanticipins are an excellent resource to facilitate the rational design and development of antimicrobial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anutthaman Parthasarathy
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Eli J Borrego
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Michael A Savka
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Renwick C J Dobson
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre and School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - André O Hudson
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester, New York, USA.
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Toledo EB, Lucas DR, Simão TLBV, Calixto SD, Lassounskaia E, Muzitano MF, Damica FZ, Gomes VM, de Oliveira Carvalho A. Design of improved synthetic antifungal peptides with targeted variations in charge, hydrophobicity and chirality based on a correlation study between biological activity and primary structure of plant defensin γ-cores. Amino Acids 2021; 53:219-237. [PMID: 33483849 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-020-02929-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Microbial resistance to available drugs is a growing health threat imposing the need for the development of new drugs. The scaffold of plant defensins, including their γ-cores, are particularly good candidates for drug design. This work aimed to improve the antifungal activity of a previous design peptide, named A36,42,44γ32-46VuDef (for short DD) against yeasts by altering its biochemical parameters. We explore the correlation of the biological activity and structure of plant defensins and compared their primary structures by superimposition with VuDef1 and DD which indicated us the favorable position and the amino acid to be changed. Three new peptides with modifications in charge, hydrophobicity (RR and WR) and chirality (D-RR) were designed and tested against pathogenic yeasts. Inhibition was determined by absorbance. Viability of mammalian cells was determined by MTT. The three designed peptides had better inhibitory activity against the yeasts with better potency and spectrum of yeast species inhibition, with low toxicity to mammalian cells. WR, the most hydrophobic and cationic, exhibited better antifungal activity and lower toxicity. Our study provides experimental evidence that targeted changes in the primary structure of peptides based on plant defensins γ-core primary structures prove to be a good tool for the synthesis of new compounds that may be useful as alternative antifungal drugs. The method described did not have the drawback of synthesis of several peptides, because alterations are guided. When compared to other methods, the design process described is efficient and viable to those with scarce resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefany Braz Toledo
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, nº 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, CEP 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Douglas Ribeiro Lucas
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, nº 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, CEP 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Thatiana Lopes Biá Ventura Simão
- Laboratório de Biologia do Reconhecer, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Sanderson Dias Calixto
- Laboratório de Biologia do Reconhecer, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Elena Lassounskaia
- Laboratório de Biologia do Reconhecer, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Michele Frazão Muzitano
- Laboratório de Produtos Bioativos, Curso de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Campus Macaé, Pólo Novo Cavaleiro-IMMT, Macaé, RJ, 27933-378, Brazil
| | - Filipe Zanirati Damica
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, nº 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, CEP 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Valdirene Moreira Gomes
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, nº 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, CEP 28013-602, Brazil
| | - André de Oliveira Carvalho
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, nº 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, CEP 28013-602, Brazil.
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Azmi S, Hussain MK. Analysis of structures, functions, and transgenicity of phytopeptides defensin and thionin: a review. BENI-SUEF UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1186/s43088-020-00093-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Antimicrobial peptides are very primitive innate defense molecules of almost all organisms, from microbes to mammalians and vascular seed-bearing plants. Antimicrobial peptides of plants categorized into cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) and others and most of the antimicrobial peptides belong to CRPs group. These peptides reported showing the great extent of protecting property against bacteria, fungi, viruses, insect, nematode, and another kind of microbes. To develop a resistant plant against pathogenic fungi, there have been several studies executed to understand the efficiency of transgenicity of these antimicrobial peptides.
Main text
Apart from the intrinsic property of the higher organism for identifying and activating microbial attack defense device, it also involves innate defense mechanism and molecules. In the current review article, apart from the structural and functional characterization of peptides defensin and thionin, we have attempted to provide a succinct overview of the transgenic development of these defense peptides, that are expressed in a constitutive and or over-expressive manner when biotic and abiotic stress inflicted. Transgenic of different peptides show different competence in plants. Most of the transgenic studies made for defensin and thionin revealed the effective transgenic capacity of these peptides.
Conclusion
There have been several studies reported successful development of transgenic plants based on peptides defensin and thionin and observed diverse level of resistance-conferring potency in different plants against phytopathogenic fungi. But due to long regulatory process, there has not been marketed any antimicrobial peptides based transgenic plants yet. However, success report state that possibly in near future transgenic plants of AMPs would be released with devoid of harmful effect, with good efficiency, reproducibility, stability, and least production cost.
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Vitale I, Yamazaki T, Wennerberg E, Sveinbjørnsson B, Rekdal Ø, Demaria S, Galluzzi L. Targeting Cancer Heterogeneity with Immune Responses Driven by Oncolytic Peptides. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:557-572. [PMID: 33446447 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that high degrees of heterogeneity among malignant cells constitute a considerable obstacle to the success of cancer therapy. This calls for the development of approaches that operate - or enable established treatments to operate - despite such intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH). In this context, oncolytic peptides stand out as promising therapeutic tools based on their ability to drive immunogenic cell death associated with robust anticancer immune responses independently of ITH. We review the main molecular and immunological pathways engaged by oncolytic peptides, and discuss potential approaches to combine these agents with modern immunotherapeutics in support of superior tumor-targeting immunity and efficacy in patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilio Vitale
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS) Candiolo, Torino, Italy; Candiolo Cancer Institute, Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia (FPO)-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Takahiro Yamazaki
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erik Wennerberg
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Baldur Sveinbjørnsson
- Lytix Biopharma, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway; Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Øystein Rekdal
- Lytix Biopharma, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Sandra Demaria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Université de Paris, Paris, France.
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Emamifar S, Abolmaali S, Mohsen Sohrabi S, Mohammadi M, Shahmohammadi M. Molecular characterization and evaluation of the antibacterial activity of a plant defensin peptide derived from a gene of oat (Avena sativa L.). PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021; 181:112586. [PMID: 33232862 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Plant defensins are a group of small disulfide-rich cationic peptides that exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. In the present study, an antibacterial plant defensin peptide was successfully identified and characterized from the transcriptome of the oat (Avena sativa L.), and called AsDef1. The complete nucleotide sequence of AsDef1 was determined (321 bp) and found to contain an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a peptide of 77 aa with a putative 22 aa signal peptide sequence that addresses the mature defensin to the apoplast. Further in silico analyses revealed that the structure of the identified defensin (AsDef1) consists of the Knot1 functional domain with eight conserved cysteine residues and four disulfide bonds. The highest expression of AsDef1 was observed in the developing seeds of the A. sativa plant. AsDef1 also showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranged from 0.15625 μM to 0.625 μM. In this study, we identified and characterized an antibacterial defensin from A. sativa for the first time. The findings of the present study offer insights that can be used in producing pathogen-resistant transgenic plants and in developing potential antibacterial agents in the future using AsDef1 from A. sativa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Emamifar
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
| | - Shamsozoha Abolmaali
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
| | - Seyyed Mohsen Sohrabi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Khorramabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khorramabad, Iran.
| | - Mohsen Mohammadi
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
| | - Maasume Shahmohammadi
- Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center and Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
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TAT-RasGAP 317-326 kills cells by targeting inner-leaflet-enriched phospholipids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31871-31881. [PMID: 33257567 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014108117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
TAT-RasGAP317-326 is a cell-penetrating peptide-based construct with anticancer and antimicrobial activities. This peptide kills a subset of cancer cells in a manner that does not involve known programmed cell death pathways. Here we have elucidated the mode of action allowing TAT-RasGAP317-326 to kill cells. This peptide binds and disrupts artificial membranes containing lipids typically enriched in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, such as phosphatidylinositol-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidylserine (PS). Decreasing the amounts of PIP2 in cells renders them more resistant to TAT-RasGAP317-326, while reducing the ability of cells to repair their plasma membrane makes them more sensitive to the peptide. The W317A TAT-RasGAP317-326 point mutant, known to have impaired killing activities, has reduced abilities to bind and permeabilize PIP2- and PS-containing membranes and to translocate through biomembranes, presumably because of a higher propensity to adopt an α-helical state. This work shows that TAT-RasGAP317-326 kills cells via a form of necrosis that relies on the physical disruption of the plasma membrane once the peptide targets specific phospholipids found on the cytosolic side of the plasma membrane.
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Antimicrobial peptides - Advances in development of therapeutic applications. Life Sci 2020; 260:118407. [PMID: 32931796 PMCID: PMC7486823 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The severe infection is becoming a significant health problem which threaten the lives of patients and the safety and economy of society. In the way of finding new strategy, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) - an important part of host defense family, emerged with tremendous potential. Up to date, huge numbers of AMPs has been investigated from both natural and synthetic sources showing not only the ability to kill microbial pathogens but also propose other benefits such as wound healing, anti-tumor, immune modulation. In this review, we describe the involvements of AMPs in biological systems and discuss the opportunity in developing AMPs for clinical applications. In the detail, their properties in antibacterial activity is followed by their application in some infection diseases and cancer. The key discussions are the approaches to improve biological activities of AMPs either by modifying chemical structure or incorporating into delivery systems. The new applications and perspectives for the future of AMPs would open the new era of their development.
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The Antifungal Protein AfpB Induces Regulated Cell Death in Its Parental Fungus Penicillium digitatum. mSphere 2020; 5:5/4/e00595-20. [PMID: 32848004 PMCID: PMC7449623 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00595-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease-causing fungi pose a serious threat to human health and food safety and security. The limited number of licensed antifungals, together with the emergence of pathogenic fungi with multiple resistance to available antifungals, represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new compounds with high fungal specificity and novel antifungal mechanisms. Antifungal proteins in general, and AfpB from Penicillium digitatum in particular, are promising molecules for the development of novel antifungals. This study on AfpB’s mode of action demonstrates its potent, specific fungicidal activity through the interaction with multiple targets, presumably reducing the risk of evolving fungal resistance, and through a regulated cell death process, uncovering this protein as an excellent candidate for a novel biofungicide. The in-depth knowledge on AfpB mechanistic function presented in this work is important to guide its possible future clinical and agricultural applications. Filamentous fungi produce small cysteine-rich proteins with potent, specific antifungal activity, offering the potential to fight fungal infections that severely threaten human health and food safety and security. The genome of the citrus postharvest fungal pathogen Penicillium digitatum encodes one of these antifungal proteins, namely AfpB. Biotechnologically produced AfpB inhibited the growth of major pathogenic fungi at minimal concentrations, surprisingly including its parental fungus, and conferred protection to crop plants against fungal infections. This study reports an in-depth characterization of the AfpB mechanism of action, showing that it is a cell-penetrating protein that triggers a regulated cell death program in the target fungus. We prove the importance of AfpB interaction with the fungal cell wall to exert its killing activity, for which protein mannosylation is required. We also show that the potent activity of AfpB correlates with its rapid and efficient uptake by fungal cells through an energy-dependent process. Once internalized, AfpB induces a transcriptional reprogramming signaled by reactive oxygen species that ends in cell death. Our data show that AfpB activates a self-injury program, suggesting that this protein has a biological function in the parental fungus beyond defense against competitors, presumably more related to regulation of the fungal population. Our results demonstrate that this protein is a potent antifungal that acts through various targets to kill fungal cells through a regulated process, making AfpB a promising compound for the development of novel biofungicides with multiple fields of application in crop and postharvest protection, food preservation, and medical therapies. IMPORTANCE Disease-causing fungi pose a serious threat to human health and food safety and security. The limited number of licensed antifungals, together with the emergence of pathogenic fungi with multiple resistance to available antifungals, represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new compounds with high fungal specificity and novel antifungal mechanisms. Antifungal proteins in general, and AfpB from Penicillium digitatum in particular, are promising molecules for the development of novel antifungals. This study on AfpB’s mode of action demonstrates its potent, specific fungicidal activity through the interaction with multiple targets, presumably reducing the risk of evolving fungal resistance, and through a regulated cell death process, uncovering this protein as an excellent candidate for a novel biofungicide. The in-depth knowledge on AfpB mechanistic function presented in this work is important to guide its possible future clinical and agricultural applications.
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45
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Parisi K, Poon S, Renda RF, Sahota G, English J, Yalpani N, Bleackley MR, Anderson MA, van der Weerden NL. Improving the Digestibility of Plant Defensins to Meet Regulatory Requirements for Transgene Products in Crop Protection. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1227. [PMID: 32922418 PMCID: PMC7456892 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the use of chemical fungicides, fungal diseases have a major impact on the yield and quality of plant produce globally and hence there is a need for new approaches for disease control. Several groups have examined the potential use of antifungal plant defensins for plant protection and have produced transgenic plants expressing plant defensins with enhanced resistance to fungal disease. However, before they can be developed commercially, transgenic plants must pass a series of strict regulations to ensure that they are safe for human and animal consumption as well as the environment. One of the requirements is rapid digestion of the transgene protein in the gastrointestinal tract to minimize the risk of any potential allergic response. Here, we examine the digestibility of two plant defensins, NaD1 from Nicotiana alata and SBI6 from soybean, which have potent antifungal activity against major cereal pathogens. The native defensins were not digestible in simulated gastrointestinal fluid assays. Several modifications to the sequences enhanced the digestibility of the two small proteins without severely impacting their antifungal activity. However, these modified proteins did not accumulate as well as the native proteins when transiently expressed in planta, suggesting that the protease-resistant structure of plant defensins facilitates their stability in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Parisi
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Simon Poon
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Rosemary F. Renda
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Gurinder Sahota
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - James English
- Maxygen LLC, Sunnyvale, CA, United States
- Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, Johnston, IA, United States
| | - Nasser Yalpani
- Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, Johnston, IA, United States
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Mark R. Bleackley
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Marilyn A. Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Nicole L. van der Weerden
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
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46
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Plant Defensins from a Structural Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155307. [PMID: 32722628 PMCID: PMC7432377 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant defensins form a family of proteins with a broad spectrum of protective activities against fungi, bacteria, and insects. Furthermore, some plant defensins have revealed anticancer activity. In general, plant defensins are non-toxic to plant and mammalian cells, and interest in using them for biotechnological and medicinal purposes is growing. Recent studies provided significant insights into the mechanisms of action of plant defensins. In this review, we focus on structural and dynamics aspects and discuss structure-dynamics-function relations of plant defensins.
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47
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Velivelli SLS, Czymmek KJ, Li H, Shaw JB, Buchko GW, Shah DM. Antifungal symbiotic peptide NCR044 exhibits unique structure and multifaceted mechanisms of action that confer plant protection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:16043-16054. [PMID: 32571919 PMCID: PMC7354933 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2003526117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the indeterminate nodules of a model legume Medicago truncatula, ∼700 nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides with conserved cysteine signature are expressed. NCR peptides are highly diverse in sequence, and some of these cationic peptides exhibit antimicrobial activity in vitro and in vivo. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding their structural architecture, antifungal activity, and modes of action against plant fungal pathogens. Here, the three-dimensional NMR structure of the 36-amino acid NCR044 peptide was solved. This unique structure was largely disordered and highly dynamic with one four-residue α-helix and one three-residue antiparallel β-sheet stabilized by two disulfide bonds. NCR044 peptide also exhibited potent fungicidal activity against multiple plant fungal pathogens, including Botrytis cinerea and three Fusarium spp. It inhibited germination in quiescent spores of B. cinerea In germlings, it breached the fungal plasma membrane and induced reactive oxygen species. It bound to multiple bioactive phosphoinositides in vitro. Time-lapse confocal and superresolution microscopy revealed strong fungal cell wall binding, penetration of the cell membrane at discrete foci, followed by gradual loss of turgor, subsequent accumulation in the cytoplasm, and elevated levels in nucleoli of germlings. Spray-applied NCR044 significantly reduced gray mold disease symptoms caused by the fungal pathogen B. cinerea in tomato and tobacco plants, and postharvest products. Our work illustrates the antifungal activity of a structurally unique NCR peptide against plant fungal pathogens and paves the way for future development of this class of peptides as a spray-on fungistat/fungicide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kirk J Czymmek
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132
- Advanced Bioimaging Laboratory, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132
| | - Hui Li
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132
| | - Jared B Shaw
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354
| | - Garry W Buchko
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164
| | - Dilip M Shah
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132;
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48
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Sanchez-Ramos JR. The rise and fall of tobacco as a botanical medicine. J Herb Med 2020; 22:100374. [PMID: 32834941 PMCID: PMC7247455 DOI: 10.1016/j.hermed.2020.100374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A forgotten and valuable chapter in the history of tobacco concerns its role as a botanical medicine. For three hundred years following its importation into Europe, tobacco came to be considered a universal remedy highly prescribed by physicians. In the early history of tobacco, the literature on its medicinal benefits was voluminous. Nonetheless, bitter opposition to its use for non-medicinal purposes began to arise. There was little doubt of its medicinal efficacy at first, but with time, as the concepts and practice of medicine changed, the tide of medical opinion turned against it. Medical support for the therapeutic use of tobacco reached its nadir during the mid-nineteenth century, when it was dropped from most medical pharmacoepiae. Medical opinion on the health hazards of recreational smoking required another 100 years to arrive at the contemporary opinion that cigarette smoking is the single most important preventable environmental factor contributing to illness, disability and death in the U. S.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan R Sanchez-Ramos
- Department of Neurology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 13220 USF Laurel Dr., Tampa, FL 33612, United States.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 13220 USF Laurel Dr., Tampa, FL 33612, United States.,Taneja College of Pharmacy, Botanical Medicine Research and Educational Consortium, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 13220 USF Laurel Dr., Tampa, FL 33612, United States
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49
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Ong ST, Bajaj S, Tanner MR, Chang SC, Krishnarjuna B, Ng XR, Morales RAV, Chen MW, Luo D, Patel D, Yasmin S, Ng JJH, Zhuang Z, Nguyen HM, El Sahili A, Lescar J, Patil R, Charman SA, Robins EG, Goggi JL, Tan PW, Sadasivam P, Ramasamy B, Hartimath SV, Dhawan V, Bednenko J, Colussi P, Wulff H, Pennington MW, Kuyucak S, Norton RS, Beeton C, Chandy KG. Modulation of Lymphocyte Potassium Channel K V1.3 by Membrane-Penetrating, Joint-Targeting Immunomodulatory Plant Defensin. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:720-736. [PMID: 32832873 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We describe a cysteine-rich, membrane-penetrating, joint-targeting, and remarkably stable peptide, EgK5, that modulates voltage-gated KV1.3 potassium channels in T lymphocytes by a distinctive mechanism. EgK5 enters plasma membranes and binds to KV1.3, causing current run-down by a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-dependent mechanism. EgK5 exhibits selectivity for KV1.3 over other channels, receptors, transporters, and enzymes. EgK5 suppresses antigen-triggered proliferation of effector memory T cells, a subset enriched among pathogenic autoreactive T cells in autoimmune disease. PET-CT imaging with 18F-labeled EgK5 shows accumulation of the peptide in large and small joints of rodents. In keeping with its arthrotropism, EgK5 treats disease in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis. It was also effective in treating disease in a rat model of atopic dermatitis. No signs of toxicity are observed at 10-100 times the in vivo dose. EgK5 shows promise for clinical development as a therapeutic for autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seow Theng Ong
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Saumya Bajaj
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Mark R Tanner
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Shih Chieh Chang
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Bankala Krishnarjuna
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Xuan Rui Ng
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Rodrigo A V Morales
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ming Wei Chen
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Dahai Luo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Dharmeshkumar Patel
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Sabina Yasmin
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Jeremy Jun Heng Ng
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Zhong Zhuang
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
| | - Hai M Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Abbas El Sahili
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine building, Singapore 636921
| | - Julien Lescar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine building, Singapore 636921
| | - Rahul Patil
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Susan A Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Edward G Robins
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A Star), Singapore 138667.,Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, NUS Clinical Imaging Research Centre (CIRC), Centre for Life Sciences, Singapore 117599
| | - Julian L Goggi
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A Star), Singapore 138667
| | - Peng Wen Tan
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A Star), Singapore 138667
| | - Pragalath Sadasivam
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A Star), Singapore 138667
| | - Boominathan Ramasamy
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A Star), Singapore 138667
| | - Siddana V Hartimath
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A Star), Singapore 138667
| | - Vikas Dhawan
- Peptides International, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky 40269, United States.,AmbioPharm Inc., North Augusta, South Carolina 29842, United States
| | - Janna Bednenko
- TetraGenetics Inc, Arlington, Massachusetts 02474, United States
| | - Paul Colussi
- TetraGenetics Inc, Arlington, Massachusetts 02474, United States
| | - Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Michael W Pennington
- Peptides International, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky 40269, United States.,AmbioPharm Inc., North Augusta, South Carolina 29842, United States
| | - Serdar Kuyucak
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Christine Beeton
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - K George Chandy
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921
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50
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Ochiai A, Ogawa K, Fukuda M, Suzuki M, Ito K, Tanaka T, Sagehashi Y, Taniguchi M. Crystal structure of rice defensin OsAFP1 and molecular insight into lipid-binding. J Biosci Bioeng 2020; 130:6-13. [PMID: 32192842 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2020.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Defensins are antibacterial peptides that function in the innate immune system. OsAFP1, a defensin identified from Oryza sativa (rice), exhibits antimicrobial activity against rice pathogens. Intriguingly, OsAFP1 was also shown to demonstrate potent antifungal activity against the human pathogenic fungus Candida albicans by inducing apoptosis in target cells, suggesting that OsAFP1 represents a potential new antibiotic candidate; however, further analyses, particularly at the structural level, are required to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of OsAFP1 antifungal activity. Here, we determined the three-dimensional structure of OsAFP1 using X-ray crystallography. OsAFP1 features the cysteine-stabilized αβ structure highly conserved in plant defensins and presents a dimeric structure that appears necessary for antifungal activity. Superimposition of the OsAFP1 structure with that of Nicotiana alata NaD1 complexed with phosphatidic acid indicated that the target molecule is likely trapped between the S2-S3 loops of each OsAFP1 dimer. In lipid-binding analyses performed using nitrocellulose membranes immobilized with various membrane lipid components, OsAFP1 was found to bind to phosphatidylinositols (PIPs) harboring phosphate groups, particularly PI(3)P. These results indicate that OsAFP1 exerts antifungal activity by binding to PI(3)P contained in the C. albicans cell membrane, thereby applying cellular stress and inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, the OsAFP1 structure and site-specific-mutation analyses revealed that Arg1, His2, Leu4, Arg9, and Phe10 play critical roles in OsAFP1 dimer formation. Thus, our study provides novel insights into the antifungal mechanism of OsAFP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihito Ochiai
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan.
| | - Kodai Ogawa
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Minami Fukuda
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Masami Suzuki
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Kosuke Ito
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Takaaki Tanaka
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Sagehashi
- Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Hokkaido 062-8555, Japan
| | - Masayuki Taniguchi
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
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