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Yang Y, Qiao X, Yu S, Zhao X, Jin Y, Liu R, Li J, Wang L, Song L. A trace amine associated receptor mediates antimicrobial immune response in the oyster Crassostrea gigas. Dev Comp Immunol 2024; 156:105171. [PMID: 38537729 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2024.105171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a class of G protein-coupled receptors, playing an immunomodulatory function in the neuroinflammatory responses. In the present study, a TAAR homologue with a 7tm_classA_rhodopsin-like domain (designated as CgTAAR1L) was identified in oyster Crassostrea gigas. The abundant CgTAAR1L transcripts were detected in visceral ganglia and haemocytes compared to other tissues, which were 55.35-fold and 32.95-fold (p < 0.01) of those in adductor muscle, respectively. The mRNA expression level of CgTAAR1L in haemocytes significantly increased and reached the peak level at 3 h after LPS or Poly (I:C) stimulation, which was 4.55-fold and 12.35-fold of that in control group, respectively (p < 0.01). After the expression of CgTAAR1L was inhibited by the injection of its targeted siRNA, the mRNA expression levels of interleukin17s (CgIL17-1, CgIL17-5 and CgIL17-6), and defensin (Cgdefh1) significantly decreased at 3 h after LPS stimulation, which was 0.51-fold (p < 0.001), 0.39-fold (p < 0.01), 0.48-fold (p < 0.05) and 0.41-fold (p < 0.05) of that in the control group, respectively. The nuclear translocation of Cgp65 protein was suppressed in the CgTAAR1L-RNAi oysters. Furthermore, the number of Vibrio splendidus in the haemolymph of CgTAAR1L-RNAi oysters significantly increased (4.11-fold, p < 0.001) compared with that in the control group. In contrast, there was no significant difference in phagocytic rate of haemocytes to V. splendidus in the CgTAAR1L-RNAi oysters. These results indicated that CgTAAR1L played an important role in the immune defense against bacterial infection by inducing the expressions of interleukin and defensin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehong Yang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Xue Qiao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Simiao Yu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Yuhao Jin
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Jie Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China.
| | - Linsheng Song
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
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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. Mol Plant Pathol 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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He H, Huang X, Wen C, Liu C, Jiang B, Huang Y, Su Y, Li W. A novel defensin-like peptide C-13326 possesses protective effect against multidrug-resistant Aeromonas schubertii in hybrid snakehead (Channa maculate ♀ × Channa argus ♂). J Fish Dis 2024; 47:e13922. [PMID: 38204197 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a defensin-like antimicrobial peptide (C-13326 peptide) identified in Hermetia illucens could possess protective effect against multidrug-resistant Aeromonas schubertii in hybrid snakehead (Channa maculate ♀ × Channa argus ♂). The cDNA of C-13326 peptide comprised 243 nucleotides encoding 80 amino acids, with six conserved cysteine residues and the classical CSαβ structure. The recombinant expression plasmid pPIC9K-C-13326 was constructed and transformed into GS115 Pichia pastoris, and the C-13326 peptide was expressed by induction with 1% methanol. The crude extract of C-13326 peptide was precipitated by ammonium sulfate, assayed by Braford method, detected by tricine-SDS-PAGE, evaluated by BandScan software and identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The C-13326 peptide was shown to have inhibitory activity against the growth of multidrug-resistant A. schubertii DM210910 by using the minimum growth inhibitory concentration and Oxford cup method. In addition, scanning electron microscopy analysis suggested that C-13326 peptide inhibited the growth of A. schubertii DM210910 by damaging the bacterial cell membrane. To explore the role of peptide C-13326 in vivo, hybrid snakehead was fed with peptide C-13326 as feed additives for 7 days. The results revealed that C-13326 peptide could significantly down-regulate the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-8, IL-12 and TNF-α (p < .05), and significantly improved the survival rate of hybrid snakehead after challenging with A. schubertii DM210910. Therefore, the C-13326 peptide is a promising antimicrobial agent for A. schubertii treatment in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanrong He
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinzhi Huang
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Caiyi Wen
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun Liu
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Biao Jiang
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanhua Huang
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youlu Su
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Li
- Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Waterfowl Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
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Gao B, Li P, Zhu S. Single Deletion Unmasks Hidden Anti-Gram-Negative Bacterial Activity of an Insect Defensin-Derived Peptide. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2512-2528. [PMID: 38335999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Insect defensins are a large family of antimicrobial peptides primarily active against Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we explore their hidden anti-Gram-negative bacterial potential via a nature-guided strategy inspired by natural deletion variants of Drosophila defensins. Referring to these variants, we deleted the equivalent region of an insect defensin with the first cysteine-containing N-terminus, and the last three cysteine-containing C-terminal regions remained. This 15-mer peptide exhibits low solubility and specifically targets Gram-positive bacteria. Further deletion of alanine-9 remarkably improves its solubility, unmasks its hidden anti-Gram-negative bacterial activity, and alters its states in different environments. Intriguingly, compared with the oxidized form, the 14-mer reduced peptide shows increased activity on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria through a membrane-disruptive mechanism. The broad-spectrum activity and tolerance to high-salt environments and human serum, together with no toxicity to mammalian or human cells, make it a promising candidate for the design of new peptide antibiotics against Gram-negative bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ping Li
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety (Chinese Academy of Sciences), National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, No.11 ZhongGuanCun BeiYiTiao, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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Chu M, He S, Zhao H, Yin S, Liu Z, Zhang W, Liu X, Bao H. Increasing expression of STING by ERα antagonizes LCN2 downregulation during chronic endometritis. J Reprod Immunol 2023; 160:104167. [PMID: 37952294 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2023.104167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Chronic endometritis has a high incidence in infertile women, which is caused by endometrial microbiome infection. In response to microbial infection, the role of defensins during chronic endometritis need explored. Besides, the expression of estrogen and its receptors vary in different menstrual cycles, but their roles in chronic endometritis are still unclear. In this study, we used the human endometrial tissues to examine the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) α-defensin hNP-1 and β-defensins hBD-1, hBD-2, hBD-3, hBD-4 and LCN2. We found the expression of hBD-1 and LCN2 were downregulated in endometritis tissues, while the expressions of hBD-2, hBD-3, hBD-4, hNP-1, and estrogen and ERα were upregulated in chronic endometritis tissues compared to normal tissues. The expression and phosphorylation of STING, which is a crucial mediator of mammalian innate immunity in response to pathogens, was regulated with the treatment of ERα inhibitor raloxifene (Rx). Furthermore, using with the estrogen receptor inhibitor Rx and STING inhibitor H-151 significantly decreases the LCN2 expression. Taken together, these results suggested ERα was upregulated to modulate STING expression inducing LCN2 antimicrobial peptide expression to modulate the mucosal immunity during chronic endometritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China
| | - Shunzhi He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China
| | - Huishan Zhao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyuan Yin
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenteng Liu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemei Liu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongchu Bao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhuangding Estern Road, Yantai 264000, People's Republic of China.
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Rojas L, Cabrera-Muñoz A, Espinosa LA, Montané S, Alvarez-Lajonchere L, Mojarena JD, Moya G, Lorenzo J, González LJ, Betzel C, Alonso-Del-Rivero Antigua M. CogiTx1: A novel subtilisin A inhibitor isolated from the sea anemone Condylactis gigantea belonging to the defensin 4 protein family. Biochimie 2023; 213:41-53. [PMID: 37105301 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Subtilisin-like enzymes are recognized as key players in many infectious agents. In this context, its inhibitors are very valuable molecular lead compounds for structure based drug discovery and design. Marine invertebrates offer a great source of bioactive molecules, including protease inhibitors. In this work, we describe a new subtilisin inhibitor, from the sea anemone Condylactis gigantea (CogiTx1). CogiTx1 was purified using a combination of cation exchange chromatography, size exclusion chromatography and RP-HPLC chromatography. CogiTx1 it is a protein with 46 amino acid residues, with 4970.44 Da and three disulfide bridges. Is also able to inhibit subtilisin-like enzymes and pancreatic elastase. According to the amino acid sequence, it belongs to the defensin 4 family of proteins. The sequencing showed that CogiTx1 has an amidated C-terminal end, which was confirmed by the presence of the typical -XGR signal for amidation in the protein sequence deduced from the cDNA. This modification was described at protein level for the first time in this family of proteins. CogiTx1 is the first subtilisin inhibitor from the defensin 4 family and accordingly it has a folding consisting primarily in beta-strands in agreement with the analysis by CD and 3D modelling. Therefore, future in-depth functional studies may allow a more detailed characterization and will shed light on structure-function properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laritza Rojas
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, PC: 10400, Cuba
| | - Aymara Cabrera-Muñoz
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, PC: 10400, Cuba
| | - Luis A Espinosa
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, PC:60 200, Cuba
| | - Sergi Montané
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, PC:08193, Spain
| | - Luis Alvarez-Lajonchere
- Felipe Poey Natural History Museum, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, PC: 10400, Cuba
| | - Jesús D Mojarena
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, PC: 10400, Cuba
| | - Galina Moya
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, PC:60 200, Cuba
| | - Julia Lorenzo
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, PC:08193, Spain
| | - Luis J González
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, PC:60 200, Cuba
| | - Christian Betzel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, PC: 20146, Germany
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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. J Exp Bot 2023; 74:5374-5393. [PMID: 37326591 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Fu J, Zong X, Jin M, Min J, Wang F, Wang Y. Mechanisms and regulation of defensins in host defense. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:300. [PMID: 37574471 PMCID: PMC10423725 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01553-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
As a family of cationic host defense peptides, defensins are mainly synthesized by Paneth cells, neutrophils, and epithelial cells, contributing to host defense. Their biological functions in innate immunity, as well as their structure and activity relationships, along with their mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential, have been of great interest in recent years. To highlight the key research into the role of defensins in human and animal health, we first describe their research history, structural features, evolution, and antimicrobial mechanisms. Next, we cover the role of defensins in immune homeostasis, chemotaxis, mucosal barrier function, gut microbiota regulation, intestinal development and regulation of cell death. Further, we discuss their clinical relevance and therapeutic potential in various diseases, including infectious disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and obesity, chronic inflammatory lung disease, periodontitis and cancer. Finally, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the nutrient-dependent regulation of defensins, including fatty acids, amino acids, microelements, plant extracts, and probiotics, while considering the clinical application of such regulation. Together, the review summarizes the various biological functions, mechanism of actions and potential clinical significance of defensins, along with the challenges in developing defensins-based therapy, thus providing crucial insights into their biology and potential clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in Eastern China, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xin Zong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in Eastern China, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Mingliang Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in Eastern China, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Junxia Min
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Fudi Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Public Health, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Basic Medical Sciences, School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China.
| | - Yizhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in Eastern China, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
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Kimura S, Vaattovaara A, Ohshita T, Yokoyama K, Yoshida K, Hui A, Kaya H, Ozawa A, Kobayashi M, Mori IC, Ogata Y, Ishino Y, Sugano SS, Nagano M, Fukao Y. Zinc deficiency-induced defensin-like proteins are involved in the inhibition of root growth in Arabidopsis. Plant J 2023; 115:1071-1083. [PMID: 37177878 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The depletion of cellular zinc (Zn) adversely affects plant growth. Plants have adaptation mechanisms for Zn-deficient conditions, inhibiting growth through the action of transcription factors and metal transporters. We previously identified three defensin-like (DEFL) proteins (DEFL203, DEFL206 and DEFL208) that were induced in Arabidopsis thaliana roots under Zn-depleted conditions. DEFLs are small cysteine-rich peptides involved in defense responses, development and excess metal stress in plants. However, the functions of DEFLs in the Zn-deficiency response are largely unknown. Here, phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that seven DEFLs (DEFL202-DEFL208) were categorized into one subgroup. Among the seven DEFLs, the transcripts of five (not DEFL204 and DEFL205) were upregulated by Zn deficiency, consistent with the presence of cis-elements for basic-region leucine-zipper 19 (bZIP19) or bZIP23 in their promoter regions. Microscopic observation of GFP-tagged DEFL203 showed that DEFL203-sGFP was localized to the apoplast and plasma membrane. Whereas a single mutation of the DEFL202 or DEFL203 genes only slightly affected root growth, defl202 defl203 double mutants showed enhanced root growth under all growth conditions. We also showed that the size of the root meristem was increased in the double mutants compared with the wild type. Our results suggest that DEFL202 and DEFL203 are redundantly involved in the inhibition of root growth under Zn-deficient conditions through a reduction in root meristem length and cell number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachie Kimura
- Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Aleksia Vaattovaara
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Tomoya Ohshita
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Kotomi Yokoyama
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Kota Yoshida
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Agnes Hui
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Kaya
- Department of Food Production Science, Ehime University, Ehime, 790-8566, Japan
| | - Ai Ozawa
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Mami Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Izumi C Mori
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Okayama, 710-0046, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Ogata
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Yoko Ishino
- Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, 755-8611, Japan
| | - Shigeo S Sugano
- Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
| | - Minoru Nagano
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Fukao
- Graduate School of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
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10
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Gu TY, Qi ZA, Chen SY, Yan J, Fang ZJ, Wang JM, Gong JM. Dual-function DEFENSIN 8 mediates phloem cadmium unloading and accumulation in rice grains. Plant Physiol 2023; 191:515-527. [PMID: 36087013 PMCID: PMC9806624 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Grain cadmium (Cd) is translocated from source to sink tissues exclusively via phloem, though the phloem Cd unloading transporter has not been identified yet. Here, we isolated and functionally characterized a defensin-like gene DEFENSIN 8 (DEF8) highly expressed in rice (Oryza sativa) grains and induced by Cd exposure in seedling roots. Histochemical analysis and subcellular localization detected DEF8 expression preferentially in pericycle cells and phloem of seedling roots, as well as in phloem of grain vasculatures. Further analysis demonstrated that DEF8 is secreted into extracellular spaces possibly by vesicle trafficking. DEF8 bound to Cd in vitro, and Cd efflux from protoplasts as well as loading into xylem vessels decreased in the def8 mutant seedlings compared with the wild type. At maturity, significantly less Cd accumulation was observed in the mutant grains. These results suggest that DEF8 is a dual function protein that facilitates Cd loading into xylem and unloading from phloem, thus mediating Cd translocation from roots to shoots and further allocation to grains, representing a phloem Cd unloading regulator. Moreover, essential mineral nutrient accumulation as well as important agronomic traits were not affected in the def8 mutants, suggesting DEF8 is an ideal target for breeding low grain Cd rice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Si-Ying Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Zi-Jun Fang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jun-Min Wang
- Institute of Crops and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
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11
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Hong S, Sun Y, Chen H, Wang C. Suppression of the insect cuticular microbiomes by a fungal defensin to facilitate parasite infection. ISME J 2023; 17:1-11. [PMID: 36127432 PMCID: PMC9751272 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Insects can assemble defensive microbiomes on their body surfaces to defend against fungal parasitic infections. The strategies employed by fungal pathogens to combat host cuticular microbiotas remains unclear. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of the defensin-like antimicrobial gene BbAMP1 encoded by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The mature peptide of BbAMP1 can coat fungal spores and can be secreted by the fungus to target and damage Gram-positive bacterial cells. Significant differences in insect survival were observed between the wild-type and BbAMP1 mutant strains during topical infection but not during injection assays that bypassed insect cuticles. Thus, BbAMP1 deletion considerably reduced fungal virulence while gene overexpression accelerated the fungal colonization of insects compared with the wild-type strain in natural infections. Topical infection of axenic Drosophila adults evidenced no difference in fly survivals between strains. However, the gnotobiotic infections with the addition of Gram-positive but not Gram-negative bacterial cells in fungal spore suspensions substantially increased the survival of the flies treated with ∆BbAMP1 compared to those infected by the wild-type and gene-overexpression strains. Bacterial colony counts and microbiome analysis confirmed that BbAMP1 could assist the fungus to manipulate insect surface bacterial loads. This study reveals that fungal defensin can suppress the host surface defensive microbiomes, which underscores the importance to extend the research scope of fungus-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Hong
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanlei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Haimin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Chengshu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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12
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Sadhu S, Jogam P, Gande K, Marapaka V, Penna S, Peddaboina V. Expression of radish defensin (RsAFP2) gene in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) confers resistance to Fusarium wilt disease. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:11-18. [PMID: 36282461 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08021-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), a major nutritional source cultivated worldwide, is vulnerable to several abiotic and biotic stresses, including different types of soil-borne pathogens like Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, which causes root rot disease and severely affects productivity. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, putative transgenic plants were obtained with the Radish defensin (Rs-AFP2) gene through Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation using the embryo axis explants. Transgenes were confirmed in 18 putative transgenic plants with PCR-specific primers for nptII and Rs-AFP2 genes. Twelve transgenic plants were established successfully under greenhouse conditions. The T0 plants were allowed for self-pollination to obtain T1 seeds. The T1 plants, selected for Fusarium wilt assay using Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cicero, showed different resistance levels, from moderate to high levels in comparison to control plants (wild-type) which exhibited severe wilt symptoms. CONCLUSION Our results suggest the application of Radish defensins (RsAFP1/RsAFP2 genes) for improving pathogen resistance in chickpea.
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Affiliation(s)
- SumanKalyan Sadhu
- Department of Microbiology, Kakatiya University, Vidyaranyapuri, Warangal, Telangana, 506 009, India
| | - Phanikanth Jogam
- Department of Biotechnology, Kakatiya University, Vidyaranyapuri, Warangal, Telangana, 506 009, India
| | - Kranthikumar Gande
- Department of Microbiology, Kakatiya University, Vidyaranyapuri, Warangal, Telangana, 506 009, India
| | - Vasudha Marapaka
- Department of Microbiology, Kakatiya University, Vidyaranyapuri, Warangal, Telangana, 506 009, India
| | - Suprasanna Penna
- Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400085, India
| | - Venkataiah Peddaboina
- Department of Microbiology, Kakatiya University, Vidyaranyapuri, Warangal, Telangana, 506 009, India.
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13
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Liu L, He M, Yang Z, Wang H, Zhang X, He J, Buttino I, Qi P, Yan X, Liao Z. Myticofensin, a novel antimicrobial peptide family identified from Mytilus coruscus. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2022; 131:817-826. [PMID: 36349653 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.10.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this study, seven transcripts representing a novel antimicrobial peptide (AMP) family with structural features similar to those of arthropod defensins were identified from Mytilus coruscus. These novel defensins from the Mytilus AMP family were named myticofensins. To explore the possible immune-related functions of these myticofensins, we examined their expression profiles in different tissues and larval stages, as well as in three immune-related tissues under the threat of different microbes. Our data revealed that the seven myticofensins had relatively high expression levels in immune-related tissues. Most myticofensins were undetectable, or had low expression levels, in different larval mussel stages. Additionally, in vivo microbial challenges significantly increased the expression levels of myticofensins in M. coruscus hemocytes, gills, and digestive glands, showing different immune response patterns under challenges from different microbes. Our data indicates that different myticofensins may have different immune functions in different tissues. Furthermore, peptide sequences corresponding to the beta-hairpin, alpha-helix, and N-terminal loop of myticofensin were synthesized and the antimicrobial activities of these peptide fragments were tested. Our data confirms the diversity of defensins in Mytilus and reports the complex regulation of these defensins in the mussel immune response to different microbes in immune-related tissues. The immune system of Mytilus has been studied for years as they are a species with strong environmental adaptations. Our data can be regarded as a step forward in the study of the adaptation of Mytilus spp. to an evolving microbial world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Menglan He
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zongxin Yang
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haodong Wang
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhang
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianyu He
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China; Donghai Laboratory, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Isabella Buttino
- Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research ISPRA, Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Pengzhi Qi
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Zhi Liao
- Laboratory of Marine Biology Protein Engineering, Marine Science and Technical College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan City, 316022, Zhejiang, China.
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14
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Safhi FA, ALshamrani SM, Jalal AS, El-Moneim DA, Alyamani AA, Ibrahim AA. Genetic Characterization of Some Saudi Arabia's Accessions from Commiphora gileadensis Using Physio-Biochemical Parameters, Molecular Markers, DNA Barcoding Analysis and Relative Gene Expression. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:2099. [PMID: 36421774 PMCID: PMC9690626 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Commiphora gileadensis L. is a medicinal plant, known as balsam, with pharmaceutical potential for its phytochemical activities and chemical constituents. Genetic diversity is a genetic tool used in medicinal plant evolution and conservation. Three accessions from C. gileadensis were collected from three localities in Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Jizan and Riyadh). Genetic characterization was carried out using physio-biochemical parameters, molecular markers (inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT)), DNA barcoding (18 S rRNA and ITS rDNA regions), relative gene expressions (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 1 (PAL1), defensin (PR-12)) and pathogenesis-related protein (AFPRT). The results of this study showed that C. gileadensis accession C3, collected from Riyadh, had the highest content from the physio-biochemical parameters perspective, with values of 92.54 mg/g and 77.13 mg/g for total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), respectively. Furthermore, the highest content of antioxidant enzyme activity was present in accession C3 with values of 16.87, 60.87, 35.76 and 27.98 U mg-1 for superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) (mol/min/mg FW) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) (U mg-1 protein), respectively. The highest total number of bands and number of unique bands were 138 and 59, respectively, for the SCoT marker. The SCoT marker was the most efficient for the genetic diversity of C. gileadensis by producing the highest polymorphism (75.63%). DNA barcoding using 18 S and ITS showed the nearby Commiphora genus and clustered C. gileadensis accessions from Jeddah and Jizan in one clade and the C. gileadensis accession from Ryiadh in a separate cluster. Moreover, relative gene expression of the PAL1, defensin (PR-12) and AFPRT (PR1) genes was upregulated in the C. gileadensis accession from Ryiadh. In conclusion, ecological and environmental conditions in each locality affect the genomic expression and genetic diversity, which can help the evolution of important medicinal plants and improve breeding and conservation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatmah Ahmed Safhi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Areej Saud Jalal
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Diaa Abd El-Moneim
- Department of Plant Production(Genetic Branch), Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, El-Arish 45511, Egypt
| | - Amal A. Alyamani
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Taif 21974, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amira A. Ibrahim
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Arish University, El-Arish 45511, Egypt
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15
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Loth K, Parisot N, Paquet F, Terrasson H, Sivignon C, Rahioui I, Ribeiro Lopes M, Gaget K, Duport G, Delmas AF, Aucagne V, Heddi A, Calevro F, da Silva P. Aphid BCR4 Structure and Activity Uncover a New Defensin Peptide Superfamily. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012480. [PMID: 36293341 PMCID: PMC9604261 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) are among the most detrimental insects for agricultural plants, and their management is a great challenge in agronomical research. A new class of proteins, called Bacteriocyte-specific Cysteine-Rich (BCR) peptides, provides an alternative to chemical insecticides for pest control. BCRs were initially identified in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. They are small disulfide bond-rich proteins expressed exclusively in aphid bacteriocytes, the insect cells that host intracellular symbiotic bacteria. Here, we show that one of the A. pisum BCRs, BCR4, displays prominent insecticidal activity against the pea aphid, impairing insect survival and nymphal growth, providing evidence for its potential use as a new biopesticide. Our comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses indicate that BCRs are restricted to the aphid lineage. The 3D structure of BCR4 reveals that this peptide belongs to an as-yet-unknown structural class of peptides and defines a new superfamily of defensins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Loth
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
- UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Parisot
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Françoise Paquet
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Hugo Terrasson
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Isabelle Rahioui
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Karen Gaget
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gabrielle Duport
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Agnès F. Delmas
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Vincent Aucagne
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Abdelaziz Heddi
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pedro da Silva
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
- Correspondence:
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16
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Hekimoğlu O. Phylogenetic placement of Turkish populations of Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes inopinatus. Exp Appl Acarol 2022; 88:179-189. [PMID: 36251170 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-022-00750-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Studies on phylogeography and population structure of Ixodes ricinus have been carried out in Europe for decades, but the number of specimens from the Middle East included in these analyses is relatively small, despite the wide distribution of the species in this area. This study aimed to clarify the phylogenetic positions of I. ricinus from Turkey as well as to investigate the presence of Ixodes inopinatus in Anatolia. For this purpose, one mitochondrial (mt 16S rDNA) and one nuclear gene (defensin) were used to generate molecular data from I. ricinus samples, which were collected from 17 locations across the species' distributional range in Turkey. Bayesian inference was used to investigate phylogenetic relationships. Globally, the mt 16S rDNA lineages correspond to the lineages revealed by defensin; I. ricinus and I. inopinatus sequences clustered separately. However, a discordant genetic pattern was observed between the phylogenetic position of turkish I. ricinus revealed by nuclear versus mitochondrial genes. All Turkish haplotypes of mt 16SrDNA clustered with I. ricinus samples from Europe, which might be the result of extensive gene flow between populations of Europe and the Middle East. On the other hand, a sample from Thrace Region grouped within I. inopinatus clade. Thus, the occurrence of I. inopinatus in Turkey was demonstrated for the first time using molecular data. Moreover, four individuals were found to be heterozygous for the defensin. The potential evolutionary processes that underlie this observed discrepancy between the phylogenetic trees of two genes have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olcay Hekimoğlu
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800, Ankara, Turkey.
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17
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O’Brien DK, Ribot WJ, Chabot DJ, Scorpio A, Tobery SA, Jelacic TM, Wu Z, Friedlander AM. The capsule of Bacillus anthracis protects it from the bactericidal activity of human defensins and other cationic antimicrobial peptides. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010851. [PMID: 36174087 PMCID: PMC9560598 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
During infection, Bacillus anthracis bacilli encounter potent antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as defensins. We examined the role that B. anthracis capsule plays in protecting bacilli from defensins and other cationic AMPs by comparing their effects on a fully virulent encapsulated wild type (WT) strain and an isogenic capsule-deficient capA mutant strain. We identified several human defensins and non-human AMPs that were capable of killing B. anthracis. The human alpha defensins 1–6 (HNP-1-4, HD-5-6), the human beta defensins 1–4 (HBD-1-4), and the non-human AMPs, protegrin, gramicidin D, polymyxin B, nisin, and melittin were all capable of killing both encapsulated WT and non-encapsulated capA mutant B. anthracis. However, non-encapsulated capA mutant bacilli were significantly more susceptible than encapsulated WT bacilli to killing by nearly all of the AMPs tested. We demonstrated that purified capsule bound HBD-2, HBD-3, and HNP-1 in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Furthermore, we determined that the capsule layer enveloping WT bacilli bound and trapped HBD-3, substantially reducing the amount reaching the cell wall. To assess whether released capsule might also play a protective role, we pre-incubated HBD-2, HBD-3, or HNP-1 with purified capsule before their addition to non-encapsulated capA mutant bacilli. We found that free capsule completely rescued the capA mutant bacilli from killing by HBD-2 and -3 while killing by HNP-1 was reduced to the level observed with WT bacilli. Together, these results suggest an immune evasion mechanism by which the capsule, both that enveloping the bacilli and released fragments, contributes to virulence by binding to and inhibiting the antimicrobial activity of cationic AMPs. Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax after spores infect the skin, respiratory tract, or gastrointestinal tract. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as defensins, are a first line of host defense that B. anthracis encounters in all of these tissues. B. anthracis bacteria are covered by a capsule that protects them from being engulfed and destroyed by phagocytic immune cells. In this study, we found that the capsule also provides protection from AMPs. An encapsulated B. anthracis strain is resistant to killing by multiple AMPs from humans and other species compared to an otherwise identical strain that is not encapsulated. By binding defensins the capsule surrounding the bacilli reduces the amount that gets to the bacterial cell wall where it can do damage. B. anthracis bacteria release large fragments of capsule in the host during infection and during growth in culture. We found that purified released capsule can bind defensins and reduce killing of non-encapsulated B. anthracis. Thus, both capsule covering the bacteria and capsule shed by the bacteria can contribute to the pathogenicity of B. anthracis by providing protection from AMPs. Our study reveals a new mechanism by which B. anthracis capsule contributes to virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David K. O’Brien
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Wilson J. Ribot
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Donald J. Chabot
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Angelo Scorpio
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Steven A. Tobery
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tanya M. Jelacic
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Zhibin Wu
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Arthur M. Friedlander
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed University of Health Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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18
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Dong X, Limjunyawong N, Sypek EI, Wang G, Ortines RV, Youn C, Alphonse MP, Dikeman D, Wang Y, Lay M, Kothari R, Vasavda C, Pundir P, Goff L, Miller LS, Lu W, Garza LA, Kim BS, Archer NK, Dong X. Keratinocyte-derived defensins activate neutrophil-specific receptors Mrgpra2a/b to prevent skin dysbiosis and bacterial infection. Immunity 2022; 55:1645-1662.e7. [PMID: 35882236 PMCID: PMC9474599 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Healthy skin maintains a diverse microbiome and a potent immune system to fight off infections. Here, we discovered that the epithelial-cell-derived antimicrobial peptides defensins activated orphan G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) Mrgpra2a/b on neutrophils. This signaling axis was required for effective neutrophil-mediated skin immunity and microbiome homeostasis. We generated mutant mouse lines lacking the entire Defensin (Def) gene cluster in keratinocytes or Mrgpra2a/b. Def and Mrgpra2 mutant animals both exhibited skin dysbiosis, with reduced microbial diversity and expansion of Staphylococcus species. Defensins and Mrgpra2 were critical for combating S. aureus infections and the formation of neutrophil abscesses, a hallmark of antibacterial immunity. Activation of Mrgpra2 by defensin triggered neutrophil release of IL-1β and CXCL2 which are vital for proper amplification and propagation of the antibacterial immune response. This study demonstrated the importance of epithelial-neutrophil signaling via the defensin-Mrgpra2 axis in maintaining healthy skin ecology and promoting antibacterial host defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintong Dong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nathachit Limjunyawong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth I Sypek
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gaofeng Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roger V Ortines
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christine Youn
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Martin P Alphonse
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dustin Dikeman
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark Lay
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ruchita Kothari
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chirag Vasavda
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Priyanka Pundir
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Loyal Goff
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lloyd S Miller
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wuyuan Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luis A Garza
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brian S Kim
- Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nathan K Archer
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Xinzhong Dong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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19
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Salgado MG, Demina IV, Maity PJ, Nagchowdhury A, Caputo A, Krol E, Loderer C, Muth G, Becker A, Pawlowski K. Legume NCRs and nodule-specific defensins of actinorhizal plants—Do they share a common origin? PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268683. [PMID: 35980975 PMCID: PMC9387825 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The actinorhizal plant Datisca glomerata (Datiscaceae, Cucurbitales) establishes a root nodule symbiosis with actinobacteria from the earliest branching symbiotic Frankia clade. A subfamily of a gene family encoding nodule-specific defensin-like cysteine-rich peptides is highly expressed in D. glomerata nodules. Phylogenetic analysis of the defensin domain showed that these defensin-like peptides share a common evolutionary origin with nodule-specific defensins from actinorhizal Fagales and with nodule-specific cysteine-rich peptides (NCRs) from legumes. In this study, the family member with the highest expression levels, DgDef1, was characterized. Promoter-GUS studies on transgenic hairy roots showed expression in the early stage of differentiation of infected cells, and transient expression in the nodule apex. DgDef1 contains an N-terminal signal peptide and a C-terminal acidic domain which are likely involved in subcellular targeting and do not affect peptide activity. In vitro studies with E. coli and Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 showed that the defensin domain of DgDef1 has a cytotoxic effect, leading to membrane disruption with 50% lethality for S. meliloti 1021 at 20.8 μM. Analysis of the S. meliloti 1021 transcriptome showed that, at sublethal concentrations, DgDef1 induced the expression of terminal quinol oxidases, which are associated with the oxidative stress response and are also expressed during symbiosis. Overall, the changes induced by DgDef1 are reminiscent of those of some legume NCRs, suggesting that nodule-specific defensin-like peptides were part of the original root nodule toolkit and were subsequently lost in most symbiotic legumes, while being maintained in the actinorhizal lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Guedes Salgado
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irina V Demina
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pooja Jha Maity
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anurupa Nagchowdhury
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrea Caputo
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elizaveta Krol
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Loderer
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Günther Muth
- Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Becker
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Pawlowski
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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20
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Gbala ID, Macharia RW, Bargul JL, Magoma G. Membrane Permeabilization and Antimicrobial Activity of Recombinant Defensin-d2 and Actifensin against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144325. [PMID: 35889198 PMCID: PMC9317813 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance requires urgent efforts towards the discovery of active antimicrobials, and the development of strategies to sustainably produce them. Defensin and defensin-like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are increasingly gaining pharmacological interest because of their potency against pathogens. In this study, we expressed two AMPs: defensin-d2 derived from spinach, and defensin-like actifensin from Actinomyces ruminicola. Recombinant pTXB1 plasmids carrying the target genes encoding defensin-d2 and actifensin were generated by the MEGAWHOP cloning strategy. Each AMP was first expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli, purified by affinity chromatography, and was thereafter assayed for antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. Approximately 985 µg/mL and 2895 µg/mL of recombinant defensin-d2 and actifensin, respectively, were recovered with high purity. An analysis by MALDI-TOF MS showed distinct peaks corresponding to molecular weights of approximately 4.1 kDa for actifensin and 5.8 kDa for defensin-d2. An in vitro antimicrobial assay showed that MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans were inhibited at minimum concentrations of 7.5 µg/mL and 23 µg/mL for recombinant defensin-d2 and actifensin, respectively. The inhibitory kinetics of the peptides revealed cidal activity within 4 h of the contact time. Furthermore, both peptides exhibited an antagonistic interaction, which could be attributed to their affinities for similar ligands, as deduced by peptide–ligand profiling. Moreover, both peptides inhibited biofilm formation, and they exhibited no resistance potential and low hemolytic activity. The peptides also possess the ability to permeate and disrupt the cell membranes of MDR P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. Therefore, recombinant actifensin and defensin-d2 exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and have the potential to be used as therapy against MDR pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifeoluwa D. Gbala
- Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000-00200, Kenya;
- Correspondence:
| | - Rosaline W. Macharia
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197-00100, Kenya;
| | - Joel L. Bargul
- Department of Biochemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000-00200, Kenya;
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya
| | - Gabriel Magoma
- Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000-00200, Kenya;
- Department of Biochemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000-00200, Kenya;
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21
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Ri S, Zha S, Kim T, Ju K, Zhou W, Shi W, Wu M, Kim C, Bao Y, Sun C, Liu G. Identification, characterization, and antimicrobial activity of a novel big defensin discovered in a commercial bivalve mollusc, Tegillarca granosa. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2022; 124:174-181. [PMID: 35398526 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Molluscs, the second largest animal phylum on earth, primarily rely on cellular and humoral immune responses to fight against pathogen infection. Although antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as big defensin play crucial roles in the humoral immune response, it remains largely unknown in the ecological and economic important blood clam (Tegillarca granosa). In this study, a novel big defensin gene (TgBD) was identified in T. granosa through transcripts and whole genome searching. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to explore the molecular characteristics of TgBD, and comparisons of TgBD with those reported in other molluscs were performed by multiple alignments and phylogenetic analysis. In addition, the expression patterns of TgBD in various tissues and upon bacterial challenge were investigated while the antimicrobial activity of synthetic N-terminal domain of TgBD was confirmed in vitro by radial diffusion experiment. Results obtained showed TgBD had an open reading frame (ORF) of 369 bp, encoding a prepropeptide containing a signal peptide and a propeptide. Similar to big defensins reported in other species, TgBD consists of a hydrophobic N-terminal domain containing β1-α1-α2-β2 folds and a cysteine-rich cationic C-terminal domain with three disulfide bonds between C1-C5, C2-C4, and C3-C6. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TgBD shared 76.80% similarity to its close relative ark shell (Scapharca broughtoni). In addition, TgBD expression was observed in all tissues investigated under normal conditions and was significantly induced by injection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, synthetic N-terminal peptide of TgBD exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria tested. Our results indicated that TgBD is a constitutive and inducible acute phase AMP, which provides a universal and prompt protection for T. granosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghyok Ri
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China; College of Life Science, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, Pyongyang, 99903, D.P.R, North Korea
| | - Shanjie Zha
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, College of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, PR China; Ninghai Institute of Mariculture Breeding and Seed Industry, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ninghai, 315604, PR China
| | - Tongchol Kim
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China; College of Life Science, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, Pyongyang, 99903, D.P.R, North Korea
| | - Kwangjin Ju
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China; College of Aquaculture, Wonsan Fisheries University, Wonsan, 999093, D.P.R, North Korea
| | - Weishang Zhou
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Wei Shi
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Myongsik Wu
- College of Life Science, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, Pyongyang, 99903, D.P.R, North Korea
| | - Chunmi Kim
- College of Life Science, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, Pyongyang, 99903, D.P.R, North Korea
| | - Yongbo Bao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, College of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, PR China; Ninghai Institute of Mariculture Breeding and Seed Industry, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ninghai, 315604, PR China
| | - Changsen Sun
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, College of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, PR China; Ninghai Institute of Mariculture Breeding and Seed Industry, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ninghai, 315604, PR China
| | - Guangxu Liu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China.
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22
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Liu L, Fu Q, Li T, Shao K, Zhu X, Cong Y, Zhao X. Gut microbiota and butyrate contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in premenopause due to estrogen deficiency. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262855. [PMID: 35108315 PMCID: PMC8809533 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in postmenopausal women has increased significantly. Estrogen plays a very important role in NAFLD, but whether NAFLD in premenopausal women was caused by estrogen deficiency was unknown. Thus, it is of great clinical significance to explore the mechanism of NAFLD in premenopausal women. Gut microbiota and its metabolites short chain fatty acids (SCFA) have been shown to play important roles in the development of NAFLD. In this study, we investigated the impact of gut microbiota and SCFA in NAFLD patients and mice caused by estrogen deficiency. We showed that premenopause NAFLD patients had much lower estrogen levels. Estrogen deficient mice, due to ovariectomy (OVX), suffered more severe liver steatosis with an elevated body weight, abdominal fat weight, serum triglycerides and deterioration in hepatic steatosis. Altered gut microbiota composition and decreased butyrate content were found in NAFLD patients and in OVX mice. Furthermore, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or supplementing with butyrate alleviated NAFLD in OVX mice. The production of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) Reg3ɣ, β-defensins and the expression of intestinal epithelial tight junction, including ZO-1 and Occluding-5, were decreased in the OVX mice compared to control mice. Upregulation of PPAR-ɣ and VLDLR, downregulation of PPAR-ɑ indicated that OVX mice suffered from abnormal lipid metabolism. These data indicate that changes in the gut microbiota and SCFA caused by estrogen reduction, together with a disorder in AMP production and lipid metabolism, promote NAFLD, thus provide SCFAs derived from microbiota as new therapeutic targets for the clinical prevention and treatment of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Liu
- Department of Medical Experiment Center, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Qingdao Key Lab of Mitochondrial Medicine, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qingsong Fu
- Department of Medical Experiment Center, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Qingdao Key Lab of Mitochondrial Medicine, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (QF)
| | - Tiantian Li
- Department of Medical Experiment Center, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Qingdao Key Lab of Mitochondrial Medicine, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Kai Shao
- Department of Medical Experiment Center, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Qingdao Key Lab of Mitochondrial Medicine, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xing Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yingzi Cong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Xiaoyun Zhao
- Department of Medical Experiment Center, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Qingdao Key Lab of Mitochondrial Medicine, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (QF)
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23
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Singh N, Nandi AK. AtOZF1 positively regulates JA signaling and SA-JA cross-talk in Arabidopsis thaliana. J Biosci 2022; 47:8. [PMID: 35092410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant hormones regulate growth, development, and defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. Salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), and jasmonate (JA) are major phytohormones that control the defense against pathogens. SA and JA primarily regulate resistance against biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens, respectively. NPR1 is the key regulator of SA signaling in plants. AtOZF1 function has recently been ascribed to promote both NPR1- dependent and -independent SA signaling. However, the role of AtOZF1 in JA signaling was not known. Here we report AtOZF1 as a positive regulator of JA signaling in Arabidopsis. The atozf1 mutants are more susceptible to the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea than wildtype (WT) plants. AtOZF1 positively regulates the expression of JA inducible genes like PDF1.2, VSP2, THI2.1, and ORA59. AtOZF1 takes part in SA-JA cross-talk to an extent similar to that of NPR1. AtOZF1 is essential for the activation of PDF1.2 expression upon exogenous methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) application. Intriguingly, SA can significantly promote MeJA-induced PDF1.2 expression in the absence of AtOZF1. Altogether our results reveal a novel SA-JA interaction pathway in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Singh
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India
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24
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Stambuk F, Ojeda C, Machado Matos G, Rosa RD, Mercado L, Schmitt P. Big defensin from the scallop Argopecten purpuratus ApBD1 is an antimicrobial peptide which entraps bacteria through nanonets formation. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2021; 119:456-461. [PMID: 34710565 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2021.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Big defensins is a large family of antimicrobial peptides found in restricted groups of invertebrates, in particular mollusks where they have highly diversified. Big defensins are composed of a highly hydrophobic N-terminal region and a C-terminal region containing six cysteine residues whose arrangement is identical to that of vertebrate β-defensins. They have been shown to be active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Antimicrobial aggregates called nanonets entrapping and killing bacteria have been recently described for the hydrophobic N-terminal region of the Cg-BigDef1 from the oyster Crassostrea gigas. To determine whether nanonets formation is a conserved trait of mollusk big defensins, we assessed the potential entrapping of bacteria through nanonets of the big defensin from the scallop Argopecten purpuratus, ApBD1. Recombinant ApBD1 was produced with a thrombin-cleavable N-terminal His6 tag, followed by the mature peptide carrying a mutation of the last cysteine residue of the C-terminal region by and arginine, named rApBD1(C87R). This mutation did not apparently affect the three-dimensional structure and the biological properties of rApBD1(C87R), as evidenced by in silico modeling and in vitro antimicrobial assays. Strong immune staining of rApBD1(C87R) in numerous areas surrounding bacteria was observed by confocal microscopy, suggesting that rApBD1(C87R) entraps bacteria in peptide aggregates similar to those reported to the oyster big defensin. This study suggests the conservation of bactericidal activity and nanonet formation across big defensins from bivalve mollusks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Stambuk
- Grupo de Marcadores Inmunológicos, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Claudia Ojeda
- Grupo de Marcadores Inmunológicos, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Gabriel Machado Matos
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Rafael Diego Rosa
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Luis Mercado
- Grupo de Marcadores Inmunológicos, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paulina Schmitt
- Grupo de Marcadores Inmunológicos, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
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25
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Díaz-Garrido P, Cárdenas-Guerra RE, Martínez I, Poggio S, Rodríguez-Hernández K, Rivera-Santiago L, Ortega-López J, Sánchez-Esquivel S, Espinoza B. Differential activity on trypanosomatid parasites of a novel recombinant defensin type 1 from the insect Triatoma (Meccus) pallidipennis. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 139:103673. [PMID: 34700021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are one of the major families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are widely distributed in insects. In Triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi the causative agent of Chagas disease, two large groups of defensin isoforms have been described: type 1 and type 4. The aim of this study was to analyze the trypanocidal activity of a type 1 recombinant defensin (rDef1.3) identified in Triatoma (Meccus) pallidipennis, an endemic specie from México. The trypanocidal activity of this defensin was evaluated in vitro, against the parasites T. cruzi, T. rangeli, and two species of Leishmania (L. mexicana and L. major) both causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Our data demonstrated that the defensin was active against all the parasites although in different degrees. The defensin altered the morphology, reduced the viability and inhibited the growth of T.cruzi. When tested against T. rangeli (a parasite that infects a variety of mammalian species), stronger morphological effects where observed. Surprisingly the greatest effects were observed against the two Leishmania species, of which L. major was the parasite most affected with 50% of dead cells or with damaged membranes, in addition of a reduction in its proliferative capacity in culture. These results suggest that rDef1.3 has an important antimicrobial effect against trypanosomatids which cause some of the more important neglected tropical diseases transmitted by insect vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Díaz-Garrido
- Laboratorio de Estudios sobre Tripanosomiasis. Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico
| | - Rosa Elena Cárdenas-Guerra
- Laboratorio de Estudios sobre Tripanosomiasis. Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Laboratorio de Estudios sobre Tripanosomiasis. Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico
| | - Sebastián Poggio
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico
| | - Karla Rodríguez-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Estudios sobre Tripanosomiasis. Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico
| | - Lucio Rivera-Santiago
- Laboratorio de Estudios sobre Tripanosomiasis. Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico
| | - Jaime Ortega-López
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C.P. 07360, México City, Mexico
| | - Sergio Sánchez-Esquivel
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico
| | - Bertha Espinoza
- Laboratorio de Estudios sobre Tripanosomiasis. Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, México City, Mexico.
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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27
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Omidvar R, Vosseler N, Abbas A, Gutmann B, Grünwald-Gruber C, Altmann F, Siddique S, Bohlmann H. Analysis of a gene family for PDF-like peptides from Arabidopsis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18948. [PMID: 34556705 PMCID: PMC8460643 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98175-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant defensins are small, basic peptides that have a characteristic three-dimensional folding pattern which is stabilized by four disulfide bridges. We show here that Arabidopsis contains in addition to the proper plant defensins a group of 9 plant defensin-like (PdfL) genes. They are all expressed at low levels while GUS fusions of the promoters showed expression in most tissues with only minor differences. We produced two of the encoded peptides in E. coli and tested the antimicrobial activity in vitro. Both were highly active against fungi but had lower activity against bacteria. At higher concentrations hyperbranching and swollen tips, which are indicative of antimicrobial activity, were induced in Fusarium graminearum by both peptides. Overexpression lines for most PdfL genes were produced using the 35S CaMV promoter to study their possible in planta function. With the exception of PdfL4.1 these lines had enhanced resistance against F. oxysporum. All PDFL peptides were also transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves with agroinfiltration using the pPZP3425 vector. In case of PDFL1.4 this resulted in complete death of the infiltrated tissues after 7 days. All other PDFLs resulted only in various degrees of small necrotic lesions. In conclusion, our results show that at least some of the PdfL genes could function in plant resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Omidvar
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Institute of Biotechnology in Plant Production, Department of Agrobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Tulln, Austria
| | - Nadine Vosseler
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Amjad Abbas
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Birgit Gutmann
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- RIVIERA Pharma and Cosmetics GmbH, Holzhackerstraße 1, Tulln, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shahid Siddique
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Holger Bohlmann
- Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, UFT Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
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Khadanga B, Chanwala J, Sandeep IS, Dey N. Synthetic Promoters from Strawberry Vein Banding Virus (SVBV) and Dahlia Mosaic Virus (DaMV). Mol Biotechnol 2021; 63:792-806. [PMID: 34037929 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We have constructed two intra-molecularly shuffled promoters, namely S100 and D100. The S100 recombinant promoter (621 bp) was generated by ligation of 250 bp long upstream activation sequence (UAS) of Strawberry vein banding virus (SV10UAS; - 352 to - 102 relative to TSS) with its 371 bp long TATA containing core promoter domain (SV10CP; - 352 to + 19). Likewise, 726 bp long D100 promoter was constructed by fusion of 170 bp long UAS of Dahlia mosaic virus (DaMV14UAS; - 203 to - 33) with its 556 bp long core promoter domain (DaMV4CP; - 474 to + 82). S100 and D100 promoters showed 1.8 and 2.2 times stronger activities than that of the CaMV35S promoter. The activity of the promoters is comparable to that of the CaMV35S2 promoter. Transcript analysis employing qRT-PCR and histochemical assays supported the above findings. Abscisic acid and salicylic acid induce the activity of the D100 promoter. Leaf protein obtained from Nicotiana tabacum plant expressing NSD2 gene (Nigella sativa L. defensin 2) driven by the D100 promoter showed antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata and Phoma exigua var. exigua and antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Strong S100 and D100 promoters have potential to become efficient candidates for plant metabolic engineering and molecular pharming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Badrinath Khadanga
- Division of Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences, NALCO Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Jeky Chanwala
- Division of Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences, NALCO Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - I Sriram Sandeep
- Division of Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences, NALCO Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Nrisingha Dey
- Division of Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences, NALCO Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India.
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Li F, Gao Z, Wang K, Zhao Y, Wang H, Zhao M, Zhao Y, Bai L, Yu Z, Yang X. A novel defensin-like peptide contributing to antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity of the tick Dermacentor silvarum (Acari: Ixodidae). Exp Appl Acarol 2021; 83:271-283. [PMID: 33452939 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00584-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are the most diverse groups of antimicrobial peptides in invertebrate animals. In ticks, defensins show great potential as targets for tick control, and display future prospect for therapeutic drug development. In the present study, a novel defensin-like gene (Ds-defensin) contributing to the antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity of the tick Dermacentor silvarum was characterized. The full-length of the Ds-defensin gene was 382 bp, which displayed tissue-specific expression and was highly abundant in the salivary glands and carcasses of the adults. It encodes a 71-amino acid defensin-like protein, and the protein precursor is characterized by a 22-amino acid signal peptide and a 34-amino acid mature peptide. The peptide displayed potent activity against most of the tested gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, S. carnosus and Nocardia asteroides, and one tested gram-negative bacterium, Psychrobacter faecalis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the cell wall and surface of treated bacteria became rough and gradually formed pores after a 30-min exposure to the Ds-defensin peptide. Additionally, the peptide also showed significant antioxidant capacity. The above results implied that the defensin-like peptide may play an important role in tick defense and the interaction with microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengjiao Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Zhihua Gao
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Kuang Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Yinan Zhao
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Meichen Zhao
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Yawen Zhao
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Lingqian Bai
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Zhijun Yu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.
| | - Xiaolong Yang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.
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Hou J, Liu HY, Diao H, Yu H. The truncated human beta-defensin 118 can modulate lipopolysaccharide mediated inflammatory response in RAW264.7 macrophages. Peptides 2021; 136:170438. [PMID: 33181266 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The family of human β-defensins consists of small cysteine-rich peptides, which are receiving significant attention due to their antimicrobial activity. The N-terminal cysteine motif of β-defensin is considered to contribute to its biological activity. Human β-defensin 118 (DEFB 118) is a particular anion β-defensin expressed predominantly in the male reproductive tract, but its physiological activity has not yet been revealed. In order to verify the potential role of the N-terminal domain of DEFB118 peptide in the regulation of infection, the truncated β-defensin core region of DEFB118 peptide was expressed with IMPACT-pTWIN1 system in Escherichia coli. Herein, the purified homogeneous DEFB118 peptide was identified by mass spectrometry and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The in vitro experiments revealed that DEFB118 peptide exhibited prominent LPS-binding potency (KD: 2.94 nM). Moreover, the DEFB118 core peptide significantly inhibited the mRNA level of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines including IL-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells, and correspondingly decreased secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α. We concluded that strong binding of DEFB118 to LPS might prevent LPS from binding to its receptor, and hence inhibited cytokines secretion. The results of this study may be a benefit to elucidate the immune protection of DEFB118 in the male reproductive tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hou
- Department of Biology, Lishui University, Lishui City 323000, China
| | - Hai-Yan Liu
- Department of Biology, Lishui University, Lishui City 323000, China.
| | - Hua Diao
- NPFPC Key Laboratory of Contraceptives and Devices, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Heguo Yu
- NPFPC Key Laboratory of Contraceptives and Devices, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China
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31
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Eshac Y, Redfern RL, Aakalu VK. The Role of Endogenous Antimicrobial Peptides in Modulating Innate Immunity of the Ocular Surface in Dry Eye Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020721. [PMID: 33450870 PMCID: PMC7828360 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ocular surface has the challenging responsibility of maintaining a clear moist refractive surface while protecting the eye from exogenous pathogens and the environment. Homeostasis of the ocular surface, including its innate immune components, is altered in ocular surface disease states. In this review, we focus on antimicrobial peptides and the role they play in the immune response of the ocular surface during healthy states and dry eye diseases. Antimicrobial peptides are of special interest to the study of the ocular surface because of their various roles that include microbial threat neutralization, wound healing, and immune modulation. This review explores current literature on antimicrobial peptides in ocular surface diseases and discusses their therapeutic potential in ocular surface diseases and dry eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssof Eshac
- Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21131, Egypt;
| | - Rachel L. Redfern
- The Ocular Surface Institute, College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA;
| | - Vinay Kumar Aakalu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-312-996-9120
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Nikoloudakis N, Pappi P, Markakis EA, Charova SN, Fanourakis D, Paschalidis K, Delis C, Tzortzakakis EA, Tsaniklidis G. Structural Diversity and Highly Specific Host-Pathogen Transcriptional Regulation of Defensin Genes Is Revealed in Tomato. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249380. [PMID: 33317090 PMCID: PMC7764197 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Defensins are small and rather ubiquitous cysteine-rich anti-microbial peptides. These proteins may act against pathogenic microorganisms either directly (by binding and disrupting membranes) or indirectly (as signaling molecules that participate in the organization of the cellular defense). Even though defensins are widespread across eukaryotes, still, extensive nucleotide and amino acid dissimilarities hamper the elucidation of their response to stimuli and mode of function. In the current study, we screened the Solanum lycopersicum genome for the identification of defensin genes, predicted the relating protein structures, and further studied their transcriptional responses to biotic (Verticillium dahliae, Meloidogyne javanica, Cucumber Mosaic Virus, and Potato Virus Y infections) and abiotic (cold stress) stimuli. Tomato defensin sequences were classified into two groups (C8 and C12). Our data indicate that the transcription of defensin coding genes primarily depends on the specific pathogen recognition patterns of V. dahliae and M. javanica. The immunodetection of plant defensin 1 protein was achieved only in the roots of plants inoculated with V. dahliae. In contrast, the almost null effects of viral infections and cold stress, and the failure to substantially induce the gene transcription suggest that these factors are probably not primarily targeted by the tomato defensin network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Nikoloudakis
- Department of Agricultural Science, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3036, Cyprus
- Correspondence: (N.N.); (G.T.)
| | - Polyxeni Pappi
- Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Mesa Katsabas, 71307 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; (P.P.); (E.A.M.); (E.A.T.)
| | - Emmanouil A. Markakis
- Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Mesa Katsabas, 71307 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; (P.P.); (E.A.M.); (E.A.T.)
| | - Spyridoula N. Charova
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (IMBB-FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Fanourakis
- Giannakakis SA, Export Fruits and Vegetables, 70200 Tympaki, Crete, Greece;
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 71004 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Paschalidis
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 71004 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;
| | - Costas Delis
- Department of Agricultural Technology, School of Agricultural Technology and Food Technology and Nutrition, University of Peloponnese, 24100 Antikalamos, Kalamata, Greece;
| | - Emmanuel A. Tzortzakakis
- Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Mesa Katsabas, 71307 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; (P.P.); (E.A.M.); (E.A.T.)
| | - Georgios Tsaniklidis
- Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Mesa Katsabas, 71307 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; (P.P.); (E.A.M.); (E.A.T.)
- Correspondence: (N.N.); (G.T.)
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34
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Kosaka A, Suemoto H, Singkaravanit-Ogawa S, Takano Y. Plant defensin expression triggered by fungal pathogen invasion depends on EDR1 protein kinase and ORA59 transcription factor in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Signal Behav 2020; 15:1823120. [PMID: 32985920 PMCID: PMC7671030 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1823120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits durable 'non-host' resistance against the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum tropicale that infects mulberry plants. Arabidopsis non-host resistance comprises two layers of defense: preinvasive and postinvasive resistance. The EDR1 protein kinase contributes to Arabidopsis preinvasive resistance against C. tropicale by inducing the expression of plant defensin (PDF) genes. Here we report that the expressions of multiple PDF genes were strongly induced in Arabidopsis upon invasion by C. tropicale. Invasion by a necrotrophic pathogen, Alternaria brassicicola, also induced PDF expression. Importantly, PDF expression triggered upon invasion by both pathogens was inhibited in edr1 mutants, indicating the requirement of EDR1 for PDF expression in postinvasive resistance by Arabidopsis. Analysis of ora59 mutants also revealed that this gene is critical for induced PDF expression following pathogen invasion. Furthermore, inoculation assays of A. brassicicola indicated that ORA59 is involved in postinvasive resistance against the pathogen, suggesting invasion-triggered PDF expression contributes to postinvasive resistance in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Kosaka
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Haruka Suemoto
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Yoshitaka Takano
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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35
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Del Corpo D, Fullone MR, Miele R, Lafond M, Pontiggia D, Grisel S, Kieffer‐Jaquinod S, Giardina T, Bellincampi D, Lionetti V. AtPME17 is a functional Arabidopsis thaliana pectin methylesterase regulated by its PRO region that triggers PME activity in the resistance to Botrytis cinerea. Mol Plant Pathol 2020; 21:1620-1633. [PMID: 33029918 PMCID: PMC7694680 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Pectin is synthesized in a highly methylesterified form in the Golgi cisternae and partially de-methylesterified in muro by pectin methylesterases (PMEs). Arabidopsis thaliana produces a local and strong induction of PME activity during the infection of the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. AtPME17 is a putative A. thaliana PME highly induced in response to B. cinerea. Here, a fine tuning of AtPME17 expression by different defence hormones was identified. Our genetic evidence demonstrates that AtPME17 strongly contributes to the pathogen-induced PME activity and resistance against B. cinerea by triggering jasmonic acid-ethylene-dependent PDF1.2 expression. AtPME17 belongs to group 2 isoforms of PMEs characterized by a PME domain preceded by an N-terminal PRO region. However, the biochemical evidence for AtPME17 as a functional PME is still lacking and the role played by its PRO region is not known. Using the Pichia pastoris expression system, we demonstrate that AtPME17 is a functional PME with activity favoured by an increase in pH. AtPME17 performs a blockwise pattern of pectin de-methylesterification that favours the formation of egg-box structures between homogalacturonans. Recombinant AtPME17 expression in Escherichia coli reveals that the PRO region acts as an intramolecular inhibitor of AtPME17 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Del Corpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Maria R. Fullone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Pasteur Institute‐Fondazione Cenci BolognettiSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Rossella Miele
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Pasteur Institute‐Fondazione Cenci BolognettiSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | | | - Daniela Pontiggia
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Sacha Grisel
- Biodiversité et Biotechnologie FongiquesINRAAix Marseille University, UMR1163MarseilleFrance
| | | | | | - Daniela Bellincampi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Vincenzo Lionetti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
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Pandey B, Tyagi C, Prajapati GK, Mishra AK, Hashem A, Alqarawi AA, Abd_Allah EF, Mohanta TK. Analysis of mutations of defensin protein using accelerated molecular dynamics simulations. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241679. [PMID: 33253167 PMCID: PMC7703945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant defensins possess diverse biological functions that include antifungal and antibacterial activities and α-amylase and trypsin inhibitory properties. Two mutations, G9R and V39R, were confirmed to increase the antifungal activity of Raphanus sativus antifungal protein 2 (RsAFP2). Accelerated Molecular Dynamics (aMD) were carried out to examine the conformational changes present in these RsAFP2 mutants, and its two closest homologs compared to the wild-type protein. Specifically, the root mean square fluctuation values for the eight cysteine amino acids involved in the four disulfide bonds were low in the V39R mutant compared to the wild-type. Additionally, analysis of the free energy change revealed that G9R and V39R mutations exert a neutral and stabilizing effect on RsAFP2 conformation, and this is supported by the observed lower total energy of mutants compared to the wild-type, suggesting that enhanced stability of the mutants. However, MD simulations to a longer time scale would aid in capturing more conformational state of the wild-type and mutants defensin protein. Furthermore, the aMD simulations on fungal mimic membranes with RsAFP2 and its mutants and homologs showed that the mutant proteins caused higher deformation and water diffusion than the native RsAFP2, especially the V39R mutant. The mutant variants seem to interact by specifically targeting the POPC and POPI lipids amongst others. This work highlights the stabilizing effect of mutations at the 9th and 39th positions of RsAFP2 and their increased membrane deformation activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharati Pandey
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Chetna Tyagi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gopal Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Bio-Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Awdhesh Kumar Mishra
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (AKM); , (TKM)
| | - Abeer Hashem
- Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Mycology and Plant Disease Survey Department, Plant Pathology Research Institute, ARC, Giza, Egypt
| | - Abdulaziz A. Alqarawi
- Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elsayed Fathi Abd_Allah
- Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tapan Kumar Mohanta
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
- * E-mail: (AKM); , (TKM)
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Costa LSM, Pires ÁS, Damaceno NB, Rigueiras PO, Maximiano MR, Franco OL, Porto WF. In silico characterization of class II plant defensins from Arabidopsis thaliana. Phytochemistry 2020; 179:112511. [PMID: 32931963 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Defensins comprise a polyphyletic group of multifunctional defense peptides. Cis-defensins, also known as cysteine stabilized αβ (CSαβ) defensins, are one of the most ancient defense peptide families. In plants, these peptides have been divided into two classes, according to their precursor organization. Class I defensins are composed of the signal peptide and the mature sequence, while class II defensins have an additional C-terminal prodomain, which is proteolytically cleaved. Class II defensins have been described in Solanaceae and Poaceae species, indicating this class could be spread among all flowering plants. Here, a search by regular expression (RegEx) was applied to the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome, a model plant with more than 300 predicted defensin genes. Two sequences were identified, A7REG2 and A7REG4, which have a typical plant defensin structure and an additional C-terminal prodomain. TraVA database indicated they are expressed in flower, ovules and seeds, and being duplicated genes, this indicates they could be a result of a subfunctionalization process. The presence of class II defensin sequences in Brassicaceae and Solanaceae and evolutionary distance between them suggest class II defensins may be present in other eudicots. Discovery of class II defensins in other plants could shed some light on flower, ovules and seed physiology, as this class is expressed in these locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S M Costa
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Állan S Pires
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Neila B Damaceno
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Pietra O Rigueiras
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Mariana R Maximiano
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Octavio L Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil; S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - William F Porto
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil; Porto Reports, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
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Wu J, Qu C, Zhang S, Chen W, Wang S. The second N-terminal aromatic residue of the fungal defensin, blapersin, of Blastomyces percursus is essential for its antibacterial activity. Peptides 2020; 133:170400. [PMID: 32871207 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown that the second N-terminal residue of fungal defensins is closely involved in the binding of defensins to lipid II, a bacterial cell wall precursor, and plays an important role in antibacterial activity. We found that the N-terminal residue is always aromatic in nature. In this study, 29 fungal defensin-like peptides were found via the genomic search strategy. Based on the type of aromatic residue at the second N-terminal site, we mainly divided these peptides into Phe, Trp, and Tyr types. We selected and characterized a defensin, blapersin, derived from Blastomyces percursus as a molecular model to investigate the functional significance of the N-terminal site. The native blapersin killed a wide spectrum of gram-positive bacteria at low molecular concentrations. Its aromatic mutants, W2F and W2Y, displayed enhanced antimicrobial activity, especially against the vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. The aromatic side chains containing Phe2 and Tyr2 seem to be more favorable for the antibacterial activity of blapersin those containing Trp2. However, the nonaromatic mutant W2A had almost no antibacterial activity. This indicates that the second N-terminal aromatic residue is essential for the antimicrobial action of blapersin. All these defensins have high stability and low toxicity. This is the first report on the enhancement of antibacterial activity by calibration of the N-terminal aromatic residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Wu
- Food Biological Manufacturing Laboratory, China Meat Research Center, Beijing 100068, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Meat Processing Technology, Beijing 100068, China
| | - Chao Qu
- Food Biological Manufacturing Laboratory, China Meat Research Center, Beijing 100068, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Meat Processing Technology, Beijing 100068, China
| | - Shunliang Zhang
- Food Biological Manufacturing Laboratory, China Meat Research Center, Beijing 100068, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Meat Processing Technology, Beijing 100068, China
| | - Wenhua Chen
- Food Biological Manufacturing Laboratory, China Meat Research Center, Beijing 100068, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Meat Processing Technology, Beijing 100068, China
| | - Shouwei Wang
- Food Biological Manufacturing Laboratory, China Meat Research Center, Beijing 100068, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Meat Processing Technology, Beijing 100068, China.
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Liu K, Xiao C, Xi S, Hameed M, Wahaab A, Shao D, Li Z, Li B, Wei J, Qiu Y, Miao D, Zhu H, Ma Z. Mosquito Defensins Enhance Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection by Facilitating Virus Adsorption and Entry within the Mosquito. J Virol 2020; 94:e01164-20. [PMID: 32796073 PMCID: PMC7565626 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01164-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a viral zoonosis that can cause viral encephalitis, death, and disability. Although the Culex mosquito is the primary vector of JEV, little is known about JEV transmission by this kind of mosquito. Here, we found that mosquito defensin facilitated the adsorption of JEV on target cells via the defensin/lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2 (LRP2) axis. Mosquito defensin bound the ED III domain of the viral envelope (E) protein and directly mediated efficient virus adsorption on the target cell surface; the receptor LRP2, which is expressed on the cell surface, affected defensin-dependent adsorption. As a result, mosquito defensin enhanced JEV infection in the salivary gland, increasing the possibility of viral transmission by mosquitoes. These findings demonstrate the novel role of mosquito defensin in JEV infection and the mechanisms through which the virus exploits mosquito defensin for infection and transmission.IMPORTANCE In this study, we observed the complex roles of mosquito defensin in JEV infection; mosquito defensin exhibited a weak antiviral effect but strongly enhanced binding. In the latter, defensin directly binds the ED III domain of the viral E protein and promotes the adsorption of JEV to target cells by interacting with lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2 (LRP2), thus accelerating virus entry. Together, our results indicate that mosquito defensin plays an important role in facilitating JEV infection and potential transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Liu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Changguang Xiao
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Shumin Xi
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Muddassar Hameed
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Abdul Wahaab
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Donghua Shao
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zongjie Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Beibei Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianchao Wei
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yafeng Qiu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Denian Miao
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Huaimin Zhu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyong Ma
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Lv C, Han Y, Yang D, Zhao J, Wang C, Mu C. Antibacterial activities and mechanisms of action of a defensin from manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2020; 103:266-276. [PMID: 32439511 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2020.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Defensins represent an evolutionary ancient family of antimicrobial peptides, which played an undeniably important role in host defense. In the present study, a defensin isoform was identified and characterized from manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (designed as Rpdef1α). Multiple alignments and phylogenetic analysis suggested that Rpdef1α belonged to the defensin family. Quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analysis revealed that Rpdef1α transcripts and the encoding peptide were dominantly expressed in the tissues of gills and mantle. After Vibrio anguillarum challenge, the Rpdef1α transcripts were significantly up-regulated in gills of clams. In addition, rRpdef1α not only showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities towards Vibrio species, but also inhibited the formation of bacterial biofilms. Knockdown of Rpdef1α transcripts caused significant increase in the cumulative mortality of manila clams post V. anguillarum challenge. Membrane integrity, scanning electron microscopy analysis and electrochemical assay indicated that rRpdef1α was capable of causing bacterial membrane permeabilization and then resulted in cell death. Moreover, phagocytosis and chemotactic ability of hemocytes could be significantly enhanced after incubation with rRpdef1α. Overall, these results suggested that Rpdef1α could act as both antibacterial agent and opsonin to defend against the invading microorganisms in manila clam R. philippinarum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjie Lv
- Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315832, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Zhejiang Marine High-efficiency and Healthy Aquaculture, Ningbo, 315832, PR China
| | - Yijing Han
- Research and Development Center for Efficient Utilization of Coastal Bioresources, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Dinglong Yang
- Research and Development Center for Efficient Utilization of Coastal Bioresources, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, PR China; Center for Ocean Mega-science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, PR China.
| | - Jianmin Zhao
- Research and Development Center for Efficient Utilization of Coastal Bioresources, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, PR China; Center for Ocean Mega-science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, PR China
| | - Chunlin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315832, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Zhejiang Marine High-efficiency and Healthy Aquaculture, Ningbo, 315832, PR China
| | - Changkao Mu
- Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315832, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Zhejiang Marine High-efficiency and Healthy Aquaculture, Ningbo, 315832, PR China.
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Abstract
The grass family (Poaceae) is one of the largest families of flowering plants, growing in all climatic zones of all continents, which includes species of exceptional economic importance. The high adaptability of grasses to adverse environmental factors implies the existence of efficient resistance mechanisms that involve the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Of plant AMPs, defensins represent one of the largest and best-studied families. Although wheat and barley seed γ-thionins were the first defensins isolated from plants, the functional characterization of grass defensins is still in its infancy. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the characterized defensins from cultivated and selected wild-growing grasses. For each species, isolation of defensins or production by heterologous expression, peptide structure, biological activity, and structure–function relationship are described, along with the gene expression data. We also provide our results on in silico mining of defensin-like sequences in the genomes of all described grass species and discuss their potential functions. The data presented will form the basis for elucidation of the mode of action of grass defensins and high adaptability of grasses to environmental stress and will provide novel potent molecules for practical use in medicine and agriculture.
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Chalichem NSS, Bethapudi B, Mundkinajeddu D. Aminoglycosides can be a better choice over macrolides in COVID-19 regimen: Plausible mechanism for repurposing strategy. Med Hypotheses 2020; 144:109984. [PMID: 32554149 PMCID: PMC7286248 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the current COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the immunity enhancers is equally important to anti-virals. Defensins are the forgotten molecules that enhance the innate immunity against various microbes. Although macrolides like azithromycin and clarithromycin etc., have been reported to act against respiratory infections but they lack the ability of immunity enhancement through defensins. The aminoglycosides were proved to have defensin mediated antiviral activity, that could enhance the immunity. So, Consideration of aminoglycosides can be a double edge sword viz., against respiratory infection as well as Immunity enhancer (along with anti-virals) for COVID-19 regimen.
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Armstrong BA, Kneubehl AR, Mitchell RD, Krishnavajhala A, Teel PD, Pérez de León AA, Lopez JE. Differential Expression of Putative Ornithodoros turicata Defensins Mediated by Tick Feeding. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:152. [PMID: 32477960 PMCID: PMC7232577 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Additional research on soft ticks in the family Argasidae is needed to bridge the knowledge gap relative to hard ticks of the family Ixodidae; especially, the molecular mechanisms of Ornithodoros biology. Ornithodoros species are vectors of human and animal pathogens that include tick-borne relapsing fever spirochetes and African swine fever virus. Soft tick vector-pathogen interactions involving components of the tick immune response are not understood. Ticks utilize a basic innate immune system consisting of recognition factors and cellular and humoral responses to produce antimicrobial peptides, like defensins. In the present study, we identified and characterized the first putative defensins of Ornithodoros turicata, an argasid tick found primarily in the southwestern United States and regions of Latin America. Four genes (otdA, otdB, otdC, and otdD) were identified through sequencing and their predicted amino acid sequences contained motifs characteristic of arthropod defensins. A phylogenetic analysis grouped these four genes with arthropod defensins, and computational structural analyses further supported the identification. Since pathogens transmitted by O. turicata colonize both the midgut and salivary glands, expression patterns of the putative defensins were determined in these tissues 1 week post engorgement and after molting. Defensin genes up-regulated in the tick midgut 1 week post blood feeding were otdA and otdC, while otdD was up-regulated in the midgut of post-molt ticks. Moreover, otdB and otdD were also up-regulated in the salivary glands of flat post-molt ticks, while otdC was up-regulated within 1 week post blood-feeding. This work is foundational toward additional studies to determine mechanisms of vector competence and pathogen transmission from O. turicata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Armstrong
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alexander R Kneubehl
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Robert D Mitchell
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, United States
| | - Aparna Krishnavajhala
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, United States
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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Gerdol M, Schmitt P, Venier P, Rocha G, Rosa RD, Destoumieux-Garzón D. Functional Insights From the Evolutionary Diversification of Big Defensins. Front Immunol 2020; 11:758. [PMID: 32425943 PMCID: PMC7203481 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Big defensins are antimicrobial polypeptides believed to be the ancestors of β-defensins, the most evolutionary conserved family of host defense peptides (HDPs) in vertebrates. Nevertheless, big defensins underwent several independent gene loss events during animal evolution, being only retained in a limited number of phylogenetically distant invertebrates. Here, we explore the evolutionary history of this fascinating HDP family and investigate its patchy distribution in extant metazoans. We highlight the presence of big defensins in various classes of lophotrochozoans, as well as in a few arthropods and basal chordates (amphioxus), mostly adapted to life in marine environments. Bivalve mollusks often display an expanded repertoire of big defensin sequences, which appear to be the product of independent lineage-specific gene tandem duplications, followed by a rapid molecular diversification of newly acquired gene copies. This ongoing evolutionary process could underpin the simultaneous presence of canonical big defensins and non-canonical (β-defensin-like) sequences in some species. The big defensin genes of mussels and oysters, two species target of in-depth studies, are subjected to gene presence/absence variation (PAV), i.e., they can be present or absent in the genomes of different individuals. Moreover, big defensins follow different patterns of gene expression within a given species and respond differently to microbial challenges, suggesting functional divergence. Consistently, current structural data show that big defensin sequence diversity affects the 3D structure and biophysical properties of these polypeptides. We discuss here the role of the N-terminal hydrophobic domain, lost during evolution toward β-defensins, in the big defensin stability to high salt concentrations and its mechanism of action. Finally, we discuss the potential of big defensins as markers for animal health and for the nature-based design of novel therapeutics active at high salt concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Paulina Schmitt
- Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paola Venier
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gustavo Rocha
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Rafael Diego Rosa
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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Struyfs C, Cools TL, De Cremer K, Sampaio-Marques B, Ludovico P, Wasko BM, Kaeberlein M, Cammue BPA, Thevissen K. The antifungal plant defensin HsAFP1 induces autophagy, vacuolar dysfunction and cell cycle impairment in yeast. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr 2020; 1862:183255. [PMID: 32145284 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The plant defensin HsAFP1 is characterized by broad-spectrum antifungal activity and induces apoptosis in Candida albicans. In this study, we performed a transcriptome analysis on C. albicans cultures treated with HsAFP1 to gain further insight in the antifungal mode of action of HsAFP1. Various genes coding for cell surface proteins, like glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins, and proteins involved in cation homeostasis, autophagy and in cell cycle were differentially expressed upon HsAFP1 treatment. The biological validation of these findings was performed in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To discriminate between events linked to HsAFP1's antifungal activity and those that are not, we additionally used an inactive HsAFP1 mutant. We demonstrated that (i) HsAFP1-resistent S. cerevisiae mutants that are characterized by a defect in processing GPI-anchors are unable to internalize HsAFP1, and (ii) moderate doses (FC50, fungicidal concentration resulting in 50% killing) of HsAFP1 induce autophagy in S. cerevisiae, while high HsAFP1 doses result in vacuolar dysfunction. Vacuolar function is an important determinant of replicative lifespan (RLS) under dietary restriction (DR). In line, HsAFP1 specifically reduces RLS under DR. Lastly, (iii) HsAFP1 affects S. cerevisiae cell cycle in the G2/M phase. However, the latter HsAFP1-induced event is not linked to its antifungal activity, as the inactive HsAFP1 mutant also impairs the G2/M phase. In conclusion, we demonstrated that GPI-anchored proteins are involved in HsAFP1's internalization, and that HsAFP1 induces autophagy, vacuolar dysfunction and impairment of the cell cycle. Collectively, all these data provide novel insights in the mode of action of HsAFP1 as well as in S. cerevisiae tolerance mechanisms against this peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Struyfs
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tanne L Cools
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat De Cremer
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Belém Sampaio-Marques
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4700 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Paula Ludovico
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4700 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Brian M Wasko
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 98195 Seattle, USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 98195 Seattle, USA
| | - Bruno P A Cammue
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karin Thevissen
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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Jin J, Agwa AJ, Szanto TG, Csóti A, Panyi G, Schroeder CI, Walker AA, King GF. Weaponisation 'on the fly': Convergent recruitment of knottin and defensin peptide scaffolds into the venom of predatory assassin flies. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 118:103310. [PMID: 31870846 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Many arthropod venom peptides have potential as bioinsecticides, drug leads, and pharmacological tools due to their specific neuromodulatory functions. Assassin flies (Asilidae) are a family of predaceous dipterans that produce a unique and complex peptide-rich venom for killing insect prey and deterring predators. However, very little is known about the structure and function of their venom peptides. We therefore used an E. coli periplasmic expression system to express four disulfide-rich peptides that we previously reported to exist in venom of the giant assassin fly Dolopus genitalis. After purification, each recombinant peptide eluted from a C18 column at a position closely matching its natural counterpart, strongly suggesting adoption of the native tertiary fold. Injection of purified recombinant peptides into blowflies (Lucilia cuprina) and crickets (Acheta domestica) revealed that two of the four recombinant peptides, named rDg3b and rDg12, inhibited escape behaviour in a manner that was rapid in onset (<1 min) and reversible. Homonuclear NMR solution structures revealed that rDg3b and rDg12 adopt cystine-stabilised α/ß defensin and inhibitor cystine knot folds, respectively. Although the closest known homologues of rDg3b at the level of primary structure are dipteran antimicrobial peptides such as sapecin and lucifensin, a DALI search showed that the tertiary structure of rDg3b most closely resembles the KV11.1-specific α-potassium channel toxin CnErg1 from venom of the scorpion Centruroides noxius. This is mainly due to the deletion of a large, unstructured loop between the first and second cysteine residues present in Dg3b homologues from non-asiloid, but not existing in asiloid, species. Patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments revealed that rDg3b shifts the voltage-dependence of KV11.1 channel activation to more depolarised potentials, but has no effect on KV1.3, KV2.1, KV10.1, KCa1.1, or the Drosophila Shaker channel. Although rDg12 shares the inhibitor cystine knot structure of many gating modifier toxins, rDg12 did not affect any of these KV channel subtypes. Our results demonstrate that multiple disulfide-rich peptide scaffolds have been convergently recruited into asilid and other animal venoms, and they provide insight into the molecular evolution accompanying their weaponisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Jin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Akello J Agwa
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Tibor G Szanto
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Agota Csóti
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Christina I Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Wei H, Movahedi A, Xu C, Sun W, Wang X, Li D, Zhuge Q. Overexpression of PtDefensin enhances resistance to Septotis populiperda in transgenic poplar. Plant Sci 2020; 292:110379. [PMID: 32005384 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Plant defensins have been implicated in the plant defense system, but their role in poplar immunity is still unclear. In the present study, we present evidence that PtDefensin, a putative plant defensin, participates in the defense of poplar plants against Septotis populiperda infection. After the construction of recombinant plasmid PET-32a-PtDefensin, PtDefensin protein was expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) and purified through Ni-IDA resin affinity chromatography. The Trx-PtDefensin fusion protein displayed no cytotoxic activity against RAW264.7 cells but had cytotoxic activity against E. coli K12D31 cells. Analyses of PtDefensin transcript abundance showed that the expression levels of PtDefensin responded to abiotic and biotic stresses. Overexpression of PtDefensin in 'Nanlin 895' poplars (Populus × euramericana cv 'Nanlin895') increased resistance to Septotis populiperda, coupled with upregulation of MYC2 (basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor) related to jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction pathways and downregulation of Jasmonate-zim domain (JAZ), an inhibitor in the JA signal transduction pathway. We speculate that systemic acquired resistance (SAR) was activated in non-transgenic poplars after S. populiperda incubation, and that induced systemic resistance (ISR) was activated more obviously in transgenic poplars after S. populiperda incubation. Hence, overexpression of PtDefensin may improve the resistance of poplar plants to pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wei
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University. Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Ali Movahedi
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University. Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Chen Xu
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University. Nanjing, 210037, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Construction Laboratory of Special Biomass Resource Utilization, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, 211171, China
| | - Weibo Sun
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University. Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University. Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Dawei Li
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University. Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Qiang Zhuge
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University. Nanjing, 210037, China.
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Contreras G, Shirdel I, Braun MS, Wink M. Defensins: Transcriptional regulation and function beyond antimicrobial activity. Dev Comp Immunol 2020; 104:103556. [PMID: 31747541 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are one the largest group of antimicrobial peptides and are part of the innate defence. Defensins are produced by animals, plants and fungi. In animals and plants, defensins can be constitutively or differentially expressed both locally or systemically which confer defence before and a stronger response after infection. Immune signalling pathways regulate the gene expression of defensins. These pathways include cellular receptors, which recognise pathogen-associated molecular patterns and are found both in plants and animals. After recognition, signalling pathways and, subsequently, transcriptional factors are activated. There is an increasing number of novel functions in defensins, such as immunomodulators and immune cell attractors. Identification of defensin triggers could help us to elucidate other new functions. The present article reviews the different elicitors of defensins with a main focus on human, fish and marine invertebrate defensins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Contreras
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Iman Shirdel
- Marine Sciences Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran
| | - Markus Santhosh Braun
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Wink
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Yao L, Yu Q, Huang M, Song Z, Grosser J, Chen S, Wang Y, Gmitter FG. Comparative iTRAQ proteomic profiling of sweet orange fruit on sensitive and tolerant rootstocks infected by 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus'. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228876. [PMID: 32059041 PMCID: PMC7021301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), which is also known as citrus greening, is a destructive disease continuing to devastate citrus production worldwide. Although all citrus varieties can be infected with 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CaLas), a certain level of HLB tolerance of scion varieties can be conferred by some rootstocks. To understand the effects of rootstock varieties on orange fruit under CaLas stress, comparative iTRAQ proteomic profilings were conducted, using fruit from 'Valencia' sweet orange grafted on the sensitive ('Swingle') and tolerant rootstocks (a new selection called '46x20-04-48') infected by CaLas as experimental groups, and the same plant materials without CaLas infection as controls. The symptomatic fruit on 'Swingle' had 573 differentially-expressed (DE) proteins in comparison with their healthy fruit on the same rootstock, whereas the symptomatic fruit on '46x20-04-48' had 263 DE proteins. Many defense-associated proteins were down-regulated in the symptomatic fruit on 'Swingle' rootstock that were seldom detected in the symptomatic fruit on the '46x20-04-48' rootstock, especially the proteins involved in the jasmonate biosynthesis (AOC4), jasmonate signaling (ASK2, RUB1, SKP1, HSP70T-2, and HSP90.1), protein hydrolysis (RPN8A and RPT2a), and vesicle trafficking (SNAREs and Clathrin) pathways. Therefore, we predict that the down-regulated proteins involved in the jasmonate signaling pathway and vesicle trafficking are likely to be related to citrus sensitivity to the CaLas pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixiao Yao
- Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida, United States of America
| | - Qibin Yu
- Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ming Huang
- Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida, United States of America
| | - Zhen Song
- Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jude Grosser
- Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida, United States of America
| | - Shanchun Chen
- Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida, United States of America
| | - Frederick G. Gmitter
- Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Gashout HA, Guzman-Novoa E, Goodwin PH, Correa-Benítez A. Impact of sublethal exposure to synthetic and natural acaricides on honey bee (Apis mellifera) memory and expression of genes related to memory. J Insect Physiol 2020; 121:104014. [PMID: 31923391 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Acaricides are used by beekeepers in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies to control parasitic mites, but may also have adverse effects to honey bees. In this study, five commonly used acaricides were tested for their sublethal effects on memory and expression of neural-related genes in honey bees. Memory measured with the proboscis extension reflex (PER) assay was significantly reduced by topical treatment of bees with a single LD05 dose of formic acid at 2 and 24 h post treatment (hpt). However, tau-fluvalinate, amitraz, coumaphos, and formic acid, but not thymol, resulted in memory loss at 48 hpt. The LD05 doses of the acraricides did not affect expression of neuroligin-1, related to memory, or expression of major royal jelly protein-1, related to both memory and development, although expression of both genes was affected at LD50 doses. The LD05 doses of thymol, formic acid, amitraz and coumaphos increased defensin-1 expression, which is related to both memory and immunity. The effect of thymol, however, may have been due to its impact on the immune response rather than memory. This study demonstrates that acaricides vary in their effects on bee's memory, and that the widely used acaricide, formic acid, is particularly damaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan A Gashout
- Plant Protection Dept., Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tripoli, P. O. Box 13538, Tripoli, Libya; School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph N1G 2W1, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph N1G 2W1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul H Goodwin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph N1G 2W1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adriana Correa-Benítez
- Departamento de Medicina y Zootecnia en Abejas, FMVZ, UNAM, Cd. Univ., Mexico 04510, Mexico
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