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Song J, Zhang S, Xing J, Zhang L, Wang J, Shan A. Optimizing therapeutic efficacy of antifungal peptides via strategic terminal amino acid modification. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00416-8. [PMID: 39322048 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antifungal peptides (AFPs) have the potential to treat antifungal-resistant infections; however, their structure-function relationship remains unknown, hindering their rapid development. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate and clarify the structure-function relationships of AFPs. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the impact of end-tagging single hydrophobic amino acids and capping the N-terminus with glycine (Gly) on the antifungal activity of peptide W4. METHODS The antifungal efficacy of the engineered peptides was initially assessed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) /minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC), killing kinetics, and drug resistance induction, in addition to evaluating the biocompatibility and stability. Subsequently, the antifungal mechanism was investigated using fluorescence labeling, electron microscopy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis. The impact of the engineered peptides on Candida albicans (C. albicans) biofilm and their potential application in the scratch keratomycosis model were investigated. RESULTS The antifungal activity of W4 was significantly enhanced by capping Gly at the N-terminus, resulting in a decrease in average activity from 11.86 μM to 6.25 μM (GW4) and an increase in TI values by 1.9-fold (TIGW4 = 40.99). Mechanistically, GW4 exerted its antifungal effect by disrupting the cellular membrane structure in C. albicans, forming pores and subsequent leakage of intracellular contents. Concurrently, it facilitated intracellular ROS accumulation while decreasing the mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, GW4 demonstrated an excellent ability to inhibit and eliminate biofilms of C. albicans. Notably, GW4 demonstrated significant therapeutic potential in a C. albicans-associated keratitis model. CONCLUSION Capping Gly at the N-terminus increased residue length while significantly enhancing the helical propensity of W4, thereby augmenting its antifungal activity. Our exploratory study demonstrated the potential strategies and avenues for optimizing the structure-function relationships of AFPs and developing highly effective antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, PR China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, PR China
| | - Junya Xing
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, PR China
| | - Licong Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, PR China
| | - Jiajun Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, PR China.
| | - Anshan Shan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, PR China.
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Ochiai H, Elouali S, Yamamoto T, Asai H, Noguchi M, Nishiuchi Y. Chemical and Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Peptide and Protein Therapeutics Conjugated with Human N-Glycans. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300692. [PMID: 38572578 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Glycosylation is one of the most ubiquitous post-translational modifications. It affects the structure and function of peptides/proteins and consequently has a significant impact on various biological events. However, the structural complexity and heterogeneity of glycopeptides/proteins caused by the diversity of glycan structures and glycosylation sites complicates the detailed elucidation of glycan function and hampers their clinical applications. To address these challenges, chemical and/or enzyme-assisted synthesis methods have been developed to realize glycopeptides/proteins with well-defined glycan morphologies. In particular, N-glycans are expected to be useful for improving the solubility, in vivo half-life and aggregation of bioactive peptides/proteins that have had limited clinical applications so far due to their short duration of action in the blood and unsuitable physicochemical properties. Chemical glycosylation performed in a post-synthetic procedure can be used to facilitate the development of glycopeptide/protein analogues or mimetics that are superior to the original molecules in terms of physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. N-glycans are used to modify targets because they are highly biodegradable and biocompatible and have structures that already exist in the human body. On the practical side, from a quality control perspective, close attention should be paid to their structural homogeneity when they are to be applied to pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirofumi Ochiai
- GlyTech, Inc., 134 Chudoji Minamimachi KRP #1-2F, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, 600-8813, Japan
| | - Sofia Elouali
- GlyTech, Inc., 134 Chudoji Minamimachi KRP #1-2F, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, 600-8813, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamamoto
- GlyTech, Inc., 134 Chudoji Minamimachi KRP #1-2F, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, 600-8813, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Asai
- GlyTech, Inc., 134 Chudoji Minamimachi KRP #1-2F, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, 600-8813, Japan
| | - Masato Noguchi
- GlyTech, Inc., 134 Chudoji Minamimachi KRP #1-2F, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, 600-8813, Japan
| | - Yuji Nishiuchi
- GlyTech, Inc., 134 Chudoji Minamimachi KRP #1-2F, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, 600-8813, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
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Wojciechowicz K, Kuncewicz K, Rutkowski J, Jassem J, Wardowska A, Spodzieja M. The effect of gD-derived peptides on T cell immune response mediated by BTLA-HVEM protein complex in melanoma patients. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1362152. [PMID: 38835768 PMCID: PMC11148245 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1362152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The effector function of T cells is regulated via immune checkpoints, activating or inhibiting the immune response. The BTLA-HVEM complex, the inhibitory immune checkpoint, may act as one of the tumor immune escape mechanisms. Therefore, interfering with the binding of these proteins can prove beneficial in cancer treatment. Our study focused on peptides interacting with HVEM at the same place as BTLA, thus disrupting the BTLA-HVEM interaction. These peptides' structure and amino acid sequences are based on the gD protein, the ligand of HVEM. Here, we investigated their immunomodulatory potential in melanoma patients. Methods Flow cytometry analyses of activation, proliferation, and apoptosis of T cells from patients were performed. Additionally, we evaluated changes within the T cell memory compartment. Results The most promising compound - Pep(2), increased the percentages of activated T cells and promoted their proliferation. Additionally, this peptide affected the proliferation rate and apoptosis of melanoma cell line in co-culture with T cells. Discussion We conclude that the examined peptide may act as a booster for the immune system. Moreover, the adjuvant and activating properties of the gD-derived peptide could be used in a combinatory therapy with currently used ICI-based treatment. Our studies also demonstrate that even slight differences in the amino acid sequence of peptides and any changes in the position of the disulfide bond can strongly affect the immunomodulatory properties of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Wojciechowicz
- Department of Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kuncewicz
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jacek Rutkowski
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jacek Jassem
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Wardowska
- Department of Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marta Spodzieja
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Cresti L, Cappello G, Pini A. Antimicrobial Peptides towards Clinical Application-A Long History to Be Concluded. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4870. [PMID: 38732089 PMCID: PMC11084544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are molecules with an amphipathic structure that enables them to interact with bacterial membranes. This interaction can lead to membrane crossing and disruption with pore formation, culminating in cell death. They are produced naturally in various organisms, including humans, animals, plants and microorganisms. In higher animals, they are part of the innate immune system, where they counteract infection by bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. AMPs can also be designed de novo by bioinformatic approaches or selected from combinatorial libraries, and then produced by chemical or recombinant procedures. Since their discovery, AMPs have aroused interest as potential antibiotics, although few have reached the market due to stability limits or toxicity. Here, we describe the development phase and a number of clinical trials of antimicrobial peptides. We also provide an update on AMPs in the pharmaceutical industry and an overall view of their therapeutic market. Modifications to peptide structures to improve stability in vivo and bioavailability are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cresti
- Medical Biotechnology Department, University of Siena, Via A Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Giovanni Cappello
- Medical Biotechnology Department, University of Siena, Via A Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Alessandro Pini
- Medical Biotechnology Department, University of Siena, Via A Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.C.); (A.P.)
- SetLance srl, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
- Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital, 53100 Siena, Italy
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Das S, Nag A. Tetrazine cyclized peptides for one-bead-one-compound library: Synthesis and sequencing. Methods Enzymol 2024; 698:141-167. [PMID: 38886030 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2024.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
While most FDA-approved peptide drugs are cyclic, robust cyclization chemistry of peptides and the deconvolution of the cyclic peptide sequences using tandem mass spectrometry render cyclic peptide drug discovery difficult. In this chapter, the protocol for the successful synthesis of tetrazine-linked cyclic peptide library in solid phase, which shows both robust cyclization and easy sequence deconvolution, is described. The protocol for the linearization and cleavage of cyclic peptides from the solid phase by simple UV light irradiation, followed by accurate sequencing using tandem mass spectrometry, is described. We describe the troubleshooting for this dithiol bis-arylation reaction and for the successful cleavage of the aryl cyclic peptide into linear form. This method for efficient solid-phase macrocyclization can be used for the rapid production of loop-based peptides and screening for inhibition of protein-protein interactions, by using the covalent inverse electron-demand Diels Alder reaction to supplement the non-covalent interaction between a protein and its peptide binder, isolating highly selective peptides in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Das
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Arundhati Nag
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA, United States.
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El Battioui K, Chakraborty S, Wacha A, Molnár D, Quemé-Peña M, Szigyártó IC, Szabó CL, Bodor A, Horváti K, Gyulai G, Bősze S, Mihály J, Jezsó B, Románszki L, Tóth J, Varga Z, Mándity I, Juhász T, Beke-Somfai T. In situ captured antibacterial action of membrane-incising peptide lamellae. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3424. [PMID: 38654023 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47708-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing unique mechanisms of action are essential to combat the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance. Supramolecular assemblies combining the improved biostability of non-natural compounds with the complex membrane-attacking mechanisms of natural peptides are promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. However, for such compounds the direct visual insight on antibacterial action is still lacking. Here we employ a design strategy focusing on an inducible assembly mechanism and utilized electron microscopy (EM) to follow the formation of supramolecular structures of lysine-rich heterochiral β3-peptides, termed lamellin-2K and lamellin-3K, triggered by bacterial cell surface lipopolysaccharides. Combined molecular dynamics simulations, EM and bacterial assays confirmed that the phosphate-induced conformational change on these lamellins led to the formation of striped lamellae capable of incising the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria thereby exerting antibacterial activity. Our findings also provide a mechanistic link for membrane-targeting agents depicting the antibiotic mechanism derived from the in-situ formation of active supramolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal El Battioui
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- Hevesy György Ph.D. School of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Sohini Chakraborty
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - András Wacha
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Dániel Molnár
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology and Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Mayra Quemé-Peña
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- Hevesy György Ph.D. School of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Imola Cs Szigyártó
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Csenge Lilla Szabó
- Hevesy György Ph.D. School of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Chemistry, Analytical and BioNMR Laboratory, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Andrea Bodor
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Chemistry, Analytical and BioNMR Laboratory, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Kata Horváti
- MTA-HUN-REN TTK "Momentum" Peptide-Based Vaccines Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Gergő Gyulai
- MTA-HUN-REN TTK "Momentum" Peptide-Based Vaccines Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory of Interfaces and Nanostructures, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Szilvia Bősze
- HUN-REN ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Judith Mihály
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Bálint Jezsó
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- ELTE-MTA "Momentum" Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Loránd Románszki
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Judit Tóth
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, H-1111, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Varga
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, Budapest, 1111, Hungary
| | - István Mándity
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, H-1092, Hungary
| | - Tünde Juhász
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Tamás Beke-Somfai
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary.
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Bui Thi Phuong H, Doan Ngan H, Le Huy B, Vu Dinh H, Luong Xuan H. The amphipathic design in helical antimicrobial peptides. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300480. [PMID: 38408263 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Amphipathicity is a critical characteristic of helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The hydrophilic region, primarily composed of cationic residues, plays a pivotal role in the initial binding to negatively charged components on bacterial membranes through electrostatic interactions. Subsequently, the hydrophobic region interacts with hydrophobic components, inducing membrane perturbation, ultimately leading to cell death, or inhibiting intracellular function. Due to the extensive diversity of natural and synthetic AMPs with regard to the design of amphipathicity, it is complicated to study the structure-activity relationships. Therefore, this work aims to categorize the common amphipathic design and investigate their impact on the biological properties of AMPs. Besides, the connection between current structural modification approaches and amphipathic styles was also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hoa Doan Ngan
- Faculty of Medical Technology, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi, 12116, Vietnam
| | - Binh Le Huy
- Center for High Technology Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, 11307, Vietnam
- School of Chemical Engineering -, Hanọi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, 11615, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Vu Dinh
- School of Chemical Engineering -, Hanọi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, 11615, Vietnam
| | - Huy Luong Xuan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi, 12116, Vietnam
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8
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Nazarian-Firouzabadi F, Torres MDT, de la Fuente-Nunez C. Recombinant production of antimicrobial peptides in plants. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 71:108296. [PMID: 38042311 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Classical plant breeding methods are limited in their ability to confer disease resistance on plants. However, in recent years, advancements in molecular breeding and biotechnological have provided new approaches to overcome these limitations and protect plants from disease. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute promising agents that may be able to protect against infectious agents. Recently, peptides have been recombinantly produced in plants at scale and low cost. Because AMPs are less likely than conventional antimicrobials to elicit resistance of pathogenic bacteria, they open up exciting new avenues for agricultural applications. Here, we review recent advances in the design and production of bioactive recombinant AMPs that can effectively protect crop plants from diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhad Nazarian-Firouzabadi
- Production Engineering and Plant Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, P.O. Box, 465, Khorramabad, Iran.
| | - Marcelo Der Torossian Torres
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America.
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9
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Liu GY, Yu D, Fan MM, Zhang X, Jin ZY, Tang C, Liu XF. Antimicrobial resistance crisis: could artificial intelligence be the solution? Mil Med Res 2024; 11:7. [PMID: 38254241 PMCID: PMC10804841 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-024-00510-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a priority list of the most threatening pathogens against which novel antibiotics need to be developed. The discovery and introduction of novel antibiotics are time-consuming and expensive. According to WHO's report of antibacterial agents in clinical development, only 18 novel antibiotics have been approved since 2014. Therefore, novel antibiotics are critically needed. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been rapidly applied to drug development since its recent technical breakthrough and has dramatically improved the efficiency of the discovery of novel antibiotics. Here, we first summarized recently marketed novel antibiotics, and antibiotic candidates in clinical development. In addition, we systematically reviewed the involvement of AI in antibacterial drug development and utilization, including small molecules, antimicrobial peptides, phage therapy, essential oils, as well as resistance mechanism prediction, and antibiotic stewardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Yu Liu
- Department of Immunology and Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Immunoregulation of Hangzhou, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Dan Yu
- National Key Discipline of Pediatrics Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Dermatology, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, China
| | - Mei-Mei Fan
- Department of Immunology and Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Immunoregulation of Hangzhou, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Ze-Yu Jin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Christoph Tang
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK.
| | - Xiao-Fen Liu
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, National Clinical Research Centre for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
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10
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Zhang M, Xu B, Li N, Zhang Q, Chen D, Wu S, Yu B, Zhang X, Hu X, Zhang S, Jing Y, Yang Z, Jiang J, Fang Q. All-Hydrocarbon Stapled Peptide Multifunctional Agonists at Opioid and Neuropeptide FF Receptors: Highly Potent, Long-Lasting Brain Permeant Analgesics with Diminished Side Effects. J Med Chem 2023; 66:17138-17154. [PMID: 38095323 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Our previous study reported the multifunctional agonist for opioid and neuropeptide FF receptors DN-9, along with its cyclic peptide analogues c[D-Cys2, Cys5]-DN-9 and c[D-Lys2, Asp5]-DN-9. These analogues demonstrated potent antinociceptive effects with reduced opioid-related side effects. To develop more stable and effective analgesics, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated seven hydrocarbon-stapled cyclic peptides based on DN-9. In vitro calcium mobilization assays revealed that most of the stapled peptides, except 3, displayed multifunctional agonistic activities at opioid and neuropeptide FF receptors. Subcutaneous administration of all stapled peptides resulted in effective and long-lasting antinociceptive activities lasting up to 360 min. Among these stapled peptides, 1a and 1b emerged as the optimized compounds, producing potent central antinociception following subcutaneous, intracerebroventricular, and oral administrations. Additionally, subcutaneous administration of 1a and 1b caused nontolerance antinociception, with limited occurrence of constipation and addiction. Furthermore, 1a was selected as the final optimized compound due to its wider safety window compared to 1b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengna Zhang
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Biao Xu
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Ning Li
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Qinqin Zhang
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Dan Chen
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Shuyuan Wu
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Bowen Yu
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Xiaodi Zhang
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Xuanran Hu
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Shichao Zhang
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Yuhong Jing
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Zhenyun Yang
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Jinhong Jiang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Rd, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Quan Fang
- Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
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11
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Jiang XY, Yang CL, Li N, Xiao HQ, Yu JX, Dong ZB. PPh 3/I 2 Promoted Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Disulfides from Sodium Sulfites and 2-Mercaptobenzo Heterocyclics. J Org Chem 2023; 88:13272-13278. [PMID: 37656971 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c01575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical disulfides is reported. Using sodium sulfites and 2-mercaptobenzo heterocyclic compounds as starting materials, the unsymmetrical sulfur-sulfur bonds could be quickly constructed in the PPh3/I2 reaction system under transition-metal-free conditions. This protocol has the advantages of mild reaction conditions, easily available starting materials, and wide substrate scope, showing potential synthetic value for the synthesis of a diversity of biologically or pharmaceutically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yi Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Cheng-Li Yang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Ning Li
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Hua-Qing Xiao
- Hubei Greenhome Materials Technology, Inc., Xiantao 433000, China
| | - Jun-Xia Yu
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Zhi-Bing Dong
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
- Hubei Greenhome Materials Technology, Inc., Xiantao 433000, China
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12
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Chen N, Jiang C. Antimicrobial peptides: Structure, mechanism, and modification. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 255:115377. [PMID: 37099837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Na Chen
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Cheng Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China.
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13
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Shanker S, Sanner MF. Predicting Protein-Peptide Interactions: Benchmarking Deep Learning Techniques and a Comparison with Focused Docking. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:3158-3170. [PMID: 37167566 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The accurate prediction of protein structures achieved by deep learning (DL) methods is a significant milestone and has deeply impacted structural biology. Shortly after its release, AlphaFold2 has been evaluated for predicting protein-peptide interactions and shown to significantly outperform RoseTTAfold as well as a conventional blind docking method: PIPER-FlexPepDock. Since then, new AlphaFold2 models, trained specifically to predict multimeric assemblies, have been released and a new ab initio folding model OmegaFold has become available. Here, we assess docking success rates for these new DL folding models and compare their performance with our state-of-the-art, focused peptide-docking software AutoDock CrankPep (ADCP). The evaluation is done using the same dataset and performance metric for all methods. We show that, for a set of 99 nonredundant protein-peptide complexes, the new AlphaFold2 model outperforms other Deep Learning approaches and achieves remarkable docking success rates for peptides. While the docking success rate of ADCP is more modest when considering the top-ranking solution only, it samples correct solutions for around 62% of the complexes. Interestingly, different methods succeed on different complexes, and we describe a consensus docking approach using ADCP and AlphaFold2, which achieves a remarkable 60% for the top-ranking results and 66% for the top 5 results for this set of 99 protein-peptide complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhanshu Shanker
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Michel F Sanner
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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14
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Mehranfar A, Khavani M, Mofrad MRK. Adsorption Process of Various Antimicrobial Peptides on Different Surfaces of Cellulose. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2023; 6:1041-1053. [PMID: 36935640 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Current antimicrobial challenges in hospitals, pharmaceutical production units, and food packaging have motivated the development of antimicrobial agents, among them the antimicrobial compounds based on cellulose and peptides. Herein, we develop molecular dynamics (MD) models to dissect and characterize the adsorption process of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as protegrin 1, magainin 2, and cyclic indolicidin on various surfaces of cellulose including [-1-10], [1-10], [-100], [100], [-110], and [110]. Our results suggest that the magainin 2 antimicrobial peptide loses most of its initial helix form, spreads on the cellulose surface, and makes the most rigid structure with [110] surface. The cyclic indolicidin peptide has the lowest affinity to adsorb on the cellulose surfaces, and the protegrin 1 peptide successfully adsorbs on all the proposed cellulose surfaces. Our MD simulations confirmed that cellulose can improve the corresponding peptides' structural stability and change their secondary structures during adsorption. The [-1-10] and [100] surfaces of cellulose show considerable affinity against the AMPs, exhibiting greater interactions with and adsorption to the peptides. Our data imply that the stronger adsorptions are caused by a set of H-bonds, van der Waals, and electrostatic interactions, where van der Waals interactions play a prominent role in the stability of the AMP-cellulose structures. Our energy analysis results suggest that glutamic acid and arginine amino acids have key roles in the stability of AMPs on cellulose surfaces due largely to stronger interactions with the cellulose surfaces as compared with other residues. Our results can provide useful insight at the molecular level that can help design better antimicrobial biomaterials based on cellulose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliyeh Mehranfar
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Mohammad Khavani
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Mohammad R K Mofrad
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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15
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Wiman E, Zattarin E, Aili D, Bengtsson T, Selegård R, Khalaf H. Development of novel broad-spectrum antimicrobial lipopeptides derived from plantaricin NC8 β. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4104. [PMID: 36914718 PMCID: PMC10011573 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31185-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance towards antibiotics is a major global health issue. Very few novel antimicrobial agents and therapies have been made available for clinical use during the past decades, despite an increasing need. Antimicrobial peptides have been intensely studied, many of which have shown great promise in vitro. We have previously demonstrated that the bacteriocin Plantaricin NC8 αβ (PLNC8 αβ) from Lactobacillus plantarum effectively inhibits Staphylococcus spp., and shows little to no cytotoxicity towards human keratinocytes. However, due to its limitations in inhibiting gram-negative species, the aim of the present study was to identify novel antimicrobial peptidomimetic compounds with an enhanced spectrum of activity, derived from the β peptide of PLNC8 αβ. We have rationally designed and synthesized a small library of lipopeptides with significantly improved antimicrobial activity towards both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including the ESKAPE pathogens. The lipopeptides consist of 16 amino acids with a terminal fatty acid chain and assemble into micelles that effectively inhibit and kill bacteria by permeabilizing their cell membranes. They demonstrate low hemolytic activity and liposome model systems further confirm selectivity for bacterial lipid membranes. The combination of lipopeptides with different antibiotics enhanced the effects in a synergistic or additive manner. Our data suggest that the novel lipopeptides are promising as future antimicrobial agents, however additional experiments using relevant animal models are necessary to further validate their in vivo efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Wiman
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Reproductive Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Elisa Zattarin
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials, Division of Biophysics and Bioengineering, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Daniel Aili
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials, Division of Biophysics and Bioengineering, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Torbjörn Bengtsson
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Reproductive Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Robert Selegård
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials, Division of Biophysics and Bioengineering, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Hazem Khalaf
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Reproductive Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
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16
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Interaction of Positively Charged Oligopeptides with Blood Plasma Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032836. [PMID: 36769160 PMCID: PMC9918186 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In this project, we combine two areas of research, experimental characterization and molecular docking studies of the interaction of positively charged oligopeptides with crucial blood plasma proteins. The investigated peptides are rich in NH2 groups of amino acid side chains from Dap, Orn, Lys, and Arg residues, which are relevant in protein interaction. The peptides are 9- and 11-mer with the following sequences: (Lys-Dab-Dab-Gly-Orn-Pro-His-Lys-Arg-Lys-Dbt), (Lys-Dab-Ala-Gly-Orn-Pro-His-Lys-Arg), and (Lys-Dab-Dab-Gly-Orn-Pro-Phe(2-F)-Lys-Arg). The net charge of the compound strongly depends on the pH environment and it is an important aspect of protein binding. The studied oligopeptides exhibit therapeutic properties: anti-inflammatory activity and the capacity to diminish reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, the mechanism of potential binding with blood plasma components is the next challenge. The binding interaction has been investigated under pseudo-physiological conditions with the main blood plasma proteins: albumin (BSA), α1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), and γ-globulin fraction (GGF). The biomolecular quenching constant (kq) and binding constant (Kb) were obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy at various temperatures. Simultaneously, the changes in the secondary structure of proteins were monitored by circular dichroism (CD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) by quantity analysis. Moreover, molecular docking studies were conducted to estimate the binding affinity, the binding domain, and the chemical nature of these interactions. The results show that the investigated oligopeptides could be mainly transported by albumin, and the binding domain I is the most favored cavity. The BSA and GGF are able to form stable complexes with the studied compounds as opposed to AAG. The binding reactions are spontaneous processes. The highest binding constants were determined for Lys-Dab-Dab-Gly-Orn-Pro-His-Lys-Arg-Lys-Dbt peptide, in which the values of the binding constants Kb to BSA and GGF were 10.1 × 104 dm3mol-1 and 3.39 × 103 dm3mol-1, respectively. The positively charged surface of peptides participated in salt bridge interaction with proteins; however, hydrogen bonds were also formed. The secondary structure of BSA and GGF after contact with peptides was changed. A reduction in the α-helix structure was observed with an increase in the β-sheet and β-turn and random coil structures.
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17
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Lai S, Zhang Q, Jin L. Natural and Man-Made Cyclic Peptide-Based Antibiotics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 12:antibiotics12010042. [PMID: 36671244 PMCID: PMC9855121 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12010042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, an increasing number of drug-resistant bacterial strains have been identified due to the abuse of antibiotics, which seriously threatens human and animal health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have become one of the most effective weapons to solve this problem. AMPs have little tendency to induce drug resistance and have outstanding antimicrobial effects. The study of AMPs, especially cyclic peptides, has become a hot topic. Among them, macrocyclic AMPs have received extensive attention. This mini-review discusses the structures and functions of the dominant cyclic natural and synthetic AMPs and provides a little outlook on the future direction of cyclic AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shian Lai
- Small Molecule Drugs Sichuan Key Laboratory, Institute of Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610500, China
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe 610-0394, Japan
| | - Quan Zhang
- Small Molecule Drugs Sichuan Key Laboratory, Institute of Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Lin Jin
- Small Molecule Drugs Sichuan Key Laboratory, Institute of Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610500, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
- Correspondence:
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18
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Zhao J, Ge G, Huang Y, Hou Y, Hu SQ. Butelase 1-Mediated Enzymatic Cyclization of Antimicrobial Peptides: Improvements on Stability and Bioactivity. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:15869-15878. [PMID: 36471508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c06588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and safety as food preservatives, whereas the stability and antibacterial activity require improvement. Here, the "head-to-tail" cyclization of linear AMP GKE was catalyzed by butelase 1, which resulted in an improved pronouncedly antibacterial effect. Cell morphology and propidium iodide uptake revealed that the increased membrane permeability was one of the bacteriostatic mechanisms of GKE and could be enhanced after cyclization. As cyclic GKE (cGKE) exhibited more stability than the linear counterpart under the microorganism culture environment, the increase in effective bacteriostatic concentration should be a reason for the superior antibacterial effect. Moreover, cGKE exhibited the ordered secondary structure, while GKE possessed a similar structure only in sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles. The structure was also beneficial to improve the antibacterial activity caused by the increased affinity of cGKE to the membranes. Overall, butelase 1-mediated cyclization is a promising strategy for enhancing the antibacterial activity of linear AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Zhao
- Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation of Food Nutrition and Human Health (111 Center), School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Ge Ge
- Beijing Food Safety Monitoring and Risk Assessment Center, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Yanbo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China
| | - Yi Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China
| | - Song-Qing Hu
- Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation of Food Nutrition and Human Health (111 Center), School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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19
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Gary S, Bloom S. Peptide Carbocycles: From -SS- to -CC- via a Late-Stage "Snip-and-Stitch". ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2022; 8:1537-1547. [PMID: 36439308 PMCID: PMC9686213 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
One way to improve the therapeutic potential of peptides is through cyclization. This is commonly done using a disulfide bond between two cysteine residues in the peptide. However, disulfide bonds are susceptible to reductive cleavage, and this can deactivate the peptide and endanger endogenous proteins through covalent modification. Substituting disulfide bonds with more chemically robust carbon-based linkers has proven to be an effective strategy to better develop cyclic peptides as drugs, but finding the optimal carbon replacement is synthetically laborious. We report a new late-stage platform wherein a single disulfide bond in a cyclic peptide can serve as the progenitor for any number of new carbon-rich groups, derived from organodiiodides, using a Zn:Cu couple and a hydrosilane. We show that this platform can furnish entirely new carbocyclic scaffolds with enhanced permeability and structural integrity and that the stereochemistry of the new cycles can be biased by a judicious choice in silane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Gary
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas66045, United States
| | - Steven Bloom
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas66045, United States
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20
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He S, Yang Z, Li X, Wu H, Zhang L, Wang J, Shan A. Optimized proteolytic resistance motif (DabW)-based U1-2WD: A membrane-induced self-aggregating peptide to trigger bacterial agglutination and death. Acta Biomater 2022; 153:540-556. [PMID: 36162762 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The biggest application bottleneck of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is the low oral bioavailability caused by the poor stability of digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. However, the research methods and evaluation criteria of available studies about anti-proteolytic strategies are not uniform and far from the actual environment in vivo. Here, we developed a research system and evaluation criteria for proteolytic resistance and systematically evaluated the effectiveness of different strategies for improving the protease stability of AMPs on the same platform for the first time. After a comprehensive analysis, Dab modification is identified as the most effective strategy to improve the trypsin stability of AMPs. By further modulating the proteolytic resistance optimization motif (DabW)n, U1-2WD is obtained with ideal stability and antimicrobial properties in vivo and in vitro. Notably, U1-2WD has a unique antibacterial mechanism, which forms amorphous aggregates in the bacteria environment to trigger the agglutination of bacterial cells to prevent bacterial escape. It then kills bacteria by disrupting bacterial membranes and inhibiting bacterial energy metabolism. Overall, our work has led to a new understanding of the effectiveness of proteolytic resistance strategies and accelerated the development of anti-proteolytic AMPs to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We developed research system and evaluation criteria for proteolytic resistance and systematically evaluated the effectiveness of different strategies for improving protease stability of AMPs on the same platform for the first time. we found effective strategies to resist trypsin hydrolysis: modification with backbone (β-Arg), D-enantiomer (D-Arg) and L-2,4-diaminobutanoic acid (Dab). Further, the proteolytic resistance optimization motif (DabW)n was designed. When n=3, derivative U1-2WD was obtained with desirable stability and antimicrobial properties in vivo and in vitro. Notably, U1-2WD has a unique antibacterial mechanism, which can self-aggregate into amorphous aggregates in the bacteria environment to mediate the agglutination and sedimentation of bacterial cells to prevent bacterial escape, and then kill bacteria by destroying bacterial membranes and inhibiting bacterial energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi He
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Zhanyi Yang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Hua Wu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Licong Zhang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Jiajun Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China.
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China.
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21
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Nogrado K, Adisakwattana P, Reamtong O. Antimicrobial peptides: On future antiprotozoal and anthelminthic applications. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106665. [PMID: 36030045 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Control and elimination of parasitic diseases are nowadays further complicated by emergence of drug resistance. Drug resistance is a serious threat as there are not many effective antiparasitic drugs available. Aside from drug resistance, it is also favorable to look for alternative therapeutics that have lesser adverse effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were found to address these issues. Some of its desirable traits are they are fast-acting, it has broad action that the pathogen will have difficulty developing resistance to, it has high specificity, and most importantly there are extensive sources such as bacteria; invertebrate and vertebrate animals as well as plants. Aside from this, AMPs are also found to modulate the immune response. This review would like to describe AMPs that have been studied for their antiparasitic activities especially on parasitic diseases that causes high mortality and exhibits drug resistance like malaria and leishmaniasis and to discuss the mechanism of action of these AMPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathyleen Nogrado
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Poom Adisakwattana
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Onrapak Reamtong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
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22
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Lai Z, Yuan X, Chen H, Zhu Y, Dong N, Shan A. Strategies employed in the design of antimicrobial peptides with enhanced proteolytic stability. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107962. [PMID: 35452776 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Due to the alarming developing rate of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, the development and modification of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are unprecedentedly active. Despite the fact that considerable efforts have been expended on the discovery and design strategies of AMPs, the clinical translation of peptide antibiotics remains inadequate. A large number of articles and reviews credited the limited success of AMPs to their poor stability in the biological environment, particularly their poor proteolytic stability. In the past forty years, various design strategies have been used to improve the proteolytic stability of AMPs, such as sequence modification, cyclization, peptidomimetics, and nanotechnology. Herein, we focus our discussion on the progress made in improving the proteolytic stability of AMPs and the principle, successes, and limitations of various anti-proteolytic design strategies. It is of prospective significance to extend current insights into the degradation-related inactivation of AMPs and also alleviate/overcome the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenheng Lai
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Xiaojie Yuan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Hongyu Chen
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yunhui Zhu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Na Dong
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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23
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Kuncewicz K, Battin C, Węgrzyn K, Sieradzan A, Wardowska A, Sikorska E, Giedrojć I, Smardz P, Pikuła M, Steinberger P, Rodziewicz-Motowidło S, Spodzieja M. Targeting the HVEM protein using a fragment of glycoprotein D to inhibit formation of the BTLA/HVEM complex. Bioorg Chem 2022; 122:105748. [PMID: 35325694 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy using blockade of immune checkpoints is mainly based on monoclonal antibodies. Despite the tremendous success achieved by using those molecules to block immune checkpoint proteins, antibodies possess some weaknesses, which means that there is still a need to search for new compounds as alternatives to antibodies. Many current approaches are focused on use of peptides/peptidomimetics to destroy receptor/ligand interactions. Our studies concern blockade of the BTLA/HVEM complex, which generates an inhibitory effect on the immune response resulting in tolerance to cancer cells. To design inhibitors of such proteins binding we based our work on the amino acid sequence and structure of a ligand of HVEM protein, namely glycoprotein D, which possesses the same binding site on HVEM as BTLA protein. To disrupt the BTLA and HVEM interaction we designed several peptides, all fragments of glycoprotein D, and tested their binding to HVEM using SPR and their ability to inhibit the BTLA/HVEM complex formation using ELISA tests and cellular reporter platforms. That led to identification of two peptides, namely gD(1-36)(K10C-D30C) and gD(1-36)(A12C-L25C), which interact with HVEM and possess blocking capacities. Both peptides are not cytotoxic to human PBMCs, and show stability in human plasma. We also studied the 3D structure of the gD(1-36)(K10C-D30C) peptide using NMR and molecular modeling methods. The obtained data reveal that it possesses an unstructured conformation and binds to HVEM in the same location as gD and BTLA. All these results suggest that peptides based on the binding fragment of gD protein represent promising immunomodulation agents for future cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claire Battin
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Immunology, Division of Immune Receptors and T cell Activation, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katarzyna Węgrzyn
- University of Gdańsk, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Adam Sieradzan
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Wardowska
- Medical University of Gdańsk, Department of Physiopathology, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Irma Giedrojć
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Pamela Smardz
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Michał Pikuła
- Medical University of Gdańsk, Department of Embryology, Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Peter Steinberger
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Immunology, Division of Immune Receptors and T cell Activation, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marta Spodzieja
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
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Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently become widely publicized because they have the potential to function in alternative therapies as “natural” antibiotics, with their main advantage being a broad spectrum of activity. The potential for antimicrobial peptides to treat diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported. In diabetes mellitus type I (T1D), cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) and mouse-β- defensin 14 (mBD14) are positively affected. Decreased levels of LL-37 and human neutrophil peptide 1-3 (HNP1-3) have been reported in diabetes mellitus type II (T2D) relative to healthy patients. Moreover, AMPs from amphibians and social wasps have antidiabetic effects. In infections occurring in patients with tuberculosis-diabetes or diabetic foot, granulysin, HNP1, HNP2, HNP3, human beta-defensin 2 (HBD2), and cathelicidins are responsible for pathogen clearance. An interesting alternative is also the use of modified M13 bacteriophages containing encapsulated AMPs genes or phagemids.
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Răileanu M, Lonetti B, Serpentini CL, Goudounèche D, Gibot L, Bacalum M. Encapsulation of a cationic antimicrobial peptide into self-assembled polyion complex nano-objects enhances its antitumor properties. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.131482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Batista Araujo J, Sastre de Souza G, Lorenzon EN. Indolicidin revisited: biological activity, potential applications and perspectives of an antimicrobial peptide not yet fully explored. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:39. [PMID: 35018535 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03227-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, viruses and tumors is a serious threat to public health. Among natural peptides, indolicidin, a 13-residue peptide belonging to the cathelicidin family, deserves special attention. Indolicidin has a broad spectrum of biological activity and is active against a wide range of targets, such as bacteria (Gram+ and Gram-), fungi and viruses. Here, we review the most important features of the biological activity, potential applications and perspectives of indolicidin and its analogs. Although not yet approved for commercialization, this peptide has great potential to be applied in different areas, including the medical, biomedical, food industry and other unexplored areas. To achieve this goal, a multidisciplinary team of researchers must work together to fine tune peptides that overall lead to novel analogs and formulations to combat existing and possibly future diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guilherme Sastre de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Prêto, São Paulo, Brazil
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An Antibacterial Peptide with High Resistance to Trypsin Obtained by Substituting d-Amino Acids for Trypsin Cleavage Sites. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10121465. [PMID: 34943677 PMCID: PMC8698302 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10121465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor stability of antibacterial peptide to protease limits its clinical application. Among these limitations, trypsin mainly exists in digestive tract, which is an insurmountable obstacle to orally delivered peptides. OM19R is a random curly polyproline cationic antimicrobial peptide, which has high antibacterial activity against some gram-negative bacteria, but its stability against pancreatin is poor. According to the structure-activity relationship of OM19R, all cationic amino acid residues (l-arginine and l-lysine) at the trypsin cleavage sites were replaced with corresponding d-amino acid residues to obtain the designed peptide OM19D, which not only maintained its antibacterial activity but also enhanced the stability of trypsin. Proceeding high concentrations of trypsin and long-time (such as 10 mg/mL, 8 h) treatment, it still had high antibacterial activity (MIC = 16–32 µg/mL). In addition, OM19D also showed high stability to serum, plasma and other environmental factors. It is similar to its parent peptide in secondary structure and mechanism of action. Therefore, this strategy is beneficial to improve the protease stability of antibacterial peptides.
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Luna-Reyes I, Pérez-Hernández EG, Delgado-Coello B, Mas-Oliva J. Peptides as Therapeutic Molecules to Neutralize Gram-negative Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides in Sepsis and Septic Shock. Arch Med Res 2021; 52:798-807. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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29
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Lin L, Chi J, Yan Y, Luo R, Feng X, Zheng Y, Xian D, Li X, Quan G, Liu D, Wu C, Lu C, Pan X. Membrane-disruptive peptides/peptidomimetics-based therapeutics: Promising systems to combat bacteria and cancer in the drug-resistant era. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 11:2609-2644. [PMID: 34589385 PMCID: PMC8463292 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane-disruptive peptides/peptidomimetics (MDPs) are antimicrobials or anticarcinogens that present a general killing mechanism through the physical disruption of cell membranes, in contrast to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, which act on precise targets such as DNA or specific enzymes. Owing to their rapid action, broad-spectrum activity, and mechanisms of action that potentially hinder the development of resistance, MDPs have been increasingly considered as future therapeutics in the drug-resistant era. Recently, growing experimental evidence has demonstrated that MDPs can also be utilized as adjuvants to enhance the therapeutic effects of other agents. In this review, we evaluate the literature around the broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and anticancer activity of MDPs, and summarize the current development and mechanisms of MDPs alone or in combination with other agents. Notably, this review highlights recent advances in the design of various MDP-based drug delivery systems that can improve the therapeutic effect of MDPs, minimize side effects, and promote the co-delivery of multiple chemotherapeutics, for more efficient antimicrobial and anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Lin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Jiaying Chi
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Yilang Yan
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Rui Luo
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Xiaoqian Feng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Yuwei Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Dongyi Xian
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Xin Li
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Guilan Quan
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Daojun Liu
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Chuanbin Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Chao Lu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Xin Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Sanner MF, Dieguez L, Forli S, Lis E. Improving Docking Power for Short Peptides Using Random Forest. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:3074-3090. [PMID: 34124893 PMCID: PMC8543977 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, therapeutic peptides have gained a lot interest as demonstrated by the 60 peptides approved as drugs in major markets and 150+ peptides currently in clinical trials. However, while small molecule docking is routinely used in rational drug design efforts, docking peptides has proven challenging partly because docking scoring functions, developed and calibrated for small molecules, perform poorly for these molecules. Here, we present random forest classifiers trained to discriminate correctly docked peptides. We show that, for a testing set of 47 protein-peptide complexes, structurally dissimilar from the training set and previously used to benchmark AutoDock Vina's ability to dock short peptides, these random forest classifiers improve docking power from ∼25% for AutoDock scoring functions to an average of ∼70%. These results pave the way for peptide-docking success rates comparable to those of small molecule docking. To develop these classifiers, we compiled the ProptPep37_2021 data set, a curated, high-quality set of 322 crystallographic protein-peptides complexes annotated with structural similarity information. The data set also provides a collection of high-quality putative poses with a range of deviations from the crystallographic pose, providing correct and incorrect poses (i.e., decoys) of the peptide for each entry. The ProptPep37_2021 data set as well as the classifiers presented here are freely available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel F. Sanner
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 93037, USA
| | - Leonard Dieguez
- Koliber Biosciences Inc., 12265 World Trade Drive, Suite G, San Diego, CA 92128, USA
| | - Stefano Forli
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 93037, USA
| | - Ewa Lis
- Koliber Biosciences Inc., 12265 World Trade Drive, Suite G, San Diego, CA 92128, USA
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Sarkar T, Chetia M, Chatterjee S. Antimicrobial Peptides and Proteins: From Nature's Reservoir to the Laboratory and Beyond. Front Chem 2021; 9:691532. [PMID: 34222199 PMCID: PMC8249576 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.691532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance against conventional antimicrobials, resurgence of multidrug resistant microbes and the slowdown in the development of new classes of antimicrobials, necessitates the urgent development of alternate classes of therapeutic molecules. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small proteins present in different lifeforms in nature that provide defense against microbial infections. They have been effective components of the host defense system for a very long time. The fact that the development of resistance by the microbes against the AMPs is relatively slower or delayed compared to that against the conventional antibiotics, makes them prospective alternative therapeutics of the future. Several thousands of AMPs have been isolated from various natural sources like microorganisms, plants, insects, crustaceans, animals, humans, etc. to date. However, only a few of them have been translated commercially to the market so far. This is because of some inherent drawbacks of the naturally obtained AMPs like 1) short half-life owing to the susceptibility to protease degradation, 2) inactivity at physiological salt concentrations, 3) cytotoxicity to host cells, 4) lack of appropriate strategies for sustained and targeted delivery of the AMPs. This has led to a surge of interest in the development of synthetic AMPs which would retain or improve the antimicrobial potency along with circumventing the disadvantages of the natural analogs. The development of synthetic AMPs is inspired by natural designs and sequences and strengthened by the fusion with various synthetic elements. Generation of the synthetic designs are based on various strategies like sequence truncation, mutation, cyclization and introduction of unnatural amino acids and synthons. In this review, we have described some of the AMPs isolated from the vast repertoire of natural sources, and subsequently described the various synthetic designs that have been developed based on the templates of natural AMPs or from de novo design to make commercially viable therapeutics of the future. This review entails the journey of the AMPs from their natural sources to the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sunanda Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India
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32
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Scorpion Venom Antimicrobial Peptides Induce Siderophore Biosynthesis and Oxidative Stress Responses in Escherichia coli. mSphere 2021; 6:6/3/e00267-21. [PMID: 33980680 PMCID: PMC8125054 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00267-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of life-threatening resistance of pathogenic bacteria to the antibiotics typically in use in hospitals and the community today has led to an urgent need to discover novel antimicrobial agents with different mechanisms of action. As an ancient host defense mechanism of the innate immune system, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are attractive candidates to fill that role. The increasing development of microbial resistance to classical antimicrobial agents has led to the search for novel antimicrobials. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) derived from scorpion and snake venoms offer an attractive source for the development of novel therapeutics. Smp24 (24 amino acids [aa]) and Smp43 (43 aa) are broad-spectrum AMPs that have been identified from the venom gland of the Egyptian scorpion Scorpio mauruspalmatus and subsequently characterized. Using a DNA microarray approach, we examined the transcriptomic responses of Escherichia coli to subinhibitory concentrations of Smp24 and Smp43 peptides following 5 h of incubation. Seventy-two genes were downregulated by Smp24, and 79 genes were downregulated by Smp43. Of these genes, 14 genes were downregulated in common and were associated with bacterial respiration. Fifty-two genes were specifically upregulated by Smp24. These genes were predominantly related to cation transport, particularly iron transport. Three diverse genes were independently upregulated by Smp43. Strains with knockouts of differentially regulated genes were screened to assess the effect on susceptibility to Smp peptides. Ten mutants in the knockout library had increased levels of resistance to Smp24. These genes were predominantly associated with cation transport and binding. Two mutants increased resistance to Smp43. There was no cross-resistance in mutants resistant to Smp24 or Smp43. Five mutants showed increased susceptibility to Smp24, and seven mutants showed increased susceptibility to Smp43. Of these mutants, formate dehydrogenase knockout (fdnG) resulted in increased susceptibility to both peptides. While the electrostatic association between pore-forming AMPs and bacterial membranes followed by integration of the peptide into the membrane is the initial starting point, it is clear that there are numerous subsequent additional intracellular mechanisms that contribute to their overall antimicrobial effect. IMPORTANCE The development of life-threatening resistance of pathogenic bacteria to the antibiotics typically in use in hospitals and the community today has led to an urgent need to discover novel antimicrobial agents with different mechanisms of action. As an ancient host defense mechanism of the innate immune system, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are attractive candidates to fill that role. Scorpion venoms have proven to be a rich source of AMPs. Smp24 and Smp43 are new AMPs that have been identified from the venom gland of the Egyptian scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus, and these peptides can kill a wide range of bacterial pathogens. By better understanding how these AMPs affect bacterial cells, we can modify their structure to make better drugs in the future.
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Zai Y, Xi X, Ye Z, Ma C, Zhou M, Chen X, Siu SWI, Chen T, Wang L, Kwok HF. Aggregation and Its Influence on the Bioactivities of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide, Temporin-PF, and Its Analogues. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4509. [PMID: 33925935 PMCID: PMC8123395 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporin is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) family discovered in the skin secretion of ranid frog that has become a promising alternative for conventional antibiotic therapy. Herein, a novel temporin peptide, Temporin-PF (TPF), was successfully identified from Pelophylax fukienensis. It exhibited potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria, but no effect on Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, TPF exhibited aggregation effects in different solutions. Three analogs were further designed to study the relationship between the aggregation patterns and bioactivities, and the MD simulation was performed for revealing the pattern of the peptide assembly. As the results showed, all peptides were able to aggregate in the standard culture media and salt solutions, especially CaCl2 and MgCl2 buffers, where the aggregation was affected by the concentration of the salts. MD simulation reported that all peptides were able to form oligomers. The parent peptide assembly depended on the hydrophobic interaction via the residues in the middle domain of the sequence. However, the substitution of Trp/D-Trp resulted in an enhanced inter-peptide interaction in the zipper-like domain and eliminated overall biological activities. Our study suggested that introducing aromaticity at the zipper-like domain for temporin may not improve the bioactivities, which might be related to the formation of aggregates via the inter-peptide contacts at the zipper-like motif domain, and it could reduce the binding affinity to the lipid membrane of microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zai
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Univesidade, Taipa, Macau, China;
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Molecule, College of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jiangsu Second Normal University, Nanjing 210013, China
| | - Xinping Xi
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Zhuming Ye
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Shirley W. I. Siu
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China;
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Univesidade, Taipa, Macau, China;
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Kobayashi K, Taguchi A, Cui Y, Shida H, Muguruma K, Takayama K, Taniguchi A, Hayashi Y. “On‐Resin” Disulfide Peptide Synthesis with Methyl 3‐Nitro‐2‐pyridinesulfenate. European J Org Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202001517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kiyotaka Kobayashi
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
| | - Akihiro Taguchi
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
| | - Yan Cui
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
| | - Hayate Shida
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
| | - Kyohei Muguruma
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
| | - Kentaro Takayama
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
| | - Atsuhiko Taniguchi
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
| | - Yoshio Hayashi
- Department of Medicinal chemistry School of Pharmacy Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 1432-1 Horinouchi Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392 Japan
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Lalani S, Gew LT, Poh CL. Antiviral peptides against Enterovirus A71 causing hand, foot and mouth disease. Peptides 2021; 136:170443. [PMID: 33171280 PMCID: PMC7648656 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of new and resistant viruses is a serious global burden. Conventional antiviral therapy with small molecules has led to the development of resistant mutants. In the case of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), the absence of a US-FDA approved vaccine calls for urgent need to develop an antiviral that could serve as a safe, potent and robust therapy against the neurovirulent Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71). Natural peptides such as lactoferrin, melittin and synthetic peptides such as SP40, RGDS and LVLQTM have been studied against EV-A71 and have shown promising results as potent antivirals in pre-clinical studies. Peptides are considered safe, efficacious and pose fewer chances of resistance. Poor pharmacokinetic features of peptides can be overcome by the use of chemical modifications to improve in vivo delivery particularly by oral route. The use of nanotechnology can remarkably assist in the oral delivery of peptides and enhance stability in vivo. This can greatly increase patient compliance and make it more attractive as antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salima Lalani
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia; Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia Department, University, City, Country, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia
| | - Lai Ti Gew
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia Department, University, City, Country, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia
| | - Chit Laa Poh
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia.
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Dotter H, Boll M, Eder M, Eder AC. Library and post-translational modifications of peptide-based display systems. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 47:107699. [PMID: 33513435 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Innovative biotechnological methods empower the successful identification of new drug candidates. Phage, ribosome and mRNA display represent high throughput screenings, allowing fast and efficient progress in the field of targeted drug discovery. The identification range comprises low molecular weight peptides up to whole antibodies. However, a major challenge poses the stability and affinity in particular of peptides. Chemical modifications e.g. the introduction of unnatural amino acids or cyclization, have been proven to be essential tools to overcome these limitations. This review article particularly focuses on available methods for the targeted chemical modification of peptides and peptide libraries in selected display approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Dotter
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boll
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Eder
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Ann-Christin Eder
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Zhong C, Zhang L, Yu L, Huang J, Huang S, Yao Y. A Review for Antimicrobial Peptides with Anticancer Properties: Re-purposing of Potential Anticancer Agents. BIO INTEGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.15212/bioi-2020-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract In recent years, various research on cancer treatment has achieved significant progress. However, some of these treatments remain disputable because of the emergence and development of drug resistance, and the toxic side effects that were brought about by the lack
of selectivity displayed by the treatments. Hence, there is considerable interest in a new class of anticancer molecules that is currently still under investigation termed the cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are a group of pervasive components of the innate immunity which can
be found throughout all classes of life. The small innate peptides cover a broad spectrum of antibacterial activities due to their electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged bacterial membrane. Compared with normal cells, cancer cells have increased proportions of negatively charged
molecules, including phosphatidylserine, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, on the outer plasma membrane. This provides an opportunity for exploiting the interaction between AMPs and negatively charged cell membranes in developing unconventional anticancer strategies. Some AMPs may also be categorized
into a group of potential anticancer agents called cationic anticancer peptides (ACPs) due to their relative selectivity in cell membrane penetration and lysis, which is similar to their interaction with bacterial membranes. Several examples of ACPs that are used in tumor therapy for their
ability in penetrating or lysing tumor cell membrane will be reviewed in this paper, along with a discussion on the recent advances and challenges in the application of ACPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Zhong
- Breast Tumor Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Lin Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Jiandong Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Songyin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Yandan Yao
- Breast Tumor Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
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Zhang X, Guo X, Wu C, Li C, Zhang D, Zhu B. Isolation, heterologous expression, and purification of a novel antifungal protein from Bacillus subtilis strain Z-14. Microb Cell Fact 2020; 19:214. [PMID: 33228718 PMCID: PMC7684727 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01475-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wheat sheath blight, a soil borne fungal disease caused by Rhizoctonia cerealis, is considered as one of the most serious threats to wheat worldwide. Bacillus subtilis Z-14 was isolated from soil sampled from a wheat rhizosphere and was confirmed to have strong antifungal activity against R. cerealis. RESULTS An antifungal protein, termed F2, was isolated from the culture supernatant of Z-14 strain using precipitation with ammonium sulfate, anion exchange chromatography, and reverse phase chromatography. Purified F2 had a molecular mass of approximately 8 kDa, as assessed using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Edman degradation was used to determine the amino acid sequence of the N-terminus, which was NH2ASGGTVGIYGANMRS. This sequence is identical to a hypothetical protein RBAM_004680 (YP_001420098.1) synthesized by B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42. The recombinant F2 protein (rF2) was heterologously expressed in the yeast host Pichia pastoris, purified using a Niaffinity column, and demonstrated significant antifungal activity against R. cerealis. The purified rF2 demonstrated broad spectrum antifungal activity against different varieties of fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum, Verticillium dahliae, Bipolaris papendorfii, and Fusarium proliferatum. rF2 was thermostable, retaining 91.5% of its activity when incubated for 30 min at 100 °C. Meanwhile, rF2 maintained its activity under treatment by proteinase K and trypsin and over a wide pH range from 5 to 10. CONCLUSIONS A novel antifungal protein, F2, was purified from biocontrol Bacillus subtilis Z-14 strain fermentation supernatant and heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris to verify its antifungal activity against R. cerealis and the validity of the gene encoding F2. Considering its significant antifungal activity and stable characteristics, protein F2 presents an alternative compound to resist fungal infections caused by R. cerealis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechao Zhang
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, 289 Lingyusi Road, 071001, Baoding, PR China
| | - Xiaojun Guo
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, 289 Lingyusi Road, 071001, Baoding, PR China
| | - Cuihong Wu
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, 289 Lingyusi Road, 071001, Baoding, PR China
| | - Chengcui Li
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, 289 Lingyusi Road, 071001, Baoding, PR China
| | - Dongdong Zhang
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, 289 Lingyusi Road, 071001, Baoding, PR China.
| | - Baocheng Zhu
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, 289 Lingyusi Road, 071001, Baoding, PR China.
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Shagaghi N, Clayton AHA, Aguilar MI, Lee TH, Palombo EA, Bhave M. Effects of Rationally Designed Physico-Chemical Variants of the Peptide PuroA on Biocidal Activity towards Bacterial and Mammalian Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228624. [PMID: 33207639 PMCID: PMC7696940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) often exhibit wide-spectrum activities and are considered ideal candidates for effectively controlling persistent and multidrug-resistant wound infections. PuroA, a synthetic peptide based on the tryptophan (Trp)-rich domain of the wheat protein puroindoline A, displays strong antimicrobial activities. In this work, a number of peptides were designed based on PuroA, varying in physico-chemical parameters of length, number of Trp residues, net charge, hydrophobicity or amphipathicity, D-versus L-isomers of amino acids, cyclization or dimerization, and were tested for antimicrobial potency and salt and protease tolerance. Selected peptides were assessed for effects on biofilms of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and selected mammalian cells. Peptide P1, with the highest amphipathicity, six Trp and a net charge of +7, showed strong antimicrobial activity and salt stability. Peptides W7, W8 and WW (seven to eight residues) were generally more active than PuroA and all diastereomers were protease-resistant. PuroA and certain variants significantly inhibited initial biomass attachment and eradicated preformed biofilms of MRSA. Further, P1 and dimeric PuroA were cytotoxic to HeLa cells. The work has led to peptides with biocidal effects on common human pathogens and/or anticancer potential, also offering great insights into the relationship between physico-chemical parameters and bioactivities, accelerating progress towards rational design of AMPs for therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadin Shagaghi
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (N.S.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Andrew H. A. Clayton
- Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia;
| | - Marie-Isabel Aguilar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (M.-I.A.); (T.-H.L.)
| | - Tzong-Hsien Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (M.-I.A.); (T.-H.L.)
| | - Enzo A. Palombo
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (N.S.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Mrinal Bhave
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (N.S.); (E.A.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-3-9214-5759
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40
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Smirnova MP, Kolodkin NI, Kolobov AA, Afonin VG, Afonina IV, Stefanenko LI, Shpen' VM, Shamova OV, Kolobov AA. Indolicidin analogs with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic activity. Peptides 2020; 132:170356. [PMID: 32593681 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
To create a broad-spectrum peptide biocide, we synthesized 45 analogs of antimicrobial peptide indolicidin (H-Ile-Leu-Pro-Trp-Lys-Trp-Pro-Trp-Trp-Pro-Trp-Arg-Arg-NH2). Among them the peptides H-Ile-Leu-Pro-(2-Me)Phe-Lys-(2-Me)Phe-Pro-(2-Me)Phe-(2-Me)Phe-Pro-(2-Me)Phe-Arg-Arg-NH2 and HN2-(CH2)10-Ile-Leu-Pro-D-Phe-Lys-D-Phe-Pro-D-Phe-D-Phe-Pro-D-Phe-Arg-Arg-NH2 have the broadest spectrum of antimicrobial activity and the lowest hemolytic activity. They are active against all 11 tested strains of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi with MIC50 from 0.9 to 6.1 μg/ml (0.5 to 3.2 μM), being up to 3 times more active than indolicidin, and are at least 1.8 times less hemolytically active than indolicidin (reached the detection limit). These peptides are patented and could be used for further drug development as antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Smirnova
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - N I Kolodkin
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - A A Kolobov
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - V G Afonin
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - I V Afonina
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - L I Stefanenko
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - V M Shpen'
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - O V Shamova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - A A Kolobov
- Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Verta Ltd., Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
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41
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Ya’u Sabo Ajingi, Nujarin Jongruja. Antimicrobial Peptide Engineering: Rational Design, Synthesis, and Synergistic Effect. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162020040044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Carratalá JV, Serna N, Villaverde A, Vázquez E, Ferrer-Miralles N. Nanostructured antimicrobial peptides: The last push towards clinics. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 44:107603. [PMID: 32738381 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Peptide drugs hold great potential for the treatment of infectious diseases due to their unconventional mechanisms of action, biocompatibility, biodegradability and ease of synthesis and modification. The increasing rising of bacterial strains resistant to classical antibiotics have pushed the development of new peptide-based antimicrobial therapies. In this context, over the past few years, different approaches have reached a clinical approval. Furthermore, the application of nanotechnological principles to the design of antimicrobial peptide-based composites increases even more the already known benefits of antimicrobial peptides as competent protein drugs. Then, we provide here an overview of the current strategies for antimicrobial peptide discovery and modification and the status of such peptides already under clinical development. In addition, we summarize the innovative formulation strategies for their application, focusing on the controlled self-assembly for the fabrication of antimicrobial nanostructures without the assistance of external nanocarriers, and with emphasis on bioengineering, design of ultra-short peptides and rising insights in bacterial selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Vicente Carratalá
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - Naroa Serna
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain.
| | - Antonio Villaverde
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain.
| | - Esther Vázquez
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain.
| | - Neus Ferrer-Miralles
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
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43
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Divyashree M, Mani MK, Reddy D, Kumavath R, Ghosh P, Azevedo V, Barh D. Clinical Applications of Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs): Where do we Stand Now? Protein Pept Lett 2020; 27:120-134. [PMID: 31553285 DOI: 10.2174/0929866526666190925152957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this era of multi-drug resistance (MDR), antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most promising classes of potential drug candidates to combat communicable as well as noncommunicable diseases such as cancers and diabetes. AMPs show a wide spectrum of biological activities which include antiviral, antifungal, anti-mitogenic, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. Apart from these prospective therapeutic potentials, the AMPs can act as food preservatives and immune modulators. Therefore, AMPs have the potential to replace conventional drugs and may gain a significant global drug market share. Although several AMPs have shown therapeutic potential in vitro or in vivo, in most cases they have failed the clinical trial owing to various issues. In this review, we discuss in brief (i) molecular mechanisms of AMPs in various diseases, (ii) importance of AMPs in pharmaceutical industries, (iii) the challenges in using AMPs as therapeutics and how to overcome, (iv) available AMP therapeutics in market, and (v) AMPs under clinical trials. Here, we specifically focus on the therapeutic AMPs in the areas of dermatology, surgery, oncology and metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mithoor Divyashree
- Nitte University Centre for Science Education & Research (NUCSER), NITTE (Deemed to be University), Paneer campus, Deralakatte, Mangalore - 575018, Karnataka,India
| | - Madhu K Mani
- Nitte University Centre for Science Education & Research (NUCSER), NITTE (Deemed to be University), Paneer campus, Deralakatte, Mangalore - 575018, Karnataka,India
| | - Dhanasekhar Reddy
- Department of Genomic Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periya (P.O) Kasaragod, Kerala-671316,India
| | - Ranjith Kumavath
- Department of Genomic Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periya (P.O) Kasaragod, Kerala-671316,India
| | - Preetam Ghosh
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284,United States
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Laboratório de GenéticaCelular e Molecular, Programa de Pós-graduaçãoemBioinformática, Instituto de CiênciasBiológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270-901,Brazil
| | - Debmalya Barh
- Nitte University Centre for Science Education & Research (NUCSER), NITTE (Deemed to be University), Paneer campus, Deralakatte, Mangalore - 575018, Karnataka,India.,Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, PurbaMedinipur, West Bengal, India
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44
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Tan P, Lai Z, Jian Q, Shao C, Zhu Y, Li G, Shan A. Design of Heptad Repeat Amphiphiles Based on Database Filtering and Structure-Function Relationships to Combat Drug-Resistant Fungi and Biofilms. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:2129-2144. [PMID: 31887002 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b19927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Due to the emergence of reports of multidrug-resistant fungi, infections caused by multidrug-resistant fungi and biofilms are considered to be a global threat to human health due to the lack of effective broad-spectrum drugs. Here, we developed a series heptad repeat sequences based on an antimicrobial peptide database (APD) and structure-function relationships. Among the developed peptides, the target peptide ACR3 exhibited good activity against all fungi and bacteria tested, including fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans (C. albicans) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcu saureus (S. aureus), while demonstrating relatively low toxicity and good salt tolerance. The peptide ACR3 inhibits the formation of C. albicans biofilms and has a therapeutic effect on mature biofilms in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we did not observe any resistance of C. albicans and E. coli against the peptide ACR3. A series of assays and microscopy were used to analyze the antimicrobial mechanism. These results showed that the antimicrobial activity of the peptide ACR3 utilizes a multimodal mechanism that degrades the cell wall barrier, alters the cytoplasmic membrane electrical potential, and induces intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In general, the peptide ACR3 is a potent antibacterial agent that shows great potential for use in biomedical coatings and healthcare formulas to combat the growing threat of fungal and bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Tan
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, The Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , China
| | - Zhenheng Lai
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, The Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , China
| | - Qiao Jian
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, The Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , China
| | - Changxuan Shao
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, The Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , China
| | - Yongjie Zhu
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, The Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , China
| | - Guoyu Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, The Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, The Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , China
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45
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Song J, Wang J, Zhan N, Sun T, Yu W, Zhang L, Shan A, Zhang A. Therapeutic Potential of Trp-Rich Engineered Amphiphiles by Single Hydrophobic Amino Acid End-Tagging. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:43820-43834. [PMID: 31687796 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b12706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
End-tagging with a single hydrophobic residue contributes to improve the cell selectivity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), but systematic studies have been lacking. Thus, this study aimed to systematically investigate how end-tagging with hydrophobic residues at the C-terminus and Gly capped at the N-terminus of W4 (RWRWWWRWR) affects the bioactivity of W4 variants. Among all the hydrophobic residues, only Ala end-tagging improved the antibacterial activity of W4. Meanwhile, Gly capped at the N-terminus could promote the helical propensity of the end-tagged peptides in dodecylphosphocholine micelles, increasing their antimicrobial activities. Of these peptides, GW4A (GRWRWWWRWRA) showed the best antibacterial activity against the 19 species of bacteria tested (GMMIC = 1.86 μM) with low toxicity, thus possessing the highest cell selectivity (TIall = 137.63). It also had rapid sterilization, good salt and serum resistance, and LPS-neutralizing activity. Antibacterial mechanism studies showed that the short peptide GW4A killed bacteria by destroying cell membrane integrity and causing cytoplasmic leakage. Overall, these findings suggested that systematic studies on terminal modifications promoted the development of peptide design theory and provided a potential method for optimization of effective AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Song
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
| | - Jiajun Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
| | - Na Zhan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
| | - Taotao Sun
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
| | - Weikang Yu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
| | - Licong Zhang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition , Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin 150030 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
| | - Aizhong Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine , Bayi Agricultural University , Daqing 163000 , Heilongjiang , P. R. China
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Yadav N, Chauhan MK, Chauhan VS. Short to ultrashort peptide-based hydrogels as a platform for biomedical applications. Biomater Sci 2019; 8:84-100. [PMID: 31696870 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01304k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Short peptides have attracted significant attention from researchers in the past few years due to their easy design, synthesis and characterization, diverse functionalisation possibilities, low cost, possibility to make a large range of hierarchical nanostructures and most importantly their high biocompatibility and biodegradability. Generally, short peptides are also relatively more stable than their longer variants, non-immunogenic in nature and many of them self-assemble to provide an exciting range of nanostructures, including hydrogels. Thus, the development of short peptide-based hydrogels has become an area of intense investigation. Although these hydrogels have a water content of greater than 90%, they are surprisingly highly stable structures, and thus have been used for various biomedical applications, including cell therapeutics, drug delivery, tissue engineering and regeneration, contact lenses, biosensors, and wound healing, by different researchers. Herein, we review the progress of research in the rapidly expanding field of short to ultrashort peptide-based hydrogels and their possible applications. Special attention is paid to address and review this field with regard to the stability of peptide-based hydrogels, particularly to enzymatic degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Yadav
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi-110067, India. and Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sector-3, Pushpvihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Meenakshi K Chauhan
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sector-3, Pushpvihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Virander S Chauhan
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi-110067, India.
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Repurposing the scorpion venom peptide VmCT1 into an active peptide against Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. Bioorg Chem 2019; 90:103038. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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48
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Thery T, Lynch KM, Arendt EK. Natural Antifungal Peptides/Proteins as Model for Novel Food Preservatives. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2019; 18:1327-1360. [DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Thery
- School of Food and Nutritional SciencesUniv. College Cork Ireland
| | - Kieran M. Lynch
- School of Food and Nutritional SciencesUniv. College Cork Ireland
| | - Elke K. Arendt
- School of Food and Nutritional SciencesUniv. College Cork Ireland
- Microbiome IrelandUniv. College Cork Ireland
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49
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Antimicrobial peptides with protease stability: progress and perspective. Future Med Chem 2019; 11:2047-2050. [DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2019-0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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50
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The effect of lysine substitutions in the biological activities of the scorpion venom peptide VmCT1. Eur J Pharm Sci 2019; 136:104952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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