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Wang J, Zhang M, Li C, Liu M, Qi Y, Xie X, Zhou C, Ma L. A novel cathelicidin TS-CATH derived from Thamnophis sirtalis combats drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2388-2406. [PMID: 38882682 PMCID: PMC11176561 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are promising therapeutic agents for treating drug-resistant bacterial disease due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and decreased susceptibility to evolutionary resistance. In this study, three novel cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides were identified from Thamnophis sirtalis, Balaenoptera musculus, and Lipotes vexillifer by protein database mining and sequence alignment and were subsequently named TS-CATH, BM-CATH, and LV-CATH, respectively. All three peptides exhibited satisfactory antibacterial activity and broad antibacterial spectra against clinically isolated E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and A. baumannii in vitro. Among them, TS-CATH displayed the best antimicrobial/bactericidal activity, with a rapid elimination efficiency against the tested drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria within 20 min, and exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. Furthermore, TS-CATH effectively enhanced the survival rate of mice with ceftazidime-resistant E. coli bacteremia and promoted wound healing in meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa infection. These results were achieved through the eradication of bacterial growth in target organs and wounds, further inhibiting the systemic dissemination of bacteria and the inflammatory response. TS-CATH exhibited direct antimicrobial activity by damaging the inner and outer membranes, resulting in leakage of the bacterial contents at super-MICs. Moreover, TS-CATH disrupted the bacterial respiratory chain, which inhibited ATP synthesis and induced ROS formation, significantly contributing to its antibacterial efficacy at sub-MICs. Overall, TS-CATH has potential for use as an antibacterial agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Wang
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Meina Zhang
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Chao Li
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Mengyuan Liu
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Yixin Qi
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Xiaolin Xie
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Changlin Zhou
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Lingman Ma
- Institution of all authors: College of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
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2
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Braik A, Serna-Duque JA, Nefzi A, Aroui S, Esteban MÁ. Potential therapeutic use of dermaseptin S4 from the frog Phyllomedusa sauvagii and its derivatives against bacterial pathogens in fish. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae222. [PMID: 39187398 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae222] [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: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
AIM Dermaseptins are one of the main families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) derived from the skin secretions of Hylidae frogs. Among them, dermaseptin S4 (DS4) is characterized by its broad-spectrum of activity against bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. In this study, the physicochemical properties of the native peptide DS4 (1-28) and two derivatives [DS4 (1-28)a and DS4 (1-26)a] isolated from the skin of the frog Phyllomedusa sauvagii were investigated and their antimicrobial properties against two marine pathogenic bacteria (Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio anguillarum) were examined. METHODS AND RESULTS The results indicate that the peptide DS4 (1-26)a has high-antibacterial activity against the tested strains and low-hemolytic activity (<30% lysis at the highest tested concentration of 100 µg/mL) compared to the other two peptides tested. In addition, all three peptides affect the membrane and cell wall integrity of both pathogenic bacteria, causing leakage of cell contents, with DS4 (1-26)a having the most severe impact. These skills were corroborated by transmission electron microscopy and by the variation of cations in their binding sites due to the effects caused by the AMPs. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that DS4 and its derivatives, in particular the truncated and amidated peptide DS4 (1-26)a could be effective in the treatment of infections caused by these marine pathogenic bacteria. Future studies are required to validate the use of DS4 in vivo for the prevention of bacterial diseases in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afef Braik
- Research Unit of Analysis and Process Applied on The Environment- APAE (UR17ES32) Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Mahdia, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
| | - John Alberto Serna-Duque
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Immunobiology for Aquaculture Group, Murcia 30100, Spain
| | - Adel Nefzi
- Florida International University, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Sonia Aroui
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Research Unit: UR 12ES08 "Cell Signaling and Pathologies", Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
| | - María Ángeles Esteban
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Immunobiology for Aquaculture Group, Murcia 30100, Spain
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3
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Rios T, Maximiano MR, Fernandes FC, Amorim GC, Porto WF, Buccini DF, Nieto Marín V, Feitosa GC, Freitas CDP, Barra JB, Alonso A, Grossi de Sá MF, Lião LM, Franco OL. Anti-Staphy Peptides Rationally Designed from Cry10Aa Bacterial Protein. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:29159-29174. [PMID: 39005792 PMCID: PMC11238290 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial infections pose a significant threat to human health, constituting a major challenge for healthcare systems. Antibiotic resistance is particularly concerning in the context of treating staphylococcal infections. In addressing this challenge, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), characterized by their hydrophobic and cationic properties, unique mechanism of action, and remarkable bactericidal and immunomodulatory capabilities, emerge as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics for tackling bacterial multidrug resistance. This study focuses on the Cry10Aa protein as a template for generating AMPs due to its membrane-penetrating ability. Leveraging the Joker algorithm, six peptide variants were derived from α-helix 3 of Cry10Aa, known for its interaction with lipid bilayers. In vitro, antimicrobial assays determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) required for inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baummanii, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcus facallis, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Time-kill kinetics were performed using the parental peptide AMPCry10Aa, as well as AMPCry10Aa_1 and AMPCry10Aa_5, against E. coli ATCC, S. aureus 111 and S. aureus ATCC strains showing that AMPCry10Aa_1 and AMPCry10Aa_5 peptides can completely reduce the initial bacterial load with less than 2 h of incubation. AMPCry10Aa_1 and AMPCry 10Aa_5 present stability in human serum and activity maintenance up to 37 °C. Cytotoxicity assays, conducted using the MTT method, revealed that all of the tested peptides exhibited cell viability >50% (IC50). The study also encompassed evaluations of the structure and physical-chemical properties. The three-dimensional structures of AMPCry10Aa and AMPCry10Aa_5 were determined through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, indicating the adoption of α-helical segments. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy elucidated the mechanism of action, demonstrating that AMPCry10Aa_5 enters the outer membranes of E. coli and S. aureus, causing substantial increases in lipid fluidity, while AMPCry10Aa slightly increases lipid fluidity in E. coli. In conclusion, the results obtained underscore the potential of Cry10Aa as a source for developing antimicrobial peptides as alternatives to conventional antibiotics, offering a promising avenue in the battle against antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuanny
Borba Rios
- S-Inova
Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação
em Biotecnologia Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Av. Tamandaré, 6000—Jardim
Seminario, Campo Grande, MS 79117-900, Brazil
- Centro
de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica
de Brasília, St.
de Grandes Áreas Norte 916—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil
| | - Mariana Rocha Maximiano
- S-Inova
Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação
em Biotecnologia Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Av. Tamandaré, 6000—Jardim
Seminario, Campo Grande, MS 79117-900, Brazil
- Centro
de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica
de Brasília, St.
de Grandes Áreas Norte 916—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil
| | - Fabiano Cavalcanti Fernandes
- Centro
de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica
de Brasília, St.
de Grandes Áreas Norte 916—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil
| | - Gabriella Cavalcante Amorim
- Centro
de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica
de Brasília, St.
de Grandes Áreas Norte 916—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil
- Embrapa
Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70770-917, Brazil
| | | | - Danieli Fernanda Buccini
- S-Inova
Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação
em Biotecnologia Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Av. Tamandaré, 6000—Jardim
Seminario, Campo Grande, MS 79117-900, Brazil
| | - Valentina Nieto Marín
- S-Inova
Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação
em Biotecnologia Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Av. Tamandaré, 6000—Jardim
Seminario, Campo Grande, MS 79117-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Cidade Feitosa
- Centro
de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica
de Brasília, St.
de Grandes Áreas Norte 916—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação
em Patologia Molecular, Universidade de
Brasília, Campus
Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil
| | | | - Juliana Bueno Barra
- Laboratório
de RMN, Instituto de Química, Universidade
Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Antonio Alonso
- Instituto
de Física, Universidade Federal de
Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Fátima Grossi de Sá
- Centro
de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica
de Brasília, St.
de Grandes Áreas Norte 916—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil
- Embrapa
Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Luciano Morais Lião
- Laboratório
de RMN, Instituto de Química, Universidade
Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- S-Inova
Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação
em Biotecnologia Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Av. Tamandaré, 6000—Jardim
Seminario, Campo Grande, MS 79117-900, Brazil
- Centro
de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia Universidade Católica
de Brasília, St.
de Grandes Áreas Norte 916—Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70790-160, Brazil
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4
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Athira PP, Anooja VV, Anju MV, Archana K, Neelima S, Muhammed Musthafa S, Bright Singh IS, Philip R. Antibacterial Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action of a Novel Beta-Defensin from Snakehead Murrel, Channa striata. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2024:10.1007/s12602-024-10307-2. [PMID: 38963507 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-024-10307-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Beta-defensins, identified from fishes, constitute a crucial category of antimicrobial peptides important in combating bacterial fish pathogens. The present investigation centers on the molecular and functional characterization of CsDef, a 63-amino acid beta-defensin antimicrobial peptide derived from snakehead murrel (Channa striata). The physicochemical attributes of CsDef align with the distinctive characteristics observed in AMPs. CsDef was recombinantly produced, and the recombinant peptide, rCsDef, exhibited notable antibacterial efficacy against bacterial fish pathogens with an MIC of 16 μM for V. proteolyticus. A. hydrophila exhibited 91% inhibition, E. tarda 92%, and V. harveyi 53% at 32 μM of rCsDef. The rCsDef exhibited a multifaceted mechanism of action against bacteria, i.e., through membrane depolarization, membrane permeabilization, and generation of ROS. The rCsDef was non-hemolytic to hRBCs and non-cytotoxic to normal mammalian cell line CHO-K1. However, it exhibited anticancer properties in MCF-7. rCsDef demonstrated notable stability with respect to pH, temperature, salt, metal ions, and proteases. These findings suggest it is a potential candidate molecule for prospective applications in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- P P Athira
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - V V Anooja
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - M V Anju
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - K Archana
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - S Neelima
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - S Muhammed Musthafa
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - I S Bright Singh
- National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - Rosamma Philip
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India.
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5
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Brango-Vanegas J, Leite ML, Macedo MLR, Cardoso MH, Franco OL. Capping motifs in antimicrobial peptides and their relevance for improved biological activities. Front Chem 2024; 12:1382954. [PMID: 38873409 PMCID: PMC11169826 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1382954] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
N-capping (N-cap) and C-capping (C-cap) in biologically active peptides, including specific amino acids or unconventional group motifs, have been shown to modulate activity against pharmacological targets by interfering with the peptide's secondary structure, thus generating unusual scaffolds. The insertion of capping motifs in linear peptides has been shown to prevent peptide degradation by reducing its susceptibility to proteolytic cleavage, and the replacement of some functional groups by unusual groups in N- or C-capping regions in linear peptides has led to optimized peptide variants with improved secondary structure and enhanced activity. Furthermore, some essential amino acid residues that, when placed in antimicrobial peptide (AMP) capping regions, are capable of complexing metals such as Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+, give rise to the family known as metallo-AMPs, which are capable of boosting antimicrobial efficacy, as well as other activities. Therefore, this review presents and discusses the different strategies for creating N- and C-cap motifs in AMPs, aiming at fine-tuning this class of antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Brango-Vanegas
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Michel Lopes Leite
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Maria L. R. Macedo
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Marlon H. Cardoso
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
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6
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Orozco RMQ, Oshiro KGN, Pinto IB, Buccini DF, Almeida CV, Marin VN, de Souza CM, Macedo MLR, Cardoso MH, Franco OL. Employment of mastoparan-like peptides to prevent Staphylococcus aureus associated with bovine mastitis. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0007124. [PMID: 38629875 PMCID: PMC11112992 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00071-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Bovine mastitis is a frequent infection in lactating cattle, causing great economic losses. Staphylococcus aureus represents the main etiological agent, which causes recurrent and persistent intramammary infections because conventional antibiotics are ineffective against it. Mastoparan-like peptides are multifunctional molecules with broad antimicrobial potential, constituting an attractive alternative. Nevertheless, their toxicity to host cells has hindered their therapeutic application. Previously, our group engineered three mastoparan-L analogs, namely mastoparan-MO, mastoparan-R1, and [I5, R8] MP, to improve cell selectivity and potential. Here, we were interested in comparing the antibacterial efficacy of mastoparan-L and its analogs against bovine mastitis isolates of S. aureus strains, making a correlation with the physicochemical properties and structural arrangement changes promoted by the sequence modifications. As a result, the analog's hemolytic and/or antimicrobial activity was balanced. All the peptides displayed α-helical folding in hydrophobic and membrane-mimetic environments, as determined by circular dichroism. The peptide [I5, R8] MP stood out for its enhanced selectivity and antibacterial features related to mastoparan-L and the other derivatives. Biophysical approaches revealed that [I5, R8] MP rapidly depolarizes the bacterial membrane of S. aureus, causing cell death by subsequent membrane disruption. Our results demonstrated that the [I5, R8] MP peptide could be a starting point for the development of peptide-based drugs for the treatment of bovine mastitis, with the advantage of no residue in milk, which would help reduce the use of classical antibiotics.IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of mastitis, the world's most important dairy cattle disease. The multidrug resistance and zoonotic potential of S. aureus, besides the likelihood of antibiotic residues in milk, are of critical concern to public and animal health. Antimicrobial peptides offer a novel antimicrobial strategy. Here, we demonstrate that [I5, R8] MP is a potent and selective peptide, which acts on S. aureus by targeting the bacterial membrane. Therefore, understanding the physicochemical determinants and the modes of action of this class of antimicrobials opens novel prospects for peptide development with enhanced activities in the bovine mastitis context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel M. Q. Orozco
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Karen G. N. Oshiro
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Ingrid B. Pinto
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformações de Moléculas Orgânicas, Instituo de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Danieli F. Buccini
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Claudiane V. Almeida
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Valentina Nieto Marin
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Camila Maurmann de Souza
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Maria L. R. Macedo
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Marlon H. Cardoso
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Octávio L. Franco
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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7
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Tran DVH, Luong HX, Kim DH, Lee BJ, Kim YW. Lysine-homologue substitution: Impact on antimicrobial activity and proteolytic stability of cationic stapled heptapeptides. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 106:117735. [PMID: 38714021 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Numerous natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit a cationic amphipathic helical conformation, wherein cationic amino acids, such as lysine and arginine, play pivotal roles in antimicrobial activity by aiding initial attraction to negatively charged bacterial membranes. Expanding on our previous work, which introduced a de novo design of amphipathic helices within cationic heptapeptides using an 'all-hydrocarbon peptide stapling' approach, we investigated the impact of lysine-homologue substitution on helix formation, antimicrobial activity, hemolytic activity, and proteolytic stability of these novel AMPs. Our results demonstrate that substituting lysine with ornithine enhances both the antimicrobial activity and proteolytic stability of the stapled heptapeptide AMP series, while maintaining low hemolytic activity. This finding underscores lysine-homologue substitution as a valuable strategy for optimizing the therapeutic potential of diverse cationic AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc V H Tran
- College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang 10326, Republic of Korea; Intergrated Research Institute for Drug Development, College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Huy X Luong
- College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang 10326, Republic of Korea; Intergrated Research Institute for Drug Development, College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Do-Hee Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong-Jin Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Woo Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang 10326, Republic of Korea; Intergrated Research Institute for Drug Development, College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang 10326, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Kumar M, Kumar D, Kumar D, Garg Y, Chopra S, Bhatia A. Therapeutic Potential of Nanocarrier Mediated Delivery of Peptides for Wound Healing: Current Status, Challenges and Future Prospective. AAPS PharmSciTech 2024; 25:108. [PMID: 38730090 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-024-02827-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Wound healing presents a complex physiological process that involves a sequence of events orchestrated by various cellular and molecular mechanisms. In recent years, there has been growing interest in leveraging nanomaterials and peptides to enhance wound healing outcomes. Nanocarriers offer unique properties such as high surface area-to-volume ratio, tunable physicochemical characteristics, and the ability to deliver therapeutic agents in a controlled manner. Similarly, peptides, with their diverse biological activities and low immunogenicity, hold great promise as therapeutics in wound healing applications. In this review, authors explore the potential of peptides as bioactive components in wound healing formulations, focusing on their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and pro-regenerative properties. Despite the significant progress made in this field, several challenges remain, including the need for standardized characterization methods, optimization of biocompatibility and safety profiles, and translation from bench to bedside. Furthermore, developing multifunctional nanomaterial-peptide hybrid systems represents promising avenues for future research. Overall, the integration of nanomaterials made up of natural or synthetic polymers with peptide-based formulations holds tremendous therapeutic potential in advancing the field of wound healing and improving clinical outcomes for patients with acute and chronic wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, 151001, Punjab, India
| | - Dikshant Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, 151001, Punjab, India
| | - Devesh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, 151001, Punjab, India
| | - Yogesh Garg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, 151001, Punjab, India
| | - Shruti Chopra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, 151001, Punjab, India
| | - Amit Bhatia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, 151001, Punjab, India.
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9
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Shaban S, Patel M, Ahmad A. Antifungal activity of human antimicrobial peptides targeting apoptosis in Candida auris. J Med Microbiol 2024; 73. [PMID: 38743468 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001835] [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: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Innovative antifungal therapies are of crucial importance to combat the potentially life-threatening infections linked to the multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris. Induction of regulated cell death, apoptosis, could provide an outline for future therapeutics. Human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), well-known antifungal compounds, have shown the ability to induce apoptosis in pathogenic fungi.Hypothesis/Gap Statement . Although it is known that AMPs possess antifungal activity against C. auris, their ability to induce apoptosis requires further investigations.Aim. This study evaluated the effects of AMPs on the induction of apoptosis in C. auris.Methods. Human neutrophil peptide-1 (HNP-1), human β-Defensins-3 (hBD-3) and human salivary histatin 5 (His 5) were assessed against two clinical C. auris isolates. Apoptosis hallmarks were examined using FITC-Annexin V/PI double labelling assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick-end labelling (TUNEL) to detect phosphatidylserine externalization and DNA fragmentation, respectively. Then, several intracellular triggers were studied using JC-10 staining, spectrophotometric assay and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate staining to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome-c release and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, respectively.Results and conclusion. FITC-Annexin V/PI staining and TUNEL analysis revealed that exposure of C. auris cells to HNP-1 and hBD-3 triggered both early and late apoptosis, while His 5 caused significant necrosis. Furthermore, HNP-1 and hBD-3 induced significant mitochondrial membrane depolarization, which resulted in substantial cytochrome c release. In contrast to His 5, which showed minimal mitochondrial depolarization and no cytochrome c release. At last, all peptides significantly increased ROS production, which is related to both types of cell death. Therefore, these peptides represent promising and effective antifungal agents for treating invasive infections caused by multidrug-resistant C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siham Shaban
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Mrudula Patel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
- Division of Infection Control, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Aijaz Ahmad
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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10
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Berglin M, Cavanagh JP, Caous JS, Thakkar BS, Vasquez JM, Stensen W, Lyvén B, Svendsen JS, Svenson J. Flexible and Biocompatible Antifouling Polyurethane Surfaces Incorporating Tethered Antimicrobial Peptides through Click Reactions. Macromol Biosci 2024; 24:e2300425. [PMID: 38009664 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300425] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Efficient, simple antibacterial materials to combat implant-associated infections are much in demand. Herein, the development of polyurethanes, both cross-linked thermoset and flexible and versatile thermoplastic, suitable for "click on demand" attachment of antibacterial compounds enabled via incorporation of an alkyne-containing diol monomer in the polymer backbone, is described. By employing different polyolic polytetrahydrofurans, isocyanates, and chain extenders, a robust and flexible material comparable to commercial thermoplastic polyurethane is prepared. A series of short synthetic antimicrobial peptides are designed, synthesized, and covalently attached in a single coupling step to generate a homogenous coating. The lead material is shown to be biocompatible and does not display any toxicity against either mouse fibroblasts or reconstructed human epidermis according to ISO and OECD guidelines. The repelling performance of the peptide-coated materials is illustrated against colonization and biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis on coated plastic films and finally, on coated commercial central venous catheters employing LIVE/DEAD staining, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and bacterial counts. This study presents the successful development of a versatile and scalable polyurethane with the potential for use in the medical field to reduce the impact of bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattias Berglin
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, 413 90, Sweden
| | - Jorunn Pauline Cavanagh
- Amicoat A/S, Oslo Science Park, Oslo, 1386, Norway
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Josefin Seth Caous
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
| | | | - Jeddah Marie Vasquez
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
| | - Wenche Stensen
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Benny Lyvén
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
| | - John-Sigurd Svendsen
- Amicoat A/S, Oslo Science Park, Oslo, 1386, Norway
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Johan Svenson
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
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11
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Hansson A, Karlsen EA, Stensen W, Svendsen JSM, Berglin M, Lundgren A. Preventing E. coli Biofilm Formation with Antimicrobial Peptide-Functionalized Surface Coatings: Recognizing the Dependence on the Bacterial Binding Mode Using Live-Cell Microscopy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:6799-6812. [PMID: 38294883 PMCID: PMC10875647 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can kill bacteria by destabilizing their membranes, yet translating these molecules' properties into a covalently attached antibacterial coating is challenging. Rational design efforts are obstructed by the fact that standard microbiology methods are ill-designed for the evaluation of coatings, disclosing few details about why grafted AMPs function or do not function. It is particularly difficult to distinguish the influence of the AMP's molecular structure from other factors controlling the total exposure, including which type of bonds are formed between bacteria and the coating and how persistent these contacts are. Here, we combine label-free live-cell microscopy, microfluidics, and automated image analysis to study the response of surface-bound Escherichia coli challenged by the same small AMP either in solution or grafted to the surface through click chemistry. Initially after binding, the grafted AMPs inhibited bacterial growth more efficiently than did AMPs in solution. Yet, after 1 h, E. coli on the coated surfaces increased their expression of type-1 fimbriae, leading to a change in their binding mode, which diminished the coating's impact. The wealth of information obtained from continuously monitoring the growth, shape, and movements of single bacterial cells allowed us to elucidate and quantify the different factors determining the antibacterial efficacy of the grafted AMPs. We expect this approach to aid the design of elaborate antibacterial material coatings working by specific and selective actions, not limited to contact-killing. This technology is needed to support health care and food production in the postantibiotic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Hansson
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
- Department
of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research
Institutes of Sweden, Borås 50115, Sweden
| | - Eskil André Karlsen
- Amicoat
A/S, Sykehusvegen 23, Tromsø 9019, Norway
- Department
of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University
of Norway, Tromsø 9037, Norway
| | - Wenche Stensen
- Department
of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University
of Norway, Tromsø 9037, Norway
| | - John S. M. Svendsen
- Amicoat
A/S, Sykehusvegen 23, Tromsø 9019, Norway
- Department
of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University
of Norway, Tromsø 9037, Norway
| | - Mattias Berglin
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
- Department
of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research
Institutes of Sweden, Borås 50115, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundgren
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
- Centre
for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41346, Sweden
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12
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Kim EY, Kumar SD, Bang JK, Ajish C, Yang S, Ganbaatar B, Kim J, Lee CW, Cho SJ, Shin SY. Evaluation of deoxythymidine-based cationic amphiphiles as antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory agents. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2023; 62:106909. [PMID: 37419291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.106909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We recently designed a series of cationic deoxythymidine-based amphiphiles that mimic the cationic amphipathic structure of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Among these amphiphiles, ADG-2e and ADL-3e displayed the highest selectivity against bacterial cells. In this study, ADG-2e and ADL-3e were evaluated for their potential as novel classes of antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory agents. METHODS Minimum inhibitory concentrations of ADG-2e and ADL-3e against bacteria were determined using the broth microdilution method. Proteolytic resistance against pepsin, trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and proteinase K was determined by radial diffusion and HPLC analysis. Biofilm activity was investigated using the broth microdilution and confocal microscopy. The antimicrobial mechanism was investigated by membrane depolarization, cell membrane integrity analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), genomic DNA influence and genomic DNA binding assay. Synergistic activity was evaluated using checkerboard method. Anti-inflammatory activity was investigated using ELISA and RT-PCR. RESULTS ADG-2e and ADL-3e showed good resistance to physiological salts and human serum, and a low incidence of drug resistance. Moreover, they exhibit proteolytic resistance against pepsin, trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and proteinase K. ADG-2e and ADL-3e were found to kill bacteria by an intracellular target mechanism and bacterial cell membrane-disrupting mechanism, respectively. Furthermore, ADG-2e and ADL-3e showed effective synergistic effects when combined with several conventional antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA). Importantly, ADG-2e and ADL-3e not only suppressed MDRPA biofilm formation but also effectively eradicated mature MDRPA biofilms. Furthermore, ADG-2e and ADL-3e drastically decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene expression and protein secretion in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages, implying potent anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-induced inflammation. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that ADG-2e and ADL-3e could be further developed as novel antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory agents to combat bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Young Kim
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - S Dinesh Kumar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Kyu Bang
- Division of Magnetic Resonance, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Ochang, Chung Buk, Republic of Korea
| | - Chelladurai Ajish
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungtae Yang
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jeongeun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Chul Won Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Jin Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea.
| | - Song Yub Shin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
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13
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Melcrová A, Maity S, Melcr J, de Kok NAW, Gabler M, van der Eyden J, Stensen W, Svendsen JSM, Driessen AJM, Marrink SJ, Roos WH. Lateral membrane organization as target of an antimicrobial peptidomimetic compound. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4038. [PMID: 37419980 PMCID: PMC10328936 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39726-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the leading concerns in medical care. Here we study the mechanism of action of an antimicrobial cationic tripeptide, AMC-109, by combining high speed-atomic force microscopy, molecular dynamics, fluorescence assays, and lipidomic analysis. We show that AMC-109 activity on negatively charged membranes derived from Staphylococcus aureus consists of two crucial steps. First, AMC-109 self-assembles into stable aggregates consisting of a hydrophobic core and a cationic surface, with specificity for negatively charged membranes. Second, upon incorporation into the membrane, individual peptides insert into the outer monolayer, affecting lateral membrane organization and dissolving membrane nanodomains, without forming pores. We propose that membrane domain dissolution triggered by AMC-109 may affect crucial functions such as protein sorting and cell wall synthesis. Our results indicate that the AMC-109 mode of action resembles that of the disinfectant benzalkonium chloride (BAK), but with enhanced selectivity for bacterial membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adéla Melcrová
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sourav Maity
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Josef Melcr
- Molecular Dynamics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Niels A W de Kok
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Mariella Gabler
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jonne van der Eyden
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wenche Stensen
- Department of Chemistry, UiT Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - John S M Svendsen
- Department of Chemistry, UiT Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Arnold J M Driessen
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Molecular Dynamics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter H Roos
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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14
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Craig A, Ermolovich Y, Cameron A, Rodler A, Wang H, Hawkes JA, Hubert M, Björkling F, Molchanova N, Brimble MA, Moodie LWK, Svenson J. Antimicrobial Peptides Incorporating Halogenated Marine-Derived Amino Acid Substituents. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:802-809. [PMID: 37312845 PMCID: PMC10258904 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Small synthetic mimics of cationic antimicrobial peptides represent a promising class of compounds with leads in clinical development for the treatment of persistent microbial infections. The activity and selectivity of these compounds rely on a balance between hydrophobic and cationic components, and here, we explore the activity of 19 linear cationic tripeptides against five different pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including clinical isolates. The compounds incorporated modified hydrophobic amino acids inspired by motifs often found in bioactive marine secondary metabolites in combination with different cationic residues to probe the possibility of generating active compounds with improved safety profiles. Several of the compounds displayed high activity (low μM concentrations), comparable with the positive controls AMC-109, amoxicillin, and amphotericin B. A higher activity was observed against the fungal strains, and a low in vitro off-target toxicity was observed against erythrocytes and HeLa cells, thereby illustrating effective means for tuning the activity and selectivity of short antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander
J. Craig
- Drug
Design and Discovery, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Biomedical
Centre, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
- Analytical
Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yuri Ermolovich
- Department
of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University
of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alan Cameron
- School
of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Agnes Rodler
- Department
of Pharmacy, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala
University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helen Wang
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey A. Hawkes
- Analytical
Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Madlen Hubert
- Department
of Pharmacy, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala
University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Björkling
- Department
of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University
of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Natalia Molchanova
- The
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Margaret A. Brimble
- School
of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Lindon W. K. Moodie
- Drug
Design and Discovery, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Biomedical
Centre, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
- Uppsala
Antibiotic Centre, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala
University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Svenson
- Cawthron
Institute, 98 Halifax Street East, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
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15
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Grant TM, Rennison D, Arabshahi HJ, Brimble MA, Cahill P, Svenson J. Effect of regio- and stereoisomerism on antifouling 2,5-diketopiperazines. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:9431-9446. [PMID: 36408605 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob01864k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Marine biofouling is a problem that plagues all maritime industries at vast economic and environmental cost. Previous and current methods to prevent biofouling have employed the use of heavy metals and other toxic or highly persistent chemicals, and these methods are now coming under immense regulatory pressure. Recent studies have illustrated the potential of nature-inspired tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines (2,5-DKPs) as eco-friendly marine biocides for biofouling control. These highly active symmetrically substituted 2,5-DKPs can be generated by combining structural motifs from cationic innate defence peptides and natural marine antifoulants. A balance between a threshold hydrophobic contribution and sufficient cationic charge has been established as key for bioactivity, and our current study further increases understanding of the antifouling mechanism by investigating the effect of both regio- and stereochemistry. Novel synthetic routes for the generation of unsymmetrical 2,5-DKPs were developed and a library of nine compounds was prepared. The compounds were screened against a series of four model macrofouling organisms (Ciona savignyi, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Spirobranchus cariniferus, and Undaria pinnatifida). Several of the evaluated compounds displayed inhibitory activity at sub-micromolar concentrations. The structural contributions to antifouling bioactivity were studied using NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling, revealing a strong dependence on a stable amphiphilic solution structure regardless of substitution pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Grant
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - David Rennison
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Homayon J Arabshahi
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Margaret A Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Patrick Cahill
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street, Nelson, New Zealand.
| | - Johan Svenson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street, Nelson, New Zealand.
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16
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Deo S, Turton KL, Kainth T, Kumar A, Wieden HJ. Strategies for improving antimicrobial peptide production. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107968. [PMID: 35489657 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in a wide range of animal, insect, and plant species are host defense peptides forming an integral part of their innate immunity. Although the exact mode of action of some AMPs is yet to be deciphered, many exhibit membrane lytic activity or interact with intracellular targets. The ever-growing threat of antibiotic resistance has brought attention to research on AMPs to enhance their clinical use as a therapeutic alternative. AMPs have several advantages over antibiotics such as broad range of antimicrobial activities including anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial, and have not reported to contribute to resistance development. Despite the numerous studies to develop efficient production methods for AMPs, limitations including low yield, degradation, and loss of activity persists in many recombinant approaches. In this review, we outline available approaches for AMP production and various expression systems used to achieve higher yield and quality. In addition, recent advances in recombinant strategies, suitable fusion protein partners, and other molecular engineering strategies for improved AMP production are surveyed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Deo
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Kristi L Turton
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Dr. W., Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Tajinder Kainth
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Ayush Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Hans-Joachim Wieden
- Department of Microbiology, Buller building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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17
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Majura JJ, Cao W, Chen Z, Htwe KK, Li W, Du R, Zhang P, Zheng H, Gao J. The current research status and strategies employed to modify food-derived bioactive peptides. Front Nutr 2022; 9:950823. [PMID: 36118740 PMCID: PMC9479208 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.950823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of bioactive peptides to exert biological functions has mainly contributed to their exploitation. The exploitation and utilization of these peptides have grown tremendously over the past two decades. Food-derived peptides from sources such as plant, animal, and marine proteins and their byproducts constitute a more significant portion of the naturally-occurring peptides that have been documented. Due to their high specificity and biocompatibility, these peptides serve as a suitable alternative to pharmacological drugs for treating non-communicable diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and cancer). They are helpful as food preservatives, ingredients in functional foods, and dietary supplements in the food sector. Despite their unique features, the application of these peptides in the clinical and food sector is to some extent hindered by their inherent drawbacks such as toxicity, bitterness, instability, and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. Several strategies have been employed to eliminate or reduce the disadvantages of peptides, thus enhancing the peptide bioactivity and broadening the opportunities for their applications. This review article focuses on the current research status of various bioactive peptides and the strategies that have been implemented to overcome their disadvantages. It will also highlight future perspectives regarding the possible improvements to be made for the development of bioactive peptides with practical uses and their commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieth Joram Majura
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Wenhong Cao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
| | - Zhongqin Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
| | - Kyi Kyi Htwe
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Wan Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Ran Du
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Pei Zhang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Huina Zheng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
| | - Jialong Gao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
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18
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Bhat RAH, Thakuria D, Tandel RS, Khangembam VC, Dash P, Tripathi G, Sarma D. Tools and techniques for rational designing of antimicrobial peptides for aquaculture. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 127:1033-1050. [PMID: 35872334 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.07.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fisheries and aquaculture industries remain essential sources of food and nutrition for millions of people worldwide. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and posed a severe threat to public health. Researchers have opined that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be the best possible alternative to curb the rising tide of antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture. AMPs may also help to achieve the objectives of one health approach. The natural AMPs are associated with several shortcomings, like less in vivo stability, toxicity to host cell, high cost of production and low potency in a biological system. In this review, we have provided a comprehensive outline about the strategies for designing synthetic mimics of natural AMPs with high potency. Moreover, the freely available AMP databases and the information about the molecular docking tools are enlisted. We also provided in silico template for rationally designing the AMPs from fish piscidins or other peptides. The rationally designed piscidin (rP1 and rp2) may be used to tackle microbial infections in aquaculture. Further, the protocol can be used to develop the truncated mimics of natural AMPs having more potency and protease stability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dimpal Thakuria
- ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, 263136, Uttarakhand, India
| | | | - Victoria C Khangembam
- ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, 263136, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Pragyan Dash
- ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, 263136, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Gayatri Tripathi
- ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, 400061, Maharashtra, India
| | - Debajit Sarma
- ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, 263136, Uttarakhand, India
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19
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WIND-PVPA: Water/Ion NMR Detected PVPA to assess lipid barrier integrity in vitro through quantification of passive water- and ion transport. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:183911. [PMID: 35331693 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.183911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Water/Ion NMR Detected - Phospholipid Vesicle Permeability Assay (WIND-PVPA), is presented as a novel, straightforward and automatable method to assess lipid barrier integrity in vitro. The apparent permeability constants of water- and ions across the PVPA barriers are determined in a one-pot experiment under the influence of membrane-active guest molecules. NMR spectroscopy is used to quantify the water directly (D2O) and the ions indirectly (complexed with EDTA) as a function of time. WIND-PVPA is demonstrated using four anti-microbial peptides, to show that membrane active molecules can be differentiated by their disruptive influence on the PVPA system. The results obtained are compared with explicit molecular dynamics simulations of lipid bilayers, AMPs, water and salt, where the motions of all individual water molecules relative to the lipid bilayer are monitored over the course of the simulations, allowing the calculation of theoretical apparent permeability constants of the corresponding single bilayer systems. Proof-of-principle is presented that WIND-PVPA can be used to evaluate the lipid barrier destabilizing effect of active guest molecules by measuring changes in passive water- and ion permeabilities upon exposure. The method is highly flexible in terms of barrier composition, choice of probes and membrane active compounds.
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20
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Svenson J, Molchanova N, Schroeder CI. Antimicrobial Peptide Mimics for Clinical Use: Does Size Matter? Front Immunol 2022; 13:915368. [PMID: 35720375 PMCID: PMC9204644 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.915368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for efficient antimicrobial therapies that can alleviate suffering caused by infections from resistant bacteria is more urgent than ever before. Infections caused by multi-resistant pathogens represent a significant and increasing burden to healthcare and society and researcher are investigating new classes of bioactive compounds to slow down this development. Antimicrobial peptides from the innate immune system represent one promising class that offers a potential solution to the antibiotic resistance problem due to their mode of action on the microbial membranes. However, challenges associated with pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and off-target toxicity are slowing down the advancement and use of innate defensive peptides. Improving the therapeutic properties of these peptides is a strategy for reducing the clinical limitations and synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides are emerging as a promising class of molecules for a variety of antimicrobial applications. These compounds can be made significantly shorter while maintaining, or even improving antimicrobial properties, and several downsized synthetic mimics are now in clinical development for a range of infectious diseases. A variety of strategies can be employed to prepare these small compounds and this review describes the different compounds developed to date by adhering to a minimum pharmacophore based on an amphiphilic balance between cationic charge and hydrophobicity. These compounds can be made as small as dipeptides, circumventing the need for large compounds with elaborate three-dimensional structures to generate simplified and potent antimicrobial mimics for a range of medical applications. This review highlight key and recent development in the field of small antimicrobial peptide mimics as a promising class of antimicrobials, illustrating just how small you can go.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Molchanova
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Christina I. Schroeder
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, United States
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21
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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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22
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Grant TM, Rennison D, Krause AL, Mros S, Ferguson SA, Cook GM, Cameron A, Arabshahi HJ, Brimble MA, Cahill P, Svenson J. Stereochemical Effects on the Antimicrobial Properties of Tetrasubstituted 2,5-Diketopiperazines. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:632-640. [PMID: 35450374 PMCID: PMC9014430 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial drug resistance is a looming health crisis facing us in the modern era, and new drugs are urgently needed to combat this growing problem. Synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides have recently emerged as a promising class of compounds for the treatment of persistent microbial infections. In the current study, we investigate five cyclic N-alkylated amphiphilic 2,5-diketopiperazines against 15 different strains of bacteria and fungi, including drug-resistant clinical isolates. Several of the 2,5-diketopiperazines displayed activities similar or superior to antibiotics currently in clinical use, with activities coupled to both the cationic and hydrophobic substituents. All possible stereoisomers of the lead peptide were prepared, and the effects of stereochemistry and amphiphilicity were investigated via 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, solution dynamics, and membrane interaction modeling. Clear differences in solution structures and membrane interaction potentials explain the differences seen in the bioactivity and physicochemical properties of each stereoisomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Grant
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - David Rennison
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Alexandra L. Krause
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Sonya Mros
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Scott A. Ferguson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Gregory M. Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Alan Cameron
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Homayon J. Arabshahi
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Margaret A. Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Patrick Cahill
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
| | - Johan Svenson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
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23
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Dahal A, Parajuli P, Singh SS, Shrestha L, Sonju JJ, Shrestha P, Chatzistamou I, Jois S. Targeting protein–protein interaction for immunomodulation: A sunflower trypsin inhibitor analog peptidomimetic suppresses RA progression in CIA model. J Pharmacol Sci 2022; 149:124-138. [PMID: 35641025 PMCID: PMC9208026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein–protein interactions (PPI) of co-stimulatory molecules CD2-CD58 are important in the early stage of an immune response, and increased expression of these co-stimulatory molecules is observed in the synovial region of joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. A CD2 epitope region that binds to CD58 was grafted on to sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI) template structure to inhibit CD2-CD58 PPI. The peptide was incorporated with an organic moiety dibenzofuran (DBF) in its structure. The designed peptidomimetic was studied for its ability to inhibit CD2-CD58 interactions in vitro, and its thermal and enzymatic stability was evaluated. Stability studies indicated that the grafted peptidomimetic was stable against trypsin cleavage. In vivo studies using the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model in mice indicated that the peptidomimetic was able to slow down the progress of arthritis, an autoimmune disease in the mice model. These studies suggest that with the grafting of organic functional groups in the stable peptide template SFTI stabilizes the peptide structure, and these peptides can be used as a template to design stable peptides for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achyut Dahal
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA, 71201, USA
| | - Pravin Parajuli
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA, 71201, USA
| | - Sitanshu S Singh
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA, 71201, USA
| | - Leeza Shrestha
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA, 71201, USA
| | - Jafrin Jobayer Sonju
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA, 71201, USA
| | - Prajesh Shrestha
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA, 71201, USA
| | - Ioulia Chatzistamou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (PMI), School of Medicine, USC, SC 6439 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Seetharama Jois
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA, 71201, USA.
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24
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Bhat RAH, Khangembam VC, Thakuria D, Pant V, Tandel RS, Tripathi G, Sarma D. Antimicrobial Activity of an Artificially Designed Peptide Against Fish Pathogens. Microbiol Res 2022; 260:127039. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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25
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Grant TM, Rennison D, Cervin G, Pavia H, Hellio C, Foulon V, Brimble MA, Cahill P, Svenson J. Towards eco-friendly marine antifouling biocides - Nature inspired tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 812:152487. [PMID: 34953845 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Marine biofouling plagues all maritime industries at vast economic and environmental cost. Previous and most current methods to control biofouling have employed highly persistent toxins and heavy metals, including tin, copper, and zinc. These toxic methods are resulting in unacceptable environmental harm and are coming under immense regulatory pressure. Eco-friendly alternatives are urgently required to effectively mitigate the negative consequence of biofouling without causing collateral harm. Amphiphilic micropeptides have recently been shown to exhibit excellent broad-spectrum antifouling activity, with a non-toxic mode of action and innate biodegradability. The present work focused on incorporating the pharmacophore derived from amphiphilic micropeptides into a 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP) scaffold. This privileged structure is present in a vast number of natural products, including marine natural product antifoulants, and provides advantages of synthetic accessibility and adaptability. A novel route to symmetrical tetrasubstituted DKPs was developed and a library of amphiphilic 2,5-DKPs were subsequently synthesised. These biodegradable compounds were demonstrated to be potent marine antifoulants displaying broad-spectrum activity in the low micromolar range against a range of common marine fouling organisms. The outcome of planned coating and field trials will dictate the future development of the lead compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Grant
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - David Rennison
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gunnar Cervin
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, SE-452 96 Strömstad, Sweden
| | - Henrik Pavia
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, SE-452 96 Strömstad, Sweden
| | - Claire Hellio
- Univ. Brest, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement MARin (LEMAR), CNRS, IRD, IFREMER, Brest 29285, France
| | - Valentin Foulon
- Univ. Brest, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement MARin (LEMAR), CNRS, IRD, IFREMER, Brest 29285, France
| | - Margaret A Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Patrick Cahill
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Johan Svenson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street, Nelson, New Zealand.
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26
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Wani NA, Stolovicki E, Hur DB, Shai Y. Site-Specific Isopeptide Bond Formation: A Powerful Tool for the Generation of Potent and Nontoxic Antimicrobial Peptides. J Med Chem 2022; 65:5085-5094. [PMID: 35290038 PMCID: PMC8958506 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have the potential to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. However, the clinical application of AMPs is prevented by their toxicity and poor proteolytic stability. Here, a site-specific approach is used to generate new AMPs to improve their efficacy against bacterial pathogens while reducing their toxicity. We modified and generated a new series of antimicrobial peptides from the leucine- and lysine-rich antimicrobial peptide Amp1L (LKLLKKLLKKLLKLL) by the site-specific incorporation of an isopeptide bond while retaining the peptide's size, sequence, charge, and molecular weight. This single bond switch provides the peptides with a weak helical conformation, strong antimicrobial activity, resistance to proteolytic degradation, low toxicity, and lower hemolytic activity. This new site-specific approach offers a powerful tool for developing potent and nontoxic antimicrobial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiem Ahmad Wani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Elad Stolovicki
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Daniel Ben Hur
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Yechiel Shai
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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27
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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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28
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Ma Y, Yao A, Chen X, Wang L, Ma C, Xi X, Chen T, Shaw C, Zhou M. Generation of truncated derivatives through in silico enzymatic digest of peptide GV30 target MRSA both in vitro and in vivo. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4984-4996. [PMID: 34584638 PMCID: PMC8441110 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.039] [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: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel host-defence peptide GV30 was identified from the frog skin secretion of Hylarana guentheri. Seven short AMPs were generated by in silico enzymatic digest of GV30 using an online proteomic bioinformatic tool PeptideCutter in ExPASy server. Two truncated products, GV23 and GV21, exhibited an improved antibacterial effect against MRSA in vitro and demonstrated a faster bactericidal effect than the parent peptide. GV 21 was found to have a better in vivo anti-MRSA activity and retain the good antibacterial activity under salt and serum conditions, along with lower toxicity.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causing serious hospital-acquired infections and skin infections has become a “superbug” in clinical treatment. Although the clinical treatment of MRSA is continuously improving, due to its unceasing global spread, MRSA has produced much heated discussion and focused study, therefore suggesting an urgent task to find new antibacterial drugs to combat this issue. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are used as the last-resort drugs for treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, but their utilisation is still limited due to their low stability and often strong toxicity. Here, we evaluated the structure and the bioactivity of an AMP, GV30, derived from the frog skin secretions of Hylarana guentheri, and designed seven truncated derivatives based on the presence of cleavage sites for trypsin using an online proteomic bioinformatic resource PeptideCutter tool. We investigated the anti-MRSA effect, toxicity and salt- and serum-resistance of these peptides. Interestingly, the structure–activity relationship revealed that removing “Rana box” loop could significantly improve the bactericidal speed on MRSA. Among these derivatives, GV21 (GVIFNALKGVAKTVAAQLLKK-NH2), because of its faster antibacterial effect, lower toxicity, and retains the good antibacterial activity and stability of the parent peptide, is considered to become a new potential antibacterial candidate against MRSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxue Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Aifang Yao
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Xinping Xi
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
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29
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Wani NA, Ben Hur D, Kapach G, Stolovicki E, Rotem E, Shai Y. Switching Bond: Generation of New Antimicrobial Peptides via the Incorporation of an Intramolecular Isopeptide Bond. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1702-1712. [PMID: 34043312 PMCID: PMC8634383 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which
can be modified to kill a
broad spectrum of microoganisms or a specific microorganism, are considered
as promising alternatives to combat the rapidly widespread, resistant
bacterial infections. However, there are still several obstacles to
overcome. These include toxicity, stability, and the ability to interfere
with the immune response and bacterial resistance. To overcome these
challenges, we herein replaced the regular peptide bonds with isopeptide
bonds to produce new AMPs based on the well-known synthetic peptides
Amp1L and MSI-78 (pexiganan). Two new peptides Amp1EP and MSIEP were
generated while retaining properties such as size, sequence, charge,
and molecular weight. These new peptides have reduced toxicity toward
murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) cells, human monocytic (THP-1) cells,
and human red blood cells (hRBCs) and enhanced the stability toward
proteolytic degradation. Importantly, the new peptides do not repress
the pro-inflammatory cytokine and hence should not modulate the immune
response. Structurally, the new peptides, Amp1EP and MSIEP, have a
structure of random coils in contrast to the helical structures of
the parental peptides as revealed by circular dichroism (CD) analysis.
Their mode of action, assessed by flow cytometry, includes permeabilization
of the bacterial membrane. Overall, we present here a new approach
to modulate AMPs to develop antimicrobial peptides for future therapeutic
purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiem Ahmad Wani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Daniel Ben Hur
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gal Kapach
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Elad Stolovicki
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Etai Rotem
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Yechiel Shai
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Potent Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Feleucin-K3 Analogs Modified by α-(4-Pentenyl)-Ala against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11050761. [PMID: 34069651 PMCID: PMC8160793 DOI: 10.3390/biom11050761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The dramatic increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) highlights an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial therapies. Thus, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising novel antibiotic alternatives. Feleucin-K3 is an amphiphilic α-helical nonapeptide that has powerful antimicrobial activity. In our previous study, it was found that the fourth residue of Feleucin-K3 is important for antimicrobial activity. After α-(4-pentenyl)-Ala was introduced into this position, both the antimicrobial activity and stability were greatly improved. Herein, to improve the limitations of Feleucin-K3, this unnatural amino acid was further introduced into different positions of Feleucin-K3. Among these synthetic Feleucin-K3 analogs, the N-terminal-substituted analog Feleucin-K65 (K65) and C-terminal-substituted analog Feleucin-K70 (K70) had preferable antimicrobial activity. In particular, their antimicrobial activities against multidrug-resistant bacteria were more potent than that of antibiotics. The stabilities of these peptides in salt and serum environments were improved compared with those of Feleucin-K3. In addition, these analogs had low hemolytic activity and AMR. More importantly, they effectively inhibited biofilm formation and exhibited considerable efficacy compared with traditional antibiotics against biofilm infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In antimicrobial mechanism studies, K65 and K70 mainly permeated the outer membrane and depolarized the cytoplasmic membrane, resulting in cellular component leakage and cell death. In summary, analogs K65 and K70 are potential antimicrobial alternatives to solve the antibiotic crisis.
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Håkansson J, Cavanagh JP, Stensen W, Mortensen B, Svendsen JS, Svenson J. In vitro and in vivo antibacterial properties of peptide AMC-109 impregnated wound dressings and gels. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 2021; 74:337-345. [PMID: 33495549 DOI: 10.1038/s41429-021-00406-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a promising class of molecules for a variety of antimicrobial applications. Several hurdles must be passed before effective systemic infection therapies with AMPs can be achieved, but the path to effective topical treatment of skin, nail, and soft tissue infections appears less challenging to navigate. Skin and soft tissue infection is closely coupled to the emergence of antibiotic resistance and represents a major burden to the healthcare system. The present study evaluates the promising synthetic cationic AMP mimic, AMC-109, for treatment of skin infections in vivo. The compound is evaluated both in impregnated cotton wound dressings and in a gel formulation against skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant S. aureus. Both the ability to prevent colonization and formation of an infection, as well as eradicate an ongoing infection in vivo with a high bacterial load, were evaluated. The present work demonstrates that AMC-109 displays a significantly higher antibacterial activity with up to a seven-log reduction in bacterial loads compared to current clinical standard therapy; Altargo cream (1% retapamulin) and Fucidin cream (2% fusidic acid) in the in vivo wound models. It is thus concluded that AMC-109 represents a promising entry in the development of new and effective remedies for various skin infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joakim Håkansson
- Department of Chemistry, Biomaterial & Textile, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås, Sweden.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jorunn Pauline Cavanagh
- Amicoat A/S, Sandvika, Norway.,Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Wenche Stensen
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - John-Sigurd Svendsen
- Amicoat A/S, Sandvika, Norway.,Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Johan Svenson
- Department of Chemistry, Biomaterial & Textile, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås, Sweden. .,Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand.
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32
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Wang C, Garlick S, Zloh M. Deep Learning for Novel Antimicrobial Peptide Design. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11030471. [PMID: 33810011 PMCID: PMC8004669 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing issue in healthcare as the overuse of antibacterial agents rises during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for new antibiotics is high, while the arsenal of available agents is decreasing, especially for the treatment of infections by Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are offering a promising route for novel antibiotic development and deep learning techniques can be utilised for successful AMP design. In this study, a long short-term memory (LSTM) generative model and a bidirectional LSTM classification model were constructed to design short novel AMP sequences with potential antibacterial activity against E. coli. Two versions of the generative model and six versions of the classification model were trained and optimised using Bayesian hyperparameter optimisation. These models were used to generate sets of short novel sequences that were classified as antimicrobial or non-antimicrobial. The validation accuracies of the classification models were 81.6–88.9% and the novel AMPs were classified as antimicrobial with accuracies of 70.6–91.7%. Predicted three-dimensional conformations of selected short AMPs exhibited the alpha-helical structure with amphipathic surfaces. This demonstrates that LSTMs are effective tools for generating novel AMPs against targeted bacteria and could be utilised in the search for new antibiotics leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Wang
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK;
| | - Sam Garlick
- Department of Computer Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK;
| | - Mire Zloh
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK;
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
- Correspondence:
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33
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Atefyekta S, Blomstrand E, Rajasekharan AK, Svensson S, Trobos M, Hong J, Webster TJ, Thomsen P, Andersson M. Antimicrobial Peptide-Functionalized Mesoporous Hydrogels. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:1693-1702. [PMID: 33719406 PMCID: PMC8153390 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are seen as a promising replacement to conventional antibiotics for the prevention of skin wound infections. However, due to the short half-life of AMPs in biological environments, such as blood, their use in clinical applications has been limited. The covalent immobilization of AMPs onto suitable substrates is an effective solution to create contact-killing surfaces with increased long-term stability. In this work, an antimicrobial peptide, RRPRPRPRPWWWW-NH2 (RRP9W4N), was covalently attached to amphiphilic and ordered mesoporous Pluronic F127 hydrogels made of cross-linked lyotropic liquid crystals through 1-ethyl-3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) chemistry. The AMP-hydrogels showed high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli for up to 24 h. Furthermore, the AMP-hydrogels did not present any toxicity to human fibroblasts. The AMPs retained their antimicrobial activity up to 48 h in human blood serum, which is a significant increase in stability compared to when used in dissolved state. A pilot in vivo rat model showed 10-100× less viable counts of S. aureus on AMP-hydrogels compared with control hydrogels during the first 3 days of infection. Studies performed on human whole blood showed that blood coagulated more readily in the presence of AMP-hydrogels as compared to hydrogels without AMPs, indicating potential hemostatic activity. Overall, the results suggest that the combination of amphiphilic hydrogels with covalently bonded AMPs has potential to be used as antibacterial wound dressing material to reduce infections and promote hemostatic activity as an alternative to antibiotics or other antimicrobial agents, whose use should be restricted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Atefyekta
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Edvin Blomstrand
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anand K Rajasekharan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sara Svensson
- Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Margarita Trobos
- Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Center for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jaan Hong
- Department of Immunology, Genetic and Pathology, Uppsala University, Rudbeck Laboratory C5, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thomas J Webster
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Peter Thomsen
- Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 412, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Martin Andersson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Improved Stability and Activity of a Marine Peptide-N6NH2 against Edwardsiella tarda and Its Preliminary Application in Fish. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18120650. [PMID: 33348729 PMCID: PMC7766155 DOI: 10.3390/md18120650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Edwardsiella tarda can cause fatal gastro-/extraintestinal diseases in fish and humans. Overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance and contamination in the environment, which highlights the need to find new antimicrobial agents. In this study, the marine peptide-N6 was amidated at its C-terminus to generate N6NH2. The antibacterial activity of N6 and N6NH2 against E. tarda was evaluated in vitro and in vivo; their stability, toxicity and mode of action were also determined. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of N6 and N6NH2 against E. tarda were 1.29–3.2 μM. Both N6 and N6NH2 killed bacteria by destroying the cell membrane of E. tarda and binding to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and genomic DNA. In contrast with N6, N6NH2 improved the stability toward trypsin, reduced hemolysis (by 0.19% at a concentration of 256 μg/mL) and enhanced the ability to penetrate the bacterial outer and inner membrane. In the model of fish peritonitis caused by E. tarda, superior to norfloxacin, N6NH2 improved the survival rate of fish, reduced the bacterial load on the organs, alleviated the organ injury and regulated the immunity of the liver and kidney. These data suggest that the marine peptide N6NH2 may be a candidate for novel antimicrobial agents against E. tarda infections.
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Tryptic Stability and Antimicrobial Activity of the Derivatives of Polybia-CP with Fine-Tuning Modification in the Side Chain of Lysine. Int J Pept Res Ther 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-020-10129-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Lu J, Xu H, Xia J, Ma J, Xu J, Li Y, Feng J. D- and Unnatural Amino Acid Substituted Antimicrobial Peptides With Improved Proteolytic Resistance and Their Proteolytic Degradation Characteristics. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:563030. [PMID: 33281761 PMCID: PMC7688903 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.563030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from the laboratory to market has been severely hindered by their instability toward proteases in biological systems. In the present study, we synthesized derivatives of the cationic AMP Pep05 (KRLFKKLLKYLRKF) by substituting L-amino acid residues with D- and unnatural amino acids, such as D-lysine, D-arginine, L-2,4-diaminobutanoic acid (Dab), L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), L-homoarginine, 4-aminobutanoic acid (Aib), and L-thienylalanine, and evaluated their antimicrobial activities, toxicities, and stabilities toward trypsin, plasma proteases, and secreted bacterial proteases. In addition to measuring changes in the concentration of the intact peptides, LC-MS was used to identify the degradation products of the modified AMPs in the presence of trypsin and plasma proteases to determine degradation pathways and examine whether the amino acid substitutions afforded improved proteolytic resistance. The results revealed that both D- and unnatural amino acids enhanced the stabilities of the peptides toward proteases. The derivative DP06, in which all of the L-lysine and L-arginine residues were replaced by D-amino acids, displayed remarkable stability and mild toxicity in vitro but only slight activity and severe toxicity in vivo, indicating a significant difference between the in vivo and in vitro results. Unexpectedly, we found that the incorporation of a single Aib residue at the N-terminus of compound UP09 afforded remarkably enhanced plasma stability and improved activity in vivo. Hence, this derivative may represent a candidate AMP for further optimization, providing a new strategy for the design of novel AMPs with improved bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguang Lu
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Hongjiang Xu
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Drug Evaluation and Research, Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Jianghua Xia
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Feng
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
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37
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de Carvalho Porta L, Fadel V, D'Arc Campeiro J, Oliveira EB, Godinho RO, Hayashi MAF. Biophysical and pharmacological characterization of a full-length synthetic analog of the antitumor polypeptide crotamine. J Mol Med (Berl) 2020; 98:1561-1571. [PMID: 32895732 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-020-01975-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a polypeptide isolated from the venom of a South American rattlesnake. Among the properties and biological activities of crotamine, the most extraordinary is its ability to enter cells with unique selective affinity and cytotoxic activity against actively proliferating cells, such as tumor cells. This peptide is also a cargo carrier, and anticipating commercial application of this native polypeptide as a potential theranostic compound against cancer, we performed here a side-by-side characterization of a chemically synthesized full-length crotamine compared with its native counterpart. The structural, biophysical, and pharmacological properties were evaluated. Comparative NMR studies showed structural conservation of synthetic crotamine. Moreover, similarly to native crotamine, the synthetic polypeptide was also capable of inhibiting tumor growth in vivo, increasing the survival of mice bearing subcutaneous tumor. We also confirmed the ability of synthetic crotamine to transfect and transport DNA into eukaryotic cells, in addition to the importance of proteoglycans on cell surface for its internalization. This work opens new opportunities for future evaluation of chimeric and/or point-mutated analogs of this snake polypeptide, aiming for improving crotamine properties and applications, as well as possibly diminishing its potential toxic effects. KEY MESSAGES: • Synthetic crotamine showed ex vivo and in vivo activities similar to native peptide. • Synthetic crotamine structure conservation was demonstrated by NMR analysis. • Synthetic crotamine is able to transfect and transport DNA into eukaryotic cells. • Synthetic crotamine shows tumor growth inhibition in vivo. • Synthetic crotamine increases survival of mice bearing tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas de Carvalho Porta
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Valmir Fadel
- Universidade Estadual de São Paulo (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Joana D'Arc Campeiro
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Brandt Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-FMRP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rosely Oliveira Godinho
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Mirian Akemi Furuie Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil.
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38
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Correlation between hemolytic activity, cytotoxicity and systemic in vivo toxicity of synthetic antimicrobial peptides. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13206. [PMID: 32764602 PMCID: PMC7414031 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69995-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of non-standard toxicity models is a hurdle in the early development of antimicrobial peptides towards clinical applications. Herein we report an extensive in vitro and in vivo toxicity study of a library of 24 peptide-based antimicrobials with narrow spectrum activity towards veterinary pathogens. The haemolytic activity of the compounds was evaluated against four different species and the relative sensitivity against the compounds was highest for canine erythrocytes, intermediate for rat and human cells and lowest for bovine cells. Selected peptides were additionally evaluated against HeLa, HaCaT and HepG2 cells which showed increased stability towards the peptides. Therapeutic indexes of 50–500 suggest significant cellular selectivity in comparison to bacterial cells. Three peptides were administered to rats in intravenous acute dose toxicity studies up to 2–8 × MIC. None of the injected compounds induced any systemic toxic effects in vivo at the concentrations employed illustrating that the correlation between the different assays is not obvious. This work sheds light on the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of this class of promising compounds and provides insights into the relationship between the different toxicity models often employed in different manners to evaluate the toxicity of novel bioactive compounds in general.
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Maystrenko A, Feng Y, Akhtar N, Li J. The Addition of a Synthetic LPS-Targeting Domain Improves Serum Stability While Maintaining Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm, and Cell Stimulating Properties of an Antimicrobial Peptide. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1014. [PMID: 32650576 PMCID: PMC7407491 DOI: 10.3390/biom10071014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria and their biofilms are a concern in veterinary and human medicine. Protegrin-1 (PG-1), a potent antimicrobial peptide (AMP) with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties, is considered a potential alternative for conventional antibiotics. AMPs are less stable and lose activity in the presence of physiological fluids, such as serum. To improve stability of PG-1, a hybrid peptide, SynPG-1, was designed. The antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of PG-1 and the PG-1 hybrid against MDR pathogens was analyzed, and activity after incubation with physiological fluids was compared. The effects of these peptides on the IPEC-J2 cell line was also investigated. While PG-1 maintained some activity in 25% serum for 2 h, SynPG-1 was able to retain activity in the same condition for up to 24 h, representing a 12-fold increase in stability. Both peptides had some antibiofilm activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. While both peptides prevented biofilm formation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), neither could destroy MRSA's pre-formed biofilms. Both peptides maintained activity after incubation with trypsin and porcine gastric fluid, but not intestinal fluid, and stimulated IPEC-J2 cell migration. These findings suggest that SynPG-1 has much better serum stability while maintaining the same antimicrobial potency as PG-1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julang Li
- Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.M.); (Y.F.); (N.A.)
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40
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Saavedra CJ, Cuevas F, Romero‐Estudillo I, Boto A. Synthesis of Diketopiperazine Scaffolds with Tailored
N
‐ and α‐Chains by Selective Modification of Customizable Units. Adv Synth Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202000470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J. Saavedra
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología del CSIC, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 3 38206-La Laguna Tenerife SPAIN
- BIOSIGMA SL, c/Antonio Dominguez Afonso, 16 38003-S/C Tenerife SPAIN
| | - Fernando Cuevas
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología del CSIC, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 3 38206-La Laguna Tenerife SPAIN
- Centro de Investigaciones Químicas-IICBAUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de MorelosCatedrático CONACyT CIQ-UAEMAv. Universidad, 1001 62209 Cuernavaca MEXICO
| | - Ivan Romero‐Estudillo
- Centro de Investigaciones Químicas-IICBAUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de MorelosCatedrático CONACyT CIQ-UAEMAv. Universidad, 1001 62209 Cuernavaca MEXICO
| | - Alicia Boto
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología del CSIC, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 3 38206-La Laguna Tenerife SPAIN
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Ramirez D, Berry L, Domalaon R, Brizuela M, Schweizer F. Dilipid Ultrashort Tetrabasic Peptidomimetics Potentiate Novobiocin and Rifampicin Against Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:1413-1426. [PMID: 32357292 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of new antibacterial agents and therapeutic approaches is of high importance to address the global problem of antibiotic resistance. Although antimicrobial peptides are known to synergize with certain antibiotics, their clinical application is limited by their systemic toxicity, protease instability, and high production cost. To overcome these problems, nine dilipid ultrashort tetrabasic peptidomimetics (dUSTBPs) were prepared consisting of three basic amino acids separated by a molecular scaffold, bis(3-aminopropyl)glycine, and were ligated to two fatty acids. Several nonhemolytic dUSTBPs were shown to enhance the activity of several antibiotics against pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. More importantly, dUSTBP 8, consisting of three l-arginine units and a dilipid of 8 carbons long, potentiated novobiocin and rifampicin consistently against multidrug-resistant (MDR) clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Enterobacteriaceae. Preliminary studies suggested that dUSTBPs were likely to potentiate antibiotics through outer membrane permeabilization and/or disruption of active efflux and that dUSTBP 8 exhibited enhanced resistance to trypsin in comparison to the previously described di-C9-KKKK-NH2 antibiotic potentiator. The antibacterial activity of rifampicin and novobiocin was enhanced by dUSTBP 8 comparable to other known outer membrane permeabilizing potentiators including the gold standard polymyxin B nonapeptide. Our results indicate that ultrashort tetrabasic peptidomimetics are potent adjuvants that repurpose novobiocin and rifampicin as potent agents against priority MDR Gram-negative pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyel Ramirez
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Liam Berry
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Ronald Domalaon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Marc Brizuela
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Frank Schweizer
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 727 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 1R9, Canada
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42
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Green RM, Bicker KL. Evaluation of peptoid mimics of short, lipophilic peptide antimicrobials. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2020; 56:106048. [PMID: 32540430 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.106048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antimicrobial peptides are proving to be promising lead compounds for therapeutics. The major disadvantage of antimicrobial peptides is their proteolytic instability in the body, with half-lives averaging less than an hour. Peptoids, or N-substituted glycines, have emerged as a promising field of peptidomimetics by retaining the beneficial properties of antimicrobial peptides while improving their stability. METHODS This study evaluated peptoid derivatives of ultra-short lipophilic antimicrobial peptides, comparing their potency side-by-side with the most prevalent multidrug-resistant bacteria (ESKAPE) and yeast pathogens (Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans). RESULTS Both peptide and peptoid counterparts were most effective against Gram-positive bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values as low as 1.6 and 6.3 µg/mL, respectively. In general, peptides retained better antimicrobial activity than their peptoid counterparts; however, certain peptoids proved to be more effective than peptides against Gram-negative bacteria. For example, peptoid MG10 displayed an MIC of 6.3 µg/mL against Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared with the peptide counterpart with an MIC of 100 µg/mL. All tested compounds were more potent against Cryptococcus neoformans compared with Candida albicans. Cytotoxicity analysis indicated that peptoids were generally slightly less toxic than their peptide counterparts. Additionally, trypsin rapidly degraded one of the evaluated peptides, while having no effect on comparable peptoids, demonstrating the proteolytic stability of peptoids. CONCLUSION These results indicate that direct conversion of lipopeptides to lipopeptoids can result in compounds with comparable antimicrobial activity, favorable mammalian cell toxicity, and excellent proteolytic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Madison Green
- Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Kevin L Bicker
- Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA.
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Gunasekaran P, Kim EY, Lee J, Ryu EK, Shin SY, Bang JK. Synthesis of Fmoc-Triazine Amino Acids and Its Application in the Synthesis of Short Antibacterial Peptidomimetics. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103602. [PMID: 32443730 PMCID: PMC7279249 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To combat the escalating rise of antibacterial resistance, the development of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with a unique mode of action is considered an attractive strategy. However, proteolytic degradation of AMPs remains the greatest challenge in their transformation into therapeutics. Herein, we synthesized Fmoc-triazine amino acids that differ from each other by anchoring either cationic or hydrophobic residues. These unnatural amino acids were adopted for solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) to synthesize a series of amphipathic antimicrobial peptidomimetics. From the antimicrobial screening, we found that the trimer, BJK-4 is the most potent short antimicrobial peptidomimetic without showing hemolytic activity and it displayed enhanced proteolytic stability. Moreover, the mechanism of action to kill bacteria was found to be an intracellular targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pethaiah Gunasekaran
- Division of Magnetic Resonance, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Ochang 28119, Korea; (P.G.); (J.L.); (E.K.R.)
| | - Eun Young Kim
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea; (E.Y.K.); (S.Y.S.)
| | - Jian Lee
- Division of Magnetic Resonance, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Ochang 28119, Korea; (P.G.); (J.L.); (E.K.R.)
| | - Eun Kyoung Ryu
- Division of Magnetic Resonance, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Ochang 28119, Korea; (P.G.); (J.L.); (E.K.R.)
- Department of Bio-analytical Science, University of Science & Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Song Yub Shin
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea; (E.Y.K.); (S.Y.S.)
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
| | - Jeong Kyu Bang
- Division of Magnetic Resonance, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Ochang 28119, Korea; (P.G.); (J.L.); (E.K.R.)
- Department of Bio-analytical Science, University of Science & Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-43-240-5023
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Suff N, Karda R, Diaz JA, Ng J, Baruteau J, Perocheau D, Taylor PW, Alber D, Buckley SMK, Bajaj-Elliott M, Waddington SN, Peebles D. Cervical Gene Delivery of the Antimicrobial Peptide, Human β-Defensin (HBD)-3, in a Mouse Model of Ascending Infection-Related Preterm Birth. Front Immunol 2020; 11:106. [PMID: 32117260 PMCID: PMC7026235 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 40% of preterm births are preceded by microbial invasion of the intrauterine space; ascent from the vagina being the most common pathway. Within the cervical canal, antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) are important components of the cervical barrier which help to prevent ascending vaginal infection. We investigated whether expression of the AMP, human β-defensin-3 (HBD3), in the cervical mucosa of pregnant mice could prevent bacterial ascent from the vagina into the uterine cavity. An adeno-associated virus vector containing both the HBD3 gene and GFP transgene (AAV8 HBD3.GFP) or control AAV8 GFP, was administered intravaginally into E13.5 pregnant mice. Ascending infection was induced at E16.5 using bioluminescent Escherichia coli (E. coli K1 A192PP-lux2). Bioluminescence imaging showed bacterial ascent into the uterine cavity, inflammatory events that led to premature delivery and a reduction in pups born alive, compared with uninfected controls. Interestingly, a significant reduction in uterine bioluminescence in the AAV8 HBD3.GFP-treated mice was observed 24 h post-E. coli infection, compared to AAV8 GFP treated mice, signifying reduced bacterial ascent in AAV8 HBD3.GFP-treated mice. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the number of living pups in AAV HBD3.GFP-treated mice. We propose that HBD3 may be a potential candidate for augmenting cervical innate immunity to prevent ascending infection-related preterm birth and its associated neonatal consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Suff
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rajvinder Karda
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Antinao Diaz
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Ng
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Baruteau
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Metabolic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dany Perocheau
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter W. Taylor
- University College London School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dagmar Alber
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Suzanne M. K. Buckley
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mona Bajaj-Elliott
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon N. Waddington
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- SA/MRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Donald Peebles
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Torres MD, Sothiselvam S, Lu TK, de la Fuente-Nunez C. Peptide Design Principles for Antimicrobial Applications. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:3547-3567. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Svendsen JSM, Grant TM, Rennison D, Brimble MA, Svenson J. Very Short and Stable Lactoferricin-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides: Design Principles and Potential Uses. Acc Chem Res 2019; 52:749-759. [PMID: 30829472 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The alarming rate at which micro-organisms are developing resistance to conventional antibiotics represents one of the global challenges of our time. There is currently ample space in the antibacterial drug pipeline, and scientists are trying to find innovative and novel strategies to target the microbial enemies. Nature has remained a source of inspiration for most of the antibiotics developed and used, and the immune molecules produced by the innate defense systems, as a first line of defense, have been heralded as the next source of antibiotics. Most living organisms produce an arsenal of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to rapidly fend off intruding pathogens, and several different attempts have been made to transform this versatile group of compounds into the next generation of antibiotics. However, faced with the many hurdles of using peptides as drugs, the success of these defense molecules as therapeutics remains to be realized. AMPs derived from the proteolytic degradation of the innate defense protein lactoferrin have been shown to display several favorable antimicrobial properties. In an attempt to investigate the biological and pharmacological properties of these much shorter AMPs, the sequence dependence was investigated, and it was shown, through a series of truncation experiments, that these AMPs in fact can be prepared as tripeptides, with improved antimicrobial activity, via the incorporation of unnatural hydrophobic residues and terminal cappings. In this Account, we describe how this class of promising cationic tripeptides has been developed to specifically address the main challenges limiting the general use of AMPs. This has been made possible through the identification of the antibacterial pharmacophore and via the incorporation of a range of unnatural hydrophobic and cationic amino acids. Incorporation of these residues at selected positions has allowed us to extensively establish how these compounds interact with the major proteolytic enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin and also the two major drug-binding plasma proteins serum albumin and α-1 glycoprotein. Several of the challenges associated with using AMPs relate to their size, susceptibility to rapid proteolytic degradation, and poor oral bioavailability. Our studies have addressed these issues in detail, and the results have allowed us to effectively design and prepare active and metabolically stable AMPs that have been evaluated in a range of functional settings. The optimized short AMPs display inhibitory activities against a plethora of micro-organisms at low micromolar concentrations, and they have been shown to target resistant strains of both bacteria and fungi alike with a very rapid mode of action. Our Account further describes how these compounds behave in in vivo experiments and highlights both the challenges and possibilities of the intriguing compounds. In several areas, they have been shown to exhibit comparable or superior activity to established antibacterial, antifungal, and antifouling commercial products. This illustrates their ability to effectively target and eradicate various microbes in a variety of settings ranging from the ocean to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas M. Grant
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - David Rennison
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Margaret A. Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Johan Svenson
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, SE-501 15 Borås, Sweden
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Antibiofilm elastin-like polypeptide coatings: functionality, stability, and selectivity. Acta Biomater 2019; 83:245-256. [PMID: 30541700 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are currently receiving interest as an alternative to conventional antibiotics to treat biomaterial-associated infection. However, the inherent instability of such peptides often limits their efficacy in intended clinical applications. Covalent immobilization of AMPs to surfaces is one strategy to increase the long-term stability and minimize the toxicity. In this work, an antimicrobial peptide, RRPRPRPRPWWWW-NH2 (RRP9W4N), was used to modify elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) surface coatings containing cell-adhesive peptide domains (RGD) using covalent chemistry. The AMP retained its antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa when covalently bonded to ELP surfaces. Simultaneously, the AMP functionalization had insignificant effect on the viability, function, and differentiation of human osteosarcoma MG63 cells and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Furthermore, stability of the immobilized AMP in human blood serum was investigated, and the results suggested that the AMP preserved its antibacterial activity up to 24 h. Combined, the results show that covalently attached AMPs onto RGD-containing ELP are an excellent candidate as an antimicrobial coating for medical devices. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Biomaterial associated infection, caused by adherent biofilm, is usually difficult to treat. There is a high demand for new materials and treatments to decrease the infection rates, especially with increasing threats concerning resistant bacteria. Formation of biofilms on medical devices lowers the bacteria susceptibility towards traditional antibiotics and also circumvent our immune system often resulting in revisional surgery and extensive use of antibiotics. One promising strategy is to develop surfaces having low bacterial attractiveness or bacterial killing properties, but still retaining the main function of the device. In this study, we have developed an implant coating that demonstrates a high antimicrobial effect and at the same time showing no negative affect on human cells.
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Touti F, Lautrette G, Johnson KD, Delaney JC, Wollacott A, Tissire H, Viswanathan K, Shriver Z, Mong SK, Mijalis AJ, Plante OJ, Pentelute BL. Antibody-Bactericidal Macrocyclic Peptide Conjugates To Target Gram-Negative Bacteria. Chembiochem 2018; 19:2039-2044. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fayçal Touti
- Department of Chemistry; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Guillaume Lautrette
- Department of Chemistry; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | | | | | | | - Hamid Tissire
- Visterra, Inc.; 275 2nd Avenue 4th Floor Waltham MA 02451 USA
| | | | - Zachary Shriver
- Visterra, Inc.; 275 2nd Avenue 4th Floor Waltham MA 02451 USA
| | - Surin K. Mong
- Department of Chemistry; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Alexander J. Mijalis
- Department of Chemistry; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | | | - Bradley L. Pentelute
- Department of Chemistry; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
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Bioinspired Designs, Molecular Premise and Tools for Evaluating the Ecological Importance of Antimicrobial Peptides. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2018; 11:ph11030068. [PMID: 29996512 PMCID: PMC6161137 DOI: 10.3390/ph11030068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review article provides an overview of recent developments in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), summarizing structural diversity, potential new applications, activity targets and microbial killing responses in general. The use of artificial and natural AMPs as templates for rational design of peptidomimetics are also discussed and some strategies are put forward to curtail cytotoxic effects against eukaryotic cells. Considering the heat-resistant nature, chemical and proteolytic stability of AMPs, we attempt to summarize their molecular targets, examine how these macromolecules may contribute to potential environmental risks vis-à-vis the activities of the peptides. We further point out the evolutional characteristics of the macromolecules and indicate how they can be useful in designing target-specific peptides. Methods are suggested that may help to assess toxic mechanisms of AMPs and possible solutions are discussed to promote the development and application of AMPs in medicine. Even if there is wide exposure to the environment like in the hospital settings, AMPs may instead contribute to prevent healthcare-associated infections so long as ecotoxicological aspects are considered.
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50
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Labrière C, Kondori N, Caous JS, Boomgaren M, Sandholm K, Ekdahl KN, Hansen JH, Svenson J. Development and evaluation of cationic amphiphilic antimicrobial 2,5-diketopiperazines. J Pept Sci 2018; 24:e3090. [PMID: 29845683 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Labrière
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Nahid Kondori
- Department of Infectious diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Josefin Seth Caous
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås, Sweden
| | - Marc Boomgaren
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kerstin Sandholm
- Linnaeus Centre for Biomaterials Chemistry, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Kristina N Ekdahl
- Linnaeus Centre for Biomaterials Chemistry, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.,Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory C5:3, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jørn H Hansen
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Johan Svenson
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås, Sweden
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