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Abstract
Abstract
An increasing problem in the field of health protection is the emergence of drug-resistant and multi-drug-resistant bacterial strains. They cause a number of infections, including hospital infections, which currently available antibiotics are unable to fight. Therefore, many studies are devoted to the search for new therapeutic agents with bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties. One of the latest concepts is to search for this type of substances among toxins produced by venomous animals. In this approach, however, special attention is paid to snake venom because it contains molecules with antibacterial properties. Thorough investigations have shown that the phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and l-amino acids oxidases (LAAO), as well as fragments of these enzymes, are mainly responsible for the bactericidal properties of snake venoms. Some preliminary research studies also suggest that fragments of three-finger toxins (3FTx) are bactericidal. It has also been proven that some snakes produce antibacterial peptides (AMP) homologous to human defensins and cathelicidins. The presence of these proteins and peptides means that snake venoms continue to be an interesting material for researchers and can be perceived as a promising source of antibacterial agents.
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The effect of lysine substitutions in the biological activities of the scorpion venom peptide VmCT1. Eur J Pharm Sci 2019; 136:104952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Ramírez-Carreto S, Vera-Estrella R, Portillo-Bobadilla T, Licea-Navarro A, Bernaldez-Sarabia J, Rudiño-Piñera E, Verleyen JJ, Rodríguez E, Rodríguez-Almazán C. Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of the Tentacles and Mucus of Anthopleura dowii Verrill, 1869. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17080436. [PMID: 31349621 PMCID: PMC6722582 DOI: 10.3390/md17080436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sea anemone venom contains a complex and diverse arsenal of peptides and proteins of pharmacological and biotechnological interest, however, only venom from a few species has been explored from a global perspective to date. In the present study, we identified the polypeptides present in the venom of the sea anemone Anthopleura dowii Verrill, 1869 through a transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the tentacles and the proteomic profile of the secreted mucus. In our transcriptomic results, we identified 261 polypeptides related to or predicted to be secreted in the venom, including proteases, neurotoxins that could act as either potassium (K+) or sodium (Na+) channels inhibitors, protease inhibitors, phospholipases A2, and other polypeptides. Our proteomic data allowed the identification of 156 polypeptides—48 exclusively identified in the mucus, 20 in the tentacles, and 88 in both protein samples. Only 23 polypeptides identified by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) were related to the venom and 21 exclusively identified in the mucus, most corresponding to neurotoxins and hydrolases. Our data contribute to the knowledge of evolutionary and venomic analyses of cnidarians, particularly of sea anemones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santos Ramírez-Carreto
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Rosario Vera-Estrella
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Tobías Portillo-Bobadilla
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Bioestadística y Biología Computacional. Red de Apoyo a la Investigación, Coordinación de la Investigación Científica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México-Instituto Nacional De Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Calle Vasco de Quiroga 15, Tlalpan, C.P. 14080, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alexei Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, México
| | - Johanna Bernaldez-Sarabia
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, México
| | - Enrique Rudiño-Piñera
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Jerome J Verleyen
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Estefanía Rodríguez
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Claudia Rodríguez-Almazán
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México.
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Dos Santos AP, de Araújo TG, Rádis-Baptista G. Nanoparticles Functionalized with Venom-Derived Peptides and Toxins for Pharmaceutical Applications. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2019; 21:97-109. [PMID: 31223083 DOI: 10.2174/1389201020666190621104624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Venom-derived peptides display diverse biological and pharmacological activities, making them useful in drug discovery platforms and for a wide range of applications in medicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology. Due to their target specificities, venom peptides have the potential to be developed into biopharmaceuticals to treat various health conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic pain. Despite the high potential for drug development, several limitations preclude the direct use of peptides as therapeutics and hamper the process of converting venom peptides into pharmaceuticals. These limitations include, for instance, chemical instability, poor oral absorption, short halflife, and off-target cytotoxicity. One strategy to overcome these disadvantages relies on the formulation of bioactive peptides with nanocarriers. A range of biocompatible materials are now available that can serve as nanocarriers and can improve the bioavailability of therapeutic and venom-derived peptides for clinical and diagnostic application. Examples of isolated venom peptides and crude animal venoms that have been encapsulated and formulated with different types of nanomaterials with promising results are increasingly reported. Based on the current data, a wealth of information can be collected regarding the utilization of nanocarriers to encapsulate venom peptides and render them bioavailable for pharmaceutical use. Overall, nanomaterials arise as essential components in the preparation of biopharmaceuticals that are based on biological and pharmacological active venom-derived peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana P Dos Santos
- Program of Post-graduation in Pharmaceutical Sciences (FFEO/UFC), Federal University of Ceara, Ceara, Brazil
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Zerouti K, Khemili D, Laraba-Djebari F, Hammoudi-Triki D. Nontoxic fraction of scorpion venom reduces bacterial growth and inflammatory response in a mouse model of infection. TOXIN REV 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/15569543.2019.1614064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Khedidja Zerouti
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, USTHB, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Dalila Khemili
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, USTHB, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Fatima Laraba-Djebari
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, USTHB, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Djelila Hammoudi-Triki
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, USTHB, Algiers, Algeria
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56
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In vitro therapeutic effect of Hemiscorpius lepturus venom on tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii. J Parasit Dis 2019; 43:472-478. [PMID: 31406413 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-019-01113-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyrimethamine which is a main anti-Toxoplasma gondii drug has a serious side and toxic effects on the host. Accordingly, the development of new treatment options for toxoplasmosis with less toxic effects, low teratogenicity and parasiticidal effect against the various stage of T. gondii are dramatically crucial. Currently, natural molecules from scorpion and snake venoms are widely used as an alternative treatment against human disease, these compounds considered to be safe and to have low toxicity in comparison with synthetic drugs. Therefore, the goal of our study was to investigate the anti-Toxoplasma gondii activities of Hemiscorpius lepturus venom. We measured cytotoxicity of H. lepturus whole venom on Vero cells as well as effectiveness of this compound on viability of T. gondii applying colorimetric assay, according to mitochondrial oxidation of the MTT reagent (Methylthiazol tetrazolium 98%). The results of this study indicated that the H. lepturus whole venom has an anti-Toxoplasma effects with less toxic effect on Vero cells. Also, the T. gondii tachyzoites were treated with H. lepturus venom reached better results in comparison with Pyrimethamine-treated group. This research will serve as a base for future studies on toxoplasmosis and suggest a role for scorpion venom in promoting natural drugs.
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das Neves RC, Mortari MR, Schwartz EF, Kipnis A, Junqueira-Kipnis AP. Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Effects of Peptides from Venom of Social Wasp and Scorpion on Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E216. [PMID: 30974767 PMCID: PMC6520840 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11040216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Intravascular stent infection is a rare complication with a high morbidity and high mortality; bacteria from the hospital environment form biofilms and are often multidrug-resistant (MDR). Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been considered as alternatives to bacterial infection treatment. We analyzed the formation of the bacterial biofilm on the vascular stents and also tested the inhibition of this biofilm by AMPs to be used as treatment or coating. Antimicrobial activity and antibiofilm were tested with wasp (Agelaia-MPI, Polybia-MPII, Polydim-I) and scorpion (Con10 and NDBP5.8) AMPs against Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains. A. baumannii formed a biofilm on the vascular stent. Agelaia-MPI and Polybia-MPII inhibited biofilm formation with bacterial cell wall degradation. Coating biofilms with polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) and Agelaia-MPI reduced 90% of A. baumannii adhesion on stents. The wasp AMPs Agelaia-MPI and Polybia-MPII had better action against MDR A. baumannii adherence and biofilm formation on vascular stents, preventing its formation and treating mature biofilm when compared to the other tested peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogério Coutinho das Neves
- Laboratory of Immunopathology of infectious diseases, Department of Immunology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 235, Goiania, 74605-050 Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Márcia Renata Mortari
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, 70910-900 Brasilia, Brazil.
| | - Elisabeth Ferroni Schwartz
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, 70910-900 Brasilia, Brazil.
| | - André Kipnis
- Laboratory of Immunopathology of infectious diseases, Department of Immunology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 235, Goiania, 74605-050 Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Ana Paula Junqueira-Kipnis
- Laboratory of Immunopathology of infectious diseases, Department of Immunology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 235, Goiania, 74605-050 Goiás, Brazil.
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58
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Mousavi M, Johari B, Zargan J, Haji Noor Mohammadi A, Goudarzi HR, Dezianian S, Keshavarz Alikhani H. Investigating Antibacterial Effects of Latrodectus Dahli Crude Venom on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. MEDICAL LABORATORY JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.29252/mlj.13.3.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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59
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Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Figueroa-Montiel A, Dueñas S, Cervantes-Luévano K, Beltrán JA, Ortiz E, Jiménez S, Possani LD, Paniagua-Solís JF, Gonzalez-Canudas J, Licea-Navarro A. The Diversified O-Superfamily in Californiconus californicus Presents a Conotoxin with Antimycobacterial Activity. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11020128. [PMID: 30791616 PMCID: PMC6410186 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11020128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Californiconus californicus, previously named Conus californicus, has always been considered a unique species within cone snails, because of its molecular, toxicological and morphological singularities; including the wide range of its diet, since it is capable of preying indifferently on fish, snails, octopus, shrimps, and worms. We report here a new cysteine pattern conotoxin assigned to the O1-superfamily capable of inhibiting the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The conotoxin was tested on a pathogen reference strain (H37Rv) and multidrug-resistant strains, having an inhibition effect on growth with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of 3.52–0.22 μM, similar concentrations to drugs used in clinics. The peptide was purified from the venom using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), a partial sequence was constructed by Edman degradation, completed by RACE and confirmed with venom gland transcriptome. The 32-mer peptide containing eight cysteine residues was named O1_cal29b, according to the current nomenclature for this type of molecule. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of O-superfamily toxins present in the venom gland of the snail allowed us to assign several signal peptides to O2 and O3 superfamilies not described before in C. californicus, with new conotoxins frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Bernáldez-Sarabia
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Andrea Figueroa-Montiel
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Salvador Dueñas
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Karla Cervantes-Luévano
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Jesús A Beltrán
- Departamento de Ciencias Computacionales, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, IBT, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico.
| | - Samanta Jiménez
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Lourival D Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, IBT, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico.
| | - Jorge F Paniagua-Solís
- Teraclon IDF, S.L., Parque Tecnológico de Madrid, Tres Cantos, Madrid, C.P. 28760, Espana.
| | | | - Alexei Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
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60
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Torres MDT, Pedron CN, Higashikuni Y, Kramer RM, Cardoso MH, Oshiro KGN, Franco OL, Silva Junior PI, Silva FD, Oliveira Junior VX, Lu TK, de la Fuente-Nunez C. Structure-function-guided exploration of the antimicrobial peptide polybia-CP identifies activity determinants and generates synthetic therapeutic candidates. Commun Biol 2018; 1:221. [PMID: 30534613 PMCID: PMC6286318 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0224-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute promising alternatives to classical antibiotics for the treatment of drug-resistant infections, which are a rapidly emerging global health challenge. However, our understanding of the structure-function relationships of AMPs is limited, and we are just beginning to rationally engineer peptides in order to develop them as therapeutics. Here, we leverage a physicochemical-guided peptide design strategy to identify specific functional hotspots in the wasp-derived AMP polybia-CP and turn this toxic peptide into a viable antimicrobial. Helical fraction, hydrophobicity, and hydrophobic moment are identified as key structural and physicochemical determinants of antimicrobial activity, utilized in combination with rational engineering to generate synthetic AMPs with therapeutic activity in a mouse model. We demonstrate that, by tuning these physicochemical parameters, it is possible to design nontoxic synthetic peptides with enhanced sub-micromolar antimicrobial potency in vitro and anti-infective activity in vivo. We present a physicochemical-guided rational design strategy to generate peptide antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo D. T. Torres
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center; The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Biological Engineering, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP 09210580 Brazil
| | - Cibele N. Pedron
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP 09210580 Brazil
| | - Yasutomi Higashikuni
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center; The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Biological Engineering, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Robin M. Kramer
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Marlon H. Cardoso
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70297400 Brazil
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF 71966700 Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS 79117010 Brazil
| | - Karen G. N. Oshiro
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS 79117010 Brazil
| | - Octávio L. Franco
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70297400 Brazil
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF 71966700 Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS 79117010 Brazil
| | - Pedro I. Silva Junior
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05503900 Brazil
| | - Fernanda D. Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP 09210580 Brazil
| | - Vani X. Oliveira Junior
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP 09210580 Brazil
| | - Timothy K. Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center; The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Biological Engineering, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center; The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Biological Engineering, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
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Munawar A, Ali SA, Akrem A, Betzel C. Snake Venom Peptides: Tools of Biodiscovery. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10110474. [PMID: 30441876 PMCID: PMC6266942 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10110474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature endowed snakes with a lethal secretion known as venom, which has been fine-tuned over millions of years of evolution. Snakes utilize venom to subdue their prey and to survive in their natural habitat. Venom is known to be a very poisonous mixture, consisting of a variety of molecules, such as carbohydrates, nucleosides, amino acids, lipids, proteins and peptides. Proteins and peptides are the major constituents of the dry weight of snake venoms and are of main interest for scientific investigations as well as for various pharmacological applications. Snake venoms contain enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins and peptides, which are grouped into different families based on their structure and function. Members of a single family display significant similarities in their primary, secondary and tertiary structures, but in many cases have distinct pharmacological functions and different bioactivities. The functional specificity of peptides belonging to the same family can be attributed to subtle variations in their amino acid sequences. Currently, complementary tools and techniques are utilized to isolate and characterize the peptides, and study their potential applications as molecular probes, and possible templates for drug discovery and design investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Munawar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan.
| | - Syed Abid Ali
- H.E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan.
| | - Ahmed Akrem
- Botany Division, Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan.
| | - Christian Betzel
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
- Laboratory for Structural Biology of Infection and Inflammation, DESY, Build. 22a, Notkestr. 85, 22603 Hamburg, Germany.
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Animal protein toxins: origins and therapeutic applications. BIOPHYSICS REPORTS 2018; 4:233-242. [PMID: 30533488 PMCID: PMC6245134 DOI: 10.1007/s41048-018-0067-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomous animals on the earth have been found to be valuable resources for the development of therapeutics. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins and peptides are the major components of animal venoms, many of which can target various ion channels, receptors, and membrane transporters. Compared to traditional small molecule drugs, natural proteins and peptides exhibit higher specificity and potency to their targets. In this review, we summarize the varieties and characteristics of toxins from a few representative venomous animals, and describe the components and applications of animal toxins as potential drug candidates in the treatment of human diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neuropathic pain, as well as autoimmune diseases. In the meantime, there are many obstacles to translate new toxin discovery to their clinical applications. The challenges, strategies, and perspectives in the development of the protein toxin-based drugs are discussed as well.
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63
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Almeida JR, Palacios ALV, Patiño RSP, Mendes B, Teixeira CAS, Gomes P, da Silva SL. Harnessing snake venom phospholipases A 2 to novel approaches for overcoming antibiotic resistance. Drug Dev Res 2018; 80:68-85. [PMID: 30255943 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic resistance drives an essential race against time to reveal new molecular structures capable of addressing this alarming global health problem. Snake venoms are natural catalogs of multifunctional toxins and privileged frameworks, which serve as potential templates for the inspiration of novel treatment strategies for combating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Phospholipases A2 (PLA2 s) are one of the main classes of antibacterial biomolecules, with recognized therapeutic value, found in these valuable secretions. Recently, a number of biomimetic oligopeptides based on small fragments of primary structure from PLA2 toxins has emerged as a meaningful opportunity to overcome multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Thus, this review will highlight the biochemical and structural properties of antibacterial PLA2 s and peptides thereof, as well as their possible molecular mechanisms of action and key roles in development of effective therapeutic strategies. Chemical strategies possibly useful to convert antibacterial peptides from PLA2 s to efficient drugs will be equally addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bruno Mendes
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Cátia A S Teixeira
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Saulo L da Silva
- Facultad de Ciencias Química, Universidad de Cuenca - Cuenca/Azuay - Ecuador
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The role of the arginine residue in site RC for the analgesic activity of the recombinant Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, BmK AGP-SYPU1. Comput Biol Chem 2018; 74:247-252. [PMID: 29665474 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Scorpion venom is composed of a large number of bioactive peptides which display important pharmacological activities. In this study we have carried out a study of the functional role of the arginine residue at position 58 in the site RC comprising the reverse turn (8-12) and C-terminal residues 58-64. A polymerase chain reaction was used to substitute this arginine residue with a single amino acid such as alanine, glycine and lysine. The mutants were expressed in soluble form in E. coli, and purified by affinity chromatography. After target peptide purity identification, the recombinant peptides underwent a circular dichroism analysis and a study of their analgesic activity in mice. The results indicated that a single residue modification can affect the pharmacological activity. Our efforts establish a sound basis for further study of the structure-function determinants of the analgesic effect.
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65
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Meucin-49, a multifunctional scorpion venom peptide with bactericidal synergy with neurotoxins. Amino Acids 2018; 50:1025-1043. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-018-2580-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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66
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A novel synthetic peptide inspired on Lys49 phospholipase A 2 from Crotalus oreganus abyssus snake venom active against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 149:248-256. [PMID: 29501945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.02.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Currently, the evolving and complex mechanisms of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics are increasing, while alternative medicines are drying up, which urges the need to discover novel agents able to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Lys49 phospholipase A2s (PLA2s) from snake venoms are multifunctional toxins able to induce a huge variety of therapeutic effects and consequently serve as templates for new drug leads. Hence, the present study was aimed at the synthesis of oligopeptides mimicking regions of the antibacterial Lys49 PLA2 toxin (CoaTx-II), recently isolated from Crotalus oreganus abyssus snake venom, to identify small peptides able to reproduce the therapeutic action of the toxin. Five peptides, representing major regions of interest within CoaTx-II, were synthesized and screened for their antibacterial properties. The 13-mer peptide pC-CoaTxII, corresponding to residues 115-129 of CoaTx-II, was able to reproduce the promising bactericidal effect of the toxin against multi-resistant clinical isolates. Peptide pC-CoaTxII is mainly composed by positively charged and hydrophobic amino acids, a typical trait in most antimicrobial peptides, and presented no defined secondary structure in aqueous environment. The physicochemical properties of pC-CoaTxII are favorable towards a strong interaction with anionic lipid membranes as those in bacteria. Additional in silico studies suggest formation of a water channel across the membrane upon peptide insertion, eventually leading to bacterial cell disruption and death. Overall, our findings confirm the valuable potential of snake venom toxins towards design and synthesis of novel antimicrobials, thus representing key insights towards development of alternative efficient antimicrobials to fight bacterial resistance to current antibiotics.
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Koua D, Kuhn-Nentwig L. Spider Neurotoxins, Short Linear Cationic Peptides and Venom Protein Classification Improved by an Automated Competition between Exhaustive Profile HMM Classifiers. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9080245. [PMID: 28786958 PMCID: PMC5577579 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9080245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider venoms are rich cocktails of bioactive peptides, proteins, and enzymes that are being intensively investigated over the years. In order to provide a better comprehension of that richness, we propose a three-level family classification system for spider venom components. This classification is supported by an exhaustive set of 219 new profile hidden Markov models (HMMs) able to attribute a given peptide to its precise peptide type, family, and group. The proposed classification has the advantages of being totally independent from variable spider taxonomic names and can easily evolve. In addition to the new classifiers, we introduce and demonstrate the efficiency of hmmcompete, a new standalone tool that monitors HMM-based family classification and, after post-processing the result, reports the best classifier when multiple models produce significant scores towards given peptide queries. The combined used of hmmcompete and the new spider venom component-specific classifiers demonstrated 96% sensitivity to properly classify all known spider toxins from the UniProtKB database. These tools are timely regarding the important classification needs caused by the increasing number of peptides and proteins generated by transcriptomic projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Koua
- Departement Agriculture et Ressources Animals, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouet-Boigny, BP 1093 Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Lucia Kuhn-Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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Sulca M, Remuzgo C, Cárdenas J, Kiyota S, Cheng E, Bemquerer M, Machini M. Venom of the Peruvian snake Bothriopsis oligolepis : Detection of antibacterial activity and involvement of proteolytic enzymes and C-type lectins in growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus. Toxicon 2017; 134:30-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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69
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The amazing world of antibiotics. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 133:1-3. [PMID: 28288822 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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