1
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Cancelarich NL, Arrulo M, Gugliotti ST, Barbosa EA, Moreira DC, Basso NG, Pérez LO, Teixeira C, Gomes P, de la Torre BG, Albericio F, Eaton P, Leite JRSA, Marani MM. First Bioprospecting Study of Skin Host-Defense Peptides in Odontophrynus americanus. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2024. [PMID: 38900961 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
The adaptation of amphibians to diverse environments is closely related to the characteristics of their skin. The complex glandular system of frog skin plays a pivotal role in enabling these animals to thrive in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats and consists of crucial functions such as respiration and water balance as well as serving as a defensive barrier due to the secretion of bioactive compounds. We herein report the first investigation on the skin secretion of Odontophrynus americanus, as a potential source of bioactive peptides and also as an indicator of its evolutionary adaptations to changing environments. Americanin-1 was isolated and identified as a neutral peptide exhibiting moderate antibacterial activity against E. coli. Its amphipathic sequence including 19 amino acids and showing a propensity for α-helix structure is discussed. Comparisons of the histomorphology of the skin of O. americanus with other previously documented species within the same genus revealed distinctive features in the Patagonian specimen, differing from conspecifics from other Argentine provinces. The presence of the Eberth-Katschenko layer, a prevalence of iridophores, and the existence of glycoconjugates in its serous glands suggest that the integument is adapted to retain skin moisture. This adaptation is consistent with the prevailing aridity of its native habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia L Cancelarich
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
| | - Miriam Arrulo
- School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Eder A Barbosa
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Síntese e Análise de Biomoléculas, LSAB, Instituto de Química-UnB, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Daniel C Moreira
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Néstor G Basso
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus), CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
| | - Luis Orlando Pérez
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas (IPCSH), CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- Gyros Protein Technologies, Inc., Tucson, Arizona 85714, United States
| | - Paula Gomes
- Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Beatriz G de la Torre
- Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Fernando Albericio
- School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Networking Centre on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter Eaton
- Bridge, School of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7EL, United Kingdom
| | - José R S A Leite
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Mariela M Marani
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
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Chen J, Yu CG, Zhou MM, Zhang GJ, Su HL, Ding GH, Wei L, Lin ZH, Ma L. An esculentin-1 homolog from a dark-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) possesses antibacterial and immunoregulatory properties. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:164. [PMID: 38678277 PMCID: PMC11055230 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04013-y] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Esculentin-1, initially discovered in the skin secretions of pool frogs (Pelophylax lessonae), has demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity; however, its immunomodulatory properties have received little attention. RESULTS In the present study, esculentin-1 cDNA was identified by analysing the skin transcriptome of the dark-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus). Esculentin-1 from this species (esculentin-1PN) encompasses a signal peptide, an acidic spacer peptide, and a mature peptide. Sequence alignments with other amphibian esculentins-1 demonstrated conservation of the peptide, and phylogenetic tree analysis revealed its closest genetic affinity to esculentin-1P, derived from the Fukien gold-striped pond frog (Pelophylax fukienensis). Esculentin-1PN transcripts were observed in various tissues, with the skin exhibiting the highest mRNA levels. Synthetic esculentin-1PN demonstrated antibacterial activity against various pathogens, and esculentin-1PN exhibited bactericidal activity by disrupting cell membrane integrity and hydrolyzing genomic DNA. Esculentin-1PN did not stimulate chemotaxis in RAW264.7, a murine leukemic monocyte/macrophage cell line. However, it amplified the respiratory burst and augmented the pro-inflammatory cytokine gene (TNF-α and IL-1β) expression in RAW264.7 cells. CONCLUSIONS This novel finding highlights the immunomodulatory activity of esculentin-1PN on immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Ci-Gang Yu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Min-Min Zhou
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Gao-Jian Zhang
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Hai-Long Su
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Guo-Hua Ding
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Li Wei
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Lin
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Li Ma
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China.
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Mangoni ML, Loffredo MR, Casciaro B, Ferrera L, Cappiello F. An Overview of Frog Skin-Derived Esc Peptides: Promising Multifunctional Weapons against Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Induced Pulmonary and Ocular Surface Infections. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4400. [PMID: 38673985 PMCID: PMC11049899 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a silent pandemic harming human health, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common bacterium responsible for chronic pulmonary and eye infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. In this review, the in vitro/in vivo activities of the frog skin-derived AMP Esc(1-21) are shown. Esc(1-21) rapidly kills both the planktonic and sessile forms of P. aeruginosa and stimulates migration of epithelial cells, likely favoring repair of damaged tissue. However, to undertake preclinical studies, some drawbacks of AMPs (cytotoxicity, poor biostability, and limited delivery to the target site) must be overcome. For this purpose, the stereochemistry of two amino acids of Esc(1-21) was changed to obtain the diastereomer Esc(1-21)-1c, which is more stable, less cytotoxic, and more efficient in treating P. aeruginosa-induced lung and cornea infections in mouse models. Incorporation of these peptides (Esc peptides) into nanoparticles or immobilization to a medical device (contact lens) was revealed to be an effective strategy to ameliorate and/or to prolong the peptides' antimicrobial efficacy. Overall, these data make Esc peptides encouraging candidates for novel multifunctional drugs to treat lung pathology especially in patients with cystic fibrosis and eye dysfunctions, characterized by both tissue injury and bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.R.L.); (B.C.); (F.C.)
| | - Maria Rosa Loffredo
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.R.L.); (B.C.); (F.C.)
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.R.L.); (B.C.); (F.C.)
| | - Loretta Ferrera
- UOC Genetica Medica, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Floriana Cappiello
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.R.L.); (B.C.); (F.C.)
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Ran R, Li L, Xu T, Huang J, He H, Chen Y. Revealing mitf functions and visualizing allografted tumor metastasis in colorless and immunodeficient Xenopus tropicalis. Commun Biol 2024; 7:275. [PMID: 38443437 PMCID: PMC10915148 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05967-3] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Transparent immunodeficient animal models not only enhance in vivo imaging investigations of visceral organ development but also facilitate in vivo tracking of transplanted tumor cells. However, at present, transparent and immunodeficient animal models are confined to zebrafish, presenting substantial challenges for real-time, in vivo imaging studies addressing specific biological inquiries. Here, we employed a mitf-/-/prkdc-/-/il2rg-/- triple-knockout strategy to establish a colorless and immunodeficient amphibian model of Xenopus tropicalis. By disrupting the mitf gene, we observed the loss of melanophores, xanthophores, and granular glands in Xenopus tropicalis. Through the endogenous mitf promoter to drive BRAFV600E expression, we confirmed mitf expression in melanophores, xanthophores and granular glands. Moreover, the reconstruction of the disrupted site effectively reinstated melanophores, xanthophores, and granular glands, further highlighting the crucial role of mitf as a regulator in their development. By crossing mitf-/- frogs with prkdc-/-/il2rg-/- frogs, we generated a mitf-/-/prkdc-/-/il2rg-/- Xenopus tropicalis line, providing a colorless and immunodeficient amphibian model. Utilizing this model, we successfully observed intravital metastases of allotransplanted xanthophoromas and migrations of allotransplanted melanomas. Overall, colorless and immunodeficient Xenopus tropicalis holds great promise as a valuable platform for tumorous and developmental biology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rensen Ran
- Department of Chemical Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, China.
| | - Lanxin Li
- Department of Chemical Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tingting Xu
- Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 350001, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jixuan Huang
- Department of Chemical Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huanhuan He
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, China
| | - Yonglong Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, China.
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5
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Carrillo JFC, Boaretto AG, Santana DJ, Silva DB. Skin secretions of Leptodactylidae (Anura) and their potential applications. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2024; 30:e20230042. [PMID: 38374940 PMCID: PMC10876013 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2023-0042] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The skin of anuran species is a protective barrier against predators and pathogens, showing also chemical defense by substances that represent a potential source for bioactive substances. This review describes the current chemical and biological knowledge from the skin secretions of Leptodactylidae species, one of the most diverse neotropical frog families. These skin secretions reveal a variety of substances such as amines (12), neuropeptides (16), and antimicrobial peptides (72). The amines include histamine and its methylated derivatives, tryptamine derivatives and quaternary amines. The peptides of Leptodactylidae species show molecular weight up to 3364 Da and ocellatins are the most reported. The peptides exhibit commonly glycine (G) or glycine-valine (GV) as C-terminal amino acids, and the most common N-terminal amino acids are glutamic acid (E), lysine (K), and valine (V). The substances from Leptodactylidae species have been evaluated against pathogenic microorganisms, particularly Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and the most active peptides showed MIC of 1-15 µM. Furthermore, some compounds showed also pharmacological properties such as immunomodulation, treatment of degenerative diseases, anticancer, and antioxidant. Currently, only 9% of the species in this family have been properly studied, highlighting a large number of unstudied species such as an entire subfamily (Paratelmatobiinae). The ecological context, functions, and evolution of peptides and amines in this family are poorly understood and represent a large field for further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F. C. Carrillo
- Program in Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Biosciences,
Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Systematics and Biogeography of Amphibians and
Reptiles (Mapinguari), Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso
do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Natural Products and Mass Spectrometry (LaPNEM),
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition (FACFAN), Federal University
of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Amanda Galdi Boaretto
- Program in Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Biosciences,
Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Natural Products and Mass Spectrometry (LaPNEM),
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition (FACFAN), Federal University
of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Diego J. Santana
- Program in Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Biosciences,
Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Systematics and Biogeography of Amphibians and
Reptiles (Mapinguari), Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso
do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Denise Brentan Silva
- Program in Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Biosciences,
Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
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Spinelli R, Rietmann Á, Sanchis I, Goicoechea H, Siano Á. Toxicity Evaluation of Anti-cholinesterasic Amphibian Extracts by MTT and an Optimized Artemia salina Test. Chem Biodivers 2024; 21:e202301367. [PMID: 38151826 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202301367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
The amphibian skin is an important source of bioactive compounds. Recently, our workgroup reported the bioactivity of new extracts from the Hylidae, Microhylidae and Leptodactylidae families against several pathways involved in Alzheimer's disease. However, since cytotoxicity can be a limiting factor for their applicability, we evaluated the toxicity of nine amphibian skin extracts with reported anticholinesterase activity, using the traditional MTT assay and an optimized Artemia salina test. The proposed improvement, guided by experimental design, aims to reduce the amount of biological sample needed. Overall, we proved that the active extracts were non-toxic at effective concentration against cholinesterases (AChE/BChE), positioning the amphibian skin as a promising and preliminary safe source of bioactive compounds in the anti-Alzheimer's treatment. Interestingly, we demonstrated that both toxicity assays can discriminate between toxic and non-toxic samples. We propose the A. salina bioassay as a reliable and cost-effective alternative for early toxicity screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roque Spinelli
- Laboratorio de Péptidos Bioactivos (LPB), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Álvaro Rietmann
- Laboratorio de Péptidos Bioactivos (LPB), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Iván Sanchis
- Laboratorio de Péptidos Bioactivos (LPB), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Héctor Goicoechea
- Laboratorio de Desarrollo Analítico y Quimiometría (LADAQ), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Álvaro Siano
- Laboratorio de Péptidos Bioactivos (LPB), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
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Yao A, Liu T, Cai Y, Zhou S, Chen X, Zhou M, Ma C, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L. Progressive Design of a Ranatuerin-2 Peptide from Amolops wuyiensis: Enhancement of Bioactivity and In Vivo Efficacy. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 13:5. [PMID: 38275314 PMCID: PMC10812557 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert multiple functions are considered promising candidates to combat the bacterial drug resistance crisis. Nowadays, targeted peptide modification has been widely recognised to improve biological activity and make up for deficiencies in clinical applications such as toxicity. In this study, a helix-loop peptide was isolated and identified from the skin secretion of the Wuyi torrent frog Amolops wuyiensis, namely, ranatuerin-2-AW (R2AW) (GFMDTAKNVAKNVAATLLDKLKCKITGGC). Target modifications were made to R2AW to study the structure-activity relationships and to optimise its bioactivities. Five analogues were progressively designed via residue substitution and truncation and the antibacterial and anticancer activities were evaluated. We found that the serine-substitution and cyclic-domain-deletion products showed similar antibacterial activity to the natural peptide R2AW, implying that the disulphide bridge and Rana box were dispensable for the antibacterial activity of ranatuerin-2 peptides. Notably, the cationicity- and hydrophobicity-enhanced variant, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2, exhibited significantly optimised antibacterial and anticancer activities. Additionally, it killed bacteria by membrane disruption at a highly efficient rate. Moreover, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 exerted potential in vivo efficacy in a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected waxworm model. Overall, this study demonstrated some rational design ideas for optimising the dual antibacterial and anticancer activities of ranatuerin-2 peptides and it proposes [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 as an appealing candidate for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aifang Yao
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Tianxing Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Yuhai Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Siqi Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
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8
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Samgina TY, Vasileva ID, Trebše P, Torkar G, Surin AK, Meng Z, Zubarev RA, Lebedev AT. Tandem Mass Spectrometry de novo Sequencing of the Skin Defense Peptides of the Central Slovenian Agile Frog Rana dalmatina. Molecules 2023; 28:7118. [PMID: 37894596 PMCID: PMC10608968 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207118] [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: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptides released on frogs' skin in a stress situation represent their only weapon against micro-organisms and predators. Every species and even population of frog possesses its own peptidome being appropriate for their habitat. Skin peptides are considered potential pharmaceuticals, while the whole peptidome may be treated as a taxonomic characteristic of each particular population. Continuing the studies on frog peptides, here we report the peptidome composition of the Central Slovenian agile frog Rana dalmatina population. The detection and top-down de novo sequencing of the corresponding peptides was conducted exclusively by tandem mass spectrometry without using any chemical derivatization procedures. Collision-induced dissociation (CID), higher energy collision-induced dissociation (HCD), electron transfer dissociation (ETD) and combined MS3 method EThcD with stepwise increase of HCD energy were used for that purpose. MS/MS revealed the whole sequence of the detected peptides including differentiation between isomeric Leu/Ile, and the sequence portion hidden in the disulfide cycle. The array of the discovered peptide families (brevinins 1 and 2, melittin-related peptides (MRPs), temporins and bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs)) is quite similar to that of R. temporaria. Since the genome of this frog remains unknown, the obtained results were compared with the recently published transcriptome of R. dalmatina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Yu. Samgina
- Department of Materials Science, MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 517182, China
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Irina D. Vasileva
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Polonca Trebše
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana Zdravstvena Pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Gregor Torkar
- Department for Biology, Chemistry and Home Economics, University of Ljubljana Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva Ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Alexey K. Surin
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Nauki 6, Pushchino, 142290 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Zhaowei Meng
- Department of Medicinal Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Biometry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; (Z.M.); (R.A.Z.)
| | - Roman A. Zubarev
- Department of Medicinal Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Biometry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; (Z.M.); (R.A.Z.)
- The National Medical Research Center for Endocrinology, 115478 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Pharmacological & Technological Chemistry, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119146 Moscow, Russia
| | - Albert T. Lebedev
- Department of Materials Science, MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 517182, China
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
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9
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Cappiello F, Verma S, Lin X, Moreno IY, Casciaro B, Dutta D, McDermott AM, Willcox M, Coulson-Thomas VJ, Mangoni ML. Novel Peptides with Dual Properties for Treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis: Antibacterial and Corneal Wound Healing. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1028. [PMID: 37509064 PMCID: PMC10377436 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The corneal epithelium is a layer in the anterior part of eye that contributes to light refraction onto the retina and to the ocular immune defense. Although an intact corneal epithelium is an excellent barrier against microbial pathogens and injuries, corneal abrasions can lead to devastating eye infections. Among them, Pseudomonas aeruginosa-associated keratitis often results in severe deterioration of the corneal tissue and even blindness. Hence, the discovery of new drugs able not only to eradicate ocular infections, which are often resistant to antibiotics, but also to elicit corneal wound repair is highly demanded. Recently, we demonstrated the potent antipseudomonal activity of two peptides, Esc(1-21) and its diastereomer Esc(1-21)-1c. In this study, by means of a mouse model of P. aeruginosa keratitis and an in vivo corneal debridement wound, we discovered the efficacy of these peptides, particularly Esc(1-21)-1c, to cure keratitis and to promote corneal wound healing. This latter property was also supported by in vitro cell scratch and ELISA assays. Overall, the current study highlights Esc peptides as novel ophthalmic agents for treating corneal infection and injury, being able to display a dual function, antimicrobial and wound healing, rarely identified in a single peptide at the same micromolar concentration range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floriana Cappiello
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (B.C.)
| | - Sudhir Verma
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA; (S.V.); (X.L.); (I.Y.M.); (A.M.M.); (V.J.C.-T.)
- Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110078, India
| | - Xiao Lin
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA; (S.V.); (X.L.); (I.Y.M.); (A.M.M.); (V.J.C.-T.)
| | - Isabel Y. Moreno
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA; (S.V.); (X.L.); (I.Y.M.); (A.M.M.); (V.J.C.-T.)
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (B.C.)
| | - Debarun Dutta
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; (D.D.); (M.W.)
- School of Optometry, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Alison M. McDermott
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA; (S.V.); (X.L.); (I.Y.M.); (A.M.M.); (V.J.C.-T.)
| | - Mark Willcox
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; (D.D.); (M.W.)
| | - Vivien J. Coulson-Thomas
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA; (S.V.); (X.L.); (I.Y.M.); (A.M.M.); (V.J.C.-T.)
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (B.C.)
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10
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Rollins-Smith LA. The importance of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in amphibian skin defense. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 142:104657. [PMID: 36754220 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced for defense in nearly all taxa from simple bacteria to complex mammalian species. Some amphibian families have developed this defensive strategy to a high level of sophistication by loading the AMPs into specialized granular glands within the dermis. Enervated by the sympathetic nervous system, the granular glands are poised to deliver an array of AMPs to cleanse the wound and facilitate healing. There have been a number of excellent review publications in recent years that describe amphibian AMPs with an emphasis on their possible uses for human medicine. Instead, my aim here is to review what is known about the nature of amphibian AMPs, the diversity of amphibian AMPs, regulation of their production, and to provide the accumulated evidence that they do, indeed, play an important role in the protection of amphibian skin, vital for survival. While much has been learned about amphibian AMPs, there are still important gaps in our understanding of peptide synthesis, storage, and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise A Rollins-Smith
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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11
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Al Tall Y, Al-Nassar B, Abualhaijaa A, Sabi SH, Almaaytah A. The design and functional characterization of a novel hybrid antimicrobial peptide from Esculentin-1a and melittin. PHARMACIA 2023. [DOI: 10.3897/pharmacia.70.e97116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial agents are one of the most widely used drugs in medicine. In the last fifty years, the misuse of these agents caused the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria that led to an increase in life-threatening infections. The need to develop new agents has become a priority, and antimicrobial peptides attained high consideration. The antimicrobial activities of a novel In-house designed hybrid cationic peptide (BKR1) were studied against different strains of Gram-negative bacteria. This was done using the broth dilution method as outlined by the Clinical and Laboratory Institute (CLSI). Checkerboard assy was employed to investigate the synergistic activity of BKR1 peptide with four antibiotics (Levofloxacin, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, and ampicillin). Finally, the cytotoxicity of BKR1 was evaluated against human blood cells and mammalian kidney cells (Vero cells). BKR1 displayed bactericidal activity against tested strains of Gram-negative bacteria, with zero hemolytic effects. It also acts as a strong adjuvant with levofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and rifampicin against resistant strains of P. aeruginosa and E. coli. This study represents the design and elucidation of the antimicrobial activities of a novel hybrid antimicrobial peptide named (BKR1). Our results indicate thar BKR1 is a promising candidate to treat resistant infectious diseases individually or as an adjuvant with conventional antibiotics.
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12
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Tolpina MD, Vasileva ID, Samgina TY. Modern Approaches in de novo Sequencing of Nontryptic Peptides of Ranid and Hylid Frogs by Means of Mass Spectrometry: A Review. JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1061934822130081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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13
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Kaur KD, Habimana O. Death at the interface: Nanotechnology’s challenging frontier against microbial surface colonization. Front Chem 2022; 10:1003234. [PMID: 36311433 PMCID: PMC9613359 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1003234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial strains has led to novel approaches for combating bacterial infections and surface contamination. More specifically, efforts in combining nanotechnology and biomimetics have led to the development of next-generation antimicrobial/antifouling nanomaterials. While nature-inspired nanoscale topographies are known for minimizing bacterial attachment through surface energy and physicochemical features, few studies have investigated the combined inhibitory effects of such features in combination with chemical alterations of these surfaces. Studies describing surface alterations, such as quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), have also gained attention due to their broad spectrum of inhibitory activity against bacterial cells. Similarly, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have exhibited their capacity to reduce bacterial viability. To maximize the functionality of modified surfaces, the integration of patterned surfaces and functionalized exteriors, achieved through physical and chemical surface alterations, have recently been explored as viable alternatives. Nonetheless, these modifications are prone to challenges that can reduce their efficacy considerably in the long term. Their effectiveness against a wider array of microbial cells is still a subject of investigation. This review article will explore and discuss the emerging trends in biomimetics and other antimicrobials while raising possible concerns about their limitations and discussing future implications regarding their potential combined applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Deep Kaur
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Olivier Habimana
- Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), Shantou, Guangdong, China
- *Correspondence: Olivier Habimana,
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14
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Samgina TY, Vasileva ID, Trebse P, Torkar G, Surin AK, Meng Z, Zubarev RA, Lebedev AT. Mass Spectrometry Differentiation between Rana arvalis Populations Based on Their Skin Peptidome Composition. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2022; 33:1480-1491. [PMID: 35820801 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Skin secretion of amphibians often represents the only weapon of these species against pathogens and predators. Peptides constitute the major portion of active molecules of that weapon and may be treated as potential pharmaceuticals for future generations. The first step of their efficient use involves establishing of their primary structure, i.e., sequencing. De novo sequencing by means of mass spectrometry was applied to Rana arvalis species, collected in the spring 2021 in Central Slovenia (vicinity of Ljubljana). HPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS with Orbitrap instruments was used to establish the skin peptidome of these species and compare it with the earlier identified skin peptidome of the Moscow population of Rana arvalis. Application of CID, HCD, ETD, and EThcD enabled detecting and sequencing 18 peptides; five of them were novel and may be treated as possible biomarkers of the Ljubljana population of Rana arvalis. Interestingly, representatives of two peptide families (temporins and brevinins 2) were not found in the Moscow population. MS3 modes, first of all EThcD, demonstrated their great potential in the de novo sequencing, including extraction of the sequence information from the intact peptides with disulfide cycle (rana box) in their structure and differentiation of isomeric Leu/Ile residues. Thus, all six isomeric residues were reliably distinguished in the novel melittin-related peptide AK-23-1. In addition, another post-translational modification dealing with carbonylation of the N-terminal Gly of novel temporin AVa was established using the MS3 mode. The obtained results demonstrate the efficiency of the use of MS3 tools in proteomics/peptidomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Yu Samgina
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Organic Chemistry, Moscow 119991 Russia
| | - Irina D Vasileva
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Organic Chemistry, Moscow 119991 Russia
| | - Polonca Trebse
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Health Sciences, Zdravstvena pot 5, Ljubljana 1000 Slovenia
- MASSECO d.o.o. Erazmova 20, Postojna 6230, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Torkar
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Education, Department for Biology, Chemistry and Home Economics, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, Ljubljana 1000 Slovenia
| | - Alexey K Surin
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Nauki 6, Pushchino, Moscow 142290, Russia
| | - Zhaowei Meng
- Department of Medicinal Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Biometry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177 Sweden
| | - Roman A Zubarev
- Department of Medicinal Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Biometry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177 Sweden
| | - Albert T Lebedev
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Organic Chemistry, Moscow 119991 Russia
- MASSECO d.o.o. Erazmova 20, Postojna 6230, Slovenia
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15
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Anurans against SARS-CoV-2: A review of the potential antiviral action of anurans cutaneous peptides. Virus Res 2022; 315:198769. [PMID: 35430319 PMCID: PMC9008983 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198769] [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: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
At the end of 2019, in China, clinical signs and symptoms of unknown etiology have been reported in several patients whose sample sequencing revealed pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. COVID-19 is a disease triggered by this virus, and in 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic. Since then, efforts have been made to find effective therapeutic agents against this disease. Identifying novel natural antiviral drugs can be an alternative to treatment. For this reason, antimicrobial peptides secreted by anurans' skin have gained attention for showing a promissory antiviral effect. Hence, this review aimed to elucidate how and which peptides secreted by anurans' skin can be considered therapeutic agents to treat or prevent human viral infectious diseases. Through a literature review, we attempted to identify potential antiviral frogs' peptides to combat COVID-19. As a result, the Magainin-1 and -2 peptides, from the Magainin family, the Dermaseptin-S9, from the Dermaseptin family, and Caerin 1.6 and 1.10, from the Caerin family, are molecules that already showed antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 in silico. In addition to these peptides, this review suggests that future studies should use other families that already have antiviral action against other viruses, such as Brevinins, Maculatins, Esculentins, Temporins, and Urumins. To apply these peptides as therapeutic agents, experimental studies with peptides already tested in silico and new studies with other families not tested yet should be considered.
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16
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Derivatives of Esculentin-1 Peptides as Promising Candidates for Fighting Infections from Escherichia coli O157:H7. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11050656. [PMID: 35625300 PMCID: PMC9137543 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
New strategies are needed to fight the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria caused by an overuse of antibiotics in medical and veterinary fields. Due to the importance of biofilms in clinical infections, antibiofilm peptides have a great potential to treat infections. In recent years, an increased interest has emerged in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). One of the richest sources of AMPs is represented by amphibian skin. In the present work, we investigated the effects of two peptides derived from the frog skin AMP esculentin-1, namely, Esc(1-21) and Esc(1-18), on the growth, biofilm formation, and gene expression of the non-pathogenic Escherichia coli strain K12 and of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7. Both peptides showed minimal bactericidal concentrations ranging from 4 to 8 µM for Esc(1-21) and from 32 to 64 µM for Esc(1-18). They also, at sub-MIC doses, reduced the formation of biofilm, as supported by both microbiological assays and scanning electron microscopy, while they displayed no marked activity against the planktonic form of the bacteria. Transcriptional analysis in E. coli O157:H7 showed that both AMPs induced the expression of several genes involved in the regulation of formation and dispersal of biofilm, as well as in the stress response. In conclusion, we demonstrated that these AMPs affect E. coli O157:H7 growth and biofilm formation, thus suggesting a great potential to be developed as novel therapeutics against infections caused by bacterial biofilms.
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17
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Firneno TJ, Ramesh B, Maldonado JA, Hernandez-Briones AI, Emery AH, Roelke CE, Fujita MK. Transcriptomic analysis reveals potential candidate pathways and genes involved in toxin biosynthesis in true toads. J Hered 2022; 113:311-324. [PMID: 35325156 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthesized chemical defenses have broadly evolved across countless taxa and are important in shaping evolutionary and ecological interactions within ecosystems. However, the underlying genomic mechanisms by which these organisms synthesize and utilize their toxins are relatively unknown. Herein, we use comparative transcriptomics to uncover potential toxin synthesizing genes and pathways, as well as interspecific patterns of toxin synthesizing genes across ten species of North American true toads (Bufonidae). Upon assembly and annotation of the ten transcriptomes, we explored patterns of relative gene expression and possible protein-protein interactions across the species to determine what genes and/or pathways may be responsible for toxin synthesis. We also tested our transcriptome dataset for signatures of positive selection to reveal how selection may be acting upon potential toxin producing genes. We assembled high quality transcriptomes of the bufonid parotoid gland, a tissue not often investigated in other bufonid related RNAseq studies. We found several genes involved in metabolic and biosynthetic pathways (e.g. steroid biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, isoquinoline biosynthesis, glucosinolate biosynthesis) that were functionally enriched and/or relatively expressed across the ten focal species that may be involved in the synthesis of alkaloid and steroid toxins, as well as other small metabolic compounds that cause distastefulness in bufonids. We hope that our study lays a foundation for future studies to explore the genomic underpinnings and specific pathways of toxin synthesis in toads, as well as at the macroevolutionary scale across numerous taxa that produce their own defensive toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Firneno
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Balan Ramesh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Jose A Maldonado
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | | | - Alyson H Emery
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Corey E Roelke
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Matthew K Fujita
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
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18
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Lebedev AT, Vasileva ID, Samgina TY. FT-MS in the de novo top-down sequencing of natural nontryptic peptides. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2022; 41:284-313. [PMID: 33347655 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21678] [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: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The present review covers available results on the application of FT-MS for the de novo sequencing of natural peptides of various animals: cones, bees, snakes, amphibians, scorpions, and so forth. As these peptides are usually bioactive, the animals efficiently use them as a weapon against microorganisms or higher animals including predators. These peptides represent definite interest as drugs of future generations since the mechanism of their activity is completely different in comparison with that of the modern antibiotics. Utilization of those peptides as antibiotics can eliminate the problem of the bacterial resistance development. Sequence elucidation of these bioactive peptides becomes even more challenging when the species genome is not available and little is known about the protein origin and other properties of those peptides in the study. De novo sequencing may be the only option to obtain sequence information. The benefits of FT-MS for the top-down peptide sequencing, the general approaches of the de novxxo sequencing, the difficult cases involving sequence coverage, isobaric and isomeric amino acids, cyclization of short peptides, the presence of posttranslational modifications will be discussed in the review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert T Lebedev
- Organic Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina D Vasileva
- Organic Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana Y Samgina
- Organic Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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19
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Akat E, Yenmiş M, Pombal MA, Molist P, Megías M, Arman S, Veselỳ M, Anderson R, Ayaz D. Comparison of Vertebrate Skin Structure at Class Level: A Review. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 305:3543-3608. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.24908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Esra Akat
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department Bornova, İzmir Turkey
| | - Melodi Yenmiş
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department Bornova, İzmir Turkey
| | - Manuel A. Pombal
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Facultade de Bioloxía‐IBIV Vigo, España
| | - Pilar Molist
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Facultade de Bioloxía‐IBIV Vigo, España
| | - Manuel Megías
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Facultade de Bioloxía‐IBIV Vigo, España
| | - Sezgi Arman
- Sakarya University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Biology Department Sakarya Turkey
| | - Milan Veselỳ
- Palacky University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology Olomouc Czechia
| | - Rodolfo Anderson
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista São Paulo Brazil
| | - Dinçer Ayaz
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department Bornova, İzmir Turkey
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20
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Xiao L, Yang X, Li J, Zhang P, Tang S, Cao D, Chen S, Li H, Zhang W, Chen G, Ni G, Wang T, Liu X. Caerin 1 Peptides, the Potential Jack-of-All-Trades for the Multiple Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Infection Treatment and Cancer Immunotherapy. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:7841219. [PMID: 35445137 PMCID: PMC9015854 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7841219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance-related bacterial infections and cancers become huge challenges in human health in the 21st century. A number of naturally derived antimicrobial peptides possess multiple functions in host defense, including anti-infective and anticancer activities. One of which is known as the caerin 1 family peptides. The microbicidal properties of these peptides have been long discussed. The recent studies also established the usage of two members in this family, caerin 1.1 and caerin 1.9, in antimultiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria species. It is increasingly evident that caerin 1.1 and caerin 1.9 also contain additional activities in the suppression of tumor. In this review, we briefly outline the therapeutic potentials and possible mechanism of action of caerin 1.1 and 1.9 in the treatment of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection and cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyin Xiao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
- Zhongao Biomedical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xiaodan Yang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Junjie Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Pingping Zhang
- Cancer Research Institute, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Shuxian Tang
- Cancer Research Institute, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Dongmin Cao
- Cancer Research Institute, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Shu Chen
- Cancer Research Institute, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Hejie Li
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia
| | - Wei Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Guoqiang Chen
- Cancer Research Institute, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Guoying Ni
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
- Cancer Research Institute, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia
| | - Xiaosong Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
- Zhongao Biomedical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
- Cancer Research Institute, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
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21
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Zhang R, Gao J, Xie H, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Song J, Xiang N, Li Z. The Prepropalustrin-2CE2 and Preprobrevinin-2CE3 Gene from Rana Chensinensis: Gene Expression, Genomic Organization, and Functional Analysis of the Promoter Activity. Protein Pept Lett 2021; 29:143-155. [PMID: 34823453 DOI: 10.2174/0929866528666211125105627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palustrin-2CE2 and brevinin-2CE3 are antimicrobial peptides from Rana chensinensis. In R. chensinensis tadpoles, the expression of prepropalustrin-2CE2 and preprobrevinin-2CE3 increased with the developmental stage. In addition, the expression of the two genes was dramatically upregulated with stimulation by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and the chemical lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The genomic organization of the two antimicrobial peptide genes was confirmed. Both prepropalustrin-2CE2 and preprobrevinin-2CE3 contain three exons separated by two large introns. Additionally, several presumed transcription factor binding sites were identified in the promoter sequence. Functional analysis of the promoter was performed using a luciferase reporter system, and further confirmed by yeast one-hybrid experiment and EMSA assay. The results indicated that the transcription factors NF-κB and RelA are involved in regulating the expression of prepropalustrin-2CE2 and preprobrevinin-2CE3. As amphibian populations decline globally, this study provides new data demonstrating how frogs defend against pathogens from the environment by regulating AMP expression. For amphibians, antimicrobial peptides are innate immune molecules that resist adverse external environmental stimuli. However, the regulation mechanism of antimicrobial peptide gene expression in frogs is still unclear. OBJECTIVE The two antimicrobial peptides, palustrin-2CE2 and brevinin-2CE3, are produced under external stimulation in Rana chensinensis. Using this model, we analyzed the gene structure and regulatory elements of the two antimicrobial peptide genes and explored the regulatory effects of related transcription factors on the two genes. METHOD Different stimuli such as E. coli, S. aureus, and chemical substance lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were applied to Rana chensinensis tadpoles at different developmental stages, and antimicrobial peptide expression levels were detected by RT-PCR. Bioinformatics analysis and 5'-RACE and genome walking technologies were employed to analyze the genome structure and promoter region of the antimicrobial peptide genes. With dual-luciferase reporter gene assays, yeast one-hybrid experiment and EMSA assays, we assessed the regulatory effect of the endogenous regulators of the cell on the antimicrobial peptide promoter. RESULTS The transcription levels of prepropalustrin-2CE2 and preprobrevinin-2CE3 were significantly upregulated after different stimulations. Genomic structure analysis showed that both genes contained three exons and two introns. Promoter analysis indicated that there are binding sites for regulatory factors of the NF-κB family in the promoter region, and experiments showed that endogenous NF-κB family regulatory factors in frog cells activate the promoters of the antimicrobial peptide genes. Yeast one-hybrid experiment and EMSA assay demonstrated that RelA and NF-κB1 might interact with specific motifs in the prepropalustrin-2CE2 promoter. CONCLUSION In this paper, we found that the gene expression levels of the antimicrobial peptides, palustrin-2CE2 and brevinin-2CE3, in R. chensinensis will increase under environmental stimuli, and we verified that the changes in gene expression levels are affected by the transcription factors RelA and NF-κB1. The yeast one-hybrid experiment and EMSA assay confirmed that RelA and NF-κB1 could directly interact with the frog antimicrobial peptide gene promoter, providing new data for the regulatory mechanism of antimicrobial peptides in response to environmental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifen Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian. China
| | - Jing Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian. China
| | - Hui Xie
- School of life science and technology, Xidian University, Xian. China
| | - Yan Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian. China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian. China
| | - Jing Song
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian. China
| | - Nanshu Xiang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian. China
| | - Zhi Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian. China
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Lin Y, Lin T, Cheng N, Wu S, Huang J, Chen X, Chen T, Zhou M, Wang L, Shaw C. Evaluation of antimicrobial and anticancer activities of three peptides identified from the skin secretion of Hylarana latouchii. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2021; 53:1469-1483. [PMID: 34508563 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmab126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The skins of frogs of the family Ranidae are particularly rich sources of biologically active peptides, among which antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute the major portion. Some of these have attracted the interest of researchers because they possess both antimicrobial and anticancer activities. In this study, with 'shotgun' cloning and MS/MS fragmentation, three AMPs, homologues of family brevinin-1 (brevinin-1HL), and temporin (temporin-HLa and temporin-HLb), were discovered from the skin secretion of the broad-folded frog, Hylarana latouchii. They exhibited various degrees of antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against test microorganisms and hemolysis on horse erythrocytes. It was found that they could induce bacteria death through disrupting cell membranes and binding to bacterial DNA. In addition, they also showed different potencies towards human cancer cell lines. The secondary structure and physicochemical properties of each peptide were investigated to preliminarily reveal their structure-activity relationships. Circular dichroism spectrometry showed that they all adopted a canonical α-helical conformation in membrane-mimetic solvents. Notably, the prepropeptide of brevinin-1HL from H. latouchii was highly identical to that of brevinin-1GHd from Hylarana guentheri, indicating a close relationship between these two species. Accordingly, this study provides candidates for the design of novel anti-infective and antineoplastic agents to fight multidrug-resistant bacteria and malignant tumors and also offers additional clues for the taxonomy of ranid frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Lin
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Tianxing Lin
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Ningna Cheng
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shuting Wu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Jiancai Huang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
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Silveira RF, Roque-Borda CA, Vicente EF. Antimicrobial peptides as a feed additive alternative to animal production, food safety and public health implications: An overview. ANIMAL NUTRITION (ZHONGGUO XU MU SHOU YI XUE HUI) 2021; 7:896-904. [PMID: 34632120 PMCID: PMC8484980 DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the last few years, feed additives have been used in animal nutrition to improve nutrient utilization, health parameters and animal performance. However, the use of antibiotics as feed additives has allowed the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which can bring as a consequence, an increase in the morbidity and mortality of diseases that were previously treatable with antibiotics. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have appeared as a promising strategy because they have multiple biological activities and represent a powerful strategy to prevent the development of resistant microorganisms. Despite the small number of studies applied in vivo, AMP appear as a potent alternative to the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition, due to an increase in feed efficiency and the prevention/treatment of some animal diseases. This review discusses the problems associated with antimicrobial resistance and the use of AMP as a strong candidate to replace conventional antibiotics, mainly in the animal industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raiza F Silveira
- São Paulo State University, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cesar A Roque-Borda
- São Paulo State University, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo F Vicente
- São Paulo State University, School of Sciences and Engineering, Tupã, São Paulo, Brazil
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24
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Vasconcelos IAD, Souza JOD, de Castro JS, Santana CJCD, Magalhães ACM, Castro MDS, Pires Júnior OR. Salamanders and caecilians, neglected from the chemical point of view. TOXIN REV 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15569543.2021.1977326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carlos José Correia de Santana
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana de Souza Castro
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
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25
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Full-length transcriptome assembly of Andrias davidianus (Amphibia: Caudata) skin via hybrid sequencing. Biosci Rep 2021; 41:229267. [PMID: 34282833 PMCID: PMC8329649 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20210511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus, is the largest amphibian species in the world; it is thus an economically and ecologically important species. The skin of A. davidianus exhibits complex adaptive structural and functional adaptations to facilitate survival in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we report the first full-length amphibian transcriptome from the dorsal skin of A. davidianus, which was assembled using hybrid sequencing and the PacBio and Illumina platforms. A total of 153,038 transcripts were hybrid assembled (mean length of 2039 bp and N50 of 2172 bp), and 133,794 were annotated in at least one database (nr, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, KOGs, GO, and nt). A total of 58,732, 68,742, and 115,876 transcripts were classified into 24 KOG categories, 1903 GO term categories, and 46 KEGG pathways (level 2), respectively. A total of 207,627 protein-coding regions, 785 transcription factors, 27,237 potential long non-coding RNAs, and 8299 simple sequence repeats were also identified. The hybrid-assembled transcriptome recovered more full-length transcripts, had a higher N50 contig length, and a higher annotation rate of unique genes compared with that assembled in previous studies using next-generation sequencing. The high-quality full-length reference gene set generated in this study will help elucidate the genetic characteristics of A. davidianus skin and aid the identification of functional skin proteins.
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26
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Samgina TY, Vasileva ID, Kovalev SV, Trebse P, Torkar G, Surin AK, Zubarev RA, Lebedev AT. Differentiation of Central Slovenian and Moscow populations of Rana temporaria frogs using peptide biomarkers of temporins family. Anal Bioanal Chem 2021; 413:5333-5347. [PMID: 34235566 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03506-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Skin secretion represents the only means of defense for the majority of frog species. That phenomenon is based on the fact that the main components of the secretion are peptides demonstrating greatly varying types of bioactivity. They fulfill regulatory functions, fight microorganisms and may be even helpful against predators. These peptides are considered to be rather promising pharmaceuticals of future generation as according to the present knowledge microorganisms are unlikely to develop resistance to them. Mass spectrometry sequencing of these peptides is the most efficient first step of their study providing reliably their primary structures, i.e., amino acids sequence and S-S bond motif. Besides discovering new bioactive peptides, mass spectrometry appears to be an efficient tool of taxonomy studies, allowing for distinguishing not only between closely related species, but also between populations of the same species. Application of several tandem mass spectrometry tools (CID, HCD, ETD, EThcD) available with Orbitrap mass analyzer allowed us to obtain full sequence of about 60 peptides in the secretion of Slovenian population of brown ranid frog Rana temporaria. The problem of sequence inside C-terminal cycle formed by two Cys and differentiation of isomeric Leu and Ile residues was done in top-down mode without any derivatization steps. Besides general biomarkers of Rana temporaria species, Central Slovenian population of Rana temporaria demonstrates six novel temporins and one brevinin 1, which may be treated as biomarkers of that population.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Yu Samgina
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia.
| | - I D Vasileva
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - S V Kovalev
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - P Trebse
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Health Sciences, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - G Torkar
- Department for Biology, Chemistry and Home Economics, University of Ljubljana Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - A K Surin
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Nauki 6, Pushchino, Moscow, 142290, Russia
| | - R A Zubarev
- Department of Medicinal Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Biometry, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Pharmacological & Technological Chemistry, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, 119146, Russia
| | - A T Lebedev
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia.
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27
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El-Dirany R, Shahrour H, Dirany Z, Abdel-Sater F, Gonzalez-Gaitano G, Brandenburg K, Martinez de Tejada G, Nguewa PA. Activity of Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs) against Leishmania and Other Parasites: An Overview. Biomolecules 2021; 11:984. [PMID: 34356608 PMCID: PMC8301979 DOI: 10.3390/biom11070984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs), small biologically active molecules, produced by different organisms through their innate immune system, have become a considerable subject of interest in the request of novel therapeutics. Most of these peptides are cationic-amphipathic, exhibiting two main mechanisms of action, direct lysis and by modulating the immunity. The most commonly reported activity of AMPs is their anti-bacterial effects, although other effects, such as anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic, as well as anti-tumor mechanisms of action have also been described. Their anti-parasitic effect against leishmaniasis has been studied. Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease. Currently among parasitic diseases, it is the second most threating illness after malaria. Clinical treatments, mainly antimonial derivatives, are related to drug resistance and some undesirable effects. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic agents has become a priority, and AMPs constitute a promising alternative. In this work, we describe the principal families of AMPs (melittin, cecropin, cathelicidin, defensin, magainin, temporin, dermaseptin, eumenitin, and histatin) exhibiting a potential anti-leishmanial activity, as well as their effectiveness against other microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima El-Dirany
- ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
| | - Hawraa Shahrour
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Zeinab Dirany
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (Z.D.); (G.G.-G.)
| | - Fadi Abdel-Sater
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
| | - Gustavo Gonzalez-Gaitano
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (Z.D.); (G.G.-G.)
| | - Klaus Brandenburg
- Brandenburg Antiinfektiva GmbH, c/o Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum, 23845 Borstel, Germany;
| | - Guillermo Martinez de Tejada
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Paul A. Nguewa
- ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
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Antimicrobial Peptide Brevinin-1RL1 from Frog Skin Secretion Induces Apoptosis and Necrosis of Tumor Cells. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26072059. [PMID: 33916789 PMCID: PMC8038347 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26072059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer has always been one of the most common malignant diseases in the world. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find potent agents with selective antitumor activity against cancer cells. It has been reported that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can selectively target tumor cells. In this study, we focused on the anti-tumor activity and mechanism of Brevivin-1RL1, a cationic α-helical AMP isolated from frog Rana limnocharis skin secretions. We found that Brevivin-1RL1 preferentially inhibits tumor cells rather than non-tumor cells with slight hemolytic activity. Cell viability assay demonstrated the intermolecular disulfide bridge contributes to the inhibitory activity of the peptide as the antitumor activity was abolished when the disulfide bridge reduced. Further mechanism studies revealed that both necrosis and apoptosis are involved in Brevivin-1RL1 mediated tumor cells death. Moreover, Brevivin-1RL1 induced extrinsic and mitochondria intrinsic apoptosis is caspases dependent, as the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-FMK rescued Brevinin-1RL1 induced tumor cell proliferative inhibition. Immunohistology staining showed Brevivin-1RL1 mainly aggregated on the surface of the tumor cells. These results together suggested that Brevivin-1RL1 preferentially converges on the cancer cells to trigger necrosis and caspase-dependent apoptosis and Brevivin-1RL1 could be considered as a pharmacological candidate for further development as anti-cancer agent.
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29
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Zvejniece L, Dambrova M, Smits G. Total synthesis and in vivo evaluation of 8-deoxypumiliotoxin 193H. Nat Prod Res 2021; 35:440-446. [PMID: 31264906 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2019.1636244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The total synthesis of both the double bond isomers of indolizine alkaloid 8-deoxypumiliotoxin 193H has been accomplished. Both the double bond isomers Z-4 and E-4 induced convulsions and inhibited neuro-muscular activity at a dose of 25 mg/kg after intraperitoneal injection in mice. The lethal dose of Z-4 and E-4 was 100 mg/kg, indicating that 8-deoxypumiliotoxin 193H is 10-times less toxic than the known pumiliotoxin (+)-251 D.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gints Smits
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
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31
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Schulte LM, Ringler E, Rojas B, Stynoski JL. Developments in Amphibian Parental Care Research: History, Present Advances, and Future Perspectives. HERPETOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS 2020. [DOI: 10.1655/herpmonographs-d-19-00002.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Schulte
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 13, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Eva Ringler
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jennifer L. Stynoski
- Colorado State University, Department of Biology, 200 W. Lake Street, Fort Collins, CO, 48823 USA
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A Novel Antimicrobial Peptide (Kassinatuerin-3) Isolated from the Skin Secretion of the African Frog, Kassina senegalensis. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9070148. [PMID: 32630734 PMCID: PMC7408539 DOI: 10.3390/biology9070148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Amphibian skin secretions are remarkable sources of novel bioactive peptides. Among these, antimicrobial peptides have demonstrated an outstanding efficacy in killing microorganisms via a general membranolytic mechanism, which may offer the prospect of solving specific target-driven antibiotic resistance. Here, the discovery of a novel defensive peptide is described from the skin secretion of the African frog, Kassina senegalensis. Named kassinatuerin-3, it was identified through a combination of “shot-gun” cloning and MS/MS fragmentation sequencing. Subsequently, a synthetic replicate was subjected to biofunctional evaluation. The results indicated that kassinatuerin-3 possessed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria but no effect against Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, it was active in biofilm eradication on S. aureus and MRSA and in the antiproliferation of selected cancer cell lines. Moreover, it had a very mild hemolytic effect, which demonstrated a high therapeutic index for kassinatuerin-3. Collectively, although kassinatuerin-3 did not demonstrate remarkable bioactivities compared with other natural or synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), it offered a new insight into the design of antimicrobial derivatives.
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Hernández-Gómez O, Wuerthner V, Hua J. Amphibian Host and Skin Microbiota Response to a Common Agricultural Antimicrobial and Internal Parasite. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 79:175-191. [PMID: 31093726 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01351-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Holistic approaches that simultaneously characterize responses of both microbial symbionts and their hosts to environmental shifts are imperative to understanding the role of microbiotas on host health. Using the northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) as our model, we investigated the effects of a common trematode (family Echinostomatidae), a common agricultural antimicrobial (Sulfadimethoxine; SDM), and their interaction on amphibian skin microbiota and amphibian health (growth metrics and susceptibility to parasites). In the trematode-exposed individuals, we noted an increase in alpha diversity and a shift in microbial communities. In the SDM-treated individuals, we found a change in the composition of the skin microbiota similar to those induced by the trematode treatment. Groups treated with SDM, echinostomes, or a combination of SDM and echinostomes, had higher relative abundances of OTUs assigned to Flavobacterium and Acinetobacter. Both of these genera have been associated with infectious disease in amphibians and the production of anti-pathogen metabolites. Similar changes in microbial community composition between SDM and trematode exposed individuals may have resulted from stress-related disruption of host immunity. Despite changes in the microbiota, we found no effect of echinostomes and SDM on host health. Given the current disease- and pollution-related threats facing amphibians, our study highlights the need to continue to evaluate the influence of natural and anthropogenic stressors on host-associated microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obed Hernández-Gómez
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Vanessa Wuerthner
- Biological Sciences Department, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Jessica Hua
- Biological Sciences Department, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
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Lv A, Li C, Tian P, Yuan W, Zhang S, Lv Y, Hu Y. Expression and purification of recombinant puroindoline A protein in Escherichia coli and its antifungal effect against Aspergillus flavus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:9515-9527. [PMID: 31720772 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-10168-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus is the main cause of postharvest agricultural commodity loss. In this study, puroindoline A (PINA) protein was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and its antifungal properties against A. flavus were characterized. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the molecular weight of the recombinant PINA protein was approximately 44 kDa. PINA exerted a powerful antifungal effect against A. flavus at 42.42 μg/mL on potato dextrose agar culture medium. Flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the spore morphology was damaged by PINA exposure; spores were depressed and broken, suggesting that the cell wall was impaired. Transmission electron microscopy and propidium iodide staining illustrated significant changes in intracellular spore structure, indicating cell membrane damage. 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolocarbocyanine iodide staining indicated decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Large nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation were detected by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. The expression of genes related to the cell wall, cell membrane, and spore germination significantly changed in PINA-treated cells; this illustrated the probable mode of PINA action on A. flavus through cell wall destruction and triggered cell membrane, mitochondrial, and DNA damage leading to cell death. The antifungal mechanism of wheat PINA protein on A. flavus has been demonstrated in this study, and has potential application in preventing postharvest loss in the agricultural industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Lv
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Cuixiang Li
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingping Tian
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjing Yuan
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuaibing Zhang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yangyong Lv
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuansen Hu
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
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35
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Chen D, Zhou X, Chen X, Huang L, Xi X, Ma C, Zhou M, Wang L, Chen T. Evaluating the Bioactivity of a Novel Antimicrobial and Anticancer Peptide, Dermaseptin-PS4(Der-PS4), from the Skin Secretion of Phyllomedusa sauvagii. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24162974. [PMID: 31426323 PMCID: PMC6719146 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24162974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dermaseptins belonging to a large family of cationic membrane-disruption antimicrobial peptides display extensive antibacterial and antiproliferative activities depending on a coil-to-helix transition and the specific structural parameters. Herein, a novel dermaseptin peptide named Der-PS4 was discovered from the skin secretion of the waxy monkey tree frog, Phyllomedusa sauvagii. The complementary DNA (cDNA)-encoding precursor was obtained relying on "shotgun" cloning, and afterwards, a mature peptide amino acid sequence was identified by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and MS/MS. Specimens were chemically synthesized and applied for further functional studies. Structural analysis demonstrated a higher α-helical content in the membrane-mimetic environment compared with that in the ammonium acetate/water circumstance. Der-PS4 displayed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities against tested pathogenic microorganisms, however, exhibiting slight membrane-damaging effectiveness towards horse red blood cells. Coincident with the inhibitory activities on pathogens, Der-PS4 also showed considerable biofilm eradicating impact. Also, Der-PS4 penetrated cell membrane in a relative short period under each minimum bactericidal concentration. In addition, Der-PS4 possessed antiproliferative capacity against five cancer cell lines, while presenting slight suppressing effect on human microvascular endothelial, HMEC-1. These findings provide a promising insight for the discovery and development of novel drugs from a natural source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Xiaowei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
- Department of Nutrition, Henry Fok School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Linyuan Huang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
| | - Xinping Xi
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
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LFB: A Novel Antimicrobial Brevinin-Like Peptide from the Skin Secretion of the Fujian Large Headed Frog, Limnonectes fujianensi. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9060242. [PMID: 31234333 PMCID: PMC6627297 DOI: 10.3390/biom9060242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians are a natural source of abundant antimicrobial peptides and thus have been widely investigated for isolation of such biomolecules. Many new antimicrobial peptide families have been discovered from amphibians. In this study, a novel antimicrobial peptide named Limnonectes fujianensis Brevinvin (LFB) has been identified in the skin secretion from the Fujian large headed frog, Limnonectes fujianensis. The cDNA sequence was cloned from a skin secretion library and the predicted mature peptide was identified through MS/MS fragmentation sequencing of reverse phase HPLC fractions on the same sample. LFB was predicted to be an amphipathic, hydrophobic, alpha helical, and beta turn peptide that inserts into a lipid bilayer in order to kill the cells. In antimicrobial assays, a synthetic replicate of this novel antimicrobial peptide demonstrated significant activity against the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and the yeast, Candida albicans. This novel peptide was highly potent (MIC 4.88 uM) against Gram-negative bacterium, and also has the ability to inhibit the growth of human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 18.9 μM down to 2.0 μM. These findings help to enrich our understanding of Brevinin-like peptides. Moreover, the data presented here validate frog secretion as a source of potential novel antimicrobial peptides, that also exhibit anti-tumor properties, that could be useful for the treatment of cancer.
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37
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A Hylarana latouchii Skin Secretion-Derived Novel Bombesin-Related Pentadecapeptide (Ranatensin-HLa) Evoke Myotropic Effects on the in vitro Rat Smooth Muscles. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11040204. [PMID: 30959738 PMCID: PMC6521075 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11040204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians have developed successful defensive strategies for combating predators and invasive microorganisms encountered in their broad range of environments, which involve secretion of complex cocktails of noxious, toxic and diverse bioactive molecules from the skins. In recent years, amphibian skin secretions have been considered as an extraordinary warehouse for the discovery of therapeutic medicines. In this study, through bioactivity screening of the Hylarana latouchii skin secretion-derived fractions, a novel peptide belonging to ranatensin subfamily (ranatensin-HLa) was discovered, and structurally and pharmacologically-characterised. It consists of 15 amino acid residues, pGlu-NGDRAPQWAVGHFM-NH2, and its synthetic replicate was found to exhibit pharmacological activities on increasing the contraction of the in vitro rat bladder and uterus smooth muscles. Corresponding characteristic sigmoidal dose-response curves with EC50 values of 7.1 nM and 5.5 nM were produced, respectively, in bladder and uterus. Moreover, the precursor of ranatensin-HLa showed a high degree of similarity to those of bombesin-like peptides from Odorrana grahami and Odorrana schmackeri. Hylarana latouchii skin continues to serve as a storehouse with diverse lead compounds for the development of therapeutically effective medicines.
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38
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Joel AC, Weissbach M. Same Principles but Different Purposes: Passive Fluid Handling throughout the Animal Kingdom. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:1673-1680. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Everything on earth is subject to physical laws, thus they influence all facets of living creatures. Although these laws restrain animals in many ways, some animals have developed a way to use physical phenomena in their favor to conserve energy. Many animals, which have to handle fluids, for example, have evolved passive mechanisms by adapting their wettability or using capillary forces for rapid fluid spreading. In distinct animals, a similar selection pressure always favors a convergent development. However, when assessing the biological tasks of passive fluid handling mechanisms, their diversity is rather surprising. Besides the well-described handling of water to facilitate drinking in arid regions, observed in, e.g., several lizards, other animals like a special flat bug have developed a similar mechanism for a completely different task and fluid: Instead of water, these bugs passively transport an oily defense secretion to a region close to their head where it finally evaporates. And again some spiders use capillary forces to capture prey, by sucking in the viscous waxy cuticle of their prey with their nanofibrous threads. This review highlights the similarities and differences in the deployed mechanisms of passive fluid handling across the animal kingdom. Besides including well-studied animals to point out different mechanisms in general, we stretch over to not as extensively studied species for which similar mechanisms are described for different tasks. Thus, we provide an extensive overview of animals for which passive fluid handling is described so far as well as for future inspiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Christin Joel
- Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, Aachen, Germany
| | - Margret Weissbach
- Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, Aachen, Germany
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39
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Martin H C, Ibáñez R, Nothias LF, Boya P CA, Reinert LK, Rollins-Smith LA, Dorrestein PC, Gutiérrez M. Viscosin-like lipopeptides from frog skin bacteria inhibit Aspergillus fumigatus and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis detected by imaging mass spectrometry and molecular networking. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3019. [PMID: 30816229 PMCID: PMC6395710 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39583-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibian populations worldwide have declined and in some cases become extinct due to chytridiomycosis, a pandemic disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; however, some species have survived these fungal epidemics. Previous studies have suggested that the resistance of these species is due to the presence of cutaneous bacteria producing antifungal metabolites. As our understanding of these metabolites is still limited, we assessed the potential of such compounds against human-relevant fungi such as Aspergillus. In this work we isolated 201 bacterial strains from fifteen samples belonging to seven frog species collected in the highlands of Panama and tested them against Aspergillus fumigatus. Among the 29 bacterial isolates that exhibited antifungal activity, Pseudomonas cichorii showed the greatest inhibition. To visualize the distribution of compounds and identify them in the inhibition zone produced by P. cichorii, we employed MALDI imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) and MS/MS molecular networking. We identified viscosin and massetolides A, F, G and H in the inhibition zone. Furthermore, viscosin was isolated and evaluated in vitro against A. fumigatus and B. dendrobatidis showing MIC values of 62.50 µg/mL and 31.25 µg/mL, respectively. This is the first report of cyclic depsipeptides with antifungal activity isolated from frog cutaneous bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Martin H
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Republic of Panama.,Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India
| | - Roberto Ibáñez
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama.,Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Panamá, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Louis-Félix Nothias
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cristopher A Boya P
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Republic of Panama.,Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India
| | - Laura K Reinert
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, and Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Louise A Rollins-Smith
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, and Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marcelino Gutiérrez
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Republic of Panama.
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40
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Cell penetrating peptides: A concise review with emphasis on biomedical applications. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 108:1090-1096. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.09.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
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41
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Spinello A, Cusimano MG, Schillaci D, Inguglia L, Barone G, Arizza V. Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of a Recombinant Fragment of β-Thymosin of Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Mar Drugs 2018; 16:md16100366. [PMID: 30279359 PMCID: PMC6213101 DOI: 10.3390/md16100366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With the aim to obtain new antimicrobials against important pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we focused on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from Echinoderms. An example of such peptides is Paracentrin 1 (SP1), a chemically synthesised peptide fragment of a sea urchin thymosin. In the present paper, we report on the biological activity of a Paracentrin 1 derivative obtained by recombination. The recombinant paracentrin RP1, in comparison to the synthetic SP1, is 22 amino acids longer and it was considerably more active against the planktonic forms of S. aureus ATCC 25923 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442 at concentrations of 50 µg/mL. Moreover, it was able to inhibit biofilm formation of staphylococcal and P. aeruginosa strains at concentrations equal to 5.0 and 10.7 µg/mL, respectively. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allowed to rationalise the results of the experimental investigations, providing atomistic insights on the binding of RP1 toward models of mammalian and bacterial cell membranes. Overall, the results obtained point out that RP1 shows a remarkable preference for bacterial membranes, in excellent agreement with the antibacterial activity, highlighting the promising potential of using the tested peptide as a template for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Spinello
- CNR-IOM-DEMOCRITOS c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Maria Grazia Cusimano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Domenico Schillaci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Luigi Inguglia
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
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42
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Huang Y, Gong WB. Identification and Characterization of MicroRNAs in Skin of Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) by the Deep Sequencing Approach. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2018; 83:766-777. [PMID: 30195333 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297918060147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNA) play a pivotal role in regulating a broad range of biological processes, acting by cleaving mRNAs or by translational repression. However, the miRNAs from skin of Andrias davidianus have not been reported. In this study, a small-RNA cDNA library was constructed and sequenced from skin of A. davidianus. A total of 513 conserved miRNAs belonging to 174 families were identified. The remaining 108 miRNAs we identified were novel and likely to be skin tissue-specific but were expressed at low levels. The presence of randomly selected 15 miRNAs identified and their expression in eight different tissues from A. davidianus were validated by stem-loop qRT-PCR. For better understanding the functions of miRNAs, 129,791 predicated target genes were analyzed by GO and their pathways illustrated by KEGG pathway analyses. The results show that these identified miRNAs from A. davidianus skin are involved in a broad range of physiological functions including metabolism, growth, development, and immune responses. This study exhaustively identifies miRNAs and their target genes, which will ultimately pave the way for understanding their role in skin of A. davidianus and other amphibians. Further studies are necessary to better understand miRNA-mediated gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Huang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, China.
| | - Wang Bao Gong
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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43
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Pires DAT, Arake LMR, Silva LP, Lopez-Castillo A, Prates MV, Nascimento CJ, Bloch C. A previously undescribed hexapeptide His-Arg-Phe-Leu-Arg-His-NH 2 from amphibian skin secretion shows CO 2 and metal biding affinities. Peptides 2018; 106:37-44. [PMID: 29933027 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
A previously undescribed six residues long peptide His-Arg-Phe-Leu-Arg-His was identified and purified from the skin secretion of the amphibian Phyllomedusa centralis. A synthetic analogue carboxyamidated HRFLRH-NH2 showed structural changes induced by CO2 and metal ions in aqueous solution when analyzed by NMR. The present work reports NMR structures for the carboxyamidated hexapeptide in the presence CO2, Zn2+ and Cd2+, suggesting possible affinity regions on the polypeptide chain for each ligand. The NMR structures were optimized by DFT to identify probable biding sites of these species in the polypeptide structure. To our best knowledge, this is the first time that a putative CO2 binding site is described on a peptide structure obtained in aqueous conditions, at room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A T Pires
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil; Departamento de Áreas Acadêmicas, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia e Goiás (IFG), Luziânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Luisa M R Arake
- Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Luciano P Silva
- Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Lopez-Castillo
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maura V Prates
- Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Claudia J Nascimento
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil; Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos Bloch
- Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
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44
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Domhan C, Uhl P, Meinhardt A, Zimmermann S, Kleist C, Lindner T, Leotta K, Mier W, Wink M. A novel tool against multiresistant bacterial pathogens: lipopeptide modification of the natural antimicrobial peptide ranalexin for enhanced antimicrobial activity and improved pharmacokinetics. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2018; 52:52-62. [PMID: 29649587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2018.03.023] [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: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
As evolutionarily optimised defence compounds, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a powerful tool against bacterial infections. Ranalexin, an AMP found in the skin of the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), is primarily active against Gram-positive bacteria, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 8-16 mg/L, but shows weaker activity against Gram-negative bacteria (MICs > 64 mg/L). By substitution of six N-terminal amino acids by saturated fatty acids [decanoic acid (C10:0) to myristic acid (C14:0)], lipopeptide derivatives with enhanced antimicrobial activity were developed. The antimicrobial capacity of the peptides was tested against different bacterial strains, including multiresistant clinical isolates. C13C3lexin, the most potent derivative, showed MICs of 2-8 mg/L against Gram-positive bacteria and 2-16 mg/L against Gram-negative bacteria. In time-kill studies, it was clearly shown that ranalexin and the lipopeptide C13C3lexin function as concentration-dependent, fast-acting substances against different bacteria. Cell viability assays revealed that cytotoxicity towards human cells increases with the chain length of the attached fatty acid (IC50, 12.74-108.10 µg/mL). Furthermore, using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, pharmacokinetic studies of 68Ga-labelled ranalexin and its derivatives were performed for the first time. Here it was demonstrated that ranalexin is rapidly cleared via the kidneys within 1 h post-injection. In contrast, the lipopeptide showed greatly extended circulation in the bloodstream and a shift from renal to hepatic accumulation characteristics. Therefore, the more favourable pharmacokinetics and enhanced antimicrobial activity clearly demonstrate the potential of the lipopeptide AMPs as novel ammunition against emerging multiresistant bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius Domhan
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philipp Uhl
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Meinhardt
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Zimmermann
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Kleist
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Lindner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karin Leotta
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Walter Mier
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Wink
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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45
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Hovey KJ, Seiter EM, Johnson EE, Saporito RA. Sequestered Alkaloid Defenses in the Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga pumilio Provide Variable Protection from Microbial Pathogens. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:312-325. [PMID: 29427191 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Most amphibians produce their own defensive chemicals; however, poison frogs sequester their alkaloid-based defenses from dietary arthropods. Alkaloids function as a defense against predators, and certain types appear to inhibit microbial growth. Alkaloid defenses vary considerably among populations of poison frogs, reflecting geographic differences in availability of dietary arthropods. Consequently, environmentally driven differences in frog defenses may have significant implications regarding their protection against pathogens. While natural alkaloid mixtures in dendrobatid poison frogs have recently been shown to inhibit growth of non-pathogenic microbes, no studies have examined the effectiveness of alkaloids against microbes that infect these frogs. Herein, we examined how alkaloid defenses in the dendrobatid poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, affect growth of the known anuran pathogens Aeromonas hydrophila and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Frogs were collected from five locations throughout Costa Rica that are known to vary in their alkaloid profiles. Alkaloids were isolated from individual skins, and extracts were assayed against both pathogens. Microbe subcultures were inoculated with extracted alkaloids to create dose-response curves. Subsequent spectrophotometry and cell counting assays were used to assess growth inhibition. GC-MS was used to characterize and quantify alkaloids in frog extracts, and our results suggest that variation in alkaloid defenses lead to differences in inhibition of these pathogens. The present study provides the first evidence that alkaloid variation in a dendrobatid poison frog is associated with differences in inhibition of anuran pathogens, and offers further support that alkaloid defenses in poison frogs confer protection against both pathogens and predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Hovey
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Emily M Seiter
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Erin E Johnson
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.
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46
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Raaymakers C, Verbrugghe E, Hernot S, Hellebuyck T, Betti C, Peleman C, Claeys M, Bert W, Caveliers V, Ballet S, Martel A, Pasmans F, Roelants K. Antimicrobial peptides in frog poisons constitute a molecular toxin delivery system against predators. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1495. [PMID: 29138448 PMCID: PMC5686178 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01710-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals using toxic peptides and proteins for predation or defense typically depend on specialized morphological structures, like fangs, spines, or a stinger, for effective intoxication. Here we show that amphibian poisons instead incorporate their own molecular system for toxin delivery to attacking predators. Skin-secreted peptides, generally considered part of the amphibian immune system, permeabilize oral epithelial tissue and enable fast access of cosecreted toxins to the predator's bloodstream and organs. This absorption-enhancing system exists in at least three distantly related frog lineages and is likely to be a widespread adaptation, determining the outcome of predator-prey encounters in hundreds of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantijn Raaymakers
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Elsene, Belgium.,Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Elin Verbrugghe
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Sophie Hernot
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, UZ Brussel and In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Jette, Belgium
| | - Tom Hellebuyck
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Cecilia Betti
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Department of Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Elsene, Belgium
| | - Cindy Peleman
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, UZ Brussel and In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Jette, Belgium
| | - Myriam Claeys
- Department of Biology, Nematology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Bert
- Department of Biology, Nematology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Vicky Caveliers
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, UZ Brussel and In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Jette, Belgium
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Department of Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Elsene, Belgium
| | - An Martel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Frank Pasmans
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Kim Roelants
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Elsene, Belgium.
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47
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Zhou C, Wang Z, Peng X, Liu Y, Lin Y, Zhang Z, Qiu Y, Jin M, Wang R, Kong D. Discovery of two bombinin peptides with antimicrobial and anticancer activities from the skin secretion of Oriental fire-bellied toad, Bombina orientalis. Chem Biol Drug Des 2017. [PMID: 28636781 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian skin secretions are known to contain numerous peptides with a large array of biological activities. Bombinins are a group of amphibian-derived peptides with broad spectrum antimicrobial activities that have been only identified from the ancient toad species, Bombina. In this study, we described the identification and characterization of a novel bombinin precursor which encoded a bombinin-like peptide (BLP-7) and a novel bombinin H-type peptide (named as Bombinin H-BO) from the skin secretion of Oriental fire-bellied toad, Bombina orientalis. The primary structures of both mature peptides were determined by combinations of molecular cloning of peptide precursor-encoding cDNAs and mass spectrometry techniques. Secondary structure prediction revealed that both peptides had cationic amphipathic α-helical structural features. The synthetic replicate of BLP-7 displayed more potent antimicrobial activity than Bombinin H-BO against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeast. Also, in vitro antitumour assay showed that both peptides possessed obvious antiproliferative activity on three human hepatoma cells (Hep G2/SK-HEP-1/Huh7) at the non-toxic doses. These results indicate the peptide family of bombinins could be a potential source of drug candidates for anti-infection and anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Zhou
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhengming Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Peng
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yao Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yangjun Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou Medical College, Quanzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuling Qiu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Meihua Jin
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ran Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dexin Kong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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48
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Ageitos J, Sánchez-Pérez A, Calo-Mata P, Villa T. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs): Ancient compounds that represent novel weapons in the fight against bacteria. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 133:117-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2016.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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49
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Chen X, Wang H, Wang L, Zhou M, Chen T, Shaw C. Identification of Miscellaneous Peptides from the Skin Secretion of the European Edible Frog, Pelophylax kl. Esculentus. Protein J 2017; 35:291-9. [PMID: 27402449 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-016-9672-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The chemical compounds synthesised and secreted from the dermal glands of amphibian have diverse bioactivities that play key roles in the hosts' innate immune system and in causing diverse pharmacological effects in predators that may ingest the defensive skin secretions. As new biotechnological methods have developed, increasing numbers of novel peptides with novel activities have been discovered from this source of natural compounds. In this study, a number of defensive skin secretion peptide sequences were obtained from the European edible frog, P. kl. esculentus, using a 'shotgun' cloning technique developed previously within our laboratory. Some of these sequences have been previously reported but had either obtained from other species or were isolated using different methods. Two new skin peptides are described here for the first time. Esculentin-2c and Brevinin-2Tbe belong to the Esculentin-2 and Brevinin-2 families, respectively, and both are very similar to their respective analogues but with a few amino acid differences. Further, [Asn-3, Lys-6, Phe-13] 3-14-bombesin isolated previously from the skin of the marsh frog, Rana ridibunda, was identified here in the skin of P. kl. esculentus. Studies such as this can provide a rapid elucidation of peptide and corresponding DNA sequences from unstudied species of frogs and can rapidly provide a basis for related scientific studies such as those involved in systematic or the evolution of a large diverse gene family and usage by biomedical researchers as a source of potential novel drug leads or pharmacological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaole Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
| | - He Wang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Medicine Natural Peptide Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Mei Zhou
- Medicine Natural Peptide Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Medicine Natural Peptide Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Chris Shaw
- Medicine Natural Peptide Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
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50
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Verly RM, Resende JM, Junior EFC, de Magalhães MTQ, Guimarães CFCR, Munhoz VHO, Bemquerer MP, Almeida FCL, Santoro MM, Piló-Veloso D, Bechinger B. Structure and membrane interactions of the homodimeric antibiotic peptide homotarsinin. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40854. [PMID: 28102305 PMCID: PMC5244374 DOI: 10.1038/srep40854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from amphibian skin are valuable template structures to find new treatments against bacterial infections. This work describes for the first time the structure and membrane interactions of a homodimeric AMP. Homotarsinin, which was found in Phyllomedusa tarsius anurans, consists of two identical cystine-linked polypeptide chains each of 24 amino acid residues. The high-resolution structures of the monomeric and dimeric peptides were determined in aqueous buffers. The dimer exhibits a tightly packed coiled coil three-dimensional structure, keeping the hydrophobic residues screened from the aqueous environment. An overall cationic surface of the dimer assures enhanced interactions with negatively charged membranes. An extensive set of biophysical data allowed us to establish structure-function correlations with antimicrobial assays against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Although both peptides present considerable antimicrobial activity, the dimer is significantly more effective in both antibacterial and membrane biophysical assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo M. Verly
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O.Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Jarbas M. Resende
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O.Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Eduardo F. C. Junior
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Mariana T. Q. de Magalhães
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O.Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlos F. C. R. Guimarães
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O.Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Victor H. O. Munhoz
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O.Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Porto Bemquerer
- Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil
| | - Fábio C. L. Almeida
- Centro Nacional de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear Jiri Jonas – CNRMN, Instituto de Bioquimica Médica, Programa de Biologia Estrutural, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcelo M. Santoro
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O.Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Dorila Piló-Veloso
- Departamento de Química Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O.Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- Université de Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, Strasbourg, France
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