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Panayi T, Diavoli S, Nicolaidou V, Papaneophytou C, Petrou C, Sarigiannis Y. Short-Chained Linear Scorpion Peptides: A Pool for Novel Antimicrobials. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:422. [PMID: 38786150 PMCID: PMC11117241 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13050422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Scorpion venom peptides are generally classified into two main groups: the disulfide bridged peptides (DBPs), which usually target membrane-associated ion channels, and the non-disulfide bridged peptides (NDBPs), a smaller group with multifunctional properties. In the past decade, these peptides have gained interest because most of them display functions that include antimicrobial, anticancer, haemolytic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Our current study focuses on the short (9-19 amino acids) antimicrobial linear scorpion peptides. Most of these peptides display a net positive charge of 1 or 2, an isoelectric point at pH 9-10, a broad range of hydrophobicity, and a Grand Average of Hydropathy (GRAVY) Value ranging between -0.05 and 1.7. These features allow these peptides to be attracted toward the negatively charged phospholipid head groups of the lipid membranes of target cells, a force driven by electrostatic interactions. This review outlines the antimicrobial potential of short-chained linear scorpion venom peptides. Additionally, short linear scorpion peptides are in general more attractive for large-scale synthesis from a manufacturing point of view. The structural and functional diversity of these peptides represents a good starting point for the development of new peptide-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tolis Panayi
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (T.P.); (V.N.); (C.P.)
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
| | - Spiridoula Diavoli
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
| | - Vicky Nicolaidou
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (T.P.); (V.N.); (C.P.)
| | - Christos Papaneophytou
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (T.P.); (V.N.); (C.P.)
| | - Christos Petrou
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
| | - Yiannis Sarigiannis
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
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2
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Zhong C, Zou J, Mao W, Yang P, Zhang J, Gou S, Zhang Y, Liu H, Ni J. Structure modification of anoplin for fighting resistant bacteria. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116276. [PMID: 38452726 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of bacterial resistance has posed a significant challenge to clinical antimicrobial treatment, rendering commonly used antibiotics ineffective. The development of novel antimicrobial agents and strategies is imperative for the treatment of resistant bacterial infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered a promising class of antimicrobial agents due to their low propensity for resistance and broad-spectrum activity. Anoplin is a small linear α-helical natural antimicrobial peptide that was isolated from the venom of the solitary wasp Anplius samariensis. It exhibits rich biological activity, particularly broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic activity. Over the past three decades, more than 40 research publications on anoplin have been made available online. This review focuses on the advancements of anoplin in antimicrobial research, encompassing its sources, characterization, antimicrobial activity, influencing factors and structural modifications. The aim is to provide assistances for the development of new antimicrobial agents that can combat bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.
| | - Jing Zou
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Wenbo Mao
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Ping Yang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Jingying Zhang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Sanhu Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Yun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Jingman Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.
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3
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Olcay B, Ozdemir GD, Ozdemir MA, Ercan UK, Guren O, Karaman O. Prediction of the synergistic effect of antimicrobial peptides and antimicrobial agents via supervised machine learning. BMC Biomed Eng 2024; 6:1. [PMID: 38233957 DOI: 10.1186/s42490-024-00075-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infectious diseases not only cause severe health problems but also burden the healthcare system. Therefore, the effective treatment of those diseases is crucial. Both conventional approaches, such as antimicrobial agents, and novel approaches, like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are used to treat infections. However, due to the drawbacks of current approaches, new solutions are still being investigated. One recent approach is the use of AMPs and antimicrobial agents in combination, but determining synergism is with a huge variety of AMPs time-consuming and requires multiple experimental studies. Machine learning (ML) algorithms are widely used to predict biological outcomes, particularly in the field of AMPs, but no previous research reported on predicting the synergistic effects of AMPs and antimicrobial agents. RESULTS Several supervised ML models were implemented to accurately predict the synergistic effect of AMPs and antimicrobial agents. The results demonstrated that the hyperparameter-optimized Light Gradient Boosted Machine Classifier (oLGBMC) yielded the best test accuracy of 76.92% for predicting the synergistic effect. Besides, the feature importance analysis reveals that the target microbial species, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the AMP and the antimicrobial agents, and the used antimicrobial agent were the most important features for the prediction of synergistic effect, which aligns with recent experimental studies in the literature. CONCLUSION This study reveals that ML algorithms can predict the synergistic activity of two different antimicrobial agents without the need for complex and time-consuming experimental procedures. The implications support that the ML models may not only reduce the experimental cost but also provide validation of experimental procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basak Olcay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gizem D Ozdemir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet A Ozdemir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Utku K Ercan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Onan Guren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ozan Karaman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
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Xing H, Loya-Perez V, Franzen J, Denton PW, Conda-Sheridan M, Rodrigues de Almeida N. Designing peptide amphiphiles as novel antibacterials and antibiotic adjuvants against gram-negative bacteria. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 94:117481. [PMID: 37776750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative strains are intrinsically resistant to most antibiotics due to the robust and impermeable characteristic of their outer membrane. Self-assembling cationic peptide amphiphiles (PAs) have the ability to disrupt bacteria membranes, constituting an excellent antibacterial alternative to small molecule drugs that can be used alone or as antibiotic adjuvants to overcome bacteria resistance. PA1 (C16KHKHK), self-assembled into micelles, which exhibited low antibacterial activity against all strains tested, and showed strong synergistic antibacterial activity in combination with Vancomycin with a Fractional Inhibitory Concentration index (FICi) of 0.15 against E. coli. The molecules, PA2 (C16KRKR) and PA3 (C16AAAKRKR), also self-assembled into micelles, displayed a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against all strains tested, and low susceptibility to resistance development over 21 days. Finally, PA1, PA 2 and PA3 displayed low cytotoxicity against mammalian cells, and PA2 showed a potent antibacterial activity and low toxicity in preliminary in vivo models using G. mellonella. The results show that PAs are a great platform for the future development of effective antibiotics to slow down the antibiotic resistance and can act as antibiotic adjuvants with synergistic mechanism of action, which can be repurposed for use with existing antibiotics commonly used to treat gram-positive bacteria to treat infections caused by gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihua Xing
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Vanessa Loya-Perez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Joshua Franzen
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Paul W Denton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
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Chen N, Jiang C. Antimicrobial peptides: Structure, mechanism, and modification. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 255:115377. [PMID: 37099837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Na Chen
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Cheng Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China.
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Ramalho SR, de Cássia Orlandi Sardi J, Júnior EC, Marchetto R, Wender H, Vargas LFP, de Miranda A, Almeida CV, de Oliveira Almeida LH, de Oliveira CFR, Macedo MLR. The synthetic antimicrobial peptide IKR18 displays anti-infectious properties in Galleria mellonella in vivo model. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130244. [PMID: 36162730 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising tools for developing new antibiotics. We described the design of IKR18, an AMP designed with the aid of computational tools. IKR18 showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). CD studies revealed that IKR18 assumes an alpha-helical structure in the membrane-mimetic environment. The action mechanism IKR18 involves damage to the bacteria membrane, as demonstrated by Sytox green uptake. Furthermore, IKR18 displayed synergic and additive effects in combination with antibiotics ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. The peptide showed anti-biofilm activity in concentration and efficiency compared with commercial antibiotics, involving the direct death of bacteria, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The anti-infective activity of IKR18 was demonstrated in the Galleria mellonella model infected with S. aureus, MRSA, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The novel bioinspired peptide, IKR18, proved to be effective in the control of bacterial infection, opening opportunities for the development of further assays, including preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suellen Rodrigues Ramalho
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Janaina de Cássia Orlandi Sardi
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Edson Crusca Júnior
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Tecnológica, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Reinaldo Marchetto
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Tecnológica, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Heberton Wender
- Laboratório de Nanomateriais e Nanotecnologia Aplicada (LNNA), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Luiz Felipe Plaça Vargas
- Laboratório de Nanomateriais e Nanotecnologia Aplicada (LNNA), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Antonio de Miranda
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudiane Vilharroel Almeida
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Luís Henrique de Oliveira Almeida
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Caio Fernando Ramalho de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil.
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Lima LS, Ramalho SR, Sandim GC, Parisotto EB, Orlandi Sardi JDC, Rodrigues Macedo ML. Prevention of hospital pathogen biofilm formation by antimicrobial peptide KWI18. Microb Pathog 2022; 172:105791. [PMID: 36150557 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of KWI18, a new synthetic peptide. KWI18 was tested against planktonic cells and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida parapsilosis biofilms. Time-kill and synergism assays were performed. Sorbitol, ergosterol, lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidation assays were used to gain insight into the mechanism of action of the peptide. Toxicity was evaluated against erythrocytes and Galleria mellonella. KWI18 showed antimicrobial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.5 to 10 μM. KWI18 at 10 × MIC reduced P. aeruginosa and C. parapsilosis biofilm formation and cell viability. Time-kill assays revealed that KWI18 inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa in 4 h and that of C. parapsilosis in 6 h. The mechanism of action was related to ergosterol as well as induction of oxidative damage in cells and biofilms. Furthermore, KWI18 demonstrated low toxicity to erythrocytes and G. mellonella. KWI18 proved to be an effective antibiofilm agent, opening opportunities for the development of new antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia Souza Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Suellen Rodrigues Ramalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento na Região Centro-Oeste, Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Graziele Custódia Sandim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Benedetti Parisotto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Janaina de Cássia Orlandi Sardi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Odontológicas Integradas, Universidade de Cuiabá, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
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Alsaggar M, Al-Hazabreh M, Al-Tall Y, Al-Tarawneh A, Masadeh M. HAZ, A NOVEL PEPTIDE WITH BROAD-SPECTRUM ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY. Saudi Pharm J 2022; 30:1652-1658. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2022.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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9
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Zhao Y, Wang XY, Sun Y, Li Z, Liu T, Liu QM, Chen J. Truncated analog Brevinin2-CE-N26V5K: Revelation the Augmentation of Antimicrobial Activity. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:162. [PMID: 35834028 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03333-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Brevinin2-CE (B2CE), a natural peptide containing 37 amino acids, was first isolated from the skin secretions of the Chinese forest frog Rana chensinensis. B2CE shows good antibacterial activity. In this study, a series of B2CE analogs with differences in cationicity, α-helicity, hydrophobicity and amphipathic properties were designed through chain-length deletion and amino acid substitution. The most potent, nontoxic analog, B2CE-N26V5K, was identified by examination of its antibacterial activity, hemolytic activity, and stability under physiological conditions. The increased cationicity, hydrophobicity and more obvious hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface of B2CE-N26-N16WA18KG23K did not improve the antibacterial activity but increased the hemolytic activity of this modified peptide. The helicity might promote antibacterial activity for brevinin-2 peptides, as the 15-aa analogs with lower helicity show decreased potency against different test bacteria (approximately 2- to 72-fold) compared to B2CE-N26V5K. Additionally, the results indicated that the "Rana box" does not affect the antimicrobial activity of brevinin-2 peptides, as B2CE, B2CE-nonDS and B2CE-C31-37 S have similar strong inhibitory effects on both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. However, the "Rana box" does affect the hemolytic activity, as the HC50 values of the 3 peptides range from 25 ~ 130 µM. Furthermore, B2CE-N26V5K caused obvious morphological alterations of the bacterial surfaces, as shown by atomic force microscopy. Additionally, B2CE-N26V5K exhibited strong membrane-disrupting activity when examined using the LIVE/DEAD Bac Light Bacterial Viability Kit. Thus, the antibacterial effect of B2CE-N26V5K on gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria may be caused by cell membrane attack. In conclusion, the excellent candidate B2CE-N26V5K was obtained and has application prospects as a novel anti-infective agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, 710119, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Yan Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, 710119, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Yan Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, 710119, Xi'an, P. R. China.
| | - Zhi Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, 710119, Xi'an, P. R. China.
| | - Tao Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, 710119, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Qing-Mei Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, 710119, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Jingyi Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, 710119, Xi'an, P. R. China
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10
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Amorim-Carmo B, Parente AMS, Souza ES, Silva-Junior AA, Araújo RM, Fernandes-Pedrosa MF. Antimicrobial Peptide Analogs From Scorpions: Modifications and Structure-Activity. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:887763. [PMID: 35712354 PMCID: PMC9197468 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.887763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of multidrug-resistant pathogens against conventional antibiotics is a global public health problem. The irrational use of antibiotics has promoted therapeutic limitations against different infections, making research of new molecules that can be applied to treat infections necessary. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of promising antibiotic molecules as they present broad action spectrum, potent activity, and do not easily induce resistance. Several AMPs from scorpion venoms have been described as a potential source for the development of new drugs; however, some limitations to their application are also observed. Here, we describe strategies used in several approaches to optimize scorpion AMPs, addressing their primary sequence, biotechnological potential, and characteristics that should be considered when developing an AMP derived from scorpion venoms. In addition, this review may contribute towards improving the understanding of rationally designing new molecules, targeting functional AMPs that may have a therapeutic application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Amorim-Carmo
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biotechnology, Pharmacy Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do North, Natal, Brazil
| | - Adriana M. S. Parente
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biotechnology, Pharmacy Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do North, Natal, Brazil
| | - Eden S. Souza
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Arnóbio A. Silva-Junior
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biotechnology, Pharmacy Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do North, Natal, Brazil
| | - Renata M. Araújo
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biotechnology, Pharmacy Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do North, Natal, Brazil
| | - Matheus F. Fernandes-Pedrosa
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biotechnology, Pharmacy Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do North, Natal, Brazil
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11
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Tsai CY, Salawu EO, Li H, Lin GY, Kuo TY, Voon L, Sharma A, Hu KD, Cheng YY, Sahoo S, Stuart L, Chen CW, Chang YY, Lu YL, Ke S, Ortiz CLD, Fang BS, Wu CC, Lan CY, Fu HW, Yang LW. Helical structure motifs made searchable for functional peptide design. Nat Commun 2022; 13:102. [PMID: 35013238 PMCID: PMC8748493 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27655-0] [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: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The systematic design of functional peptides has technological and therapeutic applications. However, there is a need for pattern-based search engines that help locate desired functional motifs in primary sequences regardless of their evolutionary conservation. Existing databases such as The Protein Secondary Structure database (PSS) no longer serves the community, while the Dictionary of Protein Secondary Structure (DSSP) annotates the secondary structures when tertiary structures of proteins are provided. Here, we extract 1.7 million helices from the PDB and compile them into a database (Therapeutic Peptide Design database; TP-DB) that allows queries of compounded patterns to facilitate the identification of sequence motifs of helical structures. We show how TP-DB helps us identify a known purification-tag-specific antibody that can be repurposed into a diagnostic kit for Helicobacter pylori. We also show how the database can be used to design a new antimicrobial peptide that shows better Candida albicans clearance and lower hemolysis than its template homologs. Finally, we demonstrate how TP-DB can suggest point mutations in helical peptide blockers to prevent a targeted tumorigenic protein-protein interaction. TP-DB is made available at http://dyn.life.nthu.edu.tw/design/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Yu Tsai
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, 100025, Taiwan.,Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225, Taiwan
| | - Emmanuel Oluwatobi Salawu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.,Bioinformatics Program, Institute of Information Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan.,Machine Learning Solutions Lab, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Herndon, VA, USA
| | - Hongchun Li
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.,Research Center for Computer-Aided Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China.,College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China.,Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Guan-Yu Lin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yu Kuo
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Liyin Voon
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Adarsh Sharma
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Di Hu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Yun Cheng
- Praexisio Taiwan Inc., New Taipei, 221425, Taiwan
| | - Sobha Sahoo
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Lutimba Stuart
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Chen
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Yu Chang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.,Praexisio Taiwan Inc., New Taipei, 221425, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Lin Lu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Simai Ke
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Christopher Llynard D Ortiz
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.,Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics Program, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan.,Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Bai-Shan Fang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China.,The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Key Lab for Synthetic Biotechnology of Xiamen City, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China
| | - Chen-Chi Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu, 302058, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Yu Lan
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan. .,Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.
| | - Hua-Wen Fu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan. .,Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.
| | - Lee-Wei Yang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan. .,Bioinformatics Program, Institute of Information Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan. .,Physics Division, National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei, 106319, Taiwan. .,PhD Program in Biomedical Artificial Intelligence, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.
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12
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Bin Hafeez A, Jiang X, Bergen PJ, Zhu Y. Antimicrobial Peptides: An Update on Classifications and Databases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11691. [PMID: 34769122 PMCID: PMC8583803 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are distributed across all kingdoms of life and are an indispensable component of host defenses. They consist of predominantly short cationic peptides with a wide variety of structures and targets. Given the ever-emerging resistance of various pathogens to existing antimicrobial therapies, AMPs have recently attracted extensive interest as potential therapeutic agents. As the discovery of new AMPs has increased, many databases specializing in AMPs have been developed to collect both fundamental and pharmacological information. In this review, we summarize the sources, structures, modes of action, and classifications of AMPs. Additionally, we examine current AMP databases, compare valuable computational tools used to predict antimicrobial activity and mechanisms of action, and highlight new machine learning approaches that can be employed to improve AMP activity to combat global antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmer Bin Hafeez
- Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan;
| | - Xukai Jiang
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (X.J.); (P.J.B.)
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Phillip J. Bergen
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (X.J.); (P.J.B.)
| | - Yan Zhu
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (X.J.); (P.J.B.)
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13
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Almeida CV, de Oliveira CFR, Dos Santos EL, Dos Santos HF, Júnior EC, Marchetto R, da Cruz LA, Ferreira AMT, Gomes VM, Taveira GB, Costa BO, Franco OL, Cardoso MH, Macedo MLR. Differential interactions of the antimicrobial peptide, RQ18, with phospholipids and cholesterol modulate its selectivity for microorganism membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:129937. [PMID: 34052310 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.129937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are molecules with potential application for the treatment of microorganism infections. We, herein, describe the structure, activity, and mechanism of action of RQ18, an α-helical AMP that displays antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and yeasts from the Candida genus. METHODS A physicochemical-guided design assisted by computer tools was used to obtain our lead peptide candidate, named RQ18. This peptide was assayed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and mammalian cells to determine its selectivity index. The secondary structure and the mechanism of action of RQ18 were investigated using circular dichroism, large unilamellar vesicles, and molecular dynamic simulations. RESULTS RQ18 was not cytotoxic to human lung fibroblasts, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, red blood cells, or Vero cells at MIC values, exhibiting a high selectivity index. Circular dichroism analysis and molecular dynamic simulations revealed that RQ18 presents varying structural profiles in aqueous solution, TFE/water mixtures, SDS micelles, and lipid bilayers. The peptide was virtually unable to release carboxyfluorescein from large unilamellar vesicles composed of POPC/cholesterol, model that mimics the eukaryotic membrane, indicating that vesicles' net charges and the presence of cholesterol may be related with RQ18 selectivity for bacterial and fungal cell surfaces. CONCLUSIONS RQ18 was characterized as a membrane-active peptide with dual antibacterial and antifungal activities, without compromising mammalian cells viability, thus reinforcing its therapeutic application. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE These results provide further insight into the complex process of AMPs interaction with biological membranes, in special with systems that mimic prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudiane V Almeida
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Caio F R de Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; Oncolytic Anticancer Drugs, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Edson L Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Helder F Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Edson C Júnior
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Tecnológica, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Reinaldo Marchetto
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Tecnológica, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leticia A da Cruz
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Alda Maria T Ferreira
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Valdirene M Gomes
- Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriel B Taveira
- Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruna O Costa
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Octávio L Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Marlon H Cardoso
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Maria Lígia R Macedo
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
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14
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Li J, Hu S, Jian W, Xie C, Yang X. Plant antimicrobial peptides: structures, functions, and applications. BOTANICAL STUDIES 2021; 62:5. [PMID: 33914180 PMCID: PMC8085091 DOI: 10.1186/s40529-021-00312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of short, usually positively charged polypeptides that exist in humans, animals, and plants. Considering the increasing number of drug-resistant pathogens, the antimicrobial activity of AMPs has attracted much attention. AMPs with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against many gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi are an important defensive barrier against pathogens for many organisms. With continuing research, many other physiological functions of plant AMPs have been found in addition to their antimicrobial roles, such as regulating plant growth and development and treating many diseases with high efficacy. The potential applicability of plant AMPs in agricultural production, as food additives and disease treatments, has garnered much interest. This review focuses on the types of plant AMPs, their mechanisms of action, the parameters affecting the antimicrobial activities of AMPs, and their potential applications in agricultural production, the food industry, breeding industry, and medical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Li
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Shuping Hu
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Wei Jian
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Chengjian Xie
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Xingyong Yang
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
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15
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Wu Y, Lu D, Jiang Y, Jin J, Liu S, Chen L, Zhang H, Zhou Y, Chen H, Nagle DG, Luan X, Zhang W. Stapled Wasp Venom-Derived Oncolytic Peptides with Side Chains Induce Rapid Membrane Lysis and Prolonged Immune Responses in Melanoma. J Med Chem 2021; 64:5802-5815. [PMID: 33844923 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Peptide stapling chemistry represents an attractive strategy to promote the clinical translation of protein epitope mimetics, but its use has not been applied to natural cytotoxic peptides (NCPs) to produce new oncolytic peptides. Based on a wasp venom peptide, a series of stapled anoplin peptides (StAnos) were prepared. The optimized stapled Ano-3/3s were shown to be protease-resistant and exerted superior tumor cell-selective cytotoxicity by rapid membrane disruption. In addition, Ano-3/3s induced tumor ablation in mice through the direct oncolytic effect and subsequent stimulation of immunogenic cell death. This synergistic oncolytic-immunotherapy effect is more remarkable on melanoma than on triple-negative breast cancer in vivo. The efficacies exerted by Ano-3/3s on melanoma were further characterized by CD8+ T cell infiltration, and the addition of anti-CD8 antibodies diminished the long-term antitumor effects. In summary, these results support stapled peptide chemistry as an advantageous method to enhance the NCP potency for oncolytic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Wu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Dong Lu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yixin Jiang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jinmei Jin
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Sanhong Liu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lili Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yudong Zhou
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Liberal Arts, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677-1848, United States
| | - Hongzhuan Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Dale G Nagle
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences and Research of Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677-1848, United States
| | - Xin Luan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 201203, China
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16
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Zhong C, Zhang L, Yu L, Huang J, Huang S, Yao Y. A Review for Antimicrobial Peptides with Anticancer Properties: Re-purposing of Potential Anticancer Agents. BIO INTEGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.15212/bioi-2020-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract In recent years, various research on cancer treatment has achieved significant progress. However, some of these treatments remain disputable because of the emergence and development of drug resistance, and the toxic side effects that were brought about by the lack
of selectivity displayed by the treatments. Hence, there is considerable interest in a new class of anticancer molecules that is currently still under investigation termed the cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are a group of pervasive components of the innate immunity which can
be found throughout all classes of life. The small innate peptides cover a broad spectrum of antibacterial activities due to their electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged bacterial membrane. Compared with normal cells, cancer cells have increased proportions of negatively charged
molecules, including phosphatidylserine, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, on the outer plasma membrane. This provides an opportunity for exploiting the interaction between AMPs and negatively charged cell membranes in developing unconventional anticancer strategies. Some AMPs may also be categorized
into a group of potential anticancer agents called cationic anticancer peptides (ACPs) due to their relative selectivity in cell membrane penetration and lysis, which is similar to their interaction with bacterial membranes. Several examples of ACPs that are used in tumor therapy for their
ability in penetrating or lysing tumor cell membrane will be reviewed in this paper, along with a discussion on the recent advances and challenges in the application of ACPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Zhong
- Breast Tumor Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Lin Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Jiandong Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Songyin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Yandan Yao
- Breast Tumor Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
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17
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Ulyanova V, Dudkina E, Nadyrova A, Kalashnikov V, Surchenko Y, Ilinskaya O. The Cytotoxicity of RNase-Derived Peptides. Biomolecules 2020; 11:E16. [PMID: 33375305 PMCID: PMC7824363 DOI: 10.3390/biom11010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial ribonuclease binase exhibits a cytotoxic effect on tumor cells possessing certain oncogenes. The aim of this study was to identify the structural parts of the binase molecule that exert cytotoxicity. Out of five designed peptides, the peptides representing the binase regions 21-50 and 74-94 have the highest cytotoxic potential toward human cervical HeLa and breast BT-20 and MCF-7 cancer cells. The peptides B21-50 and B74-94 were not able to enter human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells, unlike BT-20 cells, explaining their failure to inhibit A549 cell proliferation. The peptide B74-94 shares similarities with epidermal growth factor (EGF), suggesting the peptide's specificity for EGF receptor overexpressed in BT-20 cells. Thus, the binase-derived peptides have the potential of being further developed as tumor-targeting peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Dudkina
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (V.U.); (A.N.); (V.K.); (Y.S.); (O.I.)
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18
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Wojciechowska M, Miszkiewicz J, Trylska J. Conformational Changes of Anoplin, W-MreB 1-9, and (KFF) 3K Peptides near the Membranes. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9672. [PMID: 33352981 PMCID: PMC7766051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many peptides interact with biological membranes, but elucidating these interactions is challenging because cellular membranes are complex and peptides are structurally flexible. To contribute to understanding how the membrane-active peptides behave near the membranes, we investigated peptide structural changes in different lipid surroundings. We focused on two antimicrobial peptides, anoplin and W-MreB1-9, and one cell-penetrating peptide, (KFF)3K. Firstly, by using circular dichroism spectroscopy, we determined the secondary structures of these peptides when interacting with micelles, liposomes, E. coli lipopolysaccharides, and live E. coli bacteria. The peptides were disordered in the buffer, but anoplin and W-MreB1-9 displayed lipid-induced helicity. Yet, structural changes of the peptide depended on the composition and concentration of the membranes. Secondly, we quantified the destructive activity of peptides against liposomes by monitoring the release of a fluorescent dye (calcein) from the liposomes treated with peptides. We observed that only for anoplin and W-MreB1-9 calcein leakage from liposomes depended on the peptide concentration. Thirdly, bacterial growth inhibition assays showed that peptide conformational changes, evoked by the lipid environments, do not directly correlate with the antimicrobial activity of the peptides. However, understanding the relation between peptide structural properties, mechanisms of membrane disruption, and their biological activities can guide the design of membrane-active peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Wojciechowska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Joanna Miszkiewicz
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Trylska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
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19
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Ross JN, Fields FR, Kalwajtys VR, Gonzalez AJ, O’Connor S, Zhang A, Moran TE, Hammers DE, Carothers KE, Lee SW. Synthetic Peptide Libraries Designed From a Minimal Alpha-Helical Domain of AS-48-Bacteriocin Homologs Exhibit Potent Antibacterial Activity. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:589666. [PMID: 33281785 PMCID: PMC7689250 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.589666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The circularized bacteriocin enterocin AS-48 produced by Enterococcus sp. exhibits antibacterial activity through membrane disruption. The membrane-penetrating activity of enterocin AS-48 has been attributed to a specific alpha-helical region on the circular peptide. Truncated, linearized forms containing these domains have been shown to preserve limited bactericidal activity. We utilized the amino acid sequence of the active helical domain of enterocin AS-48 to perform a homology-based search of similar sequences in other bacterial genomes. We identified similar domains in three previously uncharacterized AS-48-like bacteriocin genes in Clostridium sordellii, Paenibacillus larvae, and Bacillus xiamenensis. Enterocin AS-48 and homologs from these bacterial species were used as scaffolds for the design of a minimal peptide library based on the active helical domain of each bacteriocin sequence. 95 synthetic peptide variants of each scaffold peptide, designated Syn-enterocin, Syn-sordellicin, Syn-larvacin, and Syn-xiamensin, were designed and synthesized from each scaffold sequence based on defined biophysical parameters. A total of 384 total peptides were assessed for antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) as low as 15.6 nM could be observed for the most potent peptide candidate tested, with no significant cytotoxicity to eukaryotic cells. Our work demonstrates for the first time a general workflow of using minimal domains of natural bacteriocin sequences as scaffolds to design and rapidly synthesize a library of bacteriocin-based antimicrobial peptide variants for evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N. Ross
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Francisco R. Fields
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Veronica R. Kalwajtys
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Alejandro J. Gonzalez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Samantha O’Connor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Angela Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Thomas E. Moran
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Daniel E. Hammers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Katelyn E. Carothers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Shaun W. Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
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20
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Frederiksen N, Hansen PR, Zabicka D, Tomczak M, Urbas M, Domraceva I, Björkling F, Franzyk H. Alternating Cationic-Hydrophobic Peptide/Peptoid Hybrids: Influence of Hydrophobicity on Antibacterial Activity and Cell Selectivity. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:2544-2561. [PMID: 33029927 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The influence of hydrophobicity on antibacterial activity versus the effect on the viability of mammalian cells for peptide/peptoid hybrids was examined for oligomers based on the cationic Lys-like peptoid residue combined with each of 28 hydrophobic amino acids in an alternating sequence. Their relative hydrophobicity was correlated to activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive species, human red blood cells, and HepG2 cells. This identified hydrophobic side chains that confer potent antibacterial activity (e. g., MICs of 2-8 μg/mL against E. coli) and low toxicity toward mammalian cells (<10 % hemolysis at 400 μg/mL and IC50 >800 μg/mL for HepG2 viability). Most peptidomimetics retained activity against drug-resistant strains. These findings corroborate the hypothesis that for related peptidomimetics two hydrophobicity thresholds may be identified: i) it should exceed a certain level in order to confer antibacterial activity, and ii) there is an upper limit, beyond which cell selectivity is lost. It is envisioned that once identified for a given subclass of peptide-like antibacterials such thresholds can guide further optimisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicki Frederiksen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Paul R Hansen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dorota Zabicka
- Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, ul. Chełmska 30/34, 00-725, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Tomczak
- Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, ul. Chełmska 30/34, 00-725, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Urbas
- Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, ul. Chełmska 30/34, 00-725, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ilona Domraceva
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, 1006, Riga, Latvia
| | - Fredrik Björkling
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Franzyk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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21
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Towards smart biomanufacturing: a perspective on recent developments in industrial measurement and monitoring technologies for bio-based production processes. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 47:947-964. [PMID: 32895764 PMCID: PMC7695667 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02308-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The biomanufacturing industry has now the opportunity to upgrade its production processes to be in harmony with the latest industrial revolution. Technology creates capabilities that enable smart manufacturing while still complying with unfolding regulations. However, many biomanufacturing companies, especially in the biopharma sector, still have a long way to go to fully benefit from smart manufacturing as they first need to transition their current operations to an information-driven future. One of the most significant obstacles towards the implementation of smart biomanufacturing is the collection of large sets of relevant data. Therefore, in this work, we both summarize the advances that have been made to date with regards to the monitoring and control of bioprocesses, and highlight some of the key technologies that have the potential to contribute to gathering big data. Empowering the current biomanufacturing industry to transition to Industry 4.0 operations allows for improved productivity through information-driven automation, not only by developing infrastructure, but also by introducing more advanced monitoring and control strategies.
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Liu T, Zhu N, Zhong C, Zhu Y, Gou S, Chang L, Bao H, Liu H, Zhang Y, Ni J. Effect of N-methylated and fatty acid conjugation on analogs of antimicrobial peptide Anoplin. Eur J Pharm Sci 2020; 152:105453. [PMID: 32649983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
With the increment of drug-resistant bacteria and the slow development of novel antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides have gained increasing attention as a potential antibiotic alternative. They not only displayed a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity but also were difficult to induce resistance development because of their unique membrane-lytic activity. Herein, to improve the limitations of Anoplin, the N-methyl amino acids were first used to replace the amino acids of Anoplin at sensitive enzymatic cleave sites (Leu, Ile, Lys and Arg). Afterward, the N-methylated analogs M3.6/M4.7/M5.7 with high stability were screened out and further modified by N-terminal fatty acid conjugation to develop new antimicrobial peptide analogs with both potent antimicrobial activity and high proteolytic stability, and 12 new Anoplin analogs Cn-M3.6/M4.7/M5.7 (n = 8,10,12,14) were designed and synthesized. Our results showed that compared with native Anoplin, the stability of these N-methylated lipopeptides against trypsin and chymotrypsin degradation were increased by 104-106 times. Besides, they still possessed potent antimicrobial activity under physiological salts and serum environment. Among them, the new designed analogs C12-M3.6/M4.7/M5.7 showed the optimal antimicrobial activity, synergy and additive effects were also observed when they were combined with traditional antibiotics polymyxin B, rifampin, and kanamycin. Moreover, they could effectively inhibit the formation of biofilms by P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. The antimicrobial mechanism studied revealed that these N-methylated lipopeptides could display a rapid bactericidal effect by destroying the bacterial cell membrane. Notably, no detectable resistance of these new designed peptides was developed after continuous cultured with E. coli for 20 passages. In summary, we have designed a new class of antimicrobial peptide analogs with potent antimicrobial activity and high proteolytic stability through N-methyl amino acids substitution and N-terminal fatty acid conjugation. This study also provides new ideas and methods for the modification of antimicrobial peptides in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ningyi Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Chao Zhong
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yuewen Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Sanhu Gou
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Linlin Chang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hexin Bao
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hui Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jingman Ni
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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Bioinformatic Analysis of 1000 Amphibian Antimicrobial Peptides Uncovers Multiple Length-Dependent Correlations for Peptide Design and Prediction. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9080491. [PMID: 32784626 PMCID: PMC7459754 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9080491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians are widely distributed on different continents, except for the polar regions. They are important sources for the isolation, purification and characterization of natural compounds, including peptides with various functions. Innate immune antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a critical role in warding off invading pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. They may also have other biological functions such as endotoxin neutralization, chemotaxis, anti-inflammation, and wound healing. This article documents a bioinformatic analysis of over 1000 amphibian antimicrobial peptides registered in the Antimicrobial Peptide Database (APD) in the past 18 years. These anuran peptides were discovered in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and America from 1985 to 2019. Genomic and peptidomic studies accelerated the discovery pace and underscored the necessity in establishing criteria for peptide entry into the APD. A total of 99.9% of the anuran antimicrobial peptides are less than 50 amino acids with an average length of 24 and a net charge of +2.5. Interestingly, the various amphibian peptide families (e.g., temporins, brevinins, esculentins) can be connected through multiple length-dependent relationships. With an increase in length, peptide net charge increases, while the hydrophobic content decreases. In addition, glycine, leucine, lysine, and proline all show linear correlations with peptide length. These correlations improve our understanding of amphibian peptides and may be useful for prediction and design of new linear peptides with potential applications in treating infectious diseases, cancer and diabetes.
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Almeida LHDO, Oliveira CFRD, Rodrigues MDS, Neto SM, Boleti APDA, Taveira GB, Mello ÉDO, Gomes VM, Santos ELD, Crusca E, Franco OL, Cardoso MHES, Macedo MLR. Adepamycin: design, synthesis and biological properties of a new peptide with antimicrobial properties. Arch Biochem Biophys 2020; 691:108487. [PMID: 32710881 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2020.108487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are molecules with a broad spectrum of activities that have been identified in most living organisms. In addition, synthetic AMPs designed from natural polypeptides have been largely investigated. Here, we designed a novel AMP using the amino acid sequence of a plant trypsin inhibitor from Adenanthera pavonina seeds (ApTI) as a template. The 176 amino acid residues ApTI sequence was cleaved in silico using the Collection of Antimicrobial Peptides (CAMPR3), through the sliding-window method. Further improvements in AMP structure were carried out, resulting in adepamycin, an AMP designed from ApTI. Adepamycin showed antimicrobial activity from 0.9 to 3.6 μM against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus strains. Moreover, this peptide also displayed activity against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. No toxic effects were observed on healthy human cells. Studies on the mechanism of action of adepamycin were carried out using an E. coli and C. tropicalis. Adepamycin triggers membrane disturbances, leading to intracellular nucleic acids release in E. coli. For C. tropicalis, an initial interference with the plasma membrane integrity is followed by the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to apoptosis. Structurally, adepamycin was submitted to circular dichroism spectroscopy, molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, revealing an environment-dependent α-helical structure in the presence of 2,2,2- trifluoroethanol (TFE) and in contact with mimetic vesicles/membranes. Therefore, adepamycin represents a novel lytic AMP with dual antibacterial and antifungal properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Henrique de Oliveira Almeida
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, 79.070-900, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | | | - Mayara de Souza Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, 79.070-900, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Simone Maria Neto
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, 79.070-900, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | | | - Gabriel Bonan Taveira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Microrganismos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, 28.013-602, Campo dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Érica de Oliveira Mello
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Microrganismos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, 28.013-602, Campo dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Valdirene Moreira Gomes
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Microrganismos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, 28.013-602, Campo dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Edson Lucas Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, 79.804-970, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Edson Crusca
- Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, 14.800-060, Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Universidade Católica de Brasília, 70.790-160, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil; S-Inova Biotech, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79.117-010, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Marlon Henrique E Silva Cardoso
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Universidade Católica de Brasília, 70.790-160, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil; S-Inova Biotech, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79.117-010, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, 79.070-900, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
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Wu Y, Huang R, Jin JM, Zhang LJ, Zhang H, Chen HZ, Chen LL, Luan X. Advances in the Study of Structural Modification and Biological Activities of Anoplin. Front Chem 2020; 8:519. [PMID: 32733845 PMCID: PMC7358703 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anoplin is an amphipathic, α-helical bioactive peptide from wasp venom. In recent years, pharmaceutical and organic chemists discovered that anoplin and its derivatives showed multiple pharmacological activities in antibacterial, antitumor, antifungal, and antimalarial activities. Owing to the simple and unique structure and diverse biological activities, anoplin has attracted considerable research interests. This review highlights the advances in structural modification, biological activities, and the outlook of anoplin in order to provide a basis for new drug design and delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Wu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Mei Jin
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Jun Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Zhuan Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Li Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Luan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Analogues of a Cyclic Antimicrobial Peptide with a Flexible Linker Show Promising Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9070366. [PMID: 32629881 PMCID: PMC7399811 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9070366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria is becoming a major health concern. New strategies to combat especially Gram-negative pathogens are urgently needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in all multicellular organisms act as a first line of defense in immunity. In recent years, AMPs have attracted increasing attention as potential antibiotics. Naturally occurring antimicrobial cyclic lipopeptides include colistin and daptomycin, both of which contain a flexible linker. We previously reported a cyclic AMP BSI-9 cyclo(Lys-Nal-Lys-Lys-Bip-O2Oc-Nal-Lys-Asn) containing a flexible linker, with a broad spectrum of activity against bacterial strains and low hemolytic activity. In this study, improvement of the antimicrobial activity of BSI-9, against the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) strains of S. aureus, E. coli, A. baumannii, and P. aeruginosa was examined. This led to synthesis of eighteen peptide analogues of BSI-9, produced in four individual stages, with a different focus in each stage; cyclization point, hydrophobicity, cationic side-chain length, and combinations of the last two. Specifically the modified compound 11, exhibited improved activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC of 4 µg/mL and 8 µg/mL, respectively, compared to the original BSI-9, which had an MIC of 16–32 µg/mL.
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Tornesello AL, Borrelli A, Buonaguro L, Buonaguro FM, Tornesello ML. Antimicrobial Peptides as Anticancer Agents: Functional Properties and Biological Activities. Molecules 2020; 25:E2850. [PMID: 32575664 PMCID: PMC7356147 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or host defense peptides, are small cationic or amphipathic molecules produced by prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms that play a key role in the innate immune defense against viruses, bacteria and fungi. AMPs have either antimicrobial or anticancer activities. Indeed, cationic AMPs are able to disrupt microbial cell membranes by interacting with negatively charged phospholipids. Moreover, several peptides are capable to trigger cytotoxicity of human cancer cells by binding to negatively charged phosphatidylserine moieties which are selectively exposed on the outer surface of cancer cell plasma membranes. In addition, some AMPs, such as LTX-315, have shown to induce release of tumor antigens and potent damage associated molecular patterns by causing alterations in the intracellular organelles of cancer cells. Given the recognized medical need of novel anticancer drugs, AMPs could represent a potential source of effective therapeutic agents, either alone or in combination with other small molecules, in oncology. In this review we summarize and describe the properties and the mode of action of AMPs as well as the strategies to increase their selectivity toward specific cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lucia Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (F.M.B.); (M.L.T.)
| | - Antonella Borrelli
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Franco Maria Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (F.M.B.); (M.L.T.)
| | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (F.M.B.); (M.L.T.)
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Ranade SS, Ramalingam R. Hydrogen bonds in anoplin peptides aid in identification of a structurally stable therapeutic drug scaffold. J Mol Model 2020; 26:155. [PMID: 32451705 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-020-04380-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Multi-drug resistance is a major issue faced by the global pharmaceutical industry. Short antimicrobial peptides such as anoplins can be used to replace antibiotics, thus mitigating this issue. Antimicrobial activity, non-toxicity, and structural stability are essential features of a therapeutic drug. Antimicrobial activity and toxicity to human erythrocytes have been previously reported for anoplin and anoplin R5K T8W. This study attempts to identify a therapeutic peptide drug scaffold between these peptides by examining their structural stability, mainly based on the hydrogen bonds (H-bond) found in their structures. The static structure of anoplin R5K T8W displayed lower H-bond distances than anoplin, thereby exhibiting enhanced structural stability. Dynamic stability studies revealed that conformers of anoplin R5K T8W exhibited lower hydrogen bond distances (HBDs), higher H-bond occupancies, and higher radial distribution function (RDF) of H-bonds in comparison with conformers of anoplin. Furthermore, conformers of anoplin R5K T8W generated using 50-ns molecular dynamics simulation displayed lower conformational free energy than anoplin, thus establishing its higher structural stability. Overall, anoplin R5K T8W can be claimed as a promising scaffold that may be used for therapeutic purposes. In conclusion, H-bonds play a major role in structural stability and may aid in identification of a therapeutic peptide scaffold. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruti Sunil Ranade
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Rajasekaran Ramalingam
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
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29
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Frederiksen N, Hansen PR, Björkling F, Franzyk H. Peptide/Peptoid Hybrid Oligomers: The Influence of Hydrophobicity and Relative Side-Chain Length on Antibacterial Activity and Cell Selectivity. Molecules 2019; 24:E4429. [PMID: 31817108 PMCID: PMC6943742 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous optimisation studies of peptide/peptoid hybrids typically comprise comparison of structurally related analogues displaying different oligomer length and diverse side chains. The present work concerns a systematically constructed series of 16 closely related 12-mer oligomers with an alternating cationic/hydrophobic design, representing a wide range of hydrophobicity and differences in relative side-chain lengths. The aim was to explore and rationalise the structure-activity relationships within a subclass of oligomers displaying variation of three structural features: (i) cationic side-chain length, (ii) hydrophobic side-chain length, and (iii) type of residue that is of a flexible peptoid nature. Increased side-chain length of cationic residues led to reduced hydrophobicity till the side chains became more extended than the aromatic/hydrophobic side chains, at which point hydrophobicity increased slightly. Evaluation of antibacterial activity revealed that analogues with lowest hydrophobicity exhibited reduced activity against E. coli, while oligomers with the shortest cationic side chains were most potent against P. aeruginosa. Thus, membrane-disruptive interaction with P. aeruginosa appears to be promoted by a hydrophobic surface of the oligomers (comprised of the aromatic groups shielding the cationic side chains). Peptidomimetics with short cationic side chains exhibit increased hemolytic properties as well as give rise to decreased HepG2 (hepatoblastoma G2 cell line) cell viability. An optimal hydrophobicity window could be defined by a threshold of minimal hydrophobicity conferring activity toward E. coli and a threshold for maximal hydrophobicity, beyond which cell selectivity was lost.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Henrik Franzyk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (N.F.); (P.R.H.); (F.B.)
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van den Bergen G, Stroet M, Caron B, Poger D, Mark AE. Curved or linear? Predicting the 3-dimensional structure of α-helical antimicrobial peptides in an amphipathic environment. FEBS Lett 2019; 594:1062-1080. [PMID: 31794050 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
α-Helical membrane-active antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are known to act via a range of mechanisms, including the formation of barrel-stave and toroidal pores and the micellisation of the membrane (carpet mechanism). Different mechanisms imply that the peptides adopt different 3D structures when bound at the water-membrane interface, a highly amphipathic environment. Here, an evolutionary algorithm is used to predict the 3D structure of a range of α-helical membrane-active AMPs at the water-membrane interface by optimising amphipathicity. This amphipathic structure prediction (ASP) is capable of distinguishing between curved and linear peptides solved experimentally, potentially allowing the activity and mechanism of action of different membrane-active AMPs to be predicted. The ASP algorithm is accessible via a web interface at http://atb.uq.edu.au/asp/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen van den Bergen
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Martin Stroet
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Bertrand Caron
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David Poger
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Alan E Mark
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Antimicrobial α-Helical Peptides Found in Solitary Wasp Venoms and Their Interactions with Model Membranes. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11100559. [PMID: 31554187 PMCID: PMC6832458 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Solitary wasps use their stinging venoms for paralyzing insect or spider prey and feeding them to their larvae. We have surveyed bioactive substances in solitary wasp venoms, and found antimicrobial peptides together with some other bioactive peptides. Eumenine mastoparan-AF (EMP-AF) was the first to be found from the venom of the solitary eumenine wasp Anterhynchium flavomarginatum micado, showing antimicrobial, histamine-releasing, and hemolytic activities, and adopting an α-helical secondary structure under appropriate conditions. Further survey of solitary wasp venom components revealed that eumenine wasp venoms contained such antimicrobial α-helical peptides as the major peptide component. This review summarizes the results obtained from the studies of these peptides in solitary wasp venoms and some analogs from the viewpoint of (1) chemical and biological characterization; (2) physicochemical properties and secondary structure; and (3) channel-like pore-forming properties.
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32
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Rodrigues G, Silva GGO, Buccini DF, Duque HM, Dias SC, Franco OL. Bacterial Proteinaceous Compounds With Multiple Activities Toward Cancers and Microbial Infection. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1690. [PMID: 31447795 PMCID: PMC6691048 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, cancer and multidrug resistance have become a worldwide problem, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Some infectious agents like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Stomatococcus mucilaginous, Staphylococcus spp., E. coli. Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida spp., Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B and C, and human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been associated with the development of cancer. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and antibiotics are the conventional treatment for cancer and infectious disease. This treatment causes damage in healthy cells and tissues, and usually triggers systemic side-effects, as well as drug resistance. Therefore, the search for new treatments is urgent, in order to improve efficacy and also reduce side-effects. Proteins and peptides originating from bacteria can thus be a promising alternative to conventional treatments used nowadays against cancer and infectious disease. These molecules have demonstrated specific activity against cancer cells and bacterial infection; indeed, proteins and peptides can be considered as future antimicrobial and anticancer drugs. In this context, this review will focus on the desirable characteristics of proteins and peptides from bacterial sources that demonstrated activity against microbial infections and cancer, as well as their efficacy in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele Rodrigues
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Danieli Fernanda Buccini
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Harry Morales Duque
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Simoni Campos Dias
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
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Kim DH, Kang SM, Park SJ, Jin C, Yoon HJ, Lee BJ. Functional insights into the Streptococcus pneumoniae HicBA toxin-antitoxin system based on a structural study. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:6371-6386. [PMID: 29878152 PMCID: PMC6159526 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumonia has attracted increasing attention due to its resistance to existing antibiotics. TA systems are essential for bacterial persistence under stressful conditions such as nutrient deprivation, antibiotic treatment, and immune system attacks. In particular, S. pneumoniae expresses the HicBA TA gene, which encodes the stable HicA toxin and the labile HicB antitoxin. These proteins interact to form a non-toxic TA complex under normal conditions, but the toxin is activated by release from the antitoxin in response to unfavorable growth conditions. Here, we present the first crystal structure showing the complete conformation of the HicBA complex from S. pneumonia. The structure reveals that the HicA toxin contains a double-stranded RNA-binding domain that is essential for RNA recognition and that the C-terminus of the HicB antitoxin folds into a ribbon-helix-helix DNA-binding motif. The active site of HicA is sterically blocked by the N-terminal region of HicB. RNase activity assays show that His36 is essential for the ribonuclease activity of HicA, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra show that several residues of HicB participate in binding to the promoter DNA of the HicBA operon. A toxin-mimicking peptide that inhibits TA complex formation and thereby increases toxin activity was designed, providing a novel approach to the development of new antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do-Hee Kim
- The Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Min Kang
- The Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Jean Park
- College of Pharmacy and Gachon Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gachon University, 534-2 Yeonsu-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Chenglong Jin
- The Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Jin Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong-Jin Lee
- The Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Juretić D, Simunić J. Design of α-helical antimicrobial peptides with a high selectivity index. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 14:1053-1063. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1642322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Davor Juretić
- Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, Split, Croatia
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | - Juraj Simunić
- Division of molecular biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
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Dennison SR, Hauß T, Badiani K, Harris F, Phoenix DA. Biophysical investigation into the antibacterial action of modelin-5-NH 2. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:4215-4226. [PMID: 31074477 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02374c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Modelin-5-CONH2 (M5-NH2) is a synthetic antimicrobial peptide, which was found to show potent activity against Bacillus subtilis (minimum lethal concentration = 8.47 μM) and to bind strongly to membranes of the organism (Kd = 10.44 μM). The peptide adopted high levels of amphiphilic α-helical structure in the presence of these membranes (>50%), which led to high levels of insertion (Δπ ≥ 8.0 mN m-1). M5-NH2 showed high affinity for anionic lipid (Kd = 7.46 μM) and zwitterionic lipid (Kd = 14.7 μM), which drove insertion into membranes formed from these lipids (Δπ = 11.5 and 3.5 mN m-1, respectively). Neutron diffraction studies showed that M5-NH2 inserted into B. subtilis membranes with its N-terminal residue, L16, located 5.5 Å from the membrane centre, in the acyl chain region of these membranes, and promoted a reduction in membrane thickness of circa 1.8 Å or 5% of membrane width. Insertion into B. subtilis membranes by the peptide also promoted other effects associated with membrane thinning, including increases in membrane surface area (Cs-1 decreases) and fluidity (ΔGmix > 0 to ΔGmix < 0). Membrane insertion and thinning by M5-NH2 induced high levels of lysis (>55%), and it is speculated that the antibacterial action of the peptide may involve the toroidal pore, carpet or tilted-type mechanism of membrane permeabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Dennison
- School of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK
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Small AntiMicrobial Peptide With in Vivo Activity Against Sepsis. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24091702. [PMID: 31052373 PMCID: PMC6539432 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24091702] [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: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered as potential therapeutic sources of future antibiotics because of their broad-spectrum activities and alternative mechanisms of action compared to conventional antibiotics. Although AMPs present considerable advantages over conventional antibiotics, their clinical and commercial development still have some limitations, because of their potential toxicity, susceptibility to proteases, and high cost of production. To overcome these drawbacks, the use of peptides mimics is anticipated to avoid the proteolysis, while the identification of minimalist peptide sequences retaining antimicrobial activities could bring a solution for the cost issue. We describe here new polycationic β-amino acids combining these two properties, that we used to design small dipeptides that appeared to be active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, selective against prokaryotic versus mammalian cells, and highly stable in human plasma. Moreover, the in vivo data activity obtained in septic mice reveals that the bacterial killing effect allows the control of the infection and increases the survival rate of cecal ligature and puncture (CLP)-treated mice.
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Christensen MV, Kongstad KT, Sondergaard TE, Staerk D, Nielsen HM, Franzyk H, Wimmer R. 19F-substituted amino acids as an alternative to fluorophore labels: monitoring of degradation and cellular uptake of analogues of penetratin by 19F NMR. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2019; 73:167-182. [PMID: 30887171 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-019-00239-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Current methods for assessment of cellular uptake of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) often rely on detection of fluorophore-labeled CPPs. However, introduction of the fluorescent probe often confers changed physicochemical properties, so that the fluorophore-CPP conjugate may exhibit cytotoxic effects and membrane damage not exerted by the native CPP. In the present study, introduction of fluorine probes was investigated as an alternative to fluorophore labeling of a CPP, since this only confers minor changes to its overall physicochemical properties. The high sensitivity of 19F NMR spectroscopy and the absence of background signals from naturally occurring fluorine enabled detection of internalized CPP. Also, degradation of fluorine-labeled peptides during exposure to Caco-2 cells could be followed by using 19F NMR spectroscopy. In total, five fluorinated analogues of the model CPP penetratin were synthesized by using commercially available fluorinated amino acids as labels, including one analogue also carrying an N-terminal fluorophore. The apparent cellular uptake was considerably higher for the fluorophore-penetratin conjugate indicating that the fluorophore moiety promoted uptake of the peptide. The use of 19F NMR spectroscopy enabled monitoring of the fate of the CPPs over time by establishing molar balances, and by verifying CPP integrity upon uptake. Thus, the NMR-based method offers several advantages over currently widespread methods relying on fluorescence detection. The present findings provide guidelines for improved labeling strategies for CPPs, thereby expanding the repertoire of analytical techniques available for studying degradation and uptake of CPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene V Christensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kenneth T Kongstad
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Teis Esben Sondergaard
- Section for Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Dan Staerk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanne M Nielsen
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Franzyk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Reinhard Wimmer
- Section for Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark.
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Mant CT, Jiang Z, Gera L, Davis T, Nelson KL, Bevers S, Hodges RS. De Novo Designed Amphipathic α-Helical Antimicrobial Peptides Incorporating Dab and Dap Residues on the Polar Face To Treat the Gram-Negative Pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3354-3366. [PMID: 30848594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We have designed de novo and synthesized ten 26-residue D-conformation amphipathic α-helical cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), seven with "specificity determinants", which provide specificity for prokaryotic cells over eukaryotic cells. The ten AMPs contain five or six positively charged residues (d-Arg, d-Lys, d-Orn, l-Dab, or l-Dap) on the polar face to understand their role in hemolytic activity against human red blood cells and antimicrobial activity against seven Acinetobacter baumannii strains, resistant to polymyxin B and colistin, and 20 A. baumannii worldwide isolates from 2016 and 2017 with antibiotic resistance to 18 different antibiotics. AMPs with specificity determinants and with l-Dab and l-Dap residues on the polar face have essentially no hemolytic activity at 1000 μg/mL (380 μM), showing for the first time the importance of these unusual amino acid residues in solving long-standing hemolysis issues of AMPs. Specificity determinants maintained excellent antimicrobial activity in the presence of human sera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin T Mant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Ziqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Lajos Gera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Tim Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | | | - Shaun Bevers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
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Selectivity of Antimicrobial Peptides: A Complex Interplay of Multiple Equilibria. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1117:175-214. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-3588-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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A Systematic Overview of Type II and III Toxin-Antitoxin Systems with a Focus on Druggability. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10120515. [PMID: 30518070 PMCID: PMC6315513 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10120515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are known to play various roles in physiological processes, such as gene regulation, growth arrest and survival, in bacteria exposed to environmental stress. Type II TA systems comprise natural complexes consisting of protein toxins and antitoxins. Each toxin and antitoxin participates in distinct regulatory mechanisms depending on the type of TA system. Recently, peptides designed by mimicking the interfaces between TA complexes showed its potential to activate the activity of toxin by competing its binding counterparts. Type II TA systems occur more often in pathogenic bacteria than in their nonpathogenic kin. Therefore, they can be possible drug targets, because of their high abundance in some pathogenic bacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, recent bioinformatic analyses have shown that type III TA systems are highly abundant in the intestinal microbiota, and recent clinical studies have shown that the intestinal microbiota is linked to inflammatory diseases, obesity and even several types of cancer. We therefore focused on exploring the putative relationship between intestinal microbiota-related human diseases and type III TA systems. In this paper, we review and discuss the development of possible druggable materials based on the mechanism of type II and type III TA system.
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Rodrigues MS, de Oliveira CFR, Almeida LHO, Neto SM, Boleti APA, dos Santos EL, Cardoso MH, Ribeiro SM, Franco OL, Rodrigues FS, Macedo AJ, Brust FR, Macedo MLR. Adevonin, a novel synthetic antimicrobial peptide designed from the Adenanthera pavonina trypsin inhibitor (ApTI) sequence. Pathog Glob Health 2018; 112:438-447. [PMID: 30570384 PMCID: PMC6327600 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2018.1559489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological activities and the structural arrangement of adevonin, a novel antimicrobial peptide, were investigated. The trypsin inhibitor ApTI, isolated from Adenanthera pavonina seeds, was used as a template for screening 18-amino acid peptides with predicted antimicrobial activity. Adevonin presented antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 1.86 to 7.35 µM against both Gram-positive and - negative bacterial strains. Moreover, adevonin exerted time-kill effects within 10 min and both susceptible and drug-resistant bacterial strains were affected by the peptide. In vitro and in vivo assays showed that, at MIC concentration, adevonin did not affect human fibroblasts (MRC-5) viability or Galleria mellonella survival, respectively. Hemolytic activity was observed only at high peptide concentrations. Additionally, nucleic acid efflux assays, gentian violet uptake and time-kill kinetics indicate that the antimicrobial activity of adevonin may be mediated by bacterial membrane damage. Furthermore, molecular dynamic simulation in the presence of SDS micelles and anionic membrane bilayers showed that adevonin acquired a stable α-helix secondary structure. Further studies are encouraged to better understand the mechanism of action of adevonin, as well as to investigate the anti-infective activity of this peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayara S. Rodrigues
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Caio F. R. de Oliveira
- Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Brazil
| | - Luís H. O. Almeida
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Simone M. Neto
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula A. Boleti
- Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Brazil
| | - Edson L. dos Santos
- Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Brazil
| | - Marlon H. Cardoso
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Suzana M. Ribeiro
- Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Octávio L. Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Fernando S. Rodrigues
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Alexandre J. Macedo
- Faculdade de Farmácia e Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Flávia R. Brust
- Faculdade de Farmácia e Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Lígia R. Macedo
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
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Wang J, Dou X, Song J, Lyu Y, Zhu X, Xu L, Li W, Shan A. Antimicrobial peptides: Promising alternatives in the post feeding antibiotic era. Med Res Rev 2018; 39:831-859. [PMID: 30353555 DOI: 10.1002/med.21542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), critical components of the innate immune system, are widely distributed throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. They can protect against a broad array of infection-causing agents, such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, and tumor cells, and also exhibit immunomodulatory activity. AMPs exert antimicrobial activities primarily through mechanisms involving membrane disruption, so they have a lower likelihood of inducing drug resistance. Extensive studies on the structure-activity relationship have revealed that net charge, hydrophobicity, and amphipathicity are the most important physicochemical and structural determinants endowing AMPs with antimicrobial potency and cell selectivity. This review summarizes the recent advances in AMPs development with respect to characteristics, structure-activity relationships, functions, antimicrobial mechanisms, expression regulation, and applications in food, medicine, and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiujing Dou
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Jing Song
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Yinfeng Lyu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Xin Zhu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Weizhong Li
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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43
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Passarini I, Rossiter S, Malkinson J, Zloh M. In Silico Structural Evaluation of Short Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides. Pharmaceutics 2018; 10:E72. [PMID: 29933540 PMCID: PMC6160961 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10030072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cationic peptides with antimicrobial properties are ubiquitous in nature and have been studied for many years in an attempt to design novel antibiotics. However, very few molecules are used in the clinic so far, sometimes due to their complexity but, mostly, as a consequence of the unfavorable pharmacokinetic profile associated with peptides. The aim of this work is to investigate cationic peptides in order to identify common structural features which could be useful for the design of small peptides or peptido-mimetics with improved drug-like properties and activity against Gram negative bacteria. Two sets of cationic peptides (AMPs) with known antimicrobial activity have been investigated. The first reference set comprised molecules with experimentally-known conformations available in the protein databank (PDB), and the second one was composed of short peptides active against Gram negative bacteria but with no significant structural information available. The predicted structures of the peptides from the first set were in excellent agreement with those experimentally-observed, which allowed analysis of the structural features of the second group using computationally-derived conformations. The peptide conformations, either experimentally available or predicted, were clustered in an “all vs. all” fashion and the most populated clusters were then analyzed. It was confirmed that these peptides tend to assume an amphipathic conformation regardless of the environment. It was also observed that positively-charged amino acid residues can often be found next to aromatic residues. Finally, a protocol was evaluated for the investigation of the behavior of short cationic peptides in the presence of a membrane-like environment such as dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles. The results presented herein introduce a promising approach to inform the design of novel short peptides with a potential antimicrobial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Passarini
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
| | - Sharon Rossiter
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
| | - John Malkinson
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
| | - Mire Zloh
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University Business Academy, Trg mladenaca 5, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
- NanoPuzzle Medicines Design, Business & Technology Centre, Bessemer Drive, Stevenage SG1 2DX, UK.
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Salas RL, Garcia JKDL, Miranda ACR, Rivera WL, Nellas RB, Sabido PMG. Effects of truncation of the peptide chain on the secondary structure and bioactivities of palmitoylated anoplin. Peptides 2018; 104:7-14. [PMID: 29614317 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Anoplin (GLLKRIKTLL-NH2) is of current interest due to its short sequence and specificity towards bacteria. Recent studies on anoplin have shown that truncation and acylation compromises its antimicrobial activity and specificity, respectively. In this study, truncated analogues (pal-ano-9 to pal-ano-5) of palmitoylated anoplin (pal-anoplin) were synthesized to determine the effects of C-truncation on its bioactivities. Moreover, secondary structure of each analogue using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was determined to correlate with bioactivities. Interestingly, pal-anoplin, pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6 were helical in water, unlike anoplin. In contrast, pal-ano-8, pal-ano-7 and pal-ano-5, with polar amino acid residues at the C-terminus, were random coil in water. Nevertheless, all the peptides folded into helical structures in 30% trifluoroethanol/water (TFE/H2O) except for the shortest analogue pal-ano-5. Hydrophobicity played a significant role in the enhancement of activity against bacteria E. coli and S. aureus as all lipopeptides including the random coil pal-ano-5 were more active than the parent anoplin. Meanwhile, the greatest improvement in activity against the fungus C. albicans was observed for pal-anoplin analogues (pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6) that were helical in water. Although, hydrophobicity is a major factor in the secondary structure and antimicrobial activity, it appears that the nature of amino acids at the C-terminus also influence folding of lipopeptides in water and its antifungal activity. Moreover, the hemolytic activity of the analogues was found to correlate with hydrophobicity, except for the least hemolytic, pal-ano-5. Since most of the analogues are more potent and shorter than anoplin, they are promising drug candidates for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remmer L Salas
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Jan Kathryne D L Garcia
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Ana Carmela R Miranda
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Windell L Rivera
- Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Ricky B Nellas
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Portia Mahal G Sabido
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines.
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45
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Fields FR, Carothers KE, Balsara RD, Ploplis VA, Castellino FJ, Lee SW. Rational design of syn-safencin, a novel linear antimicrobial peptide derived from the circular bacteriocin safencin AS-48. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 2018; 71:592-600. [DOI: 10.1038/s41429-018-0032-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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46
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Canali C, Spillum E, Valvik M, Agersnap N, Olesen T. Real-Time Digital Bright Field Technology for Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1736:75-84. [PMID: 29322460 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7638-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Optical scanning through bacterial samples and image-based analysis may provide a robust method for bacterial identification, fast estimation of growth rates and their modulation due to the presence of antimicrobial agents. Here, we describe an automated digital, time-lapse, bright field imaging system (oCelloScope, BioSense Solutions ApS, Farum, Denmark) for rapid and higher throughput antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) of up to 96 bacteria-antibiotic combinations at a time. The imaging system consists of a digital camera, an illumination unit and a lens where the optical axis is tilted 6.25° relative to the horizontal plane of the stage. Such tilting grants more freedom of operation at both high and low concentrations of microorganisms. When considering a bacterial suspension in a microwell, the oCelloScope acquires a sequence of 6.25°-tilted images to form an image Z-stack. The stack contains the best-focus image, as well as the adjacent out-of-focus images (which contain progressively more out-of-focus bacteria, the further the distance from the best-focus position). The acquisition process is repeated over time, so that the time-lapse sequence of best-focus images is used to generate a video. The setting of the experiment, image analysis and generation of time-lapse videos can be performed through a dedicated software (UniExplorer, BioSense Solutions ApS). The acquired images can be processed for online and offline quantification of several morphological parameters, microbial growth, and inhibition over time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erik Spillum
- Philips BioCell A/S, Allerød, Denmark
- BioSense Solutions ApS, Farum, Denmark
| | | | | | - Tom Olesen
- Philips BioCell A/S, Allerød, Denmark
- BioSense Solutions ApS, Farum, Denmark
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Agbale CM, Cardoso MH, Galyuon IK, Franco OL. Designing metallodrugs with nuclease and protease activity. Metallomics 2017; 8:1159-1169. [PMID: 27714031 DOI: 10.1039/c6mt00133e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The accidental discovery of cisplatin some 50 years ago generated renewed interest in metallopharmaceuticals. Beyond cisplatin, many useful metallodrugs have been synthesized for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, but toxicity concerns, and the propensity to induce chemoresistance and secondary cancers make it imperative to search for novel metallodrugs that address these limitations. The Amino Terminal Cu(ii) and Ni(ii) (ATCUN) binding motif has emerged as a suitable template to design catalytic metallodrugs with nuclease and protease activities. Unlike their classical counterparts, ATCUN-based metallodrugs exhibit low toxicity, employ novel mechanisms to irreversibly inactivate disease-associated genes or proteins providing in principle, a channel to circumvent the rapid emergence of chemoresistance. The ATCUN motif thus presents novel strategies for the treatment of many diseases including cancers, HIV and infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria at the genetic level. This review discusses their design, mechanisms of action and potential for further development to expand their scope of application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb Mawuli Agbale
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana and S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79117-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
| | - Marlon Henrique Cardoso
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79117-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil. and Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, 70719-100 Brasília, DF, Brazil and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Isaac Kojo Galyuon
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79117-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil. and Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, 70719-100 Brasília, DF, Brazil and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil
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Felício MR, Silva ON, Gonçalves S, Santos NC, Franco OL. Peptides with Dual Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities. Front Chem 2017; 5:5. [PMID: 28271058 PMCID: PMC5318463 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the number of people suffering from cancer and multi-resistant infections has increased, such that both diseases are already seen as current and future major causes of death. Moreover, chronic infections are one of the main causes of cancer, due to the instability in the immune system that allows cancer cells to proliferate. Likewise, the physical debility associated with cancer or with anticancer therapy itself often paves the way for opportunistic infections. It is urgent to develop new therapeutic methods, with higher efficiency and lower side effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in the innate immune system of a wide range of organisms. Identified as the most promising alternative to conventional molecules used nowadays against infections, some of them have been shown to have dual activity, both as antimicrobial and anticancer peptides (ACPs). Highly cationic and amphipathic, they have demonstrated efficacy against both conditions, with the number of nature-driven or synthetically designed peptides increasing year by year. With similar properties, AMPs that can also act as ACPs are viewed as future chemotherapeutic drugs, with the advantage of low propensity to resistance, which started this paradigm in the pharmaceutical market. These peptides have already been described as molecules presenting killing mechanisms at the membrane level, but also acting toward intracellular targets, which increases their success compartively to one-target specific drugs. This review will approach the desirable characteristics of small peptides that demonstrated dual activity against microbial infections and cancer, as well as the peptides engaged in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário R Felício
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Osmar N Silva
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Sônia Gonçalves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Octávio L Franco
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom BoscoCampo Grande, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Universidade de BrasíliaBrasília, Brazil
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Luna-Ramirez K, Tonk M, Rahnamaeian M, Vilcinskas A. Bioactivity of Natural and Engineered Antimicrobial Peptides from Venom of the Scorpions Urodacus yaschenkoi and U. manicatus. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9010022. [PMID: 28067810 PMCID: PMC5308254 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2016] [Revised: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of multidrug-resistant human pathogens has drawn attention towards antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are major players in the innate immune systems of many organisms, including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and microbes. Scorpion venom is an abundant source of novel and potent AMPs. Here, we investigated natural and engineered AMPs from the scorpions Urodacus yaschenkoi and U. manicatus to determine their antimicrobial spectra as well as their hemolytic/cytotoxic activity. None of the AMPs were active against fungi, but many of them were active at low concentrations (0.25–30 µM) against seven different bacteria. Hemolytic and cytotoxic activities were determined using pig erythrocytes and baby hamster kidney cells, respectively. The amino acid substitutions in the engineered AMPs did not inhibit cytotoxicity, but reduced hemolysis and therefore increased the therapeutic indices. The phylogenetic analysis of scorpion AMPs revealed they are closely related and the GXK motif is highly conserved. The engineered scorpion AMPs offer a promising alternative for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and could be modified further to reduce their hemolytic/cytotoxic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Luna-Ramirez
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Miray Tonk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
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Zhang P, Ma J, Yan Y, Chen B, Liu B, Jian C, Zhu B, Liang S, Zeng Y, Liu Z. Arginine modification of lycosin-I to improve inhibitory activity against cancer cells. Org Biomol Chem 2017; 15:9379-9388. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ob02233f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Herein, arginine modification rendered Lycosin-I with higher anticancer activity, penetrability, and dissemination ability against solid tumor cells due to the optimized physicochemical properties and high serum stability.
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