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Díez Pérez T, Tafoya AN, Peabody DS, Lakin MR, Hurwitz I, Carroll NJ, López GP. Isolation of nucleic acids using liquid-liquid phase separation of pH-sensitive elastin-like polypeptides. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10157. [PMID: 38698072 PMCID: PMC11065875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60648-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Extraction of nucleic acids (NAs) is critical for many methods in molecular biology and bioanalytical chemistry. NA extraction has been extensively studied and optimized for a wide range of applications and its importance to society has significantly increased. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of early and efficient NA testing, for which NA extraction is a critical analytical step prior to the detection by methods like polymerase chain reaction. This study explores simple, new approaches to extraction using engineered smart nanomaterials, namely NA-binding, intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), that undergo triggered liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Two types of NA-binding IDPs are studied, both based on genetically engineered elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), model IDPs that exhibit a lower critical solution temperature in water and can be designed to exhibit LLPS at desired temperatures in a variety of biological solutions. We show that ELP fusion proteins with natural NA-binding domains can be used to extract DNA and RNA from physiologically relevant solutions. We further show that LLPS of pH responsive ELPs that incorporate histidine in their sequences can be used for both binding, extraction and release of NAs from biological solutions, and can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in samples from COVID-positive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Telmo Díez Pérez
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Ashley N Tafoya
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - David S Peabody
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Matthew R Lakin
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Ivy Hurwitz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Global Health, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Nick J Carroll
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Gabriel P López
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
- Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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2
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Kawaguchi Y, Kawamura Y, Hirose H, Kiyokawa M, Hirate M, Hirata T, Higuchi Y, Futaki S. E3MPH16: An efficient endosomolytic peptide for intracellular protein delivery. J Control Release 2024; 367:877-891. [PMID: 38301930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.067] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
To facilitate the introduction of proteins, such as antibodies, into cells, a variety of delivery peptides have been engineered. These peptides are typically highly cationic and somewhat hydrophobic, enabling cytosolic protein delivery at the cost of causing cell damage by rupturing membranes. This balance between delivery effectiveness and cytotoxicity presents obstacles for their real-world use. To tackle this problem, we designed a new endosome-disruptive cytosolic delivery peptide, E3MPH16, inspired by mastoparan X (MP). E3MPH16 was engineered to incorporate three Glu (E3) and 16 His (H16) residues at the N- and C-termini of MP, respectively. The negative charges of E3 substantially mitigate the cell-surface damage induced by MP. The H16 segment is known to enhance cell-surface adsorption and endocytic uptake of the associated molecules. With these modifications, E3MPH16 was successfully trapped within endosomes. The acidification of endosomes is expected to protonate the side chains of E3 and H16, enabling E3MPH16 to rupture endosomal membranes. As a result, nearly 100% of cells achieved cytosolic delivery of a model biomacromolecule, Alexa Fluor 488-labeled dextran (10 kDa), via endosomal escape by co-incubation with E3MPH16. The delivery process also suggested the involvement of macropinocytosis and caveolae-mediated endocytosis. With the assistance of E3MPH16, Cre recombinase and anti-Ras-IgG delivered into HEK293 cells and HT1080 cells enabled gene recombination and inhibited cell proliferation, respectively. The potential for in vivo application of this intracellular delivery method was further validated by topically injecting the green fluorescent protein fused with a nuclear localization signal (NLS-GFP) along with E3MPH16 into Colon-26 tumor xenografts in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimasa Kawaguchi
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
| | - Yuki Kawamura
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Hisaaki Hirose
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Megumi Kiyokawa
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Momo Hirate
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hirata
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuriko Higuchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Shiroh Futaki
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
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3
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Sikora K, Jędrzejczak J, Bauer M, Neubauer D, Jaśkiewicz M, Szaryńska M. Quaternary Ammonium Salts of Cationic Lipopeptides with Lysine Residues - Synthesis, Antimicrobial, Hemolytic and Cytotoxic Activities. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2023; 15:1465-1483. [PMID: 37770629 PMCID: PMC10687119 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10161-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Ultrashort cationic lipopeptides (USCLs) and quaternary ammonium salts constitute two groups of cationic surfactants with high antimicrobial activity. This study aimed to investigate the influence of quaternization of the amino group of the lysine side chain in USCLs on their antimicrobial, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities. To do this, two series of lipopeptides were synthesized, USLCs and their quaternized analogues containing trimethylated lysine residues - qUSCLs (quaternized ultrashort cationic lipopeptides). Quaternization was performed on a resin during a standard solid-phase peptide synthesis with CH3I as the methylating agent. According to our knowledge, this is the first study presenting on-resin peptide quaternization. The lipopeptides were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against the ESKAPE group (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella aerogenes) bacteria and Candida glabrata yeast-like fungus. Most of the compounds proved to be active antimicrobial agents with enhanced activity against Gram-positive strains and fungi and a lower against Gram-negative species. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of lipopeptides was increasing with an increase in hydrophobicity but qUSCLs exhibited usually a poorer antimicrobial activity than their parent molecules. Furthermore, the toxicity against red blood cells and human keratinocytes was assessed. It's worth emphasizing that qUSCLs were less toxic than the parent molecules of comparative hydrophobicity. The results of the study proved that qUSCLs can offer a higher selectivity to pathogens over human cells than that of USCLs. Last but not least, quaternization of the peptides could increase their solubility and therefore their bioavailability and utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karol Sikora
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Jakub Jędrzejczak
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marta Bauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Maciej Jaśkiewicz
- International Research Agenda 3P- Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7, Building no. 5, 80-211, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Szaryńska
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 1, 80-211, Gdańsk, Poland
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4
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Agoni C, Stavropoulos I, Kirwan A, Mysior MM, Holton T, Kranjc T, Simpson JC, Roche HM, Shields DC. Cell-Penetrating Milk-Derived Peptides with a Non-Inflammatory Profile. Molecules 2023; 28:6999. [PMID: 37836842 PMCID: PMC10574647 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28196999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Milk-derived peptides are known to confer anti-inflammatory effects. We hypothesised that milk-derived cell-penetrating peptides might modulate inflammation in useful ways. Using computational techniques, we identified and synthesised peptides from the milk protein Alpha-S1-casein that were predicted to be cell-penetrating using a machine learning predictor. We modified the interpretation of the prediction results to consider the effects of histidine. Peptides were then selected for testing to determine their cell penetrability and anti-inflammatory effects using HeLa cells and J774.2 mouse macrophage cell lines. The selected peptides all showed cell penetrating behaviour, as judged using confocal microscopy of fluorescently labelled peptides. None of the peptides had an effect on either the NF-κB transcription factor or TNFα and IL-1β secretion. Thus, the identified milk-derived sequences have the ability to be internalised into the cell without affecting cell homeostatic mechanisms such as NF-κB activation. These peptides are worthy of further investigation for other potential bioactivities or as a naturally derived carrier to promote the cellular internalisation of other active peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clement Agoni
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 W6F6 Dublin 4, Ireland
- Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Ilias Stavropoulos
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 W6F6 Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Anna Kirwan
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 N2E5 Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Margharitha M. Mysior
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Therese Holton
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Tilen Kranjc
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Jeremy C. Simpson
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 N2E5 Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Helen M. Roche
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Denis C. Shields
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin 4, Ireland (M.M.M.); (J.C.S.)
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 W6F6 Dublin 4, Ireland
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5
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Shetty D, Kenney LJ. A pH-sensitive switch activates virulence in Salmonella. eLife 2023; 12:e85690. [PMID: 37706506 PMCID: PMC10519707 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional regulator SsrB acts as a switch between virulent and biofilm lifestyles of non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. During infection, phosphorylated SsrB activates genes on Salmonella Pathogenicity Island-2 (SPI-2) essential for survival and replication within the macrophage. Low pH inside the vacuole is a key inducer of expression and SsrB activation. Previous studies demonstrated an increase in SsrB protein levels and DNA-binding affinity at low pH; the molecular basis was unknown (Liew et al., 2019). This study elucidates its underlying mechanism and in vivo significance. Employing single-molecule and transcriptional assays, we report that the SsrB DNA-binding domain alone (SsrBc) is insufficient to induce acid pH-sensitivity. Instead, His12, a conserved residue in the receiver domain confers pH sensitivity to SsrB allosterically. Acid-dependent DNA binding was highly cooperative, suggesting a new configuration of SsrB oligomers at SPI-2-dependent promoters. His12 also plays a role in SsrB phosphorylation; substituting His12 reduced phosphorylation at neutral pH and abolished pH-dependent differences. Failure to flip the switch in SsrB renders Salmonella avirulent and represents a potential means of controlling virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dasvit Shetty
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Linda J Kenney
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at GalvestonGalvestonUnited States
- Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, The University of Texas Medical Branch at GalvestonGalvestonUnited States
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6
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Crocodile defensin (CpoBD13) antifungal activity via pH-dependent phospholipid targeting and membrane disruption. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1170. [PMID: 36859344 PMCID: PMC9977887 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36280-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Crocodilians are an order of ancient reptiles that thrive in pathogen-rich environments. The ability to inhabit these harsh environments is indicative of a resilient innate immune system. Defensins, a family of cysteine-rich cationic host defence peptides, are a major component of the innate immune systems of all plant and animal species, however crocodilian defensins are poorly characterised. We now show that the saltwater crocodile defensin CpoBD13 harbors potent antifungal activity that is mediated by a pH-dependent membrane-targeting action. CpoBD13 binds the phospholipid phosphatidic acid (PA) to form a large helical oligomeric complex, with specific histidine residues mediating PA binding. The utilisation of histidine residues for PA engagement allows CpoBD13 to exhibit differential activity at a range of environmental pH values, where CpoBD13 is optimally active in an acidic environment.
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7
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Chang L, Wu X, Ran K, Tian Y, Ouyang X, Liu H, Gou S, Zhang Y, Ni J. One New Acid-Activated Hybrid Anticancer Peptide by Coupling with a Desirable pH-Sensitive Anionic Partner Peptide. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:7536-7545. [PMID: 36873017 PMCID: PMC9979329 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are promising antitumor resources, and developing acid-activated ACPs as more effective and selective antitumor drugs would represent new progress in cancer therapy. In this study, we designed a new class of acid-activated hybrid peptides LK-LE by altering the charge shielding position of the anionic binding partner LE based on the cationic ACP LK and investigated their pH response, cytotoxic activity, and serum stability, in hoping to achieve a desirable acid-activatable ACP. As expected, the obtained hybrid peptides could be activated and exhibit a remarkable antitumor activity by rapid membrane disruption at acidic pH, whereas its killing activity could be alleviated at normal pH, showing a significant pH response compared with LK. Importantly, this study found that the peptide LK-LE3 with the charge shielding in the N-terminal of LK displayed notably low cytotoxicity and more stability, demonstrating that the position of charge masking is extremely important for the improvement of peptide toxicity and stability. In short, our work opens a new avenue to design promising acid-activated ACPs as potential targeting agents for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Chang
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Kaixin Ran
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yali Tian
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Xu Ouyang
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Hui Liu
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Sanhu Gou
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Jingman Ni
- Research
Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- Institute
of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Preclinical
Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
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Moreira Brito JC, Carvalho LR, Neves de Souza A, Carneiro G, Magalhães PP, Farias LM, Guimarães NR, Verly RM, Resende JM, Elena de Lima M. PEGylation of the antimicrobial peptide LyeTx I-b maintains structure-related biological properties and improves selectivity. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1001508. [PMID: 36310605 PMCID: PMC9611540 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1001508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological activity of antimicrobial peptides and proteins is closely related to their structural aspects and is sensitive to certain post-translational modifications such as glycosylation, lipidation and PEGylation. However, PEGylation of protein and peptide drugs has expanded in recent years due to the reduction of their toxicity. Due to their size, the PEGylation process can either preserve or compromise the overall structure of these biopolymers and their biological properties. The antimicrobial peptide LyeTx I-bcys was synthesized by Fmoc strategy and coupled to polyethylene glycol 2.0 kDa. The conjugates were purified by HPLC and characterized by MALDI-ToF-MS analysis. Microbiological assays with LyeTx I-bcys and LyeTx I-bPEG were performed against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 33591) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) in liquid medium. MIC values of 2.0 and 1.0 µM for LyeTx I-bcys and 8.0 and 4.0 µM for LyeTx I-bPEG were observed against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. PEGylation of LyeTx I-bcys (LyeTx I-bPEG) decreased the cytotoxicity determined by MTT method for VERO cells compared to the non-PEGylated peptide. In addition, structural and biophysical studies were performed to evaluate the effects of PEGylation on the nature of peptide-membrane interactions. Surface Plasmon Resonance experiments showed that LyeTx I-b binds to anionic membranes with an association constant twice higher than the PEGylated form. The three-dimensional NMR structures of LyeTx I-bcys and LyeTx I-bPEG were determined and compared with the LyeTx I-b structure, and the hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of POPC:POPG vesicles were similar upon the addition of both peptides. The mPEG-MAL conjugation of LyeTx I-bcys gave epimers, and it, together with LyeTx I-bPEG, showed clear α-helical profiles. While LyeTx I-bcys showed no significant change in amphipathicity compared to LyeTx I-b, LyeTx I-bPEG was found to have a slightly less clear separation between hydrophilic and hydrophobic faces. However, the similar conformational freedom of LyeTx I-b and LyeTx I-bPEG suggests that PEGylation does not cause significant structural changes. Overall, our structural and biophysical studies indicate that the PEGylation does not alter the mode of peptide interaction and maintains antimicrobial activity while minimizing tissue toxicity, which confirmed previous results obtained in vivo. Interestingly, significantly improved proteolytic resistance to trypsin and proteinase K was observed after PEGylation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucas Raposo Carvalho
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Amanda Neves de Souza
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Carneiro
- Departamento de Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Paula Prazeres Magalhães
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Macêdo Farias
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Natália Rocha Guimarães
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Moreira Verly
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Jarbas Magalhães Resende
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Maria Elena de Lima
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Biomedicina da Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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9
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Liu Y, Zhao Z, Li M. Overcoming the cellular barriers and beyond: Recent progress on cell penetrating peptide modified nanomedicine in combating physiological and pathological barriers. Asian J Pharm Sci 2022; 17:523-543. [PMID: 36105313 PMCID: PMC9458999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajps.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex physiological and pathological conditions form barriers against efficient drug delivery. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), a class of short peptides which translocate drugs across cell membranes with various mechanisms, provide feasible solutions for efficient delivery of biologically active agents to circumvent biological barriers. After years of development, the function of CPPs is beyond cell penetrating. Multifunctional CPPs with bioactivity or active targeting capacity have been designed and successfully utilized in delivery of various cargoes against tumor, myocardial ischemia, ocular posterior segment disorders, etc. In this review, we summarize recent progress in CPP-functionalized nano-drug delivery systems to overcome the physiological and pathological barriers for the applications in cardiology, ophtalmology, mucus, neurology and cancer, etc. We also highlight the prospect of clinical translation of CPP-functionalized drug delivery systems in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingke Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhihe Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Man Li
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Corresponding authors.
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10
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Wang Z, Li Q, Li J, Shang L, Li J, Chou S, Lyu Y, Shan A. pH-Responsive Antimicrobial Peptide with Selective Killing Activity for Bacterial Abscess Therapy. J Med Chem 2022; 65:5355-5373. [PMID: 35294199 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The unusual acidic pH of the abscess milieu is an adverse factor that decreases the therapeutic efficacy of traditional antibiotics. Moreover, avoiding both the undesired killing of commensal bacteria and the development of drug resistance remains difficult during abscess therapy. Hence, we synthesized a series of pH-responsive antimicrobial peptides equipped with efficient bacterial killing activity at pH 6.5 and inactivity at pH 7.4. Among the peptides, F5 exhibited outstanding pH-responsive antimicrobial activity and low toxicity. Fluorescence spectroscopy and electron microscopy illustrated that F5 killed bacteria via a membrane-disruptive mechanism at acidic pH values. Mouse cutaneous abscesses revealed that F5 was equipped with excellent therapeutic ability to reduce the bacterial load and cytokines without causing skin toxicity. In summary, this study reveals a strategy for selectively killing bacteria under the pathologic conditions of abscess sites while avoiding the elimination of commensal bacteria under normal physiological pH levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Wang
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
| | - Qiuke Li
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
| | - Jinze Li
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
| | - Lu Shang
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
| | - Jiawei Li
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
| | - Shuli Chou
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
| | - Yinfeng Lyu
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
| | - Anshan Shan
- The Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Immunity, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 P. R. China
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11
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Chibh S, Kaur K, Gautam UK, Panda JJ. Dimension switchable auto-fluorescent peptide-based 1D and 2D nano-assemblies and their self-influence on intracellular fate and drug delivery. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:715-735. [PMID: 34937079 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr06768k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The production of dynamic, environment-responsive shape-tunable biomaterials marks a significant step forward in the construction of synthetic materials that can easily rival their natural counterparts. Significant progress has been made in the self-assembly of bio-materials. However, the self-assembly of a peptide into morphologically distinct auto-fluorescent nanostructures, without the incorporation of any external moiety is still in its infancy. Hence, in this study, we have developed peptide-based self-assembled auto-fluorescent nanostructures that can shuttle between 1D and 2D morphologies. Different morphological nanostructures are well known to have varied cellular internalization efficiencies. Taking advantage of our morphologically different particles emanating from the same peptide monomer, we further explored the intracellular fate of our nanostructures. We observed that the nanostructures' cellular internalization is a complex process that gets influenced by particle morphology and this might further affect their intracellular drug delivery potential. Overall, this study provides initial cues for the preparation of environment-responsive shape-shifting peptide-nano assemblies. Efforts have also been made to understand their shape driven cellular uptake behaviour, along with establishing them as nanocarriers for the cellular delivery of therapeutic molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonika Chibh
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Sector 81, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India.
| | - Komalpreet Kaur
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Sector 81, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Ujjal K Gautam
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Sector 81, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Jiban Jyoti Panda
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Sector 81, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India.
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12
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Nunes LO, Munhoz VHO, Sousa AA, de Souza KR, Santos TL, Bemquerer MP, Ferreira DEC, de Magalhães MTQ, Resende JM, Alcântara AFC, Aisenbrey C, Veloso DP, Bechinger B, Verly RM. High-resolution structural profile of hylaseptin-4: Aggregation, membrane topology and pH dependence of overall membrane binding process. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183581. [PMID: 33556358 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hylaseptin-4 (HSP-4, GIGDILKNLAKAAGKAALHAVGESL-NH2) is an antimicrobial peptide originally isolated from Hypsiboas punctatus tree frog. The peptide has been chemically synthetized for structural investigations by CD and NMR spectroscopies. CD experiments reveal the high helical content of HSP-4 in biomimetic media. Interestingly, the aggregation process seems to occur at high peptide concentrations either in aqueous solution or in presence of biomimetic membranes, indicating an increase in the propensity of the peptide for adopting a helical conformation. High-resolution NMR structures determined in presence of DPC-d38 micelles show a highly ordered α-helix from amino acid residues I2 to S24 and a smooth bend near G14. A large separation between hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues occurs up to the A16 residue, from which a shift in the amphipathicity is noticed. Oriented solid-state NMR spectroscopy show a roughly parallel orientation of the helical structure along the POPC lipid bilayer surface, with an insertion of the hydrophobic N-terminus into the bilayer core. Moreover, a noticeable pH dependence of the aggregation process in both aqueous and in biomimetic membrane environments is attributed to a single histidine residue (H19). The protonation degree of the imidazole side-chain might help in modulating the peptide-peptide or peptide-lipid interactions. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations confirm the orientation and preferential helical conformation and in addition, show that HSP-4 tends to self-aggregate in order to stabilize its active conformation in aqueous or phospholipid bilayer environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- L O Nunes
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - V H O Munhoz
- Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - A A Sousa
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - K R de Souza
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - T L Santos
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - M P Bemquerer
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), P.O. Box 02372, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - D E C Ferreira
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil; Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Mariana T Q de Magalhães
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Laboratório de Biofísica de Macromoléculas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - J M Resende
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - A F C Alcântara
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - C Aisenbrey
- Université de Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - D P Veloso
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - B Bechinger
- Université de Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 67000 Strasbourg, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France
| | - R M Verly
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
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13
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Hou H, Wang J, Wang J, Tang W, Shaikh AS, Li Y, Fu J, Lu L, Wang F, Sun F, Tan H. A Review of Bioactive Peptides: Chemical Modification, Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Applications. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2021; 16:1687-1718. [PMID: 33485398 DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2020.3001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the development and applications of protein drugs have attracted extensive attention from researchers. However, the shortcomings of protein drugs also limit their further development. Therefore, bioactive peptides isolated or simulated from protein polymers have broad application prospects in food, medicine, biotechnology, and other industries. Such peptides have a molecular weight distribution between 180 and 1000 Da. As a small molecule substance, bioactive peptide is usually degraded by various enzymes in the organism and have a short half-life. At the same time, such substances have poor stability and are difficult to produce and store. Therefore, these active peptides may be modified through phosphorylation, glycosylation, and acylation. Compared with other protein drugs, the modified active peptides are more easily absorbed by the body, have longer half-life, stronger targeting, and fewer side effects in addition to higher bioavailability. In the light of their functions, bioactive peptide can be divided into antimicrobial, anti-tumour, anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, anti-fatigue, and anti-hypertensive peptides. This article mainly focuses on the introduction of several promising biologically active peptides functioning as antimicrobial, anti-tumour, antiangiogenic, and antioxidant peptides from the three aspects modification, structural characteristics and mechanism of action.
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14
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Chang L, Bao H, Yao J, Liu H, Gou S, Zhong C, Zhang Y, Ni J. New designed pH-responsive histidine-rich peptides with antitumor activity. J Drug Target 2021; 29:651-659. [PMID: 33428507 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2021.1873351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Anticancer peptides have received widespread attention as alternative antitumor therapeutics due to their unique action mode. However, the systemic toxicity hampers their successful utilisation in tumour therapy. Here, the tumour acidic environment was used as a trigger to design a series of histidine-rich peptides by optimising the distribution of histidine and leucine based on the amphiphilic peptide LK, in hoping to achieve desirable acid-activate anticancer peptides. Among all the obtained peptides, L9H5-1 showed enhanced antitumor activity at acidic pH concomitant with low toxicity at normal pH, exhibiting excellent pH-response. At acidic pH, protonated L9H5-1 could rapidly kill tumour cells by efficient membrane disruption as evidenced by in vitro experiments, including increasing intracellular PI uptake and LDH release, dramatic membrane damage and increase of later apoptotic/necrotic cells. Moreover, no cell cycle arrest was observed after treated with L9H5-1. Interestingly, this study found that the new peptides with the same number of histidines and leucines displayed different pH-dependent antitumor activity, indicating that the position of amino acid alteration is extremely important for the design of acid-activated histidine-rich peptides. In short, our work provides a new avenue to develop new acid-activated anticancer peptides as promising antitumor drugs with high efficiency and good selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Chang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hexin Bao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jia Yao
- The First Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Sanhu Gou
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chao Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jingman Ni
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
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15
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A facile surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) with amino acid conjugated self-assembled monolayers for enhanced osteoblast cell behavior. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2020; 196:111343. [PMID: 32896827 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a biocompatible synthetic polymer and used in various applications due to its low toxicity and tunable surface properties. However, PDMS does not have any chemical cues for cell binding. Plasma treatment, protein coating or surface modification with various molecules have been used to improve its surface characteristics. Still, these techniques are either last for a very limited time or have very complicated experimental procedures. In the present study, simple and one-step surface modification of PDMS is successfully accomplished by the preparation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acid conjugated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for enhanced interactions at the cell-substrate interface. Synthesis of histidine and leucine conjugated (3-aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (His-APTES and Leu-APTES) were confirmed with proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) and optimum conditions for the modification of PDMS with SAMs were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, combined with water contact angle (WCA) measurements. Results indicated that both SAMs enhanced cellular behavior in vitro. Furthermore, hydrophilic His-APTES modification provides a superior environment for the osteoblast maturation with higher alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization. As histidine, leucine, and functional groups of these SAMs are naturally found in biological systems, modification of PDMS with them increases its cell-substrate surface biomimetic properties. This study establishes a successful modification of PDMS for in vitro cell studies, offering a biomimetic and easy procedure for potential applications in microfluidics, cell-based therapies, or drug investigations.
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16
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Eksteen JJ, Ausbacher D, Vasskog T, Rekdal Ø, Svendsen JSM. Selective Intracellular Delivery of Thiolated Cargo to Tumor and Neovasculature Cells Using Histidine-Rich Peptides as Vectors. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:4937-4942. [PMID: 32201779 PMCID: PMC7081261 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b00700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Short histidine-rich peptides could serve as novel activatable vectors for delivering cytotoxic payloads to tumor and neovasculature cells. This explorative study reports preliminary results showing that zinc ions, which are found in elevated levels at neovasculature sites, can trigger the intracellular delivery of a short antimicrobial peptide when conjugated to a histidine-rich peptide through a disulfide bond. The importance of exofacial thiols in the mode of action of these disulfide-linked conjugates is also shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Johannes Eksteen
- NORCE
Norwegian Research Centre AS, Siva Innovasjonssenter, Sykehusvegen 21, NO 9294 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Dominik Ausbacher
- Department
of Pharmacy, UiT Arctic University of Norway, NO 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Terje Vasskog
- NORCE
Norwegian Research Centre AS, Siva Innovasjonssenter, Sykehusvegen 21, NO 9294 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Øystein Rekdal
- Lytix
Biopharma AS, Siva Innovasjonssenter, Sykehusvegen 21, P.O. Box 6447, NO 9294 Tromsø, Norway
| | - John S. M. Svendsen
- Department
of Chemistry, UiT Arctic University of Norway, NO 9037 Tromsø, Norway
- E-mail: . Phone: +47 776 44086
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17
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Improving the anticancer effect of afatinib and microRNA by using lipid polymeric nanoparticles conjugated with dual pH-responsive and targeting peptides. J Nanobiotechnology 2019; 17:89. [PMID: 31426807 PMCID: PMC6699136 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-019-0519-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The emergence of resistance to chemotherapy or target therapy, tumor metastasis, and systemic toxicity caused by available anticancer drugs hamper the successful colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. The rise in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; human epidermal growth factor receptor 1; HER1) expression and enhanced phosphorylation of HER2 and HER3 are associated with tumor resistance, metastasis and invasion, thus resulting in poor outcome of anti-CRC therapy. The use of afatinib, a pan-HER inhibitor, is a potential therapeutic approach for resistant CRC. Additionally, miR-139 has been reported to be negatively correlated with chemoresistance, metastasis, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC. Hence, we develop a nanoparticle formulation consisting of a polymer core to carry afatinib or miR-139, which is surrounded by lipids modified with a targeting ligand and a pH-sensitive penetrating peptide to improve the anticancer effect of cargos against CRC cells. Results Our findings show that this formulation displays a spherical shape with core/shell structure, homogeneous particle size distribution and negative zeta potential. The prepared formulations demonstrate a pH-sensitive release profile and an enhanced uptake of cargos into human colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells in response to the acidic pH. This nanoparticle formulation incorporating afatinib and miR-139 exhibits low toxicity to normal cells but shows a better inhibitory effect on Caco-2 cells than other formulations. Moreover, the encapsulation of afatinib and miR-139 in peptide-modified nanoparticles remarkably induces apoptosis and inhibits migration and resistance of Caco-2 cells via suppression of pan-HER tyrosine kinase/multidrug resistance/metastasis pathways. Conclusion This study proposes a multifunctional nanoparticle formulation for targeted modulation of apoptosis/EGFR/HER/EMT/resistance/progression pathways to increase the sensitivity of colon cancer cells to afatinib. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12951-019-0519-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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18
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Lai Z, Tan P, Zhu Y, Shao C, Shan A, Li L. Highly Stabilized α-Helical Coiled Coils Kill Gram-Negative Bacteria by Multicomplementary Mechanisms under Acidic Condition. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:22113-22128. [PMID: 31199117 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b04654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold tremendous promise in overcoming the threats of multidrug resistance, the main obstacle to successful therapeutic applications is their poor stability. Various synthetic strategies such as unnatural amino acids and chemical modifications have made advances for improving this problem. However, this complicated synthesis often greatly increases the cost of production. Here, we show that a series of novel peptides, designed by combining an α-helical coiled coil model, knowledge of the specificity of proteolysis and major parameters of AMPs, exhibited efficient activity against all tested Gram-negative bacteria under acidic condition and demonstrate low toxicity. Of these α-helical coiled coil peptides, 3IH3 displayed the highest average therapeutic index (GMTI = 294.25) with high stability toward salts, serum, extreme pH, heat, and proteases. Electron microscopy and biological analytical technique analyses showed that 3IH3 killed bacterial cells via a multicomplementary mechanism at pH 6.0, with physical membrane disruption as the dominant bactericidal mechanism. These results suggest that 3IH3 shows great stability as an inexpensive and effective antimicrobial activity agent and has the potential for clinical application in the treatment of infections occurring in body sites with acidic pH.
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Chen H, Mao R, Teng D, Wang X, Hao Y, Feng X, Wang J. Design and pharmacodynamics of recombinant NZ2114 histidine mutants with improved activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. AMB Express 2017; 7:46. [PMID: 28229435 PMCID: PMC5321639 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-017-0345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
NZ2114 is a promising candidate for therapeutic application owing to its potent activity to Staphylococcus aureus. Our objective was to identify NZ2114 derivatives with improved activity through substitution of His16 and His18 with residues Arginine and Lysine. Eight mutants were designed and expressed in Pichia pastoris X-33 via pPICZαA. Five of them exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against S. aureus at low minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.057-0.454 μM. Among them, H1, H2, and H3 showed ideal pharmacodynamic effects on methicillin-resistant S. aureus ATCC43300. The total protein level of H1, H2, and H3 reached 1.70, 1.77 and 1.54 g/l at 120 h of induction in the 5-l fermenter, respectively. They killed over 99.9% of pathogens within 1.5 h at 2× and 4× MIC. The post antibiotic effect of H1, H2 and H3 to S. aureus ATCC43300 was 2.94, 1.75 and 1.55 h at 2× MIC, which was similar with their original peptide NZ2114 (1.43 h) and vancomycin (1.72 h). The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) indicated indifferent effects between H1, H2, H3 and vancomycin, ampicillin, rifampicin. Additionally, they had low hemolysis and high stability in different environments (temperature, pH, proteases, and saline ions). All results indicate that H1, H2, and H3 can be produced in large-scale and have potential as therapeutic drugs against MRSA.
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20
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Xu Y, Liu Y, Rasool A, E W, Li C. Sequence editing strategy for improving performance of β-glucuronidase from Aspergillus terreus. Chem Eng Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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21
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Yeh YM, Hsu SJ, Lin PC, Hsu KF, Wu PY, Su WC, Chang JY, Shen MR. The c.1085A>G Genetic Variant of CSF1R Gene Regulates Tumor Immunity by Altering the Proliferation, Polarization, and Function of Macrophages. Clin Cancer Res 2017; 23:6021-6030. [PMID: 28724665 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-1007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Targeting tumor-associated macrophages with colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R) inhibition reveals a strategy for cancer therapy. Here, we studied the impact of CSF1R germline genetic variant on CSF-1R signaling and the susceptibility to CSF-1R inhibitors.Experimental designs:CSF1R germline genetic variants were studied in 140 cancer patients. CSF-1R phosphorylation, endocytosis, and macrophage polarization were measured as the response to CSF-1 stimulation. Tumor-associated macrophages in surgical specimens and sensitivity to CSF-1R inhibitors were used to determine macrophage function.Results: A CSF1R c.1085A>G genetic variant causing the change of histidine to arginine in the domain of receptor dimerization was identified as a high allele frequency in Eastern Asian population. Cancer patients with this variant allele had less M2-like tumor-associated macrophages accompanied by low VEGF expression in tumor tissues. Importantly, CSF1R genetic variant was significantly associated with disease-free survival in colorectal, endometrial, and ovarian cancer. In terms of differentiation, macrophages with CSF1R c.1085A>G genetic variant displayed a refractory response to CSF-1 stimulation and macrophage survival was sensitive to CSF-1R inhibitors with IC50 of 0.1 to 1 nmol/L range. On contrast, CSF-1 induced a prominent phosphorylation and rapid endocytosis of CSF-1R, leading to an M2-like dominant polarization in macrophages with CSF1R c.1085 genotype A_A, in which CSF-1R inhibitors of PLX3397, BLZ945, and GW2580 inhibited macrophage survival with IC50 of 10 to 100 nmol/L range.Conclusions: The CSF1R c.1085A>G genetic variant regulates tumor immunity by altering the polarization and function of macrophages. This genetic variant confers the sensitivity to CSF-1R inhibitors, implying as a biomarker in targeting CSF-1R signaling for cancer treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 23(20); 6021-30. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Min Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Shan-Ju Hsu
- Department of Pharmacology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Peng-Chan Lin
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Fu Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ying Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Wu-Chou Su
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Jang-Yang Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.,National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Ru Shen
- Department of Pharmacology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
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Balandin SV, Emelianova AA, Kalashnikova MB, Kokryakov VN, Shamova OV, Ovchinnikova TV. Molecular mechanisms of antitumor effect of natural antimicrobial peptides. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162016060029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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23
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Balandin SV, Ovchinnikova TV. Antimicrobial peptides of invertebrates. Part 2. biological functions and mechanisms of action. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2016. [DOI: 10.1134/s106816201604004x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Narayana JL, Huang HN, Wu CJ, Chen JY. Efficacy of the antimicrobial peptide TP4 against Helicobacter pylori infection: in vitro membrane perturbation via micellization and in vivo suppression of host immune responses in a mouse model. Oncotarget 2016; 6:12936-54. [PMID: 26002554 PMCID: PMC4536990 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori infection is marked by a strong association with various gastric diseases, including gastritis, ulcers, and gastric cancer. Antibiotic treatment regimens have low success rates due to the rapid occurrence of resistant H. pylori strains, necessitating the development of novel anti-H. pylori strategies. Here, we investigated the therapeutic potential of a novel peptide, Tilapia Piscidin 4 (TP4), against multidrug resistant gastric pathogen H. pylori, based on its in vitro and in vivo efficacy.TP4 inhibited the growth of both antibiotic-sensitive and -resistant H. pylori (CagA+, VacA+) via membrane micelle formation, which led to membrane depolarization and extravasation of cellular constituents. During colonization of gastric tissue, H. pylori infection maintains high T regulatory subsets and a low Th17/Treg ratio, and results in expression of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Treatment with TP4 suppressed Treg subset populations and pro- and anti- inflammatory cytokines. TP4 restored the Th17/Treg balance, which resulted in early clearance of H. pylori density and recovery of gastric morphology. Toxicity studies demonstrated that TP4 treatment has no adverse effects in mice or rabbits. The results of this study indicate that TP4 may be an effective and safe monotherapeutic agent for the treatment of multidrug resistant H. pylori infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayaram Lakshmaiah Narayana
- Doctoral Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, Academia Sinica and National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Marine Research Station, Institute of Cellular and Orgasmic Biology, Academia Sinica, Jiaushi, Ilan, Taiwan
| | - Han-Ning Huang
- Marine Research Station, Institute of Cellular and Orgasmic Biology, Academia Sinica, Jiaushi, Ilan, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Jer Wu
- Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Jyh-Yih Chen
- Marine Research Station, Institute of Cellular and Orgasmic Biology, Academia Sinica, Jiaushi, Ilan, Taiwan
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25
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Kashiwada A, Mizuno M, Hashimoto J. pH-Dependent membrane lysis by using melittin-inspired designed peptides. Org Biomol Chem 2016; 14:6281-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ob01002d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Effective acidic pH-selective liposomal membrane lysis was achieved by using a novel designed peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Kashiwada
- Department of Applied Molecular Chemistry
- Graduate School of Industrial Technology
- Nihon University
- Narashino
- Japan
| | - M. Mizuno
- Department of Applied Molecular Chemistry
- Graduate School of Industrial Technology
- Nihon University
- Narashino
- Japan
| | - J. Hashimoto
- Department of Applied Molecular Chemistry
- Graduate School of Industrial Technology
- Nihon University
- Narashino
- Japan
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26
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McDonald M, Mannion M, Pike D, Lewis K, Flynn A, Brannan AM, Browne MJ, Jackman D, Madera L, Power Coombs MR, Hoskin DW, Rise ML, Booth V. Structure–function relationships in histidine-rich antimicrobial peptides from Atlantic cod. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015; 1848:1451-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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27
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Tian X, Sun F, Zhou XR, Luo SZ, Chen L. Role of peptide self-assembly in antimicrobial peptides. J Pept Sci 2015; 21:530-9. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.2788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xibo Tian
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology; Beijing University of Chemical Technology; Beijing 100029 China
| | - Fude Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology; Beijing University of Chemical Technology; Beijing 100029 China
| | - Xi-Rui Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology; Beijing University of Chemical Technology; Beijing 100029 China
| | - Shi-Zhong Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology; Beijing University of Chemical Technology; Beijing 100029 China
| | - Long Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology; Beijing University of Chemical Technology; Beijing 100029 China
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28
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Khatami MH, Bromberek M, Saika-Voivod I, Booth V. Molecular dynamics simulations of histidine-containing cod antimicrobial peptide paralogs in self-assembled bilayers. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2014; 1838:2778-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2014] [Revised: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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29
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Chen L, Liang JF. The potential roles of cell surface pHs in bioactive peptide activation. Chem Biol Drug Des 2014; 85:208-15. [PMID: 24925341 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Glycolytic metabolism of cells produces protons that are removed from the cytosol by transport proteins to create a pH difference between the adjacent bulk solution and the cell membrane surface. Therefore, tissue cells have distinct surface pHs because of varied glycocalyx and proton production capability. In this study, we proved the role of cell surface pH in peptide-cell interaction and peptide activation using lytic peptides with pH-dependent activity as probes. Properly, selected peptides could sense the specific pH zones on cells and thus demonstrated varied activity to tissue cells with different surface pHs. For a specific cell, the activity of pH-sensitive peptides changed accordingly as the cell surface pH was tuned up or down by proton channel regulators. Mechanistic studies revealed that cell surface pH directly affected peptide insertion into membranes by altering the secondary structure and aggregation status of membrane-bound pH-sensitive peptides. A pH-sensitive lytic peptide-designed based on the cell surface pH difference between a normal-cancer cell pair showed good selectivity to cancer cells. Therefore, cell surface pHs may present new opportunities to design therapeutic peptides with high cell specificity and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China; Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, USA
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30
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Chen L, Dong S, Liang JF. The Effects of Metal Ions on the Cytotoxicity and Selectivity of a Histidine-Containing Lytic Peptide. Int J Pept Res Ther 2013; 19:239-244. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-013-9344-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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31
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Kumar S, Sahdev P, Perumal O, Tummala H. Identification of a Novel Skin Penetration Enhancement Peptide by Phage Display Peptide Library Screening. Mol Pharm 2012; 9:1320-30. [DOI: 10.1021/mp200594z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sunny Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
57006, United States
| | - Preety Sahdev
- Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
57006, United States
| | - Omathanu Perumal
- Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
57006, United States
| | - Hemachand Tummala
- Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
57006, United States
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32
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Kharidia R, Tu Z, Chen L, Liang JF. Activity and selectivity of histidine-containing lytic peptides to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Arch Microbiol 2012; 194:769-78. [DOI: 10.1007/s00203-012-0810-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2011] [Revised: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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33
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Chen L, Liang JF. Metabolic monosaccharides altered cell responses to anticancer drugs. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2012; 81:339-45. [PMID: 22487054 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2012.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 03/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic glycoengineering has been used to manipulate the glycochemistry of cell surfaces and thus the cell/cell interaction, cell adhesion, and cell migration. However, potential application of glycoengineering in pharmaceutical sciences has not been studied until recently. Here, we reported that Ac(4)ManNAc, an analog of N-acetyl-D-mannosamine (ManNAc), could affect cell responses to anticancer drugs. Although cells from different tissues and organs responded to Ac(4)ManNAc treatment differently, treated cells with increased sialic acid contents showed dramatically reduced sensitivity (up to 130 times) to anti-cancer drugs as tested on various drugs with distinct chemical structures and acting mechanisms. Neither increased P-glycoprotein activity nor decreased drug uptake was observed during the course of Ac(4)ManNAc treatment. However, greatly altered intracellular drug distributions were observed. Most intracellular daunorubicin was found in the perinuclear region, but not the expected nuclei in the Ac(4)ManNAc treated cells. Since sialoglycoproteins and gangliosides were synthesized in the Golgi, intracellular glycans affected intracellular signal transduction and drug distributions seem to be the main reason for Ac(4)ManNAc affected cell sensitivity to anticancer drugs. It was interesting to find that although Ac(4)ManNAc treated breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) maintained the same sensitivity to 5-Fluorouracil, the IC(50) value of 5-Fluorouracil to the same Ac(4)ManNAc treated normal cells (MCF-10A) was increased by more than 20 times. Thus, this Ac(4)ManNAc treatment enlarged drug response difference between normal and tumor cells provides a unique opportunity to further improve the selectivity and therapeutic efficiency of anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA
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34
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Arnusch CJ, Albada HB, van Vaardegem M, Liskamp RMJ, Sahl HG, Shadkchan Y, Osherov N, Shai Y. Trivalent ultrashort lipopeptides are potent pH dependent antifungal agents. J Med Chem 2012; 55:1296-302. [PMID: 22243686 DOI: 10.1021/jm2014474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The activity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that contain a large proportion of histidine residues (pK(a) ∼ 6) depends on the physiological pH environment. Advantages of these AMPs include high activity in slightly acidic areas of the human body and relatively low toxicity in other areas. Also, many AMPs are highly active in a multivalent form, but this often increases toxicity. Here we designed pH dependent amphiphilic compounds consisting of multiple ultrashort histidine lipopeptides on a triazacyclophane scaffold, which showed high activity toward Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans at acidic pH, yet remained nontoxic. In vivo, treatment with a myristic acid conjugated trivalent histidine-histidine dipeptide resulted in 55% survival of mice (n = 9) in an otherwise lethal murine lung Aspergillus infection model. Fungal burden was assessed and showed completely sterile lungs in 80% of the mice (n = 5). At pH 5.5 and 7.5, differing peptide-membrane interactions and peptide nanostructures were observed. This study underscores the potential of unique AMPs to become the next generation of clinical antimicrobial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Arnusch
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Ullman Building, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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35
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Chen L, Tu Z, Voloshchuk N, Liang JF. Lytic peptides with improved stability and selectivity designed for cancer treatment. J Pharm Sci 2012; 101:1508-17. [PMID: 22227945 DOI: 10.1002/jps.23043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2011] [Revised: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Lytic peptides are a group of membrane-acting peptides, which have excellent activity to drug-resistant cells. In this study, the stability and tumor selectivity of newly designed pH-activated lytic peptides were studied. We found that despite varied secondary structures, pH-induced structure changes could not be directly linked to the activity and pH sensitivity of peptides. On the contrary, formation of aggregates had great impacts on peptide binding and insertion into the lipid bilayer of cell membrane. It was found that the pH controlled peptide aggregation and dissolution was responsible for the pH-dependent membrane lysis activity of peptides. One peptide (PTP-7c) formed stable amyloid fibrils, which did not completely dissolve under acidic conditions. As a result, PTP-7c had the lowest membrane lysis and cell killing activities among tested lytic peptides. As solid tumors have consistently low extracellular pHs, peptides with acid-activation features showed improved selectivity to cancer cells. In addition, self-assembled lytic peptides were found to become more stable and showed dramatically increased half lives (up to 11 h) in human plasma. These new lytic peptides with good stability and acid-activated cell lysis activity will have wide biomedical applications especially for the treatment of cancers in which drug resistance has developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, USA
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36
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Harris F, Dennison SR, Singh J, Phoenix DA. On the selectivity and efficacy of defense peptides with respect to cancer cells. Med Res Rev 2011; 33:190-234. [PMID: 21922503 DOI: 10.1002/med.20252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Here, we review potential determinants of the anticancer efficacy of innate immune peptides (ACPs) for cancer cells. These determinants include membrane-based factors, such as receptors, phosphatidylserine, sialic acid residues, and sulfated glycans, and peptide-based factors, such as residue composition, sequence length, net charge, hydrophobic arc size, hydrophobicity, and amphiphilicity. Each of these factors may contribute to the anticancer action of ACPs, but no single factor(s) makes an overriding contribution to their overall selectivity and toxicity. Differences between the anticancer actions of ACPs seem to relate to different levels of interplay between these peptide and membrane-based factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick Harris
- School of Forensic and Investigative Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
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37
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Kharidia R, Liang JF. The activity of a small lytic peptide PTP-7 on Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. J Microbiol 2011; 49:663-8. [PMID: 21887652 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-011-1013-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Accepted: 03/29/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
One of the most important features of bacterial biofilms is their resistance to antibiotics and to the host immune system. In this study, we have found that a small lytic peptide, PTP-7, is very potent to Gram-positive bacteria and is able to kill antibiotic sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus indiscriminately. Further studies have revealed that despite being a cationic peptide, the antibacterial activity of PTP-7 was not affected by the negatively charged extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of biofilms. PTP-7 could diffuse into the deep layer of S. aureus biofilms to kill bacteria inside biofilms efficiently and effectively. Neither the high concentrations of metal ions nor the acidic pH in biofilms affected the activity of peptide PTP-7. It seems that the unique sequence/structure together with the resistant bacteria killing ability of peptide PTP-7 confers its anti-biofilm activity. This study sheds new light on the treatment of bacterial biofilms, especially various biofilm related infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riddhi Kharidia
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
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