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Kordi M, Talkhounche PG, Vahedi H, Farrokhi N, Tabarzad M. Heterologous Production of Antimicrobial Peptides: Notes to Consider. Protein J 2024; 43:129-158. [PMID: 38180586 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-023-10174-w] [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] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Heavy and irresponsible use of antibiotics in the last century has put selection pressure on the microbes to evolve even faster and develop more resilient strains. In the confrontation with such sometimes called "superbugs", the search for new sources of biochemical antibiotics seems to have reached the limit. In the last two decades, bioactive antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are polypeptide chains with less than 100 amino acids, have attracted the attention of many in the control of microbial pathogens, more than the other types of antibiotics. AMPs are groups of components involved in the immune response of many living organisms, and have come to light as new frontiers in fighting with microbes. AMPs are generally produced in minute amounts within organisms; therefore, to address the market, they have to be either produced on a large scale through recombinant DNA technology or to be synthesized via chemical methods. Here, heterologous expression of AMPs within bacterial, fungal, yeast, plants, and insect cells, and points that need to be considered towards their industrialization will be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Kordi
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parnian Ghaedi Talkhounche
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Helia Vahedi
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Naser Farrokhi
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maryam Tabarzad
- Protein Technology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Zhou L, Meng G, Zhu L, Ma L, Chen K. Insect Antimicrobial Peptides as Guardians of Immunity and Beyond: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3835. [PMID: 38612644 PMCID: PMC11011964 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073835] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), as immune effectors synthesized by a variety of organisms, not only constitute a robust defense mechanism against a broad spectrum of pathogens in the host but also show promising applications as effective antimicrobial agents. Notably, insects are significant reservoirs of natural AMPs. However, the complex array of variations in types, quantities, antimicrobial activities, and production pathways of AMPs, as well as evolution of AMPs across insect species, presents a significant challenge for immunity system understanding and AMP applications. This review covers insect AMP discoveries, classification, common properties, and mechanisms of action. Additionally, the types, quantities, and activities of immune-related AMPs in each model insect are also summarized. We conducted the first comprehensive investigation into the diversity, distribution, and evolution of 20 types of AMPs in model insects, employing phylogenetic analysis to describe their evolutionary relationships and shed light on conserved and distinctive AMP families. Furthermore, we summarize the regulatory pathways of AMP production through classical signaling pathways and additional pathways associated with Nitric Oxide, insulin-like signaling, and hormones. This review advances our understanding of AMPs as guardians in insect immunity systems and unlocks a gateway to insect AMP resources, facilitating the use of AMPs to address food safety concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhen Zhou
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China;
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Guanliang Meng
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, 53113 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Ling Zhu
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China;
| | - Li Ma
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030810, China
| | - Kangkang Chen
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China;
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Abstract
Plant disease control requires novel approaches to mitigate the spread of and losses caused by current, emerging, and re-emerging diseases and to adapt plant protection to global climate change and the restrictions on the use of conventional pesticides. Currently, disease management relies mainly on biopesticides, which are required for the sustainable use of plant-protection products. Functional peptides are candidate biopesticides because they originate from living organisms or are synthetic analogs and provide novel mechanisms of action against plant pathogens. Hundreds of compounds exist that cover an extensive range of activities against viruses, bacteria and phytoplasmas, fungi and oomycetes, and nematodes. Natural sources, chemical synthesis, and biotechnological platforms may provide peptides at large scale for the industry and growers. The main challenges for their use in plant disease protection are (a) the requirement of stability in the plant environment and counteracting resistance in pathogen populations, (b) the need to develop suitable formulations to increase their shelf life and methods of application, (c) the selection of compounds with acceptable toxicological profiles, and (d) the high cost of production for agricultural purposes. In the near future, it is expected that several functional peptides will be commercially available for plant disease control, but more effort is needed to validate their efficacy at the field level and fulfill the requirements of the regulatory framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Montesinos
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, Plant Pathology-CIDSAV, University of Girona, Girona, Spain;
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4
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Mikhaylova E, Khusnutdinov E, Shein MY, Alekseev VY, Nikonorov Y, Kuluev B. The Role of the GSTF11 Gene in Resistance to Powdery Mildew Infection and Cold Stress. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:2729. [PMID: 34961200 PMCID: PMC8704923 DOI: 10.3390/plants10122729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is an economically important crop. In a temperate climate, powdery mildew Erysiphe crucifertaum can drastically reduce its yield. Nevertheless, cultivars resistant to this fungal disease have not yet been selected. Glutathione S-transferase GSTF11 is involved in glucosinolate (GSL) biosynthesis and response to stress, including fungal deceases. However, the impact of exogenous GSTF11 gene expression on resistance to powdery mildew has not yet been confirmed and requires further investigation. Transgenic B. napus was generated for this purpose. It demonstrated increased GST activity and a higher GSH:GSSG ratio under normal conditions. Powdery mildew Erysiphe crucifertaum caused 50% mortality in wild type (WT) plants. In most of transgenic plants, mycelium growth was inhibited. The infection contributed to higher GSTF11 expression and increased levels of glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in both transgenic and WT plants. In contrast, GSTF11 mRNA content, GST activity and GSSG level were lower only in WT plants. In transgenic plants, increased resistance to powdery mildew correlated with a lower GSH:GSSG ratio, indicating a higher content of neutralized toxic molecules. GSTF11 expression was also affected by cold stress, but not drought. At -1 °C, the expression level increased only in transgenic plants. Therefore, GSTF11 appears to be nonspecific and is able to protect plants under several types of stress. This gene could be used as a target in the production of stress tolerant cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mikhaylova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics UFRC RAS, Prospekt Oktyabrya 71, 450054 Ufa, Russia; (E.K.); (M.Y.S.); (V.Y.A.); (Y.N.); (B.K.)
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5
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Mirzaee H, Neira Peralta NL, Carvalhais LC, Dennis PG, Schenk PM. Plant-produced bacteriocins inhibit plant pathogens and confer disease resistance in tomato. N Biotechnol 2021; 63:54-61. [PMID: 33766789 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriocins are a diverse group of bacterial antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that represent potential replacements for current antibiotics due to their novel modes of action. At present, production costs are a key constraint to the use of bacteriocins and other AMPs. Here, we report the production of bacteriocins in planta - a potentially scalable and cost-effective approach for AMP production. Nine bacteriocin genes with three different modes of action and minimal or no post-translational modifications were synthesized, cloned and used to transform Arabidopsis thaliana. To confirm bacteriocin functionality and the potential to use these plants as biofactories, Arabidopsis T3 crude leaf extracts were subjected to inhibition assays against the bacterial pathogens Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm) and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst). Six and seven of nine extracts significantly inhibited Cmm and Pst, respectively. Three bacteriocin genes (plantaricin, enteriocin, and leucocin) were then selected for over-expression in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). In vitro plant pathogen inhibition assays of T0, T1 and T2 transgenic tomato leaf extracts confirmed antimicrobial activity against both pathogens for all three generations of plants, indicating their potential use as stable biopesticide biofactories. Plantaricin and leucocin-expressing T2 tomato plants were resistant to Cmm, and leucocin-expressing T2 plants were resistant to Pst. This study highlights that plants can be used as biofactories for AMP production and that the expression of bacteriocins in planta may offer new opportunities for disease control in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hooman Mirzaee
- Plant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Noelia L Neira Peralta
- Plant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lilia C Carvalhais
- Plant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Horticultural Science, Ecosciences Precinct, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Paul G Dennis
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Peer M Schenk
- Plant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
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Zheng T, Zhang K, Sadeghnezhad E, Jiu S, Zhu X, Dong T, Liu Z, Guan L, Jia H, Fang J. Chitinase family genes in grape differentially expressed in a manner specific to fruit species in response to Botrytis cinerea. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:7349-7363. [PMID: 32914265 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05791-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Chitinases (Chi), an important resistance-related protein, act against fungal pathogens by catalyzing the fungal cell wall, whereas are involved in different biological pathways in grape. In this study, we found 42 Chi family genes in Vitis vinifera L. (VvChis) and evaluated their expression levels after Botrytis infection, stress hormones like ethylene (ETH) and methyl-jasmonate (MeJA), and abiotic stresses like salinity and temperature changes in ripened fruits. VvChis were categorized into five groups including A, B, C, D, and E belonged to glycoside hydrolase family 18 and 19 (GH18 and GH19) according to genes structure, which expression analysis showed distinct temporal and spatial expression patterns changed in different tissues and various development stages. Different responsive elements to biotic and abiotic stresses were determined in the promoter regions of VvChis, specially elicitor-responsive element that was conserved among all VvChis genes. The expression levels of VvChis in groups A, B, and E increased after Botrytis cinerea infection in leaves and berries. Meanwhile, VvChis in glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18) were up-regulated under MeJA and ETH treatment, although the induction of VvChis by low temperature was more significant than high temperature. The expression of VvChis was also positively correlated with the concentration of NaCl treatment. Furthermore, differential gene-overexpression of VvChi5, VvChi17, VvChi22, VvChi26, and VvChi31 in strawberry and tomato fruits demonstrated the involvement of various isoforms in resistance to Botrytis infection through antioxidant system and lignin accumulation, which led to a reduction of damage. Among different isoforms of VvChis, we confirmed the interaction of Chi17 with Metallothionein (MTL) as oxidative stress protection, which suggests VvChis can modulate oxidative stress during postharvest storage in ripened fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zheng
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kekun Zhang
- College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Ehsan Sadeghnezhad
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Songtao Jiu
- Department of Plant Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai City, 200030, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xudong Zhu
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianyu Dong
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongjie Liu
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Le Guan
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Haifeng Jia
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinggui Fang
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
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Sampaio de Oliveira KB, Leite ML, Rodrigues GR, Duque HM, da Costa RA, Cunha VA, de Loiola Costa LS, da Cunha NB, Franco OL, Dias SC. Strategies for recombinant production of antimicrobial peptides with pharmacological potential. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2020; 13:367-390. [PMID: 32357080 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2020.1764347] [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] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The need to develop new drugs for the control of pathogenic microorganisms has redoubled efforts to prospect for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from natural sources and to characterize its structure and function. These molecules present a broad spectrum of action against different microorganisms and frequently present promiscuous action, with anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. Furthermore, AMPs can be used as biopharmaceuticals in the treatment of hospital-acquired infections and other serious diseases with relevant social and economic impacts.Areas covered: The low yield and the therefore difficult extraction and purification process in AMPs are problems that limit their industrial application and scientific research. Thus, optimized heterologous expression systems were developed to significantly boost AMP yields, allow high efficiency in purification and structural optimization for the increase of therapeutic activity.Expert opinion: This review provides an update on recent developments in the recombinant production of ribosomal and non-ribosomal synthesis of AMPs and on strategies to increase the expression of genes encoding AMPs at the transcriptional and translational levels and regulation of the post-translational modifications. Moreover, there are detailed reports of AMPs that have already reached marketable status or are in the pipeline under advanced stages of preclinical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Botelho Sampaio de Oliveira
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Michel Lopes Leite
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Gisele Regina Rodrigues
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Harry Morales Duque
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Rosiane Andrade da Costa
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Victor Albuquerque Cunha
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Lorena Sousa de Loiola Costa
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Nicolau Brito da Cunha
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Octavio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil.,Universidade de Brasília, Pós-graduação em Patologia Molecular, Campus Darcy Ribeiro , Brasília, Brazil.,S-Inova Biotech, Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco , Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Simoni Campos Dias
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil.,Universidade de Brasília, Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Campus Darcy Ribeiro , Brasília, Brazil
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Cytryńska M, Rahnamaeian M, Zdybicka-Barabas A, Dobslaff K, Züchner T, Sacheau G, Innis CA, Vilcinskas A. Proline-Rich Antimicrobial Peptides in Medicinal Maggots of Lucilia sericata Interact With Bacterial DnaK But Do Not Inhibit Protein Synthesis. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:532. [PMID: 32390853 PMCID: PMC7194015 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the search for new antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant microbes, insects offer a rich source of novel anti-infectives, including a remarkably diverse array of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with broad activity against a wide range of species. Larvae of the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata are used for maggot debridement therapy, and their effectiveness in part reflects the large panel of AMPs they secrete into the wound. To investigate the activity of these peptides in more detail, we selected two structurally different proline rich peptides (Lser-PRP2 and Lser-PRP3) in addition to the α-helical peptide Lser-stomoxyn. We investigated the mechanism of anti-Escherichia coli action of the PRPs in vitro and found that neither of them interfered with protein synthesis but both were able to bind the bacterial chaperone DnaK and are therefore likely to inhibit protein folding. However, unlike Lser-stomoxyn that permeabilized the bacterial membrane by 1% at the low concentration (0.25 µM) neither of the PRPs alone was able to permeabilize E. coli membrane. In the presence of this Lser-stomoxyn concentration significant increase in anti-E. coli activity of Lser-PRP2 was observed, indicating that this peptide needs specific membrane permeabilizing agents to exert its antibacterial activity. We then examined the AMPs-treated bacterial surface and observed detrimental structural changes in the bacterial cell envelope in response to combined AMPs. The functional analysis of insect AMPs will help select optimal combinations for targeted antimicrobial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Cytryńska
- Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Agnieszka Zdybicka-Barabas
- Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Kristin Dobslaff
- Institute of Bioanalyticappll Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy and Center of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thole Züchner
- Department of Bioanalytics and Laboratory automation, Faculty of Life Sciences, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, Sigmaringen, Germany
| | - Guénaël Sacheau
- ARNA Laboratory, Inserm U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - C Axel Innis
- ARNA Laboratory, Inserm U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany.,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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Tonk M, Pierrot C, Cabezas-Cruz A, Rahnamaeian M, Khalife J, Vilcinskas A. The Drosophila melanogaster antimicrobial peptides Mtk-1 and Mtk-2 are active against the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:1993-1998. [PMID: 31001677 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06305-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important components of the vertebrate and invertebrate innate immune systems. Although AMPs are widely recognized for their broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses, their activity against protozoan parasites has not been investigated in detail. In this study, we tested 10 AMPs from three different insect species: the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella (cecropin A-D), the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (drosocin, Mtk-1 and Mtk-2), and the blow fly Lucilia sericata (LSerPRP-2, LSerPRP-3 and stomoxyn). We tested each AMP against the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum which is responsible for the most severe form of malaria in humans. We also evaluated the impact of these insect AMPs on mouse and pig erythrocytes. Whereas all AMPs showed low hemolytic effects towards mouse and pig erythrocytes, only D. melanogaster Mtk-1 and Mtk-2 significantly inhibited the growth of P. falciparum at low concentrations. Mtk-1 and Mtk-2 could therefore be considered as leads for the development of antiparasitic drugs targeting the clinically important asexual blood stage of P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Tonk
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany. .,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany. .,LOEWE Centre for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, Winchester Str. 2, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Christine Pierrot
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jamal Khalife
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, Winchester Str. 2, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, 35394, Giessen, Germany
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10
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Frey ME, D'Ippolito S, Pepe A, Daleo GR, Guevara MG. Transgenic expression of plant-specific insert of potato aspartic proteases (StAP-PSI) confers enhanced resistance to Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis thaliana. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2018; 149:1-11. [PMID: 29428248 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The plant-specific insert of Solanum tuberosum aspartic proteases (StAP-PSI) has high structural similarity with NK-lysin and granulysin, two saposin-like proteins (SAPLIPs) with antimicrobial activity. Recombinant StAP-PSI and some SAPLIPs show antimicrobial activity against pathogens that affect human and plants. In this work, we transformed Arabidopsis thaliana plants with StAP-PSI encoding sequence with its corresponding signal peptide under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Results obtained show that StAP-PSI significantly enhances Arabidopsis resistance against Botrytis cinerea infection. StAP-PSI is secreted into the leaf apoplast and acts directly against pathogens; thereby complementing plant innate immune responses. Data obtained from real-time PCR assays show that the constitutive expression of StAP-PSI induces the expression of genes that regulate jasmonic acid signalling pathway, such as PDF1.2, in response to infection due to necrotrophic pathogens. On the other hand, according to the data described for other antimicrobial peptides, the presence of the StAP-PSI protein in the apoplast of A. thaliana leaves is responsible for the expression of salicylic acid-associated genes, such as PR-1, irrespective of infection with B. cinerea. These results indicate that the increased resistance demonstrated by A. thaliana plants that constitutively express StAP-PSI owing to B. cinerea infection compared to the wild-type plants is a consequence of two factors, i.e., the antifungal activity of StAP-PSI and the overexpression of A. thaliana defense genes induced by the constitutive expression of StAP-PSI. We suggest that the use of this protein would help in minimizing the ecological and health risks that arise from the use of pesticides. We suggest that the use of this protein would help in minimizing the ecological and health risks that arise from the spreading of resistance of agriculturally important pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Frey
- Biological Research Institute, National Council of Scientific and Technique Research (CONICET), University of Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Argentina
| | - Sebastián D'Ippolito
- Biological Research Institute, National Council of Scientific and Technique Research (CONICET), University of Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Argentina
| | - Alfonso Pepe
- Biological Research Institute, National Council of Scientific and Technique Research (CONICET), University of Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Argentina
| | - Gustavo Raúl Daleo
- Biological Research Institute, National Council of Scientific and Technique Research (CONICET), University of Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Argentina
| | - María Gabriela Guevara
- Biological Research Institute, National Council of Scientific and Technique Research (CONICET), University of Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Argentina.
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Tryptophan-Rich and Proline-Rich Antimicrobial Peptides. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23040815. [PMID: 29614844 PMCID: PMC6017362 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23040815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the increasing emergence of drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, there is a world-wide quest to develop new-generation antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small peptides with a broad spectrum of antibiotic activities against bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses and sometimes exhibit cytotoxic activity toward cancer cells. As a part of the native host defense system, most AMPs target the membrane integrity of the microorganism, leading to cell death by lysis. These membrane lytic effects are often toxic to mammalian cells and restrict their systemic application. However, AMPs containing predominantly either tryptophan or proline can kill microorganisms by targeting intracellular pathways and are therefore a promising source of next-generation antibiotics. A minimum length of six amino acids is required for high antimicrobial activity in tryptophan-rich AMPs and the position of these residues also affects their antimicrobial activity. The aromatic side chain of tryptophan is able to rapidly form hydrogen bonds with membrane bilayer components. Proline-rich AMPs interact with the 70S ribosome and disrupt protein synthesis. In addition, they can also target the heat shock protein in target pathogens, and consequently lead to protein misfolding. In this review, we will focus on describing the structures, sources, and mechanisms of action of the aforementioned AMPs.
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Bolouri Moghaddam MR, Vilcinskas A, Rahnamaeian M. The insect-derived antimicrobial peptide metchnikowin targets Fusarium graminearum β(1,3)glucanosyltransferase Gel1, which is required for the maintenance of cell wall integrity. Biol Chem 2017; 398:491-498. [PMID: 27811341 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2016-0295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of the insect innate immune system. Their diversity provides protection against a broad spectrum of microbes and they have several distinct modes of action. Insect-derived AMPs are currently being developed for both medical and agricultural applications, and their expression in transgenic crops confers resistance against numerous plant pathogens. The antifungal peptide metchnikowin (Mtk), which was originally discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, is of particular interest because it has potent activity against economically important phytopathogenic fungi of the phylum Ascomycota, such as Fusarium graminearum, but it does not harm beneficial fungi such as the mycorrhizal basidiomycete Piriformospora indica. To investigate the specificity of Mtk, we used the peptide to screen a F. graminearum yeast two-hybrid library. This revealed that Mtk interacts with the fungal enzyme β(1,3)-glucanosyltransferase Gel1 (FgBGT), which is one of the enzymes responsible for fungal cell wall synthesis. The interaction was independently confirmed in a second interaction screen using mammalian cells. FgBGT is required for the viability of filamentous fungi by maintaining cell wall integrity. Our study therefore paves the way for further applications of Mtk in formulation of bio fungicides or as a supplement in food preservation.
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Mylonakis E, Podsiadlowski L, Muhammed M, Vilcinskas A. Diversity, evolution and medical applications of insect antimicrobial peptides. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0290. [PMID: 27160593 PMCID: PMC4874388 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short proteins with antimicrobial activity. A large portion of known AMPs originate from insects, and the number and diversity of these molecules in different species varies considerably. Insect AMPs represent a potential source of alternative antibiotics to address the limitation of current antibiotics, which has been caused by the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens. To get more insight into AMPs, we investigated the diversity and evolution of insect AMPs by mapping their phylogenetic distribution, allowing us to predict the evolutionary origins of selected AMP families and to identify evolutionarily conserved and taxon-specific families. Furthermore, we highlight the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole-animal model in high-throughput screening methods to identify AMPs with efficacy against human pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumanii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. We also discuss the potential medical applications of AMPs, including their use as alternatives for conventional antibiotics in ectopic therapies, their combined use with antibiotics to restore the susceptibility of multidrug-resistant pathogens, and their use as templates for the rational design of peptidomimetic drugs that overcome the disadvantages of therapeutic peptides. The article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolutionary ecology of arthropod antimicrobial peptides’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleftherios Mylonakis
- Division of Infectious Disease, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lars Podsiadlowski
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Zooecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maged Muhammed
- Division of Infectious Disease, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
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14
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Luiz DP, Almeida JF, Goulart LR, Nicolau-Junior N, Ueira-Vieira C. Heterologous expression of abaecin peptide from Apis mellifera in Pichia pastoris. Microb Cell Fact 2017; 16:76. [PMID: 28468662 PMCID: PMC5414229 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-017-0689-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are the first line of host immune defense against pathogens. Among AMPs from the honeybee Apis mellifera, abaecin is a major broad-spectrum antibacterial proline-enriched cationic peptide. Results For heterologous expression of abaecin in Pichia pastoris, we designed an ORF with HisTag, and the codon usage was optimized. The gene was chemically synthetized and cloned in the pUC57 vector. The new ORF was sub-cloned in the pPIC9 expression vector and transformed into P. pastoris. After selection of positive clones, the expression was induced by methanol. The supernatant was analyzed at different times to determine the optimal time for the recombinant peptide expression. As a proof-of-concept, Escherichia coli was co-incubated with the recombinant peptide to verify its antimicrobial potential. Discussion Briefly, the recombinant Abaecin (rAbaecin) has efficiently decreased E. coli growth (P < 0.05) through an in vitro assay, and may be considered as a novel therapeutic agent that may complement other conventional antibiotic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Prudencio Luiz
- Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia, 1720 Pará, Uberlândia, MG, 38400902, Brazil.
| | - Juliana Franco Almeida
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia, 1720 Pará, Uberlândia, MG, 38400902, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia, 1720 Pará, Uberlândia, MG, 38400902, Brazil
| | - Nilson Nicolau-Junior
- Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia, 1720 Pará, Uberlândia, MG, 38400902, Brazil
| | - Carlos Ueira-Vieira
- Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia, 1720 Pará, Uberlândia, MG, 38400902, Brazil
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15
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Al Souhail Q, Hiromasa Y, Rahnamaeian M, Giraldo MC, Takahashi D, Valent B, Vilcinskas A, Kanost MR. Characterization and regulation of expression of an antifungal peptide from hemolymph of an insect, Manduca sexta. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 61:258-68. [PMID: 26976231 PMCID: PMC4866881 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Insects secrete antimicrobial peptides as part of the innate immune response. Most antimicrobial peptides from insects have antibacterial but not antifungal activity. We have characterized an antifungal peptide, diapausin-1 from hemolymph of a lepidopteran insect, Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm). Diapausin-1 was isolated by size exclusion chromatography from hemolymph plasma of larvae that were previously injected with a yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fractions containing activity against S. cerevisiae were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF MS/MS and found to contain a 45-residue peptide that was encoded by sequences identified in M. sexta transcriptome and genome databases. A cDNA for diapausin-1 was cloned from cDNA prepared from fat body RNA. Diapausin-1 is a member of the diapausin family of peptides, which includes members known to have antifungal activity. The M. sexta genome contains 14 genes with high similarity to diapausin-1, each with 6 conserved Cys residues. Diapausin-1 was produced as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant diapausin-1 was active against S. cerevisiae, with IC50 of 12 μM, but had no detectable activity against bacteria. Spores of some plant fungal pathogens treated with diapausin-1 had curled germination tubes or reduced and branched hyphal growth. Diapausin-1 mRNA level in fat body strongly increased after larvae were injected with yeast or with Micrococcus luteus. In addition, diapausin-1 mRNA levels increased in midgut and fat body at the wandering larval stage prior to pupation, suggesting developmental regulation of the gene. Our results indicate that synthesis of diapausin-1 is part of an antifungal innate immune response to infection in M. sexta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qasim Al Souhail
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Yasuaki Hiromasa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- LOEWE Center for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Giessen Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Martha C Giraldo
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Daisuke Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Barbara Valent
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- LOEWE Center for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Giessen Winchesterstrasse 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 39592 Giessen, Germany
| | - Michael R Kanost
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
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Abstract
Defense peptides are small amphipathic molecules that exhibit antimicrobial, antitumor, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties. This review summarizes current knowledge on the mechanisms of antimicrobial activity of cationic and anionic defense peptides, indicating peptide-based as well as microbial cell-based factors affecting this activity. The peptide-based factors include charge, hydrophibicity, and amphipathicity, whereas the pathogen-based factors are membrane lipid composition, presence of sterols, membrane fluidity, cell wall components, and secreted factors such as extracellular proteinases. Since defense peptides have been considered very promising molecules that could replace conventional antibiotics in the era of drug-resistant pathogens, the issue of microbial resistance to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is addressed. Furthermore, selected approaches employed for optimization and de novo design of effective AMPs based on the properties recognized as important for the function of natural defense peptides are presented.
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17
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Rahnamaeian M, Cytryńska M, Zdybicka-Barabas A, Dobslaff K, Wiesner J, Twyman RM, Zuchner T, Sadd BM, Regoes RR, Schmid-Hempel P, Vilcinskas A. Insect antimicrobial peptides show potentiating functional interactions against Gram-negative bacteria. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150293. [PMID: 25833860 PMCID: PMC4426631 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and proteins are important components of innate
immunity against pathogens in insects. The production of AMPs is costly owing to
resource-based trade-offs, and strategies maximizing the efficacy of AMPs at low
concentrations are therefore likely to be advantageous. Here, we show the
potentiating functional interaction of co-occurring insect AMPs (the bumblebee
linear peptides hymenoptaecin and abaecin) resulting in more potent
antimicrobial effects at low concentrations. Abaecin displayed no detectable
activity against Escherichia coli when tested alone at
concentrations of up to 200 μM, whereas hymenoptaecin affected bacterial
cell growth and viability but only at concentrations greater than 2 μM.
In combination, as little as 1.25 μM abaecin enhanced the bactericidal
effects of hymenoptaecin. To understand these potentiating functional
interactions, we investigated their mechanisms of action using atomic force
microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based quenching assays.
Abaecin was found to reduce the minimal inhibitory concentration of
hymenoptaecin and to interact with the bacterial chaperone DnaK (an
evolutionarily conserved central organizer of the bacterial chaperone network)
when the membrane was compromised by hymenoptaecin. These naturally occurring
potentiating interactions suggest that combinations of AMPs could be used
therapeutically against Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that have acquired
resistance to common antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, Giessen 35394, Germany
| | - Małgorzata Cytryńska
- Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka Street 19, Lublin 20-033, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Zdybicka-Barabas
- Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka Street 19, Lublin 20-033, Poland
| | - Kristin Dobslaff
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy and Center of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Jochen Wiesner
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, Giessen 35394, Germany
| | - Richard M Twyman
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, Giessen 35394, Germany TRM Ltd, PO Box 93, York YO43 3WE, UK
| | - Thole Zuchner
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy and Center of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Ben M Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Roland R Regoes
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH-Zentrum CHN, Universitätsstrasse 16, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Paul Schmid-Hempel
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH-Zentrum CHN, Universitätsstrasse 16, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, Giessen 35394, Germany Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen 35392, Germany
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18
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Rahnamaeian M, Cytryńska M, Zdybicka-Barabas A, Vilcinskas A. The functional interaction between abaecin and pore-forming peptides indicates a general mechanism of antibacterial potentiation. Peptides 2016; 78:17-23. [PMID: 26845197 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Long-chain proline-rich antimicrobial peptides such as bumblebee abaecin show minimal activity against Gram-negative bacteria despite binding efficiently to specific intracellular targets. We recently reported that bumblebee abaecin interacts with Escherichia coli DnaK but shows negligible antibacterial activity unless it is combined with sublethal doses of the pore-forming peptide hymenoptaecin. These two bumblebee peptides are co-expressed in vivo in response to a bacterial challenge. Here we investigated whether abaecin interacts similarly with pore-forming peptides from other organisms by replacing hymenoptaecin with sublethal concentrations of cecropin A (0.3 μM) or stomoxyn (0.05 μM). We found that abaecin increased the membrane permeabilization effects of both peptides, confirming that it can reduce the minimal inhibitory concentrations of pore-forming peptides from other species. We also used atomic force microscopy to show that 20 μM abaecin combined with sublethal concentrations of cecropin A or stomoxyn causes profound structural changes to the bacterial cell surface. Our data indicate that the potentiating functional interaction between abaecin and pore-forming peptides is not restricted to specific co-expressed peptides from the same species but is likely to be a general mechanism. Combination therapies based on diverse insect-derived peptides could therefore be used to tackle bacteria that are recalcitrant to current antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Małgorzata Cytryńska
- Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Zdybicka-Barabas
- Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
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19
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Bolouri Moghaddam MR, Vilcinskas A, Rahnamaeian M. Cooperative interaction of antimicrobial peptides with the interrelated immune pathways in plants. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2016; 17. [PMID: 26220619 PMCID: PMC6638509 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Plants express a diverse repertoire of functionally and structurally distinct antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which provide innate immunity by acting directly against a wide range of pathogens. AMPs are expressed in nearly all plant organs, either constitutively or in response to microbial infections. In addition to their direct activity, they also contribute to plant immunity by modulating defence responses resulting from pathogen-associated molecular pattern/effector-triggered immunity, and also interact with other AMPs and pathways involving mitogen-activated protein kinases, reactive oxygen species, hormonal cross-talk and sugar signalling. Such links among AMPs and defence signalling pathways are poorly understood and there is no clear model for their interactions. This article provides a critical review of the empirical data to shed light on the wider role of AMPs in the robust and resource-effective defence responses of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Bolouri Moghaddam
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, Giessen, D-35394, Germany
- Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen, D-35392, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, Giessen, D-35394, Germany
- Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen, D-35392, Germany
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, Giessen, D-35394, Germany
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20
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Tonk M, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdés JJ, Rego ROM, Grubhoffer L, Estrada-Peña A, Vilcinskas A, Kotsyfakis M, Rahnamaeian M. Ixodes ricinus defensins attack distantly-related pathogens. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 53:358-365. [PMID: 26255244 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic innate immunity. Defensins are a well-known family of antimicrobial peptides, widely distributed in ticks, insects, plants and mammals, showing activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and protozoan parasites. Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and is a vector of pathogens affecting human and animal health. Recently, six defensins (including two isoforms) were identified in I. ricinus. We investigated the evolution of the antimicrobial activity of I. ricinus defensins. Among the five unique defensins, only DefMT3, DefMT5 and DefMT6 showed in vitro antimicrobial activity. Each defensin was active against rather distantly-related bacteria (P < 0.05), significantly among Gram-negative species (P < 0.0001). These three defensins represent different clades within the family of tick defensins, suggesting that the last common ancestor of tick defensins may have had comparable antimicrobial activity. Differences in electrostatic potential, and amino acid substitutions in the β-hairpin and the loop bridging the α-helix and β-sheet may affect the antimicrobial activity in DefMT2 and DefMT7, which needs to be addressed. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of the γ-core motif of selected defensins (DefMT3, DefMT6, and DefMT7) was also tested. Interestingly, compared to full length peptides, the γ-core motifs of these defensins were effective against less species of bacteria. However, the antifungal activity of the γ-core was higher than full peptides. Our results broaden the scope of research in the field of antimicrobial peptides highlighting the overlooked ability of arthropod defensins to act against distantly-related microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Tonk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
| | - James J Valdés
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Michalis Kotsyfakis
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394 Giessen, Germany; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
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21
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Short antimicrobial peptides as cosmetic ingredients to deter dermatological pathogens. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:8847-55. [PMID: 26307444 PMCID: PMC4619455 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6926-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are components of the innate immune system in many species of animals. Their diverse spectrum of activity against microbial pathogens, both as innate defense molecules and immunomodulators, makes them attractive candidates for the development of a new generation of antibiotics. Although the potential immunogenicity of AMPs means they are not suitable for injection and their susceptibility to digestive peptidases is likely to reduce their oral efficacy, they are ideal for topical formulations such as lotions, creams, shampoos, and wound dressings and could therefore be valuable products for the cosmetic industry. In this context, short AMPs (<20 amino acids) lacking disulfide bonds combine optimal antimicrobial activity with inexpensive chemical synthesis and are therefore more compatible with large-scale production and the modifications required to ensure stability, low toxicity, and microbial specificity. Proof-of-concept for the application of AMPs as novel anti-infectives has already been provided in clinical trials. This perspective considers the anti-infective properties of short AMPs lacking disulfide bonds, which are active against dermatologically important microflora. We consider the challenges that need to be addressed to facilitate the prophylactic application of AMPs in personal care products.
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22
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Yan J, Yuan SS, Jiang LL, Ye XJ, Ng TB, Wu ZJ. Plant antifungal proteins and their applications in agriculture. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:4961-81. [PMID: 25971197 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6654-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Revised: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are far more complex organisms than viruses or bacteria and can develop numerous diseases in plants that cause loss of a substantial portion of the crop every year. Plants have developed various mechanisms to defend themselves against these fungi which include the production of low-molecular-weight secondary metabolites and proteins and peptides with antifungal activity. In this review, families of plant antifungal proteins (AFPs) including defensins, lectins, and several others will be summarized. Moreover, the application of AFPs in agriculture will also be analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Virology of Fujian Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China,
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23
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Breen S, Solomon PS, Bedon F, Vincent D. Surveying the potential of secreted antimicrobial peptides to enhance plant disease resistance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:900. [PMID: 26579150 PMCID: PMC4621407 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural products found across diverse taxa as part of the innate immune system against pathogen attacks. Some AMPs are synthesized through the canonical gene expression machinery and are called ribosomal AMPs. Other AMPs are assembled by modular enzymes generating nonribosomal AMPs and harbor unusual structural diversity. Plants synthesize an array of AMPs, yet are still subject to many pathogen invasions. Crop breeding programs struggle to release new cultivars in which complete disease resistance is achieved, and usually such resistance becomes quickly overcome by the targeted pathogens which have a shorter generation time. AMPs could offer a solution by exploring not only plant-derived AMPs, related or unrelated to the crop of interest, but also non-plant AMPs produced by bacteria, fungi, oomycetes or animals. This review highlights some promising candidates within the plant kingdom and elsewhere, and offers some perspectives on how to identify and validate their bioactivities. Technological advances, particularly in mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), have been instrumental in identifying and elucidating the structure of novel AMPs, especially nonribosomal peptides which cannot be identified through genomics approaches. The majority of non-plant AMPs showing potential for plant disease immunity are often tested using in vitro assays. The greatest challenge remains the functional validation of candidate AMPs in plants through transgenic experiments, particularly introducing nonribosomal AMPs into crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Breen
- Plant Sciences Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Peter S. Solomon
- Plant Sciences Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Frank Bedon
- Department of Economic Development, AgriBioBundoora, VIC, Australia
- AgriBio, La Trobe UniversityBundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Delphine Vincent
- Department of Economic Development, AgriBioBundoora, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Delphine Vincent
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Tonk M, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdés JJ, Rego ROM, Chrudimská T, Strnad M, Šíma R, Bell-Sakyi L, Franta Z, Vilcinskas A, Grubhoffer L, Rahnamaeian M. Defensins from the tick Ixodes scapularis are effective against phytopathogenic fungi and the human bacterial pathogen Listeria grayi. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:554. [PMID: 25443032 PMCID: PMC4269947 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0554-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ixodes scapularis is the most common tick species in North America and a vector of important pathogens that cause diseases in humans and animals including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Tick defensins have been identified as a new source of antimicrobial agents with putative medical applications due to their wide-ranging antimicrobial activities. Two multigene families of defensins were previously reported in I. scapularis. The objective of the present study was to characterise the potential antimicrobial activity of two defensins from I. scapularis with emphasis on human pathogenic bacterial strains and important phytopathogenic fungi. METHODS Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 mature peptides were chemically synthesised. In vitro antimicrobial assays were performed to test the activity of these two defensins against species of different bacterial genera including Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Listeria spp. as well as Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa along with two plant-pathogenic fungi from the genus Fusarium. In addition, the tissue-specific expression patterns of Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 in I. scapularis midgut, salivary glands and embryo-derived cell lines were determined using PCR. Finally, tertiary structures of the two defensins were predicted and structural analyses were conducted. RESULTS Scapularisin-6 efficiently killed L. grayi, and both Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 caused strong inhibition (IC50 value: ~1 μM) of the germination of plant-pathogenic fungi Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium graminearum. Scapularisin-6 gene expression was observed in I. scapularis salivary glands and midgut. However, Scapularisin-3 gene expression was only detected in the salivary glands. Transcripts from the two defensins were not found in the I. scapularis tick cell lines ISE6 and ISE18. CONCLUSION Our results have two main implications. Firstly, the anti-Listeria and antifungal activities of Scapularisin-3 and Scapularisin-6 suggest that these peptides may be useful for (i) treatment of antibiotic-resistant L. grayi in humans and (ii) plant protection. Secondly, the antimicrobial properties of the two defensins described in this study may pave the way for further studies regarding pathogen invasion and innate immunity in I. scapularis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Tonk
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain. .,Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
| | - James J Valdés
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Ryan O M Rego
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Chrudimská
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Strnad
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Radek Šíma
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Zdeněk Franta
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394, Giessen, Germany. .,Institute for Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre of the AS CR, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Winchester Strasse, D-35394, Giessen, Germany. .,Institute for Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
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Goyal RK, Mattoo AK. Multitasking antimicrobial peptides in plant development and host defense against biotic/abiotic stress. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 228:135-49. [PMID: 25438794 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2014.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Crop losses due to pathogens are a major threat to global food security. Plants employ a multilayer defense against a pathogen including the use of physical barriers (cell wall), induction of hypersensitive defense response (HR), resistance (R) proteins, and synthesis of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Unlike a complex R gene-mediated immunity, AMPs directly target diverse microbial pathogens. Many a times, R-mediated immunity breaks down and plant defense is compromised. Although R-gene dependent pathogen resistance has been well studied, comparatively little is known about the interactions of AMPs with host defense and physiology. AMPs are ubiquitous, low molecular weight peptides that display broad spectrum resistance against bacteria, fungi and viruses. In plants, AMPs are mainly classified into cyclotides, defensins, thionins, lipid transfer proteins, snakins, and hevein-like vicilin-like and knottins. Genetic distance lineages suggest their conservation with minimal effect of speciation events during evolution. AMPs provide durable resistance in plants through a combination of membrane lysis and cellular toxicity of the pathogen. Plant hormones - gibberellins, ethylene, jasmonates, and salicylic acid, are among the physiological regulators that regulate the expression of AMPs. Transgenically produced AMP-plants have become a means showing that AMPs are able to mitigate host defense responses while providing durable resistance against pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Autar K Mattoo
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, ARS's Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
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Differential inductions of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase during wounding, salicylic acid treatment, and salinity stress in safflower, Carthamus tinctorius. Biosci Rep 2014; 34:BSR20140026. [PMID: 24865400 PMCID: PMC4069684 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20140026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) serves as a reference dicot for investigation of defence mechanisms in Asteraceae due to abundant secondary metabolites and high resistance/tolerance to environmental stresses. In plants, phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathways are considered as two central defence signalling cascades in stress conditions. Here, we describe the isolation of two major genes in these pathways, CtPAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) and CtCHS (chalcone synthase) in safflower along with monitoring their expression profiles in different stress circumstances. The aa (amino acid) sequence of isolated region of CtPAL possesses the maximum identity up to 96% to its orthologue in Cynara scolymus, while that of CtCHS retains the highest identity to its orthologue in Callistephus chinensis up to 96%. Experiments for gene expression profiling of CtPAL and CtCHS were performed after the treatment of seedlings with 0.1 and 1 mM SA (salicylic acid), wounding and salinity stress. The results of semi-quantitative RT–PCR revealed that both CtPAL and CtCHS genes are further responsive to higher concentration of SA with dissimilar patterns. Regarding wounding stress, CtPAL gets slightly induced upon injury at 3 hat (hours after treatment) (hat), whereas CtCHS gets greatly induced at 3 hat and levels off gradually afterward. Upon salinity stress, CtPAL displays a similar expression pattern by getting slightly induced at 3 hat, but CtCHS exhibits a biphasic expression profile with two prominent peaks at 3 and 24 hat. These results substantiate the involvement of phenylpropanoid and particularly flavonoid pathways in safflower during wounding and especially salinity stress.
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27
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Yi HY, Chowdhury M, Huang YD, Yu XQ. Insect antimicrobial peptides and their applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:5807-22. [PMID: 24811407 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5792-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 346] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects are one of the major sources of antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs). Since observation of antimicrobial activity in the hemolymph of pupae from the giant silk moths Samia Cynthia and Hyalophora cecropia in 1974 and purification of first insect AMP (cecropin) from H. cecropia pupae in 1980, over 150 insect AMPs have been purified or identified. Most insect AMPs are small and cationic, and they show activities against bacteria and/or fungi, as well as some parasites and viruses. Insect AMPs can be classified into four families based on their structures or unique sequences: the α-helical peptides (cecropin and moricin), cysteine-rich peptides (insect defensin and drosomycin), proline-rich peptides (apidaecin, drosocin, and lebocin), and glycine-rich peptides/proteins (attacin and gloverin). Among insect AMPs, defensins, cecropins, proline-rich peptides, and attacins are common, while gloverins and moricins have been identified only in Lepidoptera. Most active AMPs are small peptides of 20-50 residues, which are generated from larger inactive precursor proteins or pro-proteins, but gloverins (~14 kDa) and attacins (~20 kDa) are large antimicrobial proteins. In this mini-review, we will discuss current knowledge and recent progress in several classes of insect AMPs, including insect defensins, cecropins, attacins, lebocins and other proline-rich peptides, gloverins, and moricins, with a focus on structural-functional relationships and their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yu Yi
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
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28
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Sadeghi M, Dehghan S, Fischer R, Wenzel U, Vilcinskas A, Kavousi HR, Rahnamaeian M. Isolation and characterization of isochorismate synthase and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase during salinity stress, wounding, and salicylic acid treatment in Carthamus tinctorius. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2013; 8:e27335. [PMID: 24309561 PMCID: PMC4091385 DOI: 10.4161/psb.27335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Salicylic acid (SA) is a prominent signaling molecule during biotic and abiotic stresses in plants biosynthesized via cinnamate and isochorismate pathways. Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and isochorismate synthase (ICS) are the main enzymes in phenylpropanoid and isochorismate pathways, respectively. To investigate the actual roles of these genes in resistance mechanism to environmental stresses, here, the coding sequences of these enzymes in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), as an oilseed industrial medicinal plant, were partially isolated and their expression profiles during salinity stress, wounding, and salicylic acid treatment were monitored. As a result, safflower ICS (CtICS) and C4H (CtC4H) were induced in early time points after wounding (3-6 h). Upon salinity stress, CtICS and CtC4H were highly expressed for the periods of 6-24 h and 3-6 h after treatment, respectively. It seems evident that ICS expression level is SA concentration dependent as if safflower treatment with 1 mM SA could induce ICS much stronger than that with 0.1 mM, while C4H is less likely to be so. Based on phylogenetic analysis, safflower ICS has maximum similarity to its ortholog in Vitis vinifera up to 69%, while C4H shows the highest similarity to its ortholog in Echinacea angustifolia up to 96%. Overall, the isolated genes of CtICS and CtC4H in safflower could be considered in plant breeding programs for salinity tolerance as well as for pathogen resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnaz Sadeghi
- Department of Plant Biotechnology; college of agriculture; shahid Bahonar University of Kerman; Kerman, Iran
| | - Sara Dehghan
- Department of Plant Biotechnology; college of agriculture; shahid Bahonar University of Kerman; Kerman, Iran
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Department of Bioresources; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and applied ecology (IMe); Giessen, Germany
| | - Uwe Wenzel
- Molecular Nutrition Research; Interdisciplinary Research center (IFZ); Justus Liebig University of Giessen; Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and applied ecology (IMe); Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Phytopathology and applied Zoology; Interdisciplinary Research center (IFZ); Justus Liebig University of Giessen; Giessen, Germany
| | - Hamid Reza Kavousi
- Department of Plant Biotechnology; college of agriculture; shahid Bahonar University of Kerman; Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Department of Bioresources; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and applied ecology (IMe); Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Phytopathology and applied Zoology; Interdisciplinary Research center (IFZ); Justus Liebig University of Giessen; Giessen, Germany
- Correspondence to: Mohammad Rahnamaeian,
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29
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Transgenic barley: a prospective tool for biotechnology and agriculture. Biotechnol Adv 2013; 32:137-57. [PMID: 24084493 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2013.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2013] [Revised: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the founder crops of agriculture, and today it is the fourth most important cereal grain worldwide. Barley is used as malt in brewing and distilling industry, as an additive for animal feed, and as a component of various food and bread for human consumption. Progress in stable genetic transformation of barley ensures a potential for improvement of its agronomic performance or use of barley in various biotechnological and industrial applications. Recently, barley grain has been successfully used in molecular farming as a promising bioreactor adapted for production of human therapeutic proteins or animal vaccines. In addition to development of reliable transformation technologies, an extensive amount of various barley genetic resources and tools such as sequence data, microarrays, genetic maps, and databases has been generated. Current status on barley transformation technologies including gene transfer techniques, targets, and progeny stabilization, recent trials for improvement of agricultural traits and performance of barley, especially in relation to increased biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, and potential use of barley grain as a protein production platform have been reviewed in this study. Overall, barley represents a promising tool for both agricultural and biotechnological transgenic approaches, and is considered an ancient but rediscovered crop as a model industrial platform for molecular farming.
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30
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Transgenic expression of plant chitinases to enhance disease resistance. Biotechnol Lett 2013; 35:1719-32. [PMID: 23794096 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-013-1269-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Crop plants have evolved an array of mechanisms to counter biotic and abiotic stresses. Many pathogenesis-related proteins are expressed by plants during the attack of pathogens. Advances in recombinant DNA technology and understanding of plant-microbe interactions at the molecular level have paved the way for isolation and characterization of genes encoding such proteins, including chitinases. Chitinases are included in families 18 and 19 of glycosyl hydrolases (according to www.cazy.org ) and they are further categorized into seven major classes based on their aminoacid sequence homology, three-dimensional structures, and hydrolytic mechanisms of catalytic reactions. Although chitin is not a component of plant cell walls, plant chitinases are involved in development and non-specific stress responses. Also, chitinase genes sourced from plants have been successfully over-expressed in crop plants to combat fungal pathogens. Crops such as tomato, potato, maize, groundnut, mustard, finger millet, cotton, lychee, banana, grape, wheat and rice have been successfully engineered for fungal resistance either with chitinase alone or in combination with other PR proteins.
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31
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Parachin NS, Mulder KC, Viana AAB, Dias SC, Franco OL. Expression systems for heterologous production of antimicrobial peptides. Peptides 2012; 38:446-56. [PMID: 23022589 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2012] [Revised: 09/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) consist of molecules that act on the defense systems of numerous organisms toward multiple pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. These compounds have become extremely significant due to the increasing resistance of microorganisms to common antibiotics. However, the low quantity of peptides obtained from direct purification is, to date, still a remarkable bottleneck for scientific and industrial research development. Therefore, this review describes the main heterologous systems currently used for AMP production, including bacteria, fungi and plants, and also the related strategies for reaching greater functional peptide production. The main difficulties of each system are also described in order to provide some directions for AMP production. In summary, data revised here indicate that large-scale production of AMPs can be obtained using biotechnological tools, and the products may be applied in the pharmaceutical industry as well as in agribusiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nádia Skorupa Parachin
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
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32
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Qin S, Lin H, Jiang P. Advances in genetic engineering of marine algae. Biotechnol Adv 2012; 30:1602-13. [PMID: 22634258 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2012.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Revised: 05/12/2012] [Accepted: 05/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Algae are a component of bait sources for animal aquaculture, and they produce abundant valuable compounds for the chemical industry and human health. With today's fast growing demand for algae biofuels and the profitable market for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals made from algal natural products, the genetic engineering of marine algae has been attracting increasing attention as a crucial systemic technology to address the challenge of the biomass feedstock supply for sustainable industrial applications and to modify the metabolic pathway for the more efficient production of high-value products. Nevertheless, to date, only a few marine algae species can be genetically manipulated. In this article, an updated account of the research progress in marine algal genomics is presented along with methods for transformation. In addition, vector construction and gene selection strategies are reviewed. Meanwhile, a review on the progress of bioreactor technologies for marine algae culture is also revisited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Qin
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, Shandong, China.
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33
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Rahnamaeian M. Antimicrobial peptides: modes of mechanism, modulation of defense responses. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011; 6:1325-32. [PMID: 21847025 PMCID: PMC3258061 DOI: 10.4161/psb.6.9.16319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2011] [Revised: 05/21/2011] [Accepted: 05/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Complicated schemes of classical breeding and their drawbacks, environmental risks imposed by agrochemicals, decrease of arable land, and coincident escalating damages of pests and pathogens have accentuated the necessity for highly efficient measures to improve crop protection. During co-evolution of host-microbe interactions, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have exhibited a brilliant history in protecting host organisms against devastation by invading pathogens. Since the 1980s, a plethora of AMPs has been isolated from and characterized in different organisms. Nevertheless the AMPs expressed in plants render them more resistant to diverse pathogens, a more orchestrated approach based on knowledge of their mechanisms of action and cellular targets, structural toxic principle, and possible impact on immune system of corresponding transgenic plants will considerably improve crop protection strategies against harmful plant diseases. This review outlines the current knowledge on different modes of action of AMPs and then argues the waves of AMPs’ ectopic expression on transgenic plants’ immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran.
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