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Roque-Borda CA, Primo LMDG, Franzyk H, Hansen PR, Pavan FR. Recent advances in the development of antimicrobial peptides against ESKAPE pathogens. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31958. [PMID: 38868046 PMCID: PMC11167364 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Multi-drug resistant ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) are a global health threat. The severity of the problem lies in its impact on mortality, therapeutic limitations, the threat to public health, and the costs associated with managing infections caused by these resistant strains. Effectively addressing this challenge requires innovative approaches to research, the development of new antimicrobials, and more responsible antibiotic use practices globally. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a part of the innate immune system of all higher organisms. They are short, cationic and amphipathic molecules with broad-spectrum activity. AMPs interact with the negatively charged bacterial membrane. In recent years, AMPs have attracted considerable interest as potential antibiotics. However, AMPs have low bioavailability and short half-lives, which may be circumvented by chemical modification. This review presents recent in vitro and in silico strategies for the modification of AMPs to improve their stability and application in preclinical experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Augusto Roque-Borda
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, Brazil
- Universidad Católica de Santa María, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Arequipa, Peru
| | | | - Henrik Franzyk
- University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Denmark
| | - Paul Robert Hansen
- University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Denmark
| | - Fernando Rogério Pavan
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, Brazil
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2
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Kravchenko SV, Domnin PA, Grishin SY, Zakhareva AP, Zakharova AA, Mustaeva LG, Gorbunova EY, Kobyakova MI, Surin AK, Poshvina DV, Fadeev RS, Azev VN, Ostroumova OS, Ermolaeva SA, Galzitskaya OV. Optimizing Antimicrobial Peptide Design: Integration of Cell-Penetrating Peptides, Amyloidogenic Fragments, and Amino Acid Residue Modifications. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6030. [PMID: 38892216 PMCID: PMC11173194 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116030] [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: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The escalating threat of multidrug-resistant pathogens necessitates innovative approaches to combat infectious diseases. In this study, we examined peptides R23FS*, V31KS*, and R44KS*, which were engineered to include an amyloidogenic fragment sourced from the S1 protein of S. aureus, along with one or two cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) components. We assessed the antimicrobial efficacy of these peptides in a liquid medium against various strains of both Gram-positive bacteria, including S. aureus (209P and 129B strains), MRSA (SA 180 and ATCC 43300 strains), and B. cereus (strain IP 5832), and Gram-negative bacteria such as P. aeruginosa (ATCC 28753 and 2943 strains) and E. coli (MG1655 and K12 strains). Peptides R23FS*, V31KS*, and R44KS* exhibited antimicrobial activity comparable to gentamicin and meropenem against all tested bacteria at concentrations ranging from 24 to 48 μM. The peptides showed a stronger antimicrobial effect against B. cereus. Notably, peptide R44KS* displayed high efficacy compared to peptides R23FS* and V31KS*, particularly evident at lower concentrations, resulting in significant inhibition of bacterial growth. Furthermore, modified peptides V31KS* and R44KS* demonstrated enhanced inhibitory effects on bacterial growth across different strains compared to their unmodified counterparts V31KS and R44KS. These results highlight the potential of integrating cell-penetrating peptides, amyloidogenic fragments, and amino acid residue modifications to advance the innovation in the field of antimicrobial peptides, thereby increasing their effectiveness against a broad spectrum of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V. Kravchenko
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (S.V.K.); (A.P.Z.); (D.V.P.)
| | - Pavel A. Domnin
- Biology Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
- Gamaleya Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Sergei Y. Grishin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (S.Y.G.); (A.K.S.)
| | - Alena P. Zakhareva
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (S.V.K.); (A.P.Z.); (D.V.P.)
| | - Anastasiia A. Zakharova
- Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Ave. 4, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.A.Z.); (O.S.O.)
| | - Leila G. Mustaeva
- The Branch of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (L.G.M.); (E.Y.G.); (V.N.A.)
| | - Elena Y. Gorbunova
- The Branch of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (L.G.M.); (E.Y.G.); (V.N.A.)
| | - Margarita I. Kobyakova
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (M.I.K.); (R.S.F.)
- Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymphology—Branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630060 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexey K. Surin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (S.Y.G.); (A.K.S.)
- The Branch of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (L.G.M.); (E.Y.G.); (V.N.A.)
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
| | - Darya V. Poshvina
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (S.V.K.); (A.P.Z.); (D.V.P.)
| | - Roman S. Fadeev
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (M.I.K.); (R.S.F.)
| | - Viacheslav N. Azev
- The Branch of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (L.G.M.); (E.Y.G.); (V.N.A.)
| | - Olga S. Ostroumova
- Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Ave. 4, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.A.Z.); (O.S.O.)
| | | | - Oxana V. Galzitskaya
- Gamaleya Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia;
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (S.Y.G.); (A.K.S.)
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (M.I.K.); (R.S.F.)
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3
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Márton RA, Sebők C, Mackei M, Tráj P, Vörösházi J, Kemény Á, Neogrády Z, Mátis G. Pap12-6: A host defense peptide with potent immunomodulatory activity in a chicken hepatic cell culture. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302913. [PMID: 38728358 PMCID: PMC11086923 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In the fight against antimicrobial resistance, host defense peptides (HDPs) are increasingly referred to as promising molecules for the design of new antimicrobial agents. In terms of their future clinical use, particularly small, synthetic HDPs offer several advantages, based on which their application as feed additives has aroused great interest in the poultry sector. However, given their complex mechanism of action and the limited data about the cellular effects in production animals, their investigation is of great importance in these species. The present study aimed to examine the immunomodulatory activity of the synthetic HDP Pap12-6 (PAP) solely and in inflammatory environments evoked by lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), in a primary chicken hepatocyte-non-parenchymal cell co-culture. Based on the investigation of the extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, PAP seemed to exert no cytotoxicity on hepatic cells, suggesting its safe application. Moreover, PAP was able to influence the immune response, reflected by the decreased production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and "regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted"(RANTES), as well as the reduced IL-6/IL-10 ratio in Poly I:C-induced inflammation. PAP also diminished the levels of extracellular H2O2 and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) when applied together with Poly I:C and in both inflammatory conditions, respectively. Consequently, PAP appeared to display potent immunomodulatory activity, preferring to act towards the cellular anti-inflammatory and antioxidant processes. These findings confirm that PAP might be a promising alternative for designing novel antimicrobial immunomodulatory agents for chickens, thereby contributing to the reduction of the use of conventional antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rege Anna Márton
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csilla Sebők
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Máté Mackei
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Patrik Tráj
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Júlia Vörösházi
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Kemény
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Neogrády
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Mátis
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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4
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Polat T, Soyhan İ, Cebeci S, İldeniz TAÖ, Gök Ö, Elmas MA, Mozioğlu E, Ünübol N. New-generation biofilm effective antimicrobial peptides and a real-time anti-biofilm activity assay: CoMIC. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:316. [PMID: 38700735 PMCID: PMC11068671 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13134-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Nowadays, it is very important to produce new-generation drugs with antimicrobial properties that will target biofilm-induced infections. The first target for combating these microorganisms, which are the source itself. Antimicrobial peptides, which are more effective than antibiotics due to their ability to kill microorganisms and use a different metabolic pathway, are among the new options today. The aim of this study is to develop new-generation antibiotics that inhibit both biofilm-producing bacteria and the biofilm itself. For this purpose, we designed four different peptides by combining two amino acid forms (D- and L-) with the same sequence having alpha helix structures. It was found that the combined use of these two forms can increase antimicrobial efficacy more than 30-fold. These results are supported by molecular modeling and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), at the same time cytotoxicity (IC50) and hemotoxicity (HC50) values remained within the safe range. Furthermore, antibiofilm activities of these peptides were investigated. Since the existing biofilm inhibition methods in the literature do not technically simulate the exact situation, in this study, we have developed a real-time observable biofilm model and a new detection method based on it, which we call the CoMIC method. Findings have shown that the NET1 peptide with D-leucine amino acid in its structure and the NET3 peptide with D-arginine amino acid in its structure are effective in inhibiting biofilm. As a conclusion, our peptides can be considered as potential next-generation broad-spectrum antibiotic molecule/drug candidates that might be used in biofilm and clinical important bacteria. KEY POINTS: • Antimicrobial peptides were developed to inhibit both biofilms producing bacteria and the biofilm itself. • CoMIC will fill a very crucial gap in understanding biofilms and conducting the necessary quantitative studies. • Molecular modelling studies, NET1 peptide molecules tends to move towards and adhere to the membrane within nanoseconds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuba Polat
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - İrem Soyhan
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sinan Cebeci
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Tuğba Arzu Özal İldeniz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Özgül Gök
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Merve Açıkel Elmas
- Department of Histology and Embriology, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Erkan Mozioğlu
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Nihan Ünübol
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Medical Laboratory Techniques, Vocational School of Health Services, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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5
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Rommelaere S, Carboni A, Bada Juarez JF, Boquete JP, Abriata LA, Teixeira Pinto Meireles F, Rukes V, Vincent C, Kondo S, Dionne MS, Dal Peraro M, Cao C, Lemaitre B. A humoral stress response protects Drosophila tissues from antimicrobial peptides. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1426-1437.e6. [PMID: 38484734 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.049] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
7An efficient immune system must provide protection against a broad range of pathogens without causing excessive collateral tissue damage. While immune effectors have been well characterized, we know less about the resilience mechanisms protecting the host from its own immune response. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, cationic peptides that contribute to innate defenses by targeting negatively charged membranes of microbes. While protective against pathogens, AMPs can be cytotoxic to host cells. Here, we reveal that a family of stress-induced proteins, the Turandots, protect the Drosophila respiratory system from AMPs, increasing resilience to stress. Flies lacking Turandot genes are susceptible to environmental stresses due to AMP-induced tracheal apoptosis. Turandot proteins bind to host cell membranes and mask negatively charged phospholipids, protecting them from cationic pore-forming AMPs. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Turandot stress proteins mitigate AMP cytotoxicity to host tissues and therefore improve their efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Rommelaere
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Alexia Carboni
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Juan F Bada Juarez
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Philippe Boquete
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luciano A Abriata
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fernando Teixeira Pinto Meireles
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Verena Rukes
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Crystal Vincent
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS London, UK
| | - Shu Kondo
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 162-8601 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Marc S Dionne
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology and Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Matteo Dal Peraro
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chan Cao
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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6
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Malik AK, Singh C, Tiwari P, Verma D, Mehata AK, Vikas, Setia A, Mukherjee A, Muthu MS. Nanofibers of N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan capped bimetallic nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, wound dressing and in vivo treatment of MDR microbial infection and tracking by optical and photoacoustic imaging. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 263:130154. [PMID: 38354928 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130154] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in wound care have led to the development of interactive wound dressings utilizing nanotechnology, aimed at enhancing healing and combating bacterial infections while adhering to established protocols. Our novel wound dressings consist of N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan capped gold‑silver nanoparticles (Au-Ag-TMC-NPs), with a mean size of 108.3 ± 8.4 nm and a zeta potential of +54.4 ± 1.8 mV. These optimized nanoparticles exhibit potent antibacterial and antifungal properties, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.390 μg ml-1 to 3.125 μg ml-1 and also exhibited promising zones of inhibition against multi-drug resistant strains of S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans. Microbial transmission electron microscopy reveals substantial damage to cell walls and DNA condensation post-treatment. Furthermore, the nanoparticles demonstrate remarkable inhibition of microbial efflux pumps and are non-hemolytic in human blood. Incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan nanofibers, they form Au-Ag-TMC-NPs-NFs with diameters of 100-350 nm, facilitating efficient antimicrobial wound dressing. In vivo studies on MDR microbial-infected wounds in mice showed 99.34 % wound healing rate within 12 days, corroborated by analyses of wound marker protein expression levels and advanced imaging techniques such as ultrasound/photoacoustic imaging, providing real-time visualization and blood flow assessment for a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic wound healing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Kumar Malik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Chandrashekhar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Punit Tiwari
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Dipti Verma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Abhishesh Kumar Mehata
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Vikas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Aseem Setia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Ashim Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, UP, India
| | - Madaswamy S Muthu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, UP, India.
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7
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Lebedev M, Benjamin AB, Kumar S, Molchanova N, Lin JS, Koster KJ, Leibowitz JL, Barron AE, Cirillo JD. Antiviral Effect of Antimicrobial Peptoid TM9 and Murine Model of Respiratory Coronavirus Infection. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:464. [PMID: 38675125 PMCID: PMC11054490 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
New antiviral agents are essential to improving treatment and control of SARS-CoV-2 infections that can lead to the disease COVID-19. Antimicrobial peptoids are sequence-specific oligo-N-substituted glycine peptidomimetics that emulate the structure and function of natural antimicrobial peptides but are resistant to proteases. We demonstrate antiviral activity of a new peptoid (TM9) against the coronavirus, murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a closely related model for the structure and antiviral susceptibility profile of SARS-CoV-2. This peptoid mimics the human cathelicidin LL-37, which has also been shown to have antimicrobial and antiviral activity. In this study, TM9 was effective against three murine coronavirus strains, demonstrating that the therapeutic window is large enough to allow the use of TM9 for treatment. All three isolates of MHV generated infection in mice after 15 min of exposure by aerosol using the Madison aerosol chamber, and all three viral strains could be isolated from the lungs throughout the 5-day observation period post-infection, with the peak titers on day 2. MHV-A59 and MHV-A59-GFP were also isolated from the liver, heart, spleen, olfactory bulbs, and brain. These data demonstrate that MHV serves as a valuable natural murine model of coronavirus pathogenesis in multiple organs, including the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Lebedev
- School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA; (M.L.); (A.B.B.); (S.K.); (K.J.K.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Aaron B. Benjamin
- School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA; (M.L.); (A.B.B.); (S.K.); (K.J.K.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Sathish Kumar
- School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA; (M.L.); (A.B.B.); (S.K.); (K.J.K.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Natalia Molchanova
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (N.M.); (J.S.L.); (A.E.B.)
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jennifer S. Lin
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (N.M.); (J.S.L.); (A.E.B.)
| | - Kent J. Koster
- School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA; (M.L.); (A.B.B.); (S.K.); (K.J.K.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Julian L. Leibowitz
- School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA; (M.L.); (A.B.B.); (S.K.); (K.J.K.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Annelise E. Barron
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (N.M.); (J.S.L.); (A.E.B.)
| | - Jeffrey D. Cirillo
- School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA; (M.L.); (A.B.B.); (S.K.); (K.J.K.); (J.L.L.)
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8
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Monsalve D, Mesa A, Mira LM, Mera C, Orduz S, Branch-Bedoya JW. Antimicrobial peptides designed by computational analysis of proteomes. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2024; 117:55. [PMID: 38488950 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-024-01946-0] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising cationic and amphipathic molecules to fight antibiotic resistance. To search for novel AMPs, we applied a computational strategy to identify peptide sequences within the organisms' proteome, including in-house developed software and artificial intelligence tools. After analyzing 150.450 proteins from eight proteomes of bacteria, plants, a protist, and a nematode, nine peptides were selected and modified to increase their antimicrobial potential. The 18 resulting peptides were validated by bioassays with four pathogenic bacterial species, one yeast species, and two cancer cell-lines. Fourteen of the 18 tested peptides were antimicrobial, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) values under 10 µM against at least three bacterial species; seven were active against Candida albicans with MICs values under 10 µM; six had a therapeutic index above 20; two peptides were active against A549 cells, and eight were active against MCF-7 cells under 30 µM. This study's most active antimicrobial peptides damage the bacterial cell membrane, including grooves, dents, membrane wrinkling, cell destruction, and leakage of cytoplasmic material. The results confirm that the proposed approach, which uses bioinformatic tools and rational modifications, is highly efficient and allows the discovery, with high accuracy, of potent AMPs encrypted in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahiana Monsalve
- Escuela de Biociencias, Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín, Carrera 65 # 59A-110, 050034, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Andrea Mesa
- Escuela de Biociencias, Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín, Carrera 65 # 59A-110, 050034, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Laura M Mira
- Escuela de Biociencias, Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín, Carrera 65 # 59A-110, 050034, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Carlos Mera
- Departamento de Sistemas de Información, Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, Calle 54A # 30-01, 050013, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.
- Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas, Facultad de Ingenierías, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 # 52-21, 050010, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.
| | - Sergio Orduz
- Escuela de Biociencias, Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín, Carrera 65 # 59A-110, 050034, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - John W Branch-Bedoya
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación y de la Decisión, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín, Av. 80 # 65-223, 050041, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
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9
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Han G, Lee DG. Urechistachykinin I triggers mitochondrial dysfunction leading to a ferroptosis-like response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae011. [PMID: 38268406 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae011] [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: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
AIMS The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate the antimicrobial activity of urechistachykinin I (LRQSQFVGSR-NH2) extracted from Urechis unicinctus,and its mode of action dependent on mitochondrial dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS The antifungal activity of urechistachykinin I generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), as demonstrated with MitoSOX Red and hydroxyphenyl fluorescein (HPF). Overaccumulation of ROS caused oxidative damage to cells by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial disruption resulted in cell death, creating several hallmarks that included lipid peroxidation, glutathione oxidation, and depolarization. Moreover, the loss of mitochondria changed the calcium ion imbalance by depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. In particular, iron accumulation and DNA fragmentation measurement determined the type of cell death. Our results indicate that urechistachykinin I treatment induced ferroptosis-like death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae via mitochondrial dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Urechistachykinin I treatment induced mitochondrial dysfunction in S. cerevisiae by generating ROS, and the subsequent oxidative damage caused the ferroptosis-like cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giyeol Han
- School of Life Sciences, BK 21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Gun Lee
- School of Life Sciences, BK 21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
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10
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Márton RA, Sebők C, Mackei M, Tráj P, Vörösházi J, Kemény Á, Neogrády Z, Mátis G. Cecropin A: investigation of a host defense peptide with multifaceted immunomodulatory activity in a chicken hepatic cell culture. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1337677. [PMID: 38496311 PMCID: PMC10940386 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1337677] [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: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Host defense peptides (HDPs) are increasingly referred to as promising candidates for the reduction of the use of conventional antibiotics, thereby combating antibiotic resistance. As HDPs have been described to exert various immunomodulatory effects, cecropin A (CecA) appears to be a potent agent to influence the host inflammatory response. Methods In the present study, a chicken primary hepatocyte-non-parenchymal cell co-culture was used to investigate the putative immunomodulatory effects of CecA alone and in inflammatory conditions evoked by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C). To examine the viability of the cells, the extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was determined by colorimetric assay. Inflammatory markers interleukin (IL)-8 and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) were investigated using the ELISA method, whereas concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were assayed by Luminex xMAP technology. Extracellular H2O2 and malondialdehyde levels were measured by fluorometric and colorimetric methods, respectively. Results Results of the lower concentrations suggested the safe application of CecA; however, it might contribute to hepatic cell membrane damage at its higher concentrations. We also found that the peptide alleviated the inflammatory response, reflected by the decreased production of the pro-inflammatory IL-6, IL-8, and IFN-γ. In addition, CecA diminished the levels of anti-inflammatory IL-10 and TGF-ß1. The oxidative markers measured remained unchanged in most cases of CecA exposure. Discussion CecA displayed a multifaceted immunomodulatory but not purely anti-inflammatory activity on the hepatic cells, and might be suggested to maintain the hepatic inflammatory homeostasis in Poly I:C-triggered immune response. To conclude, our study suggests that CecA might be a promising molecule for the development of new immunomodulatory antibiotic-substitutive agents in poultry medicine; however, there is still a lot to clarify regarding its cellular effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rege Anna Márton
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csilla Sebők
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Máté Mackei
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Patrik Tráj
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Júlia Vörösházi
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Kemény
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Neogrády
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Mátis
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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11
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Behera LM, Ghosh M, Gupta PK, Rana S. A rationally engineered small antimicrobial peptide with potent antibacterial activity. J Cell Biochem 2024; 125:e30503. [PMID: 37992185 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30503] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a silent pandemic declared by the WHO that requires urgent attention in the post-COVID world. AMR is a critical public health concern worldwide, potentially affecting people at different stages of life, including the veterinary and agriculture industries. Notably, very few new-age antimicrobial agents are in the current developmental pipeline. Thus, the design, discovery, and development of new antimicrobial agents are required to address the menace of AMR. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important class of antimicrobial agents for combating AMR due to their broad-spectrum activity and ability to evade AMR through a multimodal mechanism of action. However, molecular size, aggregability, proteolytic degradation, cytotoxicity, and hemolysis activity significantly limit the clinical application of natural AMPs. The de novo design and engineering of a short synthetic amphipathic AMP (≤16 aa, Mol. Wt. ≤ 2 kDa) with an unusual architecture comprised of coded and noncoded amino acids (NCAAs) is presented here, which demonstrates potent antibacterial activity against a few selected bacterial strains mentioned in the WHO priority list. The designer AMP is conformationally ordered in solution and effectively permeabilizes the outer and inner membranes, leading to bacterial growth inhibition and death. Additionally, the peptide is resistant to proteolysis and has negligible cytotoxicity and hemolysis activity up to 150 μM toward cultured human cell lines and erythrocytes. The designer AMP is unique and appears to be a potent therapeutic candidate, which can be subsequently subjected to preclinical studies to explicitly understand and address the menace of AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lalita Mohan Behera
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Manaswini Ghosh
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Pulkit Kr Gupta
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Soumendra Rana
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
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12
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van Hoek ML, Alsaab FM, Carpenter AM. GATR-3, a Peptide That Eradicates Preformed Biofilms of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 13:39. [PMID: 38247598 PMCID: PMC10812447 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a gram-negative bacterium that causes hospital-acquired and opportunistic infections, resulting in pneumonia, sepsis, and severe wound infections that can be difficult to treat due to antimicrobial resistance and the formation of biofilms. There is an urgent need to develop novel antimicrobials to tackle the rapid increase in antimicrobial resistance, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent an additional class of potential agents with direct antimicrobial and/or host-defense activating activities. In this study, we present GATR-3, a synthetic, designed AMP that was modified from a cryptic peptide discovered in American alligator, as our lead peptide to target multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and antibiofilm assays were performed to assess GATR-3 against a panel of 8 MDR A. baumannii strains, including AB5075 and some clinical strains. The GATR-3 mechanism of action was determined to be via loss of membrane integrity as measured by DiSC3(5) and ethidium bromide assays. GATR-3 exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against all tested multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains with rapid killing. Biofilms are difficult to treat and eradicate. Excitingly, GATR-3 inhibited biofilm formation and, more importantly, eradicated preformed biofilms of MDR A. baumannii AB5075, as evidenced by MBEC assays and scanning electron micrographs. GATR3 did not induce resistance in MDR A. baumannii, unlike colistin. Additionally, the toxicity of GATR-3 was evaluated using human red blood cells, HepG2 cells, and waxworms using hemolysis and MTT assays. GATR-3 demonstrated little to no cytotoxicity against HepG2 and red blood cells, even at 100 μg/mL. GATR-3 injection showed little toxicity in the waxworm model, resulting in a 90% survival rate. The therapeutic index of GATR-3 was estimated (based on the HC50/MIC against human RBCs) to be 1250. Overall, GATR-3 is a promising candidate to advance to preclinical testing to potentially treat MDR A. baumannii infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique L. van Hoek
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
| | - Fahad M. Alsaab
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Al Ahsa 36428, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashley M. Carpenter
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
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13
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Haque S, Hussain A, Joshi H, Sharma U, Sharma B, Aggarwal D, Rani I, Ramniwas S, Gupta M, Tuli HS. Melittin: a possible regulator of cancer proliferation in preclinical cell culture and animal models. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:17709-17726. [PMID: 37919474 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05458-8] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melittin is a water-soluble cationic peptide derived from bee venom that has been thoroughly studied for the cure of different cancers. However, the unwanted interactions of melittin produce hemolytic and cytotoxic effects that hinder their therapeutic applications. To overcome the shortcomings, numerous research groups have adopted different approaches, including conjugation with tumor-targeting proteins, gene therapy, and encapsulation in nanoparticles, to reduce the non-specific cytotoxic effects and potentiate their anti-cancerous activity. PURPOSE This article aims to provide mechanistic insights into the chemopreventive activity of melittin and its nanoversion in combination with standard anti-cancer drugs for the treatment of cancer. METHODS We looked over the pertinent research on melittin's chemopreventive properties in online databases such as PubMed and Scopus. CONCLUSION In the present article, the anti-cancerous effects of melittin on different cancers have been discussed very nicely, as have their possible mechanisms of action to act against different tumors. Besides, it interacts with different signal molecules that regulate the diverse pathways of cancerous cells, such as cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, metastasis, angiogenesis, and inflammation. We also discussed the recent progress in the synergistic combination of melittin with standard anti-cancer drugs and a nano-formulated version of melittin for targeted delivery to improve its anticancer potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafiul Haque
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Jazan University, 45142, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 11022801, Lebanon
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, 13306, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Arif Hussain
- School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, P.O. Box 345050, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hemant Joshi
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Ujjawal Sharma
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Bunty Sharma
- Department of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, 133207, India
| | - Diwakar Aggarwal
- Department of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, 133207, India
| | - Isha Rani
- Department of Biochemistry, Maharishi Markendashwar College of Medical Sciences and Research (MMCMSR), Sadopur, Ambala, 134007, India
| | - Seema Ramniwas
- University Centre for Research and Development, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, 140413, India
| | - Madhu Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, 110017, India
| | - Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, 133207, India.
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14
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Concilio M, Garcia Maset R, Lemonche LP, Kontrimas V, Song JI, Rajendrakumar SK, Harrison F, Becer CR, Perrier S. Mechanism of Action of Oxazoline-Based Antimicrobial Polymers Against Staphylococcus aureus: In Vivo Antimicrobial Activity Evaluation. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2301961. [PMID: 37522292 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens have reached alarming levels, becoming one of the most pressing global health issues. Hence, new treatments are necessary for the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Synthetic nanoengineered antimicrobial polymers (SNAPs) have emerged as a promising alternative to antimicrobial peptides, overcoming some of their limitations while keeping their key features. Herein, a library of amphiphilic oxazoline-based SNAPs using cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) is designed. Amphipathic compounds with 70% cationic content exhibit the highest activity against clinically relevant Staphylococcus aureus isolates, maintaining good biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism of action of the lead compounds against S. aureus is assessed using various microscopy techniques, indicating cell membrane disruption, while the cell wall remains unaffected. Furthermore, a potential interaction of the compounds with bacterial DNA is shown, with possible implications on bacterial division. Finally, one of the compounds exhibits high efficacy in vivo in an insect infection model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Concilio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Ramón Garcia Maset
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | - Vito Kontrimas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Ji-Inn Song
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | - Freya Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - C Remzi Becer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Sébastien Perrier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
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15
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Skowron KJ, Baliga C, Johnson T, Kremiller KM, Castroverde A, Dean TT, Allen AC, Lopez-Hernandez AM, Aleksandrova EV, Klepacki D, Mankin AS, Polikanov YS, Moore TW. Structure-Activity Relationships of the Antimicrobial Peptide Natural Product Apidaecin. J Med Chem 2023; 66:11831-11842. [PMID: 37603874 PMCID: PMC10768847 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
With the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance, it is critical to continue to seek out new sources of novel antibiotics. This need has led to renewed interest in natural product antimicrobials, specifically antimicrobial peptides. Nonlytic antimicrobial peptides are highly promising due to their unique mechanisms of action. One such peptide is apidaecin (Api), which inhibits translation termination through stabilization of the quaternary complex of the ribosome-apidaecin-tRNA-release factor. Synthetic derivatives of apidaecin have been developed, but structure-guided modifications have yet to be considered. In this work, we have focused on modifying key residues in the Api sequence that are responsible for the interactions that stabilize the quaternary complex. We present one of the first examples of a highly modified Api peptide that maintains its antimicrobial activity and interaction with the translation complex. These findings establish a starting point for further structure-guided optimization of Api peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kornelia J Skowron
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Chetana Baliga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Tatum Johnson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Kyle M Kremiller
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Alexandra Castroverde
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Trevor T Dean
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - A'Lester C Allen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Ana M Lopez-Hernandez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Elena V Aleksandrova
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
| | - Dorota Klepacki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Alexander S Mankin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Yury S Polikanov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Terry W Moore
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
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16
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Tate P, Mastrodomenico V, Cunha C, McClure J, Barron AE, Diamond G, Mounce BC, Kirshenbaum K. Peptidomimetic Oligomers Targeting Membrane Phosphatidylserine Exhibit Broad Antiviral Activity. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1508-1522. [PMID: 37530426 PMCID: PMC10425984 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of durable new antiviral therapies is challenging, as viruses can evolve rapidly to establish resistance and attenuate therapeutic efficacy. New compounds that selectively target conserved viral features are attractive therapeutic candidates, particularly for combating newly emergent viral threats. The innate immune system features a sustained capability to combat pathogens through production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs); however, these AMPs have shortcomings that can preclude clinical use. The essential functional features of AMPs have been recapitulated by peptidomimetic oligomers, yielding effective antibacterial and antifungal agents. Here, we show that a family of AMP mimetics, called peptoids, exhibit direct antiviral activity against an array of enveloped viruses, including the key human pathogens Zika, Rift Valley fever, and chikungunya viruses. These data suggest that the activities of peptoids include engagement and disruption of viral membrane constituents. To investigate how these peptoids target lipid membranes, we used liposome leakage assays to measure membrane disruption. We found that liposomes containing phosphatidylserine (PS) were markedly sensitive to peptoid treatment; in contrast, liposomes formed exclusively with phosphatidylcholine (PC) showed no sensitivity. In addition, chikungunya virus containing elevated envelope PS was more susceptible to peptoid-mediated inactivation. These results indicate that peptoids mimicking the physicochemical characteristics of AMPs act through a membrane-specific mechanism, most likely through preferential interactions with PS. We provide the first evidence for the engagement of distinct viral envelope lipid constituents, establishing an avenue for specificity that may enable the development of a new family of therapeutics capable of averting the rapid development of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick
M. Tate
- Department
of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Vincent Mastrodomenico
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University
Chicago Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60130, United States
| | - Christina Cunha
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University
Chicago Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60130, United States
| | | | - Annelise E. Barron
- Maxwell
Biosciences, Austin, Texas 78738, United States
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Gill Diamond
- Department
of Oral Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, United States
| | - Bryan C. Mounce
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University
Chicago Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60130, United States
| | - Kent Kirshenbaum
- Department
of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
- Maxwell
Biosciences, Austin, Texas 78738, United States
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17
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Gould S, Templin MV. Off target toxicities and links with physicochemical properties of medicinal products, including antibiotics, oligonucleotides, lipid nanoparticles (with cationic and/or anionic charges). Data review suggests an emerging pattern. Toxicol Lett 2023; 384:14-29. [PMID: 37454775 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Toxicology is an essential part of any drug development plan. Circumnavigating the risk of failure because of a toxicity issue can be a challenge, and failure in late development is extremely costly. To identify potential risks, it requires more than just understanding the biological target. The toxicologist needs to consider a compound's structure, it's physicochemical properties (including the impact of the overall formulation), as well as the biological target (e.g., receptor interactions). Understanding the impact of the physicochemical properties can be used to predict potential toxicities in advance by incorporating key endpoints in early screening strategies and/or used to compare toxicity profiles across lead candidates. This review discussed the risks of off-target and/or non-specific toxicities that may be associated with the physicochemical properties of compounds, especially those carrying dominant positive or negative charges, including amphiphilic small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides and lipids/liposomes/lipid nanoparticles. The latter of which are being seen more and more in drug development, including the recent Covid pandemic, where mRNA and lipid nanoparticle technology is playing more of a role in vaccine development. The translation between non-clinical and clinical data is also considered, questioning how a physicochemical driven toxicity may be more universal across species, which means that such toxicity may be reassuringly translatable between species and as such, this information may also be considered as a support to the 3 R's, particularly in the early screening stages of a drug development plan.
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18
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Maset RG, Hapeshi A, Lapage J, Harrington N, Littler J, Perrier S, Harrison F. Combining SNAPs with antibiotics shows enhanced synergistic efficacy against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2023; 9:36. [PMID: 37291132 PMCID: PMC10250483 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00401-8] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm infections are associated with a high mortality risk for patients. Antibiotics perform poorly against biofilm communities, so high doses and prolonged treatments are often used in clinical settings. We investigated the pairwise interactions of two synthetic nano-engineered antimicrobial polymers (SNAPs). The g-D50 copolymer was synergistic with penicillin and silver sulfadiazine against planktonic Staphylococcus aureus USA300 in synthetic wound fluid. Furthermore, the combination of g-D50 and silver sulfadiazine showed a potent synergistic antibiofilm activity against S. aureus USA300 using in vitro and ex vivo wound biofilm models. The a-T50 copolymer was synergistic with colistin against planktonic Pseudomonas aeruginosa in synthetic cystic fibrosis medium, and this pair showed a potent synergistic antibiofilm activity against P. aeruginosa in an ex vivo cystic fibrosis lung model. SNAPs thus have the potential for increased antibiofilm performance in combination with certain antibiotics to shorten prolonged treatments and reduce dosages against biofilm infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexia Hapeshi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - John Lapage
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Niamh Harrington
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZV, UK
| | - Jenny Littler
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Sébastien Perrier
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
| | - Freya Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
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19
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Biswas S, Sarojini S, Jayaram S, Philip I, Umesh M, Mascarenhas R, Pappuswamy M, Balasubramanian B, Arokiyaraj S. Understanding the Role of Antimicrobial Peptides in Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promoting Autoimmune Disorders. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1307. [PMID: 37374090 DOI: 10.3390/life13061307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
AMPs are small oligopeptides acting as integral elements of the innate immune system and are of tremendous potential in the medical field owing to their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. They offer a multitude of immunomodulatory properties such as immune cell differentiation, inflammatory responses, cytokine production, and chemoattraction. Aberrancy in neutrophil or epithelial cell-producing AMPs leads to inflammation culminating in various autoimmune responses. In this review, we have tried to explore the role of prominent mammalian AMPs-defensins and cathelicidins, as immune regulators with special emphasis on their role in neutrophil extracellular traps which promotes autoimmune disorders. When complexed with self-DNA or self-RNA, AMPs act as autoantigens which activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells and myeloid dendritic cells leading to the production of interferons and cytokines. These trigger a series of self-directed inflammatory reactions, leading to the emergence of diverse autoimmune disorders. Since AMPs show both anti- and pro-inflammatory abilities in different ADs, there is a dire need for a complete understanding of their role before developing AMP-based therapy for autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soma Biswas
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Suma Sarojini
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Saranya Jayaram
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Indhu Philip
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Mridul Umesh
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Roseanne Mascarenhas
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Manikantan Pappuswamy
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029, India
| | | | - Selvaraj Arokiyaraj
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
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20
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Ersanli C, Tzora A, Skoufos I, Voidarou CC, Zeugolis DI. Recent Advances in Collagen Antimicrobial Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering Applications: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097808. [PMID: 37175516 PMCID: PMC10178232 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomaterial-based therapies have been receiving attention for treating microbial infections mainly to overcome the increasing number of drug-resistant bacterial strains and off-target impacts of therapeutic agents by conventional strategies. A fibrous, non-soluble protein, collagen, is one of the most studied biopolymers for the development of antimicrobial biomaterials owing to its superior physicochemical, biomechanical, and biological properties. In this study, we reviewed the different approaches used to develop collagen-based antimicrobial devices, such as non-pharmacological, antibiotic, metal oxide, antimicrobial peptide, herbal extract-based, and combination approaches, with a particular focus on preclinical studies that have been published in the last decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caglar Ersanli
- Laboratory of Animal Science, Nutrition and Biotechnology, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece
- Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), Charles Institute of Dermatology, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Athina Tzora
- Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece
| | - Ioannis Skoufos
- Laboratory of Animal Science, Nutrition and Biotechnology, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece
| | - Chrysoula Chrysa Voidarou
- Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece
| | - Dimitrios I Zeugolis
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), Charles Institute of Dermatology, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
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21
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Pulat G, Muganlı Z, Ercan UK, Karaman O. Effect of antimicrobial peptide conjugated surgical sutures on multiple drug-resistant microorganisms. J Biomater Appl 2023; 37:1182-1194. [PMID: 36510770 DOI: 10.1177/08853282221145872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Surgical site infections are commonly encountered as a risk factor in clinics that increase the morbidity of a patient after a surgical operation. Surgical sutures are one of the leading factor for the formation of surgical site infections that induce bacterial colonization by their broad surface area. Current strategies to overcome with surgical site infections consist utilization of antibiotic agent coatings such as triclosan. However, the significant increase in antibiotic resistance majorly decreases their efficiency against recalcitrant pathogens such as; Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, the development of a multi drug-resistant antimicrobial suture without any cytotoxic effect to combat surgical site infections is vital. Antimicrobial peptides are the first defense line which has a broad range of spectrum against Gram-positive, and Gram-negative bacteria and even viruses. In addition, antimicrobial peptides have a rapid killing mechanism which is enhanced by membrane disruption and inhibition of functional proteins in pathogens without the development of antimicrobial resistance. In the scope of the current study, the antimicrobial effect of antimicrobial peptide conjugated poly (glycolic acid-co-caprolactone) (PGCL) sutures were investigated against P. aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains by using antimicrobial peptide sequences of KRFRIRVRV-NH2, RWRWRWRW-NH2 and their dual combination (1:1). In addition, in vitro wound scratch assays were performed to evaluate the effect of antimicrobial peptide conjugated sutures on keratinocyte cell lines. Our results indicated that antimicrobial peptide modified sutures could be a potential novel medical device to overcome surgical site infections by the superior acceleration of wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günnur Pulat
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 226844İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Zülal Muganlı
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 226844İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Utku Kürşat Ercan
- Plasma Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 226844İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Ozan Karaman
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 226844İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey
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22
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In Silico and In Vitro Analyses Reveal Promising Antimicrobial Peptides from Myxobacteria. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2023; 15:202-214. [PMID: 36586039 PMCID: PMC9839799 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-022-10036-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern, and as soon as new antibiotics are introduced, resistance to those agents emerges. Therefore, there is an increased appetite for alternative antimicrobial agents to traditional antibiotics. Here, we used in silico methods to investigate potential antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from predatory myxobacteria. Six hundred seventy-two potential AMP sequences were extracted from eight complete myxobacterial genomes. Most putative AMPs were predicted to be active against Klebsiella pneumoniae with least activity being predicted against Staphylococcus aureus. One hundred seventeen AMPs (defined here as 'potent putative AMPs') were predicted to have very good activity against more than two bacterial pathogens, and these were characterized further in silico. All potent putative AMPs were predicted to have anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties, but none was predicted to be active against viruses. Twenty six (22%) of them were predicted to be hemolytic to human erythrocytes, five were predicted to have anticancer properties, and 56 (47%) were predicted to be biofilm active. In vitro assays using four synthesized AMPs showed high MIC values (e.g. So_ce_56_913 250 µg/ml and Coral_AMP411 125 µg/ml against E. coli). However, antibiofilm assays showed a substantial reduction in numbers (e.g. Coral_AMP411 and Myxo_mac104 showed a 69% and 73% reduction, respectively, at the lowest concentration against E. coli) compared to traditional antibiotics. Fourteen putative AMPs had high sequence similarity to proteins which were functionally associated with proteins of known function. The myxobacterial genomes also possessed a variety of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that can encode antimicrobial secondary metabolites, but their numbers did not correlate with those of the AMPs. We suggest that AMPs from myxobacteria are a promising source of novel antimicrobial agents with a plethora of biological properties.
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23
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Gao Y, Chai J, Wu J, Zeng Q, Guo R, Chen X, Xu X. Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide from the Skin of Kaloula pulchra. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2022; 23:1873-1882. [PMID: 35249479 DOI: 10.2174/1389201023666220304204645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial resistance to all currently available conventional antibiotics has caused a global public health crisis and led to an imperative search for new agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of host innate immune defense against microbial invasions. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to report a novel AMP, brevinin-2KP, from the skin of the black Kaloula pulchra frog and describe its structural and biological characterization. MATERIALS AND METHODS The physical and chemical parameters of brevinin-2KP were predicted with the ExPASy Bioinformatics Resource Portal. The assembled sequences were aligned with ClustalW, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed using Mega. Circular dichroism (CD) experiments were carried out to identify the secondary structure and the stability of peptide in different solvent environments. The cytotoxicity of brevinin-2KP was evaluated by the MTT test. To determine antibacterial activity of brevinin- 2KP, a standard two-fold broth dilution method was used. SEM was carried out to observe the morphological change in the bacterial treated by brevinin-2KP. The live/dead bacterial viability was measured with a LIVE/DEAD® BacLight kit. Histamine release and mast cell degranulation assays were performed. RESULTS The precursor of brevinin-2KP contains 72 amino acid residues, including a conserved signal peptide, acidic propeptide with KR residues, and mature peptide with a sequence of GVITDALKGAAKTVAAELLKKAHCKLTNSC. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of 34 brevinin-2 peptides from 30 anuran species demonstrates that K. pulchra is genetically closely related to the genus Hylarana. The CD spectra analysis indicates that brevinin-2KP adopts random coil in the water and an organized α-helical conformation in SDS solution. Further, this secondary structure is stable under high salt and high-temperature conditions. Brevinin-2KP is weakly active towards the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi due to its membranolytic action. Moreover, brevinin-2KP inhibits the proliferation of several mammal cells with IC50 values ranging from 3.27 to 59.75 μM. In addition, brevinin-2KP promotes degranulation and histamine release of mast cells, indicating that it is involved in the inflammatory response. CONCLUSION This is the first report on AMP identified from the skin of K. pulchra. Brevinin-2KP adopts a typical amphipathic α-helix conformation in membrane mimic environment and shows antimicrobial and antitumor activities by potential membranolytic mechanism. In addition, brevinin-2KP can promote degranulation and histamine release of mast cells. Brevinin-2KP is expected to become a good drug temple molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahua Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Jinwei Chai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jiena Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Qingye Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ruiyin Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Xueqing Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
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24
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Zupin L, dos Santos-Silva CA, Al Mughrbi ARH, Vilela LMB, Benko-Iseppon AM, Crovella S. Bioactive Antimicrobial Peptides: A New Weapon to Counteract Zoonosis. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081591. [PMID: 36014009 PMCID: PMC9414035 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoonoses have recently become the center of attention of the general population and scientific community. Notably, more than 30 new human pathogens have been identified in the last 30 years, 75% of which can be classified as zoonosis. The complete eradication of such types of infections is far out of reach, considering the limited understanding of animal determinants in zoonoses and their causes of emergence. Therefore, efforts must be doubled in examining the spread, persistence, and pathogenicity of zoonosis and studying possible clinical interventions and antimicrobial drug development. The search for antimicrobial bioactive compounds has assumed great emphasis, considering the emergence of multi-drug-resistant microorganisms. Among the biomolecules of emerging scientific interest are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), potent biomolecules that can potentially act as important weapons against infectious diseases. Moreover, synthetic AMPs are easily tailored (bioinformatically) to target specific features of the pathogens to hijack, inducing no or very low resistance. Although very promising, previous studies on SAMPs’ efficacy are still at their early stages. Indeed, further studies and better characterization on their mechanism of action with in vitro and in vivo assays are needed so as to proceed to their clinical application on human beings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Zupin
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34137 Trieste, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (S.C.)
| | | | | | - Livia Maria Batista Vilela
- Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Benko-Iseppon
- Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Sergio Crovella
- Biological Science Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (S.C.)
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25
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Menezes-Silva L, Catarino JDS, de Faria LC, Pizzolante BC, Andrade-Silva LE, da Silva MV, Rodrigues V, Sales-Campos H, Oliveira CJF. Hemolymph of triatomines presents fungistatic activity against Cryptococcus neoformans and improves macrophage function through MCP-I/TNF-α increase. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2022; 28:e20210124. [PMID: 35910486 PMCID: PMC9302513 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:
Triatomines are blood-feeding arthropods belonging to the subfamily Triatominae
(Hemiptera; Reduviidae), capable of producing immunomodulatory and water-soluble
molecules in their hemolymph, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). In this
work, we evaluated the antifungal and immunomodulatory activity of the hemolymph
of Meccus pallidipennis (MPH) and Rhodnius
prolixus (RPH) against Cryptococcus neoformans.
Methods: We assessed the activity of the hemolymph of both
insects on fungal growth by a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay.
Further, RAW 264.7 macrophages were cultivated with hemolymph and challenged
with C. neoformans. Then, their phagocytic and killing
activities were assessed. The cytokines MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-12, and
IL-6 were measured in culture supernatants 4- and 48-hours post-infection.
Results: Both hemolymph samples directly affected the growth
rate of the fungus in a dose-dependent manner. Either MPH or RPH was capable of
inhibiting fungal growth by at least 70%, using the lowest dilution (1:20).
Treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with hemolymph of both insects was capable of
increasing the production of MCP-I and TNF-α. In addition, when these cells were
stimulated with hemolymph in the presence of C. neoformans, a
2- and a 4-fold increase in phagocytic rate was observed with MPH and RPH,
respectively, when compared to untreated cells. For the macrophage killing
activity, MPH decreased in approximately 30% the number of viable yeasts inside
the cells compared to untreated control; however, treatment with RPH could not
reduce the total number of viable yeasts. MPH was also capable of increasing
MHC-II expression on macrophages. Regarding the cytokine production, MCP-I and
TNF-α, were increased in the supernatant of macrophages treated with both
hemolymphs, 4 and 48 hours after stimulation. Conclusion: These
results suggested that hemolymph of triatomines may represent a source of
molecules capable of presenting antifungal and immunomodulatory activity in
macrophages during fungal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luísa Menezes-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jonatas da Silva Catarino
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Laura Caroline de Faria
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Cristina Pizzolante
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Eurípedes Andrade-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinicius da Silva
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Virmondes Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Helioswilton Sales-Campos
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.,Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Carlo José Freire Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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26
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Rawson KM, Lacey MM, Strong PN, Miller K. Improving the Therapeutic Index of Smp24, a Venom-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide: Increased Activity against Gram-Negative Bacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147979. [PMID: 35887325 PMCID: PMC9320964 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are naturally occurring compounds which possess a rapid killing mechanism and low resistance potential. Consequently, they are being viewed as potential alternatives to traditional antibiotics. One of the major factors limiting further development of AMPs is off-target toxicity. Enhancements to antimicrobial peptides which can maximise antimicrobial activity whilst reducing mammalian cytotoxicity would make these peptides more attractive as future pharmaceuticals. We have previously characterised Smp24, an AMP derived from the venom of the scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus. This study sought to better understand the relationship between the structure, function and bacterial selectivity of this peptide by performing single amino acid substitutions. The antimicrobial, haemolytic and cytotoxic activity of modified Smp24 peptides was determined. The results of these investigations were compared with the activity of native Smp24 to determine which modifications produced enhanced therapeutic indices. The structure–function relationship of Smp24 was investigated by performing N-terminal, mid-chain and C-terminal amino acid substitutions and determining the effect that they had on the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of the peptide. Increased charge at the N-, mid- and C-termini of the peptide resulted in increased antimicrobial activity. Increased hydrophobicity at the N-terminus resulted in reduced haemolysis and cytotoxicity. Reduced antimicrobial, haemolytic and cytotoxic activity was observed by increased hydrophobicity at the mid-chain. Functional improvements have been made to modified peptides when compared with native Smp24, which has produced peptides with enhanced therapeutic indices.
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27
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Garcia Maset R, Hapeshi A, Hall S, Dalgliesh RM, Harrison F, Perrier S. Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity in Host-Mimicking Media and In Vivo Toxicity of Antimicrobial Polymers as Functional Mimics of AMPs. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:32855-32868. [PMID: 35819416 PMCID: PMC9335526 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Activity tests for synthetic antimicrobial compounds are often limited to the minimal inhibitory concentration assay using standard media and bacterial strains. In this study, a family of acrylamide copolymers that act as synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides were synthesized and shown to have a disruptive effect on bacterial membranes and structural integrity through microscopy techniques and membrane polarization experiments. The polymers were tested for their antimicrobial properties using media that mimic clinically relevant conditions. Additionally, their activity was compared in two different strains of the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We showed that the medium composition can have an important influence on the polymer activity as there was a considerable reduction in minimal inhibitory concentrations against S. aureus grown in synthetic wound fluid (SWF), and against P. aeruginosa grown in synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum media (SCFM), compared to the concentrations in standard testing media. In contrast, we observed a complete loss of activity against P. aeruginosa in the serum-containing SWF. Finally, we made use of an emerging invertebrate in vivo model, using Galleria mellonella larvae, to assess toxicity of the polymeric antimicrobials, showing a good correlation with cell line toxicity measurements and demonstrating its potential in the evaluation of novel antimicrobial materials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexia Hapeshi
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
| | - Stephen Hall
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
- ISIS
Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K.
| | - Robert M. Dalgliesh
- ISIS
Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K.
| | - Freya Harrison
- School
of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
| | - Sébastien Perrier
- Warwick
Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
- Faculty
of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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28
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Akbari R, Hakemi Vala M, Sabatier JM, Pooshang Bagheri K. Fast killing kinetics, significant therapeutic index, and high stability of melittin-derived antimicrobial peptide. Amino Acids 2022; 54:1275-1285. [PMID: 35779173 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03180-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is a major challenge for antimicrobial chemotherapy. Concerning this issue, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been presented as novel promising antibiotics. Our previous de novo designed melittin-derived peptides (MDP1 and MDP2) indicated their potential as peptide drug leads. Accordingly, this study was aimed to evaluate the kinetics of activity, toxicity, and stability of MDP1 and MDP2 as well as determination of their structures. The killing kinetics of MDP1 and MDP2 demonstrate that all bacterial strains were rapidly killed. MDP1 and MDP2 were ca. 100- and 26.6-fold less hemolytic than melittin and found to be respectively 72.9- and 41.6-fold less cytotoxic than melittin on the HEK293 cell line. MDP1 and MDP2 showed 252- and 132-fold improvement in their therapeutic index in comparison to melittin. MDP1 and MDP2 sustained their activities in the presence of human plasma and were found to be ca. four to eightfold more stable than melittin. Spectropolarimetry analysis of MDP1 and MDP2 indicates that the peptides adopt an alpha-helical structure predominantly. According to the fast killing kinetics, significant therapeutic index, and high stability of MDP1, it could be considered as a drug lead in a mouse model of septicemia infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Akbari
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, West Azerbaijan, Iran
| | - Mojdeh Hakemi Vala
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology (INP), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université D'Aix-Marseille, UMR 7051, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, CEDEX 05, 13385, Marseille, France
| | - Kamran Pooshang Bagheri
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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29
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Ortiz-Rodríguez T, Mendoza-Acosta F, Martínez-Zavala SA, Salcedo-Hernández R, Casados-Vázquez LE, Bideshi DK, Barboza-Corona JE. Thurincin H Is a Nonhemolytic Bacteriocin of Bacillus thuringiensis with Potential for Applied Use. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2022:10.1007/s12602-022-09952-2. [PMID: 35610496 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-022-09952-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Thurincin H, a bacteriocin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, exhibits antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. While much is known about its expression and antimicrobial spectrum, its hemolytic property has yet to be established. In this study, thurincin H was produced in a plasmid-free acrystalliferous strain of B. thuringiensis (Bt Cry-B) that naturally lacked antimicrobial and hemolytic activities. When grown in Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), the bacteriocin's maximal production in Bt Cry-B harboring the thurincin H genetic cluster (Bt Cry-B/pThur) was observed at 24 h. Thurincin H was purified as a sole peptide of ~5 kDa using three purification steps, i.e., salt precipitation, ultrafiltration, and gel filtration chromatography. The bacteriocin showed inhibitory activity against B. cereus (5631 U), Bt Cry-B (8827 U), E. faecium wild type (11,197 U), and E. faecium ATCC 19,434 (6950 U), but not against Bt Cry-B/pThurH and Bt Cry-B/pThurHΔThnA. In addition, a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5.0 μg/mL against B. cereus 183 was observed. In silico predictions suggested that thuricin H lacks hemolytic activity, which was validated in vitro using 4 × the MIC, i.e., 20 μg/ml. Our data lay a foundation for the potential safe use of thurincin H as an antibacterial peptide for medical use, in food products, and for expression in probiotic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Ortiz-Rodríguez
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México
| | - Fernanda Mendoza-Acosta
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México
| | - Sheila A Martínez-Zavala
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México
| | - Rubén Salcedo-Hernández
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México.,Departamento de Alimentos, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México
| | - Luz E Casados-Vázquez
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México.,Departamento de Alimentos, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México.,CONACYT- Universidad de Guanajuato, Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México
| | - Dennis K Bideshi
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92504, USA
| | - José E Barboza-Corona
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México. .,Departamento de Alimentos, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, División de Ciencias de la Vida, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36500, México.
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Koch P, Schmitt S, Heynisch A, Gumpinger A, Wüthrich I, Gysin M, Shcherbakov D, Hobbie SN, Panke S, Held M. Optimization of the antimicrobial peptide Bac7 by deep mutational scanning. BMC Biol 2022; 20:114. [PMID: 35578204 PMCID: PMC9112550 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01304-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Intracellularly active antimicrobial peptides are promising candidates for the development of antibiotics for human applications. However, drug development using peptides is challenging as, owing to their large size, an enormous sequence space is spanned. We built a high-throughput platform that incorporates rapid investigation of the sequence-activity relationship of peptides and enables rational optimization of their antimicrobial activity. The platform is based on deep mutational scanning of DNA-encoded peptides and employs highly parallelized bacterial self-screening coupled to next-generation sequencing as a readout for their antimicrobial activity. As a target, we used Bac71-23, a 23 amino acid residues long variant of bactenecin-7, a potent translational inhibitor and one of the best researched proline-rich antimicrobial peptides. Results Using the platform, we simultaneously determined the antimicrobial activity of >600,000 Bac71-23 variants and explored their sequence-activity relationship. This dataset guided the design of a focused library of ~160,000 variants and the identification of a lead candidate Bac7PS. Bac7PS showed high activity against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of E. coli, and its activity was less dependent on SbmA, a transporter commonly used by proline-rich antimicrobial peptides to reach the cytosol and then inhibit translation. Furthermore, Bac7PS displayed strong ribosomal inhibition and low toxicity against eukaryotic cells and demonstrated good efficacy in a murine septicemia model induced by E. coli. Conclusion We demonstrated that the presented platform can be used to establish the sequence-activity relationship of antimicrobial peptides, and showed its usefulness for hit-to-lead identification and optimization of antimicrobial drug candidates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01304-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Koch
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Steven Schmitt
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Heynisch
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anja Gumpinger
- Machine Learning and Computational Biology, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Irene Wüthrich
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marina Gysin
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Shcherbakov
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sven N Hobbie
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Panke
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Held
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland.
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31
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Lai CSE, Leyva-Aranda V, Kong VH, Lopez-Silva TL, Farsheed AC, Cristobal CD, Swain JWR, Lee HK, Hartgerink JD. A Combined Conduit-Bioactive Hydrogel Approach for Regeneration of Transected Sciatic Nerves. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2022; 5:10.1021/acsabm.2c00132. [PMID: 35446025 PMCID: PMC11097895 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Transected peripheral nerve injury (PNI) affects the quality of life of patients, which leads to socioeconomic burden. Despite the existence of autografts and commercially available nerve guidance conduits (NGCs), the complexity of peripheral nerve regeneration requires further research in bioengineered NGCs to improve surgical outcomes. In this work, we introduce multidomain peptide (MDP) hydrogels, as intraluminal fillers, into electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) conduits to bridge 10 mm rat sciatic nerve defects. The efficacy of treatment groups was evaluated by electromyography and gait analysis to determine their electrical and motor recovery. We then studied the samples' histomorphometry with immunofluorescence staining and automatic axon counting/measurement software. Comparison with negative control group shows that PCL conduits filled with an anionic MDP may improve functional recovery 16 weeks postoperation, displaying higher amplitude of compound muscle action potential, greater gastrocnemius muscle weight retention, and earlier occurrence of flexion contracture. In contrast, PCL conduits filled with a cationic MDP showed the least degree of myelination and poor functional recovery. This phenomenon may be attributed to MDPs' difference in degradation time. Electrospun PCL conduits filled with an anionic MDP may become an attractive tissue engineering strategy for treating transected PNI when supplemented with other bioactive modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheuk Sun Edwin Lai
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | | | - Victoria H Kong
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Tania L Lopez-Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Adam C Farsheed
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Carlo D Cristobal
- Integrative Program in Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Joseph W R Swain
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Hyun Kyoung Lee
- Integrative Program in Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Jeffrey D Hartgerink
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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Biofilm Formation by Pathogenic Bacteria: Applying a Staphylococcus aureus Model to Appraise Potential Targets for Therapeutic Intervention. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11040388. [PMID: 35456063 PMCID: PMC9027693 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Carried in the nasal passages by up to 30% of humans, Staphylococcus aureus is recognized to be a successful opportunistic pathogen. It is a frequent cause of infections of the upper respiratory tract, including sinusitis, and of the skin, typically abscesses, as well as of food poisoning and medical device contamination. The antimicrobial resistance of such, often chronic, health conditions is underpinned by the unique structure of bacterial biofilm, which is the focus of increasing research to try to overcome this serious public health challenge. Due to the protective barrier of an exopolysaccharide matrix, bacteria that are embedded within biofilm are highly resistant both to an infected individual’s immune response and to any treating antibiotics. An in-depth appraisal of the stepwise progression of biofilm formation by S. aureus, used as a model infection for all cases of bacterial antibiotic resistance, has enhanced understanding of this complicated microscopic structure and served to highlight possible intervention targets for both patient cure and community infection control. While antibiotic therapy offers a practical means of treatment and prevention, the most favorable results are achieved in combination with other methods. This review provides an overview of S. aureus biofilm development, outlines the current range of anti-biofilm agents that are used against each stage and summarizes their relative merits.
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33
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Zhou C, Wang Q, Jiang J, Gao L. Nanozybiotics: Nanozyme-Based Antibacterials against Bacterial Resistance. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030390. [PMID: 35326853 PMCID: PMC8944833 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by bacteria represent a global threat to human health. However, due to the abuse of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacteria have evolved rapidly and led to the failure of antibiotics treatment. Alternative antimicrobial strategies different to traditional antibiotics are urgently needed. Enzyme-based antibacterials (Enzybiotics) have gradually attracted interest owing to their advantages including high specificity, rapid mode-of-action, no resistance development, etc. However, due to their low stability, potential immunogenicity, and high cost of natural enzymes, enzybiotics have limitations in practical antibacterial therapy. In recent years, many nanomaterials with enzyme-like activities (Nanozymes) have been discovered as a new generation of artificial enzymes and perform catalytic antibacterial effects against bacterial resistance. To highlight the progress in this field of nanozyme-based antibacterials (Nanozybiotics), this review discussed the antibacterial mechanism of action of nanozybiotics with a comparison with enzybiotics. We propose that nanozybiotics may bear promising applications in antibacterial therapy, due to their high stability, rapid bacterial killing, biofilm elimination, and low cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiyu Zhou
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (C.Z.); (Q.W.); (J.J.)
- College of Life Sciences, Graduate School of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qian Wang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (C.Z.); (Q.W.); (J.J.)
- College of Life Sciences, Graduate School of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Jiang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (C.Z.); (Q.W.); (J.J.)
| | - Lizeng Gao
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (C.Z.); (Q.W.); (J.J.)
- Nanozyme Medical Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Correspondence:
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Traditional and Computational Screening of Non-Toxic Peptides and Approaches to Improving Selectivity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15030323. [PMID: 35337121 PMCID: PMC8953747 DOI: 10.3390/ph15030323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides have positively impacted the pharmaceutical industry as drugs, biomarkers, or diagnostic tools of high therapeutic value. However, only a handful have progressed to the market. Toxicity is one of the main obstacles to translating peptides into clinics. Hemolysis or hemotoxicity, the principal source of toxicity, is a natural or disease-induced event leading to the death of vital red blood cells. Initial screenings for toxicity have been widely evaluated using erythrocytes as the gold standard. More recently, many online databases filled with peptide sequences and their biological meta-data have paved the way toward hemolysis prediction using user-friendly, fast-access machine learning-driven programs. This review details the growing contributions of in silico approaches developed in the last decade for the large-scale prediction of erythrocyte lysis induced by peptides. After an overview of the pharmaceutical landscape of peptide therapeutics, we highlighted the relevance of early hemolysis studies in drug development. We emphasized the computational models and algorithms used to this end in light of historical and recent findings in this promising field. We benchmarked seven predictors using peptides from different data sets, having 7–35 amino acids in length. According to our predictions, the models have scored an accuracy over 50.42% and a minimal Matthew’s correlation coefficient over 0.11. The maximum values for these statistical parameters achieved 100.0% and 1.00, respectively. Finally, strategies for optimizing peptide selectivity were described, as well as prospects for future investigations. The development of in silico predictive approaches to peptide toxicity has just started, but their important contributions clearly demonstrate their potential for peptide science and computer-aided drug design. Methodology refinement and increasing use will motivate the timely and accurate in silico identification of selective, non-toxic peptide therapeutics.
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35
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Krämer J, Lüddecke T, Marner M, Maiworm E, Eichberg J, Hardes K, Schäberle TF, Vilcinskas A, Predel R. Antimicrobial, Insecticidal and Cytotoxic Activity of Linear Venom Peptides from the Pseudoscorpion Chelifer cancroides. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:58. [PMID: 35051034 PMCID: PMC8778599 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Linear cationic venom peptides are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert their effects by damaging cell membranes. These peptides can be highly specific, and for some, a significant therapeutic value was proposed, in particular for treatment of bacterial infections. A prolific source of novel AMPs are arthropod venoms, especially those of hitherto neglected groups such as pseudoscorpions. In this study, we describe for the first time pharmacological effects of AMPs discovered in pseudoscorpion venom. We examined the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of full-length Checacin1, a major component of the Chelifer cancroides venom, and three truncated forms of this peptide. The antimicrobial tests revealed a potent inhibitory activity of Checacin1 against several bacteria and fungi, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and even Gram-negative pathogens. All peptides reduced survival rates of aphids, with Checacin1 and the C-terminally truncated Checacin11-21 exhibiting effects comparable to Spinosad, a commercially used pesticide. Cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells were observed mainly for the full-length Checacin1. All tested peptides might be potential candidates for developing lead structures for aphid pest treatment. However, as these peptides were not yet tested on other insects, aphid specificity has not been proven. The N- and C-terminal fragments of Checacin1 are less potent against aphids but exhibit no cytotoxicity on mammalian cells at the tested concentration of 100 µM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Krämer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michael Marner
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Elena Maiworm
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Till F Schäberle
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- 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
| | - Reinhard Predel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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Kalelkar PP, Riddick M, García AJ. Biomaterial-based delivery of antimicrobial therapies for the treatment of bacterial infections. NATURE REVIEWS. MATERIALS 2022; 7:39-54. [PMID: 35330939 PMCID: PMC8938918 DOI: 10.1038/s41578-021-00362-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including strains that are resistant to last-resort antibiotics, and the limited ability of antibiotics to eradicate biofilms, have necessitated the development of alternative antibacterial therapeutics. Antibacterial biomaterials, such as polycationic polymers, and biomaterial-assisted delivery of non-antibiotic therapeutics, such as bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides and antimicrobial enzymes, have improved our ability to treat antibiotic-resistant and recurring infections. Biomaterials not only allow targeted delivery of multiple agents, but also sustained release at the infection site, thereby reducing potential systemic adverse effects. In this Review, we discuss biomaterial-based non-antibiotic antibacterial therapies for the treatment of community- and hospital-acquired infectious diseases, with a focus in in vivo results. We highlight the translational potential of different biomaterial-based strategies, and provide a perspective on the challenges associated with their clinical translation. Finally, we discuss the future scope of biomaterial-assisted antibacterial therapies. WEB SUMMARY The development of antibiotic tolerance and resistance has demanded the search for alternative antibacterial therapies. This Review discusses antibacterial biomaterials and biomaterial-assisted delivery of non-antibiotic therapeutics for the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases, with a focus on clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav P. Kalelkar
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Milan Riddick
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Andrés J. García
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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37
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Evaluation the Therapeutic Index of Recombinant Antimicrobial S3 Tetramer-Peptides Expressed in E. coli. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10263-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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38
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Fan Y, Mohanty S, Zhang Y, Lüchow M, Qin L, Fortuin L, Brauner A, Malkoch M. Dendritic Hydrogels Induce Immune Modulation in Human Keratinocytes and Effectively Eradicate Bacterial Pathogens. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:17180-17190. [PMID: 34636555 PMCID: PMC8532153 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are globally a major threat, leading to high mortality rates and increased economic burden. Novel treatment strategies are therefore urgently needed by healthcare providers to protect people. Biomaterials that have inherent antibacterial properties and do not require the use of antibiotics present an attractive and feasible avenue to achieve this goal. Herein, we demonstrate the effect of a new class of cationic hydrogels based on amino-functional hyperbranched dendritic-linear-dendritic copolymers (HBDLDs) exhibiting excellent antimicrobial activity toward a wide range of clinical Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including drug-resistant strains isolated from wounds. Intriguingly, the hydrogels can induce the expression of the antimicrobial peptides RNase 7 and psoriasin, promoting host-mediated bacterial killing in human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Moreover, treatment with the hydrogels decreased the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, reactive nitrogen species (NO), and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in S. aureus-infected HaCaT cells, conjunctively resulting in reduced inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmiao Fan
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Soumitra Mohanty
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Division
of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University
Hospital, Solna, Stockholm SE-17176, Sweden
| | - Yuning Zhang
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mads Lüchow
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Liguo Qin
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute
of Design Science and Basic Components, Xían Jiaotong University, 710049 Xían, P. R. China
| | - Lisa Fortuin
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annelie Brauner
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Division
of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University
Hospital, Solna, Stockholm SE-17176, Sweden
| | - Michael Malkoch
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
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Rajapaksha DC, Jayathilaka EHTT, Edirisinghe SL, Nikapitiya C, Lee J, Whang I, De Zoysa M. Octopromycin: Antibacterial and antibiofilm functions of a novel peptide derived from Octopus minor against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 117:82-94. [PMID: 34311097 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2021.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has increased the risk of nosocomial infections, which pose a huge health threat. There is an urgent need to develop alternative therapies, including broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides. In this study, we designed, characterized, and studied the antibacterial, antibiofilm effects and possible mode of actions of a novel synthetic peptide Octopromycin, derived from the proline-rich protein 5 of Octopus minor. Octopromycin consists of 38 amino acids, (+5) net positive charge, high hydrophobic residue ratio (36%), and two α-helix secondary structures. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration against A. baumannii were 50 and 200 μg/mL, respectively. Time-kill kinetics and bacterial viability assays confirmed the concentration-dependent antibacterial activity of Octopromycin. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images clearly showed ultrastructural alterations in Octopromycin-treated A. baumannii cells. Propidium iodide penetrated into Octopromycin-treated A. baumannii cells, demonstrating the loss of cell membrane integrity. Octopromycin treatment increased the production of reactive oxygen species in a concentration-dependent manner, and it inhibited the biofilm formation and showed biofilm eradication activity against A. baumannii. In vitro and in vivo safety evaluation revealed that Octopromycin was nontoxic to HEK293T and Raw 264.7 cells (<400 μg/mL), as well as mice red blood cells (<300 μg/mL), and zebrafish embryos (<4 μg/mL). An in vivo study results revealed that the A. baumannii-infected fish treated with Octopromycin exhibited a significantly higher relative percent survival (37.5%) than the infected mock-treated fish with PBS (16.6%). Furthermore, a decreased bacterial load and fewer alterations in histological analysis confirmed the successful control of A. baumannii by Octopromycin in vivo. Collectively, the results indicate that the antibacterial peptide Octopromycin may achieve rapid control of A. baumannii through multi-target interactions; it presents a desirable therapeutic option for the prevention and control of the infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Rajapaksha
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - E H T Thulshan Jayathilaka
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - S L Edirisinghe
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Chamilani Nikapitiya
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Joeun Lee
- National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), 75, Jangsan-ro 101beon-gil, Janghang-eup, Seochun-gun, Chungchungnam-do, 33662, Republic of Korea
| | - Ilson Whang
- National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), 75, Jangsan-ro 101beon-gil, Janghang-eup, Seochun-gun, Chungchungnam-do, 33662, Republic of Korea.
| | - Mahanama De Zoysa
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
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Jia F, Chen P, Wang D, Sun Y, Ren M, Wang Y, Cao X, Zhang L, Fang Y, Tan X, Lu H, Cai J, Lu X, Zhang K. Bottlebrush Polymer-Conjugated Melittin Exhibits Enhanced Antitumor Activity and Better Safety Profile. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:42533-42542. [PMID: 34472829 PMCID: PMC8784393 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c14285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite potency against a variety of cancers in preclinical systems, melittin (MEL), a major peptide in bee venom, exhibits non-specific toxicity, severe hemolytic activity, and poor pharmacological properties. Therefore, its advancement in the clinical translation system has been limited to early-stage trials. Herein, we report a biohybrid involving a bottlebrush-architectured poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and MEL. Termed pacMEL, the conjugate consists of a high-density PEG arrangement, which provides MEL with steric inhibition against protein access, while the high molecular weight of pacMEL substantially enhances plasma pharmacokinetics with a ∼10-fold increase in the area under the curve (AUC∞) compared to free MEL. pacMEL also significantly reduces hepatic damage and unwanted innate immune response and all but eliminated hemolytic activities of MEL. Importantly, pacMEL passively accumulates at subcutaneously inoculated tumor sites and exhibits stronger tumor-suppressive activity than molecular MEL. Collectively, pacMEL makes MEL a safer and more appealing drug candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Jia
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Peiru Chen
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Dali Wang
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yehui Sun
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Mengqi Ren
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yuyan Wang
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Xueyan Cao
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Lei Zhang
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yang Fang
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Xuyu Tan
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Hao Lu
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jiansong Cai
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Xueguang Lu
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ke Zhang
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Immunomodulatory Responses of Two Synthetic Peptides against Salmonella Typhimurium Infection. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26185573. [PMID: 34577046 PMCID: PMC8466354 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro assays of phagocytic activity showed that the peptide Pin2[G] stimulates phagocytosis in BMDM cells from 0.15 to 1.25 μg/mL, and in RAW 264.7 cells at 0.31 μg/mL. In the same way, the peptide FA1 induced phagocytosis in BMDM cells from 1.17 to 4.69 μg/mL and in RAW 264.7 cells at 150 μg/mL. Cytokine profiles of uninfected RAW 264.7 showed that Pin2[G] increased liberation TNF (from 1.25 to 10 μg/mL) and MCP-1 (10 μg/mL), and FA1 also increased the release of TNF (from 18.75 to 75 μg/mL) but did not increase the liberation of MCP-1. In RAW 264.7 macrophages infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the expression of TNF increases with Pin2[G] (1.25–10 μg/mL) or FA1 (18.75–75 μg/mL). In these cells, FA1 also increases the expression of IL-12p70, IL-10 and IFN-γ when applied at concentrations of 37.5, 75 and 150 μg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, stimulation with 1.25 and 10 μg/mL of Pin2[G] promotes the expression of MCP-1 and IL-12p70, respectively. Finally, peptides treatment did not resolve murine gastric infection, but improves their physical condition. Cytokine profiles showed that FA1 reduces IFN-γ and MCP-1 but increases IL-10, while Pin2[G] reduces IFN-γ but increases the liberation of IL-6 and IL-12p70. This data suggests a promising activity of FA1 and Pin2[G] as immunomodulators of gastric infections in S. Typhimurium.
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Makabenta JMV, Park J, Li CH, Chattopadhyay AN, Nabawy A, Landis RF, Gupta A, Schmidt-Malan S, Patel R, Rotello VM. Polymeric Nanoparticles Active against Dual-Species Bacterial Biofilms. Molecules 2021; 26:4958. [PMID: 34443542 PMCID: PMC8399783 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26164958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm infections are a global public health threat, necessitating new treatment strategies. Biofilm formation also contributes to the development and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains. Biofilm-associated chronic infections typically involve colonization by more than one bacterial species. The co-existence of multiple species of bacteria in biofilms exacerbates therapeutic challenges and can render traditional antibiotics ineffective. Polymeric nanoparticles offer alternative antimicrobial approaches to antibiotics, owing to their tunable physico-chemical properties. Here, we report the efficacy of poly(oxanorborneneimide) (PONI)-based antimicrobial polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) against multi-species bacterial biofilms. PNPs showed good dual-species biofilm penetration profiles as confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity was observed, with reduction in both bacterial viability and overall biofilm mass. Further, PNPs displayed minimal fibroblast toxicity and high antimicrobial activity in an in vitro co-culture model comprising fibroblast cells and dual-species biofilms of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study highlights a potential clinical application of the presented polymeric platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessa Marie V. Makabenta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Jungmi Park
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Cheng-Hsuan Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Aritra Nath Chattopadhyay
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Ahmed Nabawy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Ryan F. Landis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Akash Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Suzannah Schmidt-Malan
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USA; (S.S.-M.); (R.P.)
| | - Robin Patel
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USA; (S.S.-M.); (R.P.)
| | - Vincent M. Rotello
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (J.M.V.M.); (J.P.); (C.-H.L.); (A.N.C.); (A.N.); (R.F.L.); (A.G.)
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El-Dirany R, Shahrour H, Dirany Z, Abdel-Sater F, Gonzalez-Gaitano G, Brandenburg K, Martinez de Tejada G, Nguewa PA. Activity of Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs) against Leishmania and Other Parasites: An Overview. Biomolecules 2021; 11:984. [PMID: 34356608 PMCID: PMC8301979 DOI: 10.3390/biom11070984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs), small biologically active molecules, produced by different organisms through their innate immune system, have become a considerable subject of interest in the request of novel therapeutics. Most of these peptides are cationic-amphipathic, exhibiting two main mechanisms of action, direct lysis and by modulating the immunity. The most commonly reported activity of AMPs is their anti-bacterial effects, although other effects, such as anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic, as well as anti-tumor mechanisms of action have also been described. Their anti-parasitic effect against leishmaniasis has been studied. Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease. Currently among parasitic diseases, it is the second most threating illness after malaria. Clinical treatments, mainly antimonial derivatives, are related to drug resistance and some undesirable effects. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic agents has become a priority, and AMPs constitute a promising alternative. In this work, we describe the principal families of AMPs (melittin, cecropin, cathelicidin, defensin, magainin, temporin, dermaseptin, eumenitin, and histatin) exhibiting a potential anti-leishmanial activity, as well as their effectiveness against other microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima El-Dirany
- ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
| | - Hawraa Shahrour
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Zeinab Dirany
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (Z.D.); (G.G.-G.)
| | - Fadi Abdel-Sater
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
| | - Gustavo Gonzalez-Gaitano
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (Z.D.); (G.G.-G.)
| | - Klaus Brandenburg
- Brandenburg Antiinfektiva GmbH, c/o Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum, 23845 Borstel, Germany;
| | - Guillermo Martinez de Tejada
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Paul A. Nguewa
- ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
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Ajingi YS, Rukying N, Aroonsri A, Jongruja N. Recombinant active Peptides and their Therapeutic functions. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2021; 23:645-663. [PMID: 34225618 DOI: 10.2174/1389201022666210702123934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant active peptides are utilized as diagnostic and biotherapeutics in various maladies and as bacterial growth inhibitors in the food industry. This consequently stimulated the need for recombinant peptides' production, which resulted in about 19 approved biotech peptides of 1-100 amino acids commercially available. While most peptides have been produced by chemical synthesis, the production of lengthy and complicated peptides comprising natural amino acids has been problematic with low quantity. Recombinant peptide production has become very vital, cost-effective, simple, environmentally friendly with satisfactory yields. Several reviews have focused on discussing expression systems, advantages, disadvantages, and alternatives strategies. Additionally, the information on the antimicrobial activities and other functions of multiple recombinant peptides is challenging to access and is scattered in literature apart from the food and drug administration (FDA) approved ones. From the reports that come to our knowledge, there is no existing review that offers substantial information on recombinant active peptides developed by researchers and their functions. This review provides an overview of some successfully produced recombinant active peptides of ≤100 amino acids by focusing on their antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, antimalarial, and immune-modulatory functions. It also elucidates their modes of expression that could be adopted and applied in future investigations. We expect that the knowledge available in this review would help researchers involved in recombinant active peptide development for therapeutic uses and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya'u Sabo Ajingi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok. Thailand
| | - Neeranuch Rukying
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil. Nigeria
| | - Aiyada Aroonsri
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Pathum Thani. Thailand
| | - Nujarin Jongruja
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil. Nigeria
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45
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Strömdahl AC, Ignatowicz L, Petruk G, Butrym M, Wasserstrom S, Schmidtchen A, Puthia M. Peptide-coated polyurethane material reduces wound infection and inflammation. Acta Biomater 2021; 128:314-331. [PMID: 33951491 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for treatments that not only reduce bacterial infection that occurs during wounding but that also target the accompanying excessive inflammatory response. TCP-25, a thrombin-derived antibacterial peptide, scavenges toll-like receptor agonists such as endotoxins and lipoteichoic acid and prevents toll-like receptor-4 dimerization to reduce infection-related inflammation in vivo. Using a combination of biophysical, cellular, and microbiological assays followed by experimental studies in mouse and pig models, we show that TCP-25, when delivered from a polyurethane (PU) material, exerts anti-infective and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, TCP-25 killed the common wound pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, in both in vitro and in vivo assays. Furthermore, after its release from the PU material, the peptide retained its capacity to induce its helical conformation upon endotoxin interaction, yielding reduced activation of NF-κB in THP-1 reporter cells, and diminished accumulation of inflammatory cells and subsequent release of IL-6 and TNF-α in subcutaneous implant models in vivo. Moreover, in a porcine partial thickness wound infection model, TCP-25 treated infection with S. aureus, and reduced the concomitant inflammatory response. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a combined antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect of TCP-25 delivered from PU in vitro, and in mouse and porcine in vivo models of localized infection-inflammation. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Local wound infections may result in systemic complications and can be difficult to treat due to increasing antimicrobial resistance. Surgical site infections and biomaterial-related infections present a major challenge for hospitals. In recent years, various antimicrobial coatings have been developed for infection prevention and current concepts focus on various matrices with added anti-infective components, including various antibiotics and antiseptics. We have developed a dual action wound dressing concept where the host defense peptide TCP-25, when delivered from a PU material, targets both bacterial infection and the accompanying inflammation. TCP-25 PU showed efficacy in in vitro and experimental wound models in mouse and minipigs.
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46
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Aronica PGA, Reid LM, Desai N, Li J, Fox SJ, Yadahalli S, Essex JW, Verma CS. Computational Methods and Tools in Antimicrobial Peptide Research. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:3172-3196. [PMID: 34165973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is an ongoing and troubling development that has increased the number of diseases and infections that risk going untreated. There is an urgent need to develop alternative strategies and treatments to address this issue. One class of molecules that is attracting significant interest is that of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Their design and development has been aided considerably by the applications of molecular models, and we review these here. These methods include the use of tools to explore the relationships between their structures, dynamics, and functions and the increasing application of machine learning and molecular dynamics simulations. This review compiles resources such as AMP databases, AMP-related web servers, and commonly used techniques, together aimed at aiding researchers in the area toward complementing experimental studies with computational approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro G A Aronica
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671
| | - Lauren M Reid
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671.,School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield Southampton, Hampshire, U.K. SO17 1BJ.,MedChemica Ltd, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire, U.K. SK10 4TG
| | - Nirali Desai
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671.,Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Central Campus, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 380009
| | - Jianguo Li
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671.,Singapore Eye Research Institute, 20 College Road Discovery Tower, Singapore 169856
| | - Stephen J Fox
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671
| | - Shilpa Yadahalli
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671
| | - Jonathan W Essex
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield Southampton, Hampshire, U.K. SO17 1BJ
| | - Chandra S Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543 Singapore.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, 637551 Singapore
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47
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Bevalian P, Pashaei F, Akbari R, Pooshang Bagheri K. Eradication of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on a mouse model of third-degree burn infection by melittin: An antimicrobial peptide from bee venom. Toxicon 2021; 199:49-59. [PMID: 34087287 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Third-degree burn infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are of high clinical concern. Chemical antibiotics are not promising in eradication of bacterial infections. In this challenging condition, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are recently introduced as novel promising agents to overcome the issue. Accordingly, our study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of 'melittin' as natural peptide in bee venom, in eradicating vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) on a mouse model of third-degree burn infection. In vitro pharmacological value of melittin was determined by examining its inhibitory and killing activities on VRSA isolates at different doses and time periods. The action mechanism of 'melittin' was evaluated by fluorescent release assay and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) analyses. In vivo activity and toxicity of melittin were also examined on a mouse model of third-degree burn infection. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of melittin on all isolates ranged from '0.125-2 μg/mL' and '0.125-4 μg/mL', respectively. Rapid antibacterial activity of melittin on VRSA isolates was demonstrated by killing kinetics assays. Fluorometric and FE-SEM analyses indicated the membranolytic effects of melittin on VRSA isolates. The colonized VRSA bacteria were eradicated by melittin at 16 μg, in a single dose. No dermal toxicity and in vivo hemolysis were observed in the examined mice. The lack of in vivo toxicity of melittin along with its potent antibacterial activity indicated its promising therapeutic value as a topical drug against S. aureus associated third-degree burn infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parvaneh Bevalian
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Biotechnology Dept., Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Pashaei
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Biotechnology Dept., Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Akbari
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Biotechnology Dept., Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, West Azerbaijan, Iran
| | - Kamran Pooshang Bagheri
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Biotechnology Dept., Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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Flynn J, Ryan A, Hudson SP. Pre-formulation and delivery strategies for the development of bacteriocins as next generation antibiotics. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2021; 165:149-163. [PMID: 34020021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2021.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriocins, a class of antimicrobial peptide produced by bacteria, may offer a potential alternative to traditional antibiotics, an important step towards mitigating the ever-increasing antimicrobial resistance crisis. They are active against a range of clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteriocins have been discussed in the literature for over a century. Although they are used as preservatives in food, no medicine based on their antimicrobial activity exists on the market today. In order to formulate them into clinical antibiotics, pre-formulation studies on their biophysical and physicochemical properties that will influence their activity in vivo and their stability during manufacture must be elucidated. Thermal, pH and enzymatic stability of bacteriocins are commonly studied and regularly reported in the literature. Solubility, permeability and aggregation properties on the other hand are less frequently reported for many bacteriocins, which may contribute to their poor clinical progression. Promising cytotoxicity studies report that bacteriocins exhibit few cytotoxic effects on a variety of mammalian cell lines, at active concentrations. This review highlights the lack of quantitative data and in many cases even qualitative data, on bacteriocins' solubility, stability, aggregation, permeability and cytotoxicity. The formulation strategies that have been explored to date, proposed routes of administration, trends in in vitro/in vivo behaviour and efforts in clinical development are discussed. The future promise of bacteriocins as a new generation of antibiotics may require tailored local delivery strategies to fulfil their potential as a force to combat antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Flynn
- Department of Chemical Sciences, SSPC, the SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland
| | - Aoibhín Ryan
- Department of Chemical Sciences, SSPC, the SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland
| | - Sarah P Hudson
- Department of Chemical Sciences, SSPC, the SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland.
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Memariani H, Memariani M. Melittin as a promising anti-protozoan peptide: current knowledge and future prospects. AMB Express 2021; 11:69. [PMID: 33983454 PMCID: PMC8119515 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-021-01229-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoan diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness still levy a heavy toll on human lives. Deplorably, only few classes of anti-protozoan drugs have thus far been developed. The problem is further compounded by their intrinsic toxicity, emergence of drug resistance, and the lack of licensed vaccines. Thus, there is a genuine exigency to develop novel anti-protozoan medications. Over the past years, melittin, the major constituent in the venom of European honeybee Apis mellifera, has gathered the attention of researchers due to its potential therapeutic applications. Insofar as we are aware, there has been no review pertinent to anti-protozoan properties of melittin. The present review outlines the current knowledge about anti-protozoan effects of melittin and its underlying mechanisms. The peptide has proven to be efficacious in killing different protozoan parasites such as Leishmania, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Trypanosoma in vitro. Apart from direct membrane-disruptive activity, melittin is capable of destabilizing calcium homeostasis, reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, disorganizing kinetoplast DNA, instigating apoptotic cell death, and induction of autophagy in protozoan pathogens. Emerging evidence suggests that melittin is a promising candidate for future vaccine adjuvants. Transmission-blocking activity of melittin against vector-borne pathogens underscores its potential utility for both transgenic and paratransgenic manipulations. Nevertheless, future research should focus upon investigating anti-microbial activities of melittin, alone or in combination with the current anti-protozoan medications, against a far broader spectrum of protozoan parasites as well as pre-clinical testing of the peptide in animal models.
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PR-1-Like Protein as a Potential Target for the Identification of Fusarium oxysporum: An In Silico Approach. BIOTECH 2021; 10:biotech10020008. [PMID: 35822818 PMCID: PMC9245465 DOI: 10.3390/biotech10020008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusarium oxysporum remains one of the leading causes of economic losses and poor crop yields; its detection is strained due to its presentation in various morphological and physiological forms. This research work sought to identify novel biomarkers for the detection of Fusarium oxysporum using in silico approaches. Experimentally validated anti-Fusarium oxysporum antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were used to construct a profile against Fusarium oxysporum. The performance and physicochemical parameters of these peptides were predicted. The gene for the Fusarium oxysporum receptor protein PR-1-like Protein, Fpr1, was identified and translated. The resulting protein model from the translation was then validated. The anti-Fusarium oxysporum AMPs and Fusarium oxysporum receptor protein 3-D structures were characterized, and their docking interaction analyses were carried out. The HMMER in silico tool identified novel anti-Fusarium oxysporum antimicrobial peptides with good performance in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. These AMPs also displayed good physicochemical properties and bound with greater affinity to Fusarium oxysporum protein receptor PR-1-like Protein. The tendency of these AMPs to precisely detect Fusarium oxysporum PR-1-like Protein, Fpr1, would justify their use for the identification of the fungus. This study would enhance and facilitate the identification of Fusarium oxysporum to reduce problems associated with poor crop yield, economic losses, and decreased nutritional values of plants to keep up with the growing population.
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