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Awang T, Chairatana P, Pongprayoon P. Molecular dynamics simulations of human α-defensin 5 (HD5) crossing gram-negative bacterial membrane. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294041. [PMID: 37988380 PMCID: PMC10662769 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294041] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Human α-defensin 5 (HD5) is a cationic antimicrobial peptide exhibiting a wide range of antimicrobial activities. It plays an important role in mucosal immunity of the small intestine. HD5 exerts its bactericidal activities through multiple mechanisms, one of which involves HD5 inducing the formation of pores in the bacterial membrane, subsequently allowing the peptide to enter the bacterial cytoplasm. Nevertheless, the precise molecular intricacies underlying its bactericidal mechanisms remain inadequately understood. In this work, the Potential of Mean Force (PMF) was computed to delve into the energetic properties governing the movement of HD5 across the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) membrane, which is a representative model of the gram-negative bacterial membrane. Our findings indicate that the most favorable free energy is attained when HD5 binds to the surface of the LPS membrane. This favorable interaction is primarily driven by the strong interactions between arginine residues in HD5 and the charged head groups of LPS, serving as the predominant forces facilitating the adhesion of HD5 to the membrane. Our analysis reveals that a dimeric form of HD5 alone is sufficient to create a water-filled channel in the membrane; however, achieving the complete lysis of the gram-negative bacterial membrane requires higher-order oligomerization of HD5. Our results suggest that HD5 employs the toroidal pore formation mechanism to disrupt the integrity of the LPS membrane. Furthermore, we identified that the primary energy barrier obstructing HD5 from traversing the membrane is localized within the hydrophobic core of the membrane, which is also observed for other defensins. Additionally, our study demonstrates that a mixture of HD5-LPS leads to a thinning of the membrane. Taken together, this work provides a deeper insight into the molecular intricacies governing the behavior of HD5 as it translocates through the gram-negative bacterial membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadsanee Awang
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Phoom Chairatana
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Prapasiri Pongprayoon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies in Nanotechnology for Chemical, Food and Agricultural Industries, KU Institute for Advanced Studies, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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2
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Chumponanomakun P, Niramitranon J, Chairatana P, Pongprayoon P. Molecular insights into the adsorption mechanism of E21R and T7E21R human defensin 5 on a bacterial membrane. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2022.2086253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Phoom Chumponanomakun
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jitti Niramitranon
- Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Phoom Chairatana
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Prapasiri Pongprayoon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies in Nanotechnology for Chemical, Food and Agricultural Industries, KU Institute for Advanced Studies, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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3
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Gao X, Ding J, Liao C, Xu J, Liu X, Lu W. Defensins: The natural peptide antibiotic. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 179:114008. [PMID: 34673132 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Defensins are a family of cationic antimicrobial peptides active against a broad range of infectious microbes including bacteria, viruses and fungi, playing important roles as innate effectors and immune modulators in immunological control of microbial infection. Their antibacterial properties and unique mechanisms of action have garnered considerable interest in developing defensins into a novel class of natural antibiotic peptides to fend off pathogenic infection by bacteria, particularly those resistant to conventional antibiotics. However, serious pharmacological and technical obstacles, some of which are unique to defensins and others are common to peptide drugs in general, have hindered the development and clinical translation of defensins as anti-infective therapeutics. To overcome them, several technologies have been developed, aiming for improved functionality, prolonged circulation time, enhanced proteolytic stability and bioavailability, and efficient and controlled delivery and release of defensins to the site of infection. Additional challenges include the alleviation of potential toxicity of defensins and their cost-effective manufacturing. In this review, we briefly introduce defensin biology, focus on various transforming strategies and practical techniques developed for defensins and their derivatives as antibacterial therapeutics, and conclude with a summation of future challenges and possible solutions.
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Pachón-Ibáñez ME, Smani Y, Pachón J, Sánchez-Céspedes J. Perspectives for clinical use of engineered human host defense antimicrobial peptides. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 41:323-342. [PMID: 28521337 PMCID: PMC5435762 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fux012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The emergence of drug-resistance mechanisms, especially among bacteria, threatens the efficacy of all current antimicrobial agents, some of them already ineffective. As a result, there is an urgent need for new antimicrobial drugs. Host defense antimicrobial peptides (HDPs) are natural occurring and well-conserved peptides of innate immunity, broadly active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, viruses and fungi. They also are able to exert immunomodulatory and adjuvant functions by acting as chemotactic for immune cells, and inducing cytokines and chemokines secretion. Moreover, they show low propensity to elicit microbial adaptation, probably because of their non-specific mechanism of action, and are able to neutralize exotoxins and endotoxins. HDPs have the potential to be a great source of novel antimicrobial agents. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the advances made in the development of human defensins as well as the cathelicidin LL-37 and their derivatives as antimicrobial agents against bacteria, viruses and fungi for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Pachón-Ibáñez
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville
| | - Younes Smani
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville
| | - Jerónimo Pachón
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville.,Department of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Sánchez-Céspedes
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville.,Department of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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Liu WJ, Song XR, Zuo BL, Wang XW. Construction of an Ec-LDP-D5 fusion protein that targets human epidermal growth factor receptor and its anti-pancreatic cancer activity. PRECISION RADIATION ONCOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/pro6.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-juan Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology; Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute; Jinan China
| | - Xian-rang Song
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology; Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute; Jinan China
| | - Bin-li Zuo
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology; Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute; Jinan China
| | - Xing-wu Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology; Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute; Jinan China
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Jung SW, Lee J, Cho AE. Elucidating the Bacterial Membrane Disruption Mechanism of Human α-Defensin 5: A Theoretical Study. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:741-748. [PMID: 28067516 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b11806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human α-defensin 5 (HD5) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial peptide produced by small intestinal Paneth cells. Despite considerable experimental evidence for the correlation between bacterial membrane destruction and the antibacterial activity of HD5, its membrane disruption mechanism remains unclear. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area analysis, we demonstrate the membrane disruption mechanism of HD5 based on the intrinsic binding of HD5 to Gram-negative (GN) bacterial inner membrane. It was found that both monomer and dimer forms of HD5 bind to the surface of the GN membrane rather than embedding in the hydrophobic core region of the bilayer. Regardless of the form of HD5, the peptide orientated itself similarly on the membrane surface with an inward-pointing electric dipole moment and an outward-pointing hydrophobic dipole moment. We investigated its possible membrane disruption mechanisms and determined that anionic lipid clustering is a plausible mode of action for HD5. Relative binding free energy analysis revealed that electrostatic interactions play a major role in this mechanism. Our findings shed light on the biophysical phenomena of HD5-GN membrane binding and suggest a possible membrane disruption mechanism for HD5. This analysis of the fundamental binding properties of the monomeric HD5-GN membrane complex provides a useful guide for defensin-derived antibiotic design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Won Jung
- Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University , 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Juho Lee
- Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water, and Sustainability, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 291 Deahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Art E Cho
- Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University , 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
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Shan Y, Dong Y, Jiang D. Recombinant expression of a novel antimicrobial peptide consisting of human α-defensin 5 and Mytilus coruscus mytilin-1 in Escherichia coli. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13765-015-0109-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Efficient production of a correctly folded mouse α-defensin, cryptdin-4, by refolding during inclusion body solubilization. Protein Expr Purif 2015; 112:21-8. [PMID: 25913370 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian α-defensins contribute to innate immunity by exerting antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. To perform structural and functional analysis of α-defensins, large amounts of α-defensins are essential. Although many expression systems for the production of recombinant α-defensins have been developed, attempts to obtain large amounts of α-defensins have been only moderately successful. Therefore, in this study, we applied a previously developed aggregation-prone protein coexpression method for the production of mouse α-defensin cryptdin-4 (Crp4) in order to enhance the formation of inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli expression system. By using this method, we succeeded in obtaining a large amount of Crp4 in the form of inclusion bodies. Moreover, we attempted to refold Crp4 directly during the inclusion-body solubilization step under oxidative conditions. Surprisingly, even without any purification, Crp4 was efficiently refolded during the solubilization step of inclusion bodies, and the yield was better than that of the conventional refolding method. NMR spectra of purified Crp4 suggested that it was folded into its correct tertiary structure. Therefore, the method described in this study not only enhances the expression of α-defensin as inclusion bodies, but also eliminates the cumbersome and time-consuming refolding step.
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Wang C, Shen M, Gohain N, Tolbert WD, Chen F, Zhang N, Yang K, Wang A, Su Y, Cheng T, Zhao J, Pazgier M, Wang J. Design of a potent antibiotic peptide based on the active region of human defensin 5. J Med Chem 2015; 58:3083-93. [PMID: 25782105 DOI: 10.1021/jm501824a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Human defensin 5 (HD5) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial peptide with a C-terminal active region. To promote the development of this peptide into an antibiotic, we initially substituted Glu21 with Arg because it is an electronegative residue located around the active region. Although detrimental to dimer formation, the E21R substitution markedly enhanced the antibacterial activity of HD5 and increased its ability to penetrate cell membranes, demonstrating that increasing the electropositive charge compensated for the effect of dimer disruption. Subsequently, a partial Arg scanning mutagenesis was performed, and Thr7 was selected for replacement with Arg to further strengthen the antibacterial activity. The newly designed peptide, T7E21R-HD5, exhibited potent antibacterial activity, even in saline and serum solutions. In contrast to monomeric E21R-HD5, T7E21R-HD5 assembled into an atypical dimer with parallel β strands, thus expanding the role of increasing electropositive charge in bactericidal activity and providing a useful guide for further defensin-derived antibiotic design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wang
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Mingqiang Shen
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Neelakshi Gohain
- ‡Institute of Human Virology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - William D Tolbert
- ‡Institute of Human Virology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Fang Chen
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Naixin Zhang
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Ke Yang
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.,§Department of Nephrology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China
| | - Aiping Wang
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yongping Su
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Tianmin Cheng
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Jinghong Zhao
- §Department of Nephrology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China
| | - Marzena Pazgier
- ‡Institute of Human Virology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Junping Wang
- †State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
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Huang XX, Gao CY, Zhao QJ, Li CL. Antimicrobial characterization of site-directed mutagenesis of porcine beta defensin 2. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118170. [PMID: 25719446 PMCID: PMC4342241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine β defensin 2 (pBD2) is a small, cationic and amphiphilic antimicrobial peptide. It has broad antimicrobial activities against bacteria and plays an important role in host defense. In order to enhance its antimicrobial activity and better understand the effect of positively charged residues on its activity, we substituted eight amino acid residues with arginine or lysine respectively. All mutants were cloned and expressed in BL21 (DE3) plysS and the mutant proteins were then purified. These mutant versions had higher positive charges but similar structural configurations compared to the wild-type pBD2. Moreover, these mutant proteins showed different antimicrobial activities against E. coli and S. aureus. The mutant I4R of pBD2 had the highest antimicrobial activity. In addition, all the mutants showed low hemolytic activities. Our results indicated that the positively charged residues were not the only factor that influenced antimicrobial activity, but other factors such as distribution of these residues on the surface of defensins might also contribute to their antimicrobial potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-xian Huang
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, The People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-yu Gao
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, The People's Republic of China
| | - Qing-jun Zhao
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, The People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-li Li
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, The People's Republic of China
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Rajabi M, Ericksen B, Wu X, de Leeuw E, Zhao L, Pazgier M, Lu W. Functional determinants of human enteric α-defensin HD5: crucial role for hydrophobicity at dimer interface. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:21615-27. [PMID: 22573326 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.367995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human α-defensins are cationic peptides that self-associate into dimers and higher-order oligomers. They bind protein toxins, such as anthrax lethal factor (LF), and kill bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, among other functions. There are six members of the human α-defensin family: four human neutrophil peptides, including HNP1, and two enteric human defensins, including HD5. We subjected HD5 to comprehensive alanine scanning mutagenesis. We then assayed LF binding by surface plasmon resonance, LF activity by enzyme kinetic inhibition, and antibacterial activity by the virtual colony count assay. Most mutations could be tolerated, resulting in activity comparable with that of wild type HD5. However, the L29A mutation decimated LF binding and bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. A series of unnatural aliphatic and aromatic substitutions at position 29, including aminobutyric acid (Abu) and norleucine (Nle) correlated hydrophobicity with HD5 function. The crystal structure of L29Abu-HD5 depicted decreased hydrophobic contacts at the dimer interface, whereas the Nle-29-HD5 crystal structure depicted a novel mode of dimerization with parallel β strands. The effect of mutating Leu(29) is similar to that of a C-terminal hydrophobic residue of HNP1, Trp(26). In addition, in order to further clarify the role of dimerization in HD5 function, an obligate monomer was generated by N-methylation of the Glu(21) residue, decreasing LF binding and antibacterial activity against S. aureus. These results further characterize the dimer interface of the α-defensins, revealing a crucial role of hydrophobicity-mediated dimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Rajabi
- Institute of Human Virology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
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