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Bello-Madruga R, Torrent Burgas M. The limits of prediction: Why intrinsically disordered regions challenge our understanding of antimicrobial peptides. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:972-981. [PMID: 38404711 PMCID: PMC10884422 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.02.008] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are molecules found in most organisms, playing a vital role in innate immune defense against pathogens. Their mechanism of action involves the disruption of bacterial cell membranes, causing leakage of cellular contents and ultimately leading to cell death. While AMPs typically lack a defined structure in solution, they often assume a defined conformation when interacting with bacterial membranes. Given this structural flexibility, we investigated whether intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) with AMP-like properties could exhibit antimicrobial activity. We tested 14 peptides from different IDRs predicted to have antimicrobial activity and found that nearly all of them did not display the anticipated effects. These peptides failed to adopt a defined secondary structure and had compromised membrane interactions, resulting in a lack of antimicrobial activity. We hypothesize that evolutionary constraints may prevent IDRs from folding, even in membrane-like environments, limiting their antimicrobial potential. Moreover, our research reveals that current antimicrobial predictors fail to accurately capture the structural features of peptides when dealing with intrinsically unstructured sequences. Hence, the results presented here may have far-reaching implications for designing and improving antimicrobial strategies and therapies against infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Bello-Madruga
- The Systems Biology of Infection Lab, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biosciences Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Marc Torrent Burgas
- The Systems Biology of Infection Lab, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biosciences Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
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2
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Burke Ó, Zeden MS, O'Gara JP. The pathogenicity and virulence of the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis. Virulence 2024; 15:2359483. [PMID: 38868991 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2359483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The pervasive presence of Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci on the skin and mucous membranes has long underpinned a casual disregard for the infection risk that these organisms pose to vulnerable patients in healthcare settings. Prior to the recognition of biofilm as an important virulence determinant in S. epidermidis, isolation of this microorganism in diagnostic specimens was often overlooked as clinically insignificant with potential delays in diagnosis and onset of appropriate treatment, contributing to the establishment of chronic infection and increased morbidity or mortality. While impressive progress has been made in our understanding of biofilm mechanisms in this important opportunistic pathogen, research into other virulence determinants has lagged S. aureus. In this review, the broader virulence potential of S. epidermidis including biofilm, toxins, proteases, immune evasion strategies and antibiotic resistance mechanisms is surveyed, together with current and future approaches for improved therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Órla Burke
- Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | | | - James P O'Gara
- Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
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3
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Randall JR, Vieira LC, Wilke CO, Davies BW. Deep mutational scanning and machine learning for the analysis of antimicrobial-peptide features driving membrane selectivity. Nat Biomed Eng 2024:10.1038/s41551-024-01243-1. [PMID: 39085646 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01243-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Many antimicrobial peptides directly disrupt bacterial membranes yet can also damage mammalian membranes. It is therefore central to their therapeutic use that rules governing the membrane selectivity of antimicrobial peptides be deciphered. However, this is difficult even for short peptides owing to the large combinatorial space of amino acid sequences. Here we describe a method for measuring the loss or maintenance of antimicrobial-peptide activity for thousands of peptide-sequence variants simultaneously, and its application to Protegrin-1, a potent yet toxic antimicrobial peptide, to determine the positional importance and flexibility of residues across its sequence while identifying variants with changes in membrane selectivity. More bacterially selective variants maintained a membrane-bound secondary structure while avoiding aromatic residues and cysteine pairs. A machine-learning model trained with our datasets accurately predicted membrane-specific activities for over 5.7 million Protegrin-1 variants, and identified one variant that showed substantially reduced toxicity and retention of activity in a mouse model of intraperitoneal infection. The high-throughput methodology may help elucidate sequence-structure-function relationships in antimicrobial peptides and inform the design of peptide-based synthetic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Randall
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Luiz C Vieira
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Claus O Wilke
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Bryan W Davies
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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4
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Cancelarich NL, Arrulo M, Gugliotti ST, Barbosa EA, Moreira DC, Basso NG, Pérez LO, Teixeira C, Gomes P, de la Torre BG, Albericio F, Eaton P, Leite JRSA, Marani MM. First Bioprospecting Study of Skin Host-Defense Peptides in Odontophrynus americanus. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2024; 87:1714-1724. [PMID: 38900961 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
The adaptation of amphibians to diverse environments is closely related to the characteristics of their skin. The complex glandular system of frog skin plays a pivotal role in enabling these animals to thrive in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats and consists of crucial functions such as respiration and water balance as well as serving as a defensive barrier due to the secretion of bioactive compounds. We herein report the first investigation on the skin secretion of Odontophrynus americanus, as a potential source of bioactive peptides and also as an indicator of its evolutionary adaptations to changing environments. Americanin-1 was isolated and identified as a neutral peptide exhibiting moderate antibacterial activity against E. coli. Its amphipathic sequence including 19 amino acids and showing a propensity for α-helix structure is discussed. Comparisons of the histomorphology of the skin of O. americanus with other previously documented species within the same genus revealed distinctive features in the Patagonian specimen, differing from conspecifics from other Argentine provinces. The presence of the Eberth-Katschenko layer, a prevalence of iridophores, and the existence of glycoconjugates in its serous glands suggest that the integument is adapted to retain skin moisture. This adaptation is consistent with the prevailing aridity of its native habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia L Cancelarich
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
| | - Miriam Arrulo
- School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Eder A Barbosa
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Síntese e Análise de Biomoléculas, LSAB, Instituto de Química-UnB, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Daniel C Moreira
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Néstor G Basso
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus), CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
| | - Luis Orlando Pérez
- Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas (IPCSH), CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- Gyros Protein Technologies, Inc., Tucson, Arizona 85714, United States
| | - Paula Gomes
- Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Beatriz G de la Torre
- Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Fernando Albericio
- School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Networking Centre on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter Eaton
- Bridge, School of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7EL, United Kingdom
| | - José R S A Leite
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Mariela M Marani
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina U9120ACD
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5
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Bicho GFH, Nunes LOC, Fiametti LO, Argentin MN, Candido VT, Camargo ILBC, Cilli EM, Santos-Filho NA. Synthesis, Characterization, and Study of the Antimicrobial Potential of Dimeric Peptides Derived from the C-Terminal Region of Lys 49 Phospholipase A 2 Homologs. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:308. [PMID: 39057948 PMCID: PMC11281518 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16070308] [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: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Currently, the search for new alternatives to conventional antibiotics to combat bacterial resistance is an urgent task, as many microorganisms threaten human health due to increasing bacterial resistance to traditional medicines. Thus, new molecules such as antimicrobial peptides have emerged as promising alternatives because of their low induction of resistance and broad spectrum of action. In this context, in the past few years, our research group has synthesized and characterized a peptide derived from the C-terminal region of the Lys49 PLA2-like BthTX-I, named p-BthTX-I. After several studies, the peptide (p-BthTX-I)2K was proposed as the molecule with the most considerable biotechnological potential. As such, the present work aimed to evaluate whether the modifications made on the peptide (p-BthTX-I)2K can be applied to other molecules originating from the C-terminal region of PLA2-like Lys49 from snake venoms. The peptides were obtained through the solid-phase peptide synthesis technique, and biochemical and functional characterization was carried out using dichroism techniques, mass spectrometry, antimicrobial activity against ESKAPE strains, hemolytic activity, and permeabilization of lipid vesicles. The antimicrobial activity of the peptides was promising, especially for the peptides (p-AppK)2K and (p-ACL)2K, which demonstrated activity against all strains that were tested, surpassing the model molecule (p-BthTX-I)2K in most cases and maintaining low hemolytic activity. The modifications initially proposed for the (p-BthTX-I)2K peptide were shown to apply to other peptides derived from Lys49 PLA2-like from snake venoms, showing promising results for antimicrobial activity. Future assays comparing the activity of the dimers obtained through this strategy with the monomers of these peptides should be carried out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel F. H. Bicho
- Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Av. Prof. Francisco Degni, 55-Jardim Quitandinha, Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil; (G.F.H.B.); (L.O.C.N.); (L.O.F.); (E.M.C.)
| | - Letícia O. C. Nunes
- Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Av. Prof. Francisco Degni, 55-Jardim Quitandinha, Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil; (G.F.H.B.); (L.O.C.N.); (L.O.F.); (E.M.C.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rodovia Araraquara Jaú, Km 01-s/n-Campos Ville, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Louise Oliveira Fiametti
- Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Av. Prof. Francisco Degni, 55-Jardim Quitandinha, Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil; (G.F.H.B.); (L.O.C.N.); (L.O.F.); (E.M.C.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rodovia Araraquara Jaú, Km 01-s/n-Campos Ville, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcela N. Argentin
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. João Dagnone, 1100-Jardim Santa Angelina, São Carlos 13563-120, SP, Brazil; (M.N.A.); (V.T.C.); (I.L.B.C.C.)
| | - Vitória T. Candido
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. João Dagnone, 1100-Jardim Santa Angelina, São Carlos 13563-120, SP, Brazil; (M.N.A.); (V.T.C.); (I.L.B.C.C.)
| | - Ilana L. B. C. Camargo
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. João Dagnone, 1100-Jardim Santa Angelina, São Carlos 13563-120, SP, Brazil; (M.N.A.); (V.T.C.); (I.L.B.C.C.)
| | - Eduardo M. Cilli
- Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Av. Prof. Francisco Degni, 55-Jardim Quitandinha, Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil; (G.F.H.B.); (L.O.C.N.); (L.O.F.); (E.M.C.)
| | - Norival A. Santos-Filho
- Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Av. Prof. Francisco Degni, 55-Jardim Quitandinha, Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil; (G.F.H.B.); (L.O.C.N.); (L.O.F.); (E.M.C.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rodovia Araraquara Jaú, Km 01-s/n-Campos Ville, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil
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6
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Fink A, Ben Hur D, Wani NA, Cohen H, Segev-Zarko LA, Arnusch CJ, Shai Y. Development of Nontoxic Peptides for Lipopolysaccharide Neutralization and Sepsis Treatment. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2024; 7:1795-1806. [PMID: 38898940 PMCID: PMC11184611 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.4c00033] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs), also named antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are increasingly being recognized for serving multiple functions in protecting the host from infection and disease. Previous studies have shown that various HDPs can also neutralize lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin), as well as lipoteichoic acid (LTA), inducing macrophage activation. However, antimicrobial activity is usually accompanied by systemic toxicity which makes it difficult to use HDPs as antiendotoxin agents. Here we report that key parameters can uncouple these two functions yielding nontoxic peptides with potent LPS and LTA neutralization activities in vitro and in animal models. The data reveal that peptide length, the number, and the placement of positive charges are important parameters involved in LPS neutralization. Crucially, the peptide exhibited a separation between its membrane-disrupting and antimicrobial properties, effectively decoupling them from its ability to neutralize LPS. This essential distinction prevented systemic toxicity and led to the peptide's complete rescue of mice suffering from severe septic shock in two distinct models. Strong binding to LPS, changes in structure, and oligomerization state upon LPS binding were important factors that determined the activity of the peptides. In the face of the increasing threat of septic shock worldwide, it is crucial to grasp how we can neutralize harmful substances like LPS. This knowledge is vital for creating nontoxic treatments for sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avner Fink
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
- MilliporeSigma
Life Science, Kiryat
Hamada 13, 9777613 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Daniel Ben Hur
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Naiem Ahmad Wani
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Hadar Cohen
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Li-Av Segev-Zarko
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Christopher J. Arnusch
- Department
of Desalination and Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water
Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus 8499000, Israel
| | - Yechiel Shai
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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7
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Wei Y, Li Y, Li X, Zhao Y, Xu J, Wang H, Rong X, Xiong J, Chen X, Luo G, Lv G, Lin C, Han C, Yu H, Zhang Y, Tang S, Fan Y, Tu J, Xia C, Zu H, Liu W, Liu C, Liu J, Zhang B, Nong Q, Li T, Wang L, Song G, Su Y, Chen Z, Lai W, Fu Y, Yu J, Zhang P, Yang W, Yao G, Zhang H, Fan K, Dong H, Chen Y, Wu J. Peceleganan Spray for the Treatment of Skin Wound Infections: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2415310. [PMID: 38861260 PMCID: PMC11167495 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.15310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Peceleganan spray is a novel topical antimicrobial agent targeted for the treatment of skin wound infections. However, its efficacy and safety remain unclear. Objective To assess the safety and efficacy of peceleganan spray for the treatment of wound infections. Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter, open-label, phase 3 randomized clinical trial recruited and followed up 570 adult patients diagnosed with secondary open wound infections from 37 hospitals in China from August 23, 2021, to July 16, 2022. Interventions Patients were randomized to 2 groups with a 2:1 allocation. One group received treatment with 2% peceleganan spray (n = 381) and the other with 1% silver sulfadiazine (SSD) cream (n = 189). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary efficacy outcome was the clinical efficacy rate (the number of patients fulfilling the criteria for efficacy of the number of patients receiving the treatment) on the first day following the end of treatment (day 8). The secondary outcomes included the clinical efficacy rate on day 5 and the bacterial clearance rate (cases achieving negative bacteria cultures after treatment of all cases with positive bacteria cultures before treatment) on days 5 and 8. The safety outcomes included patients' vital signs, physical examination results, electrocardiographic findings, blood test results, and adverse reactions. Results Among the 570 patients randomized to 1 of the 2 groups, 375 (98.4%) in the 2% peceleganan treatment group and 183 (96.8%) in the 1% SSD control group completed the trial (n = 558). Of these, 361 (64.7%) were men, and the mean (SD) age was 48.6 (15.3) years. The demographic characteristics were similar between groups. On day 8, clinical efficacy was achieved by 339 patients (90.4%) in the treatment group and 144 (78.7%) in the control group (P < .001). On day 5, clinical efficacy was achieved by 222 patients (59.2%) in the treatment group and 90 (49.2%) in the control group (P = .03). On day 8, bacterial clearance was achieved by 80 of 334 patients (24.0%) in the treatment group and in 75 of 163 (46.0%) in the control group (P < .001). On day 5, bacterial clearance was achieved by 55 of 334 patients (16.5%) in the treatment group and 50 of 163 (30.7%) in the control group (P < .001). The adverse events related to the application of peceleganan spray and SSD cream were similar. Conclusions and Relevance This randomized clinical trial found that peceleganan spray is a safe topical antimicrobial agent with a satisfactory clinical efficacy rate for the treatment of skin wound infections, while the effectiveness of bacterial clearance remains uncertain. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR2100047202.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Wei
- Departments of Burn and Plastic Surgery and Wound Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Li
- Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital, Xining, China
| | - Xiaojian Li
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaohua Zhao
- Jiangyin People’s Hospital, Jiangyin, Wuxi, China
| | - Junci Xu
- Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital, Huizhou, China
| | | | - Xinzhou Rong
- Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Xiaodong Chen
- The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | | | - Guozhong Lv
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Cai Lin
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, New District of the First Hospital of Wenyi Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chunmao Han
- The Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Yi Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Shijie Tang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Youfen Fan
- Ningbo Huamei Hospital of University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Jiajin Tu
- Ganzhou People’s Hospital, Ganzhou, China
| | - Chengde Xia
- Zhengzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hongxu Zu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Wenjun Liu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Jinhui Liu
- Jilin Province People’s Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Baolin Zhang
- First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qingwen Nong
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Tianyu Li
- Nanshi Hospital of Nanyang, Nanyang, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Yongtao Su
- Peking University Care Luzhong Hospital, Zibo, China
| | - Zhaohong Chen
- Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wen Lai
- Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanjie Fu
- Linyi People’s Hospital, Linyi, China
| | - Jia’ao Yu
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Pihong Zhang
- Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weixi Yang
- The Affiliated Huaian No. 1 People Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, China
| | - Gang Yao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongyan Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Kunwu Fan
- Departments of Burn and Plastic Surgery and Wound Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hu Dong
- Jiangsu Protelight Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Co, Ltd, Jiangyin, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Jiangsu Protelight Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Co, Ltd, Jiangyin, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Departments of Burn and Plastic Surgery and Wound Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Human Histology and Embryology Section, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona Medical School, Verona, Italy
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8
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Ouyang M, Wu F, Hu C. Efficacy of Short Novel Antimicrobial Peptides in a Mouse Model of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Skin Infection. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:508. [PMID: 38927175 PMCID: PMC11200854 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13060508] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As the clinical application of antibiotics for bacterial skin infections in companion animals becomes increasingly prevalent, the issue of bacterial resistance has become more pronounced. Antimicrobial peptides, as a novel alternative to traditional antibiotics, have garnered widespread attention. In our study, synthetic peptides ADD-A and CBD3-ABU were tested against Staphylococcus pseudintermedius skin infections in KM mice. ADD-A was applied topically and through intraperitoneal injection, compared with control groups and treatments including CBD3-ABU, ampicillin sodium, and saline. Wound contraction, bacterial counts and histology were assessed on days 3 and 11 post-infection. ADD-A and ampicillin treatments significantly outperformed saline in wound healing (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.001, respectively). ADD-A also showed a markedly lower bacterial count than ampicillin (p < 0.0001). Histologically, ADD-A-applied wounds had better epidermal continuity and a thicker epidermis than normal, with restored follicles and sebaceous glands. ADD-A's effectiveness suggests it as a potential alternative to antibiotics for treating skin infections in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Changmin Hu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.O.); (F.W.)
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9
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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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10
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Parisi MG, Ozón B, Vera González SM, García-Pardo J, Obregón WD. Plant Protease Inhibitors as Emerging Antimicrobial Peptide Agents: A Comprehensive Review. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:582. [PMID: 38794245 PMCID: PMC11125377 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050582] [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: 02/24/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important mediator molecules of the innate defense mechanisms in a wide range of living organisms, including bacteria, mammals, and plants. Among them, peptide protease inhibitors (PPIs) from plants play a central role in their defense mechanisms by directly attacking pathogens or by modulating the plant's defense response. The growing prevalence of microbial resistance to currently available antibiotics has intensified the interest concerning these molecules as novel antimicrobial agents. In this scenario, PPIs isolated from a variety of plants have shown potential in inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, protozoans, and fungal strains, either by interfering with essential biochemical or physiological processes or by altering the permeability of biological membranes of invading organisms. Moreover, these molecules are active inhibitors of a range of proteases, including aspartic, serine, and cysteine types, with some showing particular efficacy as trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors. In this review, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the potential of plant-derived PPIs as novel antimicrobial molecules, highlighting their broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, specificity, and minimal toxicity. These natural compounds exhibit diverse mechanisms of action and often multifunctionality, positioning them as promising molecular scaffolds for developing new therapeutic antibacterial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica G. Parisi
- Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES, CONICET-UNLu) and Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Ruta 5 y Avenida Constitución, Luján B6700, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
| | - Brenda Ozón
- Centro de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales (CIProVe) and Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 47 y 115 s/N, La Plata B1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina; (B.O.); (S.M.V.G.)
| | - Sofía M. Vera González
- Centro de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales (CIProVe) and Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 47 y 115 s/N, La Plata B1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina; (B.O.); (S.M.V.G.)
| | - Javier García-Pardo
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina (IBB) and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Walter David Obregón
- Centro de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetales (CIProVe) and Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 47 y 115 s/N, La Plata B1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina; (B.O.); (S.M.V.G.)
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11
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Paul S, Verma S, Chen YC. Peptide Dendrimer-Based Antibacterial Agents: Synthesis and Applications. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1034-1055. [PMID: 38428037 PMCID: PMC11019562 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00624] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria cause the deaths of millions of people every year. With the development of antibiotics, hundreds and thousands of people's lives have been saved. Nevertheless, bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics, rendering them insensitive to antibiotics over time. Peptides containing specific amino acids can be used as antibacterial agents; however, they can be easily degraded by proteases in vivo. To address these issues, branched peptide dendrimers are now being considered as good antibacterial agents due to their high efficacy, resistance to protease degradation, and low cytotoxicity. The ease with which peptide dendrimers can be synthesized and modified makes them accessible for use in various biological and nonbiological fields. That is, peptide dendrimers hold a promising future as antibacterial agents with prolonged efficacy without bacterial resistance development. Their in vivo stability and multivalence allow them to effectively target multi-drug-resistant strains and prevent biofilm formation. Thus, it is interesting to have an overview of the development and applications of peptide dendrimers in antibacterial research, including the possibility of employing machine learning approaches for the design of AMPs and dendrimers. This review summarizes the synthesis and applications of peptide dendrimers as antibacterial agents. The challenges and perspectives of using peptide dendrimers as the antibacterial agents are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchita Paul
- Institute
of Semiconductor Technology, National Yang
Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sandeep Verma
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Gangwal
School of Medical Sciences and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Yu-Chie Chen
- Institute
of Semiconductor Technology, National Yang
Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department
of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming
Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
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12
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Bui Thi Phuong H, Doan Ngan H, Le Huy B, Vu Dinh H, Luong Xuan H. The amphipathic design in helical antimicrobial peptides. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300480. [PMID: 38408263 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300480] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Amphipathicity is a critical characteristic of helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The hydrophilic region, primarily composed of cationic residues, plays a pivotal role in the initial binding to negatively charged components on bacterial membranes through electrostatic interactions. Subsequently, the hydrophobic region interacts with hydrophobic components, inducing membrane perturbation, ultimately leading to cell death, or inhibiting intracellular function. Due to the extensive diversity of natural and synthetic AMPs with regard to the design of amphipathicity, it is complicated to study the structure-activity relationships. Therefore, this work aims to categorize the common amphipathic design and investigate their impact on the biological properties of AMPs. Besides, the connection between current structural modification approaches and amphipathic styles was also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hoa Doan Ngan
- Faculty of Medical Technology, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi, 12116, Vietnam
| | - Binh Le Huy
- Center for High Technology Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, 11307, Vietnam
- School of Chemical Engineering -, Hanọi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, 11615, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Vu Dinh
- School of Chemical Engineering -, Hanọi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, 11615, Vietnam
| | - Huy Luong Xuan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi, 12116, Vietnam
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13
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Thomas AM, Antony SP. Marine Antimicrobial Peptides: An Emerging Nightmare to the Life-Threatening Pathogens. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2024; 16:552-578. [PMID: 37022565 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10061-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens due to improper usage of conventional antibiotics has created a global health crisis. Alternatives to antibiotics being an urgent need, the scientific community is forced to search for new antimicrobials. This exploration has led to the discovery of antimicrobial peptides, a group of small peptides occurring in different phyla such as Porifera, Cnidaria, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata, and Chordata, as a component of their innate immune system. The marine environment, possessing immense diversity of organisms, is undoubtedly one of the richest sources of unique potential antimicrobial peptides. The distinctiveness of marine antimicrobial peptides lies in their broad-spectrum activity, mechanism of action, less cytotoxicity, and high stability, which form the benchmark for developing a potential therapeutic. This review aims to (1) synthesise the available information on the distinctive antimicrobial peptides discovered from marine organisms, particularly over the last decade, and (2) discuss the distinctiveness of marine antimicrobial peptides and their prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Maria Thomas
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India
| | - Swapna P Antony
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India.
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14
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Mulukutla A, Shreshtha R, Kumar Deb V, Chatterjee P, Jain U, Chauhan N. Recent advances in antimicrobial peptide-based therapy. Bioorg Chem 2024; 145:107151. [PMID: 38359706 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107151] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a group of polypeptide chains that have the property to target and kill a myriad of microbial organisms including viruses, bacteria, protists, etc. The first discovered AMP was named gramicidin, an extract of aerobic soil bacteria. Further studies discovered that these peptides are present not only in prokaryotes but in eukaryotes as well. They play a vital role in human innate immunity and wound repair. Consequently, they have maintained a high level of intrigue among scientists in the field of immunology, especially so with the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens decreasing the reliability of antibiotics in healthcare. While AMPs have promising potential to substitute for common antibiotics, their use as effective replacements is barred by certain limitations. First, they have the potential to be cytotoxic to human cells. Second, they are unstable in the blood due to action by various proteolytic agents and ions that cause their degradation. This review provides an overview of the mechanism of AMPs, their limitations, and developments in recent years that provide techniques to overcome those limitations. We also discuss the advantages and drawbacks of AMPs as a replacement for antibiotics as compared to other alternatives such as synthetically modified bacteriophages, traditional medicine, and probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Mulukutla
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Romi Shreshtha
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Vishal Kumar Deb
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Pallabi Chatterjee
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Utkarsh Jain
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Nidhi Chauhan
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India.
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15
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Vélez N, Argel A, Kissmann AK, Alpízar-Pedraza D, Escandón P, Rosenau F, Ständker L, Firacative C. Pore-forming peptide C14R exhibits potent antifungal activity against clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Candida auris. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1389020. [PMID: 38601736 PMCID: PMC11004338 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1389020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Invasive candidiasis is a global public health problem as it poses a significant threat in hospital-settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate C14R, an analog derived from peptide BP100, as a potential antimicrobial peptide against the prevalent opportunistic yeast Candida albicans and the emergent multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris. Methods Antifungal susceptibility testing of C14R against 99 C. albicans and 105 C. auris clinical isolates from Colombia, was determined by broth microdilution. Fluconazole was used as a control antifungal. The synergy between C14R and fluconazole was assessed in resistant isolates. Assays against fungal biofilm and growth curves were also carried out. Morphological alterations of yeast cell surface were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. A permeability assay verified the pore-forming ability of C14R. Results C. albicans and C. auris isolates had a geometric mean MIC against C14R of 4.42 µg/ml and 5.34 µg/ml, respectively. Notably, none of the isolates of any species exhibited growth at the highest evaluated peptide concentration (200 µg/ml). Synergistic effects were observed when combining the peptide and fluconazole. C14R affects biofilm and growth of C. albicans and C. auris. Cell membrane disruptions were observed in both species after treatment with the peptide. It was confirmed that C14R form pores in C. albicans' membrane. Discussion C14R has a potent antifungal activity against a large set of clinical isolates of both C. albicans and C. auris, showing its capacity to disrupt Candida membranes. This antifungal activity remains consistent across isolates regardless of their clinical source. Furthermore, the absence of correlation between MICs to C14R and resistance to fluconazole indicates the peptide's potential effectiveness against fluconazole-resistant strains. Our results suggest the potential of C14R, a pore-forming peptide, as a treatment option for fungal infections, such as invasive candidiasis, including fluconazole and amphotericin B -resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norida Vélez
- Studies in Translational Microbiology and Emerging Diseases (MICROS) Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Andreys Argel
- Studies in Translational Microbiology and Emerging Diseases (MICROS) Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | | | - Daniel Alpízar-Pedraza
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
| | | | - Frank Rosenau
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Core Facility for Functional Peptidomics, Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carolina Firacative
- Studies in Translational Microbiology and Emerging Diseases (MICROS) Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
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16
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Bai Q, Zhang Y, Cai R, Wu H, Fu H, Zhou X, Chai J, Teng X, Liu T. AMP-Coated TiO 2 Doped ZnO Nanomaterials Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity and Efficacy in Otitis Media Treatment by Elevating Hydroxyl Radical Levels. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:2995-3007. [PMID: 38559446 PMCID: PMC10981428 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s449888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In the past decades, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been a major threat to global public health. Long-term, chronic otitis media is becoming more challenging to treat, thus the novel antibiotic alternative agents are much needed. Methods ZnO@TiO2@AMP (ATZ NPs) were synthesized through a solvothermal method and subjected to comprehensive characterization. The in vitro and in vivo antibacterial effect and biocompatibility of ATZ NPs were evaluated. For the antibacterial mechanism exploration, we utilized the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectrometer to detect and analyze the hydroxyl radicals produced by ATZ NPs. Results ATZ NPs exhibited a spherical structure of 99.85 nm, the drug-loading rate for ZnO was 20.73%, and AMP within ATZ NPs was 41.86%. Notably, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value of ATZ NPs against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) were 10 μg/mL, and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) value of ATZ NPs against S. aureus, and S. pneumoniae were 50 μg/mL. In comparison to the model group, the treatment of otitis media with ATZ NPs significantly reduces inflammatory exudation in the middle ear cavity, with no observable damage to the tympanic membrane. Both in vivo and in vitro toxicity tests indicating the good biocompatibility of ATZ NPs. Moreover, EPR spectroscopy results highlighted the superior ability of ATZ NPs to generate hydroxyl radicals (·OH) compared to ZnO NPs. Conclusion ATZ NPs exhibited remarkable antibacterial properties both in vivo and in vitro. This innovative application of advanced ATZ NPs, bringing great promise for the treatment of otitis media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyu Bai
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yichi Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Runqiu Cai
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huiqun Fu
- 101 Institute of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuemei Zhou
- 101 Institute of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Chai
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuepeng Teng
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tianlong Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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17
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Yu S, Jia B, Zhang Y, Yu Y, Pei Z, Ma H. Design, biological characteristics, and antibacterial mechanism of high therapeutic index antimicrobial peptides with PRRP as central axis. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 2024; 77:170-181. [PMID: 38233466 DOI: 10.1038/s41429-023-00697-w] [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: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
As the important components of biological innate immunity, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were found in a variety of organisms including insects, plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, etc. However, high hemolytic activity, high toxicity, and poor stability of natural AMPs hinder serious their application as therapeutic agents. To overcome these problems, in this study we use PRRP as a central axis, and peptides were designed based on the sequence template XRRXXRXPRRPXRXXRRX-NH2, where X represents a hydrophobic amino acid like Phe (F), Ile (I), Val (V), and Leu (L). The designed peptides LR18, FR18, and IR18 showed effective antimicrobial activity against some Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria, low cytotoxicity to mammalian cells, and had a tendency to form α-helical structures in membrane-mimetic environments. Among them, peptide LR18 (X: L) showed the highest geometric mean average treatment index (GMTI = 42.7) against Gram-negative bacteria, and FR18 (X: L) showed the highest GMTI (22.86) against Gram-positive bacteria. LR18 and FR18 also showed better salt, temperature, pH, and trypsin stability. LR18 and FR18 exert their antimicrobial effects mainly through destroying bacteria cell membrane. Briefly, peptide LR18 and FR18 have the potential to serve as a therapeutic agent to reduce antibiotic resistance owing to its high therapeutic index and great stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Yu
- College of Animal Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Xincheng Street No. 2888, Changchun, 130118, PR China
| | - Boyan Jia
- College of Animal Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Xincheng Street No. 2888, Changchun, 130118, PR China
| | - Ying Zhang
- College of Animal Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Xincheng Street No. 2888, Changchun, 130118, PR China
| | - Yue Yu
- College of Animal Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Xincheng Street No. 2888, Changchun, 130118, PR China
| | - Zhihua Pei
- College of Animal Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Xincheng Street No. 2888, Changchun, 130118, PR China.
| | - Hongxia Ma
- College of Animal Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Xincheng Street No. 2888, Changchun, 130118, PR China.
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Xincheng Street No. 2888, Changchun, 130118, PR China.
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18
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Velayatipour F, Tarrahimofrad H, Zamani J, Fotouhi F, Aminzadeh S. In-vitro antimicrobial activity of AF-DP protein and in-silico approach of cell membrane disruption. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-18. [PMID: 38319027 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2308763] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Microbial resistance against common antibiotics has become one of the most serious threats to human health. The increasing statistics on this problem show the necessity of finding a way to deal with it. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides with unique properties and the capability of targeting a wide range of pathogens, have been considered as a potential for replacing common antibiotics. A small chitin-binding protein with anticandidal activity was isolated from Moringa oleifera seeds by Neto and colleagues in 2017, which very much resembled antimicrobial peptides. In this study, the antimicrobial protein 'AF-DP' was identified and characterized. AF-DP was heterologously expressed, purified, and characterized, and its 3D structure was predicted. Six molecular dynamic simulations were performed to investigate how the protein interacts with Gram-negative inner and outer, Gram-positive, fungal, cancerous, and normal mammalian membranes. Also, its antimicrobial and anticancer activity was assessed in vitro via minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and MTT assays, respectively. This protein with 111 amino acids and a total net charge (of 10.5) has been predicted to be mainly composed of alpha helix and random coils. Its MIC affecting the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans was 30 µg/ml, 100 µg/ml, and 100 µg/ml, respectively; AF-DP showed anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Scanning electron microscopic analysis confirmed the creation of pores and scratches on the surface of the bacterial membrane. The results of this research show that AF-DP can be a candidate for the production of new drugs as an AMP with antimicrobial activity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Velayatipour
- Bioprocess Engineering Group, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Tarrahimofrad
- Bioprocess Engineering Group, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Zamani
- Bioprocess Engineering Group, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Fotouhi
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Aminzadeh
- Bioprocess Engineering Group, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
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19
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Dong Z, Zhang X, Zhang Q, Tangthianchaichana J, Guo M, Du S, Lu Y. Anticancer Mechanisms and Potential Anticancer Applications of Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Nano Agents. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:1017-1039. [PMID: 38317847 PMCID: PMC10840538 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s445333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional chemotherapy is one of the main methods of cancer treatment, which is largely limited by severe side effects and frequent development of multi-drug resistance by cancer cells. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with high efficiency and low toxicity, as one of the most promising new drugs to replace chemoradiotherapy, have become a current research hotspot, attracting the attention of worldwide researchers. AMPs are natural-source small peptides from the innate immune system, and certain AMPs can selectively kill a broad spectrum of cancer cells while exhibiting less damage to normal cells. Although it involves intracellular mechanisms, AMPs exert their anti-cancer effects mainly through membrane destruction effect; thus, AMPs also hold unique advantages in fighting drug-resistant cancer cells. However, the poor stability and hemolytic toxicity of peptides limit their clinical application. Fortunately, functionalized nanoparticles have many possibilities in overcoming the shortcomings of AMPs, which provides a huge prospect for better application of AMPs. In this paper, we briefly introduce the characteristics and different sources of AMPs, review and summarize the mechanisms of action and the research status of AMPs used as an anticancer therapy, and finally focus on the further use of AMPs nano agents in the anti-cancer direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Dong
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Research and Development Centre in Beijing, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jakkree Tangthianchaichana
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Mingxue Guo
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shouying Du
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Lu
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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20
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Khavani M, Mehranfar A, Mofrad MRK. Antimicrobial peptide interactions with bacterial cell membranes. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38263741 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2304683] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potential alternatives for common antibiotics because of their greater activity and efficiency against a broad range of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. In this project, two antimicrobial peptides including magainin 2 and protegrin 1 with α-helix and β-sheet secondary structures were selected to investigate their interactions with different lipid bilayers such as 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine (POPS), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (POPG), and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPE), POPC/POPG (7:3), POPC/POPS (7:3), POPG/POPE(1:3), and POPG/POPE(3:1). The obtained structures of the AMPs illustrated that protegrin 1 cannot maintain its secondary structure in the solution phase in contrast to magainin 2. The head groups of the lipid units play a key role in the stability of the lipid bilayers. The head parts of the lipid membranes by increasing the internal H-bond contribute to membrane compactness. The POPG and POPS units inside the POPC/POPG and POPC/POPS membranes increase the order of the POPC units. The cationic residues of the AMPs form remarkable electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged membrane surfaces, which play a key role in the stabilization process of the peptide secondary structures. The Arg residues of protegrin 1 and the Gly1, Lys4, Lys10, Lys11, Lys14, and Glu19 of the magainin 2 have the most important roles in the complexation process. The values of Gibbs binding energies (ΔG) indicate that the complexation process between AMPs and different bacterial membranes is favorable from the thermodynamic viewpoint and AMPs could form stable complexes with the lipid bilayers. As a result of ΔG values, protegrin 1 forms a more stable complex with POPG/POPE(3:1), while the α-helix has more affinity to the POPG/POPE(1:3) bacterial membranes. Therefore, it can be considered that β-sheet and α-helix AMPs are more effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The results of this study can provide useful details about the antimicrobial peptide interactions with the bacterial cell, which can be employed for designing new antimicrobial materials with greater efficiency.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Khavani
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Aliyeh Mehranfar
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mohammad R K Mofrad
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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21
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Martins IBS, Viegas RG, Sanches MN, de Araujo AS, Leite VBP. Probing Mastoparan-like Antimicrobial Peptides Interaction with Model Membrane Through Energy Landscape Analysis. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:163-171. [PMID: 38159056 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c05852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics due to their capacity to disrupt the lipid packing of bacterial cell membranes. This mechanism of action may prevent the development of resistance by bacteria. Understanding their role in lipid packing disruption and their structural properties upon interaction with bacterial membranes is highly desirable. In this study, we employed Molecular Dynamics simulations and the Energy Landscape Visualization Method (ELViM) to characterize and compare the conformational ensembles of mastoparan-like Polybia-MP1 and its analogous H-MP1, in which histidines replace lysine residues. Two situations were analyzed: (i) the peptides in their free state in an aqueous solution containing water and ions and (ii) the peptides spontaneously adsorbing onto an anionic lipid bilayer, used as a bacteria membrane mimetic. ELViM was used to project a single effective conformational phase space for both peptides, providing a comparative analysis. This projection enabled us to map the conformational ensembles of each peptide in an aqueous solution and assess the structural effects of substituting lysines with histidines in H-MP1. Furthermore, a single conformational phase space analysis was employed to describe structural changes during the adsorption process using the same framework. We show that ELViM provides a comprehensive analysis, able to identify discrepancies in the conformational ensembles of these peptides that may affect their affinity to the membrane and adsorption kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid B S Martins
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
- Biophysics Institute Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Rafael G Viegas
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
- Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo (IFSP), Catanduva, SP 15.808-305, Brazil
| | - Murilo N Sanches
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Alexandre S de Araujo
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Vitor B P Leite
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
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22
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Wang Z, Xu J, Zeng X, Du Q, Lan H, Zhang J, Pan D, Tu M. Recent Advances on Antimicrobial Peptides from Milk: Molecular Properties, Mechanisms, and Applications. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:80-93. [PMID: 38152984 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c07217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Traditional antibiotics are facing a tremendous challenge due to increased antimicrobial resistance; hence, there is an urgent need to find novel antibiotic alternatives. Milk protein-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are currently attracting substantial attention considering that they showcase an extensive spectrum of antimicrobial activities, with slower development of antimicrobial resistance and safety of raw materials. This review summarizes the molecular properties, and activity mechanisms and highlights the applications and limitations of AMPs derived from milk proteins comprehensively. Also the analytical technologies, especially bioinformatics methodologies, applied in the process of screening, identification, and mechanism illustration of AMPs were underlined. This review will give some ideas for further research and broadening of the applications of milk protein-derived AMPs in the food field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Jue Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Xiaoqun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Qiwei Du
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Hangzhen Lan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Jianming Zhang
- Institute of Food Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Daodong Pan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Maolin Tu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
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23
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Dugić M, Brzobohatá H, Mojr V, Dolejšová T, Lišková P, Do Pham DD, Rejman D, Mikušová G, Fišer R. LEGO-lipophosphonoxins: length of hydrophobic module affects permeabilizing activity in target membranes of different phospholipid composition. RSC Adv 2024; 14:2745-2756. [PMID: 38234873 PMCID: PMC10792433 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra07251g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In the past few decades, society has faced rapid development and spreading of antimicrobial resistance due to antibiotic misuse and overuse and the immense adaptability of bacteria. Difficulties in obtaining effective antimicrobial molecules from natural sources challenged scientists to develop synthetic molecules with antimicrobial effect. We developed modular molecules named LEGO-Lipophosphonoxins (LEGO-LPPO) capable of inducing cytoplasmic membrane perforation. In this structure-activity relationship study we focused on the role of the LEGO-LPPO hydrophobic module directing the molecule insertion into the cytoplasmic membrane. We selected three LEGO-LPPO molecules named C9, C8 and C7 differing in the length of their hydrophobic chain and consisting of an alkenyl group containing one double bond. The molecule with the long hydrophobic chain (C9) was shown to be the most effective with the lowest MIC and highest perforation rate both in vivo and in vitro. We observed high antimicrobial activity against both G+ and G- bacteria with significant differences in LEGO-LPPOs mechanism of action on these two cell types. We observed a highly cooperative mechanism of LEGO-LPPO action on G- bacteria as well as on liposomes resembling G- bacteria. LEGO-LPPO action on G- bacteria was significantly slower compared to G+ bacteria suggesting the role of the outer membrane in affecting the LEGO-LPPOs perforation rate. This notion was supported by the higher sensitivity of the E. coli strain with a compromised outer membrane. Finally, we noted that the composition of the cytoplasmic membrane affects the activity of LEGO-LPPOs since the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine increases their membrane disrupting activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milica Dugić
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Viničná 5 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
| | - Hana Brzobohatá
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Viničná 5 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Mojr
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences v. v. i. Flemingovo nám. 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Dolejšová
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Viničná 5 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
| | - Petra Lišková
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Viničná 5 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
| | - Duy Dinh Do Pham
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences v. v. i. Flemingovo nám. 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Dominik Rejman
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences v. v. i. Flemingovo nám. 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Gabriela Mikušová
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Viničná 5 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences v. v. i. Flemingovo nám. 2 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Radovan Fišer
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Viničná 5 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
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24
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Mildenberger V, Alpízar-Pedraza D, Martell-Huguet EM, Krämer M, Bolotnikov G, Otero-Gonzalez AJ, Weil T, Rodriguez-Alfonso A, Preising N, Ständker L, Vogel V, Spellerberg B, Kissmann AK, Rosenau F. The Designed Pore-Forming Antimicrobial Peptide C14R Combines Excellent Activity against the Major Opportunistic Human Pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Low Cytotoxicity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:83. [PMID: 38256916 PMCID: PMC10820675 DOI: 10.3390/ph17010083] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The diminishing portfolio of mankind's available antibiotics urges science to develop novel potent drugs. Here, we present a peptide fitting the typical blueprint of amphipathic and membrane-active antimicrobial peptides, denominated C14R. This 2 kDa peptide consists of 16 amino acid residues, with seven being either hydrophobic, aromatic, or non-polar, and nine being polar or positively charged, strictly separated on opposite sides of the predicted α-helix. The affinity of the peptide C14R to P. aeruginosa membranes and its intrinsic tendency to productively insert into membranes of such composition were analyzed by dynamic simulations. Its biological impact on the viability of two different P. aeruginosa reference strains was demonstrated by determining the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), which were found to be in the range of 10-15 µg/mL. C14R's pore-forming capability was verified in a permeabilization assay based on the peptide-triggered uptake of fluorescent dyes into the bacterial cells. Finally, the peptide was used in radial diffusion assays, which are commonly used for susceptibility testing of antimicrobial peptides in clinical microbiology. In comparison to reference strains, six clinical P. aeruginosa isolates were clearly affected, thereby paving the way for further in-depth analyses of C14R as a promising new AMP drug in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Mildenberger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
| | - Daniel Alpízar-Pedraza
- Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (CIDEM), 26th Avenue, No. 1605, Nuevo Vedado, La Habana 10400, Cuba;
| | - Ernesto M. Martell-Huguet
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, 25 and I, La Habana 10400, Cuba; (E.M.M.-H.); (A.J.O.-G.)
| | - Markus Krämer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
| | - Grigory Bolotnikov
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
| | - Anselmo J. Otero-Gonzalez
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, 25 and I, La Habana 10400, Cuba; (E.M.M.-H.); (A.J.O.-G.)
| | - Tanja Weil
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Armando Rodriguez-Alfonso
- Core Facility for Functional Peptidomics (CFP), Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (A.R.-A.); (N.P.); (L.S.)
- Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Nico Preising
- Core Facility for Functional Peptidomics (CFP), Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (A.R.-A.); (N.P.); (L.S.)
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Core Facility for Functional Peptidomics (CFP), Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (A.R.-A.); (N.P.); (L.S.)
| | - Verena Vogel
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Clinic of Ulm, TBC1 Forschung, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany (B.S.)
| | - Barbara Spellerberg
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Clinic of Ulm, TBC1 Forschung, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany (B.S.)
| | - Ann-Kathrin Kissmann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Frank Rosenau
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
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25
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Hirano M, Yokoo H, Ohoka N, Ito T, Misawa T, Oba M, Inoue T, Demizu Y. Rational Design of Amphipathic Antimicrobial Peptides with Alternating L-/D-Amino Acids That Form Helical Structures. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2024; 72:149-154. [PMID: 38296556 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c23-00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising therapeutic agents against bacteria. We have previously reported an amphipathic AMP Stripe composed of cationic L-Lys and hydrophobic L-Leu/L-Ala residues, and Stripe exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Gramicidin A (GA), composed of repeating sequences of L- and D-amino acids, has a unique β6.3-helix structure and exhibits broad antimicrobial activity. Inspired by the structural properties and antimicrobial activities of LD-alternating peptides such as GA, in this study, we designed Stripe derivatives with LD-alternating sequences. We found that simply alternating L- and D-amino acids in the Stripe sequence to give StripeLD caused a reduction in antimicrobial activity. In contrast, AltStripeLD, with cationic and hydrophobic amino acids rearranged to yield an amphipathic distribution when the peptide adopts a β6.3-helix, displayed higher antimicrobial activity than AltStripe. These results suggest that alternating L-/D-cationic and L-/D-hydrophobic amino acids in accordance with the helical structure of an AMP may be a useful way to improve antimicrobial activity and develop new AMP drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoharu Hirano
- National Institute of Health Sciences
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University
| | - Hidetomo Yokoo
- National Institute of Health Sciences
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
| | | | - Takahito Ito
- National Institute of Health Sciences
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University
| | | | - Makoto Oba
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
| | | | - Yosuke Demizu
- National Institute of Health Sciences
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University
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26
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El-Mowafi SA, Konshina AG, Mohammed EHM, Krylov NA, Efremov RG, Parang K. Structural Analysis and Activity Correlation of Amphiphilic Cyclic Antimicrobial Peptides Derived from the [W 4R 4] Scaffold. Molecules 2023; 28:8049. [PMID: 38138539 PMCID: PMC10745345 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28248049] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In our ongoing quest to design effective antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), this study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms governing cyclic amphiphilic AMPs and their interactions with membranes. The objective was to discern the nature of these interactions and understand how peptide sequence and structure influence antimicrobial activity. We introduced modifications into the established cyclic AMP peptide, [W4R4], incorporating an extra aromatic hydrophobic residue (W), a positively charged residue (R), or the unique 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP). This study systematically explored the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of a series of cyclic peptides derived from the [W4R4] scaffold, including the first synthesis and evaluation of [W4R4(DKP)]. Structural, dynamic, hydrophobic, and membrane-binding properties of four cyclic peptides ([W4R4], [W5R4], [W4R5], [W4R4(DKP)]) were explored using molecular dynamics simulations within a DOPC/DOPG lipid bilayer that mimics the bacterial membrane. The results revealed distinct SARs linking antimicrobial activity to parameters such as conformational plasticity, immersion depth in the bilayer, and population of the membrane binding mode. Notably, [W4R5] exhibited an optimal "activity/binding to the bacterial membrane" pattern. This multidisciplinary approach efficiently decoded finely regulated SAR profiles, laying a foundation for the rational design of novel antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaima A. El-Mowafi
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
- Peptide Chemistry Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
| | - Anastasia G. Konshina
- M.M. Shemyakin & Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (A.G.K.); (N.A.K.)
| | - Eman H. M. Mohammed
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koam 51132, Egypt
| | - Nikolay A. Krylov
- M.M. Shemyakin & Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (A.G.K.); (N.A.K.)
| | - Roman G. Efremov
- M.M. Shemyakin & Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (A.G.K.); (N.A.K.)
- Department of Applied Mathematics, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Myasnitskaya ul. 20, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Keykavous Parang
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
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27
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Han G, Lee DG. Urechistachykinin I induced ferroptosis by accumulating reactive oxygen species in Vibrio vulnificus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:7571-7580. [PMID: 37796305 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12802-y] [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: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as urechistachykinin I (LRQSQFVGSR-NH2), derived from urechis unicinctus, have demonstrated antimicrobial activities. It exhibits low cytotoxicity and selectivity between microbial and mammalian cells suggesting its potent antimicrobial ability. However, the underlying antimicrobial mechanisms remain unknown. Herein, we elucidated the antibacterial action against Vibrio vulnificus, focusing on the reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS is crucial for antibiotic-mediated killing and oxidative stress. After treatment with urechistachykinin I, superoxide anions and hydroxyl radicals increase, and the overproduction of ROS leads to oxidative damage and destruction of the redox system. Oxidation of the defense system like glutathione or glutathione peroxidase 4 illustrates the dysfunction of cellular metabolism and induces lipid peroxidation attributed to depolarization and integrity brokerage. Cell death demonstrated these properties, and additional experiments, including iron accumulation, liperfluo, and DNA fragmentation, were promoted. The results demonstrated that urechistachykinin I-induced ferroptosis-like death in Vibrio vulnificus is dependent on ROS production. KEY POINTS: • Urechistachykinin I induce reactive oxygen species production • Urechistachykinin I cause oxidative damaged on the V. vulnificus • Urechistachykinin I ferroptosis-like death in V. vulnificus.
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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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28
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Has C, Das SL. The Functionality of Membrane-Inserting Proteins and Peptides: Curvature Sensing, Generation, and Pore Formation. J Membr Biol 2023; 256:343-372. [PMID: 37650909 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-023-00289-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Proteins and peptides with hydrophobic and amphiphilic segments are responsible for many biological functions. The sensing and generation of membrane curvature are the functions of several protein domains or motifs. While some specific membrane proteins play an essential role in controlling the curvature of distinct intracellular membranes, others participate in various cellular processes such as clathrin-mediated endocytosis, where several proteins sort themselves at the neck of the membrane bud. A few membrane-inserting proteins form nanopores that permeate selective ions and water to cross the membrane. In addition, many natural and synthetic small peptides and protein toxins disrupt the membrane by inducing nonspecific pores in the membrane. The pore formation causes cell death through the uncontrolled exchange between interior and exterior cellular contents. In this article, we discuss the insertion depth and orientation of protein/peptide helices, and their role as a sensor and inducer of membrane curvature as well as a pore former in the membrane. We anticipate that this extensive review will assist biophysicists to gain insight into curvature sensing, generation, and pore formation by membrane insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Has
- Department of Chemical Engineering, GSFC University, Vadodara, 391750, Gujarat, India.
| | - Sovan Lal Das
- Physical and Chemical Biology Laboratory and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad, 678623, Kerala, India
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Biomaterial therapeutic strategies for treatment of bacterial lung infections. Biofilm 2023; 5:100111. [PMID: 36909663 PMCID: PMC9999167 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100111] [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] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial infections of the lung frequently occur as a secondary infection to many respiratory viral infections and conditions, including influenza, COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis (CF). Currently, clinical standard treats bacterial infections of the lung with antibiotic drugs. However, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics can disrupt host microbiomes, lead to patient discomfort, and current clinical settings face the constantly increasing threat of drug-resistant bacteria. Biofilms further obstruct effective treatment due to their protective matrix layer, which shields bacteria from both the host immune system and antimicrobial drugs and subsequently promotes drug resistance. Alternative antimicrobial agents, including bacteriophages and antimicrobial peptides, have been utilized to treat drug-resistant bacteria. However, these antimicrobial agents have significant limitations pertaining to their ability to arrive at infection sites without compromised function and ability to persist over an extended period to fully treat infections. Enhanced delivery strategies present great promise in addressing these issues by using micro/nanoparticle carriers that shield antimicrobial agents in transit and result in sustained release, enhancing subsequent therapeutic effect and can even be modulated to be multi-functional to further improve recovery following bacterial infection.
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30
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Firdous SO, Sagor MMH, Arafat MT. Advances in Transdermal Delivery of Antimicrobial Peptides for Wound Management: Biomaterial-Based Approaches and Future Perspectives. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2023. [PMID: 37976446 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.3c00731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), distinguished by their cationic and amphiphilic nature, represent a critical frontier in the battle against antimicrobial resistance due to their potent antimicrobial activity and a broad spectrum of action. However, the clinical translation of AMPs faces hurdles, including their susceptibility to degradation, limited bioavailability, and the need for targeted delivery. Transdermal delivery has immense potential for optimizing AMP administration for wound management. Leveraging the skin's accessibility and barrier properties, transdermal delivery offers a noninvasive approach that can circumvent systemic side effects and ensure sustained release. Biomaterial-based delivery systems, encompassing nanofibers, hydrogels, nanoparticles, and liposomes, have emerged as key players in enhancing the efficacy of transdermal AMP delivery. These biomaterial carriers not only shield AMPs from enzymatic degradation but also provide controlled release mechanisms, thereby elevating stability and bioavailability. The synergistic interaction between the transdermal approach and biomaterial-facilitated formulations presents a promising strategy to overcome the multifaceted challenges associated with AMP delivery. Integrating advanced technologies and personalized medicine, this convergence allows the reimagining of wound care. This review amalgamates insights to propose a pathway where AMPs, transdermal delivery, and biomaterial innovation harmonize for effective wound management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Omara Firdous
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Mehadi Hassan Sagor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - M Tarik Arafat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
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31
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Abd El-Aal AAA, Jayakumar FA, Reginald K. Dual-action potential of cationic cryptides against infections and cancers. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103764. [PMID: 37689179 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103764] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Cryptides are a subfamily of bioactive peptides embedded latently in their parent proteins and have multiple biological functions. Cationic cryptides could be used as modern drugs in both infectious diseases and cancers because their mechanism of action is less likely to be affected by genetic mutations in the treated cells, therefore addressing a current unmet need in these two areas of medicine. In this review, we present the current understanding of cryptides, methods to mine them sustainably using available online databases and prediction tools, with a particular focus on their antimicrobial and anticancer potential, and their potential applicability in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr A A Abd El-Aal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Fairen A Jayakumar
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kavita Reginald
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor, Malaysia.
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32
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Xia Z, He D, Wu Y, Kwok HF, Cao Z. Scorpion venom peptides: Molecular diversity, structural characteristics, and therapeutic use from channelopathies to viral infections and cancers. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106978. [PMID: 37923027 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal venom is an important evolutionary innovation in nature. As one of the most representative animal venoms, scorpion venom contains an extremely diverse set of bioactive peptides. Scorpion venom peptides not only are 'poisons' that immobilize, paralyze, kill, or dissolve preys but also become important candidates for drug development and design. Here, the review focuses on the molecular diversity of scorpion venom peptides, their typical structural characteristics, and their multiple therapeutic or pharmaceutical applications in channelopathies, viral infections and cancers. Especially, the group of scorpion toxin TRPTx targeting transient receptor potential (TRP) channels is systematically summarized and worthy of attention because TRP channels play a crucial role in the regulation of homeostasis and the occurrence of diseases in human. We also further establish the potential relationship between the molecular characteristics and functional applications of scorpion venom peptides to provide a research basis for modern drug development and clinical utilization of scorpion venom resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Xia
- School of Biological and Food Processing Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, China
| | - Dangui He
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao.
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Bio-drug Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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Alamdari-Palangi V, Jaberi KR, Shahverdi M, Naeimzadeh Y, Tajbakhsh A, Khajeh S, Razban V, Fallahi J. Recent advances and applications of peptide-agent conjugates for targeting tumor cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:15249-15273. [PMID: 37581648 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05144-9] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer, being a complex disease, presents a major challenge for the scientific and medical communities. Peptide therapeutics have played a significant role in different medical practices, including cancer treatment. METHOD This review provides an overview of the current situation and potential development prospects of anticancer peptides (ACPs), with a particular focus on peptide vaccines and peptide-drug conjugates for cancer treatment. RESULTS ACPs can be used directly as cytotoxic agents (molecularly targeted peptides) or can act as carriers (guiding missile) of chemotherapeutic agents and radionuclides by specifically targeting cancer cells. More than 60 natural and synthetic cationic peptides are approved in the USA and other major markets for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Compared to traditional cancer treatments, peptides exhibit anticancer activity with high specificity and the ability to rapidly kill target cancer cells. ACP's target and kill cancer cells via different mechanisms, including membrane disruption, pore formation, induction of apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, and regulation of the immune system. Modified peptides have been developed as carriers for drugs, vaccines, and peptide-drug conjugates, which have been evaluated in various phases of clinical trials for the treatment of different types of solid and leukemia cancer. CONCLUSIONS This review highlights the potential of ACPs as a promising therapeutic option for cancer treatment, particularly through the use of peptide vaccines and peptide-drug conjugates. Despite the limitations of peptides, such as poor metabolic stability and low bioavailability, modified peptides show promise in addressing these challenges. Various mechanism of action of anticancer peptides. Modes of action against cancer cells including: inducing apoptosis by cytochrome c release, direct cell membrane lysis (necrosis), inhibiting angiogenesis, inducing autophagy-mediated cell death and immune cell regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahab Alamdari-Palangi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran
| | - Khojaste Rahimi Jaberi
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mahshid Shahverdi
- Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Yasaman Naeimzadeh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran
| | - Amir Tajbakhsh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sahar Khajeh
- Bone and Joint Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Vahid Razban
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran.
| | - Jafar Fallahi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran.
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Wang W, Gu L, Wang J, Hu X, Wei B, Zhang H, Wang H, Chen J. Recent Advances in Polypeptide Antibiotics Derived from Marine Microorganisms. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:547. [PMID: 37888482 PMCID: PMC10608164 DOI: 10.3390/md21100547] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the post-antibiotic era, the rapid development of antibiotic resistance and the shortage of available antibiotics are triggering a new health-care crisis. The discovery of novel and potent antibiotics to extend the antibiotic pipeline is urgent. Small-molecule antimicrobial peptides have a wide variety of antimicrobial spectra and multiple innovative antimicrobial mechanisms due to their rich structural diversity. Consequently, they have become a new research hotspot and are considered to be promising candidates for next-generation antibiotics. Therefore, we have compiled a collection of small-molecule antimicrobial peptides derived from marine microorganisms from the last fifteen years to show the recent advances in this field. We categorize these compounds into three classes-cyclic oligopeptides, cyclic depsipeptides, and cyclic lipopeptides-according to their structural features, and present their sources, structures, and antimicrobial spectrums, with a discussion of the structure activity relationships and mechanisms of action of some compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory Pharmaceutical Engineering of Zhejiang Province & College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jianwei Chen
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory Pharmaceutical Engineering of Zhejiang Province & College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
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Fermon L, Burel A, Ostyn E, Dréano S, Bondon A, Chevance S, Pinel-Marie ML. Mechanism of action of sprG1-encoded type I toxins in Staphylococcus aureus: from membrane alterations to mesosome-like structures formation and bacterial lysis. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1275849. [PMID: 37854335 PMCID: PMC10579593 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1275849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
sprG1/SprF1 is a type I toxin-antitoxin system located on Staphylococcus aureus prophage. It has previously been shown that the two toxins, SprG131 and SprG144, encoded by the sprG1 gene, are two membrane-associated peptides structured in a single α-helix. Overexpression of these two peptides leads to growth inhibition and even S. aureus death. In this study, we investigated the involvement of each peptide in this toxicity, the sequence requirements necessary for SprG131 toxicity, and the mechanism of action of these two peptides. Our findings show that both peptides, when expressed individually, are able to stop growth, with higher toxicity observed for SprG131. The combination of a hydrophobic domain and a charged domain located only at the C-terminus is necessary for this toxicity, likely to retain the orientation of the transmembrane domain. A net cationic charge for SprG131 is not essential to induce a growth defect in S. aureus. Furthermore, we established a chronology of toxic events following overexpression to gain insights into the mode of action of SprG144 and SprG131. We demonstrated that mesosome-like structures are already formed when membrane is depolarized, about 20 min after peptides induction. This membrane depolarization occurs concomitantly with a depletion of intracellular ATP, leading to S. aureus growth arrest. Moreover, we hypothesized that SprG144 and SprG131 do not form large pores in the S. aureus membrane, as ATP is not excreted into the extracellular medium, and membrane permeabilization is delayed relative to membrane depolarization. The next challenge is to identify the conditions under which SprG144 and SprG131 are naturally expressed, and to uncover their potential roles during staphylococcal growth, colonization, and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Fermon
- Univ Rennes, INSERM, BRM – UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR – UMR 6226, Rennes, France
| | - Agnès Burel
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, BIOSIT – UAR 3480, US_S 018, Rennes, France
| | - Emeline Ostyn
- Univ Rennes, INSERM, BRM – UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
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Randall JR, Vieira LC, Wilke CO, Davies BW. Deep mutational scanning and machine learning uncover antimicrobial peptide features driving membrane selectivity. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3280212. [PMID: 37790501 PMCID: PMC10543523 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3280212/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides commonly act by disrupting bacterial membranes, but also frequently damage mammalian membranes. Deciphering the rules governing membrane selectivity is critical to understanding their function and enabling their therapeutic use. Past attempts to decipher these rules have failed because they cannot interrogate adequate peptide sequence variation. To overcome this problem, we develop deep mutational surface localized antimicrobial display (dmSLAY), which reveals comprehensive positional residue importance and flexibility across an antimicrobial peptide sequence. We apply dmSLAY to Protegrin-1, a potent yet toxic antimicrobial peptide, and identify thousands of sequence variants that positively or negatively influence its antibacterial activity. Further analysis reveals that avoiding large aromatic residues and eliminating disulfide bound cysteine pairs while maintaining membrane bound secondary structure greatly improves Protegrin-1 bacterial specificity. Moreover, dmSLAY datasets enable machine learning to expand our analysis to include over 5.7 million sequence variants and reveal full Protegrin-1 mutational profiles driving either bacterial or mammalian membrane specificity. Our results describe an innovative, high-throughput approach for elucidating antimicrobial peptide sequence-structure-function relationships which can inform synthetic peptide-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R. Randall
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Luiz C. Vieira
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin; Austin, Texas, 78712
| | - Claus O. Wilke
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin; Austin, Texas, 78712
| | - Bryan W. Davies
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
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37
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Randall JR, Vieira LC, Wilke CO, Davies BW. Deep mutational scanning and machine learning uncover antimicrobial peptide features driving membrane selectivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.28.551017. [PMID: 37547010 PMCID: PMC10402124 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.28.551017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides commonly act by disrupting bacterial membranes, but also frequently damage mammalian membranes. Deciphering the rules governing membrane selectivity is critical to understanding their function and enabling their therapeutic use. Past attempts to decipher these rules have failed because they cannot interrogate adequate peptide sequence variation. To overcome this problem, we develop deep mutational surface localized antimicrobial display (dmSLAY), which reveals comprehensive positional residue importance and flexibility across an antimicrobial peptide sequence. We apply dmSLAY to Protegrin-1, a potent yet toxic antimicrobial peptide, and identify thousands of sequence variants that positively or negatively influence its antibacterial activity. Further analysis reveals that avoiding large aromatic residues and eliminating disulfide bound cysteine pairs while maintaining membrane bound secondary structure greatly improves Protegrin-1 bacterial specificity. Moreover, dmSLAY datasets enable machine learning to expand our analysis to include over 5.7 million sequence variants and reveal full Protegrin-1 mutational profiles driving either bacterial or mammalian membrane specificity. Our results describe an innovative, high-throughput approach for elucidating antimicrobial peptide sequence-structure-function relationships which can inform synthetic peptide-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R. Randall
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Luiz C. Vieira
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin; Austin, Texas, 78712
| | - Claus O. Wilke
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin; Austin, Texas, 78712
| | - Bryan W. Davies
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
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Shao H, Zhou J, Lin X, Zhou Y, Xue Y, Hong W, Lin X, Jia X, Fan Y. Bio-inspired peptide-conjugated liposomes for enhanced planktonic bacteria killing and biofilm eradication. Biomaterials 2023; 300:122183. [PMID: 37302278 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Developing new antimicrobial agents has become an urgent task to address the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens and the emergence of biofilms. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been regarded as promising candidates due to their unique non-specific membrane rupture mechanism. However, a series of problems with the peptides hindered their practical application due to their high toxicity and low bioactivity and stability. Here, inspired by broadening the application of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), we selected five different sequences of cationic peptides which are considered as both CPPs and AMPs, and developed a biomimetic strategy to construct cationic peptide-conjugated liposomes with the virus-like structure for both enhancements of antibacterial efficacy and biosafety. The correlation between available peptide density/peptide variety and antimicrobial capabilities was evaluated from quantitative perspectives. Computational simulation and experimental investigations assisted to identify the optimal peptide-conjugated liposomes and revealed that the designed system provides high charge density for enhanced anionic bacterial membrane binding capability without compromised cytotoxicity, being capable of enhanced antibacterial efficacy of bacteria/biofilm of clinically important pathogens. The bio-inspired design has shown enhanced therapeutic efficiency of peptides and may promote the development of next-generation antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shao
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Xiaoqian Lin
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yumeng Xue
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Weili Hong
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xubo Lin
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiaoling Jia
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, And with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China.
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Amarh MA, Laryea MK, Borquaye LS. De novo peptides as potential antimicrobial agents. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19641. [PMID: 37809653 PMCID: PMC10558864 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance threatens our ability to treat common infections. The clinical pipeline for new antimicrobials is pretty much dry and hence, there is a need for the development of new antimicrobial agents with low toxicities to help fight resistant microorganisms. This work aimed to design antimicrobial peptides with low toxicities using a database filtering technology and evaluate their bioactivities. The physicochemical properties of the designed peptides were explored with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Microbroth dilution and hemolytic assays were used to assess the peptides' antimicrobial activity and toxicity. The activity of combinations of the peptides and some standard antibiotics was tested by the checkerboard method. In general, the designed peptides had a charge of +2, chain length of 13, and hydrophobicity of 61%. The predicted secondary structures of the peptides were either extended conformations or alpha-helices, and these structures were found to fluctuate during the MD simulations, where coils, bends, and helices dominated. , of the peptides, BRG003, BRG004 and BRG002 had the greatest aggregation propensities, whereas BRG001, BRG005, and BRG006 exhibited lower aggregation propensities. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the peptides ranged from 0.015 to >1.879 μM, with BRGP-001 exhibiting high activity against MRSA with an MIC of 15 nM. BRGP-005 and BRGP-006 exhibited synergistic effects against Escherichia coliR when used in combination with erythromycin. At the minimum hemolytic concentration, the percentage of lysed erythrocytes was lower for all the peptides in comparison to the reference peptide, indicating low hemolytic activity. The study revealed the importance of peptide self-association in the antimicrobial activity of the peptides. These peptides provide a basis for the design of potent antimicrobial peptides that can further be developed for use in antimicrobial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Amerley Amarh
- Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Michael Konney Laryea
- Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye
- Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Central Laboratory, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
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40
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Jennings J, Ašćerić D, Semeraro EF, Lohner K, Malanovic N, Pabst G. Combinatorial Screening of Cationic Lipidoids Reveals How Molecular Conformation Affects Membrane-Targeting Antimicrobial Activity. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:40178-40190. [PMID: 37602460 PMCID: PMC10472336 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c05481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The search for next-generation antibacterial compounds that overcome the development of resistance can be facilitated by identifying how to target the cell membrane of bacteria. Understanding the key molecular features that enable interactions with lipids and lead to membrane disruption is therefore crucial. Here, we employ a library of lipid-like compounds (lipidoids) comprising modular structures with tunable hydrophobic and hydrophilic architecture to shed light on how the chemical functionality and molecular shape of synthetic amphiphilic compounds determine their activity against bacterial membranes. Synthesized from combinations of 8 different polyamines as headgroups and 13 acrylates as tails, 104 different lipidoids are tested for activity against a model Gram-positive bacterial strain (Bacillus subtilis). Results from the combinatorial screening assay show that lipidoids with the most potent antimicrobial properties (down to 2 μM) have intermediate tail hydrophobicity (i.e., c log P values between 3 and 4) and lower headgroup charge density (i.e., longer spacers between charged amines). However, the most important factor appeared to be the ability of a lipidoid to self-assemble into an inverse hexagonal liquid crystalline phase, as observed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis. The lipidoids active at lowest concentrations, which induced the most significant membrane damage during propidium iodide (PI) permeabilization assays, were those that aggregated into highly curved inverse hexagonal liquid crystal phases. These observations suggest that the introduction of strong curvature stress into the membrane is one way to maximize membrane disruption and lipidoid antimicrobial activity. Lipidoids that demonstrated the ability to furnish this phase consisted of either (i) branched or linear headgroups with shorter linear tails or (ii) cyclic headgroups with 4 bulky nonlinear tails. On the contrary, lipidoids previously observed to adopt disc-like conformations that pack into bicontinuous cubic phases were significantly less effective against B. subtilis. The discovery of these structure-property relationships demonstrates that it is not simply a balance of hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties that govern membrane-active antibacterial activity, but also their intrinsic curvature and collective behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Jennings
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Field
of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Dunja Ašćerić
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Field
of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Enrico Federico Semeraro
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Field
of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Karl Lohner
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Field
of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Nermina Malanovic
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Field
of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Georg Pabst
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Field
of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
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Sen S, Samat R, Jash M, Ghosh S, Roy R, Mukherjee N, Ghosh S, Sarkar J, Ghosh S. Potential Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial, Wound Healing, and Disinfectant Cationic Peptide Crafted from Snake Venom. J Med Chem 2023; 66:11555-11572. [PMID: 37566805 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial cationic peptides are intriguing and propitious antibiotics for the future, even against multidrug-resistant superbugs. Venoms serve as a source of cutting-edge therapeutics and innovative, unexplored medicines. In this study, a novel cationic peptide library consisting of seven sequences was designed and synthesized from the snake venom cathelicidin, batroxicidin (BatxC), with the inclusion of the FLPII motif at the N-terminus. SP1V3_1 demonstrated exceptional antibacterial effectiveness against Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and destroyed the bacteria by depolarizing, rupturing, and permeabilizing their membranes, as evident from fluorescence assays, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. SP1V3_1 was observed to modulate the immune response in LPS-elicited U937 cells and exhibited good antibiofilm activity against MRSA and K. pneumoniae. The peptide promoted wound healing and disinfection in the murine model. The study demonstrated that SP1V3_1 is an exciting peptide lead and may be explored further for the development of better therapeutic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samya Sen
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
- iHUB Drishti Foundation, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Ramkamal Samat
- Smart Healthcare Department, Interdisciplinary Research Platform, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Moumita Jash
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Satyajit Ghosh
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Rajsekhar Roy
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Nabanita Mukherjee
- Smart Healthcare Department, Interdisciplinary Research Platform, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Surojit Ghosh
- Smart Healthcare Department, Interdisciplinary Research Platform, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Jayita Sarkar
- Centre for Research and Development of Scientific Instruments, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
| | - Surajit Ghosh
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
- Smart Healthcare Department, Interdisciplinary Research Platform, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
- iHUB Drishti Foundation, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342030, India
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Gostaviceanu A, Gavrilaş S, Copolovici L, Copolovici DM. Membrane-Active Peptides and Their Potential Biomedical Application. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2091. [PMID: 37631305 PMCID: PMC10459175 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082091] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane-active peptides (MAPs) possess unique properties that make them valuable tools for studying membrane structure and function and promising candidates for therapeutic applications. This review paper provides an overview of the fundamental aspects of MAPs, focusing on their membrane interaction mechanisms and potential applications. MAPs exhibit various structural features, including amphipathic structures and specific amino acid residues, enabling selective interaction with multiple membranes. Their mechanisms of action involve disrupting lipid bilayers through different pathways, depending on peptide properties and membrane composition. The therapeutic potential of MAPs is significant. They have demonstrated antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi, making them promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. MAPs can selectively target cancer cells and induce apoptosis, opening new avenues in cancer therapeutics. Additionally, MAPs serve as drug delivery vectors, facilitating the transport of therapeutic cargoes across cell membranes. They represent a fascinating class of biomolecules with significant potential in basic research and clinical applications. Understanding their mechanisms of action and designing peptides with enhanced selectivity and efficacy will further expand their utility in diverse fields. Exploring MAPs holds promise for developing novel therapeutic strategies against infections, cancer, and drug delivery challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Gostaviceanu
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, and Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University, Elena Drăgoi St., No. 2, 310330 Arad, Romania; (A.G.); (S.G.); (L.C.)
- Biomedical Sciences Doctoral School, University of Oradea, University St., No. 1, 410087 Oradea, Romania
| | - Simona Gavrilaş
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, and Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University, Elena Drăgoi St., No. 2, 310330 Arad, Romania; (A.G.); (S.G.); (L.C.)
| | - Lucian Copolovici
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, and Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University, Elena Drăgoi St., No. 2, 310330 Arad, Romania; (A.G.); (S.G.); (L.C.)
| | - Dana Maria Copolovici
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, and Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University, Elena Drăgoi St., No. 2, 310330 Arad, Romania; (A.G.); (S.G.); (L.C.)
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Ioannou P, Baliou S, Kofteridis DP. Antimicrobial Peptides in Infectious Diseases and Beyond-A Narrative Review. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1651. [PMID: 37629508 PMCID: PMC10455936 DOI: 10.3390/life13081651] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent medical research and clinical practice developments, the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) significantly limits therapeutics for infectious diseases. Thus, novel treatments for infectious diseases, especially in this era of increasing AMR, are urgently needed. There is ongoing research on non-classical therapies for infectious diseases utilizing alternative antimicrobial mechanisms to fight pathogens, such as bacteriophages or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are evolutionarily conserved molecules naturally produced by several organisms, such as plants, insects, marine organisms, and mammals, aiming to protect the host by fighting pathogenic microorganisms. There is ongoing research regarding developing AMPs for clinical use in infectious diseases. Moreover, AMPs have several other non-medical applications in the food industry, such as preservatives, animal husbandry, plant protection, and aquaculture. This review focuses on AMPs, their origins, biology, structure, mechanisms of action, non-medical applications, and clinical applications in infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petros Ioannou
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
- Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Stella Baliou
- Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Diamantis P. Kofteridis
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
- Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Greece
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Makwana P, Rahul K, Ito K, Subhadra B. Diversity of Antimicrobial Peptides in Silkworm. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051161. [PMID: 37240807 DOI: 10.3390/life13051161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a phenomenon that the present-day world is witnessing that poses a serious threat to global health. The decline in the development of novel therapeutics over the last couple of decades has exacerbated the situation further. In this scenario, the pursuit of new alternative therapeutics to commonly used antibiotics has gained predominance amongst researchers across the world. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from natural sources have drawn significant interest in the recent years as promising pharmacological substitutes over the conventional antibiotics. The most notable advantage of AMPs is that microorganisms cannot develop resistance to them. Insects represent one of the potential sources of AMPs, which are synthesized as part of an innate immune defence against invading pathogens. AMPs from different insects have been extensively studied, and silkworm is one of them. Diverse classes of AMPs (including attacins, cecropins, defensins, enbocins, gloverins, lebocins and moricins) were identified from silkworm that exhibit antimicrobial property against bacteria, fungi and viruses, indicating their potential therapeutic benefits. This review briefs about the immune responses of silkworm to invading pathogens, the isolation of AMPs from silkworms, AMPs reported in silkworms and their activity against various microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Makwana
- Central Sericultural Research & Training Institute, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, Berhampore, Murshidabad 742101, West Bengal, India
| | - Kamidi Rahul
- Central Sericultural Research & Training Institute, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, Berhampore, Murshidabad 742101, West Bengal, India
| | - Katsuhiko Ito
- Laboratory of Sericultural Science, Department of Science of Biological Production, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi 183-8509, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bindu Subhadra
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Long Island University, Brookville, New York, NY 11548, USA
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Qin H, Zuo W, Ge L, Siu SW, Wang L, Chen X, Ma C, Chen T, Zhou M, Cao Z, Kwok HF. Discovery and analysis of a novel antimicrobial peptide B1AW from the skin secretion of Amolops wuyiensis and improving the membrane-binding affinity through the construction of the lysine-introduced analogue. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2960-2972. [PMID: 37228702 PMCID: PMC10205438 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.05.006] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In the development and study of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), researchers have kept a watchful eye on peptides from the brevinin family because of their extensive antimicrobial activities and anticancer potency. In this study, a novel brevinin peptide was isolated from the skin secretions of the Wuyi torrent frog, Amolops wuyiensis (A. wuyiensisi), named B1AW (FLPLLAGLAANFLPQIICKIARKC). B1AW displayed anti-bacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). B1AW-K was designed to broaden the antimicrobial spectrum of B1AW. The introduction of a lysine residue generated an AMP with enhanced broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. It also displayed the ability to inhibit the growth of human prostatic cancer PC-3, non-small lung cancer H838, and glioblastoma cancer U251MG cell lines. In molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, B1AW-K had a faster approach and adsorption to the anionic membrane than B1AW. Therefore, B1AW-K was considered a drug prototype with a dual effect, which deserves further clinical investigation and validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixin Qin
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Weimin Zuo
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Lilin Ge
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shirley W.I. Siu
- Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Estrada Marginal da Ilha Verde, Macau
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
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Asensio-Calavia P, González-Acosta S, Otazo-Pérez A, López MR, Morales-delaNuez A, Pérez de la Lastra JM. Teleost Piscidins-In Silico Perspective of Natural Peptide Antibiotics from Marine Sources. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050855. [PMID: 37237758 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fish, like all other animals, are exposed to constant contact with microbes, both on their skin and on the surfaces of their respiratory and digestive systems. Fish have a system of non-specific immune responses that provides them with initial protection against infection and allows them to survive under normal conditions despite the presence of these potential invaders. However, fish are less protected against invading diseases than other marine vertebrates because their epidermal surface, composed primarily of living cells, lacks the keratinized skin that serves as an efficient natural barrier in other marine vertebrates. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one type of innate immune protection present in all life forms. AMPs have been shown to have a broader range of biological effects than conventional antibiotics, including antibacterial, antiviral, antiprotozoal, and antifungal effects. Although other AMPs, such as defensins and hepcidins, are found in all vertebrates and are relatively well conserved, piscidins are found exclusively in Teleost fish and are not found in any other animal. Therefore, there is less information on the expression and bioactivity of piscidins than on other AMPs. Piscidins are highly effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that cause disease in fish and humans and have the potential to be used as pharmacological anti-infectives in biomedicine and aquaculture. To better understand the potential benefits and limitations of using these peptides as therapeutic agents, we are conducting a comprehensive study of the Teleost piscidins included in the "reviewed" category of the UniProt database using bioinformatics tools. They all have amphipathic alpha-helical structures. The amphipathic architecture of piscidin peptides and positively charged residues influence their antibacterial activity. These alpha-helices are intriguing antimicrobial drugs due to their stability in high-salt and metal environments. New treatments for multidrug-resistant bacteria, cancer, and inflammation may be inspired by piscidin peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Asensio-Calavia
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- School of Doctoral and Graduate Studies, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, SN. Edificio Calabaza-Apdo. 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Sergio González-Acosta
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- School of Doctoral and Graduate Studies, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, SN. Edificio Calabaza-Apdo. 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Andrea Otazo-Pérez
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- School of Doctoral and Graduate Studies, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, SN. Edificio Calabaza-Apdo. 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Manuel R López
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Antonio Morales-delaNuez
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - José Manuel Pérez de la Lastra
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 3, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Lyu Y, Tan M, Xue M, Hou W, Yang C, Shan A, Xiang W, Cheng B. Broad-spectrum hybrid antimicrobial peptides derived from PMAP-23 with potential LPS binding ability. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 210:115500. [PMID: 36921633 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides, as an integral part of the innate immune system, kill bacteria through a special mechanism of action, making them less susceptible to drug resistance. However, Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as the permeation barrier on the bacterial membrane, inhibits the antibacterial activity of antimicrobial peptides and triggers the inflammatory response. GWKRKRFG is an LPS binding sequence with a β-boomerang motif that can be linked to antimicrobial peptides to enhance their LPS affinity and reduce the possibility of LPS-induced inflammatory responses. In this study, a series of hybrid peptides were designed by conjugating the reported LPS binding sequence to the C-/N-terminal sequences of the natural porcine antimicrobial peptide PMAP-23 to increase the LPS affinity of peptides. Among all the designed hybrid peptides, 4R-PP-G8 showed the best antibacterial activity, nonhemolytic activity, and excellent cell selectivity. The presence of LPS not only induced the secondary structure transformation of 4R-PP-G8 from a random structure to an α-helical structure but also reduced the antibacterial activity of 4R-PP-G8 in a dose-dependent manner, indicating the excellent binding ability of 4R-PP-G8 to LPS. The LPS/LTA binding assay further verified the interaction between the peptide and LPS. The membrane permeability test verified that 4R-PP-G8 possessed a strong capability to penetrate the bacterial membrane after interacting with LPS. More direct membrane disruption was observed under FE-SEM and TEM. In conclusion, we provided a simple and efficient method to improve the LPS binding ability of antimicrobial peptides and enhance their antimicrobial activity, resulting in the peptide 4R-PP-G8 with clinical application potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinfeng Lyu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China
| | - Meishu Tan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China
| | - Meng Xue
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China
| | - Wenjing Hou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China
| | - Chengyi Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China
| | - Anshan Shan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China.
| | - Wensheng Xiang
- School of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China
| | - Baojing Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, P.R. China
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Szymczak P, Możejko M, Grzegorzek T, Jurczak R, Bauer M, Neubauer D, Sikora K, Michalski M, Sroka J, Setny P, Kamysz W, Szczurek E. Discovering highly potent antimicrobial peptides with deep generative model HydrAMP. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1453. [PMID: 36922490 PMCID: PMC10017685 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36994-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides emerge as compounds that can alleviate the global health hazard of antimicrobial resistance, prompting a need for novel computational approaches to peptide generation. Here, we propose HydrAMP, a conditional variational autoencoder that learns lower-dimensional, continuous representation of peptides and captures their antimicrobial properties. The model disentangles the learnt representation of a peptide from its antimicrobial conditions and leverages parameter-controlled creativity. HydrAMP is the first model that is directly optimized for diverse tasks, including unconstrained and analogue generation and outperforms other approaches in these tasks. An additional preselection procedure based on ranking of generated peptides and molecular dynamics simulations increases experimental validation rate. Wet-lab experiments on five bacterial strains confirm high activity of nine peptides generated as analogues of clinically relevant prototypes, as well as six analogues of an inactive peptide. HydrAMP enables generation of diverse and potent peptides, making a step towards resolving the antimicrobial resistance crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Szymczak
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Możejko
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Grzegorzek
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
- NVIDIA, 2788 San Tomas Expressway, Santa Clara, CA, 95051, USA
| | - Radosław Jurczak
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Bauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karol Sikora
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Michał Michalski
- The Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Sroka
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Setny
- The Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ewa Szczurek
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha 2, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
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Yao Y, Zhang W, Li S, Xie H, Zhang Z, Jia B, Huang S, Li W, Ma L, Gao Y, Song J, Wang R. Development of Neuropeptide Hemokinin-1 Analogues with Antimicrobial and Wound-Healing Activity. J Med Chem 2023; 66:6617-6630. [PMID: 36893465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Wound healing is a complex process that can be delayed in some pathological conditions, such as infection and diabetes. Following skin injury, the neuropeptide substance P (SP) is released from peripheral neurons to promote wound healing by multiple mechanisms. Human hemokinin-1 (hHK-1) has been identified as an SP-like tachykinin peptide. Surprisingly, hHK-1 shares similar structural features with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), but it does not display efficient antimicrobial activity. Therefore, a series of hHK-1 analogues were designed and synthesized. Among these analogues, AH-4 was found to display the greatest antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria. Furthermore, AH-4 rapidly killed bacteria by membrane disruption, similar to most AMPs. More importantly, AH-4 showed favorable healing activity in all tested mouse full-thickness excisional wound models. Overall, this study suggests that the neuropeptide hHK-1 can be used as a desirable template for developing promising therapeutics with multiple functions for wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Sisi Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Huan Xie
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Zhengzheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Bo Jia
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Sujie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Wenyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Ling Ma
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yuxuan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jingjing Song
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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Development of a Novel Antibacterial Peptide, PAM-5, via Combination of Phage Display Selection and Computer-Assisted Modification. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13030466. [PMID: 36979401 PMCID: PMC10046784 DOI: 10.3390/biom13030466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibacterial peptides (ABPs) have been proposed as potential candidates for alternative antibacterial agents due to the extensive dissemination of antibiotic resistance. However, ABP isolation from natural resources can be tedious without consistent yield. Moreover, many natural ABPs are not developed for clinical application due to potential toxicity to mammalian cells. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a potent ABP with minimal toxicity via phage display selection followed by computer-assisted modification. Briefly, a 12-mer phage-displayed peptide library was used to isolate peptides that bound to the cell surface of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with high affinity. The affinity-selected peptide with the highest selection frequency was modified to PAM-5 (KWKWRPLKRKLVLRM) with enhanced antibacterial features by using an online peptide database. Using in vitro microbroth dilution assay, PAM-5 was shown to be active against a panel of Gram-negative bacteria and selected Gram-positive bacteria. Interestingly, the peptide was stable in human plasma by exhibiting a similar bactericidal effect via ex vivo assay. Scanning electron microscopy and SYTOX Green uptake assay revealed that PAM-5 was able to cause membrane disruption and permeabilization of the bacteria. Additionally, the peptide was also able to bind to bacterial DNA as demonstrated by gel retardation assay. In the time-kill assay, PAM-5 was shown to kill the bacteria rapidly in 10 min. More importantly, PAM-5 was non-cytotoxic to Vero cells and non-haemolytic to human erythrocytes at all concentrations tested for the antibacterial assays. Thus, this study showed that the combination of phage display screening and computer-assisted modification could be used to develop potent novel ABPs, and PAM-5 derived from these approaches is worth to be further elucidated for its potential clinical use.
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