Modifiers of membrane dipole potentials as tools for investigating ion channel formation and functioning

The design and functional characterization of a novel hybrid antimicrobial peptide from Esculentin-1a and melittin

Antimicrobial agents are one of the most widely used drugs in medicine. In the last fifty years, the misuse of these agents caused the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria that led to an increase in life-threatening infections. The need to develop new agents has become a priority, and antimicrobial peptides attained high consideration. The antimicrobial activities of a novel In-house designed hybrid cationic peptide (BKR1) were studied against different strains of Gram-negative bacteria. This was done using the broth dilution method as outlined by the Clinical and Laboratory Institute (CLSI). Checkerboard assy was employed to investigate the synergistic activity of BKR1 peptide with four antibiotics (Levofloxacin, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, and ampicillin). Finally, the cytotoxicity of BKR1 was evaluated against human blood cells and mammalian kidney cells (Vero cells). BKR1 displayed bactericidal activity against tested strains of Gram-negative bacteria, with zero hemolytic effects. It also acts as a strong adjuvant with levofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and rifampicin against resistant strains of P. aeruginosa and E. coli. This study represents the design and elucidation of the antimicrobial activities of a novel hybrid antimicrobial peptide named (BKR1). Our results indicate thar BKR1 is a promising candidate to treat resistant infectious diseases individually or as an adjuvant with conventional antibiotics.

Chromone-Containing Allylmorpholines Influence Ion Channels in Lipid Membranes via Dipole Potential and Packing Stress

Herein, we report that chromone-containing allylmorpholines can affect ion channels formed by pore-forming antibiotics in model lipid membranes, which correlates with their ability to influence membrane boundary potential and lipid-packing stress. At 100 µg/mL, allylmorpholines 1, 6, 7, and 8 decrease the boundary potential of the bilayers composed of palmitoyloleoylphosphocholine (POPC) by about 100 mV. At the same time, the compounds do not affect the zeta-potential of POPC liposomes, but reduce the membrane dipole potential by 80-120 mV. The allylmorpholine-induced drop in the dipole potential produce 10-30% enhancement in the conductance of gramicidin A channels. Chromone-containing allylmorpholines also affect the thermotropic behavior of dipalmytoylphosphocholine (DPPC), abolishing the pretransition, lowering melting cooperativity, and turning the main phase transition peak into a multicomponent profile. Compounds 4, 6, 7, and 8 are able to decrease DPPC's melting temperature by about 0.5-1.9 °C. Moreover, derivative 7 is shown to increase the temperature of transition of palmitoyloleoylphosphoethanolamine from lamellar to inverted hexagonal phase. The effects on lipid-phase transitions are attributed to the changes in the spontaneous curvature stress. Alterations in lipid packing induced by allylmorpholines are believed to potentiate the pore-forming ability of amphotericin B and gramicidin A by several times.

Biomembrane lipids: When physics and chemistry join to shape biological activity

Biomembranes constitute the first lines of defense of cells. While small molecules can often permeate cell walls in bacteria and plants, they are generally unable to penetrate the barrier constituted by the double layer of phospholipids, unless specific receptors or channels are present. Antimicrobial or cell-penetrating peptides are in fact highly specialized molecules able to bypass this barrier and even discriminate among different cell types. This capacity is made possible by the intrinsic properties of its phospholipids, their distribution between the internal and external leaflet, and their ability to mutually interact, modulating the membrane fluidity and the exposition of key headgroups. Although common phospholipids can be found in the membranes of most organisms, some are characteristic of specific cell types. Here, we review the properties of the most common lipids and describe how they interact with each other in biomembrane. We then discuss how their assembly in bilayers determines some key physical-chemical properties such as permeability, potential and phase status. Finally, we describe how the exposition of specific phospholipids determines the recognition of cell types by membrane-targeting molecules.

Beehive Products as Antibacterial Agents: A Review

Honeybees are one of the most marvelous and economically beneficial insects. As pollinators, they play a vital role in every aspect of the ecosystem. Beehive products have been used for thousands of years in many cultures for the treatment of various diseases. Their healing properties have been documented in many religious texts like the Noble Quran and the Holy Bible. Honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly all demonstrated a richness in their bioactive compounds which make them effective against a variety of bacterial strains. Furthermore, many studies showed that honey and bee venom work as powerful antibacterial agents against a wide range of bacteria including life-threatening bacteria. Several reports documented the biological activities of honeybee products but none of them emphasized on the antibacterial activity of all beehive products. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the antibacterial activity of honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly, that are produced by honeybees.

C-Glucosylation as a tool for the prevention of PAINS-induced membrane dipole potential alterations

The concept of Pan-Assay Interference Compounds (PAINS) is regarded as a threat to the recognition of the broad bioactivity of natural products. Based on the established relationship between altered membrane dipole potential and transmembrane protein conformation and function, we investigate here polyphenols' ability to induce changes in cell membrane dipole potential. Ultimately, we are interested in finding a tool to prevent polyphenol PAINS-type behavior and produce compounds less prone to untargeted and promiscuous interactions with the cell membrane. Di-8-ANEPPS fluorescence ratiometric measurements suggest that planar lipophilic polyphenols-phloretin, genistein and resveratrol-act by decreasing membrane dipole potential, especially in cholesterol-rich domains such as lipid rafts, which play a role in important cellular processes. These results provide a mechanism for their labelling as PAINS through their ability to disrupt cell membrane homeostasis. Aiming to explore the role of C-glucosylation in PAINS membrane-interfering behavior, we disclose herein the first synthesis of 4-glucosylresveratrol, starting from 5-hydroxymethylbenzene-1,3-diol, via C-glucosylation, oxidation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination, and resynthesize phloretin and genistein C-glucosides. We show that C-glucosylation generates compounds which are no longer able to modify membrane dipole potential. Therefore, it can be devised as a strategy to generate bioactive natural product derivatives that no longer act as membrane dipole potential modifiers. Our results offer a new technology towards rescuing bioactive polyphenols from their PAINS danger label through C-C ligation of sugars.

Alkaloids Modulate the Functioning of Ion Channels Produced by Antimicrobial Agents via an Influence on the Lipid Host

It is widely recognized that an alteration in membrane physical properties induced by the adsorption of various drugs and biologically active compounds might greatly affect the functioning of peptides and proteins embedded in the membrane, in particular various ion channels. This study aimed to obtain deep insight into the diversity of the molecular mechanisms of membrane action of one of the most numerous and extremely important class of phytochemicals, the alkaloids. Protoalkaloids (derivatives of β-phenylethylamine, benzylamines, and colchicines), heterocyclic alkaloids (derivatives of purine, quinolysidine, piperidine, pyridine, quinoline, and isoquinoline), and steroid alkaloids were tested. We evaluated the effects of 22 compounds on lipid packing by investigating the thermotropic behavior of membrane lipids and the leakage of a fluorescent marker from unilamellar lipid vesicles. The alteration in the transmembrane distribution of the electrical potential was estimated by measuring the alkaloid induced changes in the boundary potential of planar lipid bilayers. We found that benzylamines, the chili pepper active components, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, strongly affect not only the elastic properties of the lipid host, but also its electrostatics by dramatic decrease in membrane dipole potential. We concluded that the increase in the conductance and lifetime of gramicidin A channels induced by benzylamines was related to alteration in membrane dipole potential not to decrease in membrane stiffness. A sharp decrease in the lifetime of single ion pores induced by the antifungal lipopeptide syringomycin E, after addition of benzylamines and black pepper alkaloid piperine, was also mainly due to the reduction in dipole potential. At the same time, we showed that the disordering of membrane lipids in the presence of benzylamines and piperine plays a decisive role in the regulation of the conductance induced by the antifungal polyene macrolide antibiotic nystatin, while the inhibition of steady-state transmembrane current produced by the antimicrobial peptide cecropin A was attributed to both the dipole potential drop and membrane lipid disordering in the presence of pepper alkaloids. These data might lead to a better understanding of the biological activity of alkaloids, especially their action on voltage-gated and mechanosensitive ion channels in cell membranes.

Synergistic activity of melittin with mupirocin: A study against methicillin-resistant S. Aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. Aureus (MSSA) isolates

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms are involved in various nosocomial infections, being in the limelight of academic research. The current study aimed to determine the antimicrobial effects of melittin on planktonic and biofilm forms of S. aureus. Following the identification of MRSA and SCCmec types (using PCR method), Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICi), for melittin and mupirocin were determined by broth microdilution assay. Melittin anti-biofilm activity was determined, using a microtiter-plate test (MtP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) methods. The quorum sensing inhibitory activity of ½ MIC melittin was examined using a quantitative real-time RT-PCR method, and melittin cytotoxicity on Vero cells was examined by tetrazolium-based colorimetric (MTT) test. The Results of our study showed that Geometric means of MIC values of the melittin and mupirocin were 4.4 and 14.22 μg/ml respectively. The geometric mean of the FICi for both melittin-mupirocin was 0.75. No S. aureus biofilm was formed and hld gene (as a biofilm regulator) expression down-regulated. It seems that melittin can be useful in the treatment of S. aureus infections (especially MRSA) by reducing the hld expression. Furthermore, synergistic growth-inhibitory effects of mupirocin with melittin could be considered as a promising approach in the treatment of MRSA isolates.

Kinetoplastid Membrane Protein-11 Induces Pores in Anionic Phospholipid Membranes: Effect of Cholesterol

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11), expressed in all stages of leishmanial life cycle, is considered a potential candidate for leishmaniasis vaccine. KMP-11 is found on the membrane surface of the parasite. Although the biological function of KMP-11 is unknown, we hypothesize from its sequence analysis that it may interact with the macrophage membrane and may influence the entry process of the parasite into the host cell. To validate this hypothesis, we have investigated the interaction of KMP-11 with unilamellar anionic phospholipid vesicles and explored its pore-forming activity. The decrease in negative ζ-potential of the vesicles and reduction in the fluorescence intensity of membrane-bound dye DiI C-18 suggest a strong association of KMP-11 with the membrane. The fluorescence leakage experiment as well as phase contrast microscopy shows direct evidence of KMP-11-induced pore formation in an anionic membrane. Incorporation of cholesterol into the membrane has been found to inhibit pore formation induced by KMP-11, suggesting an important role of cholesterol in leishmaniasis. Interestingly, vesicles containing only neutral phospholipid do not exhibit any tendency toward pore formation.

Influence of apitoxin and melittin from Apis mellifera bee on Staphylococcus aureus strains

The antibacterial activities of apitoxin, a venom produced by Apis mellifera bee, and melittin, an antimicrobial peptide from apitoxin, were tested against planktonic and biofilm states of Staphylococcus aureus methicillin-resistant (MRSA), including clinical, and enterotoxin-producing isolates. Also, the synergism of apitoxin and melittin in combination with oxacillin were evaluated as well. The induced morphological changes on S. aureus cells of both products were detected by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were 7.2 μg/mL, and 6.7 μg/mL, for apitoxin and melittin, respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were 28.7 μg/mL, and 26 μg/mL for apitoxin and melittin, respectively. The time-kill curve assays of apitoxin or melittin with oxacillin exhibited bactericidal synergism against MRSA isolates. TEM images showed cell distortion, cell disintegration with leakage of cytoplasmic content and loss of cytoplasm content. However, apitoxin and melittin did not interfere with staphylococcal enterotoxin production or release. Thus, apitoxin and melittin are potential agents against MRSA that can serve as possible models for new antibacterial drugs.

Controllable Coumarin-Based NIR Fluorophores: Selective Subcellular Imaging, Cell Membrane Potential Indication, and Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy

Fluorescent materials with advanced functionalities provide powerful tools to visualize subcellular microstructures and monitor subcellular dynamic functions, which significantly boost our understanding of complex biological phenomena and manipulation of biological behaviors. However, realization of diverse biological applications from a single molecular backbone is still a challenging endeavor. In this contribution, a series of coumarin-based cationic fluorophores (Cou-n, n = 1-4) with near-infrared emission (675 nm) and large Stokes shifts (110 nm) have been developed. Considering their excellent biocompatibilities and alkyl chain-dependent lipophilicities, Cou-1 and Cou-3 could selectively and ultrafast (<30 s) stain the cell plasma membrane and mitochondria in a washing-free manner, respectively. Meanwhile, Cou-1 could sensitively respond to the change of the plasma membrane potential, which enabled Cou-1 to successfully indicate the cell passage number. Taking advantage of specific mitochondria targeting as well as efficient singlet oxygen generation, Cou-3 exhibited enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect for tumor inhibition in vivo. In addition, the suitable lipophilicity of Cou-3 aided it in selectively imaging Gram-positive bacteria and efficiently killing bacteria by the PDT process.

Mini Review on Antimicrobial Peptides, Sources, Mechanism and Recent Applications

Antimicrobial peptides in recent years have gained increased interest among scientists, health professionals and the pharmaceutical companies owing to their therapeutic potential. These are low molecular weight proteins with broad range antimicrobial and immuno modulatory activities against infectious bacteria (Gram positive and Gram negative), viruses and fungi. Inability of micro-organisms to develop resistance against most of the antimicrobial peptide has made them as an efficient product which can greatly impact the new era of antimicrobials. In addition to this these peptides also demonstrates increased efficacy, high specificity, decreased drug interaction, low toxicity, biological diversity and direct attacking properties. Pharmaceutical industries are therefore conducting appropriate clinical trials to develop these peptides as potential therapeutic drugs. More than 60 peptide drugs have already reached the market and several hundreds of novel therapeutic peptides are in preclinical and clinical development. Rational designing can be used further to modify the chemical and physical properties of existing peptides. This mini review will discuss the sources, mechanism and recent therapeutic applications of antimicrobial peptides in treatment of infectious diseases.

Fengycin induces ion channels in lipid bilayers mimicking target fungal cell membranes

The one-sided addition of fengycin (FE) to planar lipid bilayers mimicking target fungal cell membranes up to 0.1 to 0.5 μM in the membrane bathing solution leads to the formation of well-defined and well-reproducible single-ion channels of various conductances in the picosiemens range. FE channels were characterized by asymmetric conductance-voltage characteristic. Membranes treated with FE showed nonideal cationic selectivity in potassium chloride bathing solutions. The membrane conductance induced by FE increased with the second power of the lipopeptide aqueous concentration, suggesting that at least FE dimers are involved in the formation of conductive subunits. The pore formation ability of FE was not distinctly affected by the molecular shape of membrane lipids but strongly depended on the presence of negatively charged species in the bilayer. FE channels were characterized by weakly pronounced voltage gating. Small molecules known to modify the transmembrane distribution of electrical potential and the lateral pressure profile were used to modulate the channel-forming activity of FE. The observed effects of membrane modifiers were attributed to changes in lipid packing and lipopeptide oligomerization in the membrane.

Longistylin A, a natural stilbene isolated from the leaves of Cajanus cajan, exhibits significant anti-MRSA activity

Longistylin A (LLA) is an abundant stilbene isolated from the leaves of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. However, the antibacterial effect of LLA is not yet understood. Therefore, in this study, a detailed investigation of the antibacterial effect of LLA, particularly against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was conducted. In vitro, LLA exhibited strong antibacterial activity against MRSA with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.56 µg/mL and displayed much more rapid bactericidal activity (3-log decrease in MRSA survival within 8 h) than vancomycin. A membrane-targeting experiment suggested that the antibacterial activity of LLA is associated with perturbation of the bacterial membrane potential and increased membrane permeability. Notably, LLA had relatively weak cytotoxicity to murine macrophages [50% cytotoxic concentration (CC₅₀) = 8.61 ± 0.57 µg/mL]. In vivo, topical treatment of a skin injury with LLA improved wound healing and closure in an MRSA-infected wound healing mouse model. After 3 days treatment, LLA decreased MRSA bacterial counts in the wounded region, reduced the accumulation of immune cells at the injury site, and alleviated induction of the inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor-alpha (180.74 ± 10.78 pg/mL vs. 606.57 ± 68.99 pg/mL) and interleukin-6 (87.25 ± 10.19 pg/mL vs. 280.58 ± 42.27 pg/mL) in serum.

Designer Peptide Amphiphiles: Self-Assembly to Applications

Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are extremely attractive as molecular building blocks, especially in the bottom-up fabrication of supramolecular soft materials, and have potential in many important applications across various fields of science and technology. In recent years, we have designed and synthesized a large group of peptide amphiphiles. This library of PAs has the ability to self-assemble into a variety of aggregates such as fibers, nanosphere, vesicles, nanosheet, nanocups, nanorings, hydrogels, and so on. The mechanism behind the formation of such a wide range of structures is intriguing. Each system has its individual method of aggregation and results in assemblies with important applications in areas including chemistry, biology, and materials science. The aim of this feature article is to bring together our recent achievements with designer PAs with respect to their self-assembly processes and applications. Emphasis is placed on rational design, mechanistic aspects of the self-assembly processes, and the applications of these PAs. We hope that this article will provide a conceptual demonstration of the different approaches taken toward the construction of these task-specific PAs.

Exploration of Fungal Lipase as Direct Target of Eugenol through Spectroscopic Techniques

BACKGROUND

Fungal lipase dependent processes are important for their pathogenicity. Lipases can therefore be explored as direct target of promising herbal antifungals.

OBJECTIVE

We explored Aspergillus niger lipase as a direct target of eugenol through spectroscopic techniques and compare results with Bovine Serum Albumin and lysozyme to comment on selectivity of eugenol towards lipase.

METHODS

In vitro activity assays of lipase are used to determine concentration ranges. UV-Visible, Fluorescence and Circular dichroism spectroscopy were employed to determine binding constant, stoichiometric binding sites and structural changes in Lipase, BSA and lysozyme following incubation with varying concentrations of eugenol.

RESULTS

In activity assays 50% inhibition of lipase was obtained at 0.913 mmoles/litre eugenol. UV-vis spectroscopy shows formation of lipase-eugenol, Bovine Serum Albumin-eugenol and lysozyme-eugenol complex well below this concentration of eugenol. Eugenol binding caused blue shift with Bovine Serum Albumin and lysozyme suggestive of compaction, and red shift with lipase. Negative ellipticity decreased with lipase but increased with Bovine Serum Albumineugenol and lysozyme-eugenol complexes suggesting loss of helical structure for lipase and compaction for Bovine Serum Albumin and lysozyme. Binding of eugenol to lipase was strong (Ka= 4.7 x 106 M-1) as compared to Bovine Serum Albumin and lysozyme. The number of stoichiometric eugenol binding sites on lipase was found to be 2 as compared to 1.37 (Bovine Serum Albumin) and 0.32 (lysozyme). Docking results also suggest strong binding of eugenol with lipase followed by Bovine Serum Albumin and lysozyme.

CONCLUSION

Eugenol is found to be effective inhibitor and disruptor of secondary and tertiary structure of lipase, whereas its binding to Bovine Serum Albumin and lysozyme is found to be weak and less disruptive of structures suggesting selectivity of eugenol towards lipase.

Changes in the Biophysical Properties of the Cell Membrane Are Involved in the Response of Neurospora crassa to Staurosporine

Neurospora crassa is a non-pathogenic filamentous fungus widely used as a multicellular eukaryotic model. Recently, the biophysical properties of the plasma membrane of N. crassa conidia were thoroughly characterized. They evolve during conidial germination at a speed that depends on culture conditions, suggesting an important association between membrane remodeling and the intense membrane biogenesis that takes place during the germinative process. Staurosporine (STS) is a drug used to induce programmed cell death in various organisms. In N. crassa, STS up-regulates the expression of the ABC transporter ABC-3, which localizes at the plasma membrane and pumps STS out. To understand the role of plasma membrane biophysical properties in the fungal drug response, N. crassa was subjected to STS treatment during early and late conidial development stages. Following 1 h treatment with STS, there is an increase in the abundance of the more ordered, sphingolipid-enriched, domains in the plasma membrane of conidia. This leads to higher fluidity in other membrane regions. The global order of the membrane remains thus practically unchanged. Significant changes in sphingolipid-enriched domains were also observed after 15 min challenge with STS, but they were essentially opposite to those verified for the 1 h treatment, suggesting different types of drug responses. STS effects on membrane properties that are more dependent on ergosterol levels also depend on the developmental stage. There were no alterations on 2 h-grown cells, clearly contrasting to what happens at longer growth times. In this case, the differences were more marked for longer STS treatment, and rationalized considering that the drug prevents the increase in the ergosterol/glycerophospholipid ratio that normally takes place at the late conidial stage/transition to the mycelial stage. This could be perceived as a drug-induced development arrest after 5 h growth, involving ergosterol, and pointing to a role of lipid rafts possibly related with an up-regulated expression of the ABC-3 transporter. Overall, our results suggest the involvement of membrane ordered domains in the response mechanisms to STS in N. crassa.