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Past, Present, and Future of Naturally Occurring Antimicrobials Related to Snake Venoms. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040744. [PMID: 36830531 PMCID: PMC9952678 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on proteins and peptides with antimicrobial activity because these biopolymers can be useful in the fight against infectious diseases and to overcome the critical problem of microbial resistance to antibiotics. In fact, snakes show the highest diversification among reptiles, surviving in various environments; their innate immunity is similar to mammals and the response of their plasma to bacteria and fungi has been explored mainly in ecological studies. Snake venoms are a rich source of components that have a variety of biological functions. Among them are proteins like lectins, metalloproteinases, serine proteinases, L-amino acid oxidases, phospholipases type A2, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, as well as many oligopeptides, such as waprins, cardiotoxins, cathelicidins, and β-defensins. In vitro, these biomolecules were shown to be active against bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses that are pathogenic to humans. Not only cathelicidins, but all other proteins and oligopeptides from snake venom have been proteolyzed to provide short antimicrobial peptides, or for use as templates for developing a variety of short unnatural sequences based on their structures. In addition to organizing and discussing an expressive amount of information, this review also describes new β-defensin sequences of Sistrurus miliarius that can lead to novel peptide-based antimicrobial agents, using a multidisciplinary approach that includes sequence phylogeny.
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Pizzolato-Cezar LR, Okuda-Shinagawa NM, Machini MT. Combinatory Therapy Antimicrobial Peptide-Antibiotic to Minimize the Ongoing Rise of Resistance. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1703. [PMID: 31447797 PMCID: PMC6695574 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luis R Pizzolato-Cezar
- Peptide Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nancy M Okuda-Shinagawa
- Peptide Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M Teresa Machini
- Peptide Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Okuda-Shinagawa NM, Moskalenko YE, Junqueira HC, Baptista M, Marques CM, Machini MT. Fluorescent and Photosensitizing Conjugates of Cell-Penetrating Peptide TAT(47-57): Design, Microwave-Assisted Synthesis at 60 °C, and Properties. ACS OMEGA 2017; 2:8156-8166. [PMID: 30023576 PMCID: PMC6044864 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b01127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Conjugates based on cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are scientifically relevant owing to their structural complexity; their ability to enter cells and deliver drugs, labels, antioxidants, bioactive compounds, or DNA fragments; and, consequently, their potential for application in research and biomedicine. In this study, carboxyamidated fluorescently labeled conjugates FAM-GG-TAT(47-57)-NH2 and FAM-PEG6-TAT(47-57)-NH2 and photosensitizer-labeled conjugate Chk-PEG6-TAT(47-57)-NH2 [where TAT(47-57) is the CPP, 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein is the (FAM) fluorophore, chlorin k (Chk) is the photosensitizer, and the dipeptide glycyl-glycine (GG) or hexaethylene glycol (PEG6) is the spacer] were originally designed, prepared, and fully characterized. Practically, all chemical reactions of the synthetic steps (peptide synthesis, spacer incorporation, and conjugation) were microwave-assisted at 60 °C using optimized protocols to give satisfying yields and high-quality products. Detailed analyses of the conjugates using spectrofluorimetry and singlet oxygen detection showed that they display photophysical properties typical of FAM or Chk. Anticandidal activity assays showed that not only this basic property of TAT(47-57) was preserved in the conjugates but also that the minimal inhibitory concentration was slightly reduced for cells incubated with PS-bearing conjugate Chk-PEG6-TAT(47-57)-NH2. Overall, these results indicated that the synthetic approach on-resin assisted by microwaves at 60 °C is simple, straightforward, selective, metal-free, sufficiently fast, cleaner, and more cost-effective than those previously used for preparing this type of macromolecule. Furthermore, such new data show that microwaves at 60 °C and/or conjugation did not harm the integrity of the conjugates' constituents. Therefore, FAM-GG-TAT(47-57)-NH2, FAM-PEG6-TAT(47-57)-NH2, and Chk-PEG6-TAT(47-57)-NH2 have high potential for practical applications in biochemistry, biophysics, and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy M. Okuda-Shinagawa
- Department
of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, 05508-000 São
Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Yulia E. Moskalenko
- Department
of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, 05508-000 São
Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Helena C. Junqueira
- Department
of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, 05508-000 São
Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maurício
S. Baptista
- Department
of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, 05508-000 São
Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos M. Marques
- Department
of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, 05508-000 São
Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Institut
Charles Sadron, Université de Strasbourg,
UPR22-CNRS, 23, rue du
Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, Strasbourg, France
| | - M. Terêsa Machini
- Department
of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, 05508-000 São
Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Immunological properties of oxygen-transport proteins: hemoglobin, hemocyanin and hemerythrin. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 74:293-317. [PMID: 27518203 PMCID: PMC5219038 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2326-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
It is now well documented that peptides with enhanced or alternative functionality (termed cryptides) can be liberated from larger, and sometimes inactive, proteins. A primary example of this phenomenon is the oxygen-transport protein hemoglobin. Aside from respiration, hemoglobin and hemoglobin-derived peptides have been associated with immune modulation, hematopoiesis, signal transduction and microbicidal activities in metazoans. Likewise, the functional equivalents to hemoglobin in invertebrates, namely hemocyanin and hemerythrin, act as potent immune effectors under certain physiological conditions. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the true extent of oxygen-transport protein dynamics in innate immunity, and to impress upon the reader the multi-functionality of these ancient proteins on the basis of their structures. In this context, erythrocyte-pathogen antibiosis and the immune competences of various erythroid cells are compared across diverse taxa.
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Abstract
In recent years, the increase of invasive fungal infections and the emergence of antifungal resistance stressed the need for new antifungal drugs. Peptides have shown to be good candidates for the development of alternative antimicrobial agents through high-throughput screening, and subsequent optimization according to a rational approach. This review presents a brief overview on antifungal natural peptides of different sources (animals, plants, micro-organisms), peptide fragments derived by proteolytic cleavage of precursor physiological proteins (cryptides), synthetic unnatural peptides and peptide derivatives. Antifungal peptides are schematically reported based on their structure, antifungal spectrum and reported effects. Natural or synthetic peptides and their modified derivatives may represent the basis for new compounds active against fungal infections.
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