1
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Reuben RC, Torres C. Bacteriocins: potentials and prospects in health and agrifood systems. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:233. [PMID: 38662051 PMCID: PMC11045635 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03948-y] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriocins are highly diverse, abundant, and heterogeneous antimicrobial peptides that are ribosomally synthesized by bacteria and archaea. Since their discovery about a century ago, there has been a growing interest in bacteriocin research and applications. This is mainly due to their high antimicrobial properties, narrow or broad spectrum of activity, specificity, low cytotoxicity, and stability. Though initially used to improve food quality and safety, bacteriocins are now globally exploited for innovative applications in human, animal, and food systems as sustainable alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriocins have the potential to beneficially modulate microbiota, providing viable microbiome-based solutions for the treatment, management, and non-invasive bio-diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The use of bacteriocins holds great promise in the modulation of food microbiomes, antimicrobial food packaging, bio-sanitizers and antibiofilm, pre/post-harvest biocontrol, functional food, growth promotion, and sustainable aquaculture. This can undoubtedly improve food security, safety, and quality globally. This review highlights the current trends in bacteriocin research, especially the increasing research outputs and funding, which we believe may proportionate the soaring global interest in bacteriocins. The use of cutting-edge technologies, such as bioengineering, can further enhance the exploitation of bacteriocins for innovative applications in human, animal, and food systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rine Christopher Reuben
- Area of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OneHealth-UR Research Group, University of La Rioja, 26006, Logroño, Spain.
| | - Carmen Torres
- Area of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OneHealth-UR Research Group, University of La Rioja, 26006, Logroño, Spain
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2
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Wang X, Xu Y, Martin NI, Breukink E. The enigmatic mode of action of the lantibiotic epilancin 15X. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2024; 1866:184282. [PMID: 38218577 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2024.184282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Epilancin 15X is a lantibiotic that has an antimicrobial activity in the nanomolar concentration range towards Staphylococcus simulans. Such low MICs usually imply that these peptides employ a mechanism of action (MoA) involving high affinity targets. Here we studied this MoA by using epilancin 15X's ability to dissipate the membrane potential of intact S. simulans cells. These membrane depolarization assays showed that treatment of the bacteria by antibiotics known to affect the bacterial cell wall synthesis pathway decreased the membrane depolarization effects of epilancin 15X. Disruption of the Lipid II cycle in intact bacteria using several methods led to a decrease in the activity of epilancin 15X. Antagonism-based experiments on 96-well plate and agar diffusion plate pointed towards a possible interaction between epilancin 15X and Lipid II and this was confirmed by Circular Dichroism (CD) based experiments. However, this interaction did not lead to a detectable effect on either carboxyfluorescein (CF) leakage or proton permeability. All experiments point to the involvement of a phosphodiester-containing target within a polyisoprene-based biosynthesis pathway, yet the exact identity of the target remains obscure so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqi Wang
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Yang Xu
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Nathaniel I Martin
- Biological Chemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Eefjan Breukink
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiotechnology Research of China, the Zhejiang Gongshang University of China, Hangzhou, China.
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3
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Puls JS, Winnerling B, Power JJ, Krüger AM, Brajtenbach D, Johnson M, Bilici K, Camus L, Fließwasser T, Schneider T, Sahl HG, Ghosal D, Kubitscheck U, Heilbronner S, Grein F. Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteriocin A37 kills natural competitors with a unique mechanism of action. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae044. [PMID: 38470311 PMCID: PMC10988021 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Many bacteria produce antimicrobial compounds such as lantibiotics to gain advantage in the competitive natural environments of microbiomes. Epilancins constitute an until now underexplored family of lantibiotics with an unknown ecological role and unresolved mode of action. We discovered production of an epilancin in the nasal isolate Staphylococcus epidermidis A37. Using bioinformatic tools, we found that epilancins are frequently encoded within staphylococcal genomes, highlighting their ecological relevance. We demonstrate that production of epilancin A37 contributes to Staphylococcus epidermidis competition specifically against natural corynebacterial competitors. Combining microbiological approaches with quantitative in vivo and in vitro fluorescence microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, we show that A37 enters the corynebacterial cytoplasm through a partially transmembrane-potential-driven uptake without impairing the cell membrane function. Upon intracellular aggregation, A37 induces the formation of intracellular membrane vesicles, which are heavily loaded with the compound and are essential for the antibacterial activity of the epilancin. Our work sheds light on the ecological role of epilancins for staphylococci mediated by a mode of action previously unknown for lantibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Samuel Puls
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Benjamin Winnerling
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jeffrey J Power
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annika M Krüger
- Clausius Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dominik Brajtenbach
- Clausius Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthew Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Kevser Bilici
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Laura Camus
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Fließwasser
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tanja Schneider
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Sahl
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Debnath Ghosal
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Ulrich Kubitscheck
- Clausius Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Heilbronner
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Present address: Faculty of Biology, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 82152 München, Germany
| | - Fabian Grein
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 53115 Bonn, Germany
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4
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Wu C, Lower BA, Moreira R, Dorantes D, Le T, Giurgiu C, Shi Y, van der Donk WA. Investigation into the mechanism of action of the antimicrobial peptide epilancin 15X. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1247222. [PMID: 38029153 PMCID: PMC10652874 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1247222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Addressing the current antibiotic-resistance challenge would be aided by the identification of compounds with novel mechanisms of action. Epilancin 15X, a lantibiotic produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis 15 × 154, displays antimicrobial activity in the submicromolar range against a subset of pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria. S. epidermidis is a common member of the human skin or mucosal microbiota. We here investigated the mechanism of action of epilancin 15X. The compound is bactericidal against Staphylococcus carnosus as well as Bacillus subtilis and appears to kill these bacteria by membrane disruption. Structure-activity relationship studies using engineered analogs show that its conserved positively charged residues and dehydroamino acids are important for bioactivity, but the N-terminal lactyl group is tolerant of changes. Epilancin 15X treatment negatively affects fatty acid synthesis, RNA translation, and DNA replication and transcription without affecting cell wall biosynthesis. The compound appears localized to the surface of bacteria and is most potent in disrupting the membranes of liposomes composed of negatively charged membrane lipids in a lipid II independent manner. Epilancin 15X does not elicit a LiaRS response in B. subtilis but did upregulate VraRS in S. carnosus. Treatment of S. carnosus or B. subtilis with epilancin 15X resulted in an aggregation phenotype in microscopy experiments. Collectively these studies provide new information on epilancin 15X activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - B. Alexis Lower
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Ryan Moreira
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Darian Dorantes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Tung Le
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Constantin Giurgiu
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Yanxiang Shi
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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5
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Wang X, van Beekveld RAM, Xu Y, Parmar A, Das S, Singh I, Breukink E. Analyzing mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides on bacterial membranes requires multiple complimentary assays and different bacterial strains. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2023; 1865:184160. [PMID: 37100361 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) commonly target bacterial membranes and show broad-spectrum activity against microorganisms. In this research we used three AMPs (nisin, epilancin 15×, [R4L10]-teixobactin) and tested their membrane effects towards three strains (Staphylococcus simulans, Micrococcus flavus, Bacillus megaterium) in relation with their antibacterial activity. We describe fluorescence and luminescence-based assays to measure effects on membrane potential, intracellular pH, membrane permeabilization and intracellular ATP levels. The results show that our control peptide, nisin, performed mostly as expected in view of its targeted pore-forming activity, with fast killing kinetics that coincided with severe membrane permeabilization in all three strains. However, the mechanisms of action of both Epilancin 15× as well as [R4L10]-teixobactin appeared to depend strongly on the bacterium tested. In certain specific combinations of assay, peptide and bacterium, deviations from the general picture were observed. This was even the case for nisin, indicating the importance of using multiple assays and bacteria for mode of action studies to be able to draw proper conclusions on the mode of action of AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqi Wang
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Roy A M van Beekveld
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Yang Xu
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Anish Parmar
- Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby St, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK; Antimicrobial Drug Discovery and Development, Department of Chemistry, The Robert Robinson Laboratories, University of Liverpool, L69 3BX Liverpool, UK
| | - Sanjit Das
- Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby St, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK; Antimicrobial Drug Discovery and Development, Department of Chemistry, The Robert Robinson Laboratories, University of Liverpool, L69 3BX Liverpool, UK
| | - Ishwar Singh
- Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby St, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Eefjan Breukink
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiotechnology Research of China, the Zhejiang Gongshang University of China, Hangzhou, China.
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6
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Li L, Zhang J, Zhou L, Shi H, Mai H, Su J, Ma X, Zhong J. The First Lanthipeptide from Lactobacillus iners, Inecin L, Exerts High Antimicrobial Activity against Human Vaginal Pathogens. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0212322. [PMID: 36847550 PMCID: PMC10057874 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02123-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaginal infections continue to be a serious public health issue, and developing new approaches to address antibiotic-resistant pathogens is an urgent task. The dominant vaginal Lactobacillus species and their active metabolites (e.g., bacteriocins) have the potential to defeat pathogens and help individuals recover from disorders. Here, we describe for the first time a novel lanthipeptide, inecin L, a bacteriocin from Lactobacillus iners with posttranslational modifications. The biosynthetic genes of inecin L were actively transcribed in the vaginal environment. Inecin L was active against the prevailing vaginal pathogens, such as Gardnerella vaginalis and Streptococcus agalactiae, at nanomolar concentrations. We demonstrated that the antibacterial activity of inecin L was closely related to the N terminus and the positively charged His13 residue. In addition, inecin L was a bactericidal lanthipeptide that showed little effect on the cytoplasmic membrane but inhibited the cell wall biosynthesis. Thus, the present work characterizes a new antimicrobial lanthipeptide from a predominant species of the human vaginal microbiota. IMPORTANCE The human vaginal microbiota plays essential roles in preventing pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses from invading. The dominant vaginal Lactobacillus species show great potential to be developed as probiotics. However, the molecular mechanisms (such as bioactive molecules and their modes of action) involved in the probiotic properties remain to be determined. Our work describes the first lanthipeptide molecule from the dominant Lactobacillus iners. Additionally, inecin L is the only lanthipeptide found among the vaginal lactobacilli thus far. Inecin L shows strong antimicrobial activity toward the prevalent vaginal pathogens and antibiotic-resistant strains, suggesting that inecin L is a potent antibacterial molecule for drug development. In addition, our results show that inecin L exhibits specific antibacterial activity related to the residues in the N-terminal region and ring A, which will contribute to structure-activity relationship studies in lacticin 481-like lanthipeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liyan Zhou
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Haijuan Shi
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Hong Mai
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Junchang Su
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingwang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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7
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Todorov SD, Popov I, Weeks R, Chikindas ML. Use of Bacteriocins and Bacteriocinogenic Beneficial Organisms in Food Products: Benefits, Challenges, Concerns. Foods 2022; 11:foods11193145. [PMID: 36230222 PMCID: PMC9563261 DOI: 10.3390/foods11193145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This review’s objective was to critically revisit various research approaches for studies on the application of beneficial organisms and bacteriocins as effective biopreservatives in the food industry. There are a substantial number of research papers reporting newly isolated bacterial strains from fermented food products and their application as potential probiotics, including partial characterization of bacteriocins produced by these microorganisms. Most of these studies follow scientific community-accepted standard procedures and propose various applications of the studied strains and bacteriocins as potential biopreservatives for the food industry. A few investigations go somewhat further, performing model studies, exploring the application of expressed bacteriocins in a designed food product, or trying to evaluate the effectiveness of the studied potential probiotics and bacteriocins against foodborne pathogens. Some authors propose applications of bacteriocin producers as starter cultures and are exploring in situ bacteriocin production to aid in the effective control of foodborne pathogens. However, few studies have evaluated the possible adverse effects of bacteriocins, such as toxicity. This comes from well-documented reports on bacteriocins being mostly non-immunogenic and having low cytotoxicity because most of these proteinaceous molecules are small peptides. However, some studies have reported on bacteriocins with noticeable cytotoxicity, which may become even more pronounced in genetically engineered or modified bacteriocins. Moreover, their cytotoxicity can be very specific and is dependent on the concentration of the bacteriocin and the nature of the targeted cell. This will be discussed in detail in the present review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov
- ProBacLab, Laboratório de Microbiologia de Alimentos, Departamento de Alimentos e Nutrição Experimental, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +359-88-9583119
| | - Igor Popov
- Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344002 Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - Richard Weeks
- Health Promoting Naturals Laboratory, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers State University, New Brunswick, NJ 08904, USA
| | - Michael Leonidas Chikindas
- Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344002 Rostov-on-Don, Russia
- Health Promoting Naturals Laboratory, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers State University, New Brunswick, NJ 08904, USA
- Department of General Hygiene, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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8
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Murugan R, Guru A, Haridevamuthu B, Sudhakaran G, Arshad A, Arockiaraj J. Lantibiotics: an antimicrobial asset in combating aquaculture diseases. AQUACULTURE INTERNATIONAL 2022; 30:2365-2387. [DOI: 10.1007/s10499-022-00908-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
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9
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Ongpipattanakul C, Desormeaux EK, DiCaprio A, van der Donk WA, Mitchell DA, Nair SK. Mechanism of Action of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-Translationally Modified Peptides. Chem Rev 2022; 122:14722-14814. [PMID: 36049139 PMCID: PMC9897510 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a natural product class that has undergone significant expansion due to the rapid growth in genome sequencing data and recognition that they are made by biosynthetic pathways that share many characteristic features. Their mode of actions cover a wide range of biological processes and include binding to membranes, receptors, enzymes, lipids, RNA, and metals as well as use as cofactors and signaling molecules. This review covers the currently known modes of action (MOA) of RiPPs. In turn, the mechanisms by which these molecules interact with their natural targets provide a rich set of molecular paradigms that can be used for the design or evolution of new or improved activities given the relative ease of engineering RiPPs. In this review, coverage is limited to RiPPs originating from bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayanid Ongpipattanakul
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Emily K. Desormeaux
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Adam DiCaprio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
| | - Satish K. Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
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10
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Rebuffat S. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, foreground players in microbial interactions: recent developments and unanswered questions. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 39:273-310. [PMID: 34755755 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00052g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
It is currently well established that multicellular organisms live in tight association with complex communities of microorganisms including a large number of bacteria. These are immersed in complex interaction networks reflecting the relationships established between them and with host organisms; yet, little is known about the molecules and mechanisms involved in these mutual interactions. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, among which bacterial antimicrobial peptides called bacteriocins and microcins have been identified as contributing to host-microbe interplays, are either unmodified or post-translationally modified peptides. This review will unveil current knowledge on these ribosomal peptide-based natural products, their interplay with the host immune system, and their roles in microbial interactions and symbioses. It will include their major structural characteristics and post-translational modifications, the main rules of their maturation pathways, and the principal ecological functions they ensure (communication, signalization, competition), especially in symbiosis, taking select examples in various organisms. Finally, we address unanswered questions and provide a framework for deciphering big issues inspiring future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Rebuffat
- Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier 75005, Paris, France.
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11
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Heilbronner S, Krismer B, Brötz-Oesterhelt H, Peschel A. The microbiome-shaping roles of bacteriocins. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:726-739. [PMID: 34075213 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00569-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The microbiomes on human body surfaces affect health in multiple ways. They include not only commensal or mutualistic bacteria but also potentially pathogenic bacteria, which can enter sterile tissues to cause invasive infection. Many commensal bacteria produce small antibacterial molecules termed bacteriocins that have the capacity to eliminate specific colonizing pathogens; as such, bacteriocins have attracted increased attention as potential microbiome-editing tools. Metagenome-based and activity-based screening approaches have strongly expanded our knowledge of the abundance and diversity of bacteriocin biosynthetic gene clusters and the properties of a continuously growing list of bacteriocin classes. The dynamic acquisition, diversification or loss of bacteriocin genes can shape the fitness of a bacterial strain that is in competition with bacteriocin-susceptible bacteria. However, a bacteriocin can only provide a competitive advantage if its fitness benefit exceeds the metabolic cost of production, if it spares crucial mutualistic partner strains and if major competitors cannot develop resistance. In contrast to most currently available antibiotics, many bacteriocins have only narrow activity ranges and could be attractive agents for precision therapy and prevention of infections. A common scientific strategy involving multiple disciplines is needed to uncover the immense potential of microbiome-shaping bacteriocins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Heilbronner
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Bernhard Krismer
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt
- Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Peschel
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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12
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Molecular Dynamics Insight into the Lipid II Recognition by Type A Lantibiotics: Nisin, Epidermin, and Gallidermin. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12101169. [PMID: 34683220 PMCID: PMC8538299 DOI: 10.3390/mi12101169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Lanthionine-containing peptides (lantibiotics) have been considered as pharmaceutical candidates for decades, although their clinical application has been restricted. Most lantibiotics kill bacteria via targeting and segregating of the cell wall precursor—membrane-inserted lipid II molecule—in some cases accompanied by pores formation. Nisin-like lantibiotics specifically bind to pyrophosphate (PPi) moiety of lipid II with their structurally similar N-terminal thioether rings A and B. Although possessing higher pore-forming capability, nisin, in some cases, is 10-fold less efficient in vivo as compared to related epidermin and gallidermin peptides, differing just in a few amino acid residues within their target-binding regions. Here, using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated atomistic details of intermolecular interactions between the truncated analogues of these peptides (residues 1–12) and lipid II mimic (dimethyl pyrophosphate, DMPPi). The peptides adopt similar conformation upon DMPPi binding with backbone amide protons orienting into a single center capturing PPi moiety via simultaneous formation of up to seven hydrogen bonds. Epidermin and gallidermin adopt the complex-forming conformation twice as frequent as nisin does, enhancing the binding by the lysine 4 side chain. Introduction of the similar residue to nisin in silico improves the binding, providing ideas for further design of prototypic antibiotics.
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Zhao X, Wang X, Shukla R, Kumar R, Weingarth M, Breukink E, Kuipers OP. Brevibacillin 2V Exerts Its Bactericidal Activity via Binding to Lipid II and Permeabilizing Cellular Membranes. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:694847. [PMID: 34335524 PMCID: PMC8322648 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.694847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipo-tridecapeptides, a class of bacterial non-ribosomally produced peptides, show strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp. However, many of these lipo-tridecapeptides have shown high hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity, which has limited their potential to be developed into antibiotics. Recently, we reported a novel antimicrobial lipo-tridecapeptide, brevibacillin 2V, which showed no hemolytic activity against human red blood cells at a high concentration of 128 mg/L, opposite to other brevibacillins and lipo-tridecapeptides. In addition, brevibacillin 2V showed much lower cytotoxicity than the other members of the brevibacillin family. In this study, we set out to elucidate the antimicrobial mode of action of brevibacillin 2V. The results show that brevibacillin 2V acts as bactericidal antimicrobial agent against S. aureus (MRSA). Further studies show that brevibacillin 2V exerts its bactericidal activity by binding to the bacterial cell wall synthesis precursor Lipid II and permeabilizing the bacterial membrane. Combined solid-state NMR, circular dichroism, and isothermal titration calorimetry assays indicate that brevibacillin 2V binds to the GlcNAc-MurNAc moiety and/or the pentapeptide of Lipid II. This study provides an insight into the antimicrobial mode of action of brevibacillin 2V. As brevibacillin 2V is a novel and promising antibiotic candidate with low hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity, the here-elucidated mode of action will help further studies to develop it as an alternative antimicrobial agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinghong Zhao
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Xiaoqi Wang
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rhythm Shukla
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Raj Kumar
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Markus Weingarth
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Eefjan Breukink
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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