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Antimicrobial peptides for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections. Drug Resist Updat 2023; 68:100954. [PMID: 36905712 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2023.100954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
The problem of drug resistance due to long-term use of antibiotics has been a concern for years. As this problem grows worse, infections caused by multiple bacteria are expanding rapidly and are extremely detrimental to human health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a good alternative to current antimicrobials with potent antimicrobial activity and unique antimicrobial mechanisms, which have advantages over traditional antibiotics in fighting against drug-resistant bacterial infections. Currently, researchers have conducted clinical investigations on AMPs for drug-resistant bacterial infections while integrating new technologies in the development of AMPs, such as changing amino acid structure of AMPs and using different delivery methods for AMPs. This article introduces the basic properties of AMPs, deliberates the mechanism of drug resistance in bacteria and the therapeutic mechanism of AMPs. The current disadvantages and advances of AMPs in combating drug-resistant bacterial infections are also discussed. This article provides important insights into the research and clinical application of new AMPs for drug-resistant bacterial infections.
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Liu Y, Du Q, Ma C, Xi X, Wang L, Zhou M, Burrows JF, Chen T, Wang H. Structure-activity relationship of an antimicrobial peptide, Phylloseptin-PHa: balance of hydrophobicity and charge determines the selectivity of bioactivities. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2019; 13:447-458. [PMID: 30774309 PMCID: PMC6350648 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s191072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from the skin secretions of amphibians are now considered as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics. Phylloseptins are a family of AMPs identified in the skin secretions of Phyllomedusinae tree frogs which exhibit highly conserved structural characteristics. This study examines the structure–activity relationship of the newly discovered phylloseptin, Phylloseptin-PHa (PSPHa) from Pithecopus hypochondrialis. Materials and methods PSPHa and modified analogs were produced by solid phase synthesis and purified by reverse-phase HPLC. Rationally designed modified analogs incorporating changes in significant physicochemical parameters such as hydrophobicity, hydrophobic moment and net charge were investigated to determine their influence on secondary structure, antimicrobial activity, membrane permeabilization and cytotoxicity. Results Overall, we found that when rationally designing AMPs by altering their primary structure it is important to keep a balance between hydrophobicity and charge. Conclusion This study provides new insights which will help in the future development of AMPs as alternatives to conventional antibiotics for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, China, .,Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK,
| | - Qiang Du
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, China,
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK,
| | - Xinping Xi
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK,
| | - Lei Wang
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK,
| | - Mei Zhou
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK,
| | - James F Burrows
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK,
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK,
| | - Hui Wang
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, China,
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Tan Y, Chen X, Ma C, Xi X, Wang L, Zhou M, Burrows JF, Kwok HF, Chen T. Biological Activities of Cationicity-Enhanced and Hydrophobicity-Optimized Analogues of an Antimicrobial Peptide, Dermaseptin-PS3, from the Skin Secretion of Phyllomedusa sauvagii. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10080320. [PMID: 30087268 PMCID: PMC6115755 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10080320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The skin secretions of the subfamily Phyllomedusinae have long been known to contain a number of compounds with antimicrobial potential. Herein, a biosynthetic dermaseptin-precursor cDNA was obtained from a Phyllomedusa sauvagii skin secretion-derived cDNA library, and thereafter, the presence of the mature peptide, namely dermaseptin-PS3 (DPS3), was confirmed by LC–MS/MS. Moreover, this naturally occurring peptide was utilized to design two analogues, K5, 17-DPS3 (introducing two lysine residues at positions 5 and 17 to replace acidic amino acids) and L10, 11-DPS3 (replacing two neutral amino acids with the hydrophobic amino acid, leucine), improving its cationicity on the polar/unipolar face and hydrophobicity in a highly conserved sequence motif, respectively. The results in regard to the two analogues show that either increasing cationicity, or hydrophobicity, enhance the antimicrobial activity. Also, the latter analogue had an enhanced anticancer activity, with pretreatment of H157 cells with 1 µM L10, 11-DPS3 decreasing viability by approximately 78%, even though this concentration of peptide exhibited no haemolytic effect. However, it must be noted that in comparison to the initial peptide, both analogues demonstrate higher membrane-rupturing capacity towards mammalian red blood cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yining Tan
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Xinping Xi
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - James F Burrows
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China.
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
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