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Zhu Q, Guan J, Tian B, Wang P. Rational design of antibiotic-free antimicrobial contact lenses: Trade-offs between antimicrobial performance and biocompatibility. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2024; 164:213990. [PMID: 39154560 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213990] [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: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 07/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Microbial keratitis associated with contact lenses (CLs) wear remains a significant clinical concern. Antibiotic therapy is the current standard of care. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens necessitates the investigation of alternative strategies. Antibiotic-free antimicrobial contact lenses (AFAMCLs) represent a promising approach in this regard. The effectiveness of CLs constructed with a variety of antibiotic-free antimicrobial strategies against microorganisms has been demonstrated. However, the impact of these antimicrobial strategies on CLs biocompatibility remains unclear. In the design and development of AFAMCLs, striking a balance between robust antimicrobial performance and optimal biocompatibility, including safety and wearing comfort, is a key issue. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in AFAMCLs technology. The focus is on the antimicrobial efficacy and safety of various strategies employed in AFAMCLs construction. Furthermore, this review investigates the potential impact of these strategies on CLs parameters related to wearer comfort. This review aims to contribute to the continuous improvement of AFAMCLs and provide a reference for the trade-off between resistance to microorganisms and wearing comfort. In addition, it is hoped that this review can also provide a reference for the antimicrobial design of other medical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Targets, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
| | - Jian Guan
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Mucosal Drug Delivery Systems, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Bin Tian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Puxiu Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
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2
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Fong-Coronado PA, Ramirez V, Quintero-Hernández V, Balleza D. A Critical Review of Short Antimicrobial Peptides from Scorpion Venoms, Their Physicochemical Attributes, and Potential for the Development of New Drugs. J Membr Biol 2024; 257:165-205. [PMID: 38990274 PMCID: PMC11289363 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-024-00315-2] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Scorpion venoms have proven to be excellent sources of antimicrobial agents. However, although many of them have been functionally characterized, they remain underutilized as pharmacological agents, despite their evident therapeutic potential. In this review, we discuss the physicochemical properties of short scorpion venom antimicrobial peptides (ssAMPs). Being generally short (13-25 aa) and amidated, their proven antimicrobial activity is generally explained by parameters such as their net charge, the hydrophobic moment, or the degree of helicity. However, for a complete understanding of their biological activities, also considering the properties of the target membranes is of great relevance. Here, with an extensive analysis of the physicochemical, structural, and thermodynamic parameters associated with these biomolecules, we propose a theoretical framework for the rational design of new antimicrobial drugs. Through a comparison of these physicochemical properties with the bioactivity of ssAMPs in pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus or Acinetobacter baumannii, it is evident that in addition to the net charge, the hydrophobic moment, electrostatic energy, or intrinsic flexibility are determining parameters to understand their performance. Although the correlation between these parameters is very complex, the consensus of our analysis suggests that there is a delicate balance between them and that modifying one affects the rest. Understanding the contribution of lipid composition to their bioactivities is also underestimated, which suggests that for each peptide, there is a physiological context to consider for the rational design of new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Alejandro Fong-Coronado
- Ecology and Survival of Microorganisms Group (ESMG), Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular Microbiana (LEMM), Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas (CICM), Instituto de Ciencias (IC), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, México
| | - Verónica Ramirez
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (FCQ-BUAP), Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, México
| | | | - Daniel Balleza
- Laboratorio de Microbiología, Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Veracruz, México.
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3
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Hemmingsen LM, Giordani B, Paulsen MH, Vanić Ž, Flaten GE, Vitali B, Basnet P, Bayer A, Strøm MB, Škalko-Basnet N. Tailored anti-biofilm activity - Liposomal delivery for mimic of small antimicrobial peptide. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 145:213238. [PMID: 36527962 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The eradication of bacteria embedded in biofilms is among the most challenging obstacles in the management of chronic wounds. These biofilms are found in most chronic wounds; moreover, the biofilm-embedded bacteria are considerably less susceptible to conventional antimicrobial treatment than the planktonic bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides and their mimics are considered attractive candidates in the pursuit of novel therapeutic options for the treatment of chronic wounds and general bacterial eradication. However, some limitations linked to these membrane-active antimicrobials are making their clinical use challenging. Novel innovative delivery systems addressing these limitations represent a smart solution. We hypothesized that incorporation of a novel synthetic mimic of an antimicrobial peptide in liposomes could improve its anti-biofilm effect as well as the anti-inflammatory activity. The small synthetic mimic of an antimicrobial peptide, 7e-SMAMP, was incorporated into liposomes (~280 nm) tailored for skin wounds and evaluated for its potential activity against both biofilm formation and eradication of pre-formed biofilms. The 7e-SMAMP-liposomes significantly lowered inflammatory response in murine macrophages (~30 % reduction) without affecting the viability of macrophages or keratinocytes. Importantly, the 7e-SMAMP-liposomes completely eradicated biofilms produced by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli above concentrations of 6.25 μg/mL, whereas in Pseudomonas aeruginosa the eradication reached 75 % at the same concentration. Incorporation of 7e-SMAMP in liposomes improved both the inhibition of biofilm formation as well as biofilm eradication in vitro, as compared to non-formulated antimicrobial, therefore confirming its potential as a novel therapeutic option for bacteria-infected chronic wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Myrseth Hemmingsen
- Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsvegen 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Barbara Giordani
- Beneficial Microbes Research Group, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marianne H Paulsen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsvegen 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway; Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsvegen 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Željka Vanić
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gøril Eide Flaten
- Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsvegen 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Beatrice Vitali
- Beneficial Microbes Research Group, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Purusotam Basnet
- Women's Health and Perinatology Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsveien 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Annette Bayer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsvegen 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Morten B Strøm
- Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsvegen 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Nataša Škalko-Basnet
- Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway, Universitetsvegen 57, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
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4
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Antifungal and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of PS1-2 Peptide against Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11121779. [PMID: 36551434 PMCID: PMC9774446 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11121779] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinically, fungal pneumonia rarely occurs in adults, and invasive fungal infections can cause substantial morbidity, and mortality due to sepsis and septic shock. In the present study, we have designed peptides that exhibit potent antifungal activities against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans in physiological monovalent, and divalent ionic buffers, with minimal fungicidal concentrations ranging from 16 to 32 µM. None of these tested peptides resulted in the development of drug resistance similar to fluconazole. Among them, the PS1-2 peptide did not induce stimulation of macrophages by C. albicans, and it exerted antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects against C. albicans-induced intratracheal infection, in an acute lung injury mouse model. PS1-2 is likely a novel therapeutic agent for the control, and prevention of drug-resistant C. albicans infection, and our findings may be useful for designing antimicrobial peptides to combat fungal infection.
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5
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Morales-Martínez A, Bertrand B, Hernández-Meza JM, Garduño-Juárez R, Silva-Sanchez J, Munoz-Garay C. Membrane fluidity, composition, and charge affect the activity and selectivity of the AMP ascaphin-8. Biophys J 2022; 121:3034-3048. [PMID: 35842753 PMCID: PMC9463648 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascaphins are cationic antimicrobial peptides that have been shown to have potential in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens (MDR). However, to date, their principal molecular target and mechanism of action are unknown. Results from peptide prediction software and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that ascaphin-8 is an alpha-helical peptide. For the first time, the peptide was described as membranotrophic using biophysical approaches including calcein liposome leakage, Laurdan general polarization, and dynamic light scattering. Ascaphin-8's activity and selectivity were modulated by rearranging the spatial distribution of lysine (Var-K5), aspartic acid (Var-D4) residues, or substitution of phenylalanine with tyrosine (Var-Y). The parental peptide and its variants presented high affinity toward the bacterial membrane model (≤2 μM), but lost activity in sterol-enriched membranes (mammal and fungal models, with cholesterol and ergosterol, respectively). The peptide-induced pore size was estimated to be >20 nm in the bacterial model, with no difference among peptides. The same pattern was observed in membrane fluidity (general polarization) assays, where all peptides reduced membrane fluidity of the bacterial model but not in the models containing sterols. The peptides also showed high activity toward MDR bacteria. Moreover, peptide sensitivity of the artificial membrane models compared with pathogenic bacterial isolates were in good agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Morales-Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Brandt Bertrand
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Juan M Hernández-Meza
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Ramón Garduño-Juárez
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Jesús Silva-Sanchez
- Centro de Investigación sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Carlos Munoz-Garay
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ICF-UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
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6
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Lee JK, Park S, Kim YM, Guk T, Lee MY, Park SC, Lee JR, Jang MK. Candidacidal and Antibiofilm Activity of PS1-3 Peptide against Drug-Resistant Candida albicans on Contact Lenses. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081602. [PMID: 36015228 PMCID: PMC9413542 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent emergence of antibiotic-resistant fungi has accelerated research on novel antifungal agents. In particular, Candida albicans infections are related to biofilm formation on medical devices, such as catheters, stents, and contact lenses, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the antifungal and antibiofilm effects of a peptide against drug-resistant C. albicans. α-Helical peptides in which the sequence of KWYK was repeated twice and four times, designated peptide series 1 (PS1)-1 and PS1-3, respectively, were generated, and the candidacidal activities of PS1-1, PS1-3, and fluconazole against drug-resistant C. albicans cells were assessed. The PS1-3 peptide showed higher killing activity than PS1-1 or fluconazole and acted via a membranolytic mechanism. In addition, the PS1-3 peptide exhibited more potent activity than PS1-1 and fluconazole in terms of fungal biofilm inhibition and reduction at the minimum fungicidal concentration on the contact lens surface. Overall, these findings established PS1-3 as a potential candidacidal agent for applications on contact lenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Kook Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Korea; (J.-K.L.); (S.P.); (Y.-M.K.); (T.G.)
| | - Soyoung Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Korea; (J.-K.L.); (S.P.); (Y.-M.K.); (T.G.)
| | - Young-Min Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Korea; (J.-K.L.); (S.P.); (Y.-M.K.); (T.G.)
| | - Taeuk Guk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Korea; (J.-K.L.); (S.P.); (Y.-M.K.); (T.G.)
| | - Min-Young Lee
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Daejeon Health Institute of Technology, Daejeon 34504, Korea;
| | - Seong-Cheol Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Korea; (J.-K.L.); (S.P.); (Y.-M.K.); (T.G.)
- Correspondence: (S.-C.P.); (J.R.L.); (M.-K.J.)
| | - Jung Ro Lee
- LMO Team, National Institute of Ecology (NIE), Seocheon 33657, Korea
- Correspondence: (S.-C.P.); (J.R.L.); (M.-K.J.)
| | - Mi-Kyeong Jang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Korea; (J.-K.L.); (S.P.); (Y.-M.K.); (T.G.)
- Correspondence: (S.-C.P.); (J.R.L.); (M.-K.J.)
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7
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Amirova M, Bagirova S, Azizova U, Guliyeva S. The Main Directions of Antimicrobial Peptides Use and Synthesis Overview. Health (London) 2022. [DOI: 10.4236/health.2022.148060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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8
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Sarkar T, Chetia M, Chatterjee S. Antimicrobial Peptides and Proteins: From Nature's Reservoir to the Laboratory and Beyond. Front Chem 2021; 9:691532. [PMID: 34222199 PMCID: PMC8249576 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.691532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance against conventional antimicrobials, resurgence of multidrug resistant microbes and the slowdown in the development of new classes of antimicrobials, necessitates the urgent development of alternate classes of therapeutic molecules. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small proteins present in different lifeforms in nature that provide defense against microbial infections. They have been effective components of the host defense system for a very long time. The fact that the development of resistance by the microbes against the AMPs is relatively slower or delayed compared to that against the conventional antibiotics, makes them prospective alternative therapeutics of the future. Several thousands of AMPs have been isolated from various natural sources like microorganisms, plants, insects, crustaceans, animals, humans, etc. to date. However, only a few of them have been translated commercially to the market so far. This is because of some inherent drawbacks of the naturally obtained AMPs like 1) short half-life owing to the susceptibility to protease degradation, 2) inactivity at physiological salt concentrations, 3) cytotoxicity to host cells, 4) lack of appropriate strategies for sustained and targeted delivery of the AMPs. This has led to a surge of interest in the development of synthetic AMPs which would retain or improve the antimicrobial potency along with circumventing the disadvantages of the natural analogs. The development of synthetic AMPs is inspired by natural designs and sequences and strengthened by the fusion with various synthetic elements. Generation of the synthetic designs are based on various strategies like sequence truncation, mutation, cyclization and introduction of unnatural amino acids and synthons. In this review, we have described some of the AMPs isolated from the vast repertoire of natural sources, and subsequently described the various synthetic designs that have been developed based on the templates of natural AMPs or from de novo design to make commercially viable therapeutics of the future. This review entails the journey of the AMPs from their natural sources to the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sunanda Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India
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9
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Chan LW, Hern KE, Ngambenjawong C, Lee K, Kwon EJ, Hung DT, Bhatia SN. Selective Permeabilization of Gram-Negative Bacterial Membranes Using Multivalent Peptide Constructs for Antibiotic Sensitization. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:721-732. [PMID: 33689277 PMCID: PMC8043124 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The drug-impermeable bacterial membrane in Gram-negative pathogens limits antibiotic access to intracellular drug targets. To expand our rapidly waning antibiotic arsenal, one approach is to improve the intracellular delivery of drugs with historically poor accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria. To do so, we engineered macromolecular potentiators to permeabilize the Gram-negative membrane to facilitate drug influx. Potentiators, known as WD40, were synthesized by grafting multiple copies of a cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptide, WLBU2, onto a dextran polymer scaffold. WD40 enabled drug uptake in the model pathogen P. aeruginosa, a capability that was not observed with unmodified WLBU2 peptide. WD40 was able to reduce minimum inhibitory concentrations of a drug panel by up to 3 orders of magnitude. Hydrophobic and highly three-dimensional antibiotics exhibited the greatest potentiation. Antibiotic activity was potentiated in several clinical strains and resulted in sensitization of drug-resistant strains to rifampin, a drug not previously used for Gram-negative infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie W. Chan
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kelsey E. Hern
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Chayanon Ngambenjawong
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Katie Lee
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ester J. Kwon
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Deborah T. Hung
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Sangeeta N. Bhatia
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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10
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Shorter Antibacterial Peptide Having High Selectivity for E. coli Membranes and Low Potential for Inducing Resistance. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8060867. [PMID: 32521823 PMCID: PMC7356157 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been recognised as a significant therapeutic option for mitigating resistant microbial infections. It has been found recently that Plasmodium falciparum-derived, 20 residue long, peptide 35409 had antibacterial and haemolytic activity, making it an AMP having reduced selectivity, and suggesting that it should be studied more extensively for obtaining new AMPs having activity solely targeting the bacterial membrane. Peptide 35409 was thus used as template for producing short synthetic peptides (<20 residues long) and evaluating their biological activity and relevant physicochemical characteristics for therapeutic use. Four of the sixteen short peptides evaluated here had activity against E. coli without any associated haemolytic effects. The 35409-1 derivative (17 residues long) had the best therapeutic characteristics as it had high selectivity for bacterial cells, stability in the presence of human sera, activity against E. coli multiresistant clinical isolates and was shorter than the original sequence. It had a powerful membranolytic effect and low potential for inducing resistance in bacteria. This peptide’s characteristics highlighted its potential as an alternative for combating infection caused by E. coli multiresistant bacteria and/or for designing new AMPs.
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11
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Chou S, Li Q, Nina Z, Shang L, Li J, Li J, Wang Z, Shan A. Peptides With Triplet-Tryptophan-Pivot Promoted Pathogenic Bacteria Membrane Defects. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:537. [PMID: 32328042 PMCID: PMC7160233 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of probiotic-ineffective antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)-based coatings that can kill pathogenic bacteria at low concentrations but are essentially harmless (even high concentrations) to probiotic organisms is a relatively new trend for therapy against GI tract infections. In this study, a series of triplet-tryptophan-pivot peptides with various hydrophilic amino acids was constructed. One AMP in particular, S7, showed bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, yet was shown to be harmless to Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a key GI tract commensal. Furthermore, antibacterial mechanism assays, drug resistance assays, and mouse model tests suggested that S7 was useful in a clinical setting as it proved to significantly reduce bacterial load and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6; P < 0.05) with a low probability of resistance via bacterial membrane physical destruction and formation of intracellular ROS. Combined, the results show that a triplet-tryptophan-pivot peptide containing a pair of serine residues was an excellent pathogen-selective candidate for medical devices and was potentially useful in food preservation, crop protection, and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Chou
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Qiuke Li
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Zaitseva Nina
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Lu Shang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Jiawei Li
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Jinze Li
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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12
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Anti-Biofilm Effects of Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptides Against Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Planktonic Cells and Biofilm. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24244560. [PMID: 31842508 PMCID: PMC6943720 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm-associated infections are difficult to manage or treat as biofilms or biofilm-embedded bacteria are difficult to eradicate. Antimicrobial peptides have gained increasing attention as a possible alternative to conventional drugs to combat drug-resistant microorganisms because they inhibit the growth of planktonic bacteria by disrupting the cytoplasmic membrane. The current study investigated the effects of synthetic peptides (PS1-2, PS1-5, and PS1-6) and conventional antibiotics on the growth, biofilm formation, and biofilm reduction of drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The effects of PS1-2, PS1-5, and PS1-6 were also tested in vivo using a mouse model. All peptides inhibited planktonic cell growth and biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. They also reduced preformed biofilm masses by removing the carbohydrates, extracellular DNA, and lipids that comprised extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) but did not affect proteins. In vivo, PS1-2 showed the greatest efficacy against preformed biofilms with no cytotoxicity. Our findings indicate that the PS1-2 peptide has potential as a next-generation therapeutic drug to overcome multidrug resistance and to regulate inflammatory response in biofilm-associated infections.
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13
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Juretić D, Simunić J. Design of α-helical antimicrobial peptides with a high selectivity index. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 14:1053-1063. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1642322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Davor Juretić
- Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, Split, Croatia
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | - Juraj Simunić
- Division of molecular biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
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