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Hao S, Shi W, Chen L, Kong T, Wang B, Chen S, Guo X. CATH-2-derived antimicrobial peptide inhibits multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli infection in chickens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1390934. [PMID: 38812753 PMCID: PMC11133627 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1390934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Avian colibacillosis (AC), caused by infection with Escherichia coli (E. coli), is a major threat to poultry health, food safety and public health, and results in high mortality and significant economic losses. Currently, new drugs are urgently needed to replace antibiotics due to the continuous emergence and increasing resistance of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of E. coli caused by the irrational use of antibiotics in agriculture and animal husbandry. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which uniquely evolved to protect the host, have emerged as a leading alternative to antibiotics in clinical settings. CATH-2, a member of the antimicrobial cathelicidin peptide family, has been reported to have antibacterial activity. To enhance the antimicrobial potency and reduce the adverse effects on animals, we designed five novel AMPs, named C2-1, C2-2, C2-3, C2-4 and C2-5, based on chicken CATH-2, the secondary structures of these AMPs were consistently α-helical and had an altered net charge and hydrophobicity compared to those of the CATH-2 (1-15) sequences. Subsequently, the antimicrobial activities of CATH-2 (1-15) and five designed peptides against MDR E. coli were evaluated in vitro. Specifically, C2-2 showed excellent antimicrobial activity against either the ATCC standard strain or veterinary clinical isolates of MDR E. coli, with concentrations ranging from 2-8 μg/mL. Furthermore, C2-2 maintained its strong antibacterial efficacy under high temperature and saline conditions, demonstrating significant stability. Similarly, C2-2 retained a high level of safety with no significant hemolytic activity on chicken mature red blood cells or cytotoxicity on chicken kidney cells over the concentration range of 0-64 μg/mL. Moreover, the administration of C2-2 improved the survival rate and reduced the bacterial load in the heart, liver and spleen during MDR E. coli infection in chickens. Additionally, pathological damage to the heart, liver and intestine was prevented when MDR E. coli infected chickens were treated with C2-2. Together, our study showed that C2-2 may be a promising novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of MDR E. coli infections and AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Wenhui Shi
- Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Liujun Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Tianyou Kong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Bin Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Shuming Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Xiaomin Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
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2
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Nakamura Y, Kulkarni NN, Takahashi T, Alimohamadi H, Dokoshi T, Liu E, Shia M, Numata T, Luo EW, Gombart AF, Yang X, Secrest P, Gordts PL, Tsimikas S, Wong GC, Gallo RL. Increased LL37 in psoriasis and other inflammatory disorders promotes LDL uptake and atherosclerosis. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172578. [PMID: 38194294 PMCID: PMC10904043 DOI: 10.1172/jci172578] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients with chronic inflammatory disorders such as psoriasis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and elevated levels of LL37, a cathelicidin host defense peptide that has both antimicrobial and proinflammatory properties. To explore whether LL37 could contribute to the risk of heart disease, we examined its effects on lipoprotein metabolism and show that LL37 enhanced LDL uptake in macrophages through the LDL receptor (LDLR), scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SR-B1), and CD36. This interaction led to increased cytosolic cholesterol in macrophages and changes in expression of lipid metabolism genes consistent with increased cholesterol uptake. Structure-function analysis and synchrotron small-angle x-ray scattering showed structural determinants of the LL37-LDL complex that underlie its ability to bind its receptors and promote uptake. This function of LDL uptake is unique to cathelicidins from humans and some primates and was not observed with cathelicidins from mice or rabbits. Notably, Apoe-/- mice expressing LL37 developed larger atheroma plaques than did control mice, and a positive correlation between plasma LL37 and oxidized phospholipid on apolipoprotein B (OxPL-apoB) levels was observed in individuals with cardiovascular disease. These findings provide evidence that LDL uptake can be increased via interaction with LL37 and may explain the increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with chronic inflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Adrian F. Gombart
- Linus Pauling Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Patrick Secrest
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and
| | - Philip L.S.M. Gordts
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | | | - Gerard C.L. Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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3
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Fernando LD, Zhao W, Gautam I, Ankur A, Wang T. Polysaccharide assemblies in fungal and plant cell walls explored by solid-state NMR. Structure 2023; 31:1375-1385. [PMID: 37597511 PMCID: PMC10843855 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Structural analysis of macromolecular complexes within their natural cellular environment presents a significant challenge. Recent applications of solid-state NMR (ssNMR) techniques on living fungal cells and intact plant tissues have greatly enhanced our understanding of the structure of extracellular matrices. Here, we selectively highlight the most recent progress in this field. Specifically, we discuss how ssNMR can provide detailed insights into the chemical composition and conformational structure of pectin, and the consequential impact on polysaccharide interactions and cell wall organization. We elaborate on the use of ssNMR data to uncover the arrangement of the lignin-polysaccharide interface and the macrofibrillar structure in native plant stems or during degradation processes. We also comprehend the dynamic structure of fungal cell walls under various morphotypes and stress conditions. Finally, we assess how the combination of NMR with other techniques can enhance our capacity to address unresolved structural questions concerning these complex macromolecular assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyanage D Fernando
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Wancheng Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Isha Gautam
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ankur Ankur
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Tuo Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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4
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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: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 92.0] [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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Fathi F, Ghobeh M, H Shirazi F, Tabarzad M. Design and Evaluation of a Novel Anti-microbial Peptide from Cathelicidin-2: Selectively Active Against Acinetobacter baumannii. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2023; 22:e141920. [PMID: 38435443 PMCID: PMC10909124 DOI: 10.5812/ijpr-141920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Background Infections caused by pathogenic microorganisms have increased the need for hospital care and have thus represented a public health problem and a significant financial burden. Classical treatments consisting of traditional antibiotics face several challenges today. Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) are a conserved characteristic of the innate immune response among different animal species to defend against pathogenic microorganisms. Objectives In this study, a new peptide sequence (mCHTL131-140) was designed using the in silico approach. Methods Cathelicidin-2 (UniprotID: Q2IAL7) was used as a potential antimicrobial protein, and a novel 10 - 12 amino acids sequence AMP was designed using bioinformatics tools and the AMP databases. Then, the anti-bacterial, anti-biofilm, and anti-fungal properties of the peptide, as well as its hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity towards human fibroblast (HDF) cells, were investigated in vitro. Results Online bioinformatics tools indicated that the peptide sequence could have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-biofilm properties with little hemolytic properties. The experimental tests confirmed that mCHTL131-140 exhibited the best anti-bacterial properties against Acinetobacter baumannii and had fair anti-fungal properties. Besides, it did not cause red blood cell lysis and showed no cytotoxicity towards HDF cells. Conclusions In general, the designed peptide can be considered a promising AMP to control hospital-acquired infections by A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fariba Fathi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Ghobeh
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farshad H Shirazi
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Tabarzad
- Protein Technology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Nguyen TTT, Shahin K, Allan B, Sarfraz M, Wheler C, Gerdts V, Köster W, Dar A. Enhancement of protective efficacy of innate immunostimulant based formulations against yolk sac infection in young chicks. Poult Sci 2022; 101:102119. [PMID: 36087444 PMCID: PMC9468504 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was conducted to characterize and compare the protective effects of various innate immune stimulants against yolk sac infection (YSI) caused by an avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in young chicks. The immune stimulants were administered alone or in various combinations of unmethylated CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG), polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), and avian antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Routes included in ovo or in ovo followed by a subcutaneous (S/C) injection. CpG alone and in combination with Poly I:C, truncated avian cathelicidin (CATH)-1(6-26), avian beta defensin (AvBD)1, and CATH-1(6-26) + AvBD1, were administered in ovo to 18-day-old embryonated eggs for gene expression and challenge studies. Next, CpG alone and the potentially effective formulation of CpG + Poly I:C, were administrated via the in ovo route using 40 embryonated eggs. At 1 day post-hatch, half of each group also received their respective treatments via the S/C route. Four hours later, all chicks were challenged using E. coli strain EC317 and mortalities were recorded for 14 d. The first challenge study revealed that amongst the single use and combinations of CpG with different innate immune stimulants, a higher protection and a lower clinical score were offered by the combination of CpG + Poly I:C. The second challenge study showed that this combination (CpG + Poly I:C) provides an even higher level of protection when a second dose is administered via the S/C route at 1 day post-hatch. The current research highlights the efficacy of a combination of CpG + Poly I:C administered either in ovo or in ovo along with a S/C injection and its potential use as an alternative to antibiotics against yolk sac infection in young chicks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada.
| | - Khalid Shahin
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Brenda Allan
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Mishal Sarfraz
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Colette Wheler
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Volker Gerdts
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Wolfgang Köster
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Arshud Dar
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
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Potential Probiotics Role in Excluding Antibiotic Resistance. J FOOD QUALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/5590004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Antibiotic supplementation in feed has been continued for the previous 60 years as therapeutic use. They can improve the growth performance and feed efficiency in the chicken flock. A favorable production scenario could favor intestinal microbiota interacting with antibiotic growth promoters and alter the gut bacterial composition. Antibiotic growth promoters did not show any beneficial effect on intestinal microbes. Scope and Approach. Suitable and direct influence of growth promoters are owed to antimicrobial activities that reduce the conflict between host and intestinal microbes. Unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to resistance in microbes, and moreover, the genes can relocate to microbes including Campylobacter and Salmonella, resulting in a great risk of food poisoning. Key Findings and Conclusions. This is a reason to find alternative dietary supplements that can facilitate production, growth performance, favorable pH, and modulate gut microbial function. Therefore, this review focus on different nutritional components and immune genes used in the poultry industry to replace antibiotics, their influence on the intestinal microbiota, and how to facilitate intestinal immunity to overcome antibiotic resistance in chicken.
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8
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Immunomodulatory effects of chicken cathelicidin-2 on a primary hepatic cell co-culture model. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275847. [PMID: 36215285 PMCID: PMC9550040 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidin-2 is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) produced as part of the innate immune system of chickens and might be a new candidate to combat infection and inflammation within the gut-liver axis. Studying the hepatic immune response is of high importance as the liver is primarily exposed to gut-derived pathogen-associated molecular patterns. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of chicken cathelicidin-2 alone or combined with lipoteichoic acid (LTA) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) on cell viability, immune response and redox homeostasis in a primary hepatocyte-non-parenchymal cell co-culture of chicken origin. Both concentrations of cathelicidin-2 decreased the cellular metabolic activity and increased the extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity reflecting reduced membrane integrity. Neither LTA nor PMA affected these parameters, and when combined with LTA, cathelicidin-2 could not influence the LDH activity. Cathelicidin-2 had an increasing effect on the concentration of the proinflammatory CXCLi2 and interferon- (IFN-)γ, and on that of the anti-inflammatory IL-10. Meanwhile, macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), playing a complex role in inflammation, was diminished by the AMP. LTA elevated IFN-γ and decreased M-CSF levels, while PMA only increased the concentration of M-CSF. Both concentrations of cathelicidin-2 increased the H2O2 release of the cells, but the concentration of malondialdehyde as a lipid peroxidation marker was not affected. Our findings give evidence that cathelicidin-2 can also possess anti-inflammatory effects, reflected by the alleviation of the LTA-triggered IFN-γ elevation, and by reducing the M-CSF production induced by PMA. Based on the present results, cathelicidin-2 plays a substantial role in modulating the hepatic immune response with a multifaceted mode of action. It was found to have dose-dependent effects on metabolic activity, membrane integrity, and reactive oxygen species production, indicating that using it in excessively high concentrations can contribute to cell damage. In conclusion, cathelicidin-2 seems to be a promising candidate for future immunomodulating drug development with an attempt to reduce the application of antibiotics.
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van Dijk A, Anten J, Bakker A, Evers N, Hoekstra AT, Chang JC, Scheenstra MR, Veldhuizen EJA, Netea MG, Berkers CR, Haagsman HP. Innate Immune Training of Human Macrophages by Cathelicidin Analogs. Front Immunol 2022; 13:777530. [PMID: 35958593 PMCID: PMC9360325 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.777530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trained innate immunity can be induced in human macrophages by microbial ligands, but it is unknown if exposure to endogenous alarmins such as cathelicidins can have similar effects. Previously, we demonstrated sustained protection against infection by the chicken cathelicidin-2 analog DCATH-2. Thus, we assessed the capacity of cathelicidins to induce trained immunity. PMA-differentiated THP-1 (dTHP1) cells were trained with cathelicidin analogs for 24 hours and restimulated after a 3-day rest period. DCATH-2 training of dTHP-1 cells amplified their proinflammatory cytokine response when restimulated with TLR2/4 agonists. Trained cells displayed a biased cellular metabolism towards mTOR-dependent aerobic glycolysis and long-chain fatty acid accumulation and augmented microbicidal activity. DCATH-2-induced trained immunity was inhibited by histone acetylase inhibitors, suggesting epigenetic regulation, and depended on caveolae/lipid raft-mediated uptake, MAPK p38 and purinergic signaling. To our knowledge, this is the first report of trained immunity by host defense peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert van Dijk
- Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Albert van Dijk,
| | - Jennifer Anten
- Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Anne Bakker
- Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Noah Evers
- Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Anna T. Hoekstra
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jung-Chin Chang
- Division Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Maaike R. Scheenstra
- Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Edwin J. A. Veldhuizen
- Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mihai G. Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Celia R. Berkers
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Division Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Henk P. Haagsman
- Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Choi M, Cho HS, Ahn B, Prathap S, Nagasundarapandian S, Park C. Genomewide Analysis and Biological Characterization of Cathelicidins with Potent Antimicrobial Activity and Low Cytotoxicity from Three Bat Species. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:989. [PMID: 35892379 PMCID: PMC9330922 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11080989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidins are potent antimicrobial peptides with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity in many vertebrates and an important component of the innate immune system. However, our understanding of the genetic variations and biological characteristics of bat cathelicidins is limited. In this study, we performed genome-level analysis of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidins from seven bat species in the six families, listed 19 cathelicidin-like sequences, and showed that the number of functional cathelicidin genes differed among bat species. Based on the identified biochemical characteristics of bat cathelicidins, three cathelicidins, HA-CATH (from Hipposideros armiger), ML-CATH (from Myotis lucifugus), and PD-CATH (from Phyllostomus discolor), with clear antimicrobial signatures were chemically synthesized and evaluated antimicrobial activity. HA-CATH showed narrow-spectrum antibacterial activity against a panel of 12 reference bacteria, comprising 6 Gram-negative and 6 Gram-positive strains. However, ML-CATH and PD-CATH showed potent antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 and 3 μg/mL, respectively, against Staphylococcus aureus. ML-CATH and PD-CATH also showed antifungal activities against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus cuniculi with MIC of 5 to 40 μg/mL, respectively, and 80% inhibition of the metabolism of Mucor hiemalis hyphae at 80 μg/mL, while displaying minimal cytotoxicity to HaCaT cells. Taken together, although the spectrum and efficacy of bat cathelicidins were species-dependent, the antimicrobial activity of ML-CATH and PD-CATH was comparable to that of other highly active cathelicidins in vertebrates while having negligible cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. ML-CATH and PD-CATH can be exploited as promising candidates for the development of antimicrobial therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Chankyu Park
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea; (M.C.); (H.-s.C.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (S.N.)
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11
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Sharma P, Sharma S, Joshi S, Barman P, Bhatt A, Maan M, Singla N, Rishi P, Ali ME, Preet S, Saini A. Design, characterization and structure-function analysis of novel antimicrobial peptides based on the N-terminal CATH-2 fragment. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12058. [PMID: 35835842 PMCID: PMC9283491 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16303-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug resistance coupled with shrinking antibiotic pipelines has increased the demand of antimicrobials with novel mechanisms of action. Therefore, researchers across the globe are striving to develop new antimicrobial substances to alleviate the pressure on conventional antibiotic therapies. Host-Defence Peptides (HDPs) and their derivatives are emerging as effective therapeutic agents against microbial resistance. In this study, five analogs (DP1-5) of the N-terminal (N-15) fragment of CATH-2 were designed based on the delicate balance between various physicochemical properties such as charge, aliphatic character, amphipathicity and hydrophobicity. By means of in-silico and in-vitro studies a novel peptide (DP1) with the sequence "RFGRFLRKILRFLKK" was found to be more effective and less toxic than the N-terminal CATH-2 peptide. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry were applied for structural insights. Antimicrobial, haemolytic, and cytotoxic activities were also assessed. The resulting peptide was characterized by low cytotoxicity, low haemolytic activity, and efficient anti-microbial activity. Structurally, it displayed strong helical properties irrespective of the solvent environment and was stable in membrane-mimicking environments. Taken together, the data suggests that DP1 can be explored as a promising therapeutic agent with possible clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratibha Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India
| | - Sheetal Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India
| | - Shubhi Joshi
- Energy Research Centre, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India
| | - Panchali Barman
- Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology (UIEAST), Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Aashish Bhatt
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Sector-81, Knowledge City, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Mayank Maan
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India
| | - Neha Singla
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India
| | - Praveen Rishi
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India
| | - Md Ehesan Ali
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Sector-81, Knowledge City, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Simran Preet
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India
| | - Avneet Saini
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, UT, 160014, India.
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12
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Peng L, Lu Y, Tian H, Jia K, Tao Q, Li G, Wan C, Ye C, Veldhuizen EJA, Chen H, Fang R. Chicken cathelicidin-2 promotes IL-1β secretion via the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and serine proteases activity in LPS-primed murine neutrophils. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 131:104377. [PMID: 35189160 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cathelicidins have antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. Previous studies have shown that chicken cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) exerts strong anti-inflammatory activity through LPS neutralization. However, it is still unclear whether other intracellular signaling pathways are involved in CATH-2 immunomodulation. Therefore, the CATH-2-meadiated immune response was investigated in LPS-primed neutrophils. Firstly, inflammatory cytokines release was determined in LPS-primed neutrophils. The results showed that CATH-2 significantly promoted secretion of IL-1β and IL-1α while IL-6 and TNF-α were not affected. IL-1β is the key indicator of inflammasome activation. Next, NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway was explored using neutrophils of Nlrp3-/-, Asc-/- and Casp1-/- mice and the results showed that the CATH-2-enhanced IL-1β release was completely abrogated, indicating it is NLRP3-dependent. Moreover, CATH-2 significantly induced activation of caspase-1 and gasdermin D (GSDMD) but did not affect LPS-induced mRNA expression of IL-1β and NLRP3, demonstrating that CATH-2 serves as the second signal activating the NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, CATH-2-mediated IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 activation is dependent on potassium efflux but independent of P2X7R. In addition, other signaling pathways including JNK, ERK and SyK were investigated using different inhibitors and the results showed that these signaling pathway inhibitors partially attenuated CATH-2-enhanced IL-1β secretion, especially the JNK inhibitor. Finally, the role of serine protease in CATH-2-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation was investigated in neutrophils and the results showed that serine protease activity is involved in CATH-2-enhanced IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 activation. In conclusion, after LPS priming in neutrophils, CATH-2 can be an agonist of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Our study increases the understanding on immunomodulatory effects of chicken cathelicidins and provides new insight on chicken cathelicidins-mediated immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianci Peng
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Hongliang Tian
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Kaixiang Jia
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qi Tao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Gang Li
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Chao Wan
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Chao Ye
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Section Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hongwei Chen
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Rendong Fang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Immunology Research Center, Institute of Medical Research, Southwest University, Chongqing, 402460, China.
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13
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Cesaro A, Torres MDT, Gaglione R, Dell'Olmo E, Di Girolamo R, Bosso A, Pizzo E, Haagsman HP, Veldhuizen EJA, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Arciello A. Synthetic Antibiotic Derived from Sequences Encrypted in a Protein from Human Plasma. ACS NANO 2022; 16:1880-1895. [PMID: 35112568 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c04496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Encrypted peptides have been recently found in the human proteome and represent a potential class of antibiotics. Here we report three peptides derived from the human apolipoprotein B (residues 887-922) that exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococci both in vitro and in an animal model. The peptides had excellent cytotoxicity profiles, targeted bacteria by depolarizing and permeabilizing their cytoplasmic membrane, inhibited biofilms, and displayed anti-inflammatory properties. Importantly, the peptides, when used in combination, potentiated the activity of conventional antibiotics against bacteria and did not select for bacterial resistance. To ensure translatability of these molecules, a protease resistant retro-inverso variant of the lead encrypted peptide was synthesized and demonstrated anti-infective activity in a preclinical mouse model. Our results provide a link between human plasma and innate immunity and point to the blood as a source of much-needed antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cesaro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, The Netherlands
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Marcelo D T Torres
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Rosa Gaglione
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Rome 00136, Italy
| | - Eliana Dell'Olmo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Rocco Di Girolamo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Andrea Bosso
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Elio Pizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, The Netherlands
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Angela Arciello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Rome 00136, Italy
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14
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Abstract
Antibiotic resistance constitutes a global threat and could lead to a future pandemic. One strategy is to develop a new generation of antimicrobials. Naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are recognized templates and some are already in clinical use. To accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics, it is useful to predict novel AMPs from the sequenced genomes of various organisms. The antimicrobial peptide database (APD) provided the first empirical peptide prediction program. It also facilitated the testing of the first machine-learning algorithms. This chapter provides an overview of machine-learning predictions of AMPs. Most of the predictors, such as AntiBP, CAMP, and iAMPpred, involve a single-label prediction of antimicrobial activity. This type of prediction has been expanded to antifungal, antiviral, antibiofilm, anti-TB, hemolytic, and anti-inflammatory peptides. The multiple functional roles of AMPs annotated in the APD also enabled multi-label predictions (iAMP-2L, MLAMP, and AMAP), which include antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, antibiofilm, anticancer, anti-HIV, antimalarial, insecticidal, antioxidant, chemotactic, spermicidal activities, and protease inhibiting activities. Also considered in predictions are peptide posttranslational modification, 3D structure, and microbial species-specific information. We compare important amino acids of AMPs implied from machine learning with the frequently occurring residues of the major classes of natural peptides. Finally, we discuss advances, limitations, and future directions of machine-learning predictions of antimicrobial peptides. Ultimately, we may assemble a pipeline of such predictions beyond antimicrobial activity to accelerate the discovery of novel AMP-based antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA;,Corresponding to: Dr. Monique van Hoek: ; Dr. Iosif Vaisman: ; Dr. Guangshun Wang:
| | - Iosif I. Vaisman
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, 10920 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA.,Corresponding to: Dr. Monique van Hoek: ; Dr. Iosif Vaisman: ; Dr. Guangshun Wang:
| | - Monique L. van Hoek
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, 10920 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA.,Corresponding to: Dr. Monique van Hoek: ; Dr. Iosif Vaisman: ; Dr. Guangshun Wang:
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15
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van Harten RM, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP, Scheenstra MR. The cathelicidin CATH-2 efficiently neutralizes LPS- and E. coli-induced activation of porcine bone marrow derived macrophages. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2021; 244:110369. [PMID: 34954638 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2021.110369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases in pigs cause monetary loss to farmers and pose a zoonotic risk. Therefore, it is important to obtain more porcine specific immunological knowledge as a measure to protect against infectious diseases, for example by exploring immunomodulators that are usable as vaccine adjuvants. Cathelicidins are a class of host defence peptides (HDPs) able to directly kill microbes as well as exert a diverse range of effects on the immune system. The peptides have shown promise as immunomodulatory peptides in many applications, including vaccines. However, it is currently unknown what the precise effect of these peptides is on porcine immune cells and whether peptides of other species might also have a strong immunomodulatory effect on porcine macrophages. Mononuclear bone marrow cells of pigs, aged 5-6 months, were cultured into M1 or M2 macrophages and stimulated with LPS or whole bacteria in the presence of host defence peptides (HDPs). CATH-2 and LL-37 strongly inhibited LPS-induced activation of M1 macrophages, the inhibition of LPS-induced activation of M2 macrophages by HDPs was milder, showing that the peptides have selective effects on different cell types. Upon stimulation with whole bacteria, only CATH-2 could effectively inhibit macrophage activation, showing the potent anti-inflammatory potential of this peptide. These results show that porcine peptides are not necessarily the most active in a porcine system, and that CATH-2 is effective in a porcine system as an anti-inflammatory immune modulator, which can be used, for example, in inactivated pathogen vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel M van Harten
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Dept. of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Dept. of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands; Division of Immunology, Dept. of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Dept. of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike R Scheenstra
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Dept. of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
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16
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Pioselli B, Salomone F, Mazzola G, Amidani D, Sgarbi E, Amadei F, Murgia X, Catinella S, Villetti G, De Luca D, Carnielli V, Civelli M. Pulmonary surfactant: a unique biomaterial with life-saving therapeutic applications. Curr Med Chem 2021; 29:526-590. [PMID: 34525915 DOI: 10.2174/0929867328666210825110421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary surfactant is a complex lipoprotein mixture secreted into the alveolar lumen by type 2 pneumocytes, which is composed by tens of different lipids (approximately 90% of its entire mass) and surfactant proteins (approximately 10% of the mass). It is crucially involved in maintaining lung homeostasis by reducing the values of alveolar liquid surface tension close to zero at end-expiration, thereby avoiding the alveolar collapse, and assembling a chemical and physical barrier against inhaled pathogens. A deficient amount of surfactant or its functional inactivation is directly linked to a wide range of lung pathologies, including the neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. This paper reviews the main biophysical concepts of surfactant activity and its inactivation mechanisms, and describes the past, present and future roles of surfactant replacement therapy, focusing on the exogenous surfactant preparations marketed worldwide and new formulations under development. The closing section describes the pulmonary surfactant in the context of drug delivery. Thanks to its peculiar composition, biocompatibility, and alveolar spreading capability, the surfactant may work not only as a shuttle to the branched anatomy of the lung for other drugs but also as a modulator for their release, opening to innovative therapeutic avenues for the treatment of several respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Elisa Sgarbi
- Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Parma. Italy
| | | | - Xabi Murgia
- Department of Biotechnology, GAIKER Technology Centre, Zamudio. Spain
| | | | | | - Daniele De Luca
- Division of Pediatrics and Neonatal Critical Care, Antoine Béclère Medical Center, APHP, South Paris University Hospitals, Paris, France; Physiopathology and Therapeutic Innovation Unit-U999, South Paris-Saclay University, Paris. France
| | - Virgilio Carnielli
- Division of Neonatology, G Salesi Women and Children's Hospital, Polytechnical University of Marche, Ancona. Italy
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17
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Verheije MH, Coorens M, Weerts EAWS, Berends AJ, Harten RM, Angel M, Kooij J, Ordonez SR, Beurden SJ, Dijk A, Haagsman HP, Veldhuizen EJA. Antiviral activity of selected cathelicidins against infectious bronchitis virus. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Hélène Verheije
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Coorens
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Erik A. W. S. Weerts
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Alinda J. Berends
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Roel M. Harten
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Marloes Angel
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Jannetje Kooij
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Soledad R. Ordonez
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Steven J. Beurden
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Albert Dijk
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Henk P. Haagsman
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J. A. Veldhuizen
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University The Netherlands
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18
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Wei X, Zhang L, Zhang R, Wu R, Petitte JN, Hou Y, Si D, Ahmad B, Guo H, Zhang M, Cheng Q, Tong Y. Targeting the TLR2 Receptor With a Novel Thymopentin-Derived Peptide Modulates Immune Responses. Front Immunol 2021; 12:620494. [PMID: 34122400 PMCID: PMC8191578 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.620494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The innate and adaptive immune systems act in concert to protect us from infectious agents and other harmful substances. As a state of temporary or permanent immune dysfunction, immunosuppression can make an organism more susceptible to infection, organ injury, and cancer due to damage to the immune system. It takes a long time to develop new immunomodulatory agents to prevent and treat immunosuppressive diseases, with slow progress. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonists have been reported as potential immunomodulatory candidates due to their effective activation of immune responses. It has been demonstrated that thymopentin (TP5) could modulate immunity by binding to the TLR2 receptor. However, the fairly short half-life of TP5 greatly reduces its pharmacological potential for immunosuppression therapy. Although peptide cathelicidin 2 (CATH2) has a long half-life, it shows poor immunomodulatory activity and severe cytotoxicity, which seriously hampers its clinical development. Peptide hybridization is an effective approach for the design and engineering of novel functional peptides because hybrid peptides combine the advantages and benefits of various native peptides. In this study, to overcome all these challenges faced by the parental peptides, six hybrid peptides (CaTP, CbTP, CcTP, TPCa, TPCb, and TPCc) were designed by combining the full-length TP5 with different active fragments of CATH2. CbTP, the most potent TLR2 agonist among the six hybrid peptides, was effectively screened through in silico analysis and in vitro experiments. The CbTP peptide exhibited lower cytotoxicity than either CATH2 or TP5. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory effects of CbTP were confirmed in a CTX-immunosuppressed mouse model, which showed that CbTP has increased immunopotentiating activity and physiological stability compared to the parental peptides. CbTP successfully inhibited immunosuppression and weight loss, increased immune organ indices, and improved CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets. In addition, CbTP significantly increased the production of the cytokine TNF-α and IL-6, and the immunoglobulins IgA, IgM, and IgG. The immunoenhancing effects of CbTP were attributed to its TLR2-binding activity, promoting the formation of the TLR2 cluster, the activation of the TLR2 receptor, and thus activation of the downstream MyD88-NF-кB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xubiao Wei
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Rijun Zhang
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Rujuan Wu
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - James N Petitte
- Prestage Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Yanfei Hou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Dayong Si
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Baseer Ahmad
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Henan Guo
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Manyi Zhang
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Cheng
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yucui Tong
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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19
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Genetic diversity of Japanese quail cathelicidins. Poult Sci 2021; 100:101046. [PMID: 33780752 PMCID: PMC8039728 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Japanese quail is a low-fat, meat-bird species exhibiting high disease resistance. Cathelicidins (CATHs) are host defense peptides conserved across numerous vertebrate species that play an important role in innate immunity. The activity of host defense peptides can be affected by amino acid substitutions. However, no polymorphisms in avian CATH genes have been reported to date. The aim of this study was to clarify the polymorphisms in CATHs in Japanese quail. DNA for genomic analyses was extracted from the peripheral blood of 99 randomly selected quail from 6 inbred lines. A total of 6, 4, 6, and 4 CjCATH1, -2, -3, and -B1 alleles were identified, respectively. Nine haplotypes, including 4 strain-specific haplotypes, were identified by combining alleles at the CjCATH1, -2, -3, and -B1 loci. In addition, 2 and 1 amino acid substitutions (I145F, Q148H, and P245H) predicted by PROVEAN and PolyPhen-2 to have deleterious effects were detected in CjCATH2 and -B1, respectively. Synthetic CjCATH2 and -B1 peptides exhibited greater antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli than chicken CATH2 and -B1, respectively. Furthermore, the CjCATHB1∗04 peptide exhibited less potent antimicrobial activity than other CjCATHB1 peptides examined. This is the first report of amino acid substitutions accompanied by changes in antibacterial activity in avian CATHs. These findings could be employed as indicators of improvements in innate immune response in poultry.
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20
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Wang T, Zou C, Wen N, Liu X, Meng Z, Feng S, Zheng Z, Meng Q, Wang C. The effect of structural modification of antimicrobial peptides on their antimicrobial activity, hemolytic activity, and plasma stability. J Pept Sci 2021; 27:e3306. [PMID: 33554385 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In this article, a series of modifications were made on an antimicrobial peptide F2,5,12 W, including altering the amino acid sequence, introducing cysteine and other typical amino acids, developing peptide dimers via disulfide bonds, and conjugating with mPEG, in order to enhance the antimicrobial activity, plasma stability, and reduce the hemolytic activity of peptides. The results showed that mPEG conjugation could significantly improve the plasma stability and reduce the hemolytic activity of peptides, while the antimicrobial activity decreased meanwhile. However, altering the sequence of the peptide without changing its amino acid composition had little impact on its antimicrobial activity and plasma stability. The introduction of cysteine enhanced the plasma stability of peptides conspicuously, but at the same time, the increased hydrophobicity of peptides increased their hemolysis. The antimicrobial mechanism and cytotoxicity of the peptides with relatively high antimicrobial activity were also studied. In general, this study provided some ideas for the rational design and structure optimization of antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoran Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Cunbin Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Na Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Xingdong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Siliang Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhibing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Qingbin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Natural Resources and Functional Molecules of the Changbai Mountain, Affiliated Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
| | - Chenhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
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21
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Avian antimicrobial peptides: in vitro and in ovo characterization and protection from early chick mortality caused by yolk sac infection. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2132. [PMID: 33483611 PMCID: PMC7822892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81734-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing antibiotic resistance is a matter of grave concern for consumers, public health authorities, farmers, and researchers. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are emerging as novel and effective non-antibiotic tools to combat infectious diseases in poultry. In this study, we evaluated six avian AMPs including 2 truncated cathelicidins, [CATH-1(6-26) and CATH-2(1-15)], and 4 avian β-defensins (ABD1, 2, 6 and 9) for their bactericidal and immunomodulatory activities. Our findings have shown CATH-1(6-26) and ABD1 being the two most potent avian AMPs effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria investigated in these studies. Moreover, CATH-1(6-26) inhibited LPS-induced NO production and exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity to HD11 cells. While, ABD1 blocked LPS-induced IL-1β gene induction and was non-toxic to HD11 cells. Importantly, in ovo administration of these AMPs demonstrated that ABD1 can offer significant protection from early chick mortality (44% less mortality in ABD1 treated group versus the control group) due to the experimental yolk sac infection caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli. Our data suggest that in ovo administration of ABD1 has immunomodulatory and anti-infection activity comparable with CpG ODN. Thus, ABD1 can be a significant addition to potential alternatives to antibiotics for the control of bacterial infections in young chicks.
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22
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Wang Y, Wang M, Shan A, Feng X. Avian host defense cathelicidins: structure, expression, biological functions, and potential therapeutic applications. Poult Sci 2020; 99:6434-6445. [PMID: 33248558 PMCID: PMC7704953 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDP) are multifunctional effectors of the innate immune system, which has antimicrobial and pleiotropic immunomodulatory functions. Although there is a very sophisticated superposition of adaptive immune systems in vertebrates, this system is still essential. As an important family of HDP, cathelicidins are also known for their broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against bacteria, fungi, and enveloped viruses. It has been found in humans and other species, including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, and some kind of fish. Among them, cathelicidins in birds were described for the first time in 2005. This review focuses on the structure, biological activities, expression, and regulation of avian cathelicidin, especially main effects of host defense cathelicidin on potential therapeutic applications. According to the results obtained both in vitro and in vivo, good perspectives have been opened for cathelicidin. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to better characterize the mechanisms of action underlying the beneficial effects of cathelicidin as novel therapeutic alternatives to antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingjun Feng
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, People's Republic of China.
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van Eijk M, Boerefijn S, Cen L, Rosa M, Morren MJH, van der Ent CK, Kraak B, Dijksterhuis J, Valdes ID, Haagsman HP, de Cock H. Cathelicidin-inspired antimicrobial peptides as novel antifungal compounds. Med Mycol 2020; 58:1073-1084. [PMID: 32236485 PMCID: PMC7657097 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections in humans are increasing worldwide and are currently mostly treated with a relative limited set of antifungals. Resistance to antifungals is increasing, for example, in Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida auris, and expected to increase for many medically relevant fungal species in the near future. We have developed and patented a set of cathelicidin-inspired antimicrobial peptides termed 'PepBiotics'. These peptides were initially selected for their bactericidal activity against clinically relevant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus isolates derived from patients with cystic fibrosis and are active against a wide range of bacteria (ESKAPE pathogens). We now report results from studies that were designed to investigate the antifungal activity of PepBiotics against a set of medically relevant species encompassing species of Aspergillus, Candida, Cryptococcus, Fusarium, Malassezia, and Talaromyces. We characterized a subset of PepBiotics and show that these peptides strongly affected metabolic activity and/or growth of a set of medically relevant fungal species, including azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates. PepBiotics showed a strong inhibitory activity against a large variety of filamentous fungi and yeasts species at low concentrations (≤1 μM) and were fungicidal for at least a subset of these fungal species. Interestingly, the concentration of PepBiotics required to interfere with growth or metabolic activity varied between different fungal species or even between isolates of the same fungal species. This study shows that PepBiotics display strong potential for use as novel antifungal compounds to fight a large variety of clinically relevant fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin van Eijk
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stephanie Boerefijn
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lida Cen
- Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marisela Rosa
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix J H Morren
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis K van der Ent
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bart Kraak
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Dijksterhuis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ivan D Valdes
- Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hans de Cock
- Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Peng L, Scheenstra MR, van Harten RM, Haagsman HP, Veldhuizen EJA. The immunomodulatory effect of cathelicidin-B1 on chicken macrophages. Vet Res 2020; 51:122. [PMID: 32972448 PMCID: PMC7517697 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-020-00849-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidins (CATHs) play an important role in the innate immune response against microbial infections. Among the four chicken cathelicidins, CATH-B1 is studied the least. In this study, the effect of CATH-B1 on the macrophage response towards avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) and bacterial ligands was investigated. Our results show that APEC induced CATH-B1 gene expression in both a chicken macrophage cell line (HD11 cells) and primary macrophages, while expression of the other three CATHs was virtually unaffected. While the antimicrobial activity of CATH-B1 is very low under cell culture conditions, it enhanced bacterial phagocytosis by macrophages. Interestingly, CATH-B1 downregulated APEC-induced gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-β, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8) in primary macrophages. In addition, CATH-B1 pre-incubated macrophages showed a significantly higher gene expression of IL-10 after APEC challenge, indicating an overall anti-inflammatory profile for CATH-B1. Using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), CATH-B1 was shown to bind LPS. This suggests that CATH-B1 reduces toll like receptor (TLR) 4 dependent activation by APEC which may partly explain the decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by macrophages. On the contrary, direct binding of CATH-B1 to ODN-2006 enhanced the TLR21 dependent activation of macrophages as measured by nitric oxide production. In conclusion, our results show for the first time that CATH-B1 has several immunomodulatory activities and thereby could be an important factor in the chicken immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianci Peng
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Section of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike R Scheenstra
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Section of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roel M van Harten
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Section of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Section of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Section of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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25
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Green synthesis of peptide functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nano bioconjugate with enhanced antibacterial activity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9441. [PMID: 32523022 PMCID: PMC7287048 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66230-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioengineered nanoconjugates have enormous potential as a multifunctional platform for biomedical applications. Conjugation between biotic and abiotic materials enables formulation of nanoconjugates with enhanced physico-chemical properties, increased stability and ability to overcome the inherent shortcomings of individual materials. In this study, we report the preparation and biophysical characterization of an antibacterial system formulated by functionalizing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with an antimicrobial peptide via covalent as well as non-covalent interaction mechanisms. Environmentally benign synthesis approach was adopted for the formation of rGO, using L-ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. Covalently conjugated peptide-graphitic conjugate displayed improved antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli with considerably low cytotoxic activity towards erythrocytes in comparison to self-assembled conjugate and rGO alone. The studies described herein are highly significant in the field of biomaterials and aims to open new avenues of research focusing on a plethora of applications as a prospective non-toxic substitute to conventional antibacterial approaches.
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Optimizing Exogenous Surfactant as a Pulmonary Delivery Vehicle for Chicken Cathelicidin-2. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9392. [PMID: 32523049 PMCID: PMC7287084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66448-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant lung infections has instigated a much-needed search for new therapeutic strategies. One proposed strategy is the use of exogenous surfactants to deliver antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), like CATH-2, to infected regions of the lung. CATH-2 can kill bacteria through a diverse range of antibacterial pathways and exogenous surfactant can improve pulmonary drug distribution. Unfortunately, mixing AMPs with commercially available exogenous surfactants has been shown to negatively impact their antimicrobial function. It was hypothesized that the phosphatidylglycerol component of surfactant was inhibiting AMP function and that an exogenous surfactant, with a reduced phosphatidylglycerol composition would increase peptide mediated killing at a distal site. To better understand how surfactant lipids interacted with CATH-2 and affected its function, isothermal titration calorimetry and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as well as bacterial killing curves against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were utilized. Additionally, the wet bridge transfer system was used to evaluate surfactant spreading and peptide transport. Phosphatidylglycerol was the only surfactant lipid to significantly inhibit CATH-2 function, showing a stronger electrostatic interaction with the peptide than other lipids. Although diluting the phosphatidylglycerol content in an existing surfactant, through the addition of other lipids, significantly improved peptide function and distal killing, it also reduced surfactant spreading. A synthetic phosphatidylglycerol-free surfactant however, was shown to further improve CATH-2 delivery and function at a remote site. Based on these in vitro experiments synthetic phosphatidylglycerol-free surfactants seem optimal for delivering AMPs to the lung.
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27
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Kraaij MD, van Dijk A, Scheenstra MR, van Harten RM, Haagsman HP, Veldhuizen EJA. Chicken CATH-2 Increases Antigen Presentation Markers on Chicken Monocytes and Macrophages. Protein Pept Lett 2020; 27:60-66. [PMID: 31362652 PMCID: PMC6978643 DOI: 10.2174/0929866526666190730125525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: Background Cathelicidins are a family of Host Defense Peptides (HDPs), that play an important role in the innate immune response. They exert both broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against pathogens, and strong immunomodulatory functions that affect the response of innate and adaptive immune cells. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate immunomodulation by the chicken cathelicidin CATH-2 and compare its activities to those of the human cathelicidin LL-37. Methods Chicken macrophages and chicken monocytes were incubated with cathelicidins. Activation of immune cells was determined by measuring surface markers Mannose Receptor C-type 1 (MRC1) and MHC-II. Cytokine production was measured by qPCR and nitric oxide production was determined using the Griess assay. Finally, the effect of cathelicidins on phagocytosis was measured using carboxylate-modified polystyrene latex beads. Results CATH-2 and its all-D enantiomer D-CATH-2 increased MRC1 and MHC-II expression, markers for antigen presentation, on primary chicken monocytes, whereas LL-37 did not. D-CATH-2 also increased the MRC1 and MHC-II expression if a chicken macrophage cell line (HD11 cells) was used. In addition, LPS-induced NO production by HD11 cells was inhibited by CATH-2 and D-CATH-2. Conclusion These results are a clear indication that CATH-2 (and D-CATH-2) affect the activation state of monocytes and macrophages, which leads to optimization of the innate immune response and enhancement of the adaptive immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina D Kraaij
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Maaike R Scheenstra
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Roel M van Harten
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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28
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van Hoek ML, Prickett MD, Settlage RE, Kang L, Michalak P, Vliet KA, Bishop BM. The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) genome and identification of innate immunity genes and clusters. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:684. [PMID: 31470795 PMCID: PMC6716921 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6029-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We report the sequencing, assembly and analysis of the genome of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), the largest extant lizard, with a focus on antimicrobial host-defense peptides. The Komodo dragon diet includes carrion, and a complex milieu of bacteria, including potentially pathogenic strains, has been detected in the saliva of wild dragons. They appear to be unaffected, suggesting that dragons have robust defenses against infection. While little information is available regarding the molecular biology of reptile immunity, it is believed that innate immunity, which employs antimicrobial host-defense peptides including defensins and cathelicidins, plays a more prominent role in reptile immunity than it does in mammals. . Results High molecular weight genomic DNA was extracted from Komodo dragon blood cells. Subsequent sequencing and assembly of the genome from the collected DNA yielded a genome size of 1.6 Gb with 45x coverage, and the identification of 17,213 predicted genes. Through further analyses of the genome, we identified genes and gene-clusters corresponding to antimicrobial host-defense peptide genes. Multiple β-defensin-related gene clusters were identified, as well as a cluster of potential Komodo dragon ovodefensin genes located in close proximity to a cluster of Komodo dragon β-defensin genes. In addition to these defensins, multiple cathelicidin-like genes were also identified in the genome. Overall, 66 β-defensin genes, six ovodefensin genes and three cathelicidin genes were identified in the Komodo dragon genome. Conclusions Genes with important roles in host-defense and innate immunity were identified in this newly sequenced Komodo dragon genome, suggesting that these organisms have a robust innate immune system. Specifically, multiple Komodo antimicrobial peptide genes were identified. Importantly, many of the antimicrobial peptide genes were found in gene clusters. We found that these innate immunity genes are conserved among reptiles, and the organization is similar to that seen in other avian and reptilian species. Having the genome of this important squamate will allow researchers to learn more about reptilian gene families and will be a valuable resource for researchers studying the evolution and biology of the endangered Komodo dragon. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-6029-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique L van Hoek
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA
| | - M Dennis Prickett
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita-Edif. C11, Università di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Robert E Settlage
- Advanced Research Computing, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Lin Kang
- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Pawel Michalak
- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.,Center for One Health Research, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.,Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kent A Vliet
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Barney M Bishop
- Department of Chemistry, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA.
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29
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Shyla G, Vineethkumar TV, Arun V, Divya MP, Thomas S, George S. Functional characterization of two novel peptides and their analogs identified from the skin secretion of Indosylvirana aurantiaca, an endemic frog species of Western Ghats, India. CHEMOECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-019-00287-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Baer B, Souza LMP, Pimentel AS, Veldhuizen RA. New insights into exogenous surfactant as a carrier of pulmonary therapeutics. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 164:64-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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31
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Scheenstra MR, van den Belt M, Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven JLM, Schneider VAF, Ordonez SR, van Dijk A, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP. Cathelicidins PMAP-36, LL-37 and CATH-2 are similar peptides with different modes of action. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4780. [PMID: 30886247 PMCID: PMC6423055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41246-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs) play a pivotal role in innate immunity and have, in addition to antimicrobial activity, also important immunomodulatory functions. Bacteria are less likely to develop resistance against HDPs because these peptides target and kill bacteria in multiple ways, as well as modulate the immune system. Therefore, HDPs, and derivatives thereof, are promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Hardly anything is known about the immunomodulatory functions of porcine cathelicidin PMAP-36. In this study, we aimed to determine both antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities of PMAP-36 comparing the properties of PMAP-36 analogs with two well-studied peptides, human LL-37 and chicken CATH-2. Transmission electron microscopy revealed different killing mechanisms of E. coli for PMAP-36, CATH-2 and LL-37. LL-37 binds LPS very weakly in contrast to PMAP-36, but it inhibits LPS activation of macrophages the strongest. The first 11 amino acids of the N-terminal side of PMAP-36 are dispensable for E. coli killing, LPS-neutralization and binding. Deletion of four additional amino acids resulted in a strong decrease in activity. The activity of full length PMAP-36 was not affected by monomerization, whereas the shorter analogs require dimerization for proper immunomodulatory activity but not for their antibacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike R Scheenstra
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Matthias van den Belt
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna L M Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Viktoria A F Schneider
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Soledad R Ordonez
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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32
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Pane K, Cafaro V, Avitabile A, Torres MDT, Vollaro A, De Gregorio E, Catania MR, Di Maro A, Bosso A, Gallo G, Zanfardino A, Varcamonti M, Pizzo E, Di Donato A, Lu TK, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Notomista E. Identification of Novel Cryptic Multifunctional Antimicrobial Peptides from the Human Stomach Enabled by a Computational-Experimental Platform. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:2105-2115. [PMID: 30124040 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Novel approaches are needed to combat antibiotic resistance. Here, we describe a computational-experimental framework for the discovery of novel cryptic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The computational platform, based on previously validated antimicrobial scoring functions, indicated the activation peptide of pepsin A, the main human stomach protease, and its N- and C-terminal halves as antimicrobial peptides. The three peptides from pepsinogen A3 isoform were prepared in a recombinant form using a fusion carrier specifically developed to express toxic peptides in Escherichia coli. Recombinant pepsinogen A3-derived peptides proved to be wide-spectrum antimicrobial agents with MIC values in the range 1.56-50 μM (1.56-12.5 μM for the whole activation peptide). Moreover, the activation peptide was bactericidal at pH 3.5 for relevant foodborne pathogens, suggesting that this new class of previously unexplored AMPs may contribute to microbial surveillance within the human stomach. The peptides showed no toxicity toward human cells and exhibited anti-infective activity in vivo, reducing by up to 4 orders of magnitude the bacterial load in a mouse skin infection model. These peptides thus represent a promising new class of antibiotics. We envision that computationally guided data mining approaches such as the one described here will lead to the discovery of antibiotics from previously unexplored sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Pane
- IRCCS SDN, Via E. Gianturco, 113, 80143 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Cafaro
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Angela Avitabile
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Marcelo Der Torossian Torres
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Adriana Vollaro
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Eliana De Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Catania
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Antimo Di Maro
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Naples, Vanvitelli, Caserta 81100, Italy
| | - Andrea Bosso
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Giovanni Gallo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Anna Zanfardino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Mario Varcamonti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Elio Pizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Alberto Di Donato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Timothy K. Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Eugenio Notomista
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
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33
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van Harten RM, van Woudenbergh E, van Dijk A, Haagsman HP. Cathelicidins: Immunomodulatory Antimicrobials. Vaccines (Basel) 2018; 6:vaccines6030063. [PMID: 30223448 PMCID: PMC6161271 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines6030063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidins are host defense peptides with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory functions. These effector molecules of the innate immune system of many vertebrates are diverse in their amino acid sequence but share physicochemical characteristics like positive charge and amphipathicity. Besides being antimicrobial, cathelicidins have a wide variety in immunomodulatory functions, both boosting and inhibiting inflammation, directing chemotaxis, and effecting cell differentiation, primarily towards type 1 immune responses. In this review, we will examine the biology and various functions of cathelicidins, focusing on putting in vitro results in the context of in vivo situations. The pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory functions are highlighted, as well both direct and indirect effects on chemotaxis and cell differentiation. Additionally, we will discuss the potential and limitations of using cathelicidins as immunomodulatory or antimicrobial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel M van Harten
- Division Molecular Host Defence, Dept. Infectious diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Esther van Woudenbergh
- Division Molecular Host Defence, Dept. Infectious diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Division Molecular Host Defence, Dept. Infectious diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division Molecular Host Defence, Dept. Infectious diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Yu LT, Xiao YP, Li JJ, Ran JS, Yin LQ, Liu YP, Zhang L. Molecular characterization of a novel ovodefensin gene in chickens. Gene 2018; 678:233-240. [PMID: 30098427 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs) represent a large group of diverse small peptides that play important roles in host defense and disease resistance. In vertebrates, one of the main types of HDPs belong to defensins, which are less than 100 amino acid residues and characterized by a highly conserved motif of cysteine residues. Recently, a subfamily of defensins, namely ovodefensins (OvoDs), has been identified in birds and reptiles. However, both their family members and evolutionary relationships remain unclear. In the present study, we cloned and characterized a novel gene namely OvoDBβ in chickens. Our results showed that the full length of chicken OvoDBβ mRNA contains 344 bp nucleotides and encodes a 61-amino acid protein. We further revealed that the mRNA of OvoDBβ is abundant in the oviduct of laying hens but absent in many other tissues. Additionally, sequences comparison and analyses suggested that OvoDBβ is orthologous to the gene previously known as zebra finch OvoDB1, albeit it might exhibit specific structures. Furthermore, both OvoDBα and OvoDBβ were existent in the genome of each bird, implying that two types of OvoDBs sharing same cysteine motif have already emerged before the species divergence. More importantly, recombinant OvoDBβ mature peptide exerted antibacterial activity against Escherischia coli (CICC23657 strain) in vitro. These results collectively indicated that the putative sequence, namely chicken OvoDBβ, is a function gene with potential antimicrobial property. Discovery and function characterization of novel HDP genes may help us develop novel antimicrobial agents in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Tian Yu
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu Campus, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Guangxi Agricultural Vocational College, Nanning 530007, Guangxi, China
| | - Ying-Ping Xiao
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing-Jing Li
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu Campus, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Jin-Shan Ran
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu Campus, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Ling-Qian Yin
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu Campus, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi-Ping Liu
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu Campus, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China.
| | - Long Zhang
- Institute of Ecology, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China.
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Killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Chicken Cathelicidin-2 Is Immunogenically Silent, Preventing Lung Inflammation In Vivo. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00546-17. [PMID: 28947647 PMCID: PMC5695126 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00546-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of antibiotic resistance by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major concern in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia. In the search for novel anti-infective therapies, the chicken-derived peptide cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) has emerged as a potential candidate, with strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and the ability to limit inflammation by inhibiting Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 activation. However, as it is unknown how CATH-2 affects inflammation in vivo, we investigated how CATH-2-mediated killing of P. aeruginosa affects lung inflammation in a murine model. First, murine macrophages were used to determine whether CATH-2-mediated killing of P. aeruginosa reduced proinflammatory cytokine production in vitro Next, a murine lung model was used to analyze how CATH-2-mediated killing of P. aeruginosa affects neutrophil and macrophage recruitment as well as cytokine/chemokine production in the lung. Our results show that CATH-2 kills P. aeruginosa in an immunogenically silent manner both in vitro and in vivo Treatment with CATH-2-killed P. aeruginosa showed reduced neutrophil recruitment to the lung as well as inhibition of cytokine and chemokine production, compared to treatment with heat- or gentamicin-killed bacteria. Together, these results show the potential for CATH-2 as a dual-activity antibiotic in bacterial pneumonia, which can both kill P. aeruginosa and prevent excessive inflammation.
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Banaschewski BJH, Baer B, Arsenault C, Jazey T, Veldhuizen EJA, Delport J, Gooyers T, Lewis JF, Haagsman HP, Veldhuizen RAW, Yamashita C. The Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Chicken Cathelicidin-2 combined with Exogenous Surfactant for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Pathogens. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15545. [PMID: 29138462 PMCID: PMC5686076 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15558-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by recurrent airway infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and chronic inflammation. Chicken cathelicin-2 (CATH-2) has been shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and to reduce inflammation. In addition, exogenous pulmonary surfactant has been suggested to enhance pulmonary drug delivery. It was hypothesized that CATH-2 when combined with an exogenous surfactant delivery vehicle, bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES), would exhibit antimicrobial activity against CF-derived bacteria and downregulate inflammation. Twelve strains of CF-pathogens were exposed to BLES+CATH-2 in vitro and killing curves were obtained to determine bactericidal activity. Secondly, heat-killed bacteria were administered in vivo to elicit a pro-inflammatory response with either a co-administration or delayed administration of BLES+CATH-2 to assess the antimicrobial-independent, anti-inflammatory properties of BLES+CATH-2. CATH-2 alone exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against all clinical strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, while BLES+CATH-2 demonstrated a reduction, but significant antimicrobial activity against bacterial isolates. Furthermore, BLES+CATH-2 reduced inflammation in vivo when either co-administered with killed bacteria or after delayed administration. The use of a host-defense peptide combined with an exogenous surfactant compound, BLES+CATH-2, is shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant CF bacterial isolates and reduce inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brandon Baer
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christina Arsenault
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Teah Jazey
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defense, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johan Delport
- London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - James F Lewis
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defense, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud A W Veldhuizen
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cory Yamashita
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. .,Department of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
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Schneider VAF, Coorens M, Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven JLM, Posthuma G, van Dijk A, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP. Imaging the Antistaphylococcal Activity of CATH-2: Mechanism of Attack and Regulation of Inflammatory Response. mSphere 2017; 2:e00370-17. [PMID: 29104934 PMCID: PMC5663982 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00370-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Chicken cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial host defense peptide (HDP) that may serve as a paradigm for the development of new antimicrobial agents. While previous studies have elucidated the mechanism by which CATH-2 kills Escherichia coli, its mode of action against Gram-positive bacteria remains to be determined. In this study, we explored the underlying antibacterial mechanism of CATH-2 against a methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus and the effect of CATH-2-mediated S. aureus killing on immune activation. Visualization of the antimicrobial activity of CATH-2 against S. aureus with live-imaging confocal microscopy demonstrated that CATH-2 directly binds the bacteria, which is followed by membrane permeabilization and cell shrinkage. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies further showed that CATH-2 initiated pronounced morphological changes of the membrane (mesosome formation) and ribosomal structures (clustering) in a dose-dependent manner. Immunolabeling of these sections demonstrated that CATH-2 binds and passes the bacterial membrane at subminimal bactericidal concentrations (sub-MBCs). Furthermore, competition assays and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) analysis provided evidence that CATH-2 directly interacts with lipoteichoic acid and cardiolipin. Finally, stimulation of macrophages with S. aureus and CATH-2 showed that CATH-2 not only kills S. aureus but also has the potential to limit S. aureus-induced inflammation at or above the MBC. Taken together, it is concluded that at sub-MBCs, CATH-2 perturbs the bacterial membrane and subsequently enters the cell and binds intracellular S. aureus components, while at or above the MBC, CATH-2 causes disruption of membrane integrity and inhibits S. aureus-induced macrophage activation. IMPORTANCE Due to the high use of antibiotics in both human and veterinary settings, many bacteria have become resistant to those antibiotics that we so heavily rely on. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is one of these difficult-to-treat resistant pathogens for which novel antimicrobial therapies will be required in the near future. One novel approach could be the utilization of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides, such as chicken CATH-2, which have been show to act against a wide variety of bacteria. However, before these peptides can be used clinically, more knowledge of their functions and mechanisms of action is required. In this study, we used live imaging and electron microscopy to visualize in detail how CATH-2 kills S. aureus, and we investigated how CATH-2 affects immune activation by S. aureus. Together, these results give a better understanding of how CATH-2 kills S. aureus and what the potential immunological consequences of this killing can be.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria A. F. Schneider
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Coorens
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna L. M. Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - George Posthuma
- Department of Cell Biology, Cell Microscopy Core, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J. A. Veldhuizen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P. Haagsman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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38
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Coorens M, Schneider VAF, de Groot AM, van Dijk A, Meijerink M, Wells JM, Scheenstra MR, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP. Cathelicidins Inhibit Escherichia coli-Induced TLR2 and TLR4 Activation in a Viability-Dependent Manner. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2017; 199:1418-1428. [PMID: 28710255 PMCID: PMC5544931 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1602164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the immune system needs to be tightly regulated to provide protection against infections and, at the same time, to prevent excessive inflammation to limit collateral damage to the host. This tight regulation includes regulating the activation of TLRs, which are key players in the recognition of invading microbes. A group of short cationic antimicrobial peptides, called cathelicidins, have previously been shown to modulate TLR activation by synthetic or purified TLR ligands and may play an important role in the regulation of inflammation during infections. However, little is known about how these cathelicidins affect TLR activation in the context of complete and viable bacteria. In this article, we show that chicken cathelicidin-2 kills Escherichia coli in an immunogenically silent fashion. Our results show that chicken cathelicidin-2 kills E. coli by permeabilizing the bacterial inner membrane and subsequently binds the outer membrane-derived lipoproteins and LPS to inhibit TLR2 and TLR4 activation, respectively. In addition, other cathelicidins, including human, mouse, pig, and dog cathelicidins, which lack antimicrobial activity under cell culture conditions, only inhibit macrophage activation by nonviable E. coli In total, this study shows that cathelicidins do not affect immune activation by viable bacteria and only inhibit inflammation when bacterial viability is lost. Therefore, cathelicidins provide a novel mechanism by which the immune system can discriminate between viable and nonviable Gram-negative bacteria to tune the immune response, thereby limiting collateral damage to the host and the risk for sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Coorens
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Viktoria A F Schneider
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - A Marit de Groot
- Division of Immunology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands; and
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Meijerink
- Host Microbe Interactomics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jerry M Wells
- Host Microbe Interactomics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maaike R Scheenstra
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands;
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39
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Kraaij MD, van Dijk A, Haagsman HP. CATH-2 and LL-37 increase mannose receptor expression, antigen presentation and the endocytic capacity of chicken mononuclear phagocytes. Mol Immunol 2017; 90:118-125. [PMID: 28715682 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cathelicidins display in vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory activities and are part of the innate immune system. Previously, we found that in ovo treatment with chicken cathelicidin CATH-2 partially protects young broilers against respiratory E. coli infection. To determine the cellular aspects of this protection, we investigated immunomodulatory effects of CATH-2 and the human cathelicidin LL-37 on primary chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Treatment of chicken PBMCs with L-CATH-2, D-CATH-2 or LL-37 increased the percentage of mononuclear phagocytes, but decreased that of B cells. L-CATH-2, D-CATH-2 and LL-37 treatment of chicken PBMCs also enhanced the expression levels of mannose receptor MRC1 and antigen presentation markers MHCII, CD40 and CD86 on mononuclear phagocytes, indicating increased antigen presentation capacity. Concomitantly, L-CATH-2, D-CATH-2 and LL-37 neutralized LPS-induced cytokine production, while increasing the endocytic capacity. We conclude that L-CATH-2, D-CATH-2 and LL-37 can modulate the immune response of primary chicken immune cells by increasing mannose receptor expression, antigen presentation, endocytosis and neutralizing LPS-induced cytokine production and as a result augment activation of the adaptive immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina D Kraaij
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Dept. of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Dept. of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Dept. of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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40
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Sekelova Z, Stepanova H, Polansky O, Varmuzova K, Faldynova M, Fedr R, Rychlik I, Vlasatikova L. Differential protein expression in chicken macrophages and heterophils in vivo following infection with Salmonella Enteritidis. Vet Res 2017. [PMID: 28623956 PMCID: PMC5473982 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-017-0439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study we compared the proteomes of macrophages and heterophils isolated from the spleen 4 days after intravenous infection of chickens with Salmonella Enteritidis. Heterophils were characterized by expression of MMP9, MRP126, LECT2, CATHL1, CATHL2, CATHL3, LYG2, LYZ and RSFR. Macrophages specifically expressed receptor proteins, e.g. MRC1L, LRP1, LGALS1, LRPAP1 and a DMBT1L. Following infection, heterophils decreased ALB and FN1, and released MMP9 to enable their translocation to the site of infection. In addition, the endoplasmic reticulum proteins increased in heterophils which resulted in the release of granular proteins. Since transcription of genes encoding granular proteins did not decrease, these genes remained continuously transcribed and translated even after initial degranulation. Macrophages increased amounts of fatty acid elongation pathway proteins, lysosomal and phagosomal proteins. Macrophages were less responsive to acute infection than heterophils and an increase in proteins like CATHL1, CATHL2, RSFR, LECT2 and GAL1 in the absence of any change in their expression at RNA level could even be explained by capturing these proteins from the external environment into which these could have been released by heterophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Sekelova
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Stepanova
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Polansky
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Marcela Faldynova
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Fedr
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the CAS, Kralovopolska 135, 612 65, Brno, Czech Republic.,Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International, Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Rychlik
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Lenka Vlasatikova
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00, Brno, Czech Republic
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Interspecies cathelicidin comparison reveals divergence in antimicrobial activity, TLR modulation, chemokine induction and regulation of phagocytosis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40874. [PMID: 28102367 PMCID: PMC5244392 DOI: 10.1038/srep40874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidins are short cationic peptides initially described as antimicrobial peptides, which can also modulate the immune system. Because most findings have been described in the context of human LL-37 or murine CRAMP, or have been investigated under varying conditions, it is unclear which functions are cathelicidin specific and which functions are general cathelicidin properties. This study compares 12 cathelicidins from 6 species under standardized conditions to better understand the conservation of cathelicidin functions. Most tested cathelicidins had strong antimicrobial activity against E. coli and/or MRSA. Interestingly, while more physiological culture conditions limit the antimicrobial activity of almost all cathelicidins against E. coli, activity against MRSA is enhanced. Seven out of 12 cathelicidins were able to neutralize LPS and another 7 cathelicidins were able to neutralize LTA; however, there was no correlation found with LPS neutralization. In contrast, only 4 cathelicidins enhanced DNA-induced TLR9 activation. In conclusion, these results provide new insight in the functional differences of cathelicidins both within and between species. In addition, these results underline the importance not to generalize cathelicidin functions and indicates that caution should be taken in extrapolating results from LL-37- or CRAMP-related studies to other animal settings.
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42
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Yacoub HA, Elazzazy AM, Mahmoud MM, Baeshen MN, Al-Maghrabi OA, Alkarim S, Ahmed ES, Almehdar HA, Uversky VN. Chicken cathelicidins as potent intrinsically disordered biocides with antimicrobial activity against infectious pathogens. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 65:8-24. [PMID: 27328070 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study was performed to identify the expression patterns of the cathelicidin genes in a local chicken breed and to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of the cathelicidin peptides against pathogenic bacteria. This analysis revealed that the coding regions of CATH-1, -2, and -3 genes contain 447 bp, 465 bp, and 456 bp, respectively, and encode proteins of 148, 154, 151 amino acids, respectively. The complete amino acid sequences of the cathelicidin peptides are similar to those found in Meleagris gallopavo, Phasianus colchicus, and Coturnix coturnix, and show high sequence identity to their Columba livia and Anas platyrhynchos counterparts. In contrast, these avian peptides shared a very low sequence identity with the mammalian cathelicidins. The analysis further revealed that the cathelicidin genes are expressed in various organ and tissues. We also show that the CATH peptides 1, 2, 3 and their amide-modified structures possess potent antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, with these bacteria being affected to different extents. The antimicrobial activities of the peptides are slightly lower than those of their amide analogs. Computational analysis revealed that pre-pro-cathelicidins are hybrid proteins that contain ordered domains and functional intrinsically disordered regions. Furthermore, high structural and sequence variability of mature cathelicidins is a strong indication of their rather disordered nature. It is likely that intrinsic disorder is needed for the multifarious functionality of these antimicrobial peptides. Our analyses indicated that cathelicidin peptides require further study to better understand their full potentials in the treatment of diseases in both humans and animals. The data obtained for synthetic avian peptides will help elucidating of their potential applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitham A Yacoub
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Cell Biology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Gizza, Egypt.
| | - Ahmed M Elazzazy
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Chemistry of Natural and Microbial Products, Division of Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries, National Research Centre, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Gizza, Egypt.
| | - Maged M Mahmoud
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Department of Molecular Genetics and Enzymology, Davison of Human Genetics and Genome Research, National Research Centre, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Gizza, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Nabih Baeshen
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar A Al-Maghrabi
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Alkarim
- Embryonic Stem Cell Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ekram S Ahmed
- Cell Biology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Gizza, Egypt
| | - Hussein A Almehdar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia; Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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43
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Lee MO, Jang HJ, Rengaraj D, Yang SY, Han JY, Lamont SJ, Womack JE. Tissue expression and antibacterial activity of host defense peptides in chicken. BMC Vet Res 2016; 12:231. [PMID: 27737668 PMCID: PMC5064907 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0866-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Host defence peptides are a diverse group of small, cationic peptides and are important elements of the first line of defense against pathogens in animals. Expression and functional analysis of host defense peptides has been evaluated in chicken but there are no direct, comprehensive comparisons with all gene family and individual genes. Results We examined the expression patterns of all known cathelicidins, β-defensins and NK-lysin in multiple selected tissues from chickens. CATH1 through 3 were predominantly expressed in the bone marrow, whereas CATHB1 was predominant in bursa of Fabricius. The tissue specific pattern of β-defensins generally fell into two groups. β-defensin1-7 expression was predominantly in bone marrow, whereas β-defensin8-10 and β-defensin13 were highly expressed in liver. NK-lysin expression was highest in spleen. We synthesized peptide products of these gene families and analysed their antibacterial efficacy. Most of the host defense peptides showed antibacterial activity against E.coli with dose-dependent efficacy. β-defensin4 and CATH3 displayed the strongest antibacterial activity among all tested chicken HDPs. Microscopic analyses revealed the killing of bacterium by disrupting membranes with peptide treatment. Conclusions These results demonstrate dose-dependent antimicrobial effects of chicken HDPs mediated by membrane damage and demonstrate the differential tissue expression pattern of bioactive HDPs in chicken and the relative antimicrobial potency of the peptides they encode. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-016-0866-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Ok Lee
- WCU Biomodulation Major, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Hyun-Jun Jang
- WCU Biomodulation Major, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,College of Pharmacy, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Deivendran Rengaraj
- WCU Biomodulation Major, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seo-Yeong Yang
- WCU Biomodulation Major, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Yong Han
- WCU Biomodulation Major, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Susan J Lamont
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - James E Womack
- WCU Biomodulation Major, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. .,Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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44
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Schneider VAF, Coorens M, Ordonez SR, Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven JLM, Posthuma G, van Dijk A, Haagsman HP, Veldhuizen EJA. Imaging the antimicrobial mechanism(s) of cathelicidin-2. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32948. [PMID: 27624595 PMCID: PMC5021996 DOI: 10.1038/srep32948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Host defence peptides (HDPs) have the potential to become alternatives to conventional antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine. The HDP chicken cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) has immunomodulatory and direct killing activities at micromolar concentrations. In this study the mechanism of action of CATH-2 against Escherichia coli (E. coli) was investigated in great detail using a unique combination of imaging and biophysical techniques. Live-imaging with confocal fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that FITC-labelled CATH-2 mainly localized at the membrane of E. coli. Upon binding, the bacterial membrane was readily permeabilized as was shown by propidium iodide influx into the cell. Concentration- and time-dependent effects of the peptide on E. coli cells were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). CATH-2 treatment was found to induce dose-dependent morphological changes in E. coli. At sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC), intracellular granulation, enhanced vesicle release and wrinkled membranes were observed, while membrane breakage and cell lysis occurred at MIC values. These effects were visible within 1–5 minute of peptide exposure. Immuno-gold TEM showed CATH-2 binding to bacterial membranes. At sub-MIC values the peptide rapidly localized intracellularly without visible membrane permeabilization. It is concluded that CATH-2 has detrimental effects on E. coli at concentrations that do not immediately kill the bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria A F Schneider
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Coorens
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Soledad R Ordonez
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna L M Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - George Posthuma
- Department of Cell Biology, Cell Microscopy Core, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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45
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Cuperus T, van Dijk A, Dwars RM, Haagsman HP. Localization and developmental expression of two chicken host defense peptides: cathelicidin-2 and avian β-defensin 9. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 61:48-59. [PMID: 26972737 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In the first weeks of life young chickens are highly susceptible to infectious diseases due to immaturity of the immune system. Little is known about the expression of host defense peptides (HDPs) during this period. In this study we examined the expression pattern of two chicken HDPs, the cathelicidin CATH-2 and the β-defensin AvBD9 by immunohistochemistry in a set of organs from embryonic day 12 until four weeks posthatch. AvBD9 was predominantly found in enteroendocrine cells throughout the intestine, the first report of in vivo HDP expression in this cell type, and showed stable expression levels during development. CATH-2 was exclusively found in heterophils which decreased after hatch in most of the examined organs including spleen, bursa and small intestine. In the lung CATH-2 expression was biphasic and peaked at the first day posthatch. In short, CATH-2 and AvBD9 appear to be expressed in cell types strategically located to respond to infectious stimuli, suggesting these peptides play a role in embryonic and early posthatch defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tryntsje Cuperus
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - R Marius Dwars
- Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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46
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Schneider VAF, van Dijk A, van der Sar AM, Kraaij MD, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP. Prophylactic administration of chicken cathelicidin-2 boosts zebrafish embryonic innate immunity. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 60:108-114. [PMID: 26920462 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Chicken cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) is a host defense peptide that exhibits immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties. Here we examined effects of CATH-2 in zebrafish embryos in the absence and presence of infection. Yolk-injection of 0.2-1.5 h post-fertilized (hpf) zebrafish embryos with 2.6 ng/kg CATH-2 increased proliferation of phagocytic cells at 48 hpf by 30%. A lethal infection model was developed to test the prophylactic protective effect of CATH-2 peptide. Embryos (0.2-1.5 hpf) were injected with 2.6 ng/kg CATH-2, challenged with a lethal dose of fluorescently labeled Salmonella enteritidis pGMDs3 at 28 hpf and monitored for survival. Prophylactic treatment with CATH-2 was found to delay infection starting at 22 h post-infection (hpi). At 18-20 hpi, significantly lower (2-fold) fluorescence intensity and decreased bacterial loads were detected in peptide-treated embryos. Thus prophylactic administration of low CATH-2 concentrations confer partial protection in zebrafish embryos by boosting the innate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria A F Schneider
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid M van der Sar
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marina D Kraaij
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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47
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Cuperus T, van Dijk A, Matthijs MGR, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP. Protective effect of in ovo treatment with the chicken cathelicidin analog D-CATH-2 against avian pathogenic E. coli. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26622. [PMID: 27229866 PMCID: PMC4882517 DOI: 10.1038/srep26622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing antibiotic resistance and ever stricter control on antibiotic use are a driving force to develop alternatives to antibiotics. One such strategy is the use of multifunctional Host Defense Peptides. Here we examined the protective effect of prophylactic treatment with the D analog of chicken cathelicidin-2 (D-CATH-2) against a respiratory E. coli infection. Chickens were treated with D-CATH-2 in ovo at day 18 of embryonic development or intramuscularly at days 1 and 4 after hatch. At 7 days of age, birds were challenged intratracheally with avian pathogenic E. coli. Protection was evaluated by recording mortality, morbidity (Mean Lesion Score) and bacterial swabs of air sacs at 7 days post-infection. In ovo D-CATH-2 treatment significantly reduced morbidity (63%) and respiratory bacterial load (>90%), while intramuscular treatment was less effective. D-CATH-2 increased the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes and heterophils by both administration routes. E. coli specific IgM levels were lower in in ovo treated animals compared to intramuscular D-CATH-2 treatment. In short, in ovo treatment with the Host Defense Peptide derived D-CATH-2 can partially protect chickens from E. coli infection, making this peptide an interesting starting point to develop alternatives to antibiotics for use in the poultry sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tryntsje Cuperus
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases &Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases &Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mieke G R Matthijs
- Division of Poultry Health, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases &Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Division of Molecular Host Defence, Department of Infectious Diseases &Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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48
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Lee SI, Jang HJ, Jeon MH, Lee MO, Kim JS, Jeon IS, Byun SJ. Transcriptional regulation of cathelicidin genes in chicken bone marrow cells. Poult Sci 2016; 95:912-9. [PMID: 26908883 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pev361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cathelicidins form a family of vertebrate-specific immune molecules with an evolutionarily conserved gene structure. We analyzed the expression patterns of cathelicidin genes (CAMP, CATH3, and CATHB1) in chicken bone marrow cells (BMCs) and chicken embryonic fibroblasts (CEFs). We found that CAMP and CATHB1 were significantly up-regulated in BMCs, whereas the expression of CATH3 did not differ significantly between BMCs and CEFs. To study the mechanism underlying the up-regulation of cathelicidin genes in BMCs, we predicted the transcription factors (TFs) that bind to the 5'-flanking regions of cathelicidin genes. CEBPA, EBF1, HES1, MSX1, and ZIC3 were up-regulated in BMCs compared to CEFs. Subsequently, when a siRNA-mediated knockdown assay was performed for MSX1, the expression of CAMP and CATHB1 was decreased in BMCs. We also showed that the transcriptional activity of the CAMP promoter was decreased by mutation of the MSX1-binding sites present within the 5'-flanking region of CAMP. These results increase our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms controlling cathelicidin genes in BMCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang In Lee
- Animal Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, 1500, Kongjwipatjwi-ro, Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, 565-851, Republic of Korea Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Choongnam, 330-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun June Jang
- College of Pharmacy, Dankook University, 119 Dandae-ro, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-hyang Jeon
- Animal Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, 1500, Kongjwipatjwi-ro, Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Ock Lee
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467
| | - Jeom Sun Kim
- Animal Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, 1500, Kongjwipatjwi-ro, Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Ik-Soo Jeon
- Animal Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, 1500, Kongjwipatjwi-ro, Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung June Byun
- Animal Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, 1500, Kongjwipatjwi-ro, Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, 565-851, Republic of Korea
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49
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Immunomodulatory and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Chicken Cathelicidin-2 Derived Peptides. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147919. [PMID: 26848845 PMCID: PMC4743981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Host Defence Peptides and derived peptides are promising classes of antimicrobial and immunomodulatory lead compounds. For this purpose we examined whether chicken cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2)-derived peptides modulate the function and inflammatory response of avian immune cells. Using a chicken macrophage cell line (HD11) we found that full-length CATH-2 dose-dependently induced transcription of chemokines CXCLi2/IL-8, MCP-3 and CCLi4/RANTES, but not of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. In addition, CATH-2 efficiently inhibited IL-1β and nitric oxide production by HD11 cells induced by different sources of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). N-terminal truncated CATH-2 derived peptides maintained the capacity to selectively induce chemokine transcription, but despite their high LPS affinity several analogs lacked LPS-neutralizing capacity. Substitution of phenylalanine residues by tryptophan introduced endotoxin neutralization capacity in inactive truncated CATH-2 derived peptides. In contrast, amino acid substitution of phenylalanine by tyrosine abrogated endotoxin neutralization activity of CATH-2 analogs. These findings support a pivotal role for aromatic residues in peptide-mediated endotoxin neutralization by CATH-2 analogs and were shown to be independent of LPS affinity. The capacity to modulate chemokine production and dampen endotoxin-induced pro-inflammatory responses in chicken immune cells implicates that small CATH-2 based peptides could serve as leads for the design of CATH-2 based immunomodulatory anti-infectives.
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50
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Cheng Y, Prickett MD, Gutowska W, Kuo R, Belov K, Burt DW. Evolution of the avian β-defensin and cathelicidin genes. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:188. [PMID: 26373713 PMCID: PMC4571063 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0465-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background β-defensins and cathelicidins are two families of cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with a broad range of antimicrobial activities that are key components of the innate immune system. Due to their important roles in host defense against rapidly evolving pathogens, the two gene families provide an ideal system for studying adaptive gene evolution. In this study we performed phylogenetic and selection analyses on β-defensins and cathelicidins from 53 avian species representing 32 orders to examine the evolutionary dynamics of these peptides in birds. Results and conclusions Avian β-defensins are found in a gene cluster consisting of 13 subfamiles. Nine of these are conserved as one to one orthologs in all birds, while the others (AvBD1, AvBD3, AvBD7 and AvBD14) are more subject to gene duplication or pseudogenisation events in specific avian lineages. Avian cathelicidins are found in a gene cluster consisting of three subfamilies with species-specific duplications and gene loss. Evidence suggested that the propiece and mature peptide domains of avian cathelicidins are possibly co-evolving in such a way that the cationicity of the mature peptide is partially neutralised by the negative charge of the propiece prior to peptide secretion (further evidence obtained by repeating the analyses on primate cathelicidins). Negative selection (overall mean dN < dS) was detected in most of the gene domains examined, conserving certain amino acid residues that may be functionally crucial for the avian β-defensins and cathelicidins, while episodic positive selection was also involved in driving the diversification of specific codon sites of certain AMPs in avian evolutionary history. These findings have greatly improved our understanding of the molecular evolution of avian AMPs and will be useful to understand their role in the avian innate immune response. Additionally, the large dataset of β-defensin and cathelicidin peptides may also provide a valuable resource for translational research and development of novel antimicrobial agents in the future. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0465-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Cheng
- RMC Gunn Building B19, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, NSW, Australia.
| | - Michael Dennis Prickett
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita-Edif. C11, Università di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Weronika Gutowska
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Richard Kuo
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Katherine Belov
- RMC Gunn Building B19, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, NSW, Australia.
| | - David W Burt
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
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