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Clark RJ, Phan TH, Song A, Ouellette AJ, Conibear AC, Rosengren KJ. A conserved β‐bulge glycine residue facilitates folding and increases stability of the mouse α‐defensin cryptdin‐4. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Clark
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Thanh Huyen Phan
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Angela Song
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - André J. Ouellette
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Los Angeles California USA
| | - Anne C. Conibear
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - K. Johan Rosengren
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences Brisbane Queensland Australia
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Yu W, Ning N, Xue Y, Huang Y, Guo F, Li T, Yang B, Luo D, Sun Y, Li Z, Wang J, He Z, Cheng S, Zhang X, Wang H. A Chimeric Cationic Peptide Composed of Human β-Defensin 3 and Human β-Defensin 4 Exhibits Improved Antibacterial Activity and Salt Resistance. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:663151. [PMID: 34025617 PMCID: PMC8137984 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.663151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Human beta-defensins (hBDs) play an important role in the host defense against various microbes, showing different levels of antibacterial activity and salt resistance in vitro. It is of interest to investigate whether can chimeric hBD analogs enhanced antibacterial activity and salt resistance. In this study, we designed a chimeric human defensin, named H4, by combining sequences of human beta-defensin-3 (hBD-3) and human beta-defensin-4 (hBD-4), then evaluated its antibacterial activity, salt resistance, and cytotoxic effects. The result showed that the antibacterial activity of H4 against most tested strains, including Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Acinetobacter baumannii was significantly improved compared to that of hBD-3 and hBD-4. Notably, H4 exhibited significantly better antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant isolate A. baumannii MDR-ZJ06 than commonly used antibiotics. Chimeric H4 still showed more than 80% antibacterial activity at high salt concentration (150 μM), which proves its good salt tolerance. The cytotoxic effect assay showed that the toxicity of H4 to Hela, Vero, A549 cells and erythrocytes at a low dose (<10 μg/ml) was similar to that of hBD-3 and hBD-4. In conclusion, given its broad spectrum of antibacterial activity and high salt resistance, chimeric H4 could serve as a promising template for new therapeutic antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Nianzhi Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Yanyu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Boning Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Henan University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Deyan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yakun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhili He
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Shiwei Cheng
- College of Life Science, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Xingxiao Zhang
- College of Life Science, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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González R, Brokordt K, Cárcamo CB, Coba de la Peña T, Oyanedel D, Mercado L, Schmitt P. Molecular characterization and protein localization of the antimicrobial peptide big defensin from the scallop Argopecten purpuratus after Vibrio splendidus challenge. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 68:173-179. [PMID: 28690141 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Big defensins are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are proposed as important effectors of the immune response in mollusks, chelicerates and chordates. At present, only two members of the big defensin family have been identified in scallop. In the present work, a cDNA sequence encoding a new big defensin homologue was characterized from the scallop Argopecten purpuratus, namely ApBD1. ApBD1 cDNA sequence comprised 585 nucleotides, with an open reading frame of 375 bp and 5'- and 3'-UTRs of 41 and 167 bp, respectively. The deduced protein sequence contains 124 amino acids with a molecular weight of 13.5 kDa, showing characteristic motifs of the big defensin family and presenting 76% identity with the big defensin from the scallop A. irradians. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ApBD1 is included into the cluster of big defensins from mollusks. Tissue-specific transcript expression analysis by RT-qPCR showed that ApBD1 was present in all tissues tested from non-immune challenged scallops but it was most strongly expressed in the mantle. The transcript levels of ApBD1 were significantly up-regulated in gills at 24 and 48 h post-injection with the heat-attenuated bacteria Vibrio splendidus. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis using a polyclonal anti-ApBD1 antibody showed that this protein was abundantly located in epithelial linings of gills and mantle; and also in digestive gland showing ApBD1-infiltrating hemocytes from immune challenged scallops. This is the first time that a big defensin is detected and located at the protein level in a mollusk. These results suggest an important role of ApBD1 in the mucosal immune response of A. purpuratus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana González
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética Marina (FIGEMA), Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, 1781421 Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Katherina Brokordt
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética Marina (FIGEMA), Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, 1781421 Coquimbo, Chile.
| | - Claudia B Cárcamo
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética Marina (FIGEMA), Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, 1781421 Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Teodoro Coba de la Peña
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética Marina (FIGEMA), Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, 1781421 Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Daniel Oyanedel
- Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, 2373223 Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Luis Mercado
- Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, 2373223 Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paulina Schmitt
- Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, 2373223 Valparaíso, Chile
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Pazgier M, Ericksen B, Ling M, Toth E, Shi J, Li X, Galliher-Beckley A, Lan L, Zou G, Zhan C, Yuan W, Pozharski E, Lu W. Structural and functional analysis of the pro-domain of human cathelicidin, LL-37. Biochemistry 2013; 52:1547-58. [PMID: 23406372 DOI: 10.1021/bi301008r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cathelicidins form a family of small host defense peptides distinct from another class of cationic antimicrobial peptides, the defensins. They are expressed as large precursor molecules with a highly conserved pro-domain known as the cathelin-like domain (CLD). CLDs have high degrees of sequence homology to cathelin, a protein isolated from pig leukocytes and belonging to the cystatin family of cysteine protease inhibitors. In this report, we describe for the first time the X-ray crystal structure of the human CLD (hCLD) of the sole human cathelicidin, LL-37. The structure of the hCLD, determined at 1.93 Å resolution, shows the cystatin-like fold and is highly similar to the structure of the CLD of the pig cathelicidin, protegrin-3. We assayed the in vitro antibacterial activities of the hCLD, LL-37, and the precursor form, pro-cathelicidin (also known as hCAP18), and we found that the unprocessed protein inhibited the growth of Gram-negative bacteria with efficiencies comparable to that of the mature peptide, LL-37. In addition, the antibacterial activity of LL-37 was not inhibited by the hCLD intermolecularly, because exogenously added hCLD had no effect on the bactericidal activity of the mature peptide. The hCLD itself lacked antimicrobial function and did not inhibit the cysteine protease, cathepsin L. Our results contrast with previous reports of hCLD activity. A comparative structural analysis between the hCLD and the cysteine protease inhibitor stefin A showed why the hCLD is unable to function as an inhibitor of cysteine proteases. In this respect, the cystatin scaffold represents an ancestral structural platform from which proteins evolved divergently, with some losing inhibitory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzena Pazgier
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
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Yang YR, Liu ZJ, Liang HD. Role of defensins in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2010; 18:3101-3106. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v18.i29.3101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The abnormal expression of defensins seems to be a critical factor for the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In addition to directly eradicating or killing pathogenic microorganisms, defensins can modulate or amplify adaptive immune responses under biological stress. The abnormal expression of defensins disturbs the initiation of adaptive immunity, amplifies intestinal inflammation and thereby accelerates the development of IBD. In this paper, we review the role of defensins in the pathogenesis of IBD.
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