1
|
Mulukutla A, Shreshtha R, Kumar Deb V, Chatterjee P, Jain U, Chauhan N. Recent advances in antimicrobial peptide-based therapy. Bioorg Chem 2024; 145:107151. [PMID: 38359706 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a group of polypeptide chains that have the property to target and kill a myriad of microbial organisms including viruses, bacteria, protists, etc. The first discovered AMP was named gramicidin, an extract of aerobic soil bacteria. Further studies discovered that these peptides are present not only in prokaryotes but in eukaryotes as well. They play a vital role in human innate immunity and wound repair. Consequently, they have maintained a high level of intrigue among scientists in the field of immunology, especially so with the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens decreasing the reliability of antibiotics in healthcare. While AMPs have promising potential to substitute for common antibiotics, their use as effective replacements is barred by certain limitations. First, they have the potential to be cytotoxic to human cells. Second, they are unstable in the blood due to action by various proteolytic agents and ions that cause their degradation. This review provides an overview of the mechanism of AMPs, their limitations, and developments in recent years that provide techniques to overcome those limitations. We also discuss the advantages and drawbacks of AMPs as a replacement for antibiotics as compared to other alternatives such as synthetically modified bacteriophages, traditional medicine, and probiotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Mulukutla
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Romi Shreshtha
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Vishal Kumar Deb
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Pallabi Chatterjee
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Utkarsh Jain
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Nidhi Chauhan
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
R PA, Anbarasu A. Antimicrobial Peptides as Immunomodulators and Antimycobacterial Agents to Combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a Critical Review. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2023; 15:1539-1566. [PMID: 36576687 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-022-10018-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a devastating disease foisting a significantly high morbidity, prepotent in low- and middle-income developing countries. Evolution of drug resistance among Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, has made the TB treatment more complicated. The protracted nature of present TB treatment, persistent and tolerant Mtb populations, interaction with antiretroviral therapy and existing toxicity concerned with conventional anti-TB drugs are the four major challenges inflicted with emergence of drug-resistant mycobacterial strains, and the standard medications are unable to combat these strains. These factors emphasize an exigency to develop new drugs to overcome these barriers in current TB therapy. With this regard, antimycobacterial peptides derived from various sources such as human cells, bacterial sources, mycobacteriophages, fungal, plant and animal sources could be considered as antituberculosis leads as most of these peptides are associated with dual advantages of having both bactericidal activity towards Mtb as well as immuno-regulatory property. Some of the peptides possess the additional advantage of interacting synergistically with antituberculosis medications too, thereby increasing their efficiency, underscoring the vigour of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as best possible alternative therapeutic candidates or adjuvants in TB treatment. Albeit the beneficiary features of these peptides, few obstacles allied with them like cytotoxicity and proteolytic degradation are matter of concerns too. In this review, we have focused on structural hallmarks, targeting mechanisms and specific structural aspects contributing to antimycobacterial activity and discovered natural and synthetic antimycobacterial peptides along with their sources, anti-TB, immuno-regulatory properties, merits and demerits and possible delivery methods of AMPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Preethi A R
- Medical & Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Bio-Sciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore-632014, India
- Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore-632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Anand Anbarasu
- Medical & Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Bio-Sciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore-632014, India.
- Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore-632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ventura CR, Wiedman GR. WITHDRAWN: Photobuforin II, a fluorescent photoswitchable peptide. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023:130468. [PMID: 37783292 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadva.2023.100106. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina R Ventura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Gregory R Wiedman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ventura CR, Wiedman GR. Photobuforin II, a fluorescent photoswitchable peptide. BBA ADVANCES 2023; 4:100106. [PMID: 37842183 PMCID: PMC10568295 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2023.100106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptide buforin II translocates across the cell membrane and binds to DNA. Its sequence is identical to a portion of core histone protein H2A making it a highly charged peptide. Buforin II has a proline residue in the middle of its sequence that creates a helix-hinge-helix motif which has been found to play a key role in its ability to translocate across the cell membrane. To explore the structure-function relationship of this proline residue this study has replaced P11 with a meta-substituted azobenzene amino acid (Z). The resultant peptide, photobuforin II, retained the secondary structure and membrane activity of the naturally occurring peptide while gaining new spectroscopic properties. Photobuforin II can be isomerized from its trans to cis isomer upon irradiation with ultra-violet (UV) light and from its cis to trans isomer upon irradiation with visible (VL). Photobuforin II is also fluorescent with an emission peak at 390 nm. The intrinsic fluorescence of the peptide was used to determine binding to the membrane and to DNA. VL-treated photobuforin II has a 2-fold lower binding constant compared to UV-treated photobuforin and causes 11-fold more membrane leakage in 3:1 POPC:POPG vesicles. Photobuforin II provides insights into the importance of structure function relationships in membrane active peptides while also demonstrating that azobenzene can be used in certain peptide sequences to produce intrinsic fluorescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina R. Ventura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Gregory R. Wiedman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li Q, Kim G, Jing L, Ji X, Elmore DE, Radhakrishnan ML. Electrostatics-Based Computational Design and Experimental Analysis of Buforin II Antimicrobial Peptide Variants with Increased DNA Affinities. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:33701-33711. [PMID: 37744799 PMCID: PMC10515408 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c04023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections in part due to their targeting of generic bacterial structures that make it more difficult to develop drug resistance. In this study, we introduce and implement a design workflow to develop more potent AMPs by improving their electrostatic interactions with DNA, which is a putative intracellular target. Using the existing membrane-translocating AMP buforin II (BF2) as a starting point, we use a computational workflow that integrates electrostatic charge optimization, continuum electrostatics, and molecular dynamics simulations to suggest peptide positions at which a neutral BF2 residue could be substituted with arginine to increase DNA-binding affinity either significantly or minimally, with the latter choice done to determine whether AMP binding affinity depends on charge distribution and not just overall monopole. Our analyses predicted that T1R and L8R BF2 variants would yield substantial and minimal increases in DNA-binding affinity, respectively. These predictions were validated with experimental peptide-DNA binding assays with additional computational analyses providing structural insights. Additionally, experimental measurements of antimicrobial potency showed that a design to increase DNA binding can also yield greater potency. As a whole, this study takes initial steps to support the idea that (i) a design strategy aimed to increase AMP binding affinity to DNA by focusing only on electrostatic interactions can improve AMP potency and (ii) the effect on DNA binding of increasing the overall peptide monopole via arginine substitution depends on the position of the substitution. More broadly, this design strategy is a novel way to increase the potency of other membrane-translocating AMPs that target nucleic acids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Li
- Biochemistry
Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
| | - Gabriela Kim
- Chemistry
Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
| | - Lisha Jing
- Chemistry
Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
| | - Xiaoxuan Ji
- Biochemistry
Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
| | - Donald E. Elmore
- Biochemistry
Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
- Chemistry
Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
| | - Mala L. Radhakrishnan
- Biochemistry
Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
- Chemistry
Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mohammed EH, Lohan S, Ghaffari T, Gupta S, Tiwari RK, Parang K. Membrane-Active Cyclic Amphiphilic Peptides: Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity Alone and in Combination with Antibiotics. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15819-15839. [PMID: 36442155 PMCID: PMC9743092 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We designed a library of 24 cyclic peptides containing arginine (R) and tryptophan (W) residues in a sequential manner [RnWn] (n = 2-7) to study the impact of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio, charge, and ring size on the antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Among peptides, 5a and 6a demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity. In combination with 11 commercially available antibiotics, 5a and 6a showed remarkable synergism against a large panel of resistant pathogens. Hemolysis (HC50 = 340 μg/mL) and cell viability against mammalian cells demonstrated the selective lethal action of 5a against bacteria over mammalian cells. Calcein dye leakage and scanning electron microscopy studies revealed the membranolytic effect of 5a. Moreover, the stability in human plasma (t1/2 = 3 h) and the negligible ability of pathogens to develop resistance further reflect the potential of 5a for further development as a peptide-based antibiotic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eman H.
M. Mohammed
- Center
for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy,
Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, California92618, United States,Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia
University, Shebin
El-Koam51132, Egypt,AJK
Biopharmaceutical, Irvine, California92617, United States
| | - Sandeep Lohan
- Center
for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy,
Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, California92618, United States,AJK
Biopharmaceutical, Irvine, California92617, United States
| | - Tarra Ghaffari
- Center
for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy,
Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, California92618, United States
| | - Shilpi Gupta
- Center
for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy,
Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, California92618, United States
| | - Rakesh K. Tiwari
- Center
for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy,
Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, California92618, United States,. Fax: +1-714-516-548. Phone: +1-714-516-5483
| | - Keykavous Parang
- Center
for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy,
Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, California92618, United States,. Fax: +1-714-516-5481. Phone: +1-714-516-5489
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhu Y, Hao W, Wang X, Ouyang J, Deng X, Yu H, Wang Y. Antimicrobial peptides, conventional antibiotics, and their synergistic utility for the treatment of drug-resistant infections. Med Res Rev 2022; 42:1377-1422. [PMID: 34984699 DOI: 10.1002/med.21879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides (HDPs), are important effector immune defense molecules in multicellular organisms. AMPs exert their antimicrobial activities through several mechanisms; thus far, induction of drug resistance through AMPs has been regarded as unlikely. Therefore, they have great potential as new generation antimicrobial agents. To date, more than 30 AMP-related drugs are in the clinical trial phase. In recent years, studies show that some AMPs and conventional antibiotics have synergistic effects. The combined use of AMPs and antibiotics can kill drug-resistant pathogens, prevent drug resistance, and significantly improve the therapeutic effects of antibiotics. In this review, we discuss the progress in synergistic studies on AMPs and conventional antibiotics. An overview of the current understanding of the functional scope of AMPs, ongoing clinical trials, and challenges in the development processes are also presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yiyun Zhu
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weijing Hao
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianhong Ouyang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyi Deng
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haining Yu
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Yipeng Wang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang Q, Xu Y, Hu J. Intracellular mechanism of antimicrobial peptide HJH-3 against Salmonella pullorum. RSC Adv 2022; 12:14485-14491. [PMID: 35702236 PMCID: PMC9103801 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra01363k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore the potential intracellular mechanism of the antimicrobial peptide HJH-3 in killing Salmonella, a DNA blocking test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the ability of the peptide to bind bacterial DNA in vitro. Laser confocal analysis and electron microscopy were used to observe the binding of antimicrobial peptide HJH-3 and Salmonella DNA, and flow cytometry was used to analyze the effect of antimicrobial peptides on cell division in vivo. The results showed that HJH-3 can bind to DNA to block the diffusion and migration of DNA in agarose gel. Laser confocal microscopy revealed that antimicrobial peptide HJH-3 penetrated the bacterial cell membrane and bound with bacterial DNA. Transmission electron microscopy showed that antimicrobial peptide HJH-3 aggregated in the nucleoid of Salmonella cells, and through a channel in the membrane destroyed by the antimicrobial peptide, DNA and other intracellular contents were excreted, and polymerized DNA was fragmented. The results of the flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the death rate of Salmonella increased significantly after exposure to antimicrobial peptide HJH-3 and increased with increasing antimicrobial peptide concentration. These results suggest that AMP HJH-3 may be a candidate antimicrobial agent to treat infectious diseases caused by Salmonella pullorum. To explore the potential intracellular mechanism of the antimicrobial peptide HJH-3 in killing Salmonella, a DNA blocking test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the ability of the peptide to bind bacterial DNA in vitro.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qing Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
| | - Yanzhao Xu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
| | - Jianhe Hu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hilpert K, Gani J, Rumancev C, Simpson N, Lopez-Perez PM, Garamus VM, von Gundlach AR, Markov P, Scocchi M, Mikut R, Rosenhahn A. Rational Designed Hybrid Peptides Show up to a 6-Fold Increase in Antimicrobial Activity and Demonstrate Different Ultrastructural Changes as the Parental Peptides Measured by BioSAXS. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:769739. [PMID: 34966279 PMCID: PMC8711299 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.769739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising class of compounds being developed against multi-drug resistant bacteria. Hybridization has been reported to increase antimicrobial activity. Here, two proline-rich peptides (consP1: VRKPPYLPRPRPRPL-CONH2 and Bac5-v291: RWRRPIRRRPIRPPFWR-CONH2) were combined with two arginine-isoleucine-rich peptides (optP1: KIILRIRWR-CONH2 and optP7: KRRVRWIIW-CONH2). Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) are known to inhibit the bacterial ribosome, shown also for Bac5-v291, whereas it is hypothesized a “dirty drug” model for the arginine-isoleucine-rich peptides. That hypothesis was underpinned by transmission electron microscopy and biological small-angle X-ray scattering (BioSAXS). The strength of BioSAXS is the power to detect ultrastructural changes in millions of cells in a short time (seconds) in a high-throughput manner. This information can be used to classify antimicrobial compounds into groups according to the ultrastructural changes they inflict on bacteria and how the bacteria react towards that assault. Based on previous studies, this correlates very well with different modes of action. Due to the novelty of this approach direct identification of the target of the antimicrobial compound is not yet fully established, more research is needed. More research is needed to address this limitation. The hybrid peptides showed a stronger antimicrobial activity compared to the proline-rich peptides, except when compared to Bac5-v291 against E. coli. The increase in activity compared to the arginine-isoleucine-rich peptides was up to 6-fold, however, it was not a general increase but was dependent on the combination of peptides and bacteria. BioSAXS experiments revealed that proline-rich peptides and arginine-isoleucine-rich peptides induce very different ultrastructural changes in E. coli, whereas a hybrid peptide (hyP7B5GK) shows changes, different to both parental peptides and the untreated control. These different ultrastructural changes indicated that the mode of action of the parental peptides might be different from each other as well as from the hybrid peptide hyP7B5GK. All peptides showed very low haemolytic activity, some of them showed a 100-fold or larger therapeutic window, demonstrating the potential for further drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hilpert
- Institute of Infection and Immunology, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jurnorain Gani
- Institute of Infection and Immunology, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Rumancev
- Laboratory Analytical Chemistry - Biointerfaces, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nathan Simpson
- Institute of Infection and Immunology, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Petar Markov
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Outstation, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marco Scocchi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ralf Mikut
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics (IAI), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Axel Rosenhahn
- Laboratory Analytical Chemistry - Biointerfaces, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Comparison of a Short Linear Antimicrobial Peptide with Its Disulfide-Cyclized and Cyclotide-Grafted Variants against Clinically Relevant Pathogens. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061249. [PMID: 34201398 PMCID: PMC8228819 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the development of resistance against antibiotics by microbes is one of the most pressing health concerns. The situation will intensify since only a few pharmacological companies are currently developing novel antimicrobial compounds. Discovery and development of novel antimicrobial compounds with new modes of action are urgently needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are known to be able to kill multidrug-resistant bacteria and, therefore, of interest to be developed into antimicrobial drugs. Proteolytic stability and toxicities of these peptides are challenges to overcome, and one strategy frequently used to address stability is cyclization. Here we introduced a disulfide-bond to cyclize a potent and nontoxic 9mer peptide and, in addition, as a proof-of-concept study, grafted this peptide into loop 6 of the cyclotide MCoTI-II. This is the first time an antimicrobial peptide has been successfully grafted onto the cyclotide scaffold. The disulfide-cyclized and grafted cyclotide showed moderate activity in broth and strong activity in 1/5 broth against clinically relevant resistant pathogens. The linear peptide showed superior activity in both conditions. The half-life time in 100% human serum was determined, for the linear peptide, to be 13 min, for the simple disulfide-cyclized peptide, 9 min, and, for the grafted cyclotide 7 h 15 min. The addition of 10% human serum led to a loss of antimicrobial activity for the different organisms, ranging from 1 to >8-fold for the cyclotide. For the disulfide-cyclized version and the linear version, activity also dropped to different degrees, 2 to 18-fold, and 1 to 30-fold respectively. Despite the massive difference in stability, the linear peptide still showed superior antimicrobial activity. The cyclotide and the disulfide-cyclized version demonstrated a slower bactericidal effect than the linear version. All three peptides were stable at high and low pH, and had very low hemolytic and cytotoxic activity.
Collapse
|
11
|
Kabelka I, Vácha R. Advances in Molecular Understanding of α-Helical Membrane-Active Peptides. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:2196-2204. [PMID: 33844916 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Biological membranes separate the interior of cells or cellular compartments from their outer environments. This barrier function of membranes can be disrupted by membrane-active peptides, some of which can spontaneously penetrate through the membranes or open leaky transmembrane pores. However, the origin of their activity/toxicity is not sufficiently understood for the development of more potent peptides. To this day, there are no design rules that would be generally valid, and the role of individual amino acids tends to be sequence-specific.In this Account, we describe recent progress in understanding the design principles that govern the activity of membrane-active peptides. We focus on α-helical amphiphilic peptides and their ability to (1) translocate across phospholipid bilayers, (2) form transmembrane pores, or (3) act synergistically, i.e., to produce a significantly more potent effect in a mixture than the individual components.We refined the description of peptide translocation using computer simulations and demonstrated the effect of selected residues. Our simulations showed the necessity to explicitly include charged residues in the translocation description to correctly sample the membrane perturbations they can cause. Using this description, we calculated the translocation of helical peptides with and without the kink induced by the proline/glycine residue. The presence of the kink had no effect on the translocation barrier, but it decreased the peptide affinity to the membrane and reduced the peptide stability inside the membrane. Interestingly, the effects were mainly caused by the peptide's increased polarity, not the higher flexibility of the kink.Flexibility plays a crucial role in pore formation and affects distinct pore structures in different ways. The presence of a kink destabilizes barrel-stave pores, because the kink prevents the tight packing of peptides in the bundle, which is characteristic of the barrel-stave structure. In contrast, the kink facilitates the formation of toroidal pores, where the peptides are only loosely arranged and do not need to closely assemble. The exact position of the kink in the sequence further determines the preferred arrangement of peptides in the pore, i.e., an hourglass or U-shaped structure. In addition, we demonstrated that two self-associated (via termini) helical peptides could mimic the behavior of peptides with a helix-kink-helix motif.Finally, we review the recent findings on the peptide synergism of the archetypal mixture of Magainin 2 and PGLa peptides. We focused on a bacterial plasma membrane mimic that contains negatively charged lipids and lipids with negative intrinsic curvature. We showed that the synergistic action of peptides was highly dependent on the lipid composition. When the lipid composition and peptide/lipid ratios were changed, the systems exhibited more complex behavior than just the previously reported pore formation. We observed membrane adhesion, fusion, and even the formation of the sponge phase in this regime. Furthermore, enhanced adhesion/partitioning to the membrane was reported to be caused by lipid-induced peptide aggregation.In conclusion, the provided molecular insight into the complex behavior of membrane-active peptides provides clues for the design and modification of antimicrobial peptides or toxins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Kabelka
- CEITEC − Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Vácha
- CEITEC − Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Elyass ME, Mahdi AA, Semeih AE, Eltaib FI, Attitalla IH. Exploratory investigation on the antibacterial effect of antimicrobial peptides of four mammalian plasmas. Microb Pathog 2021; 156:104839. [PMID: 33689814 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are presently being revisited as promising potential antimicrobial combat agents. Acquisition of resistance to AMPs is very rare compared to conventional antibiotics as they kill microbes by direct disruption of cellular components including the microbial membrane and DNA. In this study four sources of mammalian plasma (human, bovine, caprine and ovine) were explored for presence and effectiveness of antimicrobial peptides by the spot-on-lawn method, followed by the agar well diffusion assay to confirm their antibacterial activity. This was followed by determination of their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) by the broth macrodilusion method. The MICs were compared to those produced by the antibiotics Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Doxycycline and Metronidazole. All four plasma types exhibited antibacterial activity in their native form (plasmaN) or in presence of added pepsin (plasmap). The highest antibacterial activity was shown by ovine plasmap against Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC at dilution of 1:128), while least activity (MIC at dilution of 1:2) was shown by bovine plasmap and ovine plasmaN against K. pneumoniae, ovine plasmaN against E. coli, and ovine plasmap against Staph. aureus. All plasma sources achieved bactericidal effect. Activity of ovine plasmaN against K. pneumoniae was higher than that due to Ampilcillin, Amoxicillin, Doxycycline or Metronidazole. The least antibacterial activity was achieved by Ampicillin against K. pneumoniae, E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. Metronidazole had no effect on any of the four bacteria tested. These results indicate that AMPs hold great promise as a valuable renewed tool in the control of pathogenic microbes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona E Elyass
- National Center for Research, Khartoum, Sudan; Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Faculty of Medical Technology, Box 919, Al-Bayda, Libya
| | - Ahmed A Mahdi
- Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Faculty of Medical Technology, Box 919, Al-Bayda, Libya
| | | | | | - Idrerss H Attitalla
- Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Box 919, Al-Bayda, Libya; Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Faculty of Medical Technology, Box 919, Al-Bayda, Libya.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Li X, Fan Y, Lin Q, Luo J, Huang Y, Bao Y, Xu L. Expression of chromogranin A-derived antifungal peptide CGA-N12 in Pichia pastoris. Bioengineered 2020; 11:318-327. [PMID: 32163000 PMCID: PMC7161563 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2020.1736237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human chromogranin A-derived peptide CGA-N12, which is composed of 12 amino acid residues with the sequence ALQGAKERAHQQ, showed strong antifungal activity and the least hemolytic activity in previous studies. However, synthetic peptides are relatively expensive to produce. Recombinant expression of peptides in the host cells, such as bacteria or yeast, can fastly provide cost-efficient products of peptides. Here, we developed an innovative system to produce CGA-N12 peptides in the yeast Pichia pastoris GS115 using genetic engineering technology. In order to directly secret short CGA-N12 peptides into the culture media from GS115 cells and enhance its expression effect, the structure of the CGA-N12 coding sequence was designed to mimic that of native α-factor gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Four long primer pairs with sticky end were used to synthesize CGA-N12 expression sequence which contains four copies of CGA-N12 flanked by a Lys-Arg pair and two Glu-Ala repeating units. Endogenous proteases Kex2 and Ste13 in Golgi apparatus recognize and excise Lys-Arg and Glu-Ala pair to release short CGA-N12 peptides from the tandem repeat sequences, respectively. The CGA-N12 peptides were successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris with a yield of up to 30 mg/L of yeast culture as determined using HPLC. Our study indicated that the strategy employed in this work may be a good way to express small-molecule peptides directly in the Pichia pastoris system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yong Fan
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Qiong Lin
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jianxiong Luo
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yide Huang
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Response and Metabolic Regulation, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuwang Bao
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Liyu Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.,Central Laboratory, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hyun S, Choi Y, Jo D, Choo S, Park TW, Park SJ, Kim S, Lee S, Park S, Jin SM, Cheon DH, Yoo W, Arya R, Chong YP, Kim KK, Kim YS, Lee Y, Yu J. Proline Hinged Amphipathic α-Helical Peptide Sensitizes Gram-Negative Bacteria to Various Gram-Positive Antibiotics. J Med Chem 2020; 63:14937-14950. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soonsil Hyun
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Yoonhwa Choi
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Doyeon Jo
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Seolah Choo
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Tae Woo Park
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Su-Jin Park
- Department of Infectious Disease, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Seoyeon Kim
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Seonju Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Sohyun Park
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Sun Mi Jin
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Dae Hee Cheon
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Wanki Yoo
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Rekha Arya
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Yong Pil Chong
- Department of Infectious Disease, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Kyeong Kyu Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Yang Soo Kim
- Department of Infectious Disease, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Yan Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jaehoon Yu
- Department of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
|
16
|
Pierce S, Jennings MP, Juliano SA, Angeles-Boza AM. Peptide–Ruthenium Conjugate as an Efficient Photosensitizer for the Inactivation of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria. Inorg Chem 2020; 59:14866-14870. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c02491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Pierce
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Murphy P. Jennings
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, 97 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Samuel A. Juliano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Alfredo M. Angeles-Boza
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, 97 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kumari T, Verma DP, Afshan T, Verma NK, Pant G, Ali M, Shukla PK, Mitra K, Ghosh JK. A Noncytotoxic Temporin L Analogue with In Vivo Antibacterial and Antiendotoxin Activities and a Nonmembrane-Lytic Mode of Action. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:2369-2385. [PMID: 32786286 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cytotoxic frog antimicrobial peptide Temporin L (TempL) is an attractive molecule for the design of lead antimicrobial agents due to its short size and versatile biological activities. However, noncytotoxic TempL variants with desirable biological activities have rarely been reported. TempL analogue Q3K,TempL is water-soluble and possesses a significant antiendotoxin property along with comparable cytotoxicity to TempL. A phenylalanine residue, located at the hydrophobic face of Q3K,TempL and the "d" position of its phenylalanine zipper sequence, was replaced with a cationic lysine residue. This analogue, Q3K,F8K,TempL, showed reduced hydrophobic moment and was noncytotoxic with lower antimicrobial activity. Interestingly, swapping between tryptophan at the fourth and serine at the sixth positions turned Q3K,F8K,TempL totally amphipathic as reflected by its helical wheel projection with clusters of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues and the highest hydrophobic moment among these peptides. Surprisingly, this analogue, SW,Q3K,F8K,TempL, was as noncytotoxic as Q3K,F8K,TempL but showed augmented antimicrobial and antiendotoxin properties, comparable to that of TempL and Q3K,TempL. SW,Q3K,F8K,TempL exhibited appreciable survival of mice against P. aeruginosa infection and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Unlike TempL and Q3K,TempL, SW,Q3K,F8K,TempL adopted an unordered secondary structure in bacterial membrane mimetic lipid vesicles and did not permeabilize them or depolarize the bacterial membrane. Overall, the results demonstrate the design of a nontoxic TempL analogue that possesses clusters of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues with impaired secondary structure and shows a nonmembrane-lytic mechanism and in vivo antiendotoxin and antimicrobial activities. This paradigm of design of antimicrobial peptide with clusters of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues and high hydrophobic moment but low secondary structure could be attempted further.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tripti Kumari
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Devesh Pratap Verma
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Tayyaba Afshan
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Neeraj Kumar Verma
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Garima Pant
- Electron Microscopy Unit, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Mehmood Ali
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - P. K. Shukla
- Microbiology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Kalyan Mitra
- Electron Microscopy Unit, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| | - Jimut Kanti Ghosh
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 031, India
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Li J, Fernández-Millán P, Boix E. Synergism between Host Defence Peptides and Antibiotics Against Bacterial Infections. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:1238-1263. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200303122626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Background:Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to conventional antibiotics is becoming one of the main global health threats and novel alternative strategies are urging. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), once forgotten, are coming back into the scene as promising tools to overcome bacterial resistance. Recent findings have attracted attention to the potentiality of AMPs to work as antibiotic adjuvants.Methods:In this review, we have tried to collect the currently available information on the mechanism of action of AMPs in synergy with other antimicrobial agents. In particular, we have focused on the mechanisms of action that mediate the inhibition of the emergence of bacterial resistance by AMPs.Results and Conclusion:We find in the literature many examples where AMPs can significantly reduce the antibiotic effective concentration. Mainly, the peptides work at the bacterial cell wall and thereby facilitate the drug access to its intracellular target. Complementarily, AMPs can also contribute to permeate the exopolysaccharide layer of biofilm communities, or even prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm growth. Secondly, we find other peptides that can directly block the emergence of bacterial resistance mechanisms or interfere with the community quorum-sensing systems. Interestingly, the effective peptide concentrations for adjuvant activity and inhibition of bacterial resistance are much lower than the required for direct antimicrobial action. Finally, many AMPs expressed by innate immune cells are endowed with immunomodulatory properties and can participate in the host response against infection. Recent studies in animal models confirm that AMPs work as adjuvants at non-toxic concentrations and can be safely administrated for novel combined chemotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| | - Pablo Fernández-Millán
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| | - Ester Boix
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Lima PG, Souza PF, Freitas CD, Oliveira JT, Dias LP, Neto JX, Vasconcelos IM, Lopes JL, Sousa DO. Anticandidal activity of synthetic peptides: Mechanism of action revealed by scanning electron and fluorescence microscopies and synergism effect with nystatin. J Pept Sci 2020; 26:e3249. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.3249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia G. Lima
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| | - Pedro F.N. Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| | - Cleverson D.T. Freitas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| | - Jose T.A. Oliveira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| | - Lucas P. Dias
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| | - João X.S. Neto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| | - Ilka M. Vasconcelos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| | - José L.S. Lopes
- Department of Applied PhysicsUniversity of Sao Paulo Sao Paulo Brazil
| | - Daniele O.B. Sousa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFederal University of Ceará Fortaleza Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Tuerkova A, Kabelka I, Králová T, Sukeník L, Pokorná Š, Hof M, Vácha R. Effect of helical kink in antimicrobial peptides on membrane pore formation. eLife 2020; 9:47946. [PMID: 32167466 PMCID: PMC7069690 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Every cell is protected by a semipermeable membrane. Peptides with the right properties, for example Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), can disrupt this protective barrier by formation of leaky pores. Unfortunately, matching peptide properties with their ability to selectively form pores in bacterial membranes remains elusive. In particular, the proline/glycine kink in helical peptides was reported to both increase and decrease antimicrobial activity. We used computer simulations and fluorescence experiments to show that a kink in helices affects the formation of membrane pores by stabilizing toroidal pores but disrupting barrel-stave pores. The position of the proline/glycine kink in the sequence further controls the specific structure of toroidal pore. Moreover, we demonstrate that two helical peptides can form a kink-like connection with similar behavior as one long helical peptide with a kink. The provided molecular-level insight can be utilized for design and modification of pore-forming antibacterial peptides or toxins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alzbeta Tuerkova
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic.,National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic
| | - Ivo Kabelka
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic.,National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Králová
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Sukeník
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic.,Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Czech Republic
| | - Šárka Pokorná
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Hof
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Vácha
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic.,National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Czech Republic.,Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Grimsey E, Collis DWP, Mikut R, Hilpert K. The effect of lipidation and glycosylation on short cationic antimicrobial peptides. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183195. [PMID: 32130974 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The global health threat surrounding bacterial resistance has resulted in antibiotic researchers shifting their focus away from 'traditional' antibiotics and concentrating on other antimicrobial agents, including antimicrobial peptides. These low molecular weight "mini-proteins" exhibit broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, including multi-drug resistant strains, viruses, fungi and protozoa and constitute a major element of the innate-immune system of many multicellular organisms. Some naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides are lipidated and/or glycosylated and almost all antimicrobial peptides in clinical use are either lipopeptides (Daptomycin and Polymyxin E and B) or glycopeptides (Vancomycin). Lipidation, glycosylation and PEGylation are an option for improving stability and activity in serum and for reducing the rapid clearing via the kidneys and liver. Two broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides NH2-RIRIRWIIR-CONH2 (A1) and NH2-KRRVRWIIW-CONH2 (B1) were conjugated via a linker, producing A2 and B2, to individual fatty acids of C8, C10, C12 and C14 and in addition, A2 was conjugated to either glucose, N-acetyl glucosamine, galactose, mannose, lactose or polyethylene glycol (PEG). Antimicrobial activity against two Gram-positive strains (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE)) and three Gram-negative strains (Salmonella typhimurium, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were determined. Activity patterns for the lipidated versions are very complex, dependent on sequence, bacteria and fatty acid. Two reciprocal effects were measured; compared to the parental peptides, some combinations led to a 16-fold improvement whereas other combinations let to a 32-fold reduction in antimicrobial activity. Glycosylation decreased antimicrobial activity by 2 to 16-fold in comparison to A1, respectively on the sugar-peptide combination. PEGylation rendered the peptide inactive. Antimicrobial activity in the presence of 25% human serum of A1 and B1 was reduced 32-fold and 8-fold, respectively. The longer chain fatty acids almost completely restored this activity; however, these fatty acids increased hemolytic activity. B1 modified with C8 increased the therapeutic index by 2-fold for four bacterial strains. Our results suggest that finding the right lipid-peptide combination can lead to improved activity in the presence of serum and potentially more effective drug candidates for animal studies. Glycosylation with the optimal sugar and numbers of sugars at the right peptide position could be an alternative route or could be used in addition to lipidation to counteract solubility and toxicity issues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Grimsey
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Ralf Mikut
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics (IAI), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Kai Hilpert
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Overton K, Greer HM, Ferguson MA, Spain EM, Elmore DE, Núñez ME, Volle CB. Qualitative and Quantitative Changes to Escherichia coli during Treatment with Magainin 2 Observed in Native Conditions by Atomic Force Microscopy. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:650-659. [PMID: 31876422 PMCID: PMC7430157 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The bacterial membrane has been suggested as a good target for future antibiotics, so it is important to understand how naturally occurring antibiotics like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) disrupt those membranes. The interaction of the AMP magainin 2 (MAG2) with the bacterial cell membrane has been well characterized using supported lipid substrates, unilamellar vesicles, and spheroplasts created from bacterial cells. However, to fully understand how MAG2 kills bacteria, we must consider its effect on the outer membrane found in Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to directly investigate MAG2 interaction with the outer membrane of Escherichia coli and characterize the biophysical consequences of MAG2 treatment under native conditions. While propidium iodide penetration indicates that MAG2 permeabilizes cells within seconds, a corresponding decrease in cellular turgor pressure is not observed until minutes after MAG2 application, suggesting that cellular homeostasis machinery may be responsible for helping the cell maintain turgor pressure despite a loss of membrane integrity. AFM imaging and force measurement modes applied in tandem reveal that the outer membrane becomes pitted, more flexible, and more adhesive after MAG2 treatment. MAG2 appears to have a highly disruptive effect on the outer membrane, extending the known mechanism of MAG2 to the Gram-negative outer membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kanesha Overton
- Department of Biology , Cottey College , 1000 West Austin Boulevard , Nevada , Missouri 64772 , United States
| | - Helen M Greer
- Department of Biology , Cottey College , 1000 West Austin Boulevard , Nevada , Missouri 64772 , United States
| | - Megan A Ferguson
- Department of Chemistry , State University of New York , 1 Hawk Drive , New Paltz , New York 12561 , United States
| | - Eileen M Spain
- Department of Chemistry , Occidental College , 1600 Campus Road , Los Angeles , California 90041 , United States
| | - Donald E Elmore
- Department of Chemistry and Program in Biochemistry , Wellesley College , 106 Central Street , Wellesley , Massachusetts 02481 , United States
| | - Megan E Núñez
- Department of Chemistry and Program in Biochemistry , Wellesley College , 106 Central Street , Wellesley , Massachusetts 02481 , United States
| | - Catherine B Volle
- Department of Biology , Cottey College , 1000 West Austin Boulevard , Nevada , Missouri 64772 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Raheem N, Straus SK. Mechanisms of Action for Antimicrobial Peptides With Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Functions. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2866. [PMID: 31921046 PMCID: PMC6927293 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The antibiotic crisis has led to a pressing need for alternatives such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Recent work has shown that these molecules have great potential not only as antimicrobials, but also as antibiofilm agents, immune modulators, anti-cancer agents and anti-inflammatories. A better understanding of the mechanism of action (MOA) of AMPs is an important part of the discovery of more potent and less toxic AMPs. Many models and techniques have been utilized to describe the MOA. This review will examine how biological assays and biophysical methods can be utilized in the context of the specific antibacterial and antibiofilm functions of AMPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nigare Raheem
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Suzana K Straus
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Ruden S, Rieder A, Chis Ster I, Schwartz T, Mikut R, Hilpert K. Synergy Pattern of Short Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides Against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2740. [PMID: 31849888 PMCID: PMC6901909 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With the rise of various multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria, worldwide health care is under pressure to respond. Conventional antibiotics are failing and the development of novel classes and alternative strategies is a major priority. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) cannot only kill MDR bacteria, but also can be used synergistically with conventional antibiotics. We selected 30 short AMPs from different origins and measured their synergy in combination with polymyxin B, piperacillin, ceftazidime, cefepime, meropenem, imipenem, tetracycline, erythromycin, kanamycin, tobramycin, amikacin, gentamycin, and ciprofloxacin. In total, 403 unique combinations were tested against an MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate (PA910). As a measure of the synergistic effects, fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) were determined using microdilution assays with FICs ranges between 0.25 and 2. A high number of combinations between peptides and polymyxin B, erythromycin, and tetracycline were found to be synergistic. Novel variants of indolicidin also showed a high frequency in synergist interaction. Single amino acid substitutions within the peptides can have a very strong effect on the ability to synergize, making it possible to optimize future drugs toward synergistic interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serge Ruden
- Institute of Biological Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Annika Rieder
- Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Irina Chis Ster
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Schwartz
- Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ralf Mikut
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Kai Hilpert
- Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom.,Institute of Microstructure Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Perez CP, Elmore DE, Radhakrishnan ML. Computationally Modeling Electrostatic Binding Energetics in a Crowded, Dynamic Environment: Physical Insights from a Peptide–DNA System. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:10718-10734. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b09478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
26
|
Wade HM, Darling LEO, Elmore DE. Hybrids made from antimicrobial peptides with different mechanisms of action show enhanced membrane permeabilization. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:182980. [PMID: 31067436 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Combining two known antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) into a hybrid peptide is one promising avenue in the design of agents with increased antibacterial activity. However, very few previous studies have considered the effect of creating a hybrid from one AMP that permeabilizes membranes and another AMP that acts intracellularly after translocating across the membrane. Moreover, very few studies have systematically evaluated the order of parent peptides or the presence of linkers in the design of hybrid AMPs. Here, we use a combination of antibacterial measurements, cellular assays and semi-quantitative confocal microscopy to characterize the activity and mechanism for a library of sixteen hybrid peptides. These hybrids consist of permutations of two primarily membrane translocating peptides, buforin II and DesHDAP1, and two primarily membrane permeabilizing peptides, magainin 2 and parasin. For all hybrids, the permeabilizing peptide appeared to dominate the mechanism, with hybrids primarily killing bacteria through membrane permeabilization. We also observed increased hybrid activity when the permeabilizing parent peptide was placed at the N-terminus. Activity data also highlighted the potential value of considering AMP cocktails in addition to hybrid peptides. Together, these observations will guide future design efforts aiming to design more active hybrid AMPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M Wade
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, United States of America; Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, United States of America
| | - Louise E O Darling
- Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, United States of America; Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, United States of America
| | - Donald E Elmore
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, United States of America; Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Sultan I, Rahman S, Jan AT, Siddiqui MT, Mondal AH, Haq QMR. Antibiotics, Resistome and Resistance Mechanisms: A Bacterial Perspective. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2066. [PMID: 30298054 PMCID: PMC6160567 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
History of mankind is regarded as struggle against infectious diseases. Rather than observing the withering away of bacterial diseases, antibiotic resistance has emerged as a serious global health concern. Medium of antibiotic resistance in bacteria varies greatly and comprises of target protection, target substitution, antibiotic detoxification and block of intracellular antibiotic accumulation. Further aggravation to prevailing situation arose on observing bacteria gradually becoming resistant to different classes of antibiotics through acquisition of resistance genes from same and different genera of bacteria. Attributing bacteria with feature of better adaptability, dispersal of antibiotic resistance genes to minimize effects of antibiotics by various means including horizontal gene transfer (conjugation, transformation, and transduction), Mobile genetic elements (plasmids, transposons, insertion sequences, integrons, and integrative-conjugative elements) and bacterial toxin-antitoxin system led to speedy bloom of antibiotic resistance amongst bacteria. Proficiency of bacteria to obtain resistance genes generated an unpleasant situation; a grave, but a lot unacknowledged, feature of resistance gene transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Insha Sultan
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Safikur Rahman
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Arif Tasleem Jan
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, India
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Figueroa DM, Wade HM, Montales KP, Elmore DE, Darling LEO. Production and Visualization of Bacterial Spheroplasts and Protoplasts to Characterize Antimicrobial Peptide Localization. J Vis Exp 2018:57904. [PMID: 30148492 PMCID: PMC6126710 DOI: 10.3791/57904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of confocal microscopy as a method to assess peptide localization patterns within bacteria is commonly inhibited by the resolution limits of conventional light microscopes. As the resolution for a given microscope cannot be easily enhanced, we present protocols to transform the small rod-shaped gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and gram-positive Bacillus megaterium (B. megaterium) into larger, easily imaged spherical forms called spheroplasts or protoplasts. This transformation allows observers to rapidly and clearly determine whether peptides lodge themselves into the bacterial membrane (i.e., membrane localizing) or cross the membrane to enter the cell (i.e., translocating). With this approach, we also present a systematic method to characterize peptides as membrane localizing or translocating. While this method can be used for a variety of membrane-active peptides and bacterial strains, we demonstrate the utility of this protocol by observing the interaction of Buforin II P11A (BF2 P11A), an antimicrobial peptide (AMP), with E. coli spheroplasts and B. megaterium protoplasts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Heidi M Wade
- Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College; Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College
| | | | - Donald E Elmore
- Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College; Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College;
| | - Louise E O Darling
- Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College; Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College;
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Bacterial Periplasmic Oxidoreductases Control the Activity of Oxidized Human Antimicrobial β-Defensin 1. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00875-17. [PMID: 29378796 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00875-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide human β-defensin 1 (hBD1) is continuously produced by epithelial cells in many tissues. Compared to other defensins, hBD1 has only minor antibiotic activity in its native state. After reduction of its disulfide bridges, however, it becomes a potent antimicrobial agent against bacteria, while the oxidized native form (hBD1ox) shows specific activity against Gram-negative bacteria. We show that the killing mechanism of hBD1ox depends on aerobic growth conditions and bacterial enzymes. We analyzed the different activities of hBD1 using mutants of Escherichia coli lacking one or more specific proteins of their outer membrane, cytosol, or redox systems. We discovered that DsbA and DsbB are essential for the antimicrobial activity of hBD1ox but not for that of reduced hBD1 (hBD1red). Furthermore, our results strongly suggest that hBD1ox uses outer membrane protein FepA to penetrate the bacterial periplasm space. In contrast, other bacterial proteins in the outer membrane and cytosol did not modify the antimicrobial activity. Using immunogold labeling, we identified the localization of hBD1ox in the periplasmic space and partly in the outer membrane of E. coli However, in resistant mutants lacking DsbA and DsbB, hBD1ox was detected mainly in the bacterial cytosol. In summary, we discovered that hBD1ox could use FepA to enter the periplasmic space, where its activity depends on presence of DsbA and DsbB. HBD1ox concentrates in the periplasm in Gram-negative bacteria, which finally leads to bleb formation and death of the bacteria. Thus, the bacterial redox system plays an essential role in mechanisms of resistance against host-derived peptides such as hBD1.
Collapse
|
30
|
Rahman MS, Choi YH, Choi YS, Yoo JC. Glycin-rich antimicrobial peptide YD1 from B. amyloliquefaciens, induced morphological alteration in and showed affinity for plasmid DNA of E. coli. AMB Express 2017; 7:8. [PMID: 28050849 PMCID: PMC5209312 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-016-0315-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), low-molecular-weight proteins with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, are the most promising candidates for the development of novel antimicrobials. A powerful cationic glycine-rich AMP YD1 (MW ~ 1.0 kDa) was purified from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CBSYD1 isolated from traditional Korean fermented food kimchi, for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Strain CBSYD1 was identified 99.79% similar to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42(T) by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The amino acid sequence residues of YD1 were determined to be Ala-Pro-Lys-Gly-Val-Gln-Gly-Pro-Asn-Gly by Edman degradation method. After the analysis and comparison of YD1 peptide sequence using several bioinformatic servers, peptide sequence has been considered to be unique. YD1 displayed antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of YD1 for Escherichia coli KCTC1923 (E. coli), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus B15 (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) ranged from 8 to 64 µg/mL, representing greater potency than commercial reference antibiotics. The antimicrobial mechanism of YD1 was determined to involve cell-penetrating translocation inside the cell and interaction with the DNA leading ultimately to bacterial cell death. Analogously, Gly-Pro-Asn-Gly is the likely expected cell-penetrating motif for YD1. YD1 could be a promising antimicrobial agent for the clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md. Saifur Rahman
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759 Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Hee Choi
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759 Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Seok Choi
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759 Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Cheol Yoo
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759 Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
AlMatar M, Makky EA, Yakıcı G, Var I, Kayar B, Köksal F. Antimicrobial peptides as an alternative to anti-tuberculosis drugs. Pharmacol Res 2017; 128:288-305. [PMID: 29079429 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) presently accounts for high global mortality and morbidity rates, despite the introduction four decades ago of the affordable and efficient four-drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol). Thus, a strong need exists for new drugs with special structures and uncommon modes of action to effectively overcome M. tuberculosis. Within this scope, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are small, cationic and amphipathic peptides that comprise a section of the innate immune system, are currently the leading potential agents for the treatment of TB. Many studies have recently illustrated the capability of anti-mycobacterial peptides to disrupt the normal mycobacterial cell wall function through various modes, thereby interacting with the intracellular targets, as well as encompassing nucleic acids, enzymes and organelles. This review presents a wide array of antimicrobial activities, alongside the associated properties of the AMPs that could be utilized as potential agents in therapeutic tactics for TB treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manaf AlMatar
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences (Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü) Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
| | - Essam A Makky
- Faculty of Industrial Sciences & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Gambang, 26300 Kuantan, Malaysia
| | - Gülfer Yakıcı
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Işıl Var
- Department of Food Engineering, Agricultural Faculty, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Begüm Kayar
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Fatih Köksal
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Xie J, Zhao Q, Li S, Yan Z, Li J, Li Y, Mou L, Zhang B, Yang W, Miao X, Jiang X, Wang R. Novel antimicrobial peptide CPF-C1 analogs with superior stabilities and activities against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Chem Biol Drug Des 2017; 90:690-702. [PMID: 28371431 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
As numerous clinical isolates are resistant to most conventional antibiotics, infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are associated with a higher death rate. Antimicrobial peptides show great potential as new antibiotics. However, a major obstacle to the development of these peptides as useful drugs is their low stability. To overcome the problem of the natural antimicrobial peptide CPF-C1, we designed and synthesized a series of analogs. Our results indicated that by introducing lysine, which could increase the number of positive charges, and by introducing tryptophan, which could increase the hydrophobicity, we could improve the antimicrobial activity of the peptides against multidrug-resistant strains. The introduction of d-amino acids significantly improved stability. Certain analogs demonstrated antibiofilm activities. In mechanistic studies, the analogs eradicated bacteria not just by interrupting the bacterial membranes, but also by linking to DNA, which was not impacted by known mechanisms of resistance. In a mouse model, certain analogs were able to significantly reduce the bacterial load. Among the analogs, CPF-9 was notable due to its greater antimicrobial potency in vitro and in vivo and its superior stability, lower hemolytic activity, and higher antibiofilm activity. This analog is a potential antibiotic candidate for treating infections induced by multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junqiu Xie
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sisi Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhibin Yan
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yao Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lingyun Mou
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Bangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wenle Yang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaokang Miao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xianxing Jiang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Li H, Shen XF, Zhou XE, Shi YE, Deng LX, Ma Y, Wang XY, Li JY, Huang N. Antibacterial mechanism of high-mobility group nucleosomal-binding domain 2 on the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2017; 18:410-420. [PMID: 28471113 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b1600139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the antibacterial mechanism of high-mobility group nucleosomal-binding domain 2 (HMGN2) on Escherichia coli K12, focusing on the antibacterial and antibiofilm formation effects. Its chemotactic activity on human neutrophils was also investigated. METHODS Human tissue-derived HMGN2 (tHMGN2) was extracted from fresh uterus fiber cystadenoma and purified by HP1100 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Recombinant human HMGN2 (rHMGN2) was generated in E. coli DE3 carrying PET-32a-c(+)-HMGN2. Antibacterial activity of HMGN2 was determined using an agarose diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of HMGN2 was determined by the microdilution broth method. Bacterial membrane permeability assay and DNA binding assay were performed. The antibiofilm effect of HMGN2 was investigated using a crystal violet assay and electron microscopy scanning. The activating effect and chemotactic activity of HMGN2 on neutrophils were determined using a nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction assay and Transwell chamber cell migration assay, respectively. RESULTS HMGN2 showed a relatively high potency against Gram-negative bacteria E. coli and the MIC of HMGN2 was 16.25 μg/ml. Elevated bacterial membrane permeability was observed in HMGN2-treated E. coli K12. HMGN2 could also bind the bacterial plasmid and genomic DNA in a dose-dependent manner. The antibiofilm effect of HMGN2 on E. coli K12 was confirmed by crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscopy. However, the activating effects and chemotactic effects of HMGN2 on human neutrophils were not observed. CONCLUSIONS As an antimicrobial peptide (AMP), HMGN2 possessed a good capacity for antibacterial and antibiofilm activities on E. coli K12. This capacity might be associated with disruption of the bacterial membrane and combination of DNA, which might affect the growth and viability of E. coli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heng Li
- Research Unit of Infection and Immunity, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Shen
- Research Unit of Infection and Immunity, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xin-E Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yan-E Shi
- Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lu-Xia Deng
- Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yi Ma
- Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiao-Ying Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jing-Yu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ning Huang
- Research Unit of Infection and Immunity, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Sichuan University "985 Project Science and Technology Innovation Platform for Novel Drug Development", Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
López-Pérez PM, Grimsey E, Bourne L, Mikut R, Hilpert K. Screening and Optimizing Antimicrobial Peptides by Using SPOT-Synthesis. Front Chem 2017; 5:25. [PMID: 28447030 PMCID: PMC5388751 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide arrays on cellulose are a powerful tool to investigate peptide interactions with a number of different molecules, for examples antibodies, receptors or enzymes. Such peptide arrays can also be used to study interactions with whole cells. In this review, we focus on the interaction of small antimicrobial peptides with bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can kill multidrug-resistant (MDR) human pathogenic bacteria and therefore could be next generation antibiotics targeting MDR bacteria. We describe the screen and the result of different optimization strategies of peptides cleaved from the membrane. In addition, screening of antibacterial activity of peptides that are tethered to the surface is discussed. Surface-active peptides can be used to protect surfaces from bacterial infections, for example implants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Grimsey
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of LondonLondon, UK
| | - Luc Bourne
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of LondonLondon, UK
| | - Ralf Mikut
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Computer Science (IAI)Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Kai Hilpert
- TiKa Diagnostics LtdLondon, UK
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of LondonLondon, UK
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Kong X, Wu X, Pei C, Zhang J, Zhao X, Li L, Nie G, Li X. H2A and Ca-L-hipposin gene: Characteristic analysis and expression responses to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Carassius aurutus. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 63:344-352. [PMID: 28223110 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptide is an important component of the host innate immune system and thus serves a crucial function in host defense against microbial invasion. In this study, H2A and derived antimicrobial peptide Ca-L-hipposin were cloned and characterized in Carassius aurutus. The gene H2A full-length cDNA is 908 bp and includes a 5'-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 55 bp and a 3'-terminal UTR of 466 bp with a canonical polyadenylation signal sequence AATAA, as well as an open reading frame (ORF) of 387 bp encoding a polypeptide of 128 amino acids, with a molecular weight of 13.7 kDa, an isoelectric point of 10.7, and 94% homology with Danio rerio H2A. The secondary structure of H2A includes the α-spiral with 51 amino acids with a composition ratio of 39.8%, as well as a β-corner with 15 amino acids in a composition ratio of 11.7%. The online software ExPaSy predicted that a peptide sequence with 51 amino acids from the 2nd to 52nd amino acids in histone H2A can be produced through hydrolization by protease chymotrypsin, which indicates a difference of only three amino acids, compared with the antimicrobial peptide hipposin in Hippoglossus hippoglossus with a homology of 94%. Ca-L-hipposin includes 51 amino acids with a molecular weight of 5.4 kDa and an isoelectric point of 12.0, the secondary structure of which contains an α-helix of 17 amino acids accounting for 33.3% and a β-corner of 8 amino acids accounting for 15.7%. H2A was extensively expressed in the mRNA levels of various tissues, with higher expression levels in kidney and spleen. After C. aurutus was challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila, the mRNA expression levels of H2A were upregulated in the kidney, spleen, and liver. H2A serves an important function in the defense against the invasion of A. hydrophila. In addition, sequence characteristics reveal that Ca-L-hipposin could be a potential antimicrobial peptide for use in killing pathogenic bacteria in aquaculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xianghui Kong
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China.
| | - Xiangmin Wu
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Chao Pei
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Xianliang Zhao
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Li Li
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Guoxing Nie
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Xuejun Li
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Sim S, Wang P, Beyer BN, Cutrona KJ, Radhakrishnan ML, Elmore DE. Investigating the nucleic acid interactions of histone-derived antimicrobial peptides. FEBS Lett 2017; 591:706-717. [PMID: 28130840 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
While many antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) disrupt bacterial membranes, some translocate into bacteria and interfere with intracellular processes. Buforin II and DesHDAP1 are thought to kill bacteria by interacting with nucleic acids. Here, molecular modeling and experimental measurements are used to show that neither nucleic acid binding peptide selectively binds DNA sequences. Simulations and experiments also show that changing lysines to arginines enhances DNA binding, suggesting that including additional guanidinium groups is a potential strategy to engineer more potent AMPs. Moreover, the lack of binding specificity may make it more difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance to these and other similar AMPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sukin Sim
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, MA, USA
| | - Penny Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Mala L Radhakrishnan
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, MA, USA.,Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College, MA, USA
| | - Donald E Elmore
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, MA, USA.,Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Role of arginine and lysine in the antimicrobial mechanism of histone-derived antimicrobial peptides. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3915-20. [PMID: 26555191 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Translocation of cell-penetrating peptides is often promoted by increased content of arginine or other guanidinium groups. However, relatively little research has considered the role of these functional groups on antimicrobial peptide activity. This study compared the activity of three histone-derived antimicrobial peptides-buforin II, DesHDAP1, and parasin-with variants that contain only lysine or arginine cationic residues. These peptides operate via different mechanisms as parasin causes membrane permeabilization while buforin II and DesHDAP1 translocate into bacteria. For all peptides, antibacterial activity increased with increased arginine content. Higher arginine content increased permeabilization for parasin while it improved translocation for buforin II and DesHDAP1. These observations provide insight into the relative importance of arginine and lysine in these antimicrobial peptides.
Collapse
|
38
|
Bustillo ME, Fischer AL, LaBouyer MA, Klaips JA, Webb AC, Elmore DE. Modular analysis of hipposin, a histone-derived antimicrobial peptide consisting of membrane translocating and membrane permeabilizing fragments. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2014; 1838:2228-2233. [PMID: 24747525 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Revised: 03/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides continue to garner attention as potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Hipposin is a histone-derived antimicrobial peptide (HDAP) previously isolated from Atlantic halibut. Though potent against bacteria, its antibacterial mechanism had not been characterized. The mechanism of this peptide is particularly interesting to consider since the full hipposin sequence contains the sequences of parasin and buforin II (BF2), two other known antimicrobial peptides that act via different antibacterial mechanisms. While parasin kills bacteria by inducing membrane permeabilization, buforin II enters cells without causing significant membrane disruption, harming bacteria through interactions with intracellular nucleic acids. In this study, we used a modular approach to characterize hipposin and determine the role of the parasin and buforin II fragments in the overall hipposin mechanism. Our results show that hipposin kills bacteria by inducing membrane permeabilization, and this membrane permeabilization is promoted by the presence of the N-terminal domain. Portions of hipposin lacking the N-terminal sequence do not cause membrane permeabilization and function more similarly to buforin II. We also determined that the C-terminal portion of hipposin, HipC, is a cell-penetrating peptide that readily enters bacterial cells but has no measurable antimicrobial activity. HipC is the first membrane active histone fragment identified that does not kill bacterial or eukaryotic cells. Together, these results characterize hipposin and provide a useful starting point for considering the activity of chimeric peptides made by combining peptides with different antimicrobial mechanisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Interfacially Active Peptides and Proteins. Guest Editors: William C. Wimley and Kalina Hristova.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Bustillo
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
| | | | - Maria A LaBouyer
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
| | - Julia A Klaips
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
| | - Andrew C Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
| | - Donald E Elmore
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Guilhelmelli F, Vilela N, Albuquerque P, Derengowski LDS, Silva-Pereira I, Kyaw CM. Antibiotic development challenges: the various mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides and of bacterial resistance. Front Microbiol 2013; 4:353. [PMID: 24367355 PMCID: PMC3856679 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2013.00353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 334] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural antibiotics produced by various organisms such as mammals, arthropods, plants, and bacteria. In addition to antimicrobial activity, AMPs can induce chemokine production, accelerate angiogenesis, and wound healing and modulate apoptosis in multicellular organisms. Originally, their antimicrobial mechanism of action was thought to consist solely of an increase in pathogen cell membrane permeability, but it has already been shown that several AMPs do not modulate membrane permeability in the minimal lethal concentration. Instead, they exert their effects by inhibiting processes such as protein and cell wall synthesis, as well as enzyme activity, among others. Although resistance to these molecules is uncommon several pathogens developed different strategies to overcome AMPs killing such as surface modification, expression of efflux pumps, and secretion of proteases among others. This review describes the various mechanisms of action of AMPs and how pathogens evolve resistance to them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Guilhelmelli
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília, Brazil
| | - Nathália Vilela
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Albuquerque
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília, Brazil
| | - Lorena da S Derengowski
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília, Brazil
| | - Ildinete Silva-Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília, Brazil
| | - Cynthia M Kyaw
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Brasília, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Elmore DE. Insights into buforin II membrane translocation from molecular dynamics simulations. Peptides 2012; 38:357-62. [PMID: 23022591 PMCID: PMC3513657 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Revised: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Buforin II is a histone-derived antimicrobial peptide that readily translocates across lipid membranes without causing significant membrane permeabilization. Previous studies showed that mutating the sole proline of buforin II dramatically decreases its translocation. As well, researchers have proposed that the peptide crosses membranes in a cooperative manner by forming transient toroidal pores. This paper reports molecular dynamics simulations designed to investigate the structure of buforin II upon membrane entry and evaluate whether the peptide is able to form toroidal pore structures. These simulations showed a relationship between protein-lipid interactions and increased structural deformations of the buforin N-terminal region promoted by proline. Moreover, simulations with multiple peptides show how buforin II can embed deeply into membranes and potentially form toroidal pores. Together, these simulations provide structural insight into the translocation process for buforin II in addition to providing more general insight into the role proline can play in antimicrobial peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Donald E Elmore
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, 106 Central St, Wellesley, MA 02481, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Jang SA, Kim H, Lee JY, Shin JR, Kim DJ, Cho JH, Kim SC. Mechanism of action and specificity of antimicrobial peptides designed based on buforin IIb. Peptides 2012; 34:283-9. [PMID: 22306477 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2011] [Revised: 01/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Buforin IIb-a synthetic analog of buforin II that contains a proline hinge between the two α-helices and a model α-helical sequence at the C-terminus (3× RLLR)-is a potent cell-penetrating antimicrobial peptide. To develop novel antimicrobial peptides with enhanced activities and specificity/therapeutic index, we designed several analogs (Buf III analogs) by substitutions of amino acids in the proline hinge region and two α-helices of buforin IIb, and examined their antimicrobial activity and mechanism of action. The substitution of hydrophobic residues ([F(6)] and [V(8)]) in the proline hinge region with other hydrophobic residues ([W(6)] and [I(8)]) did not affect antimicrobial activity, while the substitution of the first four amino acids RAGL with a model α-helical sequence increased the antimicrobial activity up to 2-fold. Like buforin IIb, Buf III analogs penetrated the bacterial cell membranes without significantly permeabilizing them and were accumulated inside Escherichia coli. Buf III analogs were shown to bind DNA in vitro and the DNA binding affinity of the peptides correlated linearly with their antimicrobial potency. Among the Buf III analogs, the therapeutic index of Buf IIIb and IIIc (RVVRQWPIG[RVVR](3) and KLLKQWPIG[KLLK](3), respectively) were improved 7-fold compared to that of buforin IIb. These results indicate that Buf III analogs appear to be promising candidates for future development as novel antimicrobial agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Su A Jang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Pavia KE, Spinella SA, Elmore DE. Novel histone-derived antimicrobial peptides use different antimicrobial mechanisms. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2011; 1818:869-76. [PMID: 22230351 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2011] [Revised: 12/21/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The increase in multidrug resistant bacteria has sparked an interest in the development of novel antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides that operate by crossing the cell membrane may also have the potential to deliver drugs to intracellular targets. Buforin 2 (BF2) is an antimicrobial peptide that shares sequence identity with a fragment of histone subunit H2A and whose bactericidal mechanism depends on membrane translocation and DNA binding. Previously, novel histone-derived antimicrobial peptides (HDAPs) were designed based on properties of BF2, and DesHDAP1 and DesHDAP3 showed significant antibacterial activity. In this study, their DNA binding, permeabilization, and translocation abilities were assessed independently and compared to antibacterial activity to determine whether they share a mechanism with BF2. To investigate the importance of proline in determining the peptides' mechanisms of action, proline to alanine mutants of the novel peptides were generated. DesHDAP1, which shows significant similarities to BF2 in terms of secondary structure, translocates effectively across lipid vesicle and bacterial membranes, while the DesHDAP1 proline mutant shows reduced translocation abilities and antimicrobial potency. In contrast, both DesHDAP3 and its proline mutant translocate poorly, though the DesHDAP3 proline mutant is more potent. Our findings suggest that a proline hinge can promote membrane translocation in some peptides, but that the extent of its effect on permeabilization depends on the peptide's amphipathic properties. Our results also highlight the different antimicrobial mechanisms exhibited by histone-derived peptides and suggest that histones may serve as a source of novel antimicrobial peptides with varied properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Pavia
- Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Identification and Characterization of Novel Antibacterial Peptides from Skin Secretions of Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis. Int J Pept Res Ther 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-011-9284-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|