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Tran GH, Tran TH, Pham SH, Xuan HL, Dang TT. Cyclotides: The next generation in biopesticide development for eco-friendly agriculture. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3570. [PMID: 38317283 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Chemical pesticides remain the predominant method for pest management in numerous countries. Given the current landscape of agriculture, the development of biopesticides has become increasingly crucial. The strategy empowers farmers to efficiently manage pests and diseases, while prioritizing minimal adverse effects on the environment and human health, hence fostering sustainable management. In recent years, there has been a growing interest and optimism surrounding the utilization of peptide biopesticides for crop protection. These sustainable and environmentally friendly substances have been recognized as viable alternatives to synthetic pesticides due to their outstanding environmental compatibility and efficacy. Numerous studies have been conducted to synthesize and identify peptides that exhibit activity against significant plant pathogens. One of the peptide classes is cyclotides, which are cyclic cysteine-rich peptides renowned for their wide range of sequences and functions. In this review, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of cyclotides, focusing on their structural attributes, developmental history, significant biological functions in crop protection, techniques for identification and investigation, and the application of biotechnology to enhance cyclotide synthesis. The objective is to emphasize the considerable potential of cyclotides as the next generation of plant protection agents on the global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gia-Hoa Tran
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
- Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thi-Huyen Tran
- Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Son H Pham
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Huy Luong Xuan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tien T Dang
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Viet Nam
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2
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Lian Y, Tang X, Hu G, Miao C, Cui Y, Zhangsun D, Wu Y, Luo S. Characterization and evaluation of cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of cyclotides from Viola japonica. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9733. [PMID: 38679643 PMCID: PMC11056381 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60246-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclotides are a type of defense peptide most commonly found in the Violaceae family of plants, exhibiting various biological activities. In this study, we focused on the Viola japonica as our research subject and conducted transcriptome sequencing and analysis using high-throughput transcriptomics techniques. During this process, we identified 61 cyclotides, among which 25 were previously documented, while the remaining 36 were designated as vija 1 to vija 36. Mass spectrometry detection showed that 21 putative cyclotides were found in the extract of V. japonica. Through isolation, purification and tandem mass spectrometry, we characterized and investigated the activities of five cyclotides. Our results demonstrated inhibitory effects of these cyclotides on the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii and Bacillus subtilis, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 4.2 μM and 2.1 μM, respectively. Furthermore, time killing kinetic assays revealed that cyclotides at concentration of 4 MICs achieved completely bactericidal effects within 2 h. Additionally, fluorescence staining experiments confirmed that cyclotides disrupt microbial membranes. Moreover, cytotoxicity studies showed that cyclotides possess cytotoxic effects, with IC50 values ranging from 0.1 to 3.5 μM. In summary, the discovery of new cyclotide sequences enhances our understanding of peptide diversity and the exploration of their activity lays the foundation for a deeper investigation into the mechanisms of action of cyclotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Lian
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Xue Tang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Gehui Hu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Chenfang Miao
- Department of Pharmacy, The 900Th Hospital of Joint Logistics Team of the PLA, Fuzhou General Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yunfei Cui
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Dongting Zhangsun
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yong Wu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China.
| | - Sulan Luo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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Hemu X, Chan NY, Liew HT, Hu S, Zhang X, Serra A, Lescar J, Liu CF, Tam JP. Substrate-binding glycine residues are major determinants for hydrolase and ligase activity of plant legumains. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:1534-1545. [PMID: 36843268 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Peptide asparaginyl ligases (PALs) are useful tools for precision modifications of proteins and live-cell surfaces by ligating peptides after Asn/Asp (Asx). They share high sequence and structural similarity to plant legumains that are generally known as asparaginyl endopeptidases (AEPs), thus making it challenging to identify PALs from AEPs. In this study, we investigate 875 plant species from algae to seed plants with available sequence data in public databases to identify new PALs. We conducted evolutionary trace analysis on 1500 plant legumains, including eight known PALs, to identify key residues that could differentiate ligases and proteases, followed by recombinant expression and functional validation of 16 novel legumains. Previously, we showed that the substrate-binding sequences flanking the catalytic site can strongly influence the enzymatic direction of a legumain and which we named as ligase-activity determinants (LADs). Here, we show that two conserved substrate-binding Gly residues of LADs are critical, but negative determinants for ligase activity. Our results suggest that specific glycine residues are molecular determinants to identify PALs and AEPs as two different legumain subfamilies, accounting for c. 1% and 88%, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinya Hemu
- School of Biological Sciences, Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC), Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637551, Singapore
| | - Ning-Yu Chan
- School of Biological Sciences, Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC), Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637551, Singapore
| | - Heng Tai Liew
- School of Biological Sciences, Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC), Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637551, Singapore
| | - Side Hu
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637921, Singapore
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC), Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637551, Singapore
| | - Aida Serra
- School of Biological Sciences, Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC), Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637551, Singapore
- Neuroscience Area, +Pec Proteomics Research Group (+PPRG), Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRB Lleida), University of Lleida, Av. Rovira Roure, 80, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Julien Lescar
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637921, Singapore
| | - Chuan-Fa Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC), Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637551, Singapore
| | - James P Tam
- School of Biological Sciences, Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC), Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore City, 637921, Singapore
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Hemu X, Zhang X, Chang HY, Poh JE, Tam JP. Consensus design and engineering of an efficient and high-yield peptide asparaginyl ligase for protein cyclization and ligation. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102997. [PMID: 36764523 PMCID: PMC10017362 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant legumains are Asn/Asp-specific endopeptidases that have diverse functions in plants. Peptide asparaginyl ligases (PALs) are a special legumain subtype that primarily catalyze peptide bond formation rather than hydrolysis. PALs are versatile protein engineering tools but are rarely found in nature. To overcome this limitation, here we describe a two-step method to design and engineer a high-yield and efficient recombinant PAL based on commonly found asparaginyl endopeptidases. We first constructed a consensus sequence derived from 1500 plant legumains to design the evolutionarily stable legumain conLEG that could be produced in E. coli with 20-fold higher yield relative to that for natural legumains. We then applied the ligase-activity determinant hypothesis to exploit conserved residues in PAL substrate-binding pockets and convert conLEG into conPAL1-3. Functional studies showed that conLEG is primarily a hydrolase, whereas conPALs are ligases. Importantly, conPAL3 is a superefficient and broadly active PAL for protein cyclization and ligation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinya Hemu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore; School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hong Yi Chang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jin En Poh
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - James P Tam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
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Rajendran S, Slazak B, Mohotti S, Muhammad T, Strömstedt AA, Kapusta M, Wilmowicz E, Göransson U, Hettiarachchi CM, Gunasekera S. Screening for Cyclotides in Sri Lankan Medicinal Plants: Discovery, Characterization, and Bioactivity Screening of Cyclotides from Geophila repens. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2023; 86:52-65. [PMID: 36525646 PMCID: PMC9887600 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cyclotides are an intriguing class of structurally stable circular miniproteins of plant origin with numerous potential pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. To investigate the occurrence of cyclotides in Sri Lankan flora, 50 medicinal plants were screened, leading to the identification of a suite of new cyclotides from Geophila repens of the family Rubiaceae. Cycloviolacin O2-like (cyO2-like) gere 1 and the known cyclotide kalata B7 (kB7) were among the cyclotides characterized at the peptide and/or transcript level together with several putative enzymes, likely involved in cyclotide biosynthesis. Five of the most abundant cyclotides were isolated, sequenced, structurally characterized, and screened in antimicrobial and cytotoxicity assays. All gere cyclotides showed cytotoxicity (IC50 of 2.0-10.2 μM), but only gere 1 inhibited standard microbial strains at a minimum inhibitory concentration of 4-16 μM. As shown by immunohistochemistry, large quantities of the cyclotides were localized in the epidermis of the leaves and petioles of G. repens. Taken together with the cytotoxicity and membrane permeabilizing activities, this implicates gere cyclotides as potential plant defense molecules. The presence of cyO2-like gere 1 in a plant in the Rubiaceae supports the notion that phylogenetically distant plants may have coevolved to express similar cytotoxic cyclotides for a specific functional role, most likely involving host defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeevan Rajendran
- Phamacognosy,
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, SE 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University
of Colombo, Thurstan Road, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka
| | - Blazej Slazak
- Phamacognosy,
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, SE 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
- W.
Szafer Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 46 Lubicz, 31-512 Cracow, Poland
| | - Supun Mohotti
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University
of Colombo, Thurstan Road, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka
| | - Taj Muhammad
- Phamacognosy,
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, SE 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Adam A. Strömstedt
- Phamacognosy,
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, SE 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Małgorzata Kapusta
- Department
of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Emilia Wilmowicz
- Faculty
of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus
Copernicus University, 1 Lwowska Street, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Ulf Göransson
- Phamacognosy,
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, SE 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chamari M. Hettiarachchi
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University
of Colombo, Thurstan Road, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka
| | - Sunithi Gunasekera
- Phamacognosy,
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, SE 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
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Marcussen T, Ballard HE, Danihelka J, Flores AR, Nicola MV, Watson JM. A Revised Phylogenetic Classification for Viola (Violaceae). PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11172224. [PMID: 36079606 PMCID: PMC9460890 DOI: 10.3390/plants11172224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The genus Viola (Violaceae) is among the 40–50 largest genera among angiosperms, yet its taxonomy has not been revised for nearly a century. In the most recent revision, by Wilhelm Becker in 1925, the then-known 400 species were distributed among 14 sections and numerous unranked groups. Here, we provide an updated, comprehensive classification of the genus, based on data from phylogeny, morphology, chromosome counts, and ploidy, and based on modern principles of monophyly. The revision is presented as an annotated global checklist of accepted species of Viola, an updated multigene phylogenetic network and an ITS phylogeny with denser taxon sampling, a brief summary of the taxonomic changes from Becker’s classification and their justification, a morphological binary key to the accepted subgenera, sections and subsections, and an account of each infrageneric subdivision with justifications for delimitation and rank including a description, a list of apomorphies, molecular phylogenies where possible or relevant, a distribution map, and a list of included species. We distribute the 664 species accepted by us into 2 subgenera, 31 sections, and 20 subsections. We erect one new subgenus of Viola (subg. Neoandinium, a replacement name for the illegitimate subg. Andinium), six new sections (sect. Abyssinium, sect. Himalayum, sect. Melvio, sect. Nematocaulon, sect. Spathulidium, sect. Xanthidium), and seven new subsections (subsect. Australasiaticae, subsect. Bulbosae, subsect. Clausenianae, subsect. Cleistogamae, subsect. Dispares, subsect. Formosanae, subsect. Pseudorupestres). Evolution within the genus is discussed in light of biogeography, the fossil record, morphology, and particular traits. Viola is among very few temperate and widespread genera that originated in South America. The biggest identified knowledge gaps for Viola concern the South American taxa, for which basic knowledge from phylogeny, chromosome counts, and fossil data is virtually absent. Viola has also never been subject to comprehensive anatomical study. Studies into seed anatomy and morphology are required to understand the fossil record of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Marcussen
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
- Correspondence:
| | - Harvey E. Ballard
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Jiří Danihelka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-61137 Brno, Czech Republic
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Zámek 1, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Ana R. Flores
- Independent Researcher, Casilla 161, Los Andes 2100412, Chile
| | - Marcela V. Nicola
- Instituto de Botánica Darwinion (IBODA, CONICET-ANCEFN), Labardén 200, Casilla de Correo 22, San Isidro, Buenos Aires B1642HYD, Argentina
| | - John M. Watson
- Independent Researcher, Casilla 161, Los Andes 2100412, Chile
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The Influence of Plant Stress Hormones and Biotic Elicitors on Cyclotide Production in Viola uliginosa Cell Suspension Cultures. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11141876. [PMID: 35890511 PMCID: PMC9324686 DOI: 10.3390/plants11141876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cyclotides are macrocycle peptides produced by plants from several families, including Violaceae. These compounds have the potential for applications in medicine, bioengineering and crop protection thanks to their multiple biological activities. In most cases, cyclotides are extracted from plant material. Plant cell culture provides a viable and sustainable form of plant biomass production Cyclotides are host defense peptides. The aim of the current study was to test whether different plant stress hormones and biological elicitors have effects on cyclotide production in Viola uliginosa suspension cultures. Different concentrations of jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), abscisic acid (ABA) and neutralized pathogens were tested. The cyclotide production was assessed using MALDI-MS. Five major peptides produced by V. uliginosa cultures were chosen for analysis, of which one was sequenced de novo. The treatments had little influence on the suspension’s growth, with the exception of 100 μM SA, which enhanced the biomass increase, and 100 μM ABA, which was toxic. Significant increases in the production of three cyclotides (viul M, cyO13 and cyO3) were observed in suspensions primed with JA (50 μM, 100 μM, 200 μM) after 14 days of culturing. Biotic elicitors had no observable effect on cyclotide production. The current study indicates that some cyclotides in V. uliginosa are triggered in response to JA. The stress plant hormones can be used to enhance plant cell culture-based production systems.
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