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Rad PM, Rahbarnia L, Safary A, ShadiDizaji A, Maani Z. The Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptide Derived From Melittin Displays Low Toxicity and Anti-infectious Properties. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2024; 16:490-500. [PMID: 36988897 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10066-6] [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] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The low stability and nonspecific toxicity are the main limiting factors for the clinical applications of melittin (MLT). This study aimed to design and synthesize new analogs of MLT to increase stability, reduce toxicity, and retain their antimicrobial properties against bacterial pathogens. At first, peptide analogs were designed computationally by inducing single mutations in MLT peptides and evaluating their physicochemical properties. The stability of the analogs with the highest scores was determined by Gromacs software. In vitro assays were performed to examine the antimicrobial activity and toxicity of the selected analogs. Two peptide analogs, M1 and M2, were selected based on the SVM score in cell PPD. The M1 analog was created by replacing alanine with leucine on the 15th. The M2 analog was designed by substituting alanine with leucine and isoleucine with arginine at the 15th and 17th positions. According to the Gromacs results, the M2 peptide indicated more stability. RMSD and RMSF results showed no undesirable fluctuations during the 200 ns MD simulation. The MIC and MBC values for the M1 peptide were calculated in a range of 8-128 μg/ml, while the M2 peptide limited the bacterial growth to 32-128 μg/mL. Both peptides indicated less toxicity than natural MLT, based on MTT assay results. The hemolytic activity of the M1 analog was more than M2 at 16 μg/mL concentration. M1 peptide displayed the highest selectivity index against S. aureus and A. baumannii, which were approximately 5.27-fold improvements compared to MLT. In conclusion, we introduced two analogs of MLT with low toxicity, low hemolytic activity, and higher stability, along with retaining antimicrobial properties against gram-negative and positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Mansouri Rad
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Leila Rahbarnia
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Azam Safary
- Connective Tissue Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Zahra Maani
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Meng JS, He Y, Yang HB, Zhou LP, Wang SY, Feng XL, Yahya Al-Shargi O, Yu XM, Zhu LQ, Ling CQ. Melittin analog p5RHH enhances recombinant adeno-associated virus transduction efficiency. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2024; 22:72-82. [PMID: 38307819 DOI: 10.1016/j.joim.2024.01.001] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Melittin and its derivative have been developed to support effective gene delivery systems. Their ability to facilitate endosomal release enhances the delivery of nanoparticle-based gene therapy. Nevertheless, its potential application in the context of viral vectors has not received much attention. Therefore, we would like to optimize the rAAV vector by Melittin analog to improve the transduction efficiency of rAAV in liver cancer cells and explore the mechanism of Melittin analog on rAAV. METHODS Various melittin-derived peptides were inserted into loop VIII of the capsid protein in recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors. These vectors carrying either gfp or fluc genes were subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays and transduction assays in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293T) cells to investigate the efficiency of vector production and gene delivery. In addition, the ability of a specific p5RHH-rAAV vector to deliver genes was examined through in vitro transduction of different cultured cells and in vivo tail vein administration to C57BL/6 mice. Finally, the intricate details of the vector-mediated transduction mechanisms were explored by using pharmacological inhibitors of every stage of the rAAV2 intracellular life cycle. RESULTS A total of 76 melittin-related peptides were identified from existing literature. Among them, CMA-3, p5RHH and aAR3 were found to significantly inhibit transduction of rAAV2 vector crude lysate. The p5RHH-rAAV2 vectors efficiently transduced not only rAAV-potent cell lines but also cell lines previously considered resistant to rAAV. Mechanistically, bafilomycin A1, a vacuolar endosome acidification inhibitor, completely inhibited the transgene expression mediated by the p5RHH-rAAV2 vectors. Most importantly, p5RHH-rAAV8 vectors also increased hepatic transduction in vivo in C57BL/6 mice. CONCLUSION The incorporation of melittin analogs into the rAAV capsids results in a significant improvement in rAAV-mediated transgene expression. While further modifications remain an area of interest, our studies have substantially broadened the pharmacological prospects of melittin in the context of viral vector-mediated gene delivery. Please cite this article as: Meng J, He Y, Yang H, Zhou L, Wang S, Feng X, Al-shargi OY, Yu X, Zhu L, Ling, C. Melittin analog p5RHH enhances recombinant adeno-associated virus transduction efficiency. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(1): 72-82.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Shun Meng
- Faculty of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200043, China; Oncology Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yun He
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Heng-Bin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Li-Ping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Si-Yuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xi-Lin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Yantai Fuheng Biological Technology Co., Ltd., Yantai 264006, Shandong Province, China
| | - Omar Yahya Al-Shargi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiao-Min Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Li-Qing Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Chang-Quan Ling
- Faculty of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200043, China; Oncology Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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Sahsuvar S, Guner R, Gok O, Can O. Development and pharmaceutical investigation of novel cervical cancer-targeting and redox-responsive melittin conjugates. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18225. [PMID: 37880286 PMCID: PMC10600185 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45537-x] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer has recently become one of the most prevalent cancers among women throughout the world. Traditional cancer therapies generate side effects due to off-target toxicity. Thus, novel cancer medications coupled with suitable drug delivery systems are required to improve cancer therapies. Melittin peptide has a high affinity to disrupt cancer cells. In this study, we designed targeted and redox-responsive Melittin conjugates for cervical cancer and then tested them in vitro. Folic acid and squamous cell carcinoma-specific peptide (CKQNLAEG) were used as targeting agents to design various conjugates. Our findings indicate that both anticancer conjugates were effective against different cancer cell lines, including MCF-7, C33A, and HeLa. Moreover, these conjugates were found to have antioxidant and antibacterial effects as well as reduced hemolytic activity. The CM-Target (N-terminus cysteine modified-Melittin-targeting peptide-functionalized conjugate) has become more stable and acted specifically against squamous cell carcinoma, whereas folic acid (FA)-containing conjugates acted efficiently against all cancer types studied, especially for breast cancer. According to our results, these anticancer conjugates may be possible anticancer drug candidates that have fewer adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seray Sahsuvar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rabia Guner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozgul Gok
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Icerenkoy, Kayisdagi Cd., Atasehir, 34752, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Ozge Can
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Icerenkoy, Kayisdagi Cd., Atasehir, 34752, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Amarh MA, Laryea MK, Borquaye LS. De novo peptides as potential antimicrobial agents. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19641. [PMID: 37809653 PMCID: PMC10558864 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance threatens our ability to treat common infections. The clinical pipeline for new antimicrobials is pretty much dry and hence, there is a need for the development of new antimicrobial agents with low toxicities to help fight resistant microorganisms. This work aimed to design antimicrobial peptides with low toxicities using a database filtering technology and evaluate their bioactivities. The physicochemical properties of the designed peptides were explored with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Microbroth dilution and hemolytic assays were used to assess the peptides' antimicrobial activity and toxicity. The activity of combinations of the peptides and some standard antibiotics was tested by the checkerboard method. In general, the designed peptides had a charge of +2, chain length of 13, and hydrophobicity of 61%. The predicted secondary structures of the peptides were either extended conformations or alpha-helices, and these structures were found to fluctuate during the MD simulations, where coils, bends, and helices dominated. , of the peptides, BRG003, BRG004 and BRG002 had the greatest aggregation propensities, whereas BRG001, BRG005, and BRG006 exhibited lower aggregation propensities. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the peptides ranged from 0.015 to >1.879 μM, with BRGP-001 exhibiting high activity against MRSA with an MIC of 15 nM. BRGP-005 and BRGP-006 exhibited synergistic effects against Escherichia coliR when used in combination with erythromycin. At the minimum hemolytic concentration, the percentage of lysed erythrocytes was lower for all the peptides in comparison to the reference peptide, indicating low hemolytic activity. The study revealed the importance of peptide self-association in the antimicrobial activity of the peptides. These peptides provide a basis for the design of potent antimicrobial peptides that can further be developed for use in antimicrobial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Amerley Amarh
- Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Michael Konney Laryea
- Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye
- Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Central Laboratory, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
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In pursuit of next-generation therapeutics: Antimicrobial peptides against superbugs, their sources, mechanism of action, nanotechnology-based delivery, and clinical applications. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 218:135-156. [PMID: 35868409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) attracted attention as potential source of novel antimicrobials. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections have emerged as a global threat to public health in recent years. Furthermore, due to rapid emergence of new diseases, there is pressing need for development of efficient antimicrobials. AMPs are essential part of the innate immunity in most living organisms, acting as the primary line of defense against foreign invasions. AMPs kill a wide range of microorganisms by primarily targeting cell membranes or intracellular components through a variety of ways. AMPs can be broadly categorized based on their physico-chemical properties, structure, function, target and source of origin. The synthetic analogues produced either with suitable chemical modifications or with the use of suitable delivery systems are projected to eliminate the constraints of toxicity and poor stability commonly linked with natural AMPs. The concept of peptidomimetics is gaining ground around the world nowadays. Among the delivery systems, nanoparticles are emerging as potential delivery tools for AMPs, amplifying their utility against a variety of pathogens. In the present review, the broad classification of various AMPs, their mechanism of action (MOA), challenges associated with AMPs, current applications, and novel strategies to overcome the limitations have been discussed.
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Melittin Tryptophan Substitution with a Fluorescent Amino Acid Reveals the Structural Basis of Selective Antitumor Effect and Subcellular Localization in Tumor Cells. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14070428. [PMID: 35878166 PMCID: PMC9318513 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14070428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Melittin is a membrane-active peptide with strong anticancer activity against various cancers. Despite decades of research, the role of the singular Trp in the anticancer activity and selectivity of melittin remains poorly understood. Here, we propose a theranostic solution based on the substitution of Trp19 with a noncanonical fluorescent amino acid (DapAMCA). The introduction of DapAMCA residue in melittin stabilized the helical structure of the peptide, as evaluated by circular dichroism spectra and molecular dynamics simulations. In vitro hemolytic and anticancer activity assays revealed that introducing DapAMCA residue in melittin changed its mode of action with the cell membrane, resulting in reduced hemolytic toxicity and an improved the selectivity index (SI), with up to a five-fold increase compared to melittin. In vitro fluorescence imaging of DapAMCA-labeled melittin (MELFL) in cancer cells demonstrated high membrane-penetrating activity, with strong nuclear and nucleolar localization ability. These findings provide implications for novel anticancer therapies based on Trp-substituted designs and nuclear/nucleolar targeted therapy.
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León Madrazo A, Segura Campos MR. In silico prediction of peptide variants from chia (S. hispanica L.) with antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and antioxidant potential. Comput Biol Chem 2022; 98:107695. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Zhang L. Interaction of Human β Defensin Type 3 (hBD-3) with Different PIP2-Containing Membranes, a Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4670-4686. [PMID: 34473496 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Human β defensin type 3 (hBD-3) is a cysteine-rich small antibacterial peptide. It belongs to the human innate immune system. hBD-3 has six cysteine residues, which form three pairs of disulfide bonds, and those bonds break in the reducing condition. It is known that hBD-3 can interact with bacterial membrane, and even eukaryotic cell membrane, which has a low concentration of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) lipids. PIP2 is a vital component in cell membranes and has been found to play important roles during antimicrobial peptide (AMP) interaction with membranes. To understand the functional mechanism of hBD-3 interacting with PIP2-containing membranes, the binding structures of hBD-3 on 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayers mixed with 10% of PIP2 were predicted using two kinds of methods. The first one is by placing the hBD-3 monomer in different orientations above the POPC + 10%PIP2 membrane to set up five different initial simulation systems and performing long-term simulations on each to predict the most stable binding structure. It was found that hBD-3 analogue binds on the mixed lipid membrane on the two loop regions. The second method is by running long-term simulations on one or nine hBD-3 dimers binding on POPC mixed with 10%PIP2 lipid bilayer starting from the solid-state NMR (ssNMR)-suggested orientation. The dimer dissociated, and the most stable binding of hBD-3 in wild-type on the mixed membrane is also through the two loop regions, which agrees with the prediction from both the first method and the lipid self-assembly result. The PIP2 lipids can form long-lasting hydrogen bonds with positively charged residues such as Arg and Lys on hBD-3, thus forming clusters with hBD-3. As a comparison, hBD-3 dimers binding with a combined bilayer having 1,2-palmitoyl-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine (POPS) on the upper and POPC on the lower leaflets and the combined POPS + POPC bilayer mixing with 10%PIP2 were also studied. The long-term simulation result shows that hBD-3 can bind with the heads of negatively charged POPS and PIP2 lipids and form hydrogen bonds. The stable binding sites of hBD-3 on PIP2 or POPS mixed bilayers are still on the two loop regions. On the combined POPS + POPC mixed with 10%PIP2 bilayer, the binding of hBD-3 with PIP2 lipids became less stable and fewer because of the competition of binding with the POPS lipids. Besides that, binding with hBD-3 can decrease the membrane thickness of the POPC + PIP2, POPS + POPC, and POPS + POPC + PIP2 bilayers and make POPS and PIP2 lipids more flexible based on the order parameter calculations. Our results supply molecular insight on AMP binding with different membranes and can help understand the functional mechanism of hBD-3 disrupting PIP2-containing membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqun Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, United States
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Shagaghi N, Clayton AHA, Aguilar MI, Lee TH, Palombo EA, Bhave M. Effects of Rationally Designed Physico-Chemical Variants of the Peptide PuroA on Biocidal Activity towards Bacterial and Mammalian Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228624. [PMID: 33207639 PMCID: PMC7696940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) often exhibit wide-spectrum activities and are considered ideal candidates for effectively controlling persistent and multidrug-resistant wound infections. PuroA, a synthetic peptide based on the tryptophan (Trp)-rich domain of the wheat protein puroindoline A, displays strong antimicrobial activities. In this work, a number of peptides were designed based on PuroA, varying in physico-chemical parameters of length, number of Trp residues, net charge, hydrophobicity or amphipathicity, D-versus L-isomers of amino acids, cyclization or dimerization, and were tested for antimicrobial potency and salt and protease tolerance. Selected peptides were assessed for effects on biofilms of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and selected mammalian cells. Peptide P1, with the highest amphipathicity, six Trp and a net charge of +7, showed strong antimicrobial activity and salt stability. Peptides W7, W8 and WW (seven to eight residues) were generally more active than PuroA and all diastereomers were protease-resistant. PuroA and certain variants significantly inhibited initial biomass attachment and eradicated preformed biofilms of MRSA. Further, P1 and dimeric PuroA were cytotoxic to HeLa cells. The work has led to peptides with biocidal effects on common human pathogens and/or anticancer potential, also offering great insights into the relationship between physico-chemical parameters and bioactivities, accelerating progress towards rational design of AMPs for therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadin Shagaghi
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (N.S.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Andrew H. A. Clayton
- Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia;
| | - Marie-Isabel Aguilar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (M.-I.A.); (T.-H.L.)
| | - Tzong-Hsien Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (M.-I.A.); (T.-H.L.)
| | - Enzo A. Palombo
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (N.S.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Mrinal Bhave
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (N.S.); (E.A.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-3-9214-5759
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Shorter Antibacterial Peptide Having High Selectivity for E. coli Membranes and Low Potential for Inducing Resistance. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8060867. [PMID: 32521823 PMCID: PMC7356157 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been recognised as a significant therapeutic option for mitigating resistant microbial infections. It has been found recently that Plasmodium falciparum-derived, 20 residue long, peptide 35409 had antibacterial and haemolytic activity, making it an AMP having reduced selectivity, and suggesting that it should be studied more extensively for obtaining new AMPs having activity solely targeting the bacterial membrane. Peptide 35409 was thus used as template for producing short synthetic peptides (<20 residues long) and evaluating their biological activity and relevant physicochemical characteristics for therapeutic use. Four of the sixteen short peptides evaluated here had activity against E. coli without any associated haemolytic effects. The 35409-1 derivative (17 residues long) had the best therapeutic characteristics as it had high selectivity for bacterial cells, stability in the presence of human sera, activity against E. coli multiresistant clinical isolates and was shorter than the original sequence. It had a powerful membranolytic effect and low potential for inducing resistance in bacteria. This peptide’s characteristics highlighted its potential as an alternative for combating infection caused by E. coli multiresistant bacteria and/or for designing new AMPs.
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Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of the EeCentrocin 1 derived peptide EC1-17KV via membrane disruption. EBioMedicine 2020; 55:102775. [PMID: 32403086 PMCID: PMC7218270 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of pathogenic microbes exacerbate the difficulties of anti-infection therapy in the clinic. The structural modification of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) is an effective strategy to develop novel anti-infective agents. Method Seventeen amino acids (AA) in the longer chain of EeCentrocin 1 (from the edible sea-urchin Echinus esculentus) were truncated and underwent further modification. To produce lead peptides with low toxicity and high efficacy, the antimicrobial activity or cytotoxicity of peptides was evaluated against various multidrug-resistant bacteria/fungi or mammalian cells in vivo/ in vitro. In addition, the stability and modes of action of the lead peptide were investigated. Findings EC1-17KV displayed potent activity and an expanded antimicrobial spectrum, especially against drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria and fungi, attributable to its enhanced amphiphilicity and net charge. In addition, it exhibits bactericidal/fungicidal activity and effectively increased the animal survival rate and mitigated the histopathological damage induced by multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa or C. albicans in infected mice or G. mellonella. Moreover, EC1-17KV had a poor ability to induce resistance in bacteria and fungi and exhibited desirable high-salt/high-temperature tolerance properties. In bacteria, EC1-17KV promoted divalent cation release to damage bacterial membrane integrity. In fungi, it changed C. albicans membrane fluidity to increase membrane permeabilization or reduced hyphal formation to suppress biofilm formation. Interpretation EC1-17KV is a promising lead peptide for the development of antimicrobial agents against antibiotic resistant bacteria and fungi. Funding This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81673483, 81803591); National Science and Technology Major Project Foundation of China (2019ZX09721001-004-005); National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFA0902000); "Double First-Class" University project (CPU2018GF/GY16); Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (No. BK20180563); and A Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
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Pandidan S, Mechler A. Membrane morphology effects in quartz crystal microbalance characterization of antimicrobial peptide activity. Biophys Chem 2020; 262:106381. [PMID: 32361097 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism of action of membrane disrupting antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and the basis of their specificity and selectivity to pathogens are often studied by using biomimetic model membranes. It is often assumed that all model membrane morphologies, e.g. liposomes, supported bilayers, tethered bilayers etc. are equivalent. In this work the validity of this assumption was assessed. Melittin was used as the reference AMP as it can disrupt both bacterial and mammalian-mimetic membranes. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) viscoelastic fingerprints show characteristic differences between the three model morphologies: single bilayer membranes, multilamellar membrane stacks and unilamellar liposomes. In the second and third case, initial trends show material removal instead of material addition as in the single bilayer case, consistent with dissolution of some bilayers, and bursting liposomes, respectively. The latter is accompanied by a characteristic drop in the dissipation signal as the liposomes collapse. The results also highlight an important limitation of the QCM method, the need for a well established reference system for qualitative analysis of the viscoelastic fingerprints, and thus the importance of using the right model system, i.e. single bilayer membrane, for studies of the mechanism of action of AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pandidan
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Adam Mechler
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
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Ma L, Xie X, Liu H, Huang Y, Wu H, Jiang M, Xu P, Ye X, Zhou C. Potent antibacterial activity of MSI-1 derived from the magainin 2 peptide against drug-resistant bacteria. Theranostics 2020; 10:1373-1390. [PMID: 31938070 PMCID: PMC6956804 DOI: 10.7150/thno.39157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural modification of existing AMPs is an effective strategy to develop antimicrobial agents with high-efficiency, low-cost and low-toxicity antimicrobial agents. Methods: Here, we truncated 14-amino-acids at the N-terminus of MSI-78 to obtain MSI and further modified MSI to obtain four peptide analogs: MSI-1, MSI-2, MSI-3 and MSI-4. These peptide mutants were evaluated regarding their antibacterial activity against various sensitive or resistant bacteria; toxicity against mammalian cells or mice; and stability against violent pH, temperature variations and high NaCl concentrations. Finally, we also elucidated the possible mechanisms underlying its mode of action. Results: The results showed that MSI-1 and MSI-3 displayed activity that was superior to that of MSI-78 with MICs of 4-16 μg/ml and MBCs of 8-64 μg/ml, respectively, especially against drug-resistant bacteria, due to the increase in percent helicity and amphiphilicity. However, MSI-3, with higher hydrophobicity and antibacterial activity, had a relatively higher hemolysis rate and toxicity than MSI-1. MSI-1 exerted rapid bactericidal activity and effectively improved the survival rate and wound closure in penicillin-resistant E. coli-infected mice by eliminating bacterial counts in mouse organs or subeschar, further inhibiting the systemic dissemination of bacteria. Additionally, MSI-1 displayed perfect stability against violent pH, temperature variations and high NaCl concentrations and has the ability to circumvent the development of drug resistance. In terms of the mode of action, we found that at the super-MIC level, MSI-1 exhibited direct antimicrobial activity by disrupting the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane, while at the sub-MIC level, it bound to bacterial DNA to inhibit DNA replication and protein expression and ultimately disrupted bacterial biological function. Conclusions: This novel peptide MSI-1 could be a potential candidate for drug development against infection induced by drug-resistant bacteria.
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Martínez M, Polizzotto A, Flores N, Semorile L, Maffía PC. Antibacterial, anti-biofilm and in vivo activities of the antimicrobial peptides P5 and P6.2. Microb Pathog 2019; 139:103886. [PMID: 31778756 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short linear amino acid sequences, which display antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacterial species. They are promising novel antimicrobials since they have shown bactericidal effects against multiresistant bacteria. Their amphiphilic structure with hydrophobic and cationic regions drives their interaction with anionic bacterial cytoplasmic membranes, which leads to their disruption. In this work two synthetic designed AMPs, P5 and P6.2, which have been previously analyzed in their ability to interact with bacterial or eukaryotic membranes, were evaluated in their anti-biofilm and in vivo antibacterial activity. In a first step, a time-kill kinetic assay against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus and a curve for hemolytic activity were performed in order to determine the killing rate and the possible undesirable toxic effect, respectively, for both peptides. The biofilm inhibitory activity was quantified at sub MIC concentrations of the peptides and the results showed that P5 displayed antibiofilm activity on both strains while P6.2 only on S. aureus. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of bacteria treated with peptides at their MIC revealed protruding blisters on Gam-negative P. aeruginosa strain, but almost no visible surface alteration on Gram-positive S. aureus. These micrographs highlighted different manifestations of the membrane-disrupting activity that these kinds of peptides possess. Finally, both peptides were analyzed in vivo, in the lungs of neutropenic mice previously instilled with P. aeruginosa. Mice lungs were surgically extracted and bacteria and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-β, IL-6 and TNF-α) were quantified by colony forming units and ELISA, respectively. Results showed that instillation of the peptides produced a significant decrease in the number of living bacteria in the lungs, concomitant with a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Overall, the results presented here suggest that these two new peptides could be good candidates for future drug development for anti-biofilm and anti-infective therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Martínez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Axel Polizzotto
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Naiquén Flores
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Liliana Semorile
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paulo César Maffía
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.
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16
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Rončević T, Puizina J, Tossi A. Antimicrobial Peptides as Anti-Infective Agents in Pre-Post-Antibiotic Era? Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5713. [PMID: 31739573 PMCID: PMC6887943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to antibiotics is one of the main current threats to human health and every year multi-drug resistant bacteria are infecting millions of people worldwide, with many dying as a result. Ever since their discovery, some 40 years ago, the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of innate defense have been hailed as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics due to their relatively low potential to elicit resistance. Despite continued effort by both academia and start-ups, currently there are still no antibiotics based on AMPs in use. In this study, we discuss what we know and what we do not know about these agents, and what we need to know to successfully translate discovery to application. Understanding the complex mechanics of action of these peptides is the main prerequisite for identifying and/or designing or redesigning novel molecules with potent biological activity. However, other aspects also need to be well elucidated, i.e., the (bio)synthetic processes, physiological and pathological contexts of their activity, and a quantitative understanding of how physico-chemical properties affect activity. Research groups worldwide are using biological, biophysical, and algorithmic techniques to develop models aimed at designing molecules with the necessary blend of antimicrobial potency and low toxicity. Shedding light on some open questions may contribute toward improving this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomislav Rončević
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia;
- Laboratory for Aquaculture, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Jasna Puizina
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia;
| | - Alessandro Tossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
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17
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Lyu C, Fang F, Li B. Anti-Tumor Effects of Melittin and Its Potential Applications in Clinic. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2019; 20:240-250. [PMID: 29895240 DOI: 10.2174/1389203719666180612084615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Melittin, a major component of bee venom, is a water-soluble toxic peptide of which a various biological effects have been identified to be useful in anti-tumor therapy. In addition, Melittin also has anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, it is a very attractive therapeutic candidate for human diseases. However, melittin induces extensive hemolysis, a severe side effect that dampens its future development and clinical application. Thus, studies of melittin derivatives and new drug delivery systems have been conducted to explore approaches for optimizing the efficacy of this compound, while reducing its toxicity. A number of reviews have focused on each side, respectively. In this review, we summarize the research progress on the anti-tumor effects of melittin and its derivatives, and discuss its future potential clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Lyu
- Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanfu Fang
- Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bai Li
- Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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18
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Zeng P, Xu C, Cheng Q, Liu J, Gao W, Yang X, Wong K, Chen S, Chan K. Phenol‐Soluble‐Modulin‐Inspired Amphipathic Peptides Have Bactericidal Activity against Multidrug‐Resistant Bacteria. ChemMedChem 2019; 14:1547-1559. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Chen Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Qipeng Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Wei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Xuemei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Kwok‐Yin Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Sheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Food Biological Safety Control, Food Safety and Technology Research CentreThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute Shenzhen China
| | - Kin‐Fai Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China
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19
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Abd El-Wahed AA, Khalifa SA, Sheikh BY, Farag MA, Saeed A, Larik FA, Koca-Caliskan U, AlAjmi MF, Hassan M, Wahabi HA, Hegazy MEF, Algethami AF, Büttner S, El-Seedi HR. Bee Venom Composition: From Chemistry to Biological Activity. STUDIES IN NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY 2019:459-484. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64181-6.00013-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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20
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Lyu Y, Xiang N, Zhu X, Narsimhan G. Potential of mean force for insertion of antimicrobial peptide melittin into a pore in mixed DOPC/DOPG lipid bilayer by molecular dynamics simulation. J Chem Phys 2018; 146:155101. [PMID: 28433027 DOI: 10.1063/1.4979613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) inactivate microorganisms by forming transmembrane pores in a cell membrane through adsorption and aggregation. Energetics of addition of an AMP to a transmembrane pore is important for evaluation of its formation and growth. Such information is essential for the characterization of pore forming ability of peptides in cell membranes. This study quantifies the potential of mean force through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for the addition of melittin, a naturally occurring AMP, into a DOPC/DOPG mixed bilayer, a mimic of bacterial membrane, for different extents of insertion into either a bilayer or a pore consisting of three to six transmembrane peptides. The energy barrier for insertion of a melittin molecule into the bilayer was highest in the absence of transmembrane peptides and decreased for the number of transmembrane peptides from three to six, eventually approaching zero. The decrease in free energy for complete insertion of peptide was found to be higher for larger pore size. Water channel formation occurred only for insertion into pores consisting of three or more transmembrane peptides with the radius of water channel being larger for a larger number of transmembrane peptides. The structure of the pore was found to be paraboloid. The estimated free energy barrier for insertion of melittin into an ideal paraboloid pore accounting for different intermolecular interactions was consistent with MD simulation results. The results reported in this manuscript will be useful for the development of a model for nucleation of pores and a rational methodology for selection of synthetic antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Lyu
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Ning Xiang
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Xiao Zhu
- Research Computing, Rosen Center for Advanced Computing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Ganesan Narsimhan
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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21
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Antimicrobial peptides: biochemical determinants of activity and biophysical techniques of elucidating their functionality. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 34:62. [PMID: 29651655 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-018-2444-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been established over millennia as powerful components of the innate immune system of many organisms. Due to their broad spectrum of activity and the development of host resistance against them being unlikely, AMPs are strong candidates for controlling drug-resistant pathogenic microbial pathogens. AMPs cause cell death through several independent or cooperative mechanisms involving membrane lysis, non-lytic activity, and/or intracellular mechanisms. Biochemical determinants such as peptide length, primary sequence, charge, secondary structure, hydrophobicity, amphipathicity and host cell membrane composition together influence the biological activities of peptides. A number of biophysical techniques have been used in recent years to study the mechanisms of action of AMPs. This work appraises the molecular parameters that determine the biocidal activity of AMPs and overviews their mechanisms of actions and the diverse biochemical, biophysical and microscopy techniques utilised to elucidate these.
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22
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Jeon D, Jacob B, Kwak C, Kim Y. Short Antimicrobial Peptides Exhibiting Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities Derived from the N-Terminal Helix of Papiliocin. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.11277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dasom Jeon
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology; Konkuk University; Seoul 143-701 Korea
| | - Binu Jacob
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology; Konkuk University; Seoul 143-701 Korea
| | - Chulhee Kwak
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology; Konkuk University; Seoul 143-701 Korea
| | - Yangmee Kim
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology; Konkuk University; Seoul 143-701 Korea
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23
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da Silva BR, Conrado AJS, Pereira AL, Evaristo FFV, Arruda FVS, Vasconcelos MA, Lorenzón EN, Cilli EM, Teixeira EH. Antibacterial activity of a novel antimicrobial peptide [W7]KR12-KAEK derived from KR-12 against Streptococcus mutans planktonic cells and biofilms. BIOFOULING 2017; 33:835-846. [PMID: 28967271 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2017.1374378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to describe the synthesis of a novel synthetic peptide based on the primary structure of the KR-12 peptide and to evaluate its antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities against Streptococcus mutans. The antimicrobial effect of KR-12 and [W7]KR12-KAEK was assessed by determining the minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal (MBC) concentrations. The evaluation of anti-biofilm activity was assessed through total biomass quantification, colony forming unit counting and scanning electron microscopy. [W7]KR12-KAEK showed MIC and MBC values ranging from 31.25 to 7.8 and 62.5 to 15.6 μg ml-1, respectively. Furthermore, [W7]KR12-KAEK significantly reduced biofilm biomass (50-100%). Regarding cell viability, [W7]KR12-KAEK showed reductions in the number of CFUs at concentrations ranging from 62.5 to 7.8 μg ml-1 and 500 to 62.5 μg ml-1 with respect to biofilm formation and preformed biofilms, respectively. SEM micrographs of S. mutans treated with [W7]KR12-KAEK suggested damage to the bacterial surface. [W7]KR12-KAEK is demonstrated to be an antimicrobial agent to control microbial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B R da Silva
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- d School of Dentistry , Universidade de Fortaleza - UNIFOR , Fortaleza , Brazil
| | - A J S Conrado
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
| | - A L Pereira
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
| | - F F V Evaristo
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- b School of Dentistry , Faculdades INTA , Sobral , Brazil
| | - F V S Arruda
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- b School of Dentistry , Faculdades INTA , Sobral , Brazil
| | - M A Vasconcelos
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- e Department of Biological Sciences , Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte , Mossoró , Brazil
| | - E N Lorenzón
- f Institute of Biological Science , Universidade Federal de Goiás , Goiânia , Brazil
| | - E M Cilli
- c Institute of Chemistry , Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) , Araraquara , Brazil
| | - E H Teixeira
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
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24
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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.
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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
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25
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Lee EY, Lee MW, Fulan BM, Ferguson AL, Wong GCL. What can machine learning do for antimicrobial peptides, and what can antimicrobial peptides do for machine learning? Interface Focus 2017; 7:20160153. [PMID: 29147555 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2016.0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a diverse class of well-studied membrane-permeating peptides with important functions in innate host defense. In this short review, we provide a historical overview of AMPs, summarize previous applications of machine learning to AMPs, and discuss the results of our studies in the context of the latest AMP literature. Much work has been recently done in leveraging computational tools to design new AMP candidates with high therapeutic efficacies for drug-resistant infections. We show that machine learning on AMPs can be used to identify essential physico-chemical determinants of AMP functionality, and identify and design peptide sequences to generate membrane curvature. In a broader scope, we discuss the implications of our findings for the discovery of membrane-active peptides in general, and uncovering membrane activity in new and existing peptide taxonomies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Y Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michelle W Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Benjamin M Fulan
- Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Gerard C L Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Ravensdale J, Wong Z, O'Brien F, Gregg K. Efficacy of Antibacterial Peptides Against Peptide-Resistant MRSA Is Restored by Permeabilization of Bacteria Membranes. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1745. [PMID: 27877159 PMCID: PMC5099250 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical application of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), as with conventional antibiotics, may be compromised by the development of bacterial resistance. This study investigated AMP resistance in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including aspects related to the resilience of the resistant bacteria toward the peptides, the stability of resistance when selection pressures are removed, and whether resistance can be overcome by using the peptides with other membrane-permeabilising agents. Genotypically variant strains of S. aureus became equally resistant to the antibacterial peptides melittin and bac8c when grown in sub-lethal concentrations. Subculture of a melittin-resistant strain without melittin for 8 days lowered the minimal lethal concentration of the peptide from 170 μg ml-1 to 30 μg ml-1. Growth for 24 h in 12 μg ml-1 melittin restored the MLC to 100 μg ml-1. Flow cytometry analysis of cationic fluorophore binding to melittin-naïve and melittin-resistant bacteria revealed that resistance coincided with decreased binding of cationic molecules, suggesting a reduction in nett negative charge on the membrane. Melittin was haemolytic at low concentrations but the truncated analog of melittin, mel12-26, was confirmed to lack haemolytic activity. Although a previous report found that mel12-26 retained full bactericidal activity, we found it to lack significant activity when added to culture medium. However, electroporation in the presence of 50 μg ml-1 of mel12-26, killed 99.3% of the bacteria. Similarly, using a low concentration of the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 to permeabilize bacteria to mel12-26 markedly increased its bactericidal activity. The observation that bactericidal activity of the non-membranolytic peptide mel12-26 was enhanced when the bacterial membrane was permeablized by detergents or electroporation, suggests that its principal mechanism in reducing bacterial survival may be through interaction with intracellular organelles or processes. Additionally, our results showed that the haemolytic peptide bac8c, had increased antibacterial activity at non-haemolytic concentrations when used with membrane-permeabilizing surfactants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Ravensdale
- School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley WA, Australia
| | - Zachary Wong
- School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley WA, Australia
| | - Frances O'Brien
- School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, BentleyWA, Australia; Australian Collaborative Centre for Enterococcal and Staphylococcal Species (ACCESS) Typing and Research, Curtin University and PathWest Microbiology, Royal Perth Hospital, PerthWA, Australia
| | - Keith Gregg
- School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley WA, Australia
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27
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Lee G, Bae H. Anti-Inflammatory Applications of Melittin, a Major Component of Bee Venom: Detailed Mechanism of Action and Adverse Effects. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21050616. [PMID: 27187328 PMCID: PMC6273919 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21050616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is a pervasive phenomenon triggered by the innate and adaptive immune systems to maintain homeostasis. The phenomenon normally leads to recovery from infection and healing, but when not properly phased, inflammation may cause immune disorders. Bee venom is a toxin that bees use for their protection from enemies. However, for centuries it has been used in the Orient as an anti-inflammatory medicine for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Bee venom and its major component, melittin, are potential means of reducing excessive immune responses and provide new alternatives for the control of inflammatory diseases. Recent experimental studies show that the biological functions of melittin could be applied for therapeutic use in vitro and in vivo. Reports verifying the therapeutic effects of melittin are accumulating in the literature, but the cellular mechanism(s) of the anti-inflammatory effects of melittin are not fully elucidated. In the present study, we review the current knowledge on the therapeutic effects of melittin and its detailed mechanisms of action against several inflammatory diseases including skin inflammation, neuroinflammation, atherosclerosis, arthritis and liver inflammation, its adverse effects as well as future prospects regarding the use of melittin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gihyun Lee
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoeki-Dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
| | - Hyunsu Bae
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoeki-Dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
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28
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Pretzel J, Mohring F, Rahlfs S, Becker K. Antiparasitic peptides. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2016; 135:157-92. [PMID: 23615879 DOI: 10.1007/10_2013_191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
: The most important parasitic diseases, malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, and schistosomiasis, are a great burden to mankind, threatening the life of millions of people worldwide and mostly affecting the poorest. Because drug resistance is increasing and vaccines are rarely available, novel chemotherapeutic compounds are necessary in order to treat these devastating diseases. Insects serve as vectors of many human parasitic diseases and have been shown to express a huge variety of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Therefore, research activity on insect-derived AMPs has been increasing in the last 40 years. This chapter summarizes the current state of research on the possible role of AMPs as potential chemotherapeutic compounds against human parasitic diseases. As a representative antimicrobial peptide with antiparasitic activity, the structure of insect defensin A is shown [PDB accession code: 1ICA]. The molecule is surrounded by schematic representations of the human pathogenic parasites Plasmodium, Leishmania and Trypanosoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jette Pretzel
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
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29
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Kashiwada A, Mizuno M, Hashimoto J. pH-Dependent membrane lysis by using melittin-inspired designed peptides. Org Biomol Chem 2016; 14:6281-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ob01002d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Effective acidic pH-selective liposomal membrane lysis was achieved by using a novel designed peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Kashiwada
- Department of Applied Molecular Chemistry
- Graduate School of Industrial Technology
- Nihon University
- Narashino
- Japan
| | - M. Mizuno
- Department of Applied Molecular Chemistry
- Graduate School of Industrial Technology
- Nihon University
- Narashino
- Japan
| | - J. Hashimoto
- Department of Applied Molecular Chemistry
- Graduate School of Industrial Technology
- Nihon University
- Narashino
- Japan
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30
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Santos-Filho NA, Lorenzon EN, Ramos MAS, Santos CT, Piccoli JP, Bauab TM, Fusco-Almeida AM, Cilli EM. Synthesis and characterization of an antibacterial and non-toxic dimeric peptide derived from the C-terminal region of Bothropstoxin-I. Toxicon 2015; 103:160-8. [PMID: 26160494 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are among the leading global causes of death, increasing the search for novel antibacterial agents. Among these, biologically active peptides are an excellent research tool. Using solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), this work aimed to synthesize the peptide derived from the C-terminal region of Bothropstoxin-I (BthTX-I) (p-BthTX-I, sequence: KKYRYHLKPFCKK), and its disulfide-linked dimeric form, obtained via air oxidation (p-BthTX-I)2. Two other peptides were synthesized to evaluate the dimerization effect on antimicrobial activity. In both sequences, the cysteine (Cys) residue was replaced by the serine (Ser) residue, differing, however, in their C-terminus position. The antimicrobial activity of the peptides against gram-negative (Escherichia (E.) coli) and gram-positive (Staphylococcus (S.) aureus) bacteria and yeast (Candida (C.) albicans) was evaluated. Interestingly, only peptides containing the Cys residue showed antimicrobial activity, suggesting the importance of Cys residue and its dimerization for the observed activity. Apparently, p-BthTX-I and (p-BthTX-I)2 did not promote lysis or form pores and were not able to interact with membranes. Furthermore, they neither showed antifungal activity against C. albicans nor toxicity against erythrocytes, epithelial cells, or macrophages, indicating a potential specificity against prokaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Esteban N Lorenzon
- Instituto de Química, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Matheus A S Ramos
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudia T Santos
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Julia P Piccoli
- Instituto de Química, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Tais M Bauab
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana M Fusco-Almeida
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo M Cilli
- Instituto de Química, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
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31
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Monteiro C, Pinheiro M, Fernandes M, Maia S, Seabra CL, Ferreira-da-Silva F, Reis S, Gomes P, Martins MCL. A 17-mer Membrane-Active MSI-78 Derivative with Improved Selectivity toward Bacterial Cells. Mol Pharm 2015; 12:2904-11. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Monteiro
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- INEB, Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marina Pinheiro
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Fernandes
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- INEB, Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Maia
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica,
Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo
Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina L. Seabra
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- INEB, Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências
Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge
Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP - Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Frederico Ferreira-da-Silva
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Unidade
de Produção e Purificação de Proteínas, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Salette Reis
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Gomes
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica,
Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo
Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - M. Cristina L. Martins
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- INEB, Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências
Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge
Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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32
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Sahariah P, Benediktssdóttir BE, Hjálmarsdóttir MÁ, Sigurjonsson OE, Sørensen KK, Thygesen MB, Jensen KJ, Másson M. Impact of Chain Length on Antibacterial Activity and Hemocompatibility of Quaternary N-Alkyl and N,N-Dialkyl Chitosan Derivatives. Biomacromolecules 2015; 16:1449-60. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.5b00163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Sahariah
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Berglind E. Benediktssdóttir
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Martha Á. Hjálmarsdóttir
- Department
of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Stapi, Hringbraut 31, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Olafur E. Sigurjonsson
- The
REModeL Lab, The Blood Bank, Landspitali University Hospital, Snorrabraut 60, 105 Reykjavik, Iceland
- Institute
of Biomedical and Neural Engineering, Reykjavik University, Menntavegur
1, 101, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Kasper K. Sørensen
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Centre for Carbohydrate Recognition
and Signalling, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Fredriksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mikkel B. Thygesen
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Centre for Carbohydrate Recognition
and Signalling, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Fredriksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Knud J. Jensen
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Centre for Carbohydrate Recognition
and Signalling, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Fredriksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Már Másson
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
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33
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Design and characterization of short antimicrobial peptides using leucine zipper templates with selectivity towards microorganisms. Amino Acids 2014; 46:2531-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-014-1802-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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34
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Antimicrobial peptides. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2013; 6:1543-75. [PMID: 24287494 PMCID: PMC3873676 DOI: 10.3390/ph6121543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 822] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Revised: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid increase in drug-resistant infections has presented a serious challenge to antimicrobial therapies. The failure of the most potent antibiotics to kill “superbugs” emphasizes the urgent need to develop other control agents. Here we review the history and new development of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a growing class of natural and synthetic peptides with a wide spectrum of targets including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. We summarize the major types of AMPs, their modes of action, and the common mechanisms of AMP resistance. In addition, we discuss the principles for designing effective AMPs and the potential of using AMPs to control biofilms (multicellular structures of bacteria embedded in extracellular matrixes) and persister cells (dormant phenotypic variants of bacterial cells that are highly tolerant to antibiotics).
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35
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Torcato IM, Huang YH, Franquelim HG, Gaspar DD, Craik DJ, Castanho MARB, Henriques ST. The antimicrobial activity of Sub3 is dependent on membrane binding and cell-penetrating ability. Chembiochem 2013; 14:2013-22. [PMID: 24038773 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201300274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Because of their high activity against microorganisms and low cytotoxicity, cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been explored as the next generation of antibiotics. Although they have common structural features, the modes of action of AMPs are extensively debated, and a single mechanism does not explain the activity of all AMPs reported so far. Here we investigated the mechanism of action of Sub3, an AMP previously designed and optimised from high-throughput screening with bactenecin as the template. Sub3 has potent activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as against fungi, but its mechanism of action has remained elusive. By using AFM imaging, ζ potential, flow cytometry and fluorescence methodologies with model membranes and bacterial cells, we found that, although the mechanism of action involves membrane targeting, Sub3 internalises inside bacteria at lethal concentrations without permeabilising the membrane, thus suggesting that its antimicrobial activity might involve both the membrane and intracellular targets. In addition, we found that Sub3 can be internalised into human cells without being toxic. As some bacteria are able to survive intracellularly and consequently evade host defences and antibiotic treatment, our findings suggest that Sub3 could be useful as an intracellular antimicrobial agent for infections that are notoriously difficult to treat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês M Torcato
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon (Portugal)
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36
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Son M, Lee Y, Hwang H, Hyun S, Yu J. Disruption of Interactions between Hydrophobic Residues on Nonpolar Faces is a Key Determinant in Decreasing Hemolysis and Increasing Antimicrobial Activities of α-Helical Amphipathic Peptides. ChemMedChem 2013; 8:1638-42. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201300264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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37
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Bagheri M, Beyermann M, Dathe M. Mode of Action of Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides Defines the Tethering Position and the Efficacy of Biocidal Surfaces. Bioconjug Chem 2011; 23:66-74. [DOI: 10.1021/bc200367f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Bagheri
- Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology, Robert-Roessle-Str. 10, 13125
Berlin, Germany
- Institut
für Pharmazeutische
Biotechnologie, Universität des Saarlandes, Universitätscampus, Gebäude C2 3, 66123 Saarbrücken,
Germany
| | - Michael Beyermann
- Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology, Robert-Roessle-Str. 10, 13125
Berlin, Germany
| | - Margitta Dathe
- Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology, Robert-Roessle-Str. 10, 13125
Berlin, Germany
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38
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Walsh EG, Maher S, Devocelle M, O'Brien PJ, Baird AW, Brayden DJ. High content analysis to determine cytotoxicity of the antimicrobial peptide, melittin and selected structural analogs. Peptides 2011; 32:1764-73. [PMID: 21703316 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2011.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2011] [Revised: 06/07/2011] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are naturally occurring entities with potential as pharmaceutical candidates and/or food additives. They are present in many organisms including bacteria, insects, fish and mammals. While their antimicrobial activity is equipotent with many commercial antibiotics, current limitations are poor pharmacokinetics, stability and potential toxicology issues. Most elicit antimicrobial action via perturbation of bacterial membranes. Consequently, associated cytotoxicity in human cells is reflected by their capacity to lyse erythrocytes. However, more rigorous toxicological assessment of AMPs is required in order to predict potential failure at a later stage of development. We describe a high-content analysis (HCA) screening protocol recently established for determination and prediction of safety in pharmaceutical drug discovery. HCA is a powerful, multi-parameter bioanalytical tool that amalgamates the actions of fluorescence microscopy with automated cell analysis software in order to understand multiple changes in cellular health. We describe the application of HCA in assessing cytotoxicity of the cytolytic α-helical peptide, melittin, and selected structural analogs. The data shows that structural modification of melittin reduces its cytotoxic action and that HCA is suitable for rapidly identifying cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin G Walsh
- UCD School of Veterinary Medicine and UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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39
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Hall K, Lee TH, Aguilar MI. The role of electrostatic interactions in the membrane binding of melittin. J Mol Recognit 2011; 24:108-18. [PMID: 21194121 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.1032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The binding of melittin and the C-terminally truncated analogue of melittin (21Q) to a range of phospholipid bilayers was studied using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The phospholipid model membranes included zwitterionic dimyristylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), together with mixtures DMPC/dimyristylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), DMPC/DMPG/cholesterol and DMPE/DMPG. Melittin bound rapidly to all membrane mixtures, whereas 21Q, which has a reduced charge, bound much more slowly on the DMPC and DMPC/DMPG mixtures reflecting the role of the initial electrostatic interaction. The loss of the cationic residues also significantly decreased the binding of 21Q with DMPC/DMPG/Cholesterol, DMPE and DMPE/DMPG. The role of electrostatics was also highlighted with NaCl in the buffer, which affected the way melittin bound to the different membranes, causing a more uniform, concentration dependant increase in response. The biosensor results were correlated with the conformation of the peptides determined by circular dichroism analysis, which indicated that high α-helicity was associated with high binding affinity. Overall, the results demonstrate that the positively charged residues at the C-terminus of melittin play an essential role in membrane binding, that modulation of peptide charge influences selectivity of binding to different phospholipids and that manipulation of the cationic regions of antimicrobial peptides can be used to modulate membrane selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher Hall
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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40
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Baumhover NJ, Anderson K, Fernandez CA, Rice KG. Synthesis and in vitro testing of new potent polyacridine-melittin gene delivery peptides. Bioconjug Chem 2010; 21:74-83. [PMID: 19968269 DOI: 10.1021/bc9003124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The combination of a polyacridine peptide modified with a melittin fusogenic peptide results in a potent gene transfer agent. Polyacridine peptides of the general formula (Acr-X)(n)-Cys were prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis, where Acr is Lys modified on its epsilon-amine with acridine, X is Arg, Leu, or Lys and n is 2, 3, or 4 repeats. The Cys residue was modified by either a maleimide-melittin or a thiolpyridine-Cys-melittin fusogenic peptide resulting in reducible or non-reducible polyacridine-melittin peptides. Hemolysis assays established that polyacridine-melittin peptides retained their membrane lytic potency relative to melittin at pH 7.4 and 5. When combined with plasmid DNA, the membrane lytic potency of polyacridine-melittin peptides was neutralized. Gene transfer experiments in multiple cell lines established that polyacridine-melittin peptides mediate expression as efficiently as PEI. The expression was very dependent upon a disulfide bond linking polyacridine to melittin. The gene transfer was most efficient when X is Arg and n is 3 or 4 repeats. These studies establish polyacridine peptides as a novel DNA binding anchor peptide.
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41
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Impact of amino acid replacements on in vitro permeation enhancement and cytotoxicity of the intestinal absorption promoter, melittin. Int J Pharm 2010; 387:154-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2009.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2009] [Revised: 12/08/2009] [Accepted: 12/09/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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42
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Saravanan R, Bhunia A, Bhattacharjya S. Micelle-bound structures and dynamics of the hinge deleted analog of melittin and its diastereomer: Implications in cell selective lysis by d-amino acid containing antimicrobial peptides. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2010; 1798:128-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2009.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2009] [Revised: 06/04/2009] [Accepted: 07/17/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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43
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Li Y, Li HW, Ma LJ, Dang YQ, Wu Y. A unique protein labeling system based on melittin and the non-covalent binding-induced pyrene excimer. Chem Commun (Camb) 2010; 46:3768-70. [DOI: 10.1039/b925401c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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44
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RAHMAN MM, TSUJI N, BOLDBAATAR D, BATTUR B, LIAO M, UMEMIYA-SHIRAFUJI R, YOU M, TANAKA T, FUJISAKI K. Structural Characterization and Cytolytic Activity of a Potent Antimicrobial Motif in Longicin, a Defensin-Like Peptide in the Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. J Vet Med Sci 2010; 72:149-56. [DOI: 10.1292/jvms.09-0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Naotoshi TSUJI
- National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization
| | | | - Banzragch BATTUR
- Department of Frontier Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University
| | - Min LIAO
- Department of Frontier Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University
| | | | - Myungjo YOU
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University
| | - Tetsuya TANAKA
- Department of Frontier Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University
| | - Kozo FUJISAKI
- Department of Frontier Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University
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45
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Willcox M, Hume E, Aliwarga Y, Kumar N, Cole N. A novel cationic-peptide coating for the prevention of microbial colonization on contact lenses. J Appl Microbiol 2008; 105:1817-25. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.03942.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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46
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Hao G, Shi YH, Han JH, Li QH, Tang YL, Le GW. Design and analysis of structure-activity relationship of novel antimicrobial peptides derived from the conserved sequence of cecropin. J Pept Sci 2008; 14:290-8. [PMID: 17929330 DOI: 10.1002/psc.926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
We have de novo designed four antimicrobial peptides AMP-A/B/C/D, the 51-residues peptides, which are based on the conserved sequence of cecropin. In the present study, the four peptides were chemically synthesized and their activities assayed. Their secondary structure, amphipathic property, electric field distribution and transmembrane domain were subsequently predicted by bioinformatics tools. Finally, the structure-activity relationship was analyzed from the results of activity experiments and prediction. The results of activity experiments indicated that AMP-B/C/D clearly possessed excellent broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, whereas AMP-A was almost inactive against most of the bacterial strains tested. AMP-B/C/D showed more potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria than against Gram-negative bacteria. By utilizing bioinformatics analysis tools, we found that the secondary structure of the four cation peptides was mainly alpha-helix, and the result of CD spectrum also displayed that all the peptides had considerable alpha-helix in the presence of either 50% TFE or SDS micelles. AMP-C showed much better activity than other peptides against most of the bacteria tested, owing to its remarkable cation property and the amphipathic character of its N-terminal. The study of structure-activity relationship of the designed peptides confirmed that amphipathic structure and high net positive charge were prerequisites for maintaining their activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Hao
- The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, JiangNan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu Province, China
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47
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Abstract
Melittin is the principal toxic component in the venom of the European honey bee Apis mellifera and is a cationic, hemolytic peptide. It is a small linear peptide composed of 26 amino acid residues in which the amino-terminal region is predominantly hydrophobic whereas the carboxy-terminal region is hydrophilic due to the presence of a stretch of positively charged amino acids. This amphiphilic property of melittin has resulted in melittin being used as a suitable model peptide for monitoring lipid-protein interactions in membranes. In this review, the solution and membrane properties of melittin are highlighted, with an emphasis on melittin-membrane interaction using biophysical approaches. The recent applications of melittin in various cellular processes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Raghuraman
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
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48
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Marynka K, Rotem S, Portnaya I, Cogan U, Mor A. In Vitro Discriminative Antipseudomonal Properties Resulting from Acyl Substitution of N-Terminal Sequence of Dermaseptin S4 Derivatives. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 14:75-85. [PMID: 17254954 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2006.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2006] [Revised: 11/07/2006] [Accepted: 11/08/2006] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Truncation and acylation were combined to investigate the broad-spectrum bactericidal and hemolytic peptide S4(1-15). Substitution of up to seven residues with dodecanoic acid (C(12)) gradually led to specific antipseudomonal activity: out of 40 bacterial strains tested in vitro, C(12)-S4(8-15) displayed similar minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as S4(1-15) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa sp. (identical MIC(90)) but was practically inactive against most other bacteria or erythrocytes. Surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments revealed the binding properties of S4(1-15) to be consistent with its nonselective activities, while discriminative activities of C(12)-S4(8-15) correlated with high binding affinity to a membrane containing pseudomonal lipopolysaccharides and with lower affinities to membranes containing nonpseudomonal lipopolysaccharides or cholesterol. Various mechanistic studies failed to detect significant differences in secondary structure, bactericidal kinetics, or ability to perturb the cytoplasmic membrane, pointing to a similar mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keren Marynka
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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Abstract
The 26 amino acid hemolytic melittin peptide was converted into a gene transfer peptide that binds to DNA and polymerized through disulfide bond formation. Melittin analogues were synthesized by the addition of one to four Lys repeats at either the C- or the N-subterminal end along with terminal Cys residues. Melittin analogues were able to bind and polymerize on plasmids resulting in the formation of DNA condensates. In the absence of DNA, melittin analogues retained their red blood cell hemolytic potency but were inactive when bound to plasmid DNA. The in vitro gene transfer efficiency mediated by poly-melittin analogues was equivalent to PEI in HepG2 cells. Attempts to truncate portions of either of the two melittin alpha-helices resulted in concurrent loss of hemolytic potency and gene transfer efficiency. The results demonstrate the ability to transform melittin into a gene transfer peptide by transiently masking its membrane lytic activity by the addition of Lys and Cys residues to promote DNA binding and polymerization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kevin G. Rice
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed, Tel: –19-335-9903, Fax: 1-319-335-8766,
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Ergin E, Uçkan F, Rivers DB, Sak O. In vivo and in vitro activity of venom from the endoparasitic wasp Pimpla turionellae (L.) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2006; 61:87-97. [PMID: 16416450 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The biological activity of venom from Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was examined in vivo toward larvae and pupae of Galleriae mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and in vitro toward bacterial and fungal cultures, as well as cultured insect cells. Pupae of G. mellonella were far more susceptible to the venom than larvae. At low doses of venom [0.1 venom reservoir equivalents (VRE)], pupal abdominal mobility was inhibited within 30 min, and by 24 h, all pupae injected with venom concentrations >0.5 VRE were completely paralyzed. These same doses of venom resulted in an inhibition of adult emergence. Host larvae were far less sensitive to wasp venom as evidenced by all venom injected larvae remaining responsive to mechanical stimulation by 1 h post injection, even at concentrations equivalent to 1 venom reservoir. Eventually (>2 h at 25 degrees C), venom-injected larvae became immobile, then flaccid, and all died within 24 h post-injection. At lower concentrations of wasp venom, the onset of paralysis was delayed by comparison to that evoked by 1 VRE, and few host larvae were able to pupate. Development of host larvae to adult emergence was also reduced in a dose-dependent manner, with eclosion completely prevented at high concentrations (>0.5 VRE) of venom. Venom doses <0.5 VRE did not appear to induce paralysis or alter larval development. When venom was incubated with bacterial or fungal cultures, no antimicrobial activity was detected. However, wasp venom was found to be cytotoxic and cytolytic to cultured cells derived from the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culcidae). Though both cell types displayed similar susceptibility in terms of LC50s, the lepidopteran cells responded much more rapidly with regard to the onset of morphological changes and the timing of cell death. A possible mode of action for the venom is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekrem Ergin
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science-Literature, Balikesir University, Balikesir, 10100, Turkey
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