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Tyagi C, Marik T, Szekeres A, Vágvölgyi C, Kredics L, Ötvös F. Modeling the Effect on a Novel Fungal Peptaibol Placed in an All-Atom Bacterial Membrane Mimicking System via Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2288. [PMID: 38137889 PMCID: PMC10744397 DOI: 10.3390/life13122288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously reported on a novel peptaibol, named Tripleurin XIIc (TPN), an 18-residue long sequence produced by the fungus Trichoderma pleuroti. We elucidated its 3D structure via classical and accelerated molecular dynamics simulation (aMD) methods and reported the folding dynamics of TPN in water and chloroform solvents. Peptaibols, in general, are insoluble in water, as they are amphipathic and may prefer hydrophobic environments like transmembrane regions. In this study, we attempted to use aMD simulations to model an all-atom bacterial membrane system while placing a TPN molecule in its vicinity. The results highlighted that TPN was able to introduce some disorder into the membrane and caused lipid clustering. It could also enter the transmembrane region from the water-bilayer interface. The structural dynamics of TPN in the transmembrane region revealed a single energetically stable conformation similar to the one obtained from water and chloroform solvent simulations reported by us previously. However, this linear structure was found to be at the local energy minimum (stable) in water but at a metastable intermediate state (higher energy) in chloroform. Therefore, it could be said that the water solvent can be successfully used for folding simulations of peptaibols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chetna Tyagi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (T.M.); (A.S.); (C.V.); (L.K.)
| | - Tamás Marik
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (T.M.); (A.S.); (C.V.); (L.K.)
| | - András Szekeres
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (T.M.); (A.S.); (C.V.); (L.K.)
| | - Csaba Vágvölgyi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (T.M.); (A.S.); (C.V.); (L.K.)
| | - László Kredics
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (T.M.); (A.S.); (C.V.); (L.K.)
| | - Ferenc Ötvös
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
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4
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Hilton KLF, Manwani C, Boles JE, White LJ, Ozturk S, Garrett MD, Hiscock JR. The phospholipid membrane compositions of bacterial cells, cancer cell lines and biological samples from cancer patients. Chem Sci 2021; 12:13273-13282. [PMID: 34777745 PMCID: PMC8529332 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc03597e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While cancer now impacts the health and well-being of more of the human population than ever before, the exponential rise in antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacterial infections means AMR is predicted to become one of the greatest future threats to human health. It is therefore vital that novel therapeutic strategies are developed that can be used in the treatment of both cancer and AMR infections. Whether the target of a therapeutic agent be inside the cell or in the cell membrane, it must either interact with or cross this phospholipid barrier to elicit the desired cellular effect. Here we summarise findings from published research into the phospholipid membrane composition of bacterial and cancer cell lines and biological samples from cancer patients. These data not only highlight key differences in the membrane composition of these biological samples, but also the methods used to elucidate and report the results of this analogous research between the microbial and cancer fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira L F Hilton
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent Canterbury Kent CT2 7NH UK
| | - Chandni Manwani
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent Canterbury Kent CT2 7NH UK
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent Canterbury Kent CT2 7NJ UK
| | - Jessica E Boles
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent Canterbury Kent CT2 7NH UK
| | - Lisa J White
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent Canterbury Kent CT2 7NH UK
| | - Sena Ozturk
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent Canterbury Kent CT2 7NH UK
| | | | - Jennifer R Hiscock
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent Canterbury Kent CT2 7NH UK
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5
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Jiang Y, Han M, Bo Y, Feng Y, Li W, Wu JR, Song Z, Zhao Z, Tan Z, Chen Y, Xue T, Fu Z, Kuo SH, Lau GW, Luijten E, Cheng J. "Metaphilic" Cell-Penetrating Polypeptide-Vancomycin Conjugate Efficiently Eradicates Intracellular Bacteria via a Dual Mechanism. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:2267-2276. [PMID: 33376787 PMCID: PMC7760462 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Infections by intracellular pathogens are difficult to treat because of the poor accessibility of antibiotics to the pathogens encased by host cell membranes. As such, a strategy that can improve the membrane permeability of antibiotics would significantly increase their efficiency against the intracellular pathogens. Here, we report the design of an adaptive, metaphilic cell-penetrating polypeptide (CPP)-antibiotic conjugate (VPP-G) that can effectively eradicate the intracellular bacteria both in vitro and in vivo. VPP-G was synthesized by attaching vancomycin to a highly membrane-penetrative guanidinium-functionalized metaphilic CPP. VPP-G effectively kills not only extracellular but also far more challenging intracellular pathogens, such as S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci. VPP-G enters the host cell via a unique metaphilic membrane penetration mechanism and kills intracellular bacteria through disruption of both cell wall biosynthesis and membrane integrity. This dual antimicrobial mechanism of VPP-G prevents bacteria from developing drug resistance and could also potentially kill dormant intracellular bacteria. VPP-G effectively eradicates MRSA in vivo, significantly outperforming vancomycin, which represents one of the most effective intracellular antibacterial agents reported so far. This strategy can be easily adapted to develop other conjugates against different intracellular pathogens by attaching different antibiotics to these highly membrane-penetrative metaphilic CPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjiang Jiang
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ming Han
- Applied Physics Graduate Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,Department of Engineering
Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Department of Chemistry, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chicago
Materials Research Center, University of
Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Yang Bo
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yujun Feng
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wenming Li
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jason Ren Wu
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ziyuan Song
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zihao Zhao
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zhengzhong Tan
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yingying Chen
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Tianrui Xue
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zihuan Fu
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shanny Hsuan Kuo
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Gee W. Lau
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Erik Luijten
- Applied Physics Graduate Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,Department of Engineering
Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Department of Chemistry, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology, Department of Bioegineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Gitlin-Domagalska A, Maciejewska A, Dębowski D. Bowman-Birk Inhibitors: Insights into Family of Multifunctional Proteins and Peptides with Potential Therapeutical Applications. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E421. [PMID: 33255583 PMCID: PMC7760496 DOI: 10.3390/ph13120421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bowman-Birk inhibitors (BBIs) are found primarily in seeds of legumes and in cereal grains. These canonical inhibitors share a highly conserved nine-amino acids binding loop motif CTP1SXPPXC (where P1 is the inhibitory active site, while X stands for various amino acids). They are natural controllers of plants' endogenous proteases, but they are also inhibitors of exogenous proteases present in microbials and insects. They are considered as plants' protective agents, as their elevated levels are observed during injury, presence of pathogens, or abiotic stress, i.a. Similar properties are observed for peptides isolated from amphibians' skin containing 11-amino acids disulfide-bridged loop CWTP1SXPPXPC. They are classified as Bowman-Birk like trypsin inhibitors (BBLTIs). These inhibitors are resistant to proteolysis and not toxic, and they are reported to be beneficial in the treatment of various pathological states. In this review, we summarize up-to-date research results regarding BBIs' and BBLTIs' inhibitory activity, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity, antimicrobial and insecticidal strength, as well as chemopreventive properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dawid Dębowski
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (A.G.-D.); (A.M.)
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Effects of CGA-N12 on the membrane structure of Candida tropicalis cells. Biochem J 2020; 477:1813-1825. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide CGA-N12 (NH2-ALQGAKERAHQQ-COOH) is an active peptide derived from chromogranin A (CGA) and consists of the 65th to 76th amino acids of the N-terminus. The results of our previous studies showed that CGA-N12 exerts anti-Candida activity by inducing apoptosis without destroying the integrity of cell membranes. In this study, the effect of CGA-N12 on the cell membrane structure of Candida tropicalis was investigated. CGA-N12 resulted in the dissipation of the membrane potential, the increase in membrane fluidity, and the outflow of potassium ions in C. tropicalis without significantly changing the ergosterol level. Fluorescence quenching was applied to evaluate the membrane channel characteristics induced by CGA-N12 through detection of the following: membrane permeability of hydrated Cl− (ϕ ≈ 0.66 nm) using the membrane-impermeable halogen anion-selective fluorescent dye lucigenin, passage of the membrane-impermeable dye carboxyfluorescein (CF) (ϕ ≈ 1 nm) through the membrane, and membrane permeation of H3O+ based on the membrane non-permeable pH-sensitive fluorescent dye 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid, trisodium salt (HPTS). In conclusion, CGA-N12 can induce the formation of non-selective ion channels <1 nm in diameter in the membranes of C. tropicalis, resulting in the leakage of potassium ions, chloride ions, and protons, among others, leading to dissipation of the membrane potential. As a result, the fluidity of membranes is increased without destroying the synthesis of ergosterol is not affected.
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Truncation of Huia versabilis Bowman-Birk inhibitor increases its selectivity, matriptase-1 inhibitory activity and proteolytic stability. Biochimie 2020; 171-172:178-186. [PMID: 32169666 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
A gradual truncation of the primary structure of frog skin-derived Huia versabilis Bowman-Birk peptidic inhibitor (HV-BBI) resulted in 18-times stronger inhibitor of matriptase-1 (peptide 6, Ki = 8 nm) in comparison to the full-length HV-BBI (Ki = 155 nm). Analogous increase in the inhibitory activity in correlation with the peptide length reduction was not observed in case of other serine proteases, bovine trypsin (Ki = 151 nm for peptide 6 and Ki = 120 nm for HV-BBI) and plasmin (Ki = 120 nm for peptide 6 and 82 nm for HV-BBI). Weaker binding affinity to these enzymes emphasized an inhibitory specificity of peptide 6. Molecular dynamic analysis revealed that the observed variations in the binding affinity of peptide 6 and HV-BBI with matriptase-1 are associated with the entropic differences of the unbound peptides. Moreover, several aspects explaining differences in the inhibition of matriptase-1 by peptide 6 (bearing the C-terminal amide group) and its two analogues, peptide 6∗ (having the C-terminal carboxyl group, Ki = 473 nm) and cyclic peptide 6∗∗ (Ki = 533 nm), both exhibiting more than 50-fold reduced inhibitory potency, were discovered. It was also shown that peptide 6 presented significantly higher resistance to proteolytic degradation in human serum than HV-BBI. Additional investigations revealed that, in contrast to some amphibian-derived inhibitors, HV-BBI and its truncated analogues do not possess bactericidal activity, thus they cannot be considered as bifunctional agents.
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9
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Li R, Chen C, Zhang B, Jing H, Wang Z, Wu C, Hao P, Kuang Y, Yang M. The chromogranin A-derived antifungal peptide CGA-N9 induces apoptosis in Candida tropicalis. Biochem J 2019; 476:3069-3080. [PMID: 31652303 PMCID: PMC6824672 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CGA-N9, a peptide derived from human chromogranin A (CGA), was found to have antimicrobial activity in our previous investigation, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. Herein, the mechanism of action of CGA-N9 was investigated. We found that CGA-N9 induced the depolarization of the cell membrane and uptake of calcium ions into the cytosol and mitochondria. With the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential, the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased. Accordingly, we assessed apoptotic processes in Candida tropicalis cells post-treatment with CGA-N9 and found cytochrome c leakage, chromatin condensation and DNA degradation. The interaction of CGA-N9 with DNA in vitro showed that CGA-N9 did not degrade DNA but bound to DNA via an electrostatic interaction. In conclusion, CGA-N9 exhibits antifungal activity by inducing apoptosis in C. tropicalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifang Li
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Hongjuan Jing
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Zichao Wang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Chunling Wu
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Pu Hao
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yong Kuang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Minghang Yang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
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CGA-N9, an antimicrobial peptide derived from chromogranin A: direct cell penetration of and endocytosis by Candida tropicalis. Biochem J 2019; 476:483-497. [PMID: 30610128 PMCID: PMC6362824 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20180801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
CGA-N9 is a peptide derived from the N-terminus of human chromogranin A comprising amino acids 47–55. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays showed that CGA-N9 had antimicrobial activity and exhibited time-dependent inhibition activity against Candida tropicalis, with high safety in human red blood cells (HRBCs) and mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (bEnd.3). According to the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, CGA-N9 accumulated in cells without destroying the integrity of the cell membrane; the peptide was initially localized to the cell membrane and subsequently internalized into the cytosol. An investigation of the cellular internalization mechanism revealed that most CGA-N9 molecules entered the yeast cells, even at 4°C and in the presence of sodium azide (NaN3), both of which block all energy-dependent transport mechanisms. In addition, peptide internalization was affected by the endocytic inhibitors 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)-amiloride (EIPA), cytochalasin D (CyD) and heparin; chlorpromazine (CPZ) also had some effect on CGA-N9 internalization. Similar results were obtained in the MIC assays, whereby the anticandidal activity of CGA-N9 was blocked to different degrees in the presence of EIPA, CyD, heparin or CPZ. Therefore, most CGA-N9 passes through the C. tropicalis cell membrane via direct cell penetration, whereas the remainder enters through macropinocytosis and sulfate proteoglycan-mediated endocytosis, with a slight contribution from clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
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