1
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Miyazaki Y, Shinoda W. pSPICA Force Field Extended for Proteins and Peptides. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:532-542. [PMID: 38156656 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Many coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) studies have been performed to investigate biological processes involving proteins and lipids. CG force fields (FFs) in these MD studies often use implicit or nonpolar water models to reduce computational costs. CG-MD using water models cannot properly describe electrostatic screening effects owing to the hydration of ionic segments and thus cannot appropriately describe molecular events involving water channels and pores through lipid membranes. To overcome this issue, we developed a protein model in the pSPICA FF, in which a polar CG water model showing the proper dielectric response was adopted. The developed CG model greatly improved the transfer free energy profiles of charged side chain analogues across the lipid membrane. Application studies on melittin-induced membrane pores and mechanosensitive channels in lipid membranes demonstrated that CG-MDs using the pSPICA FF correctly reproduced the structure and stability of the pores and channels. Furthermore, the adsorption behavior of the highly charged nona-arginine peptides on lipid membranes changed with salt concentration, indicating the pSPICA FF is also useful for simulating protein adsorption on membrane surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Miyazaki
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Wataru Shinoda
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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2
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Has C, Das SL. The Functionality of Membrane-Inserting Proteins and Peptides: Curvature Sensing, Generation, and Pore Formation. J Membr Biol 2023; 256:343-372. [PMID: 37650909 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-023-00289-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Proteins and peptides with hydrophobic and amphiphilic segments are responsible for many biological functions. The sensing and generation of membrane curvature are the functions of several protein domains or motifs. While some specific membrane proteins play an essential role in controlling the curvature of distinct intracellular membranes, others participate in various cellular processes such as clathrin-mediated endocytosis, where several proteins sort themselves at the neck of the membrane bud. A few membrane-inserting proteins form nanopores that permeate selective ions and water to cross the membrane. In addition, many natural and synthetic small peptides and protein toxins disrupt the membrane by inducing nonspecific pores in the membrane. The pore formation causes cell death through the uncontrolled exchange between interior and exterior cellular contents. In this article, we discuss the insertion depth and orientation of protein/peptide helices, and their role as a sensor and inducer of membrane curvature as well as a pore former in the membrane. We anticipate that this extensive review will assist biophysicists to gain insight into curvature sensing, generation, and pore formation by membrane insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Has
- Department of Chemical Engineering, GSFC University, Vadodara, 391750, Gujarat, India.
| | - Sovan Lal Das
- Physical and Chemical Biology Laboratory and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad, 678623, Kerala, India
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3
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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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4
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Bertelsen M, Lacey MM, Nichol T, Miller K. Mechanistic Insight into the Early Stages of Toroidal Pore Formation by the Antimicrobial Peptide Smp24. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2399. [PMID: 37896158 PMCID: PMC10610086 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide Smp24, originally derived from the venom of Scorpio maurus palmatus, is a promising candidate for further drug development. However, before doing so, greater insight into the mechanism of action is needed to construct a reliable structure-activity relationship. The aim of this study was to specifically investigate the critical early stages of peptide-induced membrane disruption. Single-channel current traces were obtained via planar patch-clamp electrophysiology, with multiple types of pore-forming events observed, unlike those expected from the traditional, more rigid mechanistic models. To better understand the molecular-level structures of the peptide-pore assemblies underlying these observed conductance events, molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the peptide structure and orientation both before and during pore formation. The transition of the peptides to transmembrane-like states within disordered toroidal pores occurred due to a peptide-induced bilayer-leaflet asymmetry, explaining why pore stabilization does not always follow pore nucleation in the experimental observations. To fully grasp the structure-activity relationship of antimicrobial peptides, a more nuanced view of the complex and dynamic mechanistic behaviour must be adopted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Keith Miller
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK
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5
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Gabriel JM, Tan T, Rinauro DJ, Hsu CM, Buettner CJ, Gilmer M, Kaur A, McKenzie TL, Park M, Cohen S, Errico S, Wright AK, Chiti F, Vendruscolo M, Limbocker R. EGCG inactivates a pore-forming toxin by promoting its oligomerization and decreasing its solvent-exposed hydrophobicity. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 371:110307. [PMID: 36535315 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Natural proteinaceous pore-forming agents can bind and permeabilize cell membranes, leading to ion dyshomeostasis and cell death. In the search for antidotes that can protect cells from peptide toxins, we discovered that the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) interacts directly with melittin from honeybee venom, resulting in the elimination of its binding to the cell membrane and toxicity by markedly lowering the extent of its solvent-exposed hydrophobicity and promoting its oligomerization into larger species. These physicochemical parameters have also been shown to play a key role in the binding to cells of misfolded protein oligomers in a host of neurodegenerative diseases, where oligomer-membrane binding and associated toxicity have been shown to correlate negatively with oligomer size and positively with solvent-exposed hydrophobicity. For melittin, which is not an amyloid-forming protein and has a very distinct mechanism of toxicity compared to misfolded oligomers, we find that the size-hydrophobicity-toxicity relationship also rationalizes the pharmacological attenuation of melittin toxicity by EGCG. These results highlight the importance of the physicochemical properties of pore forming agents in mediating their interactions with cell membranes and suggest a possible therapeutic approach based on compounds with a similar mechanism of action as EGCG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus M Gabriel
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Thomas Tan
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Dillon J Rinauro
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Claire M Hsu
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Caleb J Buettner
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Marshall Gilmer
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Amrita Kaur
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Tristan L McKenzie
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Martin Park
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Sophie Cohen
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Silvia Errico
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Aidan K Wright
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Ryan Limbocker
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA.
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6
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Niitsu A, Sugita Y. Towards de novo design of transmembrane α-helical assemblies using structural modelling and molecular dynamics simulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:3595-3606. [PMID: 36647771 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03972a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Computational de novo protein design involves iterative processes consisting of amino acid sequence design, structural modelling and scoring, and design validation by synthesis and experimental characterisation. Recent advances in protein structure prediction and modelling methods have enabled the highly efficient and accurate design of water-soluble proteins. However, the design of membrane proteins remains a major challenge. To advance membrane protein design, considering the higher complexity of membrane protein folding, stability, and dynamic interactions between water, ions, lipids, and proteins is an important task. For introducing explicit solvents and membranes to these design methods, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of designed proteins provide useful information that cannot be obtained experimentally. In this review, we first describe two major approaches to designing transmembrane α-helical assemblies, consensus and de novo design. We further illustrate recent MD studies of membrane protein folding related to protein design, as well as advanced treatments in molecular models and conformational sampling techniques in the simulations. Finally, we discuss the possibility to introduce MD simulations after the existing static modelling and screening of design decoys as an additional step for refinement of the design, which considers membrane protein folding dynamics and interactions with explicit membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Niitsu
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Yuji Sugita
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. .,Computational Biophysics Research Team, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, 7-1-26 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.,Laboratory for Biomolecular Function Simulation, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-1 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
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7
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Chen X, Wu X, Wang S. An optimized antimicrobial peptide analog acts as an antibiotic adjuvant to reverse methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. NPJ Sci Food 2022; 6:57. [PMID: 36509755 PMCID: PMC9744894 DOI: 10.1038/s41538-022-00171-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The misuse of antibiotics in animal protein production has driven the emergence of a range of drug-resistant pathogens, which threaten existing public health security. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop novel antimicrobials and new infection treatment options to address the challenges posed by the dramatic spread of antibiotic resistance. Piscidins, a class of fish-specific antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are regarded as promising therapies for biomedical applications. Progress towards potential analogs from the piscidin family has been hampered by unenforceable structural optimization strategies. Here, we leverage a strategy of bioinformatics analysis combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to identify specific functional hotspots in piscidins and rationally design related analogues. As expected, this approach yields a potent and non-toxic PIS-A-1 that can be used as an antibiotic adjuvant to reverse methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pathogens. Remarkably, the structural optimization scheme and application strategy proposed here will contribute richer therapeutic options for the safe production of animal protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Chen
- grid.411604.60000 0001 0130 6528College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108 China ,grid.411604.60000 0001 0130 6528College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108 China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- grid.411604.60000 0001 0130 6528College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108 China ,grid.411604.60000 0001 0130 6528College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108 China
| | - Shaoyun Wang
- grid.411604.60000 0001 0130 6528College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108 China
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8
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Sun L, Wang S, Tian F, Zhu H, Dai L. Organizations of melittin peptides after spontaneous penetration into cell membranes. Biophys J 2022; 121:4368-4381. [PMID: 36199252 PMCID: PMC9703044 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide, melittin, is a potential next-generation antibiotic because melittin can spontaneously form pores in bacterial cell membranes and cause cytoplasm leakage. However, the organizations of melittin peptides in cell membranes remain elusive, which impedes the understanding of the poration mechanism. In this work, we use coarse-grained and all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the organizations of melittin peptides during and after spontaneous penetration into DPPC/POPG lipid bilayers. We find that the peptides in lipid bilayers adopt either a transmembrane conformation or a U-shaped conformation, which are referred to as T- and U-peptides, respectively. Several U-peptides and/or T-peptides aggregate to form stable pores. We analyze a T-pore consisting of four T-peptides and a U-pore consisting of three U-peptides and one T-peptide. In both pores, peptides are organized in a manner such that polar residues face inward and hydrophobic residues face outward, which stabilizes the pores and produces water channels. Compared with the U-pore, the T-pore has lower energy, larger pore diameter, and higher permeability. However, the T-pore occurs less frequently than the U-pore in our simulations, probably because the formation of the T-pore is kinetically slower than the U-pore. The stability and permeability of both pores are confirmed by 300 ns all-atom MD simulations. The peptide organizations obtained in this work should deepen the understanding of the stability, poration mechanism, and permeability of melittin, and facilitate the optimization of melittin to enhance the antibacterial ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Sun
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simin Wang
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fujia Tian
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haoqi Zhu
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Liang Dai
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
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9
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Miyazaki Y, Shinoda W. Cooperative antimicrobial action of melittin on lipid membranes: A coarse-grained molecular dynamics study. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:183955. [PMID: 35526599 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.183955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a series of coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG-MD) simulations to investigate the complicated actions of melittin, which is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) derived from honey bee venom, on a lipid membrane. To accurately simulate the AMP action, we developed and used a protein CG model as an extension of the pSPICA force field (FF), which was designed to reproduce several thermodynamic quantities and structural properties. At a low peptide-to-lipid (P/L) ratio (1/102), no defect was detected. At P/L = 1/51, toroidal pore formation was observed due to collective insertion of multiple melittin peptides from the N-termini. The pore formation was initiated by a local increase in membrane curvature in the vicinity of the peptide aggregate. At a higher P/L ratio (1/26), two more modes were detected, seemingly not controlled by the P/L ratio but by a local arrangement of melittin peptides: 1. Pore formation accompanied by lipid extraction by melittin peptides:a detergent-like mechanism. 2. A rapidly formed large pore in a significantly curved membrane: bursting. Thus, we observed three pore formation modes (toroidal pore formation, lipid extraction, and bursting) depending on the peptide concentration and local arrangement. These observations were consistent with experimental observations and hypothesized melittin modes. Through this study, we found that the local arrangements and population of melittin peptides and the area expansion rate by membrane deformation were key to the initiation of and competition among the multiple pore formation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Miyazaki
- Department of Materials Chemistry, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan; Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Wataru Shinoda
- Department of Materials Chemistry, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan; Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
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10
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Kreiser RP, Wright AK, Sasser LR, Rinauro DJ, Gabriel JM, Hsu CM, Hurtado JA, McKenzie TL, Errico S, Albright JA, Richardson L, Jaffett VA, Riegner DE, Nguyen LT, LeForte K, Zasloff M, Hollows JE, Chiti F, Vendruscolo M, Limbocker R. A Brain-Permeable Aminosterol Regulates Cell Membranes to Mitigate the Toxicity of Diverse Pore-Forming Agents. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:1219-1231. [PMID: 35404569 PMCID: PMC9026273 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
The molecular composition
of the plasma membrane plays a key role
in mediating the susceptibility of cells to perturbations induced
by toxic molecules. The pharmacological regulation of the properties
of the cell membrane has therefore the potential to enhance cellular
resilience to a wide variety of chemical and biological compounds.
In this study, we investigate the ability of claramine, a blood–brain
barrier permeable small molecule in the aminosterol class, to neutralize
the toxicity of acute biological threat agents, including melittin
from honeybee venom and α-hemolysin from Staphylococcus
aureus. Our results show that claramine neutralizes
the toxicity of these pore-forming agents by preventing their interactions
with cell membranes without perturbing their structures in a detectable
manner. We thus demonstrate that the exogenous administration of an
aminosterol can tune the properties of lipid membranes and protect
cells from diverse biotoxins, including not just misfolded protein
oligomers as previously shown but also biological protein-based toxins.
Our results indicate that the investigation of regulators of the physicochemical
properties of cell membranes offers novel opportunities to develop
countermeasures against an extensive set of cytotoxic effects associated
with cell membrane disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P. Kreiser
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Aidan K. Wright
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Liam R. Sasser
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Dillon J. Rinauro
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Justus M. Gabriel
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Claire M. Hsu
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Jorge A. Hurtado
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Tristan L. McKenzie
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Silvia Errico
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - J. Alex Albright
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Lance Richardson
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Victor A. Jaffett
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Dawn E. Riegner
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Lam T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Kathleen LeForte
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Michael Zasloff
- MedStar-Georgetown Transplant Institute, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia 20010, United States
| | - Jared E. Hollows
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Ryan Limbocker
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, United States
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11
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Cruz VL, Ramos J, Martinez-Salazar J, Montalban-Lopez M, Maqueda M. The Role of Key Amino Acids in the Antimicrobial Mechanism of a Bacteriocin Model Revealed by Molecular Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:6066-6078. [PMID: 34874722 PMCID: PMC9178794 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The AS-48 bacteriocin is a potent
antimicrobial polypeptide with
enhanced stability due to its circular sequence of peptidic bonds.
The mechanism of biological action is still not well understood in
spite of both the elucidation of the molecular structure some years
ago and several experiments performed that yielded valuable information
about the AS-48 bacterial membrane poration activity. In this work,
we present a computational study at an atomistic scale to analyze
the membrane disruption mechanism. The process is based on the two-stage
model: (1) peptide binding to the bilayer surface and (2) membrane
poration due to the surface tension exerted by the peptide. Indeed,
the induced membrane tension mechanism is able to explain stable formation
of pores leading to membrane disruption. The atomistic detail obtained
from the simulations allows one to envisage the contribution of the
different amino acids during the poration process. Clustering of cationic
residues and hydrophobic interactions between peptide and lipids seem
to be essential ingredients in the process. GLU amino acids have shown
to enhance the membrane disrupting ability of the bacteriocin. TRP24–TRP24
interactions make also an important contribution in the initial stages
of the poration mechanism. The detailed atomistic information obtained
from the simulations can serve to better understand bacteriocin structural
characteristics to design more potent antimicrobial therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor L Cruz
- BIOPHYM, Department of Macromolecular Physics, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, C/ Serrano 113 bis, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Javier Ramos
- BIOPHYM, Department of Macromolecular Physics, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, C/ Serrano 113 bis, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Javier Martinez-Salazar
- BIOPHYM, Department of Macromolecular Physics, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, C/ Serrano 113 bis, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Manuel Montalban-Lopez
- Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, C/ Fuentenueva s/n, Granada 18071, Spain
| | - Mercedes Maqueda
- Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, C/ Fuentenueva s/n, Granada 18071, Spain
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12
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Róg T, Girych M, Bunker A. Mechanistic Understanding from Molecular Dynamics in Pharmaceutical Research 2: Lipid Membrane in Drug Design. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:1062. [PMID: 34681286 PMCID: PMC8537670 DOI: 10.3390/ph14101062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as a drug design tool in the context of the role that the lipid membrane can play in drug action, i.e., the interaction between candidate drug molecules and lipid membranes. In the standard "lock and key" paradigm, only the interaction between the drug and a specific active site of a specific protein is considered; the environment in which the drug acts is, from a biophysical perspective, far more complex than this. The possible mechanisms though which a drug can be designed to tinker with physiological processes are significantly broader than merely fitting to a single active site of a single protein. In this paper, we focus on the role of the lipid membrane, arguably the most important element outside the proteins themselves, as a case study. We discuss work that has been carried out, using MD simulation, concerning the transfection of drugs through membranes that act as biological barriers in the path of the drugs, the behavior of drug molecules within membranes, how their collective behavior can affect the structure and properties of the membrane and, finally, the role lipid membranes, to which the vast majority of drug target proteins are associated, can play in mediating the interaction between drug and target protein. This review paper is the second in a two-part series covering MD simulation as a tool in pharmaceutical research; both are designed as pedagogical review papers aimed at both pharmaceutical scientists interested in exploring how the tool of MD simulation can be applied to their research and computational scientists interested in exploring the possibility of a pharmaceutical context for their research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Róg
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Mykhailo Girych
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Alex Bunker
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
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13
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Kang HK, Park J, Seo CH, Park Y. PEP27-2, a Potent Antimicrobial Cell-Penetrating Peptide, Reduces Skin Abscess Formation during Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Mouse When Used in Combination with Antibiotics. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:2620-2636. [PMID: 34251811 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PEP27, a 27-amino acid (aa) peptide secreted by Streptococcus pneumoniae, is an autolytic peptide that functions as a major virulence factor. To develop a clinically applicable antimicrobial peptide (AMP), we designed PEP27 analogs with Trp substitutions to enhance its antimicrobial activity compared to that of PEP27. Particularly, PEP27-2 showed strong antimicrobial activity against a wide variety of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. It was found that the antimicrobial activity of PEP27-2 was increased by substituting Trp for the aa at the middle position of PEP27. We found that PEP27-2 acts as an effective cell-penetrating peptide in bacterial and mammalian cells. Here, we proved that subcutaneous infection with MDR Staphylococcus aureus induced skin lesions such as skeletal muscle damage, deep inflammation, and necrosis of the overlaying dermis in mice. Combination treatment with antibiotics revealed synergistic effects, remarkably reducing abscess size and improving the bacteria removal rate from the infection site. Moreover, PEP27-2-antibiotic combination treatment reduced inflammation, lowering levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in skin abscess tissue. The results suggest that the PEP27-2 peptide is a promising therapeutic option for combating MDR bacterial strains by enhancing antibiotic penetration and protecting against MDR bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Kyoung Kang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
| | - Jonggwan Park
- Department of Bioinformatics, Kongju National University, Kongju 32588, Korea
| | - Chang Ho Seo
- Department of Bioinformatics, Kongju National University, Kongju 32588, Korea
| | - Yoonkyung Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
- Research Center for Proteineous Materials (RCPM), Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
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14
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Velasco-Bolom JL, Garduño-Juárez R. Computational studies of membrane pore formation induced by Pin2. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:5060-5068. [PMID: 33397200 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1867640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding, at the molecular level, the effect of AMPs on biological membranes is of crucial importance given the increasing number of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Being part of an ancient type of innate immunity system, AMPs have emerged as a potential solution for which bacteria have not developed resistance. Traditional antibiotics specifically act on biosynthetic pathways, while AMPs may directly destabilize the lipid membrane, but it is unclear how AMPs affect the membrane's stability. We performed multiscale molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structural features leading to membrane pores formation on zwitterionic and anionic membranes by the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Pandinin 2 (Pin2). Some experimental reports propose that Pin2 could form barrel-stave pores, while others suggest that it could form toroidal pores. Since there is no conclusive evidence of which type of pore is formed by Pin2 on bilayers, performing molecular dynamics simulations on these systems could shed some light on whether or not or what type of pore Pin2 forms on model membranes. Our results are focused on a detailed description of the pore formation by Pin2 in POPC and POPE:POPG membranes., which strongly suggest that Pin2 forms a toroidal pore and not a barrel-shaped pore; this type of pore also affects the membrane properties. In the process, a phospholipid remodeling in the POPE:POPG membrane takes place. Moreover, the pores formed by Pin2 indicate that they are selective for the chlorine ion. There are no previous ion selectivity reports for other AMPs with similar physicochemical properties, such as melittin and magainin.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- José-Luis Velasco-Bolom
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.,Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ramón Garduño-Juárez
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
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15
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Duffy C, Sorolla A, Wang E, Golden E, Woodward E, Davern K, Ho D, Johnstone E, Pfleger K, Redfern A, Iyer KS, Baer B, Blancafort P. Honeybee venom and melittin suppress growth factor receptor activation in HER2-enriched and triple-negative breast cancer. NPJ Precis Oncol 2020; 4:24. [PMID: 32923684 PMCID: PMC7463160 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-020-00129-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of study, the molecular mechanisms and selectivity of the biomolecular components of honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom as anticancer agents remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that honeybee venom and its major component melittin potently induce cell death, particularly in the aggressive triple-negative and HER2-enriched breast cancer subtypes. Honeybee venom and melittin suppress the activation of EGFR and HER2 by interfering with the phosphorylation of these receptors in the plasma membrane of breast carcinoma cells. Mutational studies reveal that a positively charged C-terminal melittin sequence mediates plasma membrane interaction and anticancer activity. Engineering of an RGD motif further enhances targeting of melittin to malignant cells with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Lastly, administration of melittin enhances the effect of docetaxel in suppressing breast tumor growth in an allograft model. Our work unveils a molecular mechanism underpinning the anticancer selectivity of melittin, and outlines treatment strategies to target aggressive breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara Duffy
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Anabel Sorolla
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Edina Wang
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Emily Golden
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Eleanor Woodward
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Kathleen Davern
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Monoclonal Antibody (MAb) Facility, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Diwei Ho
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Elizabeth Johnstone
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies, Perth, Australia
| | - Kevin Pfleger
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies, Perth, Australia.,Dimerix Limited; Nedlands, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Andrew Redfern
- School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - K Swaminathan Iyer
- Monoclonal Antibody (MAb) Facility, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Boris Baer
- Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER), Department of Entomology; University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521 USA
| | - Pilar Blancafort
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia.,The Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229 USA
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16
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Ma W, Sun S, Li W, Zhang Z, Lin Z, Xia Y, Yuan B, Yang K. Individual Roles of Peptides PGLa and Magainin 2 in Synergistic Membrane Poration. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:7190-7199. [PMID: 32529830 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Synergy between antimicrobial peptides PGLa and Magainin 2 (MAG2) provides an efficient way to enhance their antimicrobial ability. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of such synergy, especially the individual roles of each peptide, remains poorly understood. We combined a giant unilamellar vesicle leakage assay, in situ interfacial photovoltage testing, and molecular dynamics to investigate membrane poration under the action of PGLa, MAG2, or a PGLa/MAG2 mixture. Our results clearly show the different membrane action modes of the three systems and demonstrate the importance of forming PGLa-MAG2 heterodimers in the membrane poration process. PGLa inserted into and extracted from a membrane rapidly and continually with minimal aggregation and produced only transient, small pores. In contrast, MAG2 peptides tended to aggregate together on the membrane surface or only shallowly embed in the membrane. Additionally, the PGLa and MAG2 residues were well integrated into the membrane via the formation of PGLa-MAG2 heterodimers. The membrane defect produced by the rapid insertion of PGLa was stabilized by MAG2, which further recruited other peptides for the formation of PGLa-MAG2 heterodimers and even heterodimer clusters. Growth in pore size then occurred in a step-by-step process involving the formation and assembly of heterodimer clusters within the membrane. Our results provide insight into the complicated synergy that occurs between PGLa and MAG2 during membrane poration and will assist in the design of new antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendong Ma
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
| | - Shuqing Sun
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
| | - Wenwen Li
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
| | - Zhao Lin
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
| | - Yu Xia
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
| | - Bing Yuan
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
| | - Kai Yang
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China
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17
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Deng Z, Lu X, Xu C, Yuan B, Yang K. Lipid-specific interactions determine the organization and dynamics of membrane-active peptide melittin. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:3498-3504. [PMID: 32215386 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00046a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The cell membranes of different cells deviate significantly in lipid compositions and thus provide varying biological environments to modulate the diffusion, organization and the resultant function of biomacromolecules. However, the detailed modulation mechanism remains elusive especially in consideration of the current overuse of the simplified membrane models such as the pure phosphatidylcholine (PC) membrane. In this work, with the typical membrane-active peptide melittin, we demonstrated that a more complicated membrane environment, such as the bacterial (IME) or plasma membrane (PM), would significantly change the organization and dynamics of melittin, by using molecular dynamics simulations as a "computational microscope". It was found that in these membrane systems, adding melittin would cause a varying degree of reduction in the lateral diffusion of lipids due to the different assembly states of peptides. Melittin tended to aggregate to oligomers in the pure PC membrane, mostly as a tetramer or trimer, while in IME or PM, its degree of oligomerization was significantly reduced. More surprisingly, melittin displayed a strong affinity with ganglioside GM3 in PM, leading to the formation of melittin-GM3 nanoclusters, which hindered its diffusion and further oligomerization. Additionally, small changes in the residue sequence of melittin could modulate the degree or structure of the peptide oligomer. Our work provides a typical example of a study on the organization and dynamics of pore-forming peptides in specific membrane environments and has great significance on the optimization of peptide sequences and the design of helix bundles in the membrane for target biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiong Deng
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China.
| | - Xuemei Lu
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China.
| | - Cheng Xu
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China.
| | - Bing Yuan
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China. and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Thin Films, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China
| | - Kai Yang
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China. and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Thin Films, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China
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18
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Bertrand B, Munusamy S, Espinosa-Romero JF, Corzo G, Arenas Sosa I, Galván-Hernández A, Ortega-Blake I, Hernández-Adame PL, Ruiz-García J, Velasco-Bolom JL, Garduño-Juárez R, Munoz-Garay C. Biophysical characterization of the insertion of two potent antimicrobial peptides-Pin2 and its variant Pin2[GVG] in biological model membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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19
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Belluati A, Mikhalevich V, Yorulmaz Avsar S, Daubian D, Craciun I, Chami M, Meier WP, Palivan CG. How Do the Properties of Amphiphilic Polymer Membranes Influence the Functional Insertion of Peptide Pores? Biomacromolecules 2019; 21:701-715. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Belluati
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Viktoria Mikhalevich
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Saziye Yorulmaz Avsar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Davy Daubian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ioana Craciun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Chami
- BioEM Lab, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang P. Meier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia G. Palivan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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20
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Nangia S, Boyd KJ, May ER. Molecular dynamics study of membrane permeabilization by wild-type and mutant lytic peptides from the non-enveloped Flock House virus. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1862:183102. [PMID: 31678020 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Flock House virus (FHV) serves as a model system for understanding infection mechanisms utilized by non-enveloped viruses to transport across cellular membranes. During the infection cycle of FHV, a fundamental stage involves disruption of the endosomal membrane by membrane active peptides, following externalization of the peptides from the capsid interior. The FHV lytic agents are the 44 C-terminal amino acids residues of the capsid protein, which are auto-catalytically cleaved during the capsid maturation process. The cleaved peptides are termed γ peptides. In this study, we perform multi-scale molecular dynamics simulations including 40 μs all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to study the behavior of pre-inserted transmembrane lytic peptides at a high concentration in a neutral membrane. We study the dynamical organization among peptides to form oligomeric bundles in four systems including the wild-type γ peptide and three mutant forms; namely, a truncation mutant in which the 23 C-terminal residues are deleted (γ1), a construct where the 8 C-terminal residues of γ are fused to γ1 (Δ385-399 γ) and a single-point mutant (F402A γ), all of which have been experimentally shown to drastically affect infectivity and lytic activity compared to the wild-type γ. Our results shed light on the actions of varied forms of the FHV lytic peptide including membrane insertion, trans-membrane stability, peptide oligomerization, water permeation activity and dynamic pore formation. Findings from this study provide detailed structural information and rationale for the differences in lytic activity among variants of FHV γ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivangi Nangia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States of America
| | - Kevin J Boyd
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States of America
| | - Eric R May
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States of America.
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21
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Soliman C, Eastwood S, Truong VK, Ramsland PA, Elbourne A. The membrane effects of melittin on gastric and colorectal cancer. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224028. [PMID: 31622415 PMCID: PMC6797111 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The cytotoxic effects of melittin, a bee-venom peptide, have been widely studied towards cancer cells. Typically, these studies have examined the effect of melittin over extended-time courses (6-24 hours), meaning that immediate cellular interactions have been overlooked. In this work, we demonstrate the rapid effects of melittin on both gastric and colorectal cancer, specifically AGS, COLO205 and HCT-15 cell lines, over a period of 15 minutes. Melittin exhibited a dose dependent effect at 4 hours of treatment, with complete cellular death occurring at the highest dose of 20 μg/mL. Interestingly, when observed at shorter time points, melittin induced cellular changes within seconds; membrane damage was observed as swelling, breakage or blebbing. High-resolution imaging revealed treated cells to be compromised, showing clear change in cellular morphology. After 1 minute of melittin treatment, membrane changes were observed, and intracellular material could be seen expelled from the cells. Overall, these results enhance our understanding of the fast acting anti-cancer effects of melittin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Soliman
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campusm Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Eastwood
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campusm Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vi Khanh Truong
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campusm Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, RMIT University, Melbourne City Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul A. Ramsland
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campusm Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Immunology, Central Clinical School (Monash University), Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Surgery Austin Health (University of Melbourne), Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aaron Elbourne
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campusm Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, RMIT University, Melbourne City Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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22
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Chirality-Dependent Adsorption between Amphipathic Peptide and POPC Membrane. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20194760. [PMID: 31557910 PMCID: PMC6801444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The interactions between chiral molecules and cell membranes have attracted more and more attention in recent decades, due to their importance in molecular science and medical applications. It is observed that some peptides composed of different chiral amino acids may have distinct interactions with a membrane. How does the membrane exhibit a selective behavior related to the chirality of the peptides? Microscopically, the interactions between the peptides and the membrane are poorly understood. In this work, we study the interactions between an amphipathic peptide (C6) and POPC membrane with simulations. The kinetics and thermodynamics of peptide enantiomers during the adsorption to the membrane are characterized with direct simulations and umbrella sampling. It is observed that there are slow kinetics for the peptide composed of D-type amino acids. Along the observed pathways, the free energy landscapes are determined with umbrella sampling techniques. A free-energy barrier for the peptide composed of D-amino acids is observed, which is consistent with the kinetic observations. The results indicate the concurrent adsorption and rotation of the peptide helix. The local interactions between the peptides and the membrane are examined in detail, including the contact interactions between the peptides and the membrane, and the distributions of the lipids around the peptide. There are observable differences of the local interactions for the cases related to different peptide enantiomers. These results further demonstrate the importance of the rotation of peptide helix during the adsorption. More interestingly, all these kinetic differences between peptide enantiomers can be explained based on the conformations of the residue Trp and interactions between Trp and lipid molecules. These results give us a molecular understanding of the mechanism of the chirality-dependent peptide-membrane interactions, and may provide clues to designing systems which are sensitive to the chirality of membranes.
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23
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Losasso V, Hsiao YW, Martelli F, Winn MD, Crain J. Modulation of Antimicrobial Peptide Potency in Stressed Lipid Bilayers. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 122:208103. [PMID: 31172786 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.208103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
It is shown that the tendency of an archetypal antimicrobial peptide to insert into and perforate a simple lipid bilayer is strongly modulated by tensile stress in the membrane. The results, obtained through molecular dynamics simulations, have been demonstrated with several lipid compositions and appear to be general, although quantitative details differ. The findings imply that the potency of antimicrobial peptides may not be a purely intrinsic chemical property and, instead, depends on the mechanical state of the target membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Losasso
- Daresbury Laboratory, STFC, Daresbury, Warrington, England WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
| | - Ya-Wen Hsiao
- Daresbury Laboratory, STFC, Daresbury, Warrington, England WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
| | - Fausto Martelli
- IBM Research, Hartree Centre, Daresbury, England WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
| | - Martyn D Winn
- Daresbury Laboratory, STFC, Daresbury, Warrington, England WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
| | - Jason Crain
- IBM Research, Hartree Centre, Daresbury, England WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
- Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, England
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24
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Hong J, Lu X, Deng Z, Xiao S, Yuan B, Yang K. How Melittin Inserts into Cell Membrane: Conformational Changes, Inter-Peptide Cooperation, and Disturbance on the Membrane. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24091775. [PMID: 31067828 PMCID: PMC6539814 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24091775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), as a key component of the immune defense systems of organisms, are a promising solution to the serious threat of drug-resistant bacteria to public health. As one of the most representative and extensively studied AMPs, melittin has exceptional broad-spectrum activities against microorganisms, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Unfortunately, the action mechanism of melittin with bacterial membranes, especially the underlying physics of peptide-induced membrane poration behaviors, is still poorly understood, which hampers efforts to develop melittin-based drugs or agents for clinical applications. In this mini-review, we focus on recent advances with respect to the membrane insertion behavior of melittin mostly from a computational aspect. Membrane insertion is a prerequisite and key step for forming transmembrane pores and bacterial killing by melittin, whose occurrence is based on overcoming a high free-energy barrier during the transition of melittin molecules from a membrane surface-binding state to a transmembrane-inserting state. Here, intriguing simulation results on such transition are highlighted from both kinetic and thermodynamic aspects. The conformational changes and inter-peptide cooperation of melittin molecules, as well as melittin-induced disturbances to membrane structure, such as deformation and lipid extraction, are regarded as key factors influencing the insertion of peptides into membranes. The associated intermediate states in peptide conformations, lipid arrangements, membrane structure, and mechanical properties during this process are specifically discussed. Finally, potential strategies for enhancing the poration ability and improving the antimicrobial performance of AMPs are included as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Hong
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
| | - Xuemei Lu
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
| | - Zhixiong Deng
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
| | - Shufeng Xiao
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
| | - Bing Yuan
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
| | - Kai Yang
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research & School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
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Miyazaki Y, Okazaki S, Shinoda W. Free energy analysis of membrane pore formation process in the presence of multiple melittin peptides. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:1409-1419. [PMID: 30885804 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanism underlying pore formation in lipid membranes by antimicrobial peptides is of great importance in biological sciences as well as in drug design applications. Melittin has been widely studied as a pore forming peptide, though the molecular mechanism for pore formation is still illusive. We examined the free energy barrier for the creation of a pore in lipid membranes with and without multiple melittin peptides. It was found that six melittin peptides significantly stabilized a pore, though a small barrier (a few kBT) for the formation still existed. With five melittin peptides or fewer, the pore formation barrier was much higher, though the established pore was in a local energy minimum. Although seven melittins effectively reduced the free energy barrier, a single melittin peptide left the pore after a long time MD simulation probably because of the overcrowded environment around the bilayer pore. Thus, it is highly selective for the number of melittin peptides to stabilize the membrane pore, as was also suggested by the line tension evaluations. The free energy cost required to insert a single melittin into the membrane is too high to explain the one-by-one insertion mechanism for pore formation, which also supports the collective melittin mechanism for pore formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Miyazaki
- Department of Materials Chemistry, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Susumu Okazaki
- Department of Materials Chemistry, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Wataru Shinoda
- Department of Materials Chemistry, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan.
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Zhao X, Liao C, Ma YT, Ferrell JB, Schneebeli ST, Li J. Top-down Multiscale Approach To Simulate Peptide Self-Assembly from Monomers. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:1514-1522. [PMID: 30677300 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.8b01025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Modeling peptide assembly from monomers on large time and length scales is often intractable at the atomistic resolution. To address this challenge, we present a new approach which integrates coarse-grained (CG), mixed-resolution, and all-atom (AA) modeling in a single simulation. We simulate the initial encounter stage with the CG model, while the further assembly and reorganization stages are simulated with the mixed-resolution and AA models. We have implemented this top-down approach with new tools to automate model transformations and to monitor oligomer formations. Further, a theory was developed to estimate the optimal simulation length for each stage using a model peptide, melittin. The assembly level, the oligomer distribution, and the secondary structures of melittin simulated by the optimal protocol show good agreement with prior experiments and AA simulations. Finally, our approach and theory have been successfully validated with three amyloid peptides (β-amyloid 16-22, GNNQQNY fragment from the yeast prion protein SUP35, and α-synuclein fibril 35-55), which highlight the synergy from modeling at multiple resolutions. This work not only serves as proof of concept for multiresolution simulation studies but also presents practical guidelines for further self-assembly simulations at more physically and chemically relevant scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Zhao
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Vermont , Burlington , Vermont 05405 , United States
| | - Chenyi Liao
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Vermont , Burlington , Vermont 05405 , United States
| | - Yong-Tao Ma
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Vermont , Burlington , Vermont 05405 , United States
| | - Jonathon B Ferrell
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Vermont , Burlington , Vermont 05405 , United States
| | - Severin T Schneebeli
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Vermont , Burlington , Vermont 05405 , United States
| | - Jianing Li
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Vermont , Burlington , Vermont 05405 , United States
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27
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Molecular details on the intermediate states of melittin action on a cell membrane. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1860:2234-2241. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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28
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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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Lipkin R, Lazaridis T. Computational studies of peptide-induced membrane pore formation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018. [PMID: 28630158 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of peptides induce pores in biological membranes; the most common ones are naturally produced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are small, usually cationic, and defend diverse organisms against biological threats. Because it is not possible to observe these pores directly on a molecular scale, the structure of AMP-induced pores and the exact sequence of steps leading to their formation remain uncertain. Hence, these questions have been investigated via molecular modelling. In this article, we review computational studies of AMP pore formation using all-atom, coarse-grained, and implicit solvent models; evaluate the results obtained and suggest future research directions to further elucidate the pore formation mechanism of AMPs.This article is part of the themed issue 'Membrane pores: from structure and assembly, to medicine and technology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Lipkin
- Department of Chemistry, City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA.,Graduate Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Themis Lazaridis
- Department of Chemistry, City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
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30
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Deplazes E. Molecular simulations of venom peptide-membrane interactions: Progress and challenges. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Deplazes
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences; Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University; Bentley, Perth WA 6102 Australia
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31
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Sun D, Forsman J, Woodward CE. Molecular Simulations of Melittin-Induced Membrane Pores. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:10209-10214. [PMID: 29035531 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b07126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-active peptides (MAPs) are able to induce pores in cell membranes via molecular mechanisms, which are still subject to ongoing research. In this work, we present molecular dynamics simulations that suggest a precursor membrane defect plays an important role in the pore-inducing activity of the prototypical antimicrobial peptide melittin. The simulations reveal that the hydrophobic N-terminus of melittin is able to recognize and insert into the membrane defect in the lipid bilayer and that this leads to a cascading transfer of adsorbed peptides to the membrane defect, leading to peptide aggregation in the pore. We show that this mechanism also acts in the case of a melittin mutant without the flexible central proline hinge, thus indicating the latter is not crucial to the activity of melittin, which is consistent with experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delin Sun
- School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales , Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Jan Forsman
- Theoretical Chemistry, Chemical Centre, Lund University , P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Clifford E Woodward
- School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales , Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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32
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Woo SY, Lee H. Aggregation and insertion of melittin and its analogue MelP5 into lipid bilayers at different concentrations: effects on pore size, bilayer thickness and dynamics. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:7195-7203. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp06834k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Melittin and its analogue MelP5 (five mutations T10A, R22A, K23A, R24Q, and Q26L of melittin) were simulated with lipid bilayers at different peptide/lipid molar ratios using all-atom and coarse-grained (CG) force fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Young Woo
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Dankook University
- Yongin
- South Korea
| | - Hwankyu Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Dankook University
- Yongin
- South Korea
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33
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Wu X, Narsimhan G. Synergistic effect of low power ultrasonication on antimicrobial activity of melittin against Listeria monocytogenes. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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34
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Mechanical properties that influence antimicrobial peptide activity in lipid membranes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:10251-10263. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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35
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da Hora GCA, Archilha NL, Lopes JLS, Müller DM, Coutinho K, Itri R, Soares TA. Membrane negative curvature induced by a hybrid peptide from pediocin PA-1 and plantaricin 149 as revealed by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:8884-8898. [PMID: 27722742 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01714b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are cationic peptides that kill bacteria with a broad spectrum of action, low toxicity to mammalian cells and exceptionally low rates of bacterial resistance. These features have led to considerable efforts in developing AMPs as an alternative antibacterial therapy. In vitro studies have shown that AMPs interfere with membrane bilayer integrity via several possible mechanisms, which are not entirely understood. We have performed the synthesis, membrane lysis measurements, and biophysical characterization of a novel hybrid peptide. These measurements show that PA-Pln149 does not form nanopores, but instead promotes membrane rupture. It causes fast rupture of the bacterial model membrane (POPG-rich) at concentrations 100-fold lower than that required for the disruption of mammalian model membranes (POPC-rich). Atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for single and multiple copies of PA-Pln149 in the presence of mixed and pure POPC/POPG bilayers to investigate the concentration-dependent membrane disruption by the hybrid peptide. These simulations reproduced the experimental trend and provided a potential mechanism of action for PA-Pln149. It shows that the PA-Pln149 does not form nanopores, but instead promotes membrane destabilization through peptide aggregation and induction of membrane negative curvature with the collapse of the lamellar arrangement. The sequence of events depicted for PA-Pln149 may offer insights into the mechanism of action of AMPs previously shown to induce negative deformation of membrane curvature and often associated with peptide translocation via non-bilayer intermediate structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- G C A da Hora
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-560 Cidade Universitária, Recife, Brazil.
| | - N L Archilha
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - J L S Lopes
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - D M Müller
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Cs. Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (U.N.L). Ciudad Universitaria, C.C.242, (C.P:3000) Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - K Coutinho
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - R Itri
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - T A Soares
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-560 Cidade Universitária, Recife, Brazil. and Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
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36
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Therrien A, Lafleur M. Melittin-Induced Lipid Extraction Modulated by the Methylation Level of Phosphatidylcholine Headgroups. Biophys J 2016; 110:400-410. [PMID: 26789763 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein- and peptide-induced lipid extraction from membranes is a critical process for many biological events, including reverse cholesterol transport and sperm capacitation. In this work, we examine whether such processes could display specificity for some lipid species. Melittin, the main component of dry bee venom, was used as a model amphipathic α-helical peptide. We specifically determined the modulation of melittin-induced lipid extraction from membranes by the change of the methylation level of phospholipid headgroups. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) bilayers were demethylated either by substitution with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or chemically by using mono- and dimethylated PE. It is shown that demethylation reduces the association of melittin with membranes, likely because of the resulting tighter chain packing of the phospholipids, which reduces the capacity of the membranes to accommodate inserted melittin. This reduced binding of the peptide is accompanied by an inhibition of the lipid extraction caused by melittin. We demonstrate that melittin selectively extracts PC from PC/PE membranes. This selectivity is proposed to be a consequence of a PE depletion in the surroundings of bound melittin to minimize disruption of the interphospholipid interactions. The resulting PC-enriched vicinity of melittin would be responsible for the observed formation of PC-enriched lipid/peptide particles resulting from the lipid efflux. These findings reveal that modulating the methylation level of phospholipid headgroups is a simple way to control the specificity of lipid extraction from membranes by peptides/proteins and thereby modulate the lipid composition of the membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Therrien
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Self-Assembled Chemical Structures, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Michel Lafleur
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Self-Assembled Chemical Structures, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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37
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King MJ, Bennett AL, Almeida PF, Lee HS. Coarse-grained simulations of hemolytic peptide δ-lysin interacting with a POPC bilayer. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:3182-3194. [PMID: 27720634 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
δ-lysin, secreted by a Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, is a 26-residue membrane active peptide that shares many common features with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, it possesses a few unique features that differentiate itself from typical AMPs. In particular, δ-lysin has zero net charge, even though it has many charged residues, and it preferentially lyses eukaryotic cells over bacterial cells. Here, we present the results of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of δ-lysin interacting with a zwitterionic membrane over a wide range of peptide concentrations. When the peptides concentration is low, spontaneous dimerization of peptides is observed on the membrane surface, but deep insertion of peptides or pore formation was not observed. However, the calculated free energy of peptide insertion suggests that a small fraction of peptides is likely to be present inside the membrane at the peptide concentrations typically seen in dye efflux experiments. When the simulations with multiple peptides are carried out with a single pre-inserted transmembrane peptide, spontaneous pore formation occurs with a peptide-to-lipid ratio (P/L) as low as P/L=1:42. Inter-peptide salt bridges among the transmembrane peptides seem to play a role in creating compact pores with very low level of hydration. More importantly, the transmembrane peptides making up the pore are constantly pushed to the opposite side of the membrane when the mass imbalance between the two sides of membrane is significant. Thus, the pore is very dynamic, allowing multiple peptides to translocate across the membrane simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariah J King
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States
| | - Ashley L Bennett
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States
| | - Paulo F Almeida
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States
| | - Hee-Seung Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States.
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38
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Pan J, Khadka NK. Kinetic Defects Induced by Melittin in Model Lipid Membranes: A Solution Atomic Force Microscopy Study. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:4625-34. [PMID: 27167473 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b02332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative characterization of membrane defects (pores) is important for elucidating the molecular basis of many membrane-active peptides. We study kinetic defects induced by melittin in vesicular and planar lipid bilayers. Fluorescence spectroscopy measurements indicate that melittin induces time-dependent calcein leakage. Solution atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to visualize melittin-induced membrane defects. After initial equilibration, the most probable defect radius is ∼3.8 nm in 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) bilayers. Unexpectedly, defects become larger with longer incubation, accompanied by substantial shape transformation. The initial defect radius is ∼4.7 nm in 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) bilayers. Addition of 30 mol % cholesterol to DOPC bilayers suppresses defect kinetics, although the inhibitory impact is negated by longer incubation. Overall, the kinetic rate of defect development follows DLPC > DOPC > DOPC/cholesterol. Kinetic defects are also observed when anionic lipids are present. Based on the observation that defects can occupy as large as 40% of the bilayer surface, we propose a kinetic defect growth model. We also study the effect of melittin on the phase behavior of DOPC/egg-sphingomyelin/cholesterol bilayers. We find that melittin initially suppresses or eliminates liquid-ordered (Lo) domains; Lo domains gradually emerge and become the dominant species with longer incubation; and defects in phase-coexisting bilayers have a most probable radius of ∼5 nm and are exclusively localized in the liquid-disordered (Ld) phase. Our experimental data highlight that melittin-induced membrane defects are not static; conversely, spontaneous defect growth is intrinsically associated with membrane permeabilization exerted by melittin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Pan
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Nawal K Khadka
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
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39
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Therrien A, Fournier A, Lafleur M. Role of the Cationic C-Terminal Segment of Melittin on Membrane Fragmentation. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:3993-4002. [PMID: 27054924 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b11705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The widespread distribution of cationic antimicrobial peptides capable of membrane fragmentation in nature underlines their importance to living organisms. In the present work, we determined the impact of the electrostatic interactions associated with the cationic C-terminal segment of melittin, a 26-amino acid peptide from bee venom (net charge +6), on its binding to model membranes and on the resulting fragmentation. In order to detail the role played by the C-terminal charges, we prepared a melittin analogue for which the four cationic amino acids in positions 21-24 were substituted with the polar residue citrulline, providing a peptide with the same length and amphiphilicity but with a lower net charge (+2). We compared the peptide bilayer affinity and the membrane fragmentation for bilayers prepared from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC)/1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine (DPPS) mixtures. It is shown that neutralization of the C-terminal considerably increased melittin affinity for zwitterionic membranes. The unfavorable contribution associated with transferring the cationic C-terminal in a less polar environment was reduced, leaving the hydrophobic interactions, which drive the peptide insertion in bilayers, with limited counterbalancing interactions. The presence of negatively charged lipids (DPPS) in bilayers increased melittin binding by introducing attractive electrostatic interactions, the augmentation being, as expected, greater for native melittin than for its citrullinated analogue. The membrane fragmentation power of the peptide was shown to be controlled by electrostatic interactions and could be modulated by the charge carried by both the membrane and the lytic peptide. The analysis of the lipid composition of the extracted fragments from DPPC/DPPS bilayers revealed no lipid specificity. It is proposed that extended phase separations are more susceptible to lead to the extraction of a lipid species in a specific manner than a specific lipid-peptide affinity. The present work on the lipid extraction by melittin and citrullinated melittin with model membranes emphasizes the complex relation between the affinity, the lipid extraction/membrane fragmentation, and the lipid specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Therrien
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Self-Assembled Chemical Structures (CSACS), Université de Montréal , C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal (Québec) H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Alain Fournier
- Centre INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Ville de Laval (Québec) H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Michel Lafleur
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Self-Assembled Chemical Structures (CSACS), Université de Montréal , C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal (Québec) H3C 3J7, Canada
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Kirsch SA, Böckmann RA. Membrane pore formation in atomistic and coarse-grained simulations. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015; 1858:2266-2277. [PMID: 26748016 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Biological cells and their organelles are protected by ultra thin membranes. These membranes accomplish a broad variety of important tasks like separating the cell content from the outer environment, they are the site for cell-cell interactions and many enzymatic reactions, and control the in- and efflux of metabolites. For certain physiological functions e.g. in the fusion of membranes and also in a number of biotechnological applications like gene transfection the membrane integrity needs to be compromised to allow for instance for the exchange of polar molecules across the membrane barrier. Mechanisms enabling the transport of molecules across the membrane involve membrane proteins that form specific pores or act as transporters, but also so-called lipid pores induced by external fields, stress, or peptides. Recent progress in the simulation field enabled to closely mimic pore formation as supposed to occur in vivo or in vitro. Here, we review different simulation-based approaches in the study of membrane pores with a focus on lipid pore properties such as their size and energetics, poration mechanisms based on the application of external fields, charge imbalances, or surface tension, and on pores that are induced by small molecules, peptides, and lipids. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biosimulations edited by Ilpo Vattulainen and Tomasz Róg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja A Kirsch
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rainer A Böckmann
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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41
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Sun D, Forsman J, Woodward CE. Atomistic Molecular Simulations Suggest a Kinetic Model for Membrane Translocation by Arginine-Rich Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:14413-20. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b08072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Delin Sun
- School
of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Jan Forsman
- Theoretical
Chemistry, Chemical Centre, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Clifford E. Woodward
- School
of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
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