1
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Liu F, Yang S, Zhang L, Zhang M, Bi Y, Wang S, Wang X, Wang Y. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of amphiphilic benzopyran derivatives as potent antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 277:116784. [PMID: 39178727 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a significant threat to global public health. To develop novel, high efficiency antibacterial alternatives to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria, A total of thirty-two novel amphiphilic benzopyran derivatives by mimicking the structure and function of antimicrobial peptides were designed and synthesized. Among them, the most promising compounds 4h and 17e displayed excellent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (MICs = 1-4 μg/mL) with weak hemolytic activity and good membrane selectivity. Additionally, compounds 4h and 17e had rapid bactericidal properties, low resistance frequency, good plasma stability, and strong capabilities of inhibiting and eliminating bacterial biofilms. Mechanistic studies revealed that compounds 4h and 17e could effectively disrupt the integrity of bacterial cell membranes, and accompanied by an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species and the leakage of proteins and DNA, ultimately leading to bacterial death. Notably, compound 4h exhibited comparable in vivo antibacterial potency in a mouse septicemia model infected by Staphylococcus aureus ATCC43300, as compared to vancomycin. These findings indicated that 4h might be a promising antibacterial candidate to combat antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Siyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Meiyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Ying Bi
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Xuekun Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China.
| | - Yinhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Macromolecule Drugs and Large-scale Manufacturing, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Food Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China.
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2
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Wei F, Qi H, Li B, Cai R, Liao M, Li P, Zhan X, Zhu T, Xu H, Hu X, Lu JR, Zhou F. Probing the relevance of synergistic lipid membrane disruption to the eye irritation of binary mixed nonionic surfactants. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 678:854-863. [PMID: 39321641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.09.159] [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: 07/01/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Nonionic surfactant aerosols play a crucial role in many industries, but they can cause acute irritation to users' eyes during spraying. This cytotoxic process is associated with corneal cell necrosis causing cell membrane disruption. Industrial grade surfactants are typically polydisperse mixtures described by their nominal chemical structure but how the polydispersity affects their interactions with cell membrane, remains largely unexplored. A better understanding could benefit product formulations to maximise their efficiency whilst minimising their toxicity to the users. In this study, poly-oxyethylene glycol monododecyl ethers (C12E4, C12E23) were used to form ideal binary surfactant mixtures. The cytotoxicities of mono and polydispersed surfactants towards human corneal epithelial cells were examined, followed by a series of biophysical characterisations of interactions between surfactants and model cell membranes. Notably, to probe the journey of individual C12E4 and C12E23 surfactant molecules across the cell membrane from a binary surfactant mixture, "two-colour" neutron reflection measurements were achieved via Hydrogen/Deuterium substitution. The relative distributions of C12E4 and C12E23 across cell membranes and their nanostructural conformations revealed a synergistic membrane-lytic ability initiated by surfactant mixing, with the more hydrophobic C12E4 exhibiting stronger membrane binding potency than the hydrophilic C12E23. The exact molar ratio of C12E4 against C12E23 in the mixture determined how the mixed surfactant interacted with the cell membrane, and how the process directly impacted cytotoxicity and eye irritation. Thus, the cytotoxicity of polydisperse surfactants is not the same as monodisperse surfactant of the same average structure. This work provides a useful basis for the assessment of surfactant mixing by balancing their efficiency and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.18, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China; State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hao Qi
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai 264006, Shandong, China
| | - Bin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.18, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China; Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai 264006, Shandong, China
| | - Rongsheng Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.18, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Peixun Li
- STFC ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Xiaozhi Zhan
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan 523803, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan 523803, China
| | - Hai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xuzhi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.18, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China; Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai 264006, Shandong, China.
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Feng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.18, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China.
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3
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Wang S, Xu H, Li Y, Zhang L, Xu S. Aggression to Biomembranes by Hydrophobic Tail Chains under the Stimulus of Reductant. Molecules 2024; 29:4001. [PMID: 39274849 PMCID: PMC11396224 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29174001] [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: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stimulus-responsive materials hold significant promise for antitumor applications due to their variable structures and physical properties. In this paper, a series of peptides with a responsive viologen derivative, Pep-CnV (n = 1, 2, 3) were designed and synthesized. The process and mechanism of the interaction were studied and discussed. An ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectrophotometer and fluorescence spectrophotometer were used to study their redox responsiveness. Additionally, their secondary structures were measured by Circular Dichroism (CD) in the presence or absence of the reductant, Na2SO3. DPPC and DPPG liposomes were prepared to mimic normal and tumor cell membranes. The interaction between Pep-CnV and biomembranes was investigated by the measurements of surface tension and cargo leakage. Results proved Pep-CnV was more likely to interact with the DPPG liposome and destroy its biomembrane under the stimulus of the reductant. And the destruction increased with the length of the hydrophobic tail chain. Pep-CnV showed its potential as an intelligent antitumor agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Huifang Xu
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Lingyi Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Shouhong Xu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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4
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Li P, Chen G, Liang R, Cai K, Chen Z, Yang N, Huang W, Xie Z, Chen Y, Liao Q. Identification and Function Analysis of Novel Hypoglycemic and Antioxidant Peptides from Chickpea. PLANT FOODS FOR HUMAN NUTRITION (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2024:10.1007/s11130-024-01215-5. [PMID: 39153161 DOI: 10.1007/s11130-024-01215-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Chickpea is rich in protein and has been demonstrated to possess hypoglycaemic effects. However, the specific bioactive ingredients and mechanisms underlying their hypoglycaemic effects remain unclear. In this study, enzymatic hydrolysis and gel permeation chromatography were used to extract chickpea bioactive peptide (CBP) from chickpea protein. One of the products, CBP-75-3, was found to inhibit α-glucosidase (GAA) activity and significantly increase the viability of insulin resistant (IR) cells. Moreover, CBP-75-3 significantly increased the rate of glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis in IR-HepG2 cells. Moreover, CBP-75-3 decreased the levels of malondialdehyde and increased the levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase. Subsequently, 29 novel bioactive peptides in CBP-75-3 were identified by LC‒MS/MS, and the potential hypoglycaemic targets of these novel bioactive peptides were investigated using molecular docking. Based on the results, the residues of the novel bioactive peptides interact with GAA through hydrogen bonding (especially LLR, FH, RQLPR, KGF and NFQ by binding to the substrate binding pocket or the active centre of GAA), thereby inhibiting GAA activity and laying a foundation for its hypoglycaemic activity. In short, the novel bioactive peptides isolated and identified from chickpea can effectively exert hypoglycaemic effects and increase the antioxidant capacity of IR-HepG2 cells. This study reveals that CBP-75-3, a natural hypoglycaemic ingredient, has potential for applications in functional foods and provides a theoretical basis for the development and application of CBP in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
- Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Guoping Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rongyao Liang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Kaiwei Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zihao Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Na Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wenyi Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhiyong Xie
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518106, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yanlong Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Qiongfeng Liao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China.
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5
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Wu X, Tian Y, Ran K, Yao J, Wang Y, Ouyang X, Mao W, Zhang J, Li B, Yang P, Ba Z, Liu H, Gou S, Zhong C, Zhang Y, Ni J. Rational design of a new short anticancer peptide with good potential for cancer treatment. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 273:116519. [PMID: 38795519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Anticancer peptides (ACPs) have regarded as a new generation of promising antitumor drugs due to the unique mode of action. The main challenge is to develop potential anticancer peptides with satisfied antitumor activity and low toxicity. Here, a series of new α-helical anticancer peptides were designed and synthesized based on the regular repeat motif KLLK. The optimal peptides 14E and 14Aad were successfully derived from the new short α-helical peptide KL-8. Our results demonstrated that 14E and 14Aad had good antitumor activity and low toxicity, exhibiting excellent selectivity index. This result highlighted that the desirable modification position and appropriate hydrophobic side-chain structure of acidic amino acids played critical roles in regulating the antitumor activity/toxicity of new peptides. Further studies indicated that they could induce tumor cell death via the multiple actions of efficient membrane disruption and intracellular mechanisms, displaying apparent superiority in combination with PTX. In addition, the new peptides 14E and 14Aad showed excellent antitumor efficacy in vivo and low toxicity in mice compared to KL-8 and PTX. Particularly, 14Aad with the longer side chain at the 14th site exhibited the best therapeutic performance. In conclusion, our work provided a new avenue to develop promising anticancer peptides with good selectivity for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Yali Tian
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Kaixin Ran
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Jia Yao
- The First Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Yuxia Wang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Xu Ouyang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Wenbo Mao
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Jingying Zhang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Beibei Li
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Ping Yang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Zufang Ba
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Hui Liu
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Sanhu Gou
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Chao Zhong
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
| | - Jingman Ni
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
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6
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Yang H, Wang J, Wang X, Wang S, Xu J, Shan Q, Wang J, Ma X, Zhu Y. Nanofiber Peptides for Bacterial Trapping: A Novel Approach to Antibiotic Alternatives in Wound Infections. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2304657. [PMID: 38607802 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202304657] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The pervasive employment of antibiotics has engendered the advent of drug-resistant bacteria, imperiling the well-being and health of both humans and animals. Infections precipitated by such multi-resistant bacteria, especially those induced by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), pervade hospital settings, constituting a grave menace to patient vitality. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have garnered considerable attention as a potent countermeasure against multidrug resistant bacteria. In preceding research endeavors, an insect-derived antimicrobial peptide is identified that, while possessing antimicrobial attributes, manifested suboptimal efficacy against drug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. To ameliorate this issue, this work enhances the antimicrobial capabilities of the initial β-hairpin AMPs by substituting the structural sequence of the original AMPs with variant lengths of hydrophobic amino acid-hydrophilic amino acid repeat units. Throughout this endeavor, this work has identified a number of peptides that possess highly effective antibacterial characteristics against a wide range of bacteria. Additionally, some of these peptides have the ability to self-assemble into nanofibers, which then build networks in a distinctive manner to capture bacteria. Consequently, they represent prospective antibiotic alternatives for addressing wound infections engendered by drug-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jiufeng Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Xue Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jieru Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qiang Shan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yaohong Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
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7
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van der Walt M, Möller DS, van Wyk RJ, Ferguson PM, Hind CK, Clifford M, Do Carmo Silva P, Sutton JM, Mason AJ, Bester MJ, Gaspar ARM. QSAR Reveals Decreased Lipophilicity of Polar Residues Determines the Selectivity of Antimicrobial Peptide Activity. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:26030-26049. [PMID: 38911757 PMCID: PMC11191095 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance has increased rapidly, causing daunting morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics due to their broad range of targets and low tendency to elicit resistance. However, potent antimicrobial activity is often accompanied by excessive cytotoxicity toward host cells, leading to a halt in AMP therapeutic development. Here, we present multivariate analyses that correlate 28 peptide properties to the activity and toxicity of 46 diverse African-derived AMPs and identify the negative lipophilicity of polar residues as an essential physiochemical property for selective antimicrobial activity. Twenty-seven active AMPs are identified, of which the majority are of scorpion or frog origin. Of these, thirteen are novel with no previously reported activities. Principal component analysis and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) reveal that overall hydrophobicity, lipophilicity, and residue side chain surface area affect the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of an AMP. This has been well documented previously, but the present QSAR analysis additionally reveals that a decrease in the lipophilicity, contributed by those amino acids classified as polar, confers selectivity for a peptide to pathogen over mammalian cells. Furthermore, an increase in overall peptide charge aids selectivity toward Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, while selectivity toward Gram-positive bacteria is obtained through an increased number of small lipophilic residues. Finally, a conservative increase in peptide size in terms of sequence length and molecular weight also contributes to improved activity without affecting toxicity. Our findings suggest a novel approach for the rational design or modification of existing AMPs to increase pathogen selectivity and enhance therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandelie van der Walt
- Department
of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Dalton S. Möller
- Department
of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Rosalind J. van Wyk
- Department
of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Philip M. Ferguson
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford
Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte K. Hind
- Antimicrobial
Discovery Development and Diagnostics, Vaccine Evaluation and Development
Centre, UK Health Security Agency, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie Clifford
- Antimicrobial
Discovery Development and Diagnostics, Vaccine Evaluation and Development
Centre, UK Health Security Agency, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom
| | - Phoebe Do Carmo Silva
- Antimicrobial
Discovery Development and Diagnostics, Vaccine Evaluation and Development
Centre, UK Health Security Agency, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom
| | - J. Mark Sutton
- Antimicrobial
Discovery Development and Diagnostics, Vaccine Evaluation and Development
Centre, UK Health Security Agency, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom
| | - A. James Mason
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford
Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Megan J. Bester
- Department
of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Anabella R. M. Gaspar
- Department
of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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8
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Fandiño-Devia E, Santa-González GA, Klaiss-Luna MC, Manrique-Moreno M. Study of the Membrane Activity of the Synthetic Peptide ∆M3 Against Extended-Spectrum β-lactamase Escherichia coli Isolates. J Membr Biol 2024; 257:51-61. [PMID: 38315239 PMCID: PMC11006780 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-024-00306-3] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Escherichia coli is the most common microorganism causing nosocomial or community-acquired bacteremia, and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolates are identified worldwide with increasing frequency. For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate potential new molecules like antimicrobial peptides. They are recognized for their biological potential which makes them promising candidates in the fight against infections. The goal of this research was to evaluate the potential of the synthetic peptide ΔM3 on several extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli isolates. The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of the peptide was spectrophotometrically determined. Additionally, the capacity of the peptide to interact with the bacterial membrane was monitored by fluorescence microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the synthetic peptide is active against Escherichia coli isolates at concentrations similar to Meropenem. On the other hand, no cytotoxic effect was observed in HaCaT keratinocyte cells even at 10 times the minimal inhibitory concentration. Microscopy results showed a permeabilizing effect of the peptide on the bacteria. The infrared results showed that ΔM3 showed affinity for the lipids of the microorganism's membrane. The results suggest that the ∆M3 interacts with the negatively charged lipids from the E. coli by a disturbing effect on membrane. Finally, the secondary structure experiments of the peptide showed a random structure in solution that did not change during the interaction with the membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Fandiño-Devia
- Chemistry Institute, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Antioquia, A.A. 1226, Medellin, 050010, Colombia
| | - Gloria A Santa-González
- Grupo de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Aplicadas, Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, A.A. 54959, Medellín, 050010, Colombia
| | - Maria C Klaiss-Luna
- Chemistry Institute, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Antioquia, A.A. 1226, Medellin, 050010, Colombia
| | - Marcela Manrique-Moreno
- Chemistry Institute, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Antioquia, A.A. 1226, Medellin, 050010, Colombia.
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9
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Gong H, Wang X, Hu X, Liao M, Yuan C, Lu JR, Gao L, Yan X. Effective Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection Using Supramolecular Antimicrobial Peptide Hydrogels. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:1602-1611. [PMID: 38323536 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01141] [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: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori can cause various gastric conditions including stomach cancer in an acidic environment. Although early H. pylori infections can be treated by antibiotics, prolonged antibiotic administrations may lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance, compromising the effectiveness of the treatments. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been reported to possess unique advantages against antimicrobial-resistant bacteria due to their rapid physical membrane disruptions and anti-inflammation/immunoregulation properties. Herein, we have developed an AMP hydrogel, which can be orally administered for the treatment of H. pylori infection. The hydrogel has potent antimicrobial activity against H. pylori, achieving bacterial eradication within minutes of action. Compared with the AMP solution, the hydrogel formulation significantly reduced the cytotoxicity and enhanced proteolytic stability. In vivo experiments suggested that the hydrogel formed at pH 4 had superior therapeutic effects to those at pH 7 and 10 hydrogels, attributed to its rapid release and bactericidal action within the acidic stomach environment. Compared to conventional antibiotic treatments, the AMP hydrogel had the advantages of fast bacterial killing in the gastric juice and obviated proton pump inhibitors during the treatment. Although both the AMP hydrogel and antibiotics suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the former uniquely promoted inflammation resolution. These results indicate that the AMP hydrogels with effectiveness and biosafety may be potential candidates for the clinical treatment of H. pylori infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoning Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xiaonan Wang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
| | - Xuzhi Hu
- Biological Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Chengqian Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Lizeng Gao
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
| | - Xuehai Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Center of Mesoscience, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
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Olcay B, Ozdemir GD, Ozdemir MA, Ercan UK, Guren O, Karaman O. Prediction of the synergistic effect of antimicrobial peptides and antimicrobial agents via supervised machine learning. BMC Biomed Eng 2024; 6:1. [PMID: 38233957 DOI: 10.1186/s42490-024-00075-z] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infectious diseases not only cause severe health problems but also burden the healthcare system. Therefore, the effective treatment of those diseases is crucial. Both conventional approaches, such as antimicrobial agents, and novel approaches, like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are used to treat infections. However, due to the drawbacks of current approaches, new solutions are still being investigated. One recent approach is the use of AMPs and antimicrobial agents in combination, but determining synergism is with a huge variety of AMPs time-consuming and requires multiple experimental studies. Machine learning (ML) algorithms are widely used to predict biological outcomes, particularly in the field of AMPs, but no previous research reported on predicting the synergistic effects of AMPs and antimicrobial agents. RESULTS Several supervised ML models were implemented to accurately predict the synergistic effect of AMPs and antimicrobial agents. The results demonstrated that the hyperparameter-optimized Light Gradient Boosted Machine Classifier (oLGBMC) yielded the best test accuracy of 76.92% for predicting the synergistic effect. Besides, the feature importance analysis reveals that the target microbial species, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the AMP and the antimicrobial agents, and the used antimicrobial agent were the most important features for the prediction of synergistic effect, which aligns with recent experimental studies in the literature. CONCLUSION This study reveals that ML algorithms can predict the synergistic activity of two different antimicrobial agents without the need for complex and time-consuming experimental procedures. The implications support that the ML models may not only reduce the experimental cost but also provide validation of experimental procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basak Olcay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gizem D Ozdemir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet A Ozdemir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Utku K Ercan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Onan Guren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ozan Karaman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
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Santos MG, Nunes da Silva M, Vasconcelos MW, Carvalho SMP. Scientific and technological advances in the development of sustainable disease management tools: a case study on kiwifruit bacterial canker. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1306420. [PMID: 38273947 PMCID: PMC10808555 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1306420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Plant disease outbreaks are increasing in a world facing climate change and globalized markets, representing a serious threat to food security. Kiwifruit Bacterial Canker (KBC), caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), was selected as a case study for being an example of a pandemic disease that severely impacted crop production, leading to huge economic losses, and for the effort that has been made to control this disease. This review provides an in-depth and critical analysis on the scientific progress made for developing alternative tools for sustainable KBC management. Their status in terms of technological maturity is discussed and a set of opportunities and threats are also presented. The gradual replacement of susceptible kiwifruit cultivars, with more tolerant ones, significantly reduced KBC incidence and was a major milestone for Psa containment - which highlights the importance of plant breeding. Nonetheless, this is a very laborious process. Moreover, the potential threat of Psa evolving to more virulent biovars, or resistant lineages to existing control methods, strengthens the need of keep on exploring effective and more environmentally friendly tools for KBC management. Currently, plant elicitors and beneficial fungi and bacteria are already being used in the field with some degree of success. Precision agriculture technologies, for improving early disease detection and preventing pathogen dispersal, are also being developed and optimized. These include hyperspectral technologies and forecast models for Psa risk assessment, with the latter being slightly more advanced in terms of technological maturity. Additionally, plant protection products based on innovative formulations with molecules with antibacterial activity against Psa (e.g., essential oils, phages and antimicrobial peptides) have been validated primarily in laboratory trials and with few compounds already reaching field application. The lessons learned with this pandemic disease, and the acquired scientific and technological knowledge, can be of importance for sustainably managing other plant diseases and handling future pandemic outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel G. Santos
- GreenUPorto—Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Marta Nunes da Silva
- GreenUPorto—Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF – Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marta W. Vasconcelos
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF – Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana M. P. Carvalho
- GreenUPorto—Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
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Wang Z, Xu J, Zeng X, Du Q, Lan H, Zhang J, Pan D, Tu M. Recent Advances on Antimicrobial Peptides from Milk: Molecular Properties, Mechanisms, and Applications. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:80-93. [PMID: 38152984 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c07217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Traditional antibiotics are facing a tremendous challenge due to increased antimicrobial resistance; hence, there is an urgent need to find novel antibiotic alternatives. Milk protein-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are currently attracting substantial attention considering that they showcase an extensive spectrum of antimicrobial activities, with slower development of antimicrobial resistance and safety of raw materials. This review summarizes the molecular properties, and activity mechanisms and highlights the applications and limitations of AMPs derived from milk proteins comprehensively. Also the analytical technologies, especially bioinformatics methodologies, applied in the process of screening, identification, and mechanism illustration of AMPs were underlined. This review will give some ideas for further research and broadening of the applications of milk protein-derived AMPs in the food field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Jue Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Xiaoqun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Qiwei Du
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Hangzhen Lan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Jianming Zhang
- Institute of Food Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Daodong Pan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
| | - Maolin Tu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Deep Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, China
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13
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Zhu Z, Pan F, Wang O, Zhao L, Zhao L. Antibacterial Effect of Sesame Protein-Derived Peptides against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus: In Silico and In Vitro Analysis. Nutrients 2024; 16:175. [PMID: 38202004 PMCID: PMC10780390 DOI: 10.3390/nu16010175] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to screen out antibacterial peptides derived from sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) through in silico and in vitro methods. In silico proteolysis of sesame proteins with pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin was performed with the online server BIOPEP-UWM. The CAMPR3 online server was used to predict the antimicrobial effect of peptides. The ToxinPred, PepCalc, and AllergenFP tools were utilized to forecast the physicochemical properties, toxicity, and allergen of the peptides. Molecular docking analysis showed that six cationic antimicrobial peptides could directly interact with the key sites of dihydropteroate synthase, whereas Ala-Gly-Gly-Val-Pro-Arg and Ser-Thr-Ile-Arg exhibited the strongest binding affinity. In vitro antibacterial experiment showed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Ser-Thr-Ile-Arg against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was 1024 and 512 µg/mL, respectively. Meanwhile, MIC of Ala-Gly-Gly-Val-Pro-Arg against both bacterial species was 512 µg/mL. Our results suggest that peptides from sesame possess the ability to potentially hinder bacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehui Zhu
- Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China;
| | - Fei Pan
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
| | - Ou Wang
- National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China;
| | - Liang Zhao
- Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China;
| | - Lei Zhao
- Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China;
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14
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Li P, Pan J, Dong Y, Sun Y, Wang Y, Liao K, Chen Y, Deng X, Yu S, Hu H. Microenvironment responsive charge-switchable nanoparticles act on biofilm eradication and virulence inhibition for chronic lung infection treatment. J Control Release 2024; 365:219-235. [PMID: 37992874 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pulmonary infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a common lung disease with high mortality, posing severe threats to public health. Highly resistant biofilm and intrinsic resistance make P. aeruginosa hard to eradicate, while powerful virulence system of P. aeruginosa may give rise to the recurrence of infection and eventual failure of antibiotic therapy. To address these issues, infection-microenvironment responsive nanoparticles functioning on biofilm eradication and virulence inhibition were simply prepared by electrostatic complexation between dimethylmaleic anhydride (DA) modified negatively charged coating and epsilon-poly(l-lysine) derived cationic nanoparticles loaded with azithromycin (AZI) (DA-AZI NPs). Charge reversal responsive to acidic condition enabled DA-AZI NPs to successively penetrate through both mucus and biofilms, followed by targeting to P. aeruginosa and permeabilizing its outer/inner membrane. Then in situ released AZI, which was induced by the lipase-triggered NPs dissociation, could easily enter into bacteria to take effects. DA-AZI NPs exhibited enhanced eradication activity against P. aeruginosa biofilms with a decrease of >99.999% of bacterial colonies, as well as remarkable inhibitory effects on the production of virulence factors and bacteria re-adhesion & biofilm re-formation. In a chronic pulmonary infection model, nebulization of DA-AZI NPs into infected mice resulted in prolonged retention and increased accumulation of the NPs in the infected sites of the lungs. Moreover, they significantly reduced the burden of P. aeruginosa, effectively alleviating lung tissue damages and inflammation. Overall, the proposed DA-AZI NPs highlight an innovative strategy for treating chronic pulmonary infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyu Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Jieyi Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Yating Dong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Yingying Sun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Yalong Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Kang Liao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Yili Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Xin Deng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, SAR 999077, PR China
| | - Shihui Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
| | - Haiyan Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, Sun Yat-Sen University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
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15
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Zhou Y, Liu W, Cao W, Cheng Y, Liu Z, Chen X. Effect of hydrophobic property on antibacterial activities of green tea polysaccharide conjugates against Escherichia coli. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126583. [PMID: 37652321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
We previously found that green tea polysaccharide conjugates (gTPCs) have antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. In this study, the effect of hydrophobic property on the antibacterial activities of gTPCs was evaluated to elucidate their property-activity relationship. Three gTPCs (gTPCs-5 h, gTPCs-12 h and gTPCs-24 h) were extracted from green tea with the ethanol precipitation time of 5 h, 12 h and 24 h, respectively. These three gTPCs did not differ significantly in terms of molecular weight distribution, amino acids composition and zeta potentials. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results revealed that gTPCs-5 h and gTPCs-12 h processed more hydrogen bonds than gTPCs-24 h. The surface hydrophobicity and contact angle of gTPCs-5 h were larger than that of gTPCs-12 h and gTPCs-24 h. The antibacterial activity of gTPCs against E. coli decreased in the order of gTPCs-5 h > gTPCs-12 h > gTPCs-24 h. There wasn't significant difference among the zeta potentials of E. coli treated by gTPCs-5 h, gTPCs-12 h and gTPCs-24 h, but the bacterial contact angles of E. coli treated by gTPCs-5 h were higher compared with those of the other two gTPCs. Furthermore, gTPCs-5 h exhibited higher activity to decrease bacterial membrane proteins, and increase bacterial membrane permeability than the other two gTPCs. In conclusion, gTPCs with higher hydrophobicity property exhibited stronger antibacterial activity against E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Zhou
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Weiya Liu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Wendan Cao
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Yong Cheng
- Zhejiang Skyherb Biotechnology Inc., Huzhou 313300, China
| | - Zhong Liu
- Hubei August Flower Food Co. LTD, Xianning 437000, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Chen
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China.
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16
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Yao A, Liu T, Cai Y, Zhou S, Chen X, Zhou M, Ma C, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L. Progressive Design of a Ranatuerin-2 Peptide from Amolops wuyiensis: Enhancement of Bioactivity and In Vivo Efficacy. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 13:5. [PMID: 38275314 PMCID: PMC10812557 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert multiple functions are considered promising candidates to combat the bacterial drug resistance crisis. Nowadays, targeted peptide modification has been widely recognised to improve biological activity and make up for deficiencies in clinical applications such as toxicity. In this study, a helix-loop peptide was isolated and identified from the skin secretion of the Wuyi torrent frog Amolops wuyiensis, namely, ranatuerin-2-AW (R2AW) (GFMDTAKNVAKNVAATLLDKLKCKITGGC). Target modifications were made to R2AW to study the structure-activity relationships and to optimise its bioactivities. Five analogues were progressively designed via residue substitution and truncation and the antibacterial and anticancer activities were evaluated. We found that the serine-substitution and cyclic-domain-deletion products showed similar antibacterial activity to the natural peptide R2AW, implying that the disulphide bridge and Rana box were dispensable for the antibacterial activity of ranatuerin-2 peptides. Notably, the cationicity- and hydrophobicity-enhanced variant, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2, exhibited significantly optimised antibacterial and anticancer activities. Additionally, it killed bacteria by membrane disruption at a highly efficient rate. Moreover, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 exerted potential in vivo efficacy in a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected waxworm model. Overall, this study demonstrated some rational design ideas for optimising the dual antibacterial and anticancer activities of ranatuerin-2 peptides and it proposes [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 as an appealing candidate for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aifang Yao
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Tianxing Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Yuhai Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Siqi Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
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17
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Hu X, Liao M, Ding K, Wang J, Xu H, Tao K, Zhou F, Lu JR. Neutron reflection and scattering in characterising peptide assemblies. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 322:103033. [PMID: 37931380 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.103033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Self-assemblies of de novo designed short peptides at interface and in bulk solution provide potential platforms for developing applications in many medical and technological areas. However, characterising how bioinspired supramolecular nanostructures evolve with dynamic self-assembling processes and respond to different stimuli remains challenging. Neutron scattering technologies including small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and neutron reflection (NR) can be advantageous and complementary to other state-of-the-art techniques in tracing structural changes under different conditions. With more neutron sources now available, SANS and NR are becoming increasingly popular in studying self-assembling processes of diverse peptide and protein systems, but the difficulty in experimental manipulation and data analysis can deter beginners. This review will introduce the basic theory, general experimental setup and data analysis of SANS and NR, followed by provision of their applications in characterising interfacial and solution self-assemblies of representative peptides and proteins. SANS and NR are remarkably effective in determining the morphological features self-assembled short peptides, especially size and shape transitions as a result of either sequence changes or in response to environmental stimuli, demonstrating the unique capability of NR and SANS in unravelling the interactive processes. These examples highlight the potential of NR and SANS in supporting the development of novel short peptides and proteins as biopharmaceutical candidates in the fight against many diseases and infections that share common features of membrane interactive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuzhi Hu
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.; Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ke Ding
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jiqian Wang
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hai Xu
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Kai Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of Zhejiang Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang-Israel Joint Laboratory of Self-Assembling Functional Materials, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Jian R Lu
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK..
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18
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Li L, Wang Y, Huang Z, Xu Z, Cao R, Li J, Wu B, Lu JR, Zhu H. An additive-free multifunctional β-glucan-peptide hydrogel participates in the whole process of bacterial-infected wound healing. J Control Release 2023; 362:577-590. [PMID: 37683733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial infections and excessive inflammation can impede the healing of wounds. Hydrogels have emerged as a promising approach for dressing bacterial-infected injuries. However, some antibacterial hydrogels are complex, costly, and even require assistance with other instruments such as light, making them unsuitable for routine outdoor injuries. Here, we developed an in-situ generating hydrogel via hybridizing oxidized β-D-glucan with antimicrobial peptide C8G2 through the Schiff base reaction. This hydrogel is easily accessible and actively contributes to the whole healing process of bacterial-infected wounds, demonstrating remarkable antibacterial activity and biological compatibility. The pH-sensitive reversible imine bond enables the hydrogel to self-heal and sustainably release the antibacterial peptide, thereby improving its bioavailability and reducing toxicity. Meanwhile, the immunoregulating β-D-glucan inhibits the release of inflammatory factors while promoting the release of anti-inflammatory factors. In methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected full-thickness skin wound models, the hybrid hydrogel showed superior antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity, enhanced the M2 macrophage polarization, expedited wound closure, and regenerated epidermis tissue. These features make this hydrogel an appealing wound dressing for treating multi-drug-resistant bacteria-infected wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Yinglu Wang
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China; State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Zhengjun Huang
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Zuxian Xu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Ruipin Cao
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Biyi Wu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Hu Zhu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China.
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19
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Bakare OO, Gokul A, Niekerk LA, Aina O, Abiona A, Barker AM, Basson G, Nkomo M, Otomo L, Keyster M, Klein A. Recent Progress in the Characterization, Synthesis, Delivery Procedures, Treatment Strategies, and Precision of Antimicrobial Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11864. [PMID: 37511621 PMCID: PMC10380191 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases are constantly evolving to bypass antibiotics or create resistance against them. There is a piercing alarm for the need to improve the design of new effective antimicrobial agents such as antimicrobial peptides which are less prone to resistance and possess high sensitivity. This would guard public health in combating and overcoming stubborn pathogens and mitigate incurable diseases; however, the emergence of antimicrobial peptides' shortcomings ranging from untimely degradation by enzymes to difficulty in the design against specific targets is a major bottleneck in achieving these objectives. This review is aimed at highlighting the recent progress in antimicrobial peptide development in the area of nanotechnology-based delivery, selectivity indices, synthesis and characterization, their doping and coating, and the shortfall of these approaches. This review will raise awareness of antimicrobial peptides as prospective therapeutic agents in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, such as the sensitive treatment of diseases and their utilization. The knowledge from this development would guide the future design of these novel peptides and allow the development of highly specific, sensitive, and accurate antimicrobial peptides to initiate treatment regimens in patients to enable them to have accommodating lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olalekan Olanrewaju Bakare
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu 2002, Nigeria
| | - Arun Gokul
- Department of Plant Sciences, Qwaqwa Campus, University of the Free State, Phuthadithjaba 9866, South Africa
| | - Lee-Ann Niekerk
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Omolola Aina
- Plant Omics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Ademola Abiona
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu 2002, Nigeria
| | - Adele Mariska Barker
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Basson
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Mbukeni Nkomo
- Department of Botany, H13 Botany Building, University of Zululand, Private Bag X1001, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa
| | - Laetitia Otomo
- Department of Plant Sciences, Qwaqwa Campus, University of the Free State, Phuthadithjaba 9866, South Africa
| | - Marshall Keyster
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Ashwil Klein
- Plant Omics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
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20
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Gong H, Hu X, Zhang L, Fa K, Liao M, Liu H, Fragneto G, Campana M, Lu JR. How do antimicrobial peptides disrupt the lipopolysaccharide membrane leaflet of Gram-negative bacteria? J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 637:182-192. [PMID: 36701864 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS It is widely regarded that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) kill bacteria by physically disrupting microbial membranes and causing cytoplasmic leakage, but it remains unclear how AMPs disrupt the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) and then compromise the inner membrane. We hypothesise that different AMPs impose different structural disruptions, with direct implications to their antimicrobial efficacies. EXPERIMENTS The antimicrobial activities of three typical AMPs, including the designed short AMP, G3, and two natural AMPs, melittin and LL37, against E. coli and their haemolytic activities were studied. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and anionic di-palmitoyl phosphatidyl glycerol (DPPG) monolayer models were constructed to mimic the outer membrane and inner membrane leaflets of Gram-negative bacteria. The binding and penetration of AMPs to the model lipid monolayers were systematically studied by neutron reflection via multiple H/D contrast variations. FINDING G3 has relatively high antimicrobial activity, low cytotoxicity, and high proteolytic stability, whilst melittin has significant haemolysis and LL37 has weaker antimicrobial activity. G3 could rapidly lyse LPS and DPPG monolayers within 10-20 min. In contrast, melittin was highly active against the LPS membrane, but the dynamic process lasted up to 80 min, with excessive stacking in the OM. LL37 caused rather weak destruction to LPS and DPPG monolayers, leading to massive adsorption on the membrane surface without penetrating the lipid tail region. These findings demonstrate that the rationally designed AMP G3 was well optimised to impose most effective destruction to bacterial membranes, consistent with its highest bactericidal activity. These different interfacial structural features associated with AMP binding shed light on the future development of active and biocompatible AMPs for infection and wound treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoning Gong
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China
| | - Xuzhi Hu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Lin Zhang
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ke Fa
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Huayang Liu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | | | - Mario Campana
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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21
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Hadianamrei R, Tomeh MA, Wang J, Brown S, Zhao X. Surfactant like peptides for targeted gene delivery to cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 652:35-45. [PMID: 36809703 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Surfactant like peptides (SLPs) are a class of amphiphilic peptides widely used for drug delivery and tissue engineering. However, there are very few reports on their application for gene delivery. The current study was aimed at development of two new SLPs, named (IA)4K and (IG)4K, for selective delivery of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) to cancer cells. The peptides were synthesized by Fmoc solid phase synthesis. Their complexation with nucleic acids was studied by gel electrophoresis and DLS. The transfection efficiency of the peptides was assessed in HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) using high content microscopy. The cytotoxicity of the peptides was assessed by standard MTT test. The interaction of the peptides with model membranes was studied using CD spectroscopy. Both SLPs delivered siRNA and ODNs to HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells with high transfection efficiency which was comparable to the commercial lipid-based transfection reagents, but with higher selectivity for HCT 116 compared to HDFs. Moreover, both peptides exhibited very low cytotoxicity even at high concentrations and long exposure time. The current study provides more insights into the structural features of SLPs required for nucleic acid complexation and delivery and can therefore serve as a guide for the rational design of new SLPs for selective gene delivery to cancer cells to minimize the adverse effects in healthy tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2UP, UK
| | - Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Jiqian Wang
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266555, China
| | - Stephen Brown
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China.
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22
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Xu R, Tang J, Hadianamrei R, Liu S, Lv S, You R, Pan F, Zhang P, Wang N, Cai Z, Zhao X. Antifungal activity of designed α-helical antimicrobial peptides. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:2845-2859. [PMID: 36857655 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm01797k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major global health concern prompting the quest for new antibiotics with higher efficiency and less proneness to drug resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer such properties and have therefore gained increasing attention as a new generation of antibiotics to overcome AMR. In an attempt to develop new highly selective and highly efficient antifungal peptides, a sequence (named At1) originating from the natural AMP Ponericin-W1 was used as a lead sequence for rational design of a series of short cationic antifungal peptides named At2-At12. The charge, hydrophobicity, and terminal amino acids of the peptides were modified in a systematic way to investigate the effect of such structural changes on the biological activity of the peptides. Among all the designed peptides, three peptides (coded as At3, At5 and At10) exhibited high antifungal activity without any significant hemolytic activity in human red blood cells. The higher selectivity of these peptides for fungal cells over human cells was further confirmed in cocultures of Candida albicans and human foreskin fibroblasts. These three peptides lacked any hydrophilic residues in their hydrophobic domain, contained lysine residues in their hydrophilic region and had an overall charge of 7+. They also had a higher helical content in microbial membrane mimicking DPPG SUVs than the rest of the peptides. The fungi did not develop any resistance to the designed antifungal peptides even after 25 generations indicating low AMR. At5 was also used in vivo for the treatment of wounds infected with Candida albicans in mice and showed superiority over fluconazole for treating infection and accelerating wound healing. There was an interplay between the hydrophobicity and positive charge density to determine the antifungal activity of the peptides. The results from this study suggest this class of antifungal peptides as promising candidates for antifungal drugs with high efficiency, high biocompatibility and low propensity for drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruicheng Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Jing Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK.,School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2UP, UK
| | - Suyu Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Songwei Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Rongrong You
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Fang Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Nan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China. .,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
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23
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Evolutionary and in silico guided development of novel peptide analogues for antibacterial activity against ESKAPE pathogens. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2023; 4:100183. [PMID: 37032813 PMCID: PMC10073642 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2023.100183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
According to WHO, to combat the resistant strains, new effective anti-microbial agents are needed on an urgent basis and global researchers should focus their efforts and discovery programs on developing them against antibiotic-resistant pathogens or priority pathogens like ESKAPE. In this context, Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are being explored extensively as promising next-generation antimicrobials due to their broad range, fast kinetics and multifunctional role. Despite recent advances, it is still a daunting challenge to identify and design a potent AMP with no cytotoxicity, but with broad specific antimicrobial activity, stability and efficacy under in vivo conditions in a cost-effective and robust manner. In this work, as a proof of concept, we designed novel potent AMPs using artificial intelligence based in silico programs. Shortlisted peptide sequences were synthesized using the fmoc chemistry approach, assessed their antimicrobial activity, cell selectivity, mode of action and in vivo efficacy using a series of experiments. The synthesized peptide analogues demonstrated their antimicrobial activity (MIC in the range of 2.5-80 μM) against bacteria. The identified potential lead molecules showed antibacterial activity in physiological conditions with no signs of cytotoxicity. We further tested the antimicrobial activity of peptide analogues for treating wounds infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the mice burn wound model. In drug-development programs, the identification of lead antimicrobial agents is always challenging and involves screening a large number of molecules which is time-consuming and expensive. This work demonstrates the utility of artificial intelligence based in silico analysis programs in discovering novel antimicrobial agents in an economical, robust way.
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24
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Zheng Y, Chen S, Mao K, Zhu X, Jiang M, Wu CJ, Lu J, Zhu H. de Novo-designed antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial potency and rapid wound disinfection. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2023.131355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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25
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Yang H, Wang L, Yuan L, Du H, Pan B, Lu K. Antimicrobial Peptides with Rigid Linkers against Gram-Negative Bacteria by Targeting Lipopolysaccharide. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:15903-15916. [PMID: 36511360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c05921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A series of hybrid peptides were designed by connecting an antimicrobial peptide Ce(1-8) with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-targeting peptide Lf(28-34) via different linkers. Antimicrobial experimental results indicated that linkers play an essential role in the anti-Gram-negative bacterial activity of the hybrid peptides. Among these hybrid peptides, peptide CL5 with dipeptide rigid linker LP exhibited excellent activity and selectivity against Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of CL5 against the tested Gram-negative bacteria were 4-32 μM, while the toxicity toward HEK-293 cells was relatively low. It was found that the interactions of the peptides with LPS were crucial for peptide activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial mechanistic studies showed that peptide CL5 contributed to the death of Gram-negative bacterial cells by disrupting the integrity of the bacterial membranes. This study revealed the importance of linker selection in the design of hybrid peptides and provides the basis for the further development of antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Yang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Lan Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Food Science, Zhengzhou University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450044, China
| | - Libo Yuan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Heng Du
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Boyuan Pan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Kui Lu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Food Science, Zhengzhou University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450044, China
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26
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Cheng Q, Zeng P. Hydrophobic-hydrophilic Alternation: An effective Pattern to de novo Designed Antimicrobial Peptides. Curr Pharm Des 2022; 28:3527-3537. [PMID: 36056849 DOI: 10.2174/1381612828666220902124856] [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: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide (AMP) is a class of molecules that are active against a variety of microorganisms, from bacterial and cancer cells to fungi. Most AMPs are natural products, as part of an organism's own defense system against harmful microbes. However, the growing prevalence of drug resistance has forced researchers to design more promising engineered antimicrobial agents. Inspired by the amphiphilic detergents, the hydrophobic-hydrophilic alternation pattern was considered to be a simple but effective way to de novo design AMPs. In this model, hydrophobic amino acids (leucine, isoleucine etc.) and hydrophilic amino acids (arginine, lysine etc.) were arranged in an alternating way in the peptide sequence. The majority of this type of peptides have a clear hydrophilic-hydrophobic interface, which allows the molecules to have good solubility in both water and organic solvents. When they come into contact with hydrophobic membranes, many peptides undergo a conformational transformation, facilitating themself to insert into the cellular envelope. Moreover, positive-charged peptide amphiphiles tended to have an affinity with negatively-charged membrane interfaces and further led to envelope damage and cell death. Herein, several typical design patterns have been reviewed. Though varying in amino acid sequence, they all basically follow the rule of alternating arrangement of hydrophilic and hydrophobic residues. Based on that, researchers synthesized some lead compounds with favorable antimicrobial activities and preliminarily investigated their possible mode of action. Besides membrane disruption, these AMPs are proven to kill microbes in multiple mechanisms. These results deepened our understanding of AMPs' design and provided a theoretical basis for constructing peptide candidates with better biocompatibility and therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qipeng Cheng
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China.,State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Ping Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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27
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Sharma K, Aaghaz S, Kumar Maurya I, Sharma KK, Singh S, Rudramurthy SM, Kumar V, Tikoo K, Jain R. Synthetic Amino Acids-Derived Peptides Targets Cryptococcus neoformans by Inducing Cell Membrane Disruption. Bioorg Chem 2022; 130:106252. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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28
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Fa K, Liu H, Li Z, Gong H, Petkov J, Ren Lu J. Acyl Chain Length Tuning Improves Antimicrobial Potency and Biocompatibility of Short Designed Lipopeptides. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 630:911-923. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.10.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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29
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Najda A, Bains A, Klepacka J, Chawla P. Woodfordia fruticosa extract nanoemulsion: Influence of processing treatment on droplet size and its assessment for in vitro antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. Front Nutr 2022; 9:944856. [PMID: 36225883 PMCID: PMC9549264 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.944856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, plant-derived bioactive compounds have been utilized in the preparation of several functional food products; however, stability and water solubility are major constraints to these compounds. Therefore, to overcome this problem, the synthesis of nanoemulsion (oil in water) with varying concentrations of Woodfordia fruticosa flower extract (1%−10% w/v) was carried out and characterization of nanoemulsion was done. The average droplet size of nanoemulsion samples ranges from 149.25 to 244.33 nm. The control and WFNE3 nanoemulsion showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher thermal stability when correlated with average droplet size. An insignificant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in the average droplet size and zeta potential WFNE3 (−30.3mV) with the increased temperature rate. At varied pH ranges, WFNE3 showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) stability in comparison with the control nanoemulsion sample. In terms of ionic strength, WFNE3 nanoemulsion sample showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher stability, and with an increasing concentration of salt, the colloidal system of the WFNE3 sample showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher droplet size (318.91 nm). Therefore, the antimicrobial potential of WFNE3 nanoemulsion in comparison with extract of W. fruticosa flower extract was studied against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fungal strain Candida albicans, respectively. WFNE3 nanoemulsion sample in comparison to flower extract showed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) zone of inhibition against gram-negative bacteria as compared to the control nanoemulsion sample upon storage for 7 days. WFNE3 nanoemulsion sample showed significant (p < 0.05) higher inhibition of protein denaturation (57.89%−87.65%) and (55.36%−83.58%) in comparison to control nanoemulsion sample (54.67%−80.28%) and flower extract (51.56%−79.36%), respectively. Due to these biological activities, the WFNE3 nanoemulsion sample could be scaled up to the industrial level for the formulation of varied types of functional foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Najda
- Department of Vegetable and Herbal Crops, The University of Life Science in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
- *Correspondence: Agnieszka Najda
| | - Aarti Bains
- Department of Microbiology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
- Aarti Bains
| | - Joanna Klepacka
- Department of Commodity Science and Food Analysis, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Prince Chawla
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
- Prince Chawla
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Pan F, Li Y, Ding Y, Lv S, You R, Hadianamrei R, Tomeh MA, Zhao X. Anticancer effect of rationally designed α-helical amphiphilic peptides. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 220:112841. [PMID: 36174494 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Anticancer peptides (ACPs) have attracted increasing attention in cancer therapy due to their unique mechanism of action on cancer cells. The main challenge is to establish the correlation between their physicochemical properties and their selectivity and anticancer effect, leading to a clear design strategy. In this study, a series of new α-helical short peptides (coded At1-At12) with different anticancer activities were systematically designed with different amphiphilicity based on a natural α-helical antimicrobial peptide (AMP) derived from ant. Three of the designed peptides, At7, At10 and At11, showed considerable anticancer activity with low toxicity to normal skin fibroblasts. The high selectivity of the peptides is attributed to their balanced amphiphilicity and cationic nature which favours binding to the outer membrane of negatively charged cancer cells over the neutral membrane of normal mammalian cells. In addition to rapid membrane penetration, the designed peptides also damaged the mitochondria and induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Moreover, these peptides were found to induce apoptosis in cancer cells by up-regulating the expression of apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3, down-regulating the apoptotic protein Bcl-2, and activating the Caspase enzyme-linked reaction. The results of this study reveal the potential of these peptides for clinical applications, and provide a guidance for further development of highly selective anticancer medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Yueping Li
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Yujie Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Songwei Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Rongrong You
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK.
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31
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Ma Z, Zhang D, Cheng Z, Niu Y, Kong L, Lu Z, Bie X. Designed symmetrical β-hairpin peptides for treating multidrug-resistant salmonella typhimurium infections. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114769. [PMID: 36137364 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114769] [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: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The rapid emergence and prevalence of multidrug-resistant salmonellosis lack effective therapies, which causes epidemic health problems and stimulates the development of antimicrobials with novel modes of action. In this research, 10 short symmetrical β-hairpin peptides are synthesized by combining the β-turn of Leucocin-A with recurring hydrophobic and cationic amino acid sequences. Those designed peptides exhibited potent antibacterial activities against drug-susceptible and drug-resistant Salmonella. One of the 10 peptides, WK2 ((WK)2CTKSGC(KW)2), displayed best cell selectivity towards Salmonella cells over macrophages and erythrocytes in a co-culture model. Fluorescent measurements and microscopic observations reflected that WK2 exerted its antimicrobial activity through a membrane-lytic mechanism. Moreover, the β-hairpin peptides can bind to endotoxin (LPS) and suppress the production of LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines in RAW264.7 cells, indicating as a potent anti-inflammatory activity. The preliminary in vivo studies can also demonstrate that WK2 decreased loads of Salmonella in the liver and spleen, mitigated Salmonella-caused inflammation and maintained the integrity of intestinal mucosal surfaces. Ultimately, the results highlight that WK2 is a promising therapeutic agent to prevent multidrug-resistant S. Typhimurium infections in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Ma
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Ziyi Cheng
- Faculty of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Yandong Niu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Liangyu Kong
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zhaoxin Lu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiaomei Bie
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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Griffith A, Mateen A, Markowitz K, Singer SR, Cugini C, Shimizu E, Wiedman GR, Kumar V. Alternative Antibiotics in Dentistry: Antimicrobial Peptides. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1679. [PMID: 36015305 PMCID: PMC9412702 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics in medicine and dentistry is a growing concern. New approaches are needed to combat antibiotic resistant (AR) bacterial infections. There are a number of methods available and in development to address AR infections. Dentists conventionally use chemicals such as chlorohexidine and calcium hydroxide to kill oral bacteria, with many groups recently developing more biocompatible antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for use in the oral cavity. AMPs are promising candidates in the treatment of (oral) infections. Also known as host defense peptides, AMPs have been isolated from animals across all kingdoms of life and play an integral role in the innate immunity of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms by responding to pathogens. Despite progress over the last four decades, there are only a few AMPs approved for clinical use. This review summarizes an Introduction to Oral Microbiome and Oral Infections, Traditional Antibiotics and Alternatives & Antimicrobial Peptides. There is a focus on cationic AMP characteristics and mechanisms of actions, and an overview of animal-derived natural and synthetic AMPs, as well as observed microbial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Griffith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Akilah Mateen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
| | - Kenneth Markowitz
- Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Steven R. Singer
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Carla Cugini
- Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Emi Shimizu
- Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
- Department of Endodontics, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Gregory R. Wiedman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
- Department of Endodontics, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
- Department of Biology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
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33
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Hu X, Carter J, Ge T, Liao M, Margaret Stephens A, Mclnnes EF, Padia F, Lu JR. Impacts of chain and head lengths of nonionic alkyl ethoxylate surfactants on cytotoxicity to human corneal and skin cells in agri-spraying processes*. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 628:162-173. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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Li G, Yuan X, Chen H, Li B, Shao C, Zhu Y, Lai Z, Shan A. Optimization of Antibacterial Activity in Tibetan Swine α-Helix Peptide TP by Site-Directed Mutagenesis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:864374. [PMID: 35859740 PMCID: PMC9289672 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.864374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted extensive attention because of their broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and low level of induced bacterial resistance. However, the development of some natural AMPs does not consider the perfect balance of structural characteristics, resulting in some empirical and controversial practices still existing. To further explore and complete the relationship between parameters and function of α-helix peptide, in this study, the natural antimicrobial peptide TP secreted from Bacillus strain of Tibetan pigs was selected as a template to investigate the effect of systematic mutations in the hydrogen bond formation site of the α-helical antimicrobial peptide on the activity and cell selectivity of the antimicrobial peptide. The target peptide TP(i+4) 1&2&5 with modification of two pairs of positively charged amino acids and a pair of hydrophobic amino acids showed excellent antibacterial ability and the best selectivity index (SI = 64) in vitro. At the same time, TP(i+4) 1&2&5 remained active in the presence of physiological salts and serum. The results of fluorescence, flow cytometry, and electron microscopy showed that the optimized sequences showed good antibacterial activity by membrane infiltration and membrane destruction. The potential of TP(i+4) 1&2&5 in vivo was tested in a mouse peritonitis model. Organ bacterial loads in the liver, kidney, spleen, and lungs of mice treated with TP(i+4) 1&2&5 were significantly lower compared to the infected group (p < 0.05). Overall, these findings contribute to the design and optimization of antimicrobial peptides with high activity and low toxicity and may accelerate the clinical application of antimicrobial peptides.
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Fa K, Liu H, Gong H, Zhang L, Liao M, Hu X, Ciumac D, Li P, Webster J, Petkov J, Thomas RK, Lu JR. In-Membrane Nanostructuring of Cationic Amphiphiles Affects Their Antimicrobial Efficacy and Cytotoxicity: A Comparison Study between a De Novo Antimicrobial Lipopeptide and Traditional Biocides. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:6623-6637. [PMID: 35587380 PMCID: PMC9161444 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cationic biocides have been widely used as active ingredients in personal care and healthcare products for infection control and wound treatment for a long time, but there are concerns over their cytotoxicity and antimicrobial resistance. Designed lipopeptides are potential candidates for alleviating these issues because of their mildness to mammalian host cells and their high efficacy against pathogenic microbial membranes. In this study, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of a de novo designed lipopeptide, CH3(CH2)12CO-Lys-Lys-Gly-Gly-Ile-Ile-NH2 (C14KKGGII), were assessed against that of two traditional cationic biocides CnTAB (n = 12 and 14), with different critical aggregation concentrations (CACs). C14KKGGII was shown to be more potent against both bacteria and fungi but milder to fibroblast host cells than the two biocides. Biophysical measurements mimicking the main features of microbial and host cell membranes were obtained for both lipid monolayer models using neutron reflection and small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) using fluorescein leakage and zeta potential changes. The results revealed selective binding to anionic lipid membranes from the lipopeptide and in-membrane nanostructuring that is distinctly different from the co-assembly of the conventional CnTAB. Furthermore, CnTAB binding to the model membranes showed low selectivity, and its high cytotoxicity could be attributed to both membrane lysis and chemical toxicity. This work demonstrates the advantages of the lipopeptides and their potential for further development toward clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Fa
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Huayang Liu
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Haoning Gong
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Lin Zhang
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Xuzhi Hu
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Daniela Ciumac
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Peixun Li
- ISIS
Neutron Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory,
STFC, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - John Webster
- ISIS
Neutron Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory,
STFC, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - Jordan Petkov
- Arc
UK Biocides Ltd, Arxada,
Hexagon Tower, Delaunays Road, Blackley, Manchester M9 8ZS, U.K.
| | - Robert K. Thomas
- Physical
and Theoretical Chemistry, University of
Oxford, South Parks, Oxford OX1
3QZ, U.K.
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological
Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
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36
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Lee YCJ, Shirkey JD, Park J, Bisht K, Cowan AJ. An Overview of Antiviral Peptides and Rational Biodesign Considerations. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9898241. [PMID: 37850133 PMCID: PMC10521750 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9898241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral diseases have contributed significantly to worldwide morbidity and mortality throughout history. Despite the existence of therapeutic treatments for many viral infections, antiviral resistance and the threat posed by novel viruses highlight the need for an increased number of effective therapeutics. In addition to small molecule drugs and biologics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent an emerging class of potential antiviral therapeutics. While AMPs have traditionally been regarded in the context of their antibacterial activities, many AMPs are now known to be antiviral. These antiviral peptides (AVPs) have been shown to target and perturb viral membrane envelopes and inhibit various stages of the viral life cycle, from preattachment inhibition through viral release from infected host cells. Rational design of AMPs has also proven effective in identifying highly active and specific peptides and can aid in the discovery of lead peptides with high therapeutic selectivity. In this review, we highlight AVPs with strong antiviral activity largely curated from a publicly available AMP database. We then compile the sequences present in our AVP database to generate structural predictions of generic AVP motifs. Finally, we cover the rational design approaches available for AVPs taking into account approaches currently used for the rational design of AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chiang J. Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Jaden D. Shirkey
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Jongbeom Park
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Karishma Bisht
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Alexis J. Cowan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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37
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Hadianamrei R, Wang J, Brown S, Zhao X. Rationally designed cationic amphiphilic peptides for selective gene delivery to cancer cells. Int J Pharm 2022; 617:121619. [PMID: 35218898 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy has gained increasing attention as an alternative to pharmacotherapy for treatment of various diseases. The extracellular and intracellular barriers to gene delivery necessitate the use of gene vectors which has led to the development of myriads of gene delivery systems. However, many of these gene delivery systems have pitfalls such as low biocompatibility, low loading efficiency, low transfection efficiency, lack of tissue selectivity and high production costs. Herein, we report the development of a new series of short cationic amphiphilic peptides with anticancer activity for selective delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) to cancer cells. The peptides consist of alternating dyads of hydrophobic (isoleucine (I) or leucine (L)) and hydrophilic (arginine (R) or lysine (L)) amino acids. The peptides exhibited higher preference for transfection of HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells compared to human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and induced higher level of gene silencing in the cancer cells. The nucleic acid complexation and transfection efficiency of the peptides was a function of their secondary structure, their hydrophobicity and their C-terminal amino acid. The peptides containing L in their hydrophobic domain formed stronger complexes with siRNA and successfully delivered it to the cancer cells but were unable to release their cargo inside the cells and therefore could not induce any gene silencing. On the contrary, the peptides containing I in their hydrophobic domain were able to release their associated siRNA and induce considerable gene silencing in cancer cells. The peptides exhibited higher selectivity for colorectal cancer cells and induced less gene silencing in fibroblasts compared to the lipid-based commercial transfection reagent DharmaFECT™ 1. The results from this study can serve as a tool for rational design of new peptide-based gene vectors for high selective gene delivery to cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Jiqian Wang
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Stephen Brown
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
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38
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Bugli F, Massaro F, Buonocore F, Saraceni PR, Borocci S, Ceccacci F, Bombelli C, Di Vito M, Marchitiello R, Mariotti M, Torelli R, Sanguinetti M, Porcelli F. Design and Characterization of Myristoylated and Non-Myristoylated Peptides Effective against Candida spp. Clinical Isolates. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2164. [PMID: 35216297 PMCID: PMC8875392 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing resistance of fungi to antibiotics is a severe challenge in public health, and newly effective drugs are required. Promising potential medications are lipopeptides, linear antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) conjugated to a lipid tail, usually at the N-terminus. In this paper, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of three short myristoylated and non-myristoylated peptides derived from a mutant of the AMP Chionodracine. We determined their interaction with anionic and zwitterionic membrane-mimicking vesicles and their structure during this interaction. We then investigated their cytotoxic and hemolytic activity against mammalian cells. Lipidated peptides showed a broad spectrum of activity against a relevant panel of pathogen fungi belonging to Candida spp., including the multidrug-resistant C. auris. The antifungal activity was also observed vs. biofilms of C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. auris. Finally, a pilot efficacy study was conducted on the in vivo model consisting of Galleria mellonella larvae. Treatment with the most-promising myristoylated peptide was effective in counteracting the infection from C. auris and C. albicans and the death of the larvae. Therefore, this myristoylated peptide is a potential candidate to develop antifungal agents against human fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Bugli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (M.D.V.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A, Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Federica Massaro
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (F.M.); (F.B.); (P.R.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Francesco Buonocore
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (F.M.); (F.B.); (P.R.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Paolo Roberto Saraceni
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (F.M.); (F.B.); (P.R.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Stefano Borocci
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (F.M.); (F.B.); (P.R.S.); (S.B.)
- CNR—Institute for Biological Systems, Area Della Ricerca di Roma 1, SP35d 9, 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
| | - Francesca Ceccacci
- CNR—Institute For Biological Systems, Sede Secondaria di Roma-Meccanismi di Reazione, c/o Università La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (C.B.)
| | - Cecilia Bombelli
- CNR—Institute For Biological Systems, Sede Secondaria di Roma-Meccanismi di Reazione, c/o Università La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (C.B.)
| | - Maura Di Vito
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (M.D.V.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Rosalba Marchitiello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (M.D.V.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Melinda Mariotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (M.D.V.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Riccardo Torelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A, Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (M.D.V.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A, Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Fernando Porcelli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (F.M.); (F.B.); (P.R.S.); (S.B.)
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39
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Pratap Verma D, Ansari MM, Verma NK, Saroj J, Akhtar S, Pant G, Mitra K, Singh BN, Ghosh JK. Tandem Repeat of a Short Human Chemerin-Derived Peptide and Its Nontoxic d-Lysine-Containing Enantiomer Display Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial and Antitubercular Activities. J Med Chem 2021; 64:15349-15366. [PMID: 34662112 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
To design novel antimicrobial peptides by utilizing the sequence of the human host defense protein, chemerin, a seven-residue amphipathic stretch located in the amino acid region, 109-115, was identified, which possesses the highest density of hydrophobic and positively charged residues. Although this 7-mer peptide was inactive toward microorganisms, its 14-mer tandem repeat (Chem-KVL) was highly active against different bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain, and slow- and fast-growing mycobacterial species. The selective enantiomeric substitutions of its two l-lysine residues were attempted to confer cell selectivity and proteolytic stability to Chem-KVL. Chem-8dK with a d-lysine replacement in its middle (eighth position) showed the lowest hemolytic activity against human red blood cells among Chem-KVL analogues and maintained high antimicrobial properties. Chem-8dK showed in vivo efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in BALB/c mice and inhibited the development of resistance in this microorganism up to 30 serial passages and growth of intracellular mycobacteria in THP-1 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devesh Pratap Verma
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Mohd Mustkim Ansari
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Neeraj Kumar Verma
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Jyotshana Saroj
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Sariyah Akhtar
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Garima Pant
- Electron Microscopy Unit, SAIF &R Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Kalyan Mitra
- Electron Microscopy Unit, SAIF &R Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Bhupendra Narain Singh
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Jimut Kanti Ghosh
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110001, India
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40
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Cirillo S, Tomeh MA, Wilkinson RN, Hill C, Brown S, Zhao X. Designed Antitumor Peptide for Targeted siRNA Delivery into Cancer Spheroids. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:49713-49728. [PMID: 34657415 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c14761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial/anticancer peptides (AMPs/ACPs) have shown promising results as new therapeutic agents in cancer thearpy. Among them, the designed amphiphilic α-helical peptide G(IIKK)3I-NH2 (G3) displayed great affinity and specificity in targeting cancer cells. Here, we report new insights on how G3 penetrates cancer cells. G3 showed high specificity to HCT-116 colon cancer cells compared to the HDFs (human neonatal primary dermal fibroblasts) control. With high concentrations of peptide, a clear cancer cell membrane disruption was observed through SEM. Gene knockdown of the endocytic pathways demonstrated that an energy-dependent endocytic pathway is required for the uptake of the peptide. In addition, G3 can protect and selectively deliver siRNAs into cancer cells and successfully modulated their gene expression. Gene delivery was also tested in 3D cancer spheroids and showed deep penetration delivery into the cancer spheroids. Finally, the in vivo toxicity of G3 was evaluated on zebrafish embryos, showing an increasing toxicity effect with concentration. However, the toxicity of the peptide was attenuated when complexed with siRNA. In addition, negligible toxicity was observed at the concentration range for efficient gene delivery. The current results demonstrate that G3 is promising as an excellent agent for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cirillo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | - Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | - Robert N Wilkinson
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Hill
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Brown
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
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Hadianamrei R, Tomeh MA, Brown S, Wang J, Zhao X. Correlation between the secondary structure and surface activity of β-sheet forming cationic amphiphilic peptides and their anticancer activity. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 209:112165. [PMID: 34715505 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. The current cancer treatment strategies often lack selectivity for cancer cells resulting in dose-limiting adverse effects and reduced quality of life. Recently, anticancer peptides (ACPs) have emerged as an alternative treatment with higher selectivity, less adverse effects, and lower propensity for drug resistance. However, most of the current studies on the ACPs are focused on α-helical ACPs and there is lack of systematic studies on β-sheet forming ACPs. Herein we report the development of a new series of rationally designed short cationic amphiphilic β-sheet forming ACPs and their structure activity relationship. The peptides had the general formula (XY1XY2)3, with X representing hydrophobic amino acids (isoleucine (I) or leucine (L)), Y1 and Y2 representing cationic amino acids (arginine (R) or lysine (K)). The cytotoxicity of the designed ACPs in HCT 116 colorectal cancer, HeLa cervical cancer and human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells was assessed by MTT test. The physicochemical properties of the peptides were characterized by various techniques including RP-HPLC, LC-MS, and Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The surface activity of the peptides at the air-water interface and their interaction with the lipid monolayers as models for cell membranes were studied by Langmuir trough. The peptides consisting of I with R and K had selective anticancer activity while the combination of L and R diminished the anticancer activity of the peptides but rendered them more toxic to HDFs. The anticancer activity of the peptides was directed by their surface activity (amphiphilicity) and their secondary structure in hydrophobic surfaces including cancer cell membranes. The selectivity of the peptides for cancer cells was a result of their higher penetration into cancer cell membranes compared to normal cell membranes. The peptides exerted their anticancer activity by disrupting the mitochondrial membranes and eventually apoptosis. The results presented in this study provide an insight into the structure-activity relationship of this class of ACPs which can be employed as guidance to design new ACPs with improved anticancer activity and lower toxicity against normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Stephen Brown
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jiqian Wang
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
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Hadianamrei R, Tomeh MA, Brown S, Wang J, Zhao X. Rationally designed short cationic α-helical peptides with selective anticancer activity. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 607:488-501. [PMID: 34509120 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.08.200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Naturally derived or synthetic anticancer peptides (ACPs) have emerged as a new generation of anticancer agents with higher selectivity for cancer cells and less propensity for drug resistance. Despite the structural diversity of ACPs, α-helix is the most common secondary structure among them. Herein we report the development of a new library of short cationic amphiphilic α-helical ACPs with selective cytotoxicity against colorectal and cervical cancer. EXPERIMENTS The peptides had a general formula C(XXYY)3 with C representing amino acid cysteine (providing a -SH group for molecular conjugation), X representing hydrophobic amino acids (isoleucine (I) or leucine (L)), and Y representing cationic amino acids (arginine (R) or lysine (K)). Two variants of the peptides were synthesized by adding additional Isoleucine residues to the C-terminal and replacing the N-terminal cysteine with LC-propargylglycine (LC-G) to investigate the effect of N-terminal and C-terminal variation on the anticancer activity. The structure and physicochemical properties of the peptides were determined by RP-HPLC, LC-MS and CD spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of the peptides in different cell lines was assessed by MTT test, cell proliferation assay and mitochondrial damage assay. The mechanism of cell selectivity of the peptides was investigated by studying their interfacial behaviour at the air/water and lipid/water interface using Langmuir trough. FINDINGS The peptides consisting of K residues in their hydrophilic domains exhibited more selective anticancer activity whereas the peptides containing R exhibited strong toxicity in normal cells. The anticancer activity of the peptides was a function of their helical content and their hydrophobicity. Therefore, the addition of two I residues at C-terminal enhanced the anticancer activity of the peptides by increasing their hydrophobicity and their helical content. These two variants also exhibited strong anticancer activity against colorectal cancer multicellular tumour spheroids (MCTS). The higher toxicity of the peptides in cancer cells compared to normal cells was the result of higher penetration into the negatively charged cancer cell membranes, leading to higher cellular uptake, and their cytotoxic effect was mainly exerted by damaging the mitochondrial membranes leading to apoptosis. The results from this study provide a basis for rational design of new α-helical ACPs with enhanced anticancer activity and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Stephen Brown
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jiqian Wang
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
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Modification Strategy of D-leucine Residue Addition on a Novel Peptide from Odorrana schmackeri, with Enhanced Bioactivity and In Vivo Efficacy. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13090611. [PMID: 34564615 PMCID: PMC8473181 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13090611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brevinins are a well-characterised, frog-skin-derived, antimicrobial peptide (AMP) family, but their applications are limited by high cytotoxicity. In this study, a wild-type des-Leu2 brevinin peptide, named brevinin-1OS (B1OS), was identified from Odorrana schmackeri. To explore the significant role of the leucine residue at the second position, two variants, B1OS-L and B1OS-D-L, were designed by adding L-leucine and D-leucine residues at this site, respectively. The antibacterial and anticancer activities of B1OS-L and B1OS-D-L were around ten times stronger than the parent peptide. The activity of B1OS against the growth of Gram-positive bacteria was markedly enhanced after modification. Moreover, the leucine-modified products exerted in vivo therapeutic potential in an methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected waxworm model. Notably, the single substitution of D-leucine significantly increased the killing speed on lung cancer cells, where no viable H838 cells survived after 2 h of treatment with B1OS-D-L at 10 μM with low cytotoxicity on normal cells. Overall, our study suggested that the conserved leucine residue at the second position from the N-terminus is vital for optimising the dual antibacterial and anticancer activities of B1OS and proposed B1OS-D-L as an appealing therapeutic candidate for development.
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Zhao C, Chen H, Wang F, Zhang X. Amphiphilic self-assembly peptides: Rational strategies to design and delivery for drugs in biomedical applications. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 208:112040. [PMID: 34425532 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Amphiphilic self-assembling peptides are widely used in tissue and cell engineering, antimicrobials, drug-delivery systems and other biomedical fields due to their good biocompatibility, functionality, flexibility of design and synthesis, and tremendous potential as delivery carriers for drugs. Currently, the design and study of amphipathic peptides by a bottom-up method to develop new biomedical materials have become a hot topic. However, defined rules have not been established for the design and development of self-assembled peptides. Therefore, the focus of this review is to summarize and provide several rational strategies for the design and study of amphiphilic self-assembly peptides. In addition, this paper also describes the types and general self-assembling mechanism of amphipathic peptides, and outlines their applications in the delivery of hydrophobic drugs, nucleic acid drugs, peptide drugs and vaccines. Amphiphilic self-assembled peptides are expected to exploit new functional materials for drug delivery and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunqian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Carbohydrate-based Medicine, Institute of Biochemical and Biotechnological Drug, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongyuan Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fengshan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Carbohydrate-based Medicine, Institute of Biochemical and Biotechnological Drug, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xinke Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, People's Republic of China.
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Totsingan F, Liu F, Gross RA. Structure-Activity Relationship Assessment of Sophorolipid Ester Derivatives against Model Bacteria Strains. Molecules 2021; 26:3021. [PMID: 34069408 PMCID: PMC8158775 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26103021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sophorolipids (SLs) are glycolipids that consist of a hydrophilic sophorose head group covalently linked to a hydrophobic fatty acid tail. They are produced by fermentation of non-pathogenic yeasts such as Candida Bombicola. The fermentation products predominantly consist of the diacetylated lactonic form that coexists with the open-chain acidic form. A systematic series of modified SLs were prepared by ring opening of natural lactonic SL with n-alkanols of varying chain length under alkaline conditions and lipase-selective acetylation of sophorose primary hydroxyl groups. The antimicrobial activity of modified SLs against Gram-positive human pathogens was a function of the n-alkanol length, as well as the degree of sophorose acetylation at the primary hydroxyl sites. Modified SLs were identified with promising antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive human pathogens with moderate selectivity (therapeutic index, TI = EC50/MICB. cereus = 6-33). SL-butyl ester exhibited the best antimicrobial activity (MIC = 12 μM) and selectivity (TI = 33) among all SLs tested. Kinetic studies revealed that SL-ester derivatives kill B. cereus in a time-dependent manner resulting in greater than a 3-log reduction in cell number within 1 h at 2×MIC. In contrast, lactonic SL required 3 h to achieve the same efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filbert Totsingan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA;
| | - Richard A. Gross
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA;
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Li J, Hu S, Jian W, Xie C, Yang X. Plant antimicrobial peptides: structures, functions, and applications. BOTANICAL STUDIES 2021; 62:5. [PMID: 33914180 PMCID: PMC8085091 DOI: 10.1186/s40529-021-00312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of short, usually positively charged polypeptides that exist in humans, animals, and plants. Considering the increasing number of drug-resistant pathogens, the antimicrobial activity of AMPs has attracted much attention. AMPs with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against many gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi are an important defensive barrier against pathogens for many organisms. With continuing research, many other physiological functions of plant AMPs have been found in addition to their antimicrobial roles, such as regulating plant growth and development and treating many diseases with high efficacy. The potential applicability of plant AMPs in agricultural production, as food additives and disease treatments, has garnered much interest. This review focuses on the types of plant AMPs, their mechanisms of action, the parameters affecting the antimicrobial activities of AMPs, and their potential applications in agricultural production, the food industry, breeding industry, and medical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Li
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Shuping Hu
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Wei Jian
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Chengjian Xie
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Xingyong Yang
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
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47
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Zhu S, Li W, O'Brien-Simpson N, Separovic F, Sani MA. C-terminus amidation influences biological activity and membrane interaction of maculatin 1.1. Amino Acids 2021; 53:769-777. [PMID: 33891157 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-021-02983-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Cationic antimicrobial peptides have been investigated for their potential use in combating infections by targeting the cell membrane of microbes. Their unique chemical structure has been investigated to understand their mode of action and optimize their dose-response by rationale design. One common feature among cationic AMPs is an amidated C-terminus that provides greater stability against in vivo degradation. This chemical modification also likely modulates the interaction with the cell membrane of bacteria yet few studies have been performed comparing the effect of the capping groups. We used maculatin 1.1 (Mac1) to assess the role of the capping groups in modulating the peptide bacterial efficiency, stability and interactions with lipid membranes. Circular dichroism results showed that C-terminus amidation maintains the structural stability of the peptide (α-helix) in contact with micelles. Dye leakage experiments revealed that amidation of the C-terminus resulted in higher membrane disruptive ability while bacteria and cell viability assays revealed that the amidated form displayed higher antibacterial ability and cytotoxicity compared to the acidic form of Mac1. Furthermore, 31P and 2H solid-state NMR showed that C-terminus amidation played a greater role in disturbance of the phospholipid headgroup but had little effect on the lipid tails. This study paves the way to better understand how membrane-active AMPs act in live bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiying Zhu
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Wenyi Li
- Melbourne Dental School and Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Neil O'Brien-Simpson
- Melbourne Dental School and Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Frances Separovic
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Marc-Antoine Sani
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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Ciumac D, Gong H, Campbell RA, Campana M, Xu H, Lu JR. Structural elucidation upon binding of antimicrobial peptides into binary mixed lipid monolayers mimicking bacterial membranes. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 598:193-205. [PMID: 33901846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) kill microorganisms by causing structural damage to bacterial membranes. Different microorganisms often require a different type and concentration of an AMP to achieve full microbial killing. We hypothesise that the difference is caused by different membrane structure and composition. EXPERIMENTS Given the complexities of bacterial membranes, we have used monolayers of the binary DPPG/TMCL mixture to mimic the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-positive bacteria and the binary DPPG/DPPE mixture to mimic the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, where DPPG, TMCL and DPPE stand for 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol), 1',3'-bis[1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho]-sn-glycerol, and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, respectively. A Langmuir trough was specially designed to control the spread lipid monolayers and facilitate neutron reflectivity measurements. FINDINGS Surface pressure-area isotherm analysis revealed that all binary lipid systems mix non-ideally, but mixing is thermodynamically favoured. An increase in the surface pressure encourages demixing, resulting in phase separation and formation of clusters. Neutron reflectivity measurements were undertaken to study the binding of an antimicrobial peptide G(IIKK)4-I-NH2 (G4) to the binary DPPG/TMCL and DPPG/DPPE monolayer mixtures at the molar ratios of 6/4 and 3/7, respectively. The results revealed stronger binding and penetration of G4 to the DPPG/TMCL monolayer, indicating greater affinity of the antimicrobial peptide due to the electrostatic interaction and more extensive penetration into the more loosely packed lipid film. This work helps explain how AMPs attack different bacterial membranes, and the results are discussed in the context of other lipid models and antibacterial studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ciumac
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Schuster Building, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Haoning Gong
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Schuster Building, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Richard A Campbell
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-20156, 38042 Grenoble, France; Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Stopford Building, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Mario Campana
- ISIS Neutron Facility, STFC, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QZ, UK
| | - Hai Xu
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, China
| | - Jian R Lu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Schuster Building, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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Gong H, Hu X, Liao M, Fa K, Ciumac D, Clifton LA, Sani MA, King SM, Maestro A, Separovic F, Waigh TA, Xu H, McBain AJ, Lu JR. Structural Disruptions of the Outer Membranes of Gram-Negative Bacteria by Rationally Designed Amphiphilic Antimicrobial Peptides. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:16062-16074. [PMID: 33797891 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c01643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are covered by both an inner cytoplasmic membrane (IM) and an outer membrane (OM). Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) must first permeate through the OM and cell wall before attacking the IM to cause cytoplasmic leakage and kill the bacteria. The bacterial OM is an asymmetric bilayer with the outer leaflet primarily composed of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) and the inner leaflet composed of phospholipids (PLs). Two cationic α-helical AMPs were designed to target Gram-negative bacteria, a full peptide G(IIKK)3I-NH2 (G3), and a hydrophobic lipopeptide C8-G(IIKK)2I-NH2 (C8G2, with C8 denoting the octanoyl chain). LPS dominates OM functions as the first line of defense against antibiotics, thereby reducing drug susceptibility. This work explores how the two AMPs interact with LPS through several carefully chosen OM models that facilitated measurements from solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ss-NMR), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and neutron reflectivity (NR). The results revealed that G3 molecules bound preferably to the LPS head region and functioned as bridge molecules to reassemble the dislocated lipids into bilayer stacks. In contrast, C8G2 lipopeptides could quickly penetrate into the central region of the OM to cause direct removal of some membrane lipids. Different structural disruptions implicated different antimicrobial efficacies from these AMPs. The demonstration of the structural features underlying different susceptibilities of the OM to AMPs offers a useful route for the future development of strain-specific AMPs against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoning Gong
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Xuzhi Hu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ke Fa
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Daniela Ciumac
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Luke A Clifton
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Marc-Antoine Sani
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Stephen M King
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Armando Maestro
- Institute Laue Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-20156, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Frances Separovic
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Thomas A Waigh
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Hai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Andrew J McBain
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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50
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Zhu N, Zhong C, Liu T, Zhu Y, Gou S, Bao H, Yao J, Ni J. Newly designed antimicrobial peptides with potent bioactivity and enhanced cell selectivity prevent and reverse rifampin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Eur J Pharm Sci 2021; 158:105665. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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