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Yao L, Liu Q, Lei Z, Sun T. Development and challenges of antimicrobial peptide delivery strategies in bacterial therapy: A review. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126819. [PMID: 37709236 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
The escalating global prevalence of antimicrobial resistance poses a critical threat, prompting concerns about its impact on public health. This predicament is exacerbated by the acute shortage of novel antimicrobial agents, a scarcity attributed to the rapid surge in bacterial resistance. This review delves into the realm of antimicrobial peptides, a diverse class of compounds ubiquitously present in plants and animals across various natural organisms. Renowned for their intrinsic antibacterial activity, these peptides provide a promising avenue to tackle the intricate challenge of bacterial resistance. However, the clinical utility of peptide-based drugs is hindered by limited bioavailability and susceptibility to rapid degradation, constraining efforts to enhance the efficacy of bacterial infection treatments. The emergence of nanocarriers marks a transformative approach poised to revolutionize peptide delivery strategies. This review elucidates a promising framework involving nanocarriers within the realm of antimicrobial peptides. This paradigm enables meticulous and controlled peptide release at infection sites by detecting dynamic shifts in microenvironmental factors, including pH, ROS, GSH, and reactive enzymes. Furthermore, a glimpse into the future reveals the potential of targeted delivery mechanisms, harnessing inflammatory responses and intricate signaling pathways, including adenosine triphosphate, macrophage receptors, and pathogenic nucleic acid entities. This approach holds promise in fortifying immunity, thereby amplifying the potency of peptide-based treatments. In summary, this review spotlights peptide nanosystems as prospective solutions for combating bacterial infections. By bridging antimicrobial peptides with advanced nanomedicine, a new therapeutic era emerges, poised to confront the formidable challenge of antimicrobial resistance head-on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfukang Yao
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qianying Liu
- School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Zhixin Lei
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Taolei Sun
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
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2
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Zhong X, Deng K, Yang X, Song X, Zou Y, Zhou X, Tang H, Li L, Fu Y, Yin Z, Wan H, Zhao X. Brevicidine acts as an effective sensitizer of outer membrane-impermeable conventional antibiotics for Acinetobacter baumannii treatment. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1304198. [PMID: 38173680 PMCID: PMC10762313 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1304198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The antibiotic resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii poses a significant threat to global public health, especially those strains that are resistant to carbapenems. Therefore, novel strategies are desperately needed for the treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii. In this study, we report that brevicidine, a bacterial non-ribosomally produced cyclic lipopeptide, shows synergistic effects with multiple outer membrane-impermeable conventional antibiotics against A. baumannii. In particular, brevicidine, at a concentration of 1 μM, lowered the minimum inhibitory concentration of erythromycin, azithromycin, and rifampicin against A. baumannii strains by 32-128-fold. Furthermore, mechanistic studies were performed by employing erythromycin as an example of an outer membrane-impermeable conventional antibiotic, which showed the best synergistic effects with brevicidine against the tested A. baumannii strains in the present study. The results demonstrate that brevicidine disrupted the outer membrane of A. baumannii at a concentration range of 0.125-4 μM in a dose-dependent manner. This capacity of brevicidine could help the tested outer membrane-impermeable antibiotics enter A. baumannii cells and thereafter exert their antimicrobial activity. In addition, the results show that brevicidine-erythromycin combination exerted strong A. baumannii killing capacity by the enhanced inhibition of adenosine triphosphate biosynthesis and accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which are the main mechanisms causing the death of bacteria. Interestingly, brevicidine and erythromycin combination showed good therapeutic effects on A. baumannii-induced mouse peritonitis-sepsis models. These findings demonstrate that brevicidine is a promising sensitizer candidate of outer membrane-impermeable conventional antibiotics for treating A. baumannii infections in the post-antibiotic age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Zhong
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kai Deng
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiuhan Yang
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xu Song
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanfeng Zou
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Zhou
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huaqiao Tang
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lixia Li
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuping Fu
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhongqiong Yin
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongping Wan
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinghong Zhao
- Center for Sustainable Antimicrobials, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Center for Infectious Diseases Control (CIDC), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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3
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Chen L, Kumar S, Wu H. A review of current antibiotic resistance and promising antibiotics with novel modes of action to combat antibiotic resistance. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:356. [PMID: 37863957 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03699-2] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
The emergence and transmission of antibiotic resistance is a global public health crisis with significant burden on healthcare systems, resulting in high mortality and economic costs. In 2019, almost five million deaths were associated with drug-resistant infections, and if left unchecked, the global economy could lose $100 trillion by 2050. To effectively combat this crisis, it is essential for all countries to understand the current situation of antibiotic resistance. In this review, we examine the current driving factors leading to the crisis, impact of critical superbugs in three regions, and identify novel mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. It is crucial to monitor the phenotypic characteristics of drug-resistant pathogens and describe the mechanisms involved in preventing the emergence of cross-resistance to novel antimicrobials. Additionally, maintaining an active pipeline of new antibiotics is essential for fighting against diverse antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Developing antibacterial agents with novel mechanisms of action is a promising way to combat increasing antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng, China
- School of Graduate Studies, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia.
| | - Hongyan Wu
- Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng, China
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4
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Yang F, Jiang H, Ma K, Wang X, Liang S, Cai Y, Jing Y, Tian B, Shi X. Genome sequencing and analysis of Bacillus velezensis VJH504 reveal biocontrol mechanism against cucumber Fusarium wilt. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1279695. [PMID: 37901818 PMCID: PMC10602789 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1279695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
One major issue in reducing cucumber yield is the destructive disease Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (Foc). When using the isolate VJH504 isolated from cucumber rhizosphere soil and identified as Bacillus velezensis, the growth of Foc in the double culture experiment was effectively inhibited. Phenotypic, phylogenetic, and genomic analyses were conducted to enhance understanding of its biocontrol mechanism. According to the result of the phenotype analysis, B. velezensis VJH504 could inhibit cucumber fusarium wilt disease both in vitro and in vivo, and significantly promote cucumber seed germination and seedling growth. Additionally, the tests of growth-promoting and biocontrol characteristics revealed the secretion of proteases, amylases, β-1,3-glucanases, cellulases, as well as siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid by B. velezensis VJH504. Using the PacBio Sequel II system, we applied the complete genome sequencing for B. velezensis VJH504 and obtained a single circular chromosome with a size of 3.79 Mb. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of B. velezensis VJH504 and 13 other Bacillus species, and Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) analysis was performed using their whole-genome sequences, confirming isolateVJH504 as B. velezensis. Following this, based on the complete genome sequence od B. velezensis VJH504, specific functional analysis, Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes) analysis, and secondary metabolite analysis were carried out, predicting organism's abilities for biofilm formation, production of antifungal CAZymes, and synthesis of antagonistic secondary metabolites against pathogens. Afterwards, a comparative genomic analysis was performed between B. velezensis VJH504 and three other B. velezensis strains, revealing subtle differences in their genomic sequences and suggesting the potential for the discovery of novel antimicrobial substances in B. velezensis VJH504. In conclusion, the mechanism of B. velezensis VJH504 in controlling cucumber fusarium wilt was predicted to appear that B. velezensis VJH504is a promising biocontrol agent, showcasing excellent application potential in agricultural production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Huayan Jiang
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Kai Ma
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shen Liang
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yuxin Cai
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yancai Jing
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Baoming Tian
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xuanjie Shi
- Institute of Horticulture, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Graduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Guo L, Wang C, Broos J, Kuipers OP. Lipidated variants of the antimicrobial peptide nisin produced via incorporation of methionine analogs for click chemistry show improved bioactivity. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104845. [PMID: 37209826 PMCID: PMC10404616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The increase in antibiotic resistance calls for accelerated molecular engineering strategies to diversify natural products for drug discovery. The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) is an elegant strategy for this purpose, offering a diverse pool of building blocks to introduce desired properties into antimicrobial lanthipeptides. We here report an expression system using Lactococcus lactis as a host for non-canonical amino acid incorporation with high efficiency and yield. We show that incorporating the more hydrophobic analog ethionine (instead of methionine) into nisin improves its bioactivity against several Gram-positive strains we tested. New-to-nature variants were further created by click chemistry. By azidohomoalanine (Aha) incorporation and subsequent click chemistry, we obtained lipidated variants at different positions in nisin or in truncated nisin variants. Some of them show improved bioactivity and specificity against several pathogenic bacterial strains. These results highlight the ability of this methodology for lanthipeptide multi-site lipidation, to create new-to-nature antimicrobial products with diverse features, and extend the toolbox for (lanthi)peptide drug improvement and discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longcheng Guo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chenhui Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Broos
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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6
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Striving for sustainable biosynthesis: discovery, diversification, and production of antimicrobial drugs in Escherichia coli. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:1315-1328. [PMID: 36196987 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220218] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
New antimicrobials need to be discovered to fight the advance of multidrug-resistant pathogens. A promising approach is the screening for antimicrobial agents naturally produced by living organisms. As an alternative to studying the native producer, it is possible to use genetically tractable microbes as heterologous hosts to aid the discovery process, facilitate product diversification through genetic engineering, and ultimately enable environmentally friendly production. In this mini-review, we summarize the literature from 2017 to 2022 on the application of Escherichia coli and E. coli-based platforms as versatile and powerful systems for the discovery, characterization, and sustainable production of antimicrobials. We highlight recent developments in high-throughput screening methods and genetic engineering approaches that build on the strengths of E. coli as an expression host and that led to the production of antimicrobial compounds. In the last section, we briefly discuss new techniques that have not been applied to discover or engineer antimicrobials yet, but that may be useful for this application in the future.
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Viel J, Kuipers OP. Modular Use of the Uniquely Small Ring A of Mersacidin Generates the Smallest Ribosomally Produced Lanthipeptide. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3078-3087. [PMID: 36065523 PMCID: PMC9486960 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Mersacidin is an antimicrobial class II lanthipeptide. Lanthipeptides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), characterized by intramolecular lanthionine rings. These rings give lanthipeptides their bioactive structure and stability. RiPPs are produced from a gene cluster that encodes a precursor peptide and its dedicated unique modification enzymes. The field of RiPP engineering aims to recombine modification enzymes from different RiPPs to modify new substrates, resulting in new-to-nature molecules with novel or improved functionality. The enzyme MrsM from the mersacidin gene cluster installs the four lanthionine rings of mersacidin, including the uniquely small ring A. By applying MrsM in RiPP engineering, this ring could be installed in linear peptides to achieve stabilization by a very small lanthionine or to create small lanthionine-stabilized modules for chemical modification. However, the formation of unique intramolecular structures like that of mersacidin's ring A can be very stringent. Here, the formation of ring A of mersacidin is characterized by mutagenesis. A range of truncated mersacidin variants was made to identify the smallest possible construct in which this ring could still be formed. Additionally, mutants were created to study the flexibility of ring A formation. It was found that although the formation of ring A is stringent, it can be formed in a core peptide as small as five amino acids. The truncated mersacidin core peptide CTFAL is the smallest ribosomally produced lanthipeptide reported to date, and it has exciting prospects as a new module for application in RiPP engineering.
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Uggowitzer KA, Shao ARQ, Habibi Y, Zhang QE, Thibodeaux CJ. Exploring the Heterogeneous Structural Dynamics of Class II Lanthipeptide Synthetases with Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS). Biochemistry 2022; 61:2118-2130. [PMID: 36094889 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Class II lanthipeptide synthetases (LanM enzymes) catalyze the installation of multiple thioether bridges into genetically encoded peptides to produce macrocyclic lanthipeptides, a class of biologically active natural products. Collectively, LanM enzymes install thioether rings of different sizes, topologies, and stereochemistry into a vast array of different LanA precursor peptide sequences. The factors that govern the outcome of the LanM-catalyzed reaction cascade are not fully characterized but are thought to involve both intermolecular interactions and intramolecular conformational changes in the [LanM:LanA] Michaelis complex. To test this hypothesis, we have combined AlphaFold modeling with hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) analysis of a small collection of divergent LanM/LanA systems to investigate the similarities and differences in their conformational dynamic properties. Our data indicate that LanA precursor peptide binding triggers relatively conserved changes in the structural dynamics of the LanM dehydratase domain, supporting the existence of a similar leader peptide binding mode across the LanM family. In contrast, changes induced in the dynamics of the LanM cyclase domain were more highly variable between enzymes, perhaps reflecting different peptide-cyclase interactions and/or different modes of allosteric activation in class II lanthipeptide biosynthesis. Our analysis highlights the ability of the emerging AlphaFold platform to predict protein-peptide interactions that are supported by other lines of experimental evidence. The combination of AlphaFold modeling with HDX-MS analysis should emerge as a useful approach for investigating other conformationally dynamic enzymes involved in peptide natural product biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Uggowitzer
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St., Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Annie R Q Shao
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St., Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Yeganeh Habibi
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St., Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Qianyi E Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St., Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
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Viel JH, Kuipers OP. Mutational Studies of the Mersacidin Leader Reveal the Function of Its Unique Two-Step Leader Processing Mechanism. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1949-1957. [PMID: 35504017 PMCID: PMC9127955 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The class II lanthipeptide
mersacidin, a ribosomally synthesized
and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP), displays unique
intramolecular structures, including a very small lanthionine ring.
When applied in the growing field of RiPP engineering, these can add
unique features to new-to-nature compounds with novel properties.
Recently, a heterologous expression system for mersacidin in Escherichia coli was developed to add its modification
enzymes to the RiPP engineering toolbox and further explore mersacidin
biosynthesis and leader-processing. The dedicated mersacidin transporter
and leader protease MrsT was shown to cleave the leader peptide only
partially upon export, transporting GDMEAA-mersacidin out of the cell.
The extracellular Bacillus amyloliquefaciens protease AprE was shown to release active mersacidin in a second
leader-processing step after transport. The conserved LanT cleavage
site in the mersacidin leader is present in many other class II lanthipeptides.
In contrast to mersacidin, the leader of these peptides is fully processed
in one step. This difference with mersacidin leader-processing raises
fundamentally interesting questions about the specifics of mersacidin
modification and processing, which is also crucial for its application
in RiPP engineering. Here, mutational studies of the mersacidin leader–core
interface were performed to answer these questions. Results showed
the GDMEAA sequence is crucial for both mersacidin modification and
leader processing, revealing a unique leader layout in which a LanM
recognition site is positioned downstream of the conserved leader-protease
LanT cleavage site. Moreover, by identifying residues and regions
that are crucial for mersacidin-type modifications, the wider application
of mersacidin modifications in RiPP engineering has been enabled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob H. Viel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Oscar P. Kuipers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Rebuffat S. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, foreground players in microbial interactions: recent developments and unanswered questions. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 39:273-310. [PMID: 34755755 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00052g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
It is currently well established that multicellular organisms live in tight association with complex communities of microorganisms including a large number of bacteria. These are immersed in complex interaction networks reflecting the relationships established between them and with host organisms; yet, little is known about the molecules and mechanisms involved in these mutual interactions. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, among which bacterial antimicrobial peptides called bacteriocins and microcins have been identified as contributing to host-microbe interplays, are either unmodified or post-translationally modified peptides. This review will unveil current knowledge on these ribosomal peptide-based natural products, their interplay with the host immune system, and their roles in microbial interactions and symbioses. It will include their major structural characteristics and post-translational modifications, the main rules of their maturation pathways, and the principal ecological functions they ensure (communication, signalization, competition), especially in symbiosis, taking select examples in various organisms. Finally, we address unanswered questions and provide a framework for deciphering big issues inspiring future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Rebuffat
- Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier 75005, Paris, France.
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