1
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Chen C, Gu Q, Ge Y, Tian J, Zhang Y, Wang T, Wang C, Zhao Y, Xu H, Fan X. Antibiofilm Mechanisms of the Helical G3 Peptide against Staphylococcus epidermidis. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:11806-11816. [PMID: 38770910 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Antibacterial peptides (ABPs) have been recognized as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics due to their broad antibacterial spectrum, high antibacterial activity, and low possibility of inducing bacterial resistance. However, their antibiofilm mechanisms have not yet reached a consensus. In this study, we investigated the antibiofilm activity of a short helical peptide G3 against Staphylococcus epidermidis, one of the most important strains of medical device contamination. Studies show that G3 inhibits S. epidermidis biofilm formation in a variety of ways. In the initial adhesion stage, G3 changes the properties of bacterial surfaces, such as charges, hydrophobicity, and permeability, by rapidly binding to them, thus interfering with their initial adhesion. In the mature stage, G3 prefers to target extracellular polysaccharides, leading to the death of outside bacteria and the disruption of the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of the bacterial biofilm. Such efficient antibiofilm activity of G3 endows it with great potential in the treatment of infections induced by the S. epidermidis biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuixia Chen
- 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
| | - Qilong Gu
- 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
| | - Yangyang Ge
- 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
| | - Jingyun Tian
- Marine Science Research Institute of Shandong Province (National Oceanographic Center, Qingdao), 7 Youyun Road, Laoshan District, Qingdao 266104, China
| | - Yusen Zhang
- 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
| | - Tianling Wang
- 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
| | - Chen Wang
- 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
| | - Yurong Zhao
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Xinglong Fan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266035, China
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2
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Chandole PK, Pawar TJ, Olivares-Romero JL, Tivari SR, Garcia Lara B, Patel H, Ahmad I, Delgado-Alvarado E, Kokate SV, Jadeja Y. Exploration of novel cationic amino acid-enriched short peptides: design, SPPS, biological evaluation and in silico study. RSC Adv 2024; 14:17710-17723. [PMID: 38832247 PMCID: PMC11145139 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08313f] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a critical challenge worldwide, necessitating the pursuit of novel approaches to counteract bacterial and fungal pathogens. In this context, we explored the potential of cationic amino acid-enriched short peptides, synthesized via solid-phase methods, as innovative antimicrobial candidates. Our comprehensive evaluation assessed the antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of these peptides against a panel of significant pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. Utilizing molecular docking techniques, we delved into the molecular interactions underpinning the peptides' action against these microorganisms. The results revealed a spectrum of inhibitory activities, with certain peptide sequences displaying pronounced effectiveness across various pathogens. These findings underscore the peptides' potential as promising antimicrobial agents, with molecular docking offering valuable insights into their mechanisms of action. This study enriches antimicrobial peptide (AMP) research by identifying promising candidates for further refinement and development toward therapeutic application, highlighting their significance in addressing the urgent issue of AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tushar Janardan Pawar
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351 Xalapa 91073 Veracruz Mexico
| | - José Luis Olivares-Romero
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351 Xalapa 91073 Veracruz Mexico
| | - Sunil R Tivari
- Department of Chemistry, Marwadi University Rajkot-360003 Gujarat India
| | - Bianney Garcia Lara
- Departamento de Química, Universidad de Guanajuato Noria Alta S/N Guanajuato-36050 Guanajuato Mexico
| | - Harun Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Shirpur District Dhule-425405 Maharashtra India
| | - Iqrar Ahmad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Shirpur District Dhule-425405 Maharashtra India
| | - Enrique Delgado-Alvarado
- Micro and Nanotechnology Research Center, Universidad Veracruzana Blvd. Av. Ruiz Cortines No. 455 Fracc. Costa Verde Boca del Río 94294 Mexico
| | - Siddhant V Kokate
- Department of Chemistry, S. S. C. College Junnar Pune-410502 Maharashtra India
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3
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Cirillo S, Zhang B, Brown S, Zhao X. Antimicrobial peptide A 9K as a gene delivery vector in cancer cells. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 198:114244. [PMID: 38467336 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114244] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Designed peptides are promising biomaterials for biomedical applications. The amphiphilic cationic antimicrobial peptide (AMP), A9K, can self-assemble into nano-rod structures and has shown cancer cell selectivity and could therefore be a promising candidate for therapeutic delivery into cancer cells. In this paper, we investigate the selectivity of A9K for cancer cell models, examining its effect on two human cancer cell lines, A431 and HCT-116. Little or no activity was observed on the control, human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). In the cancer cell lines the peptide inhibited cellular growth through changes in mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential while remaining harmless towards HDFs. In addition, the peptide can bind to and protect nucleic acids while transporting them into both 2D cultures and 3D spheroids of cancer cells. A9K showed high efficiency in delivering siRNA molecules into the centre of the spheroids. A9K was also explored in vivo, using a zebrafish (Danio rerio) development toxicity assay, showing that the peptide is safe at low doses. Finally, a high-content imaging screen, using RNA interference (RNAi) targeted towards cellular uptake, in HCT-116 cells was carried out. Our findings suggest that active cellular uptake is involved in peptide internalisation, mediated through clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These new discoveries make A9K attractive for future developments in clinical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cirillo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Stephen Brown
- The Sheffield RNAi Screening Facility, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
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4
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Dong Z, Zhang X, Zhang Q, Tangthianchaichana J, Guo M, Du S, Lu Y. Anticancer Mechanisms and Potential Anticancer Applications of Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Nano Agents. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:1017-1039. [PMID: 38317847 PMCID: PMC10840538 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s445333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional chemotherapy is one of the main methods of cancer treatment, which is largely limited by severe side effects and frequent development of multi-drug resistance by cancer cells. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with high efficiency and low toxicity, as one of the most promising new drugs to replace chemoradiotherapy, have become a current research hotspot, attracting the attention of worldwide researchers. AMPs are natural-source small peptides from the innate immune system, and certain AMPs can selectively kill a broad spectrum of cancer cells while exhibiting less damage to normal cells. Although it involves intracellular mechanisms, AMPs exert their anti-cancer effects mainly through membrane destruction effect; thus, AMPs also hold unique advantages in fighting drug-resistant cancer cells. However, the poor stability and hemolytic toxicity of peptides limit their clinical application. Fortunately, functionalized nanoparticles have many possibilities in overcoming the shortcomings of AMPs, which provides a huge prospect for better application of AMPs. In this paper, we briefly introduce the characteristics and different sources of AMPs, review and summarize the mechanisms of action and the research status of AMPs used as an anticancer therapy, and finally focus on the further use of AMPs nano agents in the anti-cancer direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Dong
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Research and Development Centre in Beijing, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jakkree Tangthianchaichana
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Mingxue Guo
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shouying Du
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Lu
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Li L, Li J, Yu X, Cao R, Hong M, Xu Z, Ren Lu J, Wang Y, Zhu H. Antimicrobial peptides fight against Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a sub-inhibitory concentration via anti-QS pathway. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106922. [PMID: 37865056 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106922] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The broad-spectrum antimicrobial ability of de novo designed amphiphilic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) G(IIKK)3I-NH2 (G3) and C8-G(IIKK)2I-NH2 (C8G2) have been demonstrated. Nonetheless, their potential as anti-quorum-sensing (anti-QS) agents, particularly against the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at subinhibitory concentrations, has received limited attention. In this study, we proved that treating P. aeruginosa PAO1 with both AMPs at subinhibitory concentrations led to significant inhibition of QS-regulated virulence factors, including pyocyanin, elastase, proteases, and bacterial motility. Additionally, the AMPs exhibited remarkable capabilities in suppressing biofilm formation and their elimination rate of mature biofilm exceeded 95%. Moreover, both AMPs substantially downregulated the expression of QS-related genes. CD analysis revealed that both AMPs induced structural alterations in the important QS-related protein LasR in vitro. Molecular docking results indicated that both peptides bind to the hydrophobic groove of the LasR dimer. Notably, upon mutating key binding sites (D5, E11, and F87) to Ala, the binding efficiency of LasR to both peptides significantly decreased. We revealed the potential of antibacterial peptides G3 and C8G2 at their sub-MIC concentrations as QS inhibitors against P. aeruginosa and elucidated their action mechanism. These findings contribute to our understanding of the therapeutic potential of these peptides in combating P. aeruginosa infections by targeting the QS system.
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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, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaodan Yu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Ruipin Cao
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Meiling Hong
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zuxian Xu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Yinglu Wang
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China; State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Hu Zhu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
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6
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Lin C, Ma Z, Gao Y, Le M, Shi Z, Qi D, Ma JC, Cui ZK, Wang L, Jia YG. Main-Chain Cationic Bile Acid Polymers Mimicking Facially Amphiphilic Antimicrobial Peptides. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37400427 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections have led to an increased demand for antibacterial agents that do not contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with the facially amphiphilic structures have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness, including the ability to suppress antibiotic resistance during bacterial treatment. Herein, inspired by the facially amphiphilic structure of AMPs, the facially amphiphilic skeletons of bile acids (BAs) are utilized as building blocks to create a main-chain cationic bile acid polymer (MCBAP) with macromolecular facial amphiphilicity via polycondensation and a subsequent quaternization. The optimal MCBAP displays an effective activity against Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli, fast killing efficacy, superior bactericidal stability in vitro, and potent anti-infectious performance in vivo using the MRSA-infected wound model. MCBAP shows the low possibility to develop drug-resistant bacteria after repeated exposure, which may ascribe to the macromolecular facial amphiphilicity promoting bacterial membrane disruption and the generation of reactive oxygen species. The easy synthesis and low cost of MCBAP, the superior antimicrobial performance, and the therapeutic potential in treating MRSA infection altogether demonstrate that BAs are a promising group of building blocks to mimic the facially amphiphilic structure of AMPs in treating MRSA infection and alleviating antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zunwei Ma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yunpeng Gao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Mengqi Le
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhifeng Shi
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Dawei Qi
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Jian-Chao Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhong-Kai Cui
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lin Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education; Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yong-Guang Jia
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education; Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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7
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Yang L, Chen C, Liang T, Hao L, Gu Q, Xu H, Zhao Y, Jiang L, Fan X. Disassembling ability of lipopeptide promotes the antibacterial activity. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 649:535-546. [PMID: 37356155 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.168] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Lipopeptides have become one of the most potent antibacterial agents, however, there is so far no consensus about the link between their physic-chemical properties and biological activity, in particular their inherent aggregation propensity and antibacterial potency. To this end, we here de novo design a series of lipopeptides (CnH(2n-1)O-(VVKK)2V-NH2), in which an alkyl chain is covalently attached onto the N-terminus of a short cationic peptide sequence with an alternating pattern of hydrophobic VV (Val) and positively charged KK (Lys) motifs. By varying the alkyl chain length (ortho-octanoic acid (C8), lauric acid (C12), and palmitic acid (C16)), the lipopeptides show distinct physicochemical properties and self-assembly behaviors, which have great effect on their antibacterial activities. C8H15O-(VVKK)2V-NH2, which contains the lowest hydrophobicity and surface activity has the lowest antibacterial activity. C12H23O-(VVKK)2V-NH2 and C16H31O-(VVKK)2V-NH2 both have high hydrophobicity and surface activity, and self-assembled into long nanofibers. However, the nanofibers formed by C12H23O-(VVKK)2V-NH2 disassembled by dilution, resulting in its high antibacterial activity via bacterial membrane disruption. Comparatively, the nanofibers formed by C16H31O-(VVKK)2V-NH2 were very stable, which can closely attach on bacterial surface but not permeate bacterial membrane, leading to its low antibacterial activity. Thus, the stability other than the morphologies of lipopeptides' nanostructures contribute to their antibacterial ability. Importantly, this study enhances our understanding of the antibacterial mechanisms of self-assembling lipopeptides that will be helpful in exploring their biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuxin Yang
- 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
| | - Cuixia Chen
- 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.
| | - Tiantian Liang
- 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
| | - Liyun Hao
- 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
| | - Qilong Gu
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Yurong Zhao
- 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
| | - Lixia Jiang
- Hospital of China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xinglong Fan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266035, China.
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8
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Cao R, Li L, Xu Z, Li J, Wu D, Wang Y, Zhu H. The lipidation and glycosylation enabling bioactivity enhancement and structural change of antibacterial peptide G3. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2023; 90:129322. [PMID: 37182609 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129322] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial resistance has led to increased interest in the use of antibacterial peptides (AMPs), but their clinical application is limited by poor stability and solubility, as well as complex cytotoxicity. Chemical modification is a common strategy to modulate AMPs. In this study, a de novo designed AMP (G3) was modified by adding an alkyl acid at the N-terminal and a monosaccharide at the C-terminal. Bio-activity assays demonstrated that conjugation with n-caprylic acid increased the peptide's antibacterial activity and permeabilized the membrane. Attachment of glucose or galactose at the C-terminal improved its biofilm inhibitory capacity and marginally reduced cytotoxicity. The hybrid peptide, containing both n-caprylic acid and galactose, exhibited excellent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity, as well as permeabilized the outer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipin Cao
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China
| | - Li Li
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China
| | - Zuxian Xu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China
| | - Danli Wu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China
| | - Yinglu Wang
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China; State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Hu Zhu
- Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Industrial Biocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China.
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9
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Li S, Li Y, Liu Y, Wu Y, Wang Q, Jin L, Zhang D. Therapeutic Peptides for Treatment of Lung Diseases: Infection, Fibrosis, and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108642. [PMID: 37239989 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Various lung diseases endanger people's health. Side effects and pharmaceutical resistance complicate the treatment of acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer, necessitating the development of novel treatments. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered to serve as a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics. These peptides exhibit a broad antibacterial activity spectrum as well as immunomodulatory properties. Previous studies have shown that therapeutic peptides including AMPs had remarkable impacts on animal and cell models of acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer. The purpose of this paper is to outline the potential curative effects and mechanisms of peptides in the three types of lung diseases mentioned above, which may be used as a therapeutic strategy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujiao Li
- School of Life Sciences, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
| | - Yuying Li
- School of Life Sciences, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Health Commission of China, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Health Commission of China, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Qiuyu Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
| | - Lili Jin
- School of Life Sciences, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
| | - Dianbao Zhang
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Health Commission of China, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
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10
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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: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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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11
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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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12
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Yao Y, Zhang W, Li S, Xie H, Zhang Z, Jia B, Huang S, Li W, Ma L, Gao Y, Song J, Wang R. Development of Neuropeptide Hemokinin-1 Analogues with Antimicrobial and Wound-Healing Activity. J Med Chem 2023; 66:6617-6630. [PMID: 36893465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Wound healing is a complex process that can be delayed in some pathological conditions, such as infection and diabetes. Following skin injury, the neuropeptide substance P (SP) is released from peripheral neurons to promote wound healing by multiple mechanisms. Human hemokinin-1 (hHK-1) has been identified as an SP-like tachykinin peptide. Surprisingly, hHK-1 shares similar structural features with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), but it does not display efficient antimicrobial activity. Therefore, a series of hHK-1 analogues were designed and synthesized. Among these analogues, AH-4 was found to display the greatest antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria. Furthermore, AH-4 rapidly killed bacteria by membrane disruption, similar to most AMPs. More importantly, AH-4 showed favorable healing activity in all tested mouse full-thickness excisional wound models. Overall, this study suggests that the neuropeptide hHK-1 can be used as a desirable template for developing promising therapeutics with multiple functions for wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Sisi Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Huan Xie
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Zhengzheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Bo Jia
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Sujie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Wenyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Ling Ma
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yuxuan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jingjing Song
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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13
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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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14
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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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15
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Juretić D. Designed Multifunctional Peptides for Intracellular Targets. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11091196. [PMID: 36139975 PMCID: PMC9495127 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11091196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature’s way for bioactive peptides is to provide them with several related functions and the ability to cooperate in performing their job. Natural cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), such as penetratins, inspired the design of multifunctional constructs with CPP ability. This review focuses on known and novel peptides that can easily reach intracellular targets with little or no toxicity to mammalian cells. All peptide candidates were evaluated and ranked according to the predictions of low toxicity to mammalian cells and broad-spectrum activity. The final set of the 20 best peptide candidates contains the peptides optimized for cell-penetrating, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity. Their predicted features are intrinsic disorder and the ability to acquire an amphipathic structure upon contact with membranes or nucleic acids. In conclusion, the review argues for exploring wide-spectrum multifunctionality for novel nontoxic hybrids with cell-penetrating peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davor Juretić
- Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, 21000 Split, Croatia;
- Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia;
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16
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Wang X, Hong X, Chen F, Wang KJ. A truncated peptide Spgillcin177–189 derived from mud crab Scylla paramamosain exerting multiple antibacterial activities. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:928220. [PMID: 36061863 PMCID: PMC9435603 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.928220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may be the most promising substitute for antibiotics due to their effective bactericidal activity and multiple antimicrobial modes against pathogenic bacteria. In this study, a new functional gene named Spgillcin was identified in Scylla paramamosain, which encoded 216 amino acids of mature peptide. In vivo, Spgillcin was dominantly expressed in the gills of male and female crabs, offering the highest expression level among all tested organs or tissues. The expression pattern of Spgillcin was significantly altered when challenged by Staphylococcus aureus, indicating a positive immune response. In vitro, a functional truncated peptide Spgillcin177–189 derived from the amino acid sequence of Spgillcin was synthesized and showed a broad-spectrum and potent antibacterial activity against several bacterial strains, including the clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, with a range of minimum inhibitory concentrations from 1.5 to 48 μM. Spgillcin177–189 also showed rapid bactericidal kinetics for S. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but did not display any cytotoxicity to mammalian cells and maintained its antimicrobial activity in different conditions. Mechanistic studies indicated that Spgillcin177–189 was mainly involved in the disruption of cell membrane integrity where the membrane components lipoteichoic acid and lipopolysaccharide could significantly inhibit the antimicrobial activity in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, Spgillcin177–189 could change the membrane permeability and cause the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. No resistance was generated to Spgillcin177–189 when the clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus and MDR P. aeruginosa were treated with Spgillcin177–189 and then subjected to a long term of continuous culturing for 50 days. In addition, Spgillcin177–189 exerted a strong anti-biofilm activity by inhibiting biofilm formation and was also effective at killing extracellular S. aureus in the cultural supernatant of RAW 264.7 cells. Taken together, Spgillcin177–189 has strong potential as a substitute for antibiotics in future aquaculture and medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xiao Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Fangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ke-Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Ke-Jian Wang,
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17
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Tomeh MA, Hadianamrei R, Xu D, Brown S, Zhao X. Peptide-functionalised magnetic silk nanoparticles produced by a swirl mixer for enhanced anticancer activity of ASC-J9. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 216:112549. [PMID: 35636321 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Silk fibroin is an FDA approved biopolymer for clinical applications with great potential in nanomedicine. However, silk-based nanoformulations are still facing several challenges in processing and drug delivery efficiency (such as reproducibility and targetability), especially in cancer therapy. To address these challenges, robust and controllable production methods are required for generating nanocarriers with desired properties. This study aimed to develop a novel method for the production of peptide-functionalized magnetic silk nanoparticles with higher selectivity for cancer cells for targeted delivery of the hydrophobic anticancer agent ASC-J9. A new microfluidic device with a swirl mixer was designed to fabricate magnetic silk nanoparticles (MSNP) with desired size and narrow size distribution. The surface of MSNPs was functionalized with a cationic amphiphilic anticancer peptide, G(IIKK)3I-NH2 (G3), to enhance their selectivity towards cancer cells. The G3-MSNPs increased the cellular uptake and anticancer activity of G3 in HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells compared to free G3. Moreover, the G3-MSNPs exhibited considerably higher cellular uptake and cytotoxicity in HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells compared to normal cells (HDFs). Encapsulating ASC-J9 in G3-MSNPs resulted in augmented anticancer activity compared to free ASC-J9 and non-functionalized ASC-J9 loaded MSNPs within its biological half-life. Hence, functionalizing MSNPs with G3 enabled targeted delivery of ASC-J9 to cancer cells and enhanced its anticancer effect. Functionalization of nanoparticles with anticancer peptides could be regarded as a new strategy for targeted delivery and enhanced efficiency of anticancer drugs. Furthermore, the microfluidic device introduced in this paper offers a robust and reproducible method for fabrication of small sized homogenous nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Defeng Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Stephen Brown
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2TN, UK
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
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18
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Lv S, Wang J, You R, Liu S, Ding Y, Hadianamrei R, Tomeh MA, Pan F, Cai Z, Zhao X. Highly selective performance of rationally designed antimicrobial peptides based on ponericin-W1. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:4848-4865. [PMID: 35861280 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00744d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) or host-defence peptides act by penetrating and disrupting the bacterial membranes and are therefore less prone to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) compared to conventional antibiotics. However, there are still many challenges in the clinical application of the naturally occurring AMPs which necessitates further studies to establish the relationship between the chemical structure of AMPs and their antimicrobial activity and selectivity. Herein, we report a study on the relationship between the chemical structure and the biological activity of a series of rationally designed AMPs derived from Ponericin-W1, a naturally occurring AMP from ants. The peptides were designed by modification of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions of the lead peptide sequence in a systematic way. Their antibacterial and hemolytic activities were determined in vitro. The antibacterial activity of a representative peptide, At5 was also tested in a mouse model of skin wound infection. Furthermore, the relationship between the physicochemical properties of the peptides and their antibacterial activity was investigated. Replacing the cationic amino acids in the hydrophobic region of the peptides with hydrophobic amino acids enhanced their antibacterial activity and increasing the number of cationic amino acids in the hydrophilic region reduced their toxicity to human red blood cells and thus improved their selectivity for bacteria. Four of the designed peptides, coded as At3, At5, At8, and At10, displayed considerable antibacterial activity and high selectivity for bacteria. At5 also accelerated the wound healing in mice indicating high in vivo efficiency of this peptide. The peptides were more effective against Gram-negative bacteria and no AMR was developed against them in the bacteria even after 25 generations. The results from this study can provide a better understanding of the structural features required for strong antibacterial activity and selectivity, and serve as a guide for the future rational design of AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songwei Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Jingfang Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Rongrong You
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Suyu Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China. .,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Yujie Ding
- 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
| | - Fang Pan
- 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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19
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Rommasi F. Bacterial-Based Methods for Cancer Treatment: What We Know and Where We Are. Oncol Ther 2022; 10:23-54. [PMID: 34780046 PMCID: PMC9098760 DOI: 10.1007/s40487-021-00177-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A severe disease, cancer is caused by the exponential and uncontrolled growth of cells, leading to organ dysfunction as well as disorders. This disease has been recognized as one of the significant challenges to health and medicine. Various treatment procedures for cancer are associated with diverse side effects; the most conventional cancer treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, among others. Numerous adverse and side effects, low specificity and sensitivity, narrow therapeutic windows, and, recently, the emergence of tumor cells resistant to such treatments have been documented as the shortcomings of conventional treatment strategies. As a group of prokaryotic microorganisms, bacteria have great potential for use in cancer therapy. Currently, utilizing bacteria for cancer treatment has attracted the attention of scientists. The high potential of bacteria to become non-pathogenic by genetic manipulation, their distinguished virulence factors (which can be used as weapons against tumors), their ability to proliferate in tissues, and the contingency to control their population by administrating antibiotics, etc., have made bacteria viable candidates and live micro-medication for cancer therapies. However, the possible cytotoxicity impacts of bacteria, their inability to entirely lyse cancerous cells, as well as the probability of mutations in their genomes are among the significant challenges of bacteria-based methods for cancer treatment. In this article, various available data on bacterial therapeutics, along with their pros and cons, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foad Rommasi
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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20
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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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21
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Bhat RAH, Khangembam VC, Thakuria D, Pant V, Tandel RS, Tripathi G, Sarma D. Antimicrobial Activity of an Artificially Designed Peptide Against Fish Pathogens. Microbiol Res 2022; 260:127039. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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22
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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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23
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Zhang J, Gong H, Liao M, Li Z, Schweins R, Penny J, Lu JR. How do terminal modifications of short designed IIKK peptide amphiphiles affect their antifungal activity and biocompatibility? J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 608:193-206. [PMID: 34626966 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.09.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The widespread and prolonged use of antifungal antibiotics has led to the rapid emergence of multidrug resistant Candida species that compromise current treatments. Natural and synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer potential alternatives but require further development to overcome some of their current drawbacks. AMPs kill pathogenic fungi by permeabilising their membranes but it remains unclear how AMPs can be designed to maximise their antifungal potency whilst minimising their toxicity to host cells. EXPERIMENTS We have designed a group of short (IIKK)3 AMPs via selective terminal modifications ending up with different amphiphilicities. Their antifungal performance was assessed by minimum inhibition concentration (MICs) and dynamic killing to 4 Candida strains and Cryptococcus neoformans, and the minimum biofilm-eradicating concentrations to kill 95% of the C. albicans biofilms (BEC95). Different antifungal actions were interpreted on the basis of structural disruptions of the AMPs to small unilamellar vesicles from fluorescence leakage, Zeta potential, small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and molecular dynamics simulations (MD). FINDING AMPs possess high antifungal activities against the Candida species and Cryptococcus neoformans; some of them displayed faster dynamic killing than antibiotics like amphotericin B. G(IIKK)3I-NH2 and (IIKK)3II-NH2 were particularly potent against not only planktonic microbes but also fungal biofilms with low cytotoxicity to host cells. It was found that their high selectivity and fast action were well correlated to their fast membrane lysis, evident from data measured from Zeta potential measurements, SANS and MD, and also consistent with the previously observed antibacterial and anticancer performance. These studies demonstrate the important role of colloid and interface science in further developing short, potent and biocompatible AMPs towards clinical treatments via structure design and optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Haoning Gong
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Zongyi Li
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ralf Schweins
- Institut Laue-Langevin, DS/LSS, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-20156, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Jeffrey Penny
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jian R Lu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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24
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Serna N, Carratalá JV, Conchillo-Solé O, Martínez-Torró C, Unzueta U, Mangues R, Ferrer-Miralles N, Daura X, Vázquez E, Villaverde A. Antibacterial Activity of T22, a Specific Peptidic Ligand of the Tumoral Marker CXCR4. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1922. [PMID: 34834337 PMCID: PMC8621837 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CXCR4 is a cytokine receptor used by HIV during cell attachment and infection. Overexpressed in the cancer stem cells of more than 20 human neoplasias, CXCR4 is a convenient antitumoral drug target. T22 is a polyphemusin-derived peptide and an effective CXCR4 ligand. Its highly selective CXCR4 binding can be exploited as an agent for the cell-targeted delivery and internalization of associated antitumor drugs. Sharing chemical and structural traits with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), the capability of T22 as an antibacterial agent remains unexplored. Here, we have detected T22-associated antimicrobial activity and biofilm formation inhibition over Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in a spectrum broader than the reference AMP GWH1. In contrast to GWH1, T22 shows neither cytotoxicity over mammalian cells nor hemolytic activity and is active when displayed on protein-only nanoparticles through genetic fusion. Under the pushing need for novel antimicrobial agents, the discovery of T22 as an AMP is particularly appealing, not only as its mere addition to the expanding catalogue of antibacterial drugs. The recognized clinical uses of T22 might allow its combined and multivalent application in complex clinical conditions, such as colorectal cancer, that might benefit from the synchronous destruction of cancer stem cells and local bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naroa Serna
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
| | - José Vicente Carratalá
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Oscar Conchillo-Solé
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
| | - Carlos Martínez-Torró
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
| | - Ugutz Unzueta
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
- Josep Carreras Research Institute, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramón Mangues
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
- Josep Carreras Research Institute, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Ferrer-Miralles
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Xavier Daura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Vázquez
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Antonio Villaverde
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.S.); (J.V.C.); (O.C.-S.); (C.M.-T.); (N.F.-M.); (E.V.)
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
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25
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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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26
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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: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [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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27
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Potent Activity of Hybrid Arthropod Antimicrobial Peptides Linked by Glycine Spacers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168919. [PMID: 34445625 PMCID: PMC8396199 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising source of new leads to address the declining number of novel antibiotics and the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. AMPs with potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria and distinct modes of action have been identified in insects and scorpions, allowing the discovery of AMP combinations with additive and/or synergistic effects. Here, we tested the synergistic activity of two AMPs, from the dung beetle Copris tripartitus (CopA3) and the scorpion Heterometrus petersii (Hp1090), against two strains of Escherichia coli. We also tested the antibacterial activity of two hybrid peptides generated by joining CopA3 and Hp1090 with linkers comprising two (InSco2) or six (InSco6) glycine residues. We found that CopA3 and Hp1090 acted synergistically against both bacterial strains, and the hybrid peptide InSco2 showed more potent bactericidal activity than the parental AMPs or InSco6. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the short linker stabilizes an N-terminal 310-helix in the hybrid peptide InSco2. This secondary structure forms from a coil region that interacts with phosphatidylethanolamine in the membrane bilayer model. The highest concentration of the hybrid peptides used in this study was associated with stronger hemolytic activity than equivalent concentrations of the parental AMPs. As observed for CopA3, the increasing concentration of InSco2 was also cytotoxic to BHK-21 cells. We conclude that AMP hybrids linked by glycine spacers display potent antibacterial activity and that the cytotoxic activity can be modulated by adjusting the nature of the linker peptide, thus offering a strategy to produce hybrid peptides as safe replacements or adjuncts for conventional antibiotic therapy.
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28
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Luo X, Ye X, Ding L, Zhu W, Yi P, Zhao Z, Gao H, Shu Z, Li S, Sang M, Wang J, Zhong W, Chen Z. Fine-Tuning of Alkaline Residues on the Hydrophilic Face Provides a Non-toxic Cationic α-Helical Antimicrobial Peptide Against Antibiotic-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:684591. [PMID: 34335511 PMCID: PMC8319832 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.684591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) has become a serious threat to public health worldwide. Cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides (CαAMPs) have attracted much attention as promising solutions in post-antibiotic era. However, strong hemolytic activity and in vivo inefficacy have hindered their pharmaceutical development. Here, we attempt to address these obstacles by investigating BmKn2 and BmKn2-7, two scorpion-derived CαAMPs with the same hydrophobic face and a distinct hydrophilic face. Through structural comparison, mutant design and functional analyses, we found that while keeping the hydrophobic face unchanged, increasing the number of alkaline residues (i.e., Lys + Arg residues) on the hydrophilic face of BmKn2 reduces the hemolytic activity and broadens the antimicrobial spectrum. Strikingly, when keeping the total number of alkaline residues constant, increasing the number of Lys residues on the hydrophilic face of BmKn2-7 significantly reduces the hemolytic activity but does not influence the antimicrobial activity. BmKn2-7K, a mutant of BmKn2-7 in which all of the Arg residues on the hydrophilic face were replaced with Lys, showed the lowest hemolytic activity and potent antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Moreover, in vivo experiments indicate that BmKn2-7K displays potent antimicrobial efficacy against both the penicillin-resistant S. aureus and the carbapenem- and multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, and is non-toxic at the antimicrobial dosages. Taken together, our work highlights the significant functional disparity of Lys vs Arg in the scorpion-derived antimicrobial peptide BmKn2-7, and provides a promising lead molecule for drug development against ESKAPE pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Luo
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Xiangdong Ye
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Li Ding
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dongfeng Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Wen Zhu
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Pengcheng Yi
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zhiwen Zhao
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Huanhuan Gao
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zhan Shu
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Shan Li
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Ming Sang
- Central Laboratory of Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Weihua Zhong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zongyun Chen
- Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
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29
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Hammond K, Cipcigan F, Al Nahas K, Losasso V, Lewis H, Cama J, Martelli F, Simcock PW, Fletcher M, Ravi J, Stansfeld PJ, Pagliara S, Hoogenboom BW, Keyser UF, Sansom MSP, Crain J, Ryadnov MG. Switching Cytolytic Nanopores into Antimicrobial Fractal Ruptures by a Single Side Chain Mutation. ACS NANO 2021; 15:9679-9689. [PMID: 33885289 PMCID: PMC8219408 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Disruption of cell membranes is a fundamental host defense response found in virtually all forms of life. The molecular mechanisms vary but generally lead to energetically favored circular nanopores. Here, we report an elaborate fractal rupture pattern induced by a single side-chain mutation in ultrashort (8-11-mers) helical peptides, which otherwise form transmembrane pores. In contrast to known mechanisms, this mode of membrane disruption is restricted to the upper leaflet of the bilayer where it exhibits propagating fronts of peptide-lipid interfaces that are strikingly similar to viscous instabilities in fluid flow. The two distinct disruption modes, pores and fractal patterns, are both strongly antimicrobial, but only the fractal rupture is nonhemolytic. The results offer wide implications for elucidating differential membrane targeting phenomena defined at the nanoscale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Hammond
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London WC1H 0AH, UK
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Kareem Al Nahas
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | | | - Helen Lewis
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
| | - Jehangir Cama
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Phys Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QF, UK
| | | | - Patrick W Simcock
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Marcus Fletcher
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Jascindra Ravi
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
| | | | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Bart W Hoogenboom
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London WC1H 0AH, UK
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ulrich F Keyser
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Mark S P Sansom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jason Crain
- IBM Research Europe, Hartree Centre, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Maxim G Ryadnov
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
- Corresponding author: Prof Maxim G Ryadnov; National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK, Tel: (+44) 20 89436078;
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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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32
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Lin C, Wang Y, Le M, Chen KF, Jia YG. Recent Progress in Bile Acid-Based Antimicrobials. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:395-410. [PMID: 33683873 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
With the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and the formation of biofilms by bacteria and fungi, microbial infections gradually threaten global health. Natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have low susceptibility for developing resistance due to the membrane targeted mechanism, but instability and high manufacturing cost limit their applications in clinic. Bile acids, a group of steroids in the human body, with high stability, biocompatibility, and inherent facial amphiphilic structure similar to the characteristics of AMPs, have been applied to the biological field, such as drug delivery systems, self-healing hydrogels, antimicrobials, and so on. In this review, we mainly focus on the different classes of bile acid-based antimicrobials in recent years. Various designs and methods for the preparation of unimolecular antimicrobials with bile acid skeletons are first introduced, including coupling of primary amine, quaternary ammonium, and amino acid units with bile acid skeletons. Some representative oligomeric antimicrobials, including dimers of bile acids, are summarized. Finally, macromolecular antimicrobials bearing some positive charges at the main chain or side chain and interaction mechanisms of these bile acid-based antimicrobials are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.,National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yushi Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Mengqi Le
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Kai-Feng Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.,National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yong-Guang Jia
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.,National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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33
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Yaghoubi A, Khazaei M, Ghazvini K, Movaqar A, Avan A, Hasanian SM, Soleimanpour S. Peptides with Dual Antimicrobial-Anticancer Activity Derived from the N-terminal Region of H. pylori Ribosomal Protein L1 (RpL1). Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-020-10150-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Charoenkwan P, Chiangjong W, Lee VS, Nantasenamat C, Hasan MM, Shoombuatong W. Improved prediction and characterization of anticancer activities of peptides using a novel flexible scoring card method. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3017. [PMID: 33542286 PMCID: PMC7862624 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82513-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
As anticancer peptides (ACPs) have attracted great interest for cancer treatment, several approaches based on machine learning have been proposed for ACP identification. Although existing methods have afforded high prediction accuracies, however such models are using a large number of descriptors together with complex ensemble approaches that consequently leads to low interpretability and thus poses a challenge for biologists and biochemists. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a simple, interpretable and efficient predictor for accurate ACP identification as well as providing the means for the rational design of new anticancer peptides with promising potential for clinical application. Herein, we propose a novel flexible scoring card method (FSCM) making use of propensity scores of local and global sequential information for the development of a sequence-based ACP predictor (named iACP-FSCM) for improving the prediction accuracy and model interpretability. To the best of our knowledge, iACP-FSCM represents the first sequence-based ACP predictor for rationalizing an in-depth understanding into the molecular basis for the enhancement of anticancer activities of peptides via the use of FSCM-derived propensity scores. The independent testing results showed that the iACP-FSCM provided accuracies of 0.825 and 0.910 as evaluated on the main and alternative datasets, respectively. Results from comparative benchmarking demonstrated that iACP-FSCM could outperform seven other existing ACP predictors with marked improvements of 7% and 17% for accuracy and MCC, respectively, on the main dataset. Furthermore, the iACP-FSCM (0.910) achieved very comparable results to that of the state-of-the-art ensemble model AntiCP2.0 (0.920) as evaluated on the alternative dataset. Comparative results demonstrated that iACP-FSCM was the most suitable choice for ACP identification and characterization considering its simplicity, interpretability and generalizability. It is highly anticipated that the iACP-FSCM may be a robust tool for the rapid screening and identification of promising ACPs for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phasit Charoenkwan
- Modern Management and Information Technology, College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Wararat Chiangjong
- Pediatric Translational Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Vannajan Sanghiran Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Centre of Theoretical and Computational Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chanin Nantasenamat
- Center of Data Mining and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - Md Mehedi Hasan
- Department of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka, Fukuoka, 820-8502, Japan
| | - Watshara Shoombuatong
- Center of Data Mining and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand.
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35
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Gong H, Sani MA, Hu X, Fa K, Hart JW, Liao M, Hollowell P, Carter J, Clifton LA, Campana M, Li P, King SM, Webster JRP, Maestro A, Zhu S, Separovic F, Waigh TA, Xu H, McBain AJ, Lu JR. How do Self-Assembling Antimicrobial Lipopeptides Kill Bacteria? ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:55675-55687. [PMID: 33259204 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c17222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. A group of self-assembling lipopeptides was formed by attaching an acyl chain to the N-terminus of α-helix-forming peptides with the sequence Cx-G(IIKK)yI-NH2 (CxGy, x = 4-12 and y = 2). CxGy self-assemble into nanofibers above their critical aggregation concentrations (CACs). With increasing x, the CACs decrease and the hydrophobic interactions increase, promoting secondary structure transitions within the nanofibers. Antimicrobial activity, determined by the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), also decreases with increasing x, but the MICs are significantly smaller than the CACs, suggesting effective bacterial membrane-disrupting power. Unlike conventional antibiotics, both C8G2 and C12G2 can kill Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli after only minutes of exposure under the concentrations studied. C12G2 nanofibers have considerably faster killing dynamics and lower cytotoxicity than their nonaggregated monomers. Antimicrobial activity of peptide aggregates has, to date, been underexploited, and it is found to be a very promising mechanism for peptide design. Detailed evidence for the molecular mechanisms involved is provided, based on superresolution fluorescence microscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, atomic force microscopy, neutron scattering/reflectivity, circular dichroism, and Brewster angle microscopy.
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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, U.K
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Marc-Antoine Sani
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Xuzhi Hu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Ke Fa
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Jack William Hart
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
- Photon Science Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Peter Hollowell
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Jessica Carter
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Luke A Clifton
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Mario Campana
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Peixun Li
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Stephen M King
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - John R P Webster
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Armando Maestro
- Institute Laue Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-20156, Grenoble 38042, France
| | - Shiying Zhu
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Frances Separovic
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 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, U.K
- Photon Science Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - 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, U.K
| | - 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, U.K
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Hussain Bhat RA, Thakuria D, Pant V, Khangembam VC, Tandel RS, Shahi N, Sarma D, Tripathi G, Krishnani KK, Krishna G. Antibacterial and antioomycete activities of a novel designed RY12WY peptide against fish pathogens. Microb Pathog 2020; 149:104591. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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37
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Antimicrobial and antitumor activity of peptidomimetics synthesized from amino acids. Bioorg Chem 2020; 106:104506. [PMID: 33276980 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Thirteen cationic peptidomimetics derived from amino acids bearing an alkyl or ethynylphenyl moiety that mimic the structure of cationic antibacterial peptides were designed and synthesized using a simple coupling reaction of an amino acid with a substituted amine. Antibacterial activities of the resulting peptidomimetics against drug-sensitive bacteria, such as Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Bacillus subtilis, Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella enterica, and a drug-resistant bacterium, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), were systematically evaluated. Most peptidomimetics show significant broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. A-L-Iso-C12 (isoleucine derivative bearing a dodecyl moiety) show MICs of 2.5 μg/mL against S. aureus and 4 μg/mL against MRSA and A-L-Val-C12 (valine derivative bearing a dodecyl moiety) show MICs of 1.67 μg/mL against E. coli and 8.3 μg/mL against MRSA. A-L-Val-C12 showed low cytotoxicity toward L929 cells in comparison with SGC 7901 cells, indicating tumor-directed killing by peptidomimetics while avoiding toxicity to normal cells. The influences of type of amino acid and substituent, length of substituent, and stereochemistry of amino acids on antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of peptidomimetics were systematically investigated. The results indicate that this series of cationic peptidomimetics derived from amino acids display antitumor activity and may be useful for treatment of bacterial infections.
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Gong H, Liao M, Hu X, Fa K, Phanphak S, Ciumac D, Hollowell P, Shen K, Clifton LA, Campana M, Webster JRP, Fragneto G, Waigh TA, McBain AJ, Lu JR. Aggregated Amphiphilic Antimicrobial Peptides Embedded in Bacterial Membranes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:44420-44432. [PMID: 32909733 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c09931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM), and neutron reflection (NR) were combined to explore how antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be designed to promote the formation of nanoaggregates in bacterial membranes and impose effective bactericidal actions. Changes in the hydrophobicity of the designed AMPs were found to have a strong influence on their bactericidal potency and cytotoxicity. G(IIKK)3I-NH2 (G3) achieved low minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) and effective dynamic kills against both antibiotic-resistant and -susceptible bacteria. However, a G3 derivative with weaker hydrophobicity, KI(KKII)2I-NH2 (KI), exhibited considerably lower membrane-lytic activity. In contrast, the more hydrophobic G(ILKK)3L-NH2 (GL) peptide achieved MICs similar to those observed for G3 but with worsened hemolysis. Both the model membranes studied by Brewster angle microscopy, zeta potential measurements, and NR and the real bacterial membranes examined with direct STORM contained membrane-inserted peptide aggregates upon AMP exposure. These structural features were well supported by MD simulations. By revealing how AMPs self-assemble in microbial membranes, this work provides important insights into AMP mechanistic actions and allows further fine-tuning of antimicrobial potency and cytotoxicity.
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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, U.K
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Xuzhi Hu
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Ke Fa
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Sorasak Phanphak
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Daniela Ciumac
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Peter Hollowell
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Kangcheng Shen
- Biological Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Luke A Clifton
- STFC ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Mario Campana
- STFC ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - John R P Webster
- STFC ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Giovanna Fragneto
- Institute of Laue Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-20156, Grenoble 38042, France
| | - 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, U.K
| | - Andrew J McBain
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - 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, U.K
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Lachowicz JI, Szczepski K, Scano A, Casu C, Fais S, Orrù G, Pisano B, Piras M, Jaremko M. The Best Peptidomimetic Strategies to Undercover Antibacterial Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7349. [PMID: 33027928 PMCID: PMC7583890 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Health-care systems that develop rapidly and efficiently may increase the lifespan of humans. Nevertheless, the older population is more fragile, and is at an increased risk of disease development. A concurrently growing number of surgeries and transplantations have caused antibiotics to be used much more frequently, and for much longer periods of time, which in turn increases microbial resistance. In 1945, Fleming warned against the abuse of antibiotics in his Nobel lecture: "The time may come when penicillin can be bought by anyone in the shops. Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant". After 70 years, we are witnessing the fulfilment of Fleming's prophecy, as more than 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases. Naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides protect all living matter against bacteria, and now different peptidomimetic strategies to engineer innovative antibiotics are being developed to defend humans against bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Izabela Lachowicz
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (B.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Kacper Szczepski
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Alessandra Scano
- Department of Surgical Science, OBL Oral Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.); (S.F.); (G.O.)
| | - Cinzia Casu
- Department of Surgical Science, OBL Oral Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.); (S.F.); (G.O.)
| | - Sara Fais
- Department of Surgical Science, OBL Oral Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.); (S.F.); (G.O.)
| | - Germano Orrù
- Department of Surgical Science, OBL Oral Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.); (S.F.); (G.O.)
| | - Barbara Pisano
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (B.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Monica Piras
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (B.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia;
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Surfactant-like peptides: From molecular design to controllable self-assembly with applications. Coord Chem Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2020.213418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Ng CX, Lee SH. The Potential Use of Anticancer Peptides (ACPs) in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2020; 20:187-196. [PMID: 31713495 DOI: 10.2174/1568009619666191111141032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Peptides have acquired increasing interest as promising therapeutics, particularly as anticancer alternatives during recent years. They have been reported to demonstrate incredible anticancer potentials due to their low manufacturing cost, ease of synthesis and great specificity and selectivity. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the leading cause of cancer death globally, and the effectiveness of current liver treatment has turned out to be a critical issue in treating the disease efficiently. Hence, new interventions are being explored for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) were first identified as part of the innate immune system of living organisms, demonstrating promising activity against infectious diseases. Differentiated beyond the traditional effort on endogenous human peptides, the discovery of peptide drugs has evolved to rely more on isolation from other natural sources or through the medicinal chemistry approach. Up to the present time, the pharmaceutical industry intends to conduct more clinical trials for the development of peptides as alternative therapy since peptides possess numerous advantages such as high selectivity and efficacy against cancers over normal tissues, as well as a broad spectrum of anticancer activity. In this review, we present an overview of the literature concerning peptide's physicochemical properties and describe the contemporary status of several anticancer peptides currently engaged in clinical trials for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu Xin Ng
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Sau Har Lee
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
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Kundu R. Cationic Amphiphilic Peptides: Synthetic Antimicrobial Agents Inspired by Nature. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:1887-1896. [PMID: 32767819 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are ubiquitous in multicellular organisms and have served as defense mechanisms for their successful evolution and throughout their life cycle. These peptides are short cationic amphiphilic polypeptides of fewer than 50 amino acids containing either a few disulfide-linked cysteine residues with a characteristic β-sheet-rich structure or linear α-helical conformations with hydrophilic side chains at one side of the helix and hydrophobic side chains on the other side. Antimicrobial peptides cause bacterial cell lysis either by direct cell-surface damage via electrostatic interactions between the cationic side chains of the peptide and the negatively charged cell surface, or by indirect modulation of the host defense systems. Electrostatic interactions lead to bacterial cell membrane disruption followed by leakage of cellular components and finally bacterial cell death. Because of their unusual mechanism of cell damage, antimicrobial peptides are effective against drug-resistant bacteria and may therefore prove more effective than classical antibiotics in certain cases. Currently, around 3000 natural antimicrobial peptides from six kingdoms (bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, plants, and animals) have been isolated and sequenced. However, only a few of them are under clinical trials and/or in the commercial development stage for the treatment of bacterial infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Moreover, high structural complexity, poor pharmacokinetic properties, and low antibacterial activity of natural antimicrobial peptides hinder their progress in drug development. To overcome these hurdles, researchers have become increasingly interested in modification and nature-inspired synthetic antimicrobial peptides. This review discusses some of the recent studies reported on antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajen Kundu
- CSIR - Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, CoEFM, Ludhiana, 141006, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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The Spectrum of Design Solutions for Improving the Activity-Selectivity Product of Peptide Antibiotics against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and Prostate Cancer PC-3 Cells. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25153526. [PMID: 32752241 PMCID: PMC7436000 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The link between the antimicrobial and anticancer activity of peptides has long been studied, and the number of peptides identified with both activities has recently increased considerably. In this work, we hypothesized that designed peptides with a wide spectrum of selective antimicrobial activity will also have anticancer activity, and tested this hypothesis with newly designed peptides. The spectrum of peptides, used as partial or full design templates, ranged from cell-penetrating peptides and putative bacteriocin to those from the simplest animals (placozoans) and the Chordata phylum (anurans). We applied custom computational tools to predict amino acid substitutions, conferring the increased product of bacteriostatic activity and selectivity. Experiments confirmed that better overall performance was achieved with respect to that of initial templates. Nine of our synthesized helical peptides had excellent bactericidal activity against both standard and multidrug-resistant bacteria. These peptides were then compared to a known anticancer peptide polybia-MP1, for their ability to kill prostate cancer cells and dermal primary fibroblasts. The therapeutic index was higher for seven of our peptides, and anticancer activity stronger for all of them. In conclusion, the peptides that we designed for selective antimicrobial activity also have promising potential for anticancer applications.
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Zhang J, Chen C, Chen J, Zhou S, Zhao Y, Xu M, Xu H. Dual Mode of Anti-Biofilm Action of G3 against Streptococcus mutans. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:27866-27875. [PMID: 32484655 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c00771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Oral biofilms, formed by multiple microorganisms and their extracellular polymeric substances, seriously affect people's life. The emergence of the resistance of biofilms to conventional antibiotics and their side effects on the oral cavity have posed a great challenge in the treatment of dental diseases. Recently, antimicrobial peptides have been recognized as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics due to their broad antibacterial spectrum, high antibacterial activity, and specific mechanism. However, the research of their anti-biofilm behaviors is still in its infancy, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the anti-biofilm activities of a designed helical peptide (G3) against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), one of the primary causative pathogens of caries. The results indicated that G3 inhibited S. mutans biofilm formation by interfering with different stages of biofilm development. At the initial stage, G3 inhibited the bacterial adhesion by decreasing the bacterial surface charges, hydrophobicity, membrane integrity, and adhesion-related gene transcription. At the later stage, G3 interacted with extracellular DNA to destabilize the 3D architecture of mature biofilms and thus dispersed them. The high activity of G3 against S. mutans biofilms, along with its specific modes of action, endows it great application potential in preventing and treating dental plaque diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangyu Zhang
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Cuixia Chen
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Jiaxi Chen
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Shasha Zhou
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Yurong Zhao
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Minglu Xu
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hai Xu
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
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Yaghoubi A, Khazaei M, Jalili S, Hasanian SM, Avan A, Soleimanpour S, Cho WC. Bacteria as a double-action sword in cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2020; 1874:188388. [PMID: 32589907 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria have long been known as one of the primary causative agents of cancer, however, recent studies suggest that they can be used as a promising agent in cancer therapy. Because of the limitations that conventional treatment faces due to the specific pathophysiology and the tumor environment, there is a great need for the new anticancer therapeutic agents. Bacteriotherapy utilizes live, attenuated strains or toxins, peptides, bacteriocins of the bacteria in the treatment of cancer. Moreover, they are widely used as a vector for delivering genes, peptides, or drugs to the tumor target. Interestingly, it was found that their combination with the conventional therapeutic approaches may enhance the treatment outcome. In the genome editing era, it is feasible to develop a novel generation of therapeutic bacteria with fewer side effects and more efficacy for cancer therapy. Here we review the current knowledge on the dual role of bacteria in the development of cancer as well as cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atieh Yaghoubi
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Majid Khazaei
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Saba Jalili
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed Mahdi Hasanian
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Avan
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Saman Soleimanpour
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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Dong Z, Hu H, Yu X, Tan L, Ma C, Xi X, Li L, Wang L, Zhou M, Chen T, Du S, Lu Y. Novel Frog Skin-Derived Peptide Dermaseptin-PP for Lung Cancer Treatment: In vitro/vivo Evaluation and Anti-tumor Mechanisms Study. Front Chem 2020; 8:476. [PMID: 32582642 PMCID: PMC7291860 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the major cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and it has the highest incidence and mortality rate of any cancer among men and women in China. The first-line therapy for lung cancer treatment is platinum-based chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin. However, the application of present chemotherapies is limited by severe side effects, which stimulates the discovery of new drugs with new anti-tumor mechanisms and fewer side effects. Beneficially, many antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from frog skin have been reported to exhibit potent anti-cancer activities with low toxicity, high selectivity and a low propensity to induce resistance. In this study, we first reported an AMP named Dermaseptin-PP, from a rarely studied frog species, Phyllomedusa palliata. Dermaseptin-PP exhibited selective cytotoxicity on H157, MCF-7, PC-3, and U251 MG cancer cells instead of normal HMEC-1 cells with low hemolytic effect. Furthermore, on subcutaneous H157 tumor model of nude mice, Dermaseptin-PP was found to display potent in vivo anti-tumor activity in a dose-related manner without obvious hepatopulmonary side effects. It is widely accepted that AMPs usually work through a membrane disruptive mode, and the confocal laser microscope observation confirmed that Dermaseptin-PP could destroy H157 cell membranes. Further investigation of mechanisms by flow cytometry assay and immunohistochemical analysis unraveled that Dermaseptin-PP also exerted its anti-tumor activity by inducing H157 cell apoptosis via both endogenous mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and exogenous death receptor apoptosis pathway. Herein, we emphasize that the membrane disrupting and the apoptosis activation effects of Dermaseptin-PP both depend on its concentration. Overall, a novel frog skin-derived AMP, named Dermaseptin-PP, was identified for the first time. It possesses strong antimicrobial activity and effective anti-tumor activity by distinct mechanisms. This study revealed the possibility of Dermaseptin-PP for lung cancer treatment and provided a new perspective for designing novel AMP-based anti-tumor candidates with low risk of cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Dong
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyan Hu
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xianglong Yu
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Li Tan
- Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Zhuhai, China
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Xinping Xi
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Shouying Du
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Lu
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Soleimanpour S, Hasanian SM, Avan A, Yaghoubi A, Khazaei M. Bacteriotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer. Life Sci 2020; 254:117754. [PMID: 32389833 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The most prevalent gastrointestinal (GI) cancers include colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer, known as the most common causes of cancer-related death in both men and women populations in the world. Traditional therapeutic approaches, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have failed in the effective treatment of cancer. Therefore, there is an urgent need for finding new effective anticancer agents. The available evidence and also the promising results of using bacteria as the anticancer agents on numerous cancer cell lines have attracted the attention of scientists for the therapeutic role of bacteria in the field of cancer therapy. Moreover, several studies on the bacteriotherapy agents have used genetic engineering to overcome the challenges and enhance the efficacy with the least drawbacks. Numerous bacterial species that can specifically target and internalize into the tumor cells are used live, attenuated, or genetically as compared to selectively consider the hypoxic condition of tumor, which results in the tumor suppression. The present study is a comprehensive review of the current literature on the use of bacteria and their substances such as bacteriocins and toxins in the treatment of different types of gastrointestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Soleimanpour
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed Mahdi Hasanian
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Avan
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Atieh Yaghoubi
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Majid Khazaei
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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Martins DB, Pacca CC, da Silva AMB, de Souza BM, de Almeida MTG, Palma MS, Arcisio-Miranda M, Dos Santos Cabrera MP. Comparing activity, toxicity and model membrane interactions of Jelleine-I and Trp/Arg analogs: analysis of peptide aggregation. Amino Acids 2020; 52:725-741. [PMID: 32367434 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-020-02847-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Increasing resistance in antibiotic and chemotherapeutic treatments has been pushing studies of design and evaluation of bioactive peptides. Designing relies on different approaches from minimalist sequences and endogenous peptides modifications to computational libraries. Evaluation relies on microbiological tests. Aiming a deeper understanding, we chose the octapeptide Jelleine-I (JI) for its selective and low toxicity profile, designed small modifications combining the substitutions of Phe by Trp and Lys/His by Arg and tested the antimicrobial and anticancer activity on melanoma cells. Biophysical methods identified environment-dependent modulation of aggregation, but critical aggregation concentrations of JI and analogs in buffer show that peptides start membrane interactions as monomers. The presence of model membranes increases or reduces the partial aggregation of peptides. Compared to JI, analog JIF2WR shows the lowest tendency to aggregation on bacterial model membranes. JI and analogs are lytic to model membranes. Their composition-dependent performance indicates preference for the higher charged anionic bilayers in line with their superior performance toward Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. JIF2WR presented the higher partitioning, higher lytic activity and lower aggregated contents. Despite these increased membranolytic activities, JIF2WR exhibited comparable antimicrobial activity in relation to JI at the expenses of some loss in selectivity. We found that the substitution Phe/Trp (JIF2W) tends to decrease antimicrobial but to increase anticancer activity and aggregation on model membranes and the toxicity toward human cells. However, the concomitant substitution Lys/His by Arg (JIF2WR) modulates some of these tendencies, increasing both the antimicrobial and the anticancer activity while decreasing the aggregation tendency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danubia Batista Martins
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas (Ibilce), R. Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15054-000, Brazil
| | | | - Annielle Mendes Brito da Silva
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia Estrutural e Funcional (LaNEF), Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Botucatu, 862, Edifício ECB, 7º andar, São Paulo, SP, 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Bibiana Monson de Souza
- Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Câmpus Rio Claro, Av. 24-A, 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Margarete Teresa Gottardo de Almeida
- Departamento de Doenças Dermatológicas Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15090-000, Brazil
| | - Mario Sérgio Palma
- Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Câmpus Rio Claro, Av. 24-A, 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Manoel Arcisio-Miranda
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia Estrutural e Funcional (LaNEF), Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Botucatu, 862, Edifício ECB, 7º andar, São Paulo, SP, 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Marcia Perez Dos Santos Cabrera
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas (Ibilce), R. Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15054-000, Brazil.
- Departamento de Química e Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas (Ibilce), R. Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15054-000, Brazil.
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Liu K, Yang L, Peng X, Gong H, Wang J, Lu JR, Xu H. Effects of Conventional Surfactants on the Activity of Designed Antimicrobial Peptide. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:3531-3539. [PMID: 32183512 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this article, the interaction between a designed antimicrobial peptide (AMP) G(IIKK)3I-NH2 (G3) and four typical conventional surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS), hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C16TAB), polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether (C12EO23), and tetradecyldimethylamine oxide (C14DMAO)) has been studied through surface tension measurement and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activities of AMP/surfactant mixtures have also been studied with Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, and the fungus Candida albicans. The cytotoxicity of the AMP/surfactant mixtures has also been assessed with NIH 3T3 and human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells. The surface tension data showed that the AMP/SDS mixture was much more surface-active than SDS alone. CD results showed that G3 conformation changed from random coil, to β-sheet, and then to α-helix with increasing SDS concentration, showing a range of structural transformation driven by the different interactions with SDS. The antimicrobial activity of G3 to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria decreased in the presence of SDS due to the strong interaction of electrostatic attraction between the peptide and the surfactant. The interactions between G3 and C16TAB, C12EO23, and C14DMAO were much weaker than SDS. As a result, the surface tension of surfactants with G3 did not change much, neither did the secondary structures of G3. The antimicrobial activities of G3 were little affected in the presence of C12EO23, slightly improved by C14DMAO, and clearly enhanced by cationic surfactant C16TAB due to its strong cationic and antimicrobial nature, consistent with their surface physical activities as binary mixtures. Although AMP G3 did not show activity to fungus, the mixtures of AMP/C16TAB and AMP/C14DMAO could kill C. albicans at high surfactant concentrations. The mixtures had rather high cytotoxicity to NIH 3T3 and HSF cells although G3 is nontoxic to cells. Cationic AMPs can be formulated with nonionic, cationic, and zwitterionic surfactants during product development, but care must be taken when AMPs are formulated with anionic surfactants, as the strong electrostatic interaction may undermine their antimicrobial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing & Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Liuxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing & Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xiaoting Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing & Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Haoning Gong
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Jiqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing & Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Jian Ren Lu
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Hai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing & Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Colon cancer is a great health concern worldwide, as it is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Conventional treatment of cancer such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are faced with limitations and side effects. Therefore, strategies for the treatment of cancer need to be modified or new strategies replacing the old one. AIMS The aim of this study is to review the role of bacteria or their products (such as peptides, bacteriocins, and toxins) as a therapeutic agent for colon cancer. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Recently, the therapeutic role of bacteria and their products in colon cancer treatment holds promise as emerging novel anti-cancer agents. Unlike the conventional treatments, targeted therapy based on the use of bacteria that are able to directly target tumor cells without affecting normal cells is evolving as an alternative strategy. Moreover, several bacterial species were used in live, attenuated or genetically modified that are able to multiply selectively in tumors and inhibiting their growth.
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