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Loffredo MR, Casciaro B, Bellavita R, Troiano C, Brancaccio D, Cappiello F, Merlino F, Galdiero S, Fabrizi G, Grieco P, Stella L, Carotenuto A, Mangoni ML. Strategic Single-Residue Substitution in the Antimicrobial Peptide Esc(1-21) Confers Activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Including Drug-Resistant and Biofilm Phenotype. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:2403-2418. [PMID: 38848266 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00130] [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] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium resistant to multiple drugs, is a significant cause of illness and death worldwide. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) provide an excellent potential strategy to cope with this threat. Recently, we characterized a derivative of the frog-skin AMP esculentin-1a, Esc(1-21) (1) that is endowed with potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria but poor efficacy against Gram-positive strains. In this study, three analogues of peptide 1 were designed by replacing Gly8 with α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), Pro, and dPro (2-4, respectively). The single substitution Gly8 → Aib8 in peptide 2 makes it active against the planktonic form of Gram-positive bacterial strains, especially Staphylococcus aureus, including multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, with an improved biostability without resulting in cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. Moreover, peptide 2 showed a higher antibiofilm activity than peptide 1 against both reference and clinical isolates of S. aureus. Peptide 2 was also able to induce rapid bacterial killing, suggesting a membrane-perturbing mechanism of action. Structural analysis of the most active peptide 2 evidenced that the improved biological activity of peptide 2 is the consequence of a combination of higher biostability, higher α helical content, and ability to reduce membrane fluidity and to adopt a distorted helix, bent in correspondence of Aib8. Overall, this study has shown how a strategic single amino acid substitution is sufficient to enlarge the spectrum of activity of the original peptide 1, and improve its biological properties for therapeutic purposes, thus paving the way to optimize AMPs for the development of new broad-spectrum anti-infective agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosa Loffredo
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Bellavita
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Cassandra Troiano
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Brancaccio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Floriana Cappiello
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Merlino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Fabrizi
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Grieco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Stella
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Alfonso Carotenuto
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Ouyang X, Li B, Yang Y, Ba Z, Zhang J, Zhang T, Chang L, Zhang F, Zhang Y, Liu H, Gou S, Ni J. Improving the Antimicrobial Performance of Amphiphilic Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides Using Glutamic Acid Full-Scan and Positive Charge Compensation Strategies. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13833-13851. [PMID: 36148510 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nonselective toxicity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) needs to be solved urgently for their application. Temporin-PE (T-PE, FLPIVAKLLSGLL-NH2), an AMP extracted from skin secretions of frogs, has high toxicity and specific antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. To improve the antimicrobial performance of T-PE, a series of T-PE analogues were designed and synthesized by glutamic acid full-scan, and then their key positions were replaced with lysine. Finally, E11K4K10, the highest therapeutic indicial AMP, was screened out. E11K4K10 was not easy to induce and produce drug-resistant bacteria when used alone, as well as it could also inhibit the development of the drug resistance of traditional antibiotics when it was used in combination with the traditional antibiotics. In addition, E11K4K10 had an excellent therapeutic effect on a mouse model of pulmonary bacterial infection. Taken together, this study provides a new approach for the further improvement of new antimicrobial peptides against the antimicrobial-resistance crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Beibei Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Yinyin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Zufang Ba
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Jingying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Tianyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Linlin Chang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Fangyan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Hui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Sanhu Gou
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
| | - Jingman Ni
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Xian Nong Tan Street, Beijing 100050, P. R. China
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Ji F, Zhao Y, Jiang F, Shang D. Membrane mechanism of temporin-1CEc, an antimicrobial peptide isolated from the skin secretions of Rana chensinensis, and its systemic analogs. Bioorg Chem 2021; 119:105544. [PMID: 34953322 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are new and powerful target molecules in the development of new antibacterial agents. Temporin-1CEc, a natural peptide isolated and purified from the skin secretions of the Chinese brown frog Rana chensinensis, exhibits low or no antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, which limits its potential therapeutic use; however, it displays low hemolysis to human erythrocytes. Here, a series of temporin-1CEc analogs was designed and synthesized by amino acid residue substitutions based on cationicity, hydrophobicity, amphipathicity and secondary structure to understand the structure-activity relationships of this peptide in depth. The results showed that all of the analogs, except for 2K and 4K, had significantly improved antibacterial activity against the tested standard bacterial strains and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains compared to temporin-1CEc. 2K2L and 2K4L, but not 4K2L and 4K4L, showed the strongest antibacterial activity compared with their parent peptides 2K and 4K, suggesting that peptide hydrophobicity plays a more important role in antibacterial activity than cationicity for this series of AMPs. However, the antibacterial activity of the 6 Trp-containing analogs of 2K4L decreased with a further increase in hydrophobicity based on the results of 2K4L, indicating that it is more important to balance cationicity and hydrophobicity. Moreover, an increase in AMP hydrophobicity led to hemolysis. Notably, all of the peptides adopted α-helical structures in 50% trifluoroethanol/water and 30 mM SDS solutions. 2K2L and 2K4L displayed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against sensitive and multidrug-resistant bacteria, effectively killing the tested multidrug resistant strain Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE1208). 2K2L and 2K4L were able to increase the permeability of the outer and inner membranes by depolarization and disturb the integration of the cytoplasmic membrane of MRSE1208 cells, leading to leakage of its cellular contents. In addition, 2K2L and 2K4L at low concentrations inhibited biofilm formation and degraded mature 1-day-old MRSE1208 biofilms. Notably, 2K2L and 2K4L inhibited the formation of MRSE1208 biofilms at concentrations below its MIC value, suggesting that the peptide may exert an inhibitory effect through not only direct antimicrobial activity but also a biofilm-specific mechanism. Collectively, these results suggest that 2K2L and 2K4L could be effective antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Ji
- School of Life Science, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116081, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- School of Life Science, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116081, China
| | - Fengquan Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Dejing Shang
- School of Life Science, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116081, China; Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Drug Discovery, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116081, China.
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Brevinin-1GHd: a novel Hylarana guentheri skin secretion-derived Brevinin-1 type peptide with antimicrobial and anticancer therapeutic potential. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:222871. [PMID: 32347293 PMCID: PMC7225409 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20200019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-defense antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from amphibians are usually considered as one of the most promising next-generation antibiotics because of their excellent antimicrobial properties and low cytotoxicity. In the present study, one novel Brevinin-1 type peptide, Brevinin-1GHd, was isolated and characterized from the skin secretion of the frog, Hylarana guentheri. Brevinin-1GHd was found to possess a wide range of antimicrobial activity through penetrating the bacterial membrane within a short time while showing low hemolysis at bactericidal concentrations, even against the resistant strains. It also inhibited and eradicated biofilms that are thought to be closely related to the rise in resistance. Meanwhile, Brevinin-1GHd exhibited wide-spectrum anti-proliferation activity toward human cancer lines. Taken together, these results indicate that Brevinin-1GHd with its excellent antimicrobial and anticancer activities is a promising candidate for a novel antibiotic agent, and study of its structure–activity relationships also provided a rational template for further research and peptide analog design.
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Cuesta S, Gallegos F, Arias J, Pilaquinga F, Blasco-Zúñiga A, Proaño-Bolaños C, Rivera M, Meneses L. Molecular modeling of four Dermaseptin-related peptides of the gliding tree frog Agalychnis spurrelli. J Mol Model 2019; 25:260. [PMID: 31422479 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-019-4141-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In this research, we present a preliminary computational study of four Dermaseptin-related peptides from the skin exudate of the gliding tree frog Agalychnis spurrelli. Experimentally, the amino acid sequence of these peptides was elucidated through molecular cloning and tandem mass spectrometry and synthetic peptides were assayed against E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans to determine their antimicrobial properties. With the sequences on hand, a computational study of the structures was carried out, obtaining their physicochemical properties, secondary structure, and their similarity to other known peptides. A molecular docking study of these peptides was also performed against cell membrane and several enzymes are known to be vital for the organisms. Results showed that Dermaseptin-related peptides are α-helical cationic peptides with an isoelectric point above 9.70 and a positive charge of physiological pH. Introducing theses peptides in a database, it was determined that their identity compared with known peptides range from 36 to 82% meaning these four Dermaseptins are novel peptides. This preliminary study of molecular docking suggests the mechanism of action of this peptide is not given by the inhibition of essential enzymatic pathways, but by cell lysis. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Cuesta
- Laboratorios LIFE, Av. De la Prensa y Juan Galarza, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Felipe Gallegos
- Laboratorio de Química Computacional, Escuela de Ciencias Químicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Josefa Arias
- Laboratorio de Química Computacional, Escuela de Ciencias Químicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Fernanda Pilaquinga
- Laboratorio de Química Computacional, Escuela de Ciencias Químicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Ailín Blasco-Zúñiga
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Citogenética y Biomoléculas de Anfibios-LICBA, Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina-CISeAL, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Carolina Proaño-Bolaños
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Km 7 vía Muyuna, Tena, Ecuador
| | - Miryan Rivera
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Citogenética y Biomoléculas de Anfibios-LICBA, Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina-CISeAL, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Lorena Meneses
- Laboratorio de Química Computacional, Escuela de Ciencias Químicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador.
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Varga JFA, Bui-Marinos MP, Katzenback BA. Frog Skin Innate Immune Defences: Sensing and Surviving Pathogens. Front Immunol 2019; 9:3128. [PMID: 30692997 PMCID: PMC6339944 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibian skin is a mucosal surface in direct and continuous contact with a microbially diverse and laden aquatic and/or terrestrial environment. As such, frog skin is an important innate immune organ and first line of defence against pathogens in the environment. Critical to the innate immune functions of frog skin are the maintenance of physical, chemical, cellular, and microbiological barriers and the complex network of interactions that occur across all the barriers. Despite the global decline in amphibian populations, largely as a result of emerging infectious diseases, we understand little regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the innate immune function of amphibian skin and defence against pathogens. In this review, we discuss the structure, cell composition and cellular junctions that contribute to the skin physical barrier, the antimicrobial peptide arsenal that, in part, comprises the chemical barrier, the pattern recognition receptors involved in recognizing pathogens and initiating innate immune responses in the skin, and the contribution of commensal microbes on the skin to pathogen defence. We briefly discuss the influence of environmental abiotic factors (natural and anthropogenic) and pathogens on the immunocompetency of frog skin defences. Although some aspects of frog innate immunity, such as antimicrobial peptides are well-studied; other components and how they contribute to the skin innate immune barrier, are lacking. Elucidating the complex network of interactions occurring at the interface of the frog's external and internal environments will yield insight into the crucial role amphibian skin plays in host defence and the environmental factors leading to compromised barrier integrity, disease, and host mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F A Varga
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Serra I, Casu M, Ceccarelli M, Gameiro P, Rinaldi AC, Scorciapino MA. Effects of amphipathic profile regularization on structural order and interaction with membrane models of two highly cationic branched peptides with β-sheet propensity. Peptides 2018; 105:28-36. [PMID: 29800587 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides attracted increasing interest in last decades due to the rising concern of multi-drug resistant pathogens. Dendrimeric peptides are branched molecules with multiple copies of one peptide functional unit bound to the central core. Compared to linear analogues, they usually show improved activity and lower susceptibility to proteases. Knowledge of structure-function relationship is fundamental to tailor their properties. This work is focused on SB056, the smallest example of dendrimeric peptide, whose amino acid sequence is WKKIRVRLSA. Two copies are bound to the α- and ε- nitrogen of one lysine core. An 8-aminooctanamide was added at the C-terminus to improve membrane affinity. Its propensity for β-type structures is also interesting, since helical peptides were already thoroughly studied. Moreover, SB056 maintains activity at physiological osmolarity, a typical limitation of natural peptides. An optimized analogue with improved performance was designed, β-SB056, which differs only in the relative position of the first two residues (KWKIRVRLSA). This produced remarkable differences. Structure order and aggregation behavior were characterized by using complementary techniques and membrane models with different negative charge. Infrared spectroscopy showed different propensity for ordered β-sheets. Lipid monolayers' surface pressure was measured to estimate the area/peptide and the ability to perturb lipid packing. Fluorescence spectroscopy was applied to compare peptide insertion into the lipid bilayer. Such small change in primary structure produced fundamental differences in their aggregation behavior. A regular amphipathic peptide's primary structure was responsible for ordered β-sheets in a charge independent fashion, in contrast to unordered aggregates formed by the former analogue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Serra
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Mariano Casu
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Matteo Ceccarelli
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Paula Gameiro
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Requimte, LAQV, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Andrea C Rinaldi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy
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Musale V, Abdel-Wahab YHA, Flatt PR, Conlon JM, Mangoni ML. Insulinotropic, glucose-lowering, and beta-cell anti-apoptotic actions of peptides related to esculentin-1a(1-21).NH2. Amino Acids 2018; 50:723-734. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-018-2551-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Ghosh A, Bera S, Shai Y, Mangoni ML, Bhunia A. NMR structure and binding of esculentin-1a (1–21)NH 2 and its diastereomer to lipopolysaccharide: Correlation with biological functions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:800-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Manzo G, Scorciapino MA, Srinivasan D, Attoub S, Mangoni ML, Rinaldi AC, Casu M, Flatt PR, Conlon JM. Conformational Analysis of the Host-Defense Peptides Pseudhymenochirin-1Pb and -2Pa and Design of Analogues with Insulin-Releasing Activities and Reduced Toxicities. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2015; 78:3041-3048. [PMID: 26606380 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pseudhymenochirin-1Pb (Ps-1Pb; IKIPSFFRNILKKVGKEAVSLIAGALKQS) and pseudhymenochirin-2Pa (Ps-2Pa; GIFPIFAKLLGKVIKVASSLISKGRTE) are amphibian peptides with broad spectrum antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. In the membrane-mimetic solvent 50% (v/v) trifluoroethanol-H2O, both peptides adopt a well-defined α-helical conformation that extends over almost all the sequence and incorporates a flexible bend. Both peptides significantly (p < 0.05) stimulate the rate of release of insulin from BRIN-BD11 clonal β-cells at concentrations ≥ 0.1 nM but produce loss of integrity of the plasma membrane at concentrations ≥ 1 μM. Increasing cationicity by the substitution Glu(17) → l-Lys in Ps-1Pb and Glu(27) → l-Lys in Ps-2Pa generates analogues with increased cytotoxicity and reduced insulin-releasing potency. In contrast, the analogues [R8r]Ps-1Pb and [K8k,K19k]Ps-2Pa, incorporating d-amino acid residues to destabilize the α-helical domains, retain potent insulin-releasing activity but are nontoxic to BRIN-BD11 cells at concentrations of 3 μM. [R8r]Ps-1Pb produces a significant increase in insulin release rate at 0.3 nM and [K8k,K19k]Ps-2Pa at 0.01 nM. Both analogues show low hemolytic activity (IC50 > 100 μM) but retain broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and remain cytotoxic to a range of human tumor cell lines, albeit with lower potency than the naturally occurring peptides. These analogues show potential for development into agents for type 2 diabetes therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dinesh Srinivasan
- SAAD Centre for Pharmacy and Diabetes, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster , Coleraine, BT52 1SA, U.K
| | - Samir Attoub
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University , 17666 Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome , 5 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Peter R Flatt
- SAAD Centre for Pharmacy and Diabetes, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster , Coleraine, BT52 1SA, U.K
| | - J Michael Conlon
- SAAD Centre for Pharmacy and Diabetes, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster , Coleraine, BT52 1SA, U.K
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Mangoni ML, Luca V, McDermott AM. Fighting microbial infections: A lesson from amphibian skin-derived esculentin-1 peptides. Peptides 2015; 71:286-95. [PMID: 25959536 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2015.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Due to the growing emergence of resistance to commercially available antibiotics/antimycotics in virtually all clinical microbial pathogens, the discovery of alternative anti-infective agents, is greatly needed. Gene-encoded antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold promise as novel therapeutics. In particular, amphibian skin is one of the richest storehouses of AMPs, especially that of the genus Rana, with esculentins-1 being among the longest (46 amino acids) AMPs found in nature to date. Here, we report on the recently discovered in vitro and in vivo activities and mechanism of action of two derivatives of the N-terminal part of esculentin-1a and -1b peptides, primarily against two relevant opportunistic microorganisms causing a large number of life-threatening infections worldwide; i.e. the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the yeast Candida albicans. Because of distinct advantages compared to several mammalian AMPs, the two selected frog skin AMP-derivatives represent attractive candidates for the development of new antimicrobial compounds with expanded properties, for both human and veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5-00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Luca
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alison M McDermott
- The Ocular Surface Institute, College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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D-Amino acids incorporation in the frog skin-derived peptide esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2 is beneficial for its multiple functions. Amino Acids 2015; 47:2505-19. [PMID: 26162435 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-015-2041-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent promising future antibiotics. We have previously isolated esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2, a short peptide derived from the frog skin AMP esculentin-1a, with a potent anti-Pseudomonal activity. Here, we investigated additional functions of the peptide and properties responsible for these activities. For that purpose, we synthesized the peptide, as well as its structurally altered analog containing two D-amino acids. The peptides were then biophysically and biologically investigated for their cytotoxicity and immunomodulating activities. The data revealed that compared to the wild-type, the diastereomer: (1) is significantly less toxic towards mammalian cells, in agreement with its lower α-helical structure, as determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy; (2) is more effective against the biofilm form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (responsible for lung infections in cystic fibrosis sufferers), while maintaining a high activity against the free-living form of this important pathogen; (3) is more stable in serum; (4) has a higher activity in promoting migration of lung epithelial cells, and presumably in healing damaged lung tissue, and (5) disaggregates and detoxifies the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), albeit less than the wild-type. Light scattering studies revealed a correlation between anti-LPS activity and the ability to disaggregate the LPS. Besides shedding light on the multifunction properties of esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2, the D-amino acid containing isomer may serve as an attractive template for the development of new anti-Pseudomonal compounds with additional beneficial properties. Furthermore, together with other studies, incorporation of D-amino acids may serve as a general approach to optimize the future design of new AMPs.
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