1
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Goles M, Daza A, Cabas-Mora G, Sarmiento-Varón L, Sepúlveda-Yañez J, Anvari-Kazemabad H, Davari MD, Uribe-Paredes R, Olivera-Nappa Á, Navarrete MA, Medina-Ortiz D. Peptide-based drug discovery through artificial intelligence: towards an autonomous design of therapeutic peptides. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae275. [PMID: 38856172 PMCID: PMC11163380 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
With their diverse biological activities, peptides are promising candidates for therapeutic applications, showing antimicrobial, antitumour and hormonal signalling capabilities. Despite their advantages, therapeutic peptides face challenges such as short half-life, limited oral bioavailability and susceptibility to plasma degradation. The rise of computational tools and artificial intelligence (AI) in peptide research has spurred the development of advanced methodologies and databases that are pivotal in the exploration of these complex macromolecules. This perspective delves into integrating AI in peptide development, encompassing classifier methods, predictive systems and the avant-garde design facilitated by deep-generative models like generative adversarial networks and variational autoencoders. There are still challenges, such as the need for processing optimization and careful validation of predictive models. This work outlines traditional strategies for machine learning model construction and training techniques and proposes a comprehensive AI-assisted peptide design and validation pipeline. The evolving landscape of peptide design using AI is emphasized, showcasing the practicality of these methods in expediting the development and discovery of novel peptides within the context of peptide-based drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Goles
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Computación, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Pdte. Manuel Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Biotecnología y Materiales, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
| | - Anamaría Daza
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, CeBiB, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gabriel Cabas-Mora
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Computación, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Pdte. Manuel Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Lindybeth Sarmiento-Varón
- Centro Asistencial de Docencia e Investigación, CADI, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Los Flamencos 01364, 6210005, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Julieta Sepúlveda-Yañez
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Pdte. Manuel Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Hoda Anvari-Kazemabad
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Computación, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Pdte. Manuel Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Mehdi D Davari
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Roberto Uribe-Paredes
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Computación, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Pdte. Manuel Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Álvaro Olivera-Nappa
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, CeBiB, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marcelo A Navarrete
- Centro Asistencial de Docencia e Investigación, CADI, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Los Flamencos 01364, 6210005, Punta Arenas, Chile
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Pdte. Manuel Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - David Medina-Ortiz
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Computación, Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Pdte. Manuel Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, CeBiB, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
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2
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Mulukutla A, Shreshtha R, Kumar Deb V, Chatterjee P, Jain U, Chauhan N. Recent advances in antimicrobial peptide-based therapy. Bioorg Chem 2024; 145:107151. [PMID: 38359706 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107151] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a group of polypeptide chains that have the property to target and kill a myriad of microbial organisms including viruses, bacteria, protists, etc. The first discovered AMP was named gramicidin, an extract of aerobic soil bacteria. Further studies discovered that these peptides are present not only in prokaryotes but in eukaryotes as well. They play a vital role in human innate immunity and wound repair. Consequently, they have maintained a high level of intrigue among scientists in the field of immunology, especially so with the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens decreasing the reliability of antibiotics in healthcare. While AMPs have promising potential to substitute for common antibiotics, their use as effective replacements is barred by certain limitations. First, they have the potential to be cytotoxic to human cells. Second, they are unstable in the blood due to action by various proteolytic agents and ions that cause their degradation. This review provides an overview of the mechanism of AMPs, their limitations, and developments in recent years that provide techniques to overcome those limitations. We also discuss the advantages and drawbacks of AMPs as a replacement for antibiotics as compared to other alternatives such as synthetically modified bacteriophages, traditional medicine, and probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Mulukutla
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Romi Shreshtha
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Vishal Kumar Deb
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Pallabi Chatterjee
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Utkarsh Jain
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Nidhi Chauhan
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India.
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3
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Sarkar T, Ghosh S, Sundaravadivelu PK, Pandit G, Debnath S, Thummer RP, Satpati P, Chatterjee S. Mechanism of Protease Resistance of D-Amino Acid Residue Containing Cationic Antimicrobial Heptapeptides. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:562-581. [PMID: 38294842 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been an alternate promising class of therapeutics in combating global antibiotic resistance threat. However, the short half-life of AMPs, owing to protease degradability, is one of the major bottlenecks in its commercial success. In this study, we have developed all-D-amino acid containing small cationic peptides P4C and P5C, which are completely protease-resistant, noncytotoxic, nonhemolytic, and potent against the ESKAPE pathogens in comparison to their L analogues. MD simulations suggested marginal improvement in the peptide-binding affinity to the membrane-mimetic SDS micelle (∼ 1 kcal/mol) in response to L → D conversion, corroborating the marginal improvement in the antimicrobial activity. However, L → D chirality conversion severely compromised the peptide:protease (trypsin) binding affinity (≥10 kcal/mol). The relative distance between the scissile peptide carbonyl and the catalytic triad of the protease (H57, D102, and S195) was found to be significantly altered in the D-peptide:protease complex (inactive conformation) relative to the active L-peptide:protease complex. Thus, the poor binding affinity between D-peptides and the protease, resulting in the inactive complex formation, explained their experimentally observed proteolytic stability. This mechanistic insight might be extended to the proteolytic stability of the D-peptides in general and stimulate the rational design of protease-resistant AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanumoy Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Suvankar Ghosh
- Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | | | - Gopal Pandit
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Swapna Debnath
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Rajkumar P Thummer
- Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Priyadarshi Satpati
- Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Sunanda Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
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4
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Wichmann N, Gruseck R, Zumstein M. Hydrolysis of Antimicrobial Peptides by Extracellular Peptidases in Wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:717-726. [PMID: 38103013 PMCID: PMC10785756 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Several antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are emerging as promising novel antibiotics. When released into wastewater streams after use, AMPs might be hydrolyzed and inactivated by wastewater peptidases─resulting in a reduced release of active antimicrobials into wastewater-receiving environments. A key step towards a better understanding of the fate of AMPs in wastewater systems is to investigate the activity and specificity of wastewater peptidases. Here, we quantified peptidase activity in extracellular extracts from different stages throughout the wastewater treatment process. For all four tested municipal wastewater treatment plants, we detected highest activity in raw wastewater. Complementarily, we assessed the potential of enzymes in raw wastewater extracts to biotransform 10 selected AMPs. We found large variations in the susceptibility of AMPs to enzymatic transformation, indicating substantial substrate specificity of extracted enzymes. To obtain insights into peptidase specificities, we searched for hydrolysis products of rapidly biotransformed AMPs and quantified selected products using synthetic standards. We found that hydrolysis occurred at specific sites and that these sites were remarkably conserved across the four tested wastewaters. Together, these findings provide insights into the fate of AMPs in wastewater systems and can inform the selection and design of peptide-based antibiotics that are hydrolyzable by wastewater peptidases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Wichmann
- Division
of Environmental Geosciences, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental
Systems Science, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Department
of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal
Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf 8600, Switzerland
| | - Richard Gruseck
- Division
of Environmental Geosciences, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental
Systems Science, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Michael Zumstein
- Division
of Environmental Geosciences, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental
Systems Science, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, Vienna 1090, Austria
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5
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Song P, Zhao L, Zhu L, Sha G, Dong W. BsR1, a broad-spectrum antibacterial peptide with potential for plant protection. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0257823. [PMID: 37948344 PMCID: PMC10714738 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02578-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE This study addresses the critical need for new antibacterial drugs in the face of bacterial multidrug resistance resulting from antibiotic overuse. It highlights the significance of antimicrobial peptides as essential components of innate immunity in animals and plants, which have been proven effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria and are difficult to develop resistance against. This study successfully synthesizes a broad-spectrum antibacterial peptide, BsR1, with strong inhibitory activities against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. BsR1 demonstrates favorable stability and a mode of action that damages bacterial cell membranes, leading to cell death. It also exhibits biological safety and shows potential in enhancing disease resistance in rice. This research offers a novel approach and potential medication for antibacterial drug development, presenting a valuable tool in combating pathogenic microorganisms, particularly in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Song
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology and the Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology and the Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Zhu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology and the Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Gan Sha
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology and the Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wubei Dong
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology and the Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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6
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Oeller M, Kang RJD, Bolt HL, Gomes Dos Santos AL, Weinmann AL, Nikitidis A, Zlatoidsky P, Su W, Czechtizky W, De Maria L, Sormanni P, Vendruscolo M. Sequence-based prediction of the intrinsic solubility of peptides containing non-natural amino acids. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7475. [PMID: 37978172 PMCID: PMC10656490 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42940-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-natural amino acids are increasingly used as building blocks in the development of peptide-based drugs as they expand the available chemical space to tailor function, half-life and other key properties. However, while the chemical space of modified amino acids (mAAs) such as residues containing post-translational modifications (PTMs) is potentially vast, experimental methods for measuring the developability properties of mAA-containing peptides are expensive and time consuming. To facilitate developability programs through computational methods, we present CamSol-PTM, a method that enables the fast and reliable sequence-based prediction of the intrinsic solubility of mAA-containing peptides in aqueous solution at room temperature. From a computational screening of 50,000 mAA-containing variants of three peptides, we selected five different small-size mAAs for a total number of 37 peptide variants for experimental validation. We demonstrate the accuracy of the predictions by comparing the calculated and experimental solubility values. Our results indicate that the computational screening of mAA-containing peptides can extend by over four orders of magnitude the ability to explore the solubility chemical space of peptides and confirm that our method can accurately assess the solubility of peptides containing mAAs. This method is available as a web server at https://www-cohsoftware.ch.cam.ac.uk/index.php/camsolptm .
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Oeller
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ryan J D Kang
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hannah L Bolt
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ana L Gomes Dos Santos
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Annika Langborg Weinmann
- Early Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Antonios Nikitidis
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pavol Zlatoidsky
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wu Su
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Werngard Czechtizky
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Leonardo De Maria
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pietro Sormanni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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7
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Chatupheeraphat C, Peamchai J, Luk-in S, Yainoy S, Eiamphungporn W. Synergistic effect of two antimicrobial peptides, BP203 and MAP-0403 J-2 with conventional antibiotics against colistin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294287. [PMID: 37972089 PMCID: PMC10653547 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug-resistant Enterobacterales infections are a great health concern due to the lack of effective treatments. Consequently, finding novel antimicrobials or combining therapies becomes a crucial approach in addressing this problem. BP203 and MAP-0403 J-2, novel antimicrobial peptides, have exhibited effectiveness against Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we assessed the in vitro antibacterial activity of BP203 and MAP-0403 J-2, along with their synergistic interaction with conventional antibiotics including colistin, rifampicin, chloramphenicol, ceftazidime, meropenem, and ciprofloxacin against colistin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of BP203 and MAP-0403 J-2 against tested E. coli isolates were 2-16 and 8-32 μg/mL, respectively. However, for the majority of K. pneumoniae isolates, the MIC of BP203 and MAP-0403 J-2 were >128 μg/mL. Notably, our results demonstrated a synergistic effect when combining BP203 with rifampicin, meropenem, or chloramphenicol, primarily observed in most K. pneumoniae isolates. In contrast, no synergism was evident between BP203 and colistin, chloramphenicol, ceftazidime, rifampicin, or ciprofloxacin when tested against all E. coli isolates. Furthermore, synergistic effects between MAP-0403 J-2 and rifampicin, ceftazidime or colistin were observed against the majority of E. coli isolates. Similarly, the combined effect of MAP-0403 J-2 with rifampicin or chloramphenicol was synergistic in the majority of K. pneumoniae isolates. Importantly, these peptides displayed the stability at high temperatures, across a wide range of pH values, in specific serum concentrations and under physiological salt conditions. Both peptides also showed no significant hemolysis and cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. Our findings suggested that BP203 and MAP-0403 J-2 are promising candidates against colistin-resistant E. coli. Meanwhile, the synergism of these peptides and certain antibiotics could be of great therapeutic value as antimicrobial drugs against infections caused by colistin-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chawalit Chatupheeraphat
- Center for Research Innovation and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Jiratchaya Peamchai
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sirirat Luk-in
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sakda Yainoy
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Warawan Eiamphungporn
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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8
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Ki MR, Kim SH, Park TI, Pack SP. Self-Entrapment of Antimicrobial Peptides in Silica Particles for Stable and Effective Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery System. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16423. [PMID: 38003614 PMCID: PMC10671715 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising solution to tackle bacterial infections and combat antibiotic resistance. However, their vulnerability to protease degradation and toxicity towards mammalian cells has hindered their clinical application. To overcome these challenges, our study aims to develop a method to enhance the stability and safety of AMPs applicable to effective drug-device combination products. The KR12 antimicrobial peptide was chosen, and in order to further enhance its delivery and efficacy the human immunodeficiency virus TAT protein-derived cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) was fused to form CPP-KR12. A new product, CPP-KR12@Si, was developed by forming silica particles with self-entrapped CPP-KR12 peptide using biomimetic silica precipitability because of its cationic nature. Peptide delivery from CPP-KR12@Si to bacteria and cells was observed at a slightly delivered rate, with improved stability against trypsin treatment and a reduction in cytotoxicity compared to CPP-KR12. Finally, the antimicrobial potential of the CPP-KR12@Si/bone graft substitute (BGS) combination product was demonstrated. CPP-KR12 is coated in the form of submicron-sized particles on the surface of the BGS. Self-entrapped AMP in silica nanoparticles is a safe and effective AMP delivery method that will be useful for developing a drug-device combination product for tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Ran Ki
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Industrial Technology, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Ho Kim
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae In Park
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Pil Pack
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
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9
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Pedron CN, Torres MDT, Oliveira CS, Silva AF, Andrade GP, Wang Y, Pinhal MAS, Cerchiaro G, da Silva Junior PI, da Silva FD, Radhakrishnan R, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Oliveira Junior VX. Molecular hybridization strategy for tuning bioactive peptide function. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1067. [PMID: 37857855 PMCID: PMC10587126 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05254-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The physicochemical and structural properties of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) determine their mechanism of action and biological function. However, the development of AMPs as therapeutic drugs has been traditionally limited by their toxicity for human cells. Tuning the physicochemical properties of such molecules may abolish toxicity and yield synthetic molecules displaying optimal safety profiles and enhanced antimicrobial activity. Here, natural peptides were modified to improve their activity by the hybridization of sequences from two different active peptide sequences. Hybrid AMPs (hAMPs) were generated by combining the amphipathic faces of the highly toxic peptide VmCT1, derived from scorpion venom, with parts of four other naturally occurring peptides having high antimicrobial activity and low toxicity against human cells. This strategy led to the design of seven synthetic bioactive variants, all of which preserved their structure and presented increased antimicrobial activity (3.1-128 μmol L-1). Five of the peptides (three being hAMPs) presented high antiplasmodial at 0.8 μmol L-1, and virtually no undesired toxic effects against red blood cells. In sum, we demonstrate that peptide hybridization is an effective strategy for redirecting biological activity to generate novel bioactive molecules with desired properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cibele Nicolaski Pedron
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Der Torossian Torres
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cyntia Silva Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil
| | - Adriana Farias Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil
| | - Gislaine Patricia Andrade
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil
| | - Yiming Wang
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Giselle Cerchiaro
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil
| | | | - Fernanda Dias da Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil
| | - Ravi Radhakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Vani Xavier Oliveira Junior
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil.
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil.
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10
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Meinberger D, Drexelius MG, Grabeck J, Hermes G, Roth A, Elezagic D, Neundorf I, Streichert T, Klatt AR. Modified CLEC3A-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides Lead to Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity against Drug-Resistant Bacteria. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1532. [PMID: 37887233 PMCID: PMC10604565 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12101532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics. Sequence changes can significantly improve the therapeutic properties of antimicrobial peptides. In our study, we apply different sequence modifications to enhance the performance of the CLEC3A-derived AMPs HT-16 and HT-47. We truncated their sequences, inserting a triple-glycine linker, adding an N-terminal tryptophan residue, and generating a D-amino acid variant, resulting in the generation of seven new peptides. We investigated their antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, their cytotoxicity to murine cells, and the biostability of the modified peptides in serum. We identified a novel antimicrobial peptide, WRK-30, with enhanced antimicrobial potency against S. aureus and MRSA. Additionally, WRK-30 was less cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells, allowing its application in higher concentrations in an in vivo setting. In conclusion, we identified a novel CLEC3A-derived antimicrobial peptide WRK-30 with significantly improved therapeutic properties and the potential to widen the repertoire of conventional antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Meinberger
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Marco G. Drexelius
- Institute for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Joshua Grabeck
- Institute for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriele Hermes
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Annika Roth
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Dzemal Elezagic
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ines Neundorf
- Institute for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Streichert
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas R. Klatt
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
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11
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Vargas-Casanova Y, Bravo-Chaucanés CP, Martínez AXH, Costa GM, Contreras-Herrera JL, Medina RF, Rivera-Monroy ZJ, García-Castañeda JE, Parra-Giraldo CM. Combining the Peptide RWQWRWQWR and an Ethanolic Extract of Bidens pilosa Enhances the Activity against Sensitive and Resistant Candida albicans and C. auris Strains. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:817. [PMID: 37623588 PMCID: PMC10455339 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The antifungal activity of palindromic peptide RWQWRWQWR and its derivatives was evaluated against clinical isolates of Candida albicans and C. auris. Also, Bidens pilosa ethanolic extracts of leaves and stem were evaluated. Furthermore, combinations of peptide, extract, and/or fluconazole (FLC) were evaluated. The cytotoxicity of peptides and extracts in erythrocytes and fibroblasts was determined. The original palindromic peptide, some derivative peptides, and the ethanolic extract of leaves of B. pilosa exhibited the highest activity in some of the strains evaluated. Synergy was obtained between the peptide and the FLC against C. auris 435. The combination of the extract and the original palindromic peptide against C. albicans SC5314, C. auris 435, and C. auris 537 decreased the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) by a factor of between 4 and 16. These mixtures induced changes in cell morphology, such as deformations on the cell surface. The results suggest that the combination of RWQWRWQWR and B. pilosa extract is an alternative for enhancing antifungal activity and decreasing cytotoxicity and costs and should be considered to be a promising strategy for treating diseases caused by Candida spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerly Vargas-Casanova
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia; (Y.V.-C.); (C.P.B.-C.)
| | | | | | - Geison Modesti Costa
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia; (A.X.H.M.); (G.M.C.)
| | | | - Ricardo Fierro Medina
- Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional of Colombia, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (R.F.M.); (Z.J.R.-M.); (J.E.G.-C.)
| | - Zuly Jenny Rivera-Monroy
- Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional of Colombia, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (R.F.M.); (Z.J.R.-M.); (J.E.G.-C.)
| | | | - Claudia Marcela Parra-Giraldo
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia; (Y.V.-C.); (C.P.B.-C.)
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12
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Silva FCD, Santos BCS, Castro PPD, Amarante GW, Sousa OVD. Inhibitory Potential of Synthetic Amino Acid Derivatives against Digestive Enzymes as Promising Hypoglycemic and Anti-Obesity Agents. Biomolecules 2023; 13:953. [PMID: 37371533 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last decades, the increased incidence of metabolic disorders, such as type two diabetes and obesity, has motivated researchers to investigate new enzyme inhibitors. In this study, the inhibitory effects of synthetic amino acid derivatives (PPC80, PPC82, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101) on the activity of digestive enzymes were assessed using in vitro assays. The inhibitory effect was determined by the inhibition percentage and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50), and the mechanism of action was investigated using kinetic parameters and Lineweaver-Burk plots. PPC80, PPC82, and PPC84 inhibited pancreatic lipase (IC50 of 167-1023 µM) via competitive or mixed mechanisms. The activity of pancreatic α-amylase was suppressed by PPC80, PPC82, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101 (IC50 of 162-519 µM), which acted as competitive or mixed inhibitors. Finally, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101 also showed potent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase (IC50 of 51-353 µM) as competitive inhibitors. The results suggest that these synthetic amino acid derivatives have inhibitory potential against digestive enzymes and may be used as therapeutic agents to control metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciane Campos da Silva
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Bruna Celeida Silva Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Pedro Pôssa de Castro
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Giovanni Wilson Amarante
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Orlando Vieira de Sousa
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil
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13
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Zhang Z, Zhou Y, Zhang H, Du X, Cao Z, Wu Y, Liu C, Sun Y. Antibacterial Activity and Mechanisms of TroHepc2-22, a Derived Peptide of Hepcidin2 from Golden Pompano ( Trachinotus ovatus). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119251. [PMID: 37298202 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepcidin, a cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptide, has a highly conserved gene structure in teleosts, and it plays an essential role in host immune response against various pathogenic bacteria. Nonetheless, few studies on the antibacterial mechanism of hepcidin in golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) have been reported. In this study, we synthesized a derived peptide, TroHepc2-22, from the mature peptide of T. ovatus hepcidin2. Our results showed that TroHepc2-22 has superior antibacterial abilities against both Gram-negative (Vibrio harveyi and Edwardsiella piscicida) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae) bacteria. Based on the results of a bacterial membrane depolarization assay and propidium iodide (PI) staining assay in vitro, TroHepc2-22 displayed antimicrobial activity by inducing the bacterial membrane depolarization and changing the bacterial membrane permeability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) visualization illustrated that TroHepc2-22 brought about membrane rupturing and the leakage of the cytoplasm for the bacteria. In addition, TroHepc2-22 was verified to have hydrolytic activity on bacterial genomic DNA in view of the results of the gel retardation assay. In terms of the in vivo assay, the bacterial loads of V. harveyi in the tested immune tissues (liver, spleen, and head kidney) were significantly reduced in T. ovatus, revealing that TroHepc2-22 significantly enhanced the resistance against V. harveyi infection. Furthermore, the expressions of immune-related genes, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin 1-β (IL-1β), IL-6, Toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1), and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) were significantly increased, indicating that TroHepc2-22 might regulate inflammatory cytokines and activate immune-related signaling pathways. To summarize, TroHepc2-22 possesses appreciable antimicrobial activity and plays a vital role in resisting bacterial infection. The observation of our present study unveils the excellent application prospect of hepcidin as a substitute for antibiotics to resist pathogenic microorganisms in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengshi Zhang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yongcan Zhou
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
| | - Xiangyu Du
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
| | - Zhenjie Cao
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yun Sun
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572022, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
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14
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Pivetta TP, Jochelavicius K, Wrobel EC, Balogh DT, Oliveira ON, Ribeiro PA, Raposo M. Incorporation of acridine orange and methylene blue in Langmuir monolayers mimicking releasing nanostructures. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2023; 1865:184156. [PMID: 37031871 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of methylene blue (MB) and acridine orange (AO) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) is increased if encapsulated in liposomes. In this paper we determine the molecular-level interactions between MB or AO and mixed monolayers of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (DPPG) and cholesterol (CHOL) using surface pressure isotherms and polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). To increase liposome stability, the effects from adding the surfactants Span® 80 and sodium cholate were also studied. Both MB and AO induce an expansion in the mixed monolayer, but this expansion is less significant in the presence of either Span® 80 or sodium cholate. The action of AO and MB occurred via coupling with phosphate groups of DPPC or DPPG. However, the levels of chain ordering and hydration of carbonyl and phosphate in headgroups depended on the photosensitizer and on the presence of Span® 80 or sodium cholate. From the PM-IRRAS spectra, we inferred that incorporation of MB and AO increased hydration of the monolayer headgroup, except for the case of the monolayer containing sodium cholate. This variability in behaviour offers an opportunity to tune the incorporation of AO and MB into liposomes which could be exploited in the release necessary for PDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais P Pivetta
- CEFITEC, Department of Physics, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; Laboratory of Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics (LIBPhys-UNL), Department of Physics, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Karen Jochelavicius
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Ellen C Wrobel
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Debora T Balogh
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Osvaldo N Oliveira
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - Paulo A Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics (LIBPhys-UNL), Department of Physics, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Maria Raposo
- Laboratory of Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics (LIBPhys-UNL), Department of Physics, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
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15
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The impact of N-glycosylation on the properties of the antimicrobial peptide LL-III. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3733. [PMID: 36878924 PMCID: PMC9988962 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29984-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may represent valuable alternative to antibiotics; nevertheless, the easy degradation due to environmental stress and proteolytic enzyme action, limits their use. So far, different strategies have been developed to overcome this drawback. Among them, glycosylation of AMPs represents a promising approach. In this work, we synthesized and characterized the N-glycosilated form of the antimicrobial peptide LL-III (g-LL-III). The N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) was covalently linked to the Asn residue and the interaction of g-LL-III with bacterial model membranes, together with its resistance to proteases, were investigated. Glycosylation did not affect the peptide mechanism of action and its biological activity against both bacteria and eukaryotic cells. Interestingly, a higher resistance to the activity of proteolytic enzymes was achieved. The reported results pave the way for the successful application of AMPs in medicine and biotechnological fields.
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16
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Wang X, Yang X, Wang Q, Meng D. Unnatural amino acids: promising implications for the development of new antimicrobial peptides. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023; 49:231-255. [PMID: 35254957 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2022.2047008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The increasing incidence and rapid spread of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics are a serious global threat to public health, highlighting the need to develop new antimicrobial alternatives. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a class of promising natural antibiotic candidates due to their broad-spectrum activity and low tendency to induce resistance. However, the development of AMPs for medical use is hampered by several obstacles, such as moderate activity, lability to proteolytic degradation, and low bioavailability. To date, many researchers have focussed on the optimization or design of novel artificial AMPs with desired properties. Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) are valuable building blocks in the manufacture of a variety of pharmaceuticals, and have been used to develop artificial AMPs with specific structural and physicochemical properties. Rational incorporation of UAAs has become a very promising approach to endow AMPs with strong and long-lasting activity but no toxicity. This review aims to summarize key approaches that have been used to incorporate UAAs to develop novel AMPs with improved properties and better performance. It is anticipated that this review will guide future design considerations for UAA-based antimicrobial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaoe Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cosmetic, China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Demei Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Gasin-DH Preservation Technology Co., Ltd, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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17
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Bellavita R, Leone L, Maione A, Falcigno L, D'Auria G, Merlino F, Grieco P, Nastri F, Galdiero E, Lombardi A, Galdiero S, Falanga A. Synthesis of temporin L hydroxamate-based peptides and evaluation of their coordination properties with iron(III ). Dalton Trans 2023; 52:3954-3963. [PMID: 36744636 DOI: 10.1039/d2dt04099a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Ferric iron is an essential nutrient for bacterial growth. Pathogenic bacteria synthesize iron-chelating entities known as siderophores to sequestrate ferric iron from host organisms in order to colonize and replicate. The development of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) conjugated to iron chelators represents a promising strategy for reducing the iron availability, inducing bacterial death, and enhancing simultaneously the efficacy of AMPs. Here we designed, synthesized, and characterized three hydroxamate-based peptides Pep-cyc1, Pep-cyc2, and Pep-cyc3, derived from a cyclic temporin L peptide (Pep-cyc) developed previously by some of us. The Fe3+ complex formation of each ligand was characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and IR and NMR spectroscopies. In addition, the effect of Fe3+ on the stabilization of the α-helix conformation of hydroxamate-based peptides and the cotton effect were examined by CD spectroscopy. Moreover, the antimicrobial results obtained in vitro on some Gram-negative strains (K. pneumoniae and E. coli) showed the ability of each peptide to chelate efficaciously Fe3+ obtaining a reduction of MIC values in comparison to their parent peptide Pep-cyc. Our results demonstrated that siderophore conjugation could increase the efficacy and selectivity of AMPs used for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by Gram-negative pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Bellavita
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Linda Leone
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Lucia Falcigno
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Gabriella D'Auria
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Francesco Merlino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Paolo Grieco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Flavia Nastri
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Lombardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Annarita Falanga
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy.
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18
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Campanile M, Oliva R, D'Errico G, Del Vecchio P, Petraccone L. The anticancer peptide LL-III alters the physico-chemical properties of a model tumor membrane promoting lipid bilayer permeabilization. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:3639-3650. [PMID: 36541682 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03528f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
LL-III is an anticancer peptide and has the ability to translocate across tumor cell membranes, which indicates that its action mechanism could be non-membranolytic. However, the exact mechanism through which the peptide gains access into the cell cytoplasm is still unknown. Here, we use a plethora of physico-chemical techniques to characterize the interaction of LL-III with liposomes mimicking the lipid matrix of the tumor cell membrane and its effect on the microstructure and thermotropic properties of the membrane. Furthermore, the effect of the presence of Ca2+ cations at physiological concentration was also investigated. For comparison, the interaction of LL-III with liposomes mimicking the normal cell membrane was also studied. Our results show that the peptide selectively interacts with the model tumor cell membrane. This interaction does not disrupt the lipid bilayer but deeply alters its properties by promoting lipid lateral reorganization and increasing membrane permeability. Overall, our data provide a molecular level description of the interaction of the peptide with the model tumor membrane and are fully consistent with the non-membranolytic action mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Campanile
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Rosario Oliva
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Gerardino D'Errico
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Pompea Del Vecchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Luigi Petraccone
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
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19
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Kordi M, Borzouyi Z, Chitsaz S, Asmaei MH, Salami R, Tabarzad M. Antimicrobial peptides with anticancer activity: Today status, trends and their computational design. Arch Biochem Biophys 2023; 733:109484. [PMID: 36473507 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Some antimicrobial peptides have been shown to be able to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cell lines. Various strategies for treating cancers with active peptides have been pursued. According to the reports, anticancer peptides are important therapeutic peptides, which can act through two distinct pathways: they either just create pores in the cell membrane, or they have a vital intracellular target. In this review, publications up to Sep. 2021 had extracted form Scopus and PubMed using "antimicrobial peptide" and "anticancer peptide" as keywords. In second step, "computational design" related publications extracted. Among publications, those have similar scopes were classified and selected based on mechanisms of action and application. In this review, the most recent advances in the field of antimicrobial peptides with anti-cancer activities have been summarized. Freely available webservers such as AntiCP, ACPP, iACP, iACP-GAEnsC, ACPred are discussed here. In conclusion, despite some limitations of ACPs such as production cost and challenges, short half-life and toxicity on normal cells, the beneficial properties of AMPs make some of them good therapeutic agents for cancer therapy. Towards designing novel ACPs, the computational methods have substantial position and have been used progressively, today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Kordi
- Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zeynab Borzouyi
- Department of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Plant Breeding, Islamic Azad University, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Saideh Chitsaz
- Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
| | | | - Robab Salami
- Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Tabarzad
- Protein Technology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Iran.
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20
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Chatupheeraphat C, Peamchai J, Luk-in S, Eiamphungporn W. Synergistic effect and antibiofilm activity of the antimicrobial peptide K11 with conventional antibiotics against multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1153868. [PMID: 37113135 PMCID: PMC10126264 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1153868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Infections caused by drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae are now a serious problem for public health, associated with high morbidity and mortality due to limited treatment options. Therefore, new antibacterial agents or a combination of agents as the first line of treatment are urgently needed. K11 is a novel antimicrobial peptide (AMP) that has demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against several types of bacteria. Additionally, K11 has previously shown no hemolytic activity. Herein, the antibacterial activity, the synergistic action of K11 in combination with different conventional antibiotics and the antibiofilm activity of K11 against multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) K. pneumoniae were investigated. Meanwhile, the stability and ability to induce the bacterial resistance of K11 were also tested. Methods Fifteen clinical isolates of MDR/XDR K. pneumoniae were used in this study. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of K11 against these isolates was determined by the broth microdilution method. In vitro synergy between K11 and antibiotics was evaluated using the checkerboard methodology. The antibiofilm activity of K11 against K. pneumoniae strong biofilm producers were explored by the crystal violet staining. The stability in different environments and resistance induction of K11 were evaluated by MIC determination. Results The MIC values of K11 against MDR/XDR K. pneumoniae isolates were 8-512 μg/mL. Intriguingly, the synergistic effects were clearly observed for K11 in combination with chloramphenicol, meropenem, rifampicin, or ceftazidime, whereas no synergy was observed when K11 was combined with colistin. Besides, K11 effectively prevented biofilm formation against K. pneumoniae strong biofilm producers in a concentration-dependent manner starting at 0.25×MIC and exerted an enhancing effect when administered in combination with meropenem, chloramphenicol, or rifampicin. Additionally, K11 demonstrated high thermal and wide pH stability along with good stability in serum and physiological salts. Significantly, K. pneumoniae showed no induction of resistance even after prolonged exposure to a sub-inhibitory concentration of K11. Conclusion These findings indicate that K11 is a promising candidate with potent antibacterial and antibiofilm activities without inducing resistance and acts synergistically with conventional antibiotics against drug-resistant K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chawalit Chatupheeraphat
- Center for Research and Innovation, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Jiratchaya Peamchai
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sirirat Luk-in
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Warawan Eiamphungporn
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Warawan Eiamphungporn,
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Yang X, Chen M, Zhang Z, Li Y, Wang P, Luo X, Lv S. Alpha-aminoisobutyric acid incorporated peptides for the construction of electrochemical biosensors with high stability and low fouling in serum. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1238:340646. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.340646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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22
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S100 Proteins as Novel Therapeutic Targets in Psoriasis and Other Autoimmune Diseases. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27196640. [PMID: 36235175 PMCID: PMC9572071 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Psoriasis is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases affecting about 1-3% of the population. One of the characteristic abnormalities in psoriasis is the excessive production of antimicrobial peptides and proteins, which play an essential role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Antimicrobial peptides and proteins can be expressed differently in normal and diseased skin, reflecting their usefulness as diagnostic biomarkers. Moreover, due to their very important functions in innate immunity, members of host defense peptides and proteins are currently considered to be promising new therapeutic targets for many inflammatory diseases. Koebnerisin (S100A15) belongs to an S100 family of antimicrobial proteins, which constitute the multigenetic group of calcium-binding proteins involved in ion-dependent cellular functions and regulation of immune mechanisms. S100A15 was first discovered to be overexpressed in 'koebnerized' psoriatic skin, indicating its involvement in the disease phenotype and the same promising potential as a new therapeutic target. This review describes the involvement of antimicrobial peptides and proteins in inflammatory diseases' development and therapy. The discussion focuses on S100 proteins, especially koebnerisin, which may be involved in the underlying mechanism of the Köebner phenomenon in psoriasis, as well as other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases described in the last decade.
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23
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Yang Y, Distaffen H, Jalali S, Nieuwkoop AJ, Nilsson BL, Dias CL. Atomic Insights into Amyloid-Induced Membrane Damage. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2766-2777. [PMID: 36095304 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphipathic peptides can cause biological membranes to leak either by dissolving their lipid content via a detergent-like mechanism or by forming pores on the membrane surface. These modes of membrane damage have been related to the toxicity of amyloid peptides and to the activity of antimicrobial peptides. Here, we perform the first all-atom simulations in which membrane-bound amphipathic peptides self-assemble into β-sheets that subsequently either form stable pores inside the bilayer or drag lipids out of the membrane surface. An analysis of these simulations shows that the acyl tail of lipids interact strongly with non-polar side chains of peptides deposited on the membrane. These strong interactions enable lipids to be dragged out of the bilayer by oligomeric structures accounting for detergent-like damage. They also disturb the orientation of lipid tails in the vicinity of peptides. These distortions are minimized around pore structures. We also show that membrane-bound β-sheets become twisted with one of their extremities partially penetrating the lipid bilayer. This allows peptides on opposite leaflets to interact and form a long transmembrane β-sheet, which initiates poration. In simulations, where peptides are deposited on a single leaflet, the twist in β-sheets allows them to penetrate the membrane and form pores. In addition, our simulations show that fibril-like structures produce little damage to lipid membranes, as non-polar side chains in these structures are unavailable to interact with the acyl tail of lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxing Yang
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102-1982, United States
| | - Hannah Distaffen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Sharareh Jalali
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102-1982, United States
| | - Andrew J Nieuwkoop
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Bradley L Nilsson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Cristiano L Dias
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102-1982, United States
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24
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Majura JJ, Cao W, Chen Z, Htwe KK, Li W, Du R, Zhang P, Zheng H, Gao J. The current research status and strategies employed to modify food-derived bioactive peptides. Front Nutr 2022; 9:950823. [PMID: 36118740 PMCID: PMC9479208 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.950823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of bioactive peptides to exert biological functions has mainly contributed to their exploitation. The exploitation and utilization of these peptides have grown tremendously over the past two decades. Food-derived peptides from sources such as plant, animal, and marine proteins and their byproducts constitute a more significant portion of the naturally-occurring peptides that have been documented. Due to their high specificity and biocompatibility, these peptides serve as a suitable alternative to pharmacological drugs for treating non-communicable diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and cancer). They are helpful as food preservatives, ingredients in functional foods, and dietary supplements in the food sector. Despite their unique features, the application of these peptides in the clinical and food sector is to some extent hindered by their inherent drawbacks such as toxicity, bitterness, instability, and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. Several strategies have been employed to eliminate or reduce the disadvantages of peptides, thus enhancing the peptide bioactivity and broadening the opportunities for their applications. This review article focuses on the current research status of various bioactive peptides and the strategies that have been implemented to overcome their disadvantages. It will also highlight future perspectives regarding the possible improvements to be made for the development of bioactive peptides with practical uses and their commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieth Joram Majura
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Wenhong Cao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
| | - Zhongqin Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
| | - Kyi Kyi Htwe
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Wan Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Ran Du
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Pei Zhang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Huina Zheng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
| | - Jialong Gao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Zhanjiang, China
- National Research and Development Branch Center for Shellfish Processing, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
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Novel Retro-Inverso Peptide Antibiotic Efficiently Released by a Responsive Hydrogel-Based System. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061301. [PMID: 35740323 PMCID: PMC9219916 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Topical antimicrobial treatments are often ineffective on recalcitrant and resistant skin infections. This necessitates the design of antimicrobials that are less susceptible to resistance mechanisms, as well as the development of appropriate delivery systems. These two issues represent a great challenge for researchers in pharmaceutical and drug discovery fields. Here, we defined the therapeutic properties of a novel peptidomimetic inspired by an antimicrobial sequence encrypted in human apolipoprotein B. The peptidomimetic was found to exhibit antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties at concentration values ranging from 2.5 to 20 µmol L−1, to be biocompatible toward human skin cell lines, and to protect human keratinocytes from bacterial infections being able to induce a reduction of bacterial units by two or even four orders of magnitude with respect to untreated samples. Based on these promising results, a hyaluronic-acid-based hydrogel was devised to encapsulate and to specifically deliver the selected antimicrobial agent to the site of infection. The developed hydrogel-based system represents a promising, effective therapeutic option by combining the mechanical properties of the hyaluronic acid polymer with the anti-infective activity of the antimicrobial peptidomimetic, thus opening novel perspectives in the treatment of skin infections.
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26
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Oliva R, Niccoli M, Castronuovo G. Binding and Stability Properties of PEG2000 to Globular Proteins: the Case of Lysozyme. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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27
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Lai Z, Yuan X, Chen H, Zhu Y, Dong N, Shan A. Strategies employed in the design of antimicrobial peptides with enhanced proteolytic stability. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107962. [PMID: 35452776 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Due to the alarming developing rate of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, the development and modification of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are unprecedentedly active. Despite the fact that considerable efforts have been expended on the discovery and design strategies of AMPs, the clinical translation of peptide antibiotics remains inadequate. A large number of articles and reviews credited the limited success of AMPs to their poor stability in the biological environment, particularly their poor proteolytic stability. In the past forty years, various design strategies have been used to improve the proteolytic stability of AMPs, such as sequence modification, cyclization, peptidomimetics, and nanotechnology. Herein, we focus our discussion on the progress made in improving the proteolytic stability of AMPs and the principle, successes, and limitations of various anti-proteolytic design strategies. It is of prospective significance to extend current insights into the degradation-related inactivation of AMPs and also alleviate/overcome the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenheng Lai
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Xiaojie Yuan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Hongyu Chen
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yunhui Zhu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Na Dong
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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28
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Oliva R, Campanile M, Del Vecchio P, Pizzo E, Bosso A, Winter R, Petraccone L. The C-terminus of the GKY20 antimicrobial peptide, derived from human thrombin, plays a key role in its membrane perturbation capability. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:7994-8002. [PMID: 35314853 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp05857f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we characterized in detail the mechanism of action of the antimicrobial peptide GKY20, showing that it selectively perturbs the bacterial-like membrane employing peptide conformational changes, lipid segregation and domain formation as key steps in promoting membrane disruption. Here, we used a combination of biophysical techniques to similarly characterize the antimicrobial activity as well as the membrane perturbing capability of GKY10, a much shorter version of the GKY20 peptide. GKY10 is only half of the parent peptide and consists of the last 10 amino acids (starting from the C-terminus) of the full-length peptide. Despite a large difference in length, we found that GKY10, like the parent peptide, retains the ability to adopt a helical structure and to induce lipid segregation upon membrane binding. Overall, our results suggest that the amino acid sequence of GKY10 is responsible for most of the observed behaviors of GKY20. Our results shed further light on the mechanism of action of the full-length peptide and provide useful information for the design and development of new peptides that serve as antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Oliva
- Physical Chemistry I - Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn Street 4a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.,Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Marco Campanile
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Pompea Del Vecchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Elio Pizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Bosso
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Roland Winter
- Physical Chemistry I - Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn Street 4a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Luigi Petraccone
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
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Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently become widely publicized because they have the potential to function in alternative therapies as “natural” antibiotics, with their main advantage being a broad spectrum of activity. The potential for antimicrobial peptides to treat diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported. In diabetes mellitus type I (T1D), cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) and mouse-β- defensin 14 (mBD14) are positively affected. Decreased levels of LL-37 and human neutrophil peptide 1-3 (HNP1-3) have been reported in diabetes mellitus type II (T2D) relative to healthy patients. Moreover, AMPs from amphibians and social wasps have antidiabetic effects. In infections occurring in patients with tuberculosis-diabetes or diabetic foot, granulysin, HNP1, HNP2, HNP3, human beta-defensin 2 (HBD2), and cathelicidins are responsible for pathogen clearance. An interesting alternative is also the use of modified M13 bacteriophages containing encapsulated AMPs genes or phagemids.
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30
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Filatova SM, Guseva MK, Bodrova TG, Parshina DV, Budanova UA, Sebyakin YL. Evolutionary Development and Structural Diversity of Natural Antimicrobial Peptides, Peptidometics, and Cationic Amphiphiles Based on Amino Acids. RUSS J GEN CHEM+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1070363221130338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Cesaro A, Torres MDT, Gaglione R, Dell'Olmo E, Di Girolamo R, Bosso A, Pizzo E, Haagsman HP, Veldhuizen EJA, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Arciello A. Synthetic Antibiotic Derived from Sequences Encrypted in a Protein from Human Plasma. ACS NANO 2022; 16:1880-1895. [PMID: 35112568 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c04496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Encrypted peptides have been recently found in the human proteome and represent a potential class of antibiotics. Here we report three peptides derived from the human apolipoprotein B (residues 887-922) that exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococci both in vitro and in an animal model. The peptides had excellent cytotoxicity profiles, targeted bacteria by depolarizing and permeabilizing their cytoplasmic membrane, inhibited biofilms, and displayed anti-inflammatory properties. Importantly, the peptides, when used in combination, potentiated the activity of conventional antibiotics against bacteria and did not select for bacterial resistance. To ensure translatability of these molecules, a protease resistant retro-inverso variant of the lead encrypted peptide was synthesized and demonstrated anti-infective activity in a preclinical mouse model. Our results provide a link between human plasma and innate immunity and point to the blood as a source of much-needed antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cesaro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, The Netherlands
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Marcelo D T Torres
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Rosa Gaglione
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Rome 00136, Italy
| | - Eliana Dell'Olmo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Rocco Di Girolamo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Andrea Bosso
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Elio Pizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Section Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, The Netherlands
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Angela Arciello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples I-80126, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Rome 00136, Italy
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Lawler JT, Harrilal CP, DeBlase AF, Sibert EL, McLuckey SA, Zwier TS. Single-conformation spectroscopy of cold, protonated DPG-containing peptides: switching β-turn types and formation of a sequential type II/II' double β-turn. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:2095-2109. [PMID: 35019911 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04852j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
D-Proline (DPro, DP) is widely utilized to form β-hairpin loops in engineered peptides that would otherwise be unstructured, most often as part of a DPG sub-unit that forms a β-turn. To observe whether DPG facilitated this effect in short protonated peptides, conformation specific IR-UV double resonance photofragment spectra of the cold (∼10 K) protonated DP and LP diastereomers of the pentapeptide YAPGA was carried out in the hydride stretch (2800-3700 cm-1) and amide I/II (1400-1800 cm-1) regions. A model localized Hamiltonian was developed to better describe the 1600-1800 cm-1 region commonly associated with the amide I vibrations. The CO stretch fundamentals experience extensive mixing with the N-H bending fundamentals of the NH3+ group in these protonated peptides. The model Hamiltonian accounts for experiment in quantitative detail. In the DP diastereomer, all the population is funneled into a single conformer which presented as a type II β-turn with A and DP in the i + 1 and i + 2 positions, respectively. This structure was not the anticipated type II' β-turn across DPG that we had hypothesized based on solution-phase propensities. Analysis of the conformational energy landscape shows that both steric and charge-induced effects play a role in the preferred formation of the type II β-turn. In contrast, the LP isomer forms three conformations with very different structures, none of which were type II/II' β-turns, confirming that LPG is not a β-turn former. Finally, single-conformation spectroscopy was also carried out on the extended peptide [YAADPGAAA + H]+ to determine whether moving the protonated N-terminus further from DPG would lead to β-hairpin formation. Despite funneling its entire population into a single peptide backbone structure, the assigned structure is not a β-hairpin, but a concatenated type II/type II' double β-turn that displaces the peptide backbone laterally by about 7.5 Å, but leaves the backbone oriented in its original direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Lawler
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, USA.
| | | | - Andrew F DeBlase
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, USA.
| | - Edwin L Sibert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Scott A McLuckey
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, USA.
| | - Timothy S Zwier
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, USA. .,Gas Phase Chemical Physics, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
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Yadav S, Bharti S, Srivastava P, Mathur P. PepEngine: A Manually Curated Structural Database of Peptides Containing α, β- Dehydrophenylalanine (ΔPhe) and α-Amino Isobutyric Acid (Aib). Int J Pept Res Ther 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-022-10362-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Booth V. Deuterium Solid State NMR Studies of Intact Bacteria Treated With Antimicrobial Peptides. FRONTIERS IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2022; 2:621572. [PMID: 35047897 PMCID: PMC8757836 DOI: 10.3389/fmedt.2020.621572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Solid state NMR has been tremendously useful in characterizing the structure and dynamics of model membranes composed of simple lipid mixtures. Model lipid studies employing solid state NMR have included important work revealing how membrane bilayer structure and dynamics are affected by molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, solid state NMR need not be applied only to model membranes, but can also be used with living, intact cells. NMR of whole cells holds promise for helping resolve some unsolved mysteries about how bacteria interact with AMPs. This mini-review will focus on recent studies using 2H NMR to study how treatment with AMPs affect membranes in intact bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Booth
- Department of Biochemistry and Department of Physics and Physical Oceanograpy, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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35
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The Functions of β-Defensin in Flounder ( Paralichthys olivaceus): Antibiosis, Chemotaxis and Modulation of Phagocytosis. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10121247. [PMID: 34943162 PMCID: PMC8698591 DOI: 10.3390/biology10121247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The study identified a new spliced isoform of anionic β-defensin from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus, fBD) and examined its antibiosis, chemotaxis and modulation of phagocytosis. It also analyzed the contributions of fBD to the antimicrobial activity of extracellular traps (ETs). The analyses found that an anionic β-defensin in fish possesses strong bacteriostatic ability in line with that of cationic defensins and also plays an important role in immune response. This study provides new insights into the biological function of anionic defensins, which can serve as one of the important effectors in extracellular traps and contribute to the immune response. Abstract Most defensins are cationic antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum killing activity against bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses. However, it should be recognized that there are some non-cationic β-defensins in organisms, which need to be further studied. In this study, a new spliced isoform of anionic β-defensin from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus, fBD) was identified, and its antibiosis, chemotaxis and modulation of phagocytosis were examined. In addition, the contributions of fBD to the antimicrobial activity of extracellular traps (ETs) were also analyzed. The recombinant fBD (rfBD) could effectively inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus, Micrococcus luteus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, V. alginolyticus, V. anguillarum). An indirect immunofluorescence assay showed that the fBD was co-localized in the extracellular traps released by the leukocytes. When the ETs were blocked with antibodies against rfBD, the proliferation of S. aureus and E. coli incubated with ETs tended to increase compared with that in the control group. In addition, the results obtained by flow cytometry showed that the rfBD could significantly chemoattract leukocytes and increase phagocytic activity in vitro. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the biological function of anionic defensins, which can serve as one of the important effectors in extracellular traps and as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity in teleosts.
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Gan BH, Gaynord J, Rowe SM, Deingruber T, Spring DR. The multifaceted nature of antimicrobial peptides: current synthetic chemistry approaches and future directions. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:7820-7880. [PMID: 34042120 PMCID: PMC8689412 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00729c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial infections caused by 'superbugs' are increasing globally, and conventional antibiotics are becoming less effective against these bacteria, such that we risk entering a post-antibiotic era. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained significant attention for their clinical potential as a new class of antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance. In this review, we discuss several facets of AMPs including their diversity, physicochemical properties, mechanisms of action, and effects of environmental factors on these features. This review outlines various chemical synthetic strategies that have been applied to develop novel AMPs, including chemical modifications of existing peptides, semi-synthesis, and computer-aided design. We will also highlight novel AMP structures, including hybrids, antimicrobial dendrimers and polypeptides, peptidomimetics, and AMP-drug conjugates and consider recent developments in their chemical synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bee Ha Gan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Josephine Gaynord
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Sam M Rowe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Tomas Deingruber
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - David R Spring
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
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Gaglione R, Smaldone G, Cesaro A, Rumolo M, De Luca M, Di Girolamo R, Petraccone L, Del Vecchio P, Oliva R, Notomista E, Pedone E, Arciello A. Impact of a Single Point Mutation on the Antimicrobial and Fibrillogenic Properties of Cryptides from Human Apolipoprotein B. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14070631. [PMID: 34209895 PMCID: PMC8308739 DOI: 10.3390/ph14070631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs) are gaining increasing interest, since they are endowed with multiple activities, are often effective on multidrug resistant bacteria and do not generally lead to the development of resistance phenotypes. Cryptic HDPs have been recently identified in human apolipoprotein B and found to be endowed with a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, with anti-biofilm, wound healing and immunomodulatory properties, and with the ability to synergistically act in combination with conventional antibiotics, while being not toxic for eukaryotic cells. Here, a multidisciplinary approach was used, including time killing curves, differential scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism, ThT binding assays, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The effects of a single point mutation (Pro → Ala in position 7) on the biological properties of ApoB-derived peptide r(P)ApoBLPro have been evaluated. Although the two versions of the peptide share similar antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties, only r(P)ApoBLAla peptide was found to exert bactericidal effects. Interestingly, antimicrobial activity of both peptide versions appears to be dependent from their interaction with specific components of bacterial surfaces, such as LPS or LTA, which induce peptides to form β-sheet-rich amyloid-like structures. Altogether, obtained data indicate a correlation between ApoB-derived peptides self-assembling state and their antibacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Gaglione
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), 00136 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Angela Cesaro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Mariano Rumolo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Maria De Luca
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Rocco Di Girolamo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Luigi Petraccone
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Pompea Del Vecchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
| | - Rosario Oliva
- Physical Chemistry I—Biophysical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany;
| | - Eugenio Notomista
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Emilia Pedone
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy;
- Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Arciello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (R.G.); (A.C.); (M.R.); (M.D.L.); (R.D.G.); (L.P.); (P.D.V.)
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), 00136 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-679147
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Schafer ME, Browne H, Goldberg JB, Greenberg DE. Peptides and Antibiotic Therapy: Advances in Design and Delivery. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:2377-2385. [PMID: 33881843 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance (AMR) is an increasing public health crisis worldwide. This threatens our ability to adequately care for patients with infections due to multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. As such, there is an urgent need to develop new classes of antimicrobials that are not based on currently utilized antibiotic scaffolds. One promising avenue of antimicrobial research that deserves renewed examination involves the use of peptides. Although antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been studied for a number of years, innovations in peptide design and their applications are increasingly making this approach a viable alternative to traditional small-molecule antibiotics. This review will provide updates on two ways in which peptides are being explored as antibiotics. The first topic will focus on novel types of peptides and conjugation methods that are being exploited to act as antibiotics themselves. These direct-acting modified peptides could serve as potentially useful drugs while mitigating many of the known liabilities of AMPs. The second topic relates to the use of peptides as delivery vehicles for other active compounds with antimicrobial activity. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are peptides designed to carry compounds across cell membranes and are a promising method for delivering a variety of antimicrobial compounds. When conjugated to other compounds, CPPs have been shown to be effective at increasing the uptake of both small- and large-molecular-weight compounds. This includes conjugation to antisense molecules and traditional antibiotics, resulting in increased effectiveness of these antimicrobials. One particular approach utilizes CPPs conjugated to phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs). PMOs are designed to target particular pathogens in a gene-specific way. They target mRNA and block protein translation. Peptide-conjugated PMOs (PPMOs) allow for efficient delivery into the Gram-negative cytoplasm, and recent updates to their in vitro and in vivo activity are reviewed. This includes recent data to suggest that PPMOs maintain activity in the setting of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains, an important finding as it relates to the further development of this therapeutic approach. Other topics include the ability to have activity in the biofilm setting, a finding that likely relates to the peptide portion of the conjugate. Finally, what is known and anticipated related to the development of resistance to these peptides will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E. Schafer
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics and Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Diseases Research, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Suite 3009, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | | | - Joanna B. Goldberg
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics and Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Diseases Research, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Suite 3009, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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Lampitella E, Landi N, Oliva R, Gaglione R, Bosso A, De Lise F, Ragucci S, Arciello A, Petraccone L, Pizzo E, Del Vecchio P, Di Maro A. Toxicity and membrane perturbation properties of the ribotoxin-like protein Ageritin. J Biochem 2021; 170:473-482. [PMID: 33993266 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvab062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ageritin is the prototype of a new ribotoxin-like protein family, which has been recently identified also in basidiomycetes. The protein exhibits specific RNase activity through the cleavage of a single phosphodiester bond located at sarcin/ricin loop of the large rRNA, thus inhibiting protein biosynthesis at early stages. Conversely to other ribotoxins, its activity requires the presence of divalent cations. In the present study, we report the activity of Ageritin on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells showing that the protein has a prominent effect on cancer cells viability and no effects on eukaryotic and bacterial cells. In order to rationalize these findings, the ability of the protein to interact with various liposomes mimicking normal, cancer and bacterial cell membranes was explored. The collected results indicate that Ageritin can interact with DPPC/DPPS/Chol vesicles, used as a model of cancer cell membranes, and with DPPC/DPPG vesicles, used as a model of bacterial cell membranes, suggesting a selective interaction with anionic lipids. However, a different perturbation of the two model membranes, mediated by cholesterol redistribution, was observed and this might be at the basis of Ageritin selective toxicity towards cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erosantonio Lampitella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Nicola Landi
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Rosario Oliva
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy.,Physical Chemistry I-Biophysical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 4a, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Rosa Gaglione
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Viale delle Medaglie d'Oro 305, 00136, Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Bosso
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia, I-80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Federica De Lise
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia, I-80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Sara Ragucci
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Angela Arciello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Viale delle Medaglie d'Oro 305, 00136, Roma, Italy
| | - Luigi Petraccone
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Elio Pizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia, I-80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Pompea Del Vecchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antimo Di Maro
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
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40
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Cyclic mimetics of kinase-inhibitory region of Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling 1: Progress toward novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 221:113547. [PMID: 34023736 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Herein we investigated the structural and cellular effects ensuing from the cyclization of a potent inhibitor of JAK2 as mimetic of SOCS1 protein, named PS5. The introduction of un-natural residues and a lactam internal bridge, within SOCS1-KIR motif, produced candidates that showed high affinity toward JAK2 catalytic domain. By combining CD, NMR and computational studies, we obtained valuable models of the interactions of two peptidomimetics of SOCS1 to deepen their functional behaviors. Notably, when assayed for their biological cell responses mimicking SOCS1 activity, the internal cyclic PS5 analogues demonstrated able to inhibit JAK-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1 and to reduce cytokine-induced proinflammatory gene expression, oxidative stress generation and cell migration. The present study well inserts in the field of low-molecular-weight proteomimetics with improved longtime cellular effects and adds a new piece to the puzzled way for the conversion of bioactive peptides into drugs.
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41
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Manniello MD, Moretta A, Salvia R, Scieuzo C, Lucchetti D, Vogel H, Sgambato A, Falabella P. Insect antimicrobial peptides: potential weapons to counteract the antibiotic resistance. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4259-4282. [PMID: 33595669 PMCID: PMC8164593 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03784-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Misuse and overuse of antibiotics have contributed in the last decades to a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance which is currently considered one of the principal threats to global public health by the World Health Organization. The aim to find alternative drugs has been demonstrated as a real challenge. Thanks to their biodiversity, insects represent the largest class of organisms in the animal kingdom. The humoral immune response includes the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are released into the insect hemolymph after microbial infection. In this review, we have focused on insect immune responses, particularly on AMP characteristics, their mechanism of action and applications, especially in the biomedical field. Furthermore, we discuss the Toll, Imd, and JAK-STAT pathways that activate genes encoding for the expression of AMPs. Moreover, we focused on strategies to improve insect peptides stability against proteolytic susceptibility such as D-amino acid substitutions, N-terminus modification, cyclization and dimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Manniello
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy
| | - A Moretta
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy
| | - R Salvia
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies S.R.L, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy
| | - C Scieuzo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies S.R.L, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy
| | - D Lucchetti
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - H Vogel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - A Sgambato
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture (PZ), Italy
| | - P Falabella
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy.
- Spinoff XFlies S.R.L, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy.
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42
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Hitchner MA, Necelis MR, Shirley D, Caputo GA. Effect of Non-natural Hydrophobic Amino Acids on the Efficacy and Properties of the Antimicrobial Peptide C18G. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2021; 13:527-541. [PMID: 32889698 PMCID: PMC7933317 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-020-09701-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been an area of great interest, due to the high selectivity of these molecules toward bacterial targets over host cells and the limited development of bacterial resistance to these molecules through evolution. The peptides are known to selectively bind to bacterial cell surfaces through electrostatic interactions, and subsequently, the peptides insert into the cell membrane and cause local disruptions of membrane integrity leading to cell death. Previous experiments showed that replacing the Leu residues in the AMP C18G with other naturally occurring hydrophobic residues resulted in side-chain-dependent activities. This work extends the investigation to non-natural hydrophobic amino acids and the effect on peptide activity. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) results demonstrated that amino acid substitutions containing long flexible carbon chains maintained or increased antimicrobial activity compared to natural analogues. In solution, the peptide showed aggregation only with the most hydrophobic non-natural amino acid substitutions. Binding assays using Trp fluorescence confirm a binding preference for anionic lipids while quenching experiments demonstrated that the more hydrophobic peptides are more deeply buried in the anionic lipid bilayers compared to the zwitterionic bilayers. The most effective peptides at killing bacteria were also those which showed some level of disruption of bacterial membranes; however, one peptide sequence exhibited very strong activity and very low levels of red blood cell hemolysis, yielding a promising target for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan A Hitchner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA
| | - Matthew R Necelis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA
| | - Devanie Shirley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA
| | - Gregory A Caputo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA.
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Saur JS, Wirtz SN, Schilling NA, Krismer B, Peschel A, Grond S. Distinct Lugdunins from a New Efficient Synthesis and Broad Exploitation of Its MRSA-Antimicrobial Structure. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4034-4058. [PMID: 33779184 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A new solid-phase peptide synthesis and bioprofiling of the antimicrobial activity of lugdunin, a fibupeptide, enable a comprehensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) study (MRSA Staphylococcus aureus). Distinct lugdunin analogues with variation of the three important amino acids Val2, Trp3, and Leu4 are readily available based on the established high-output synthesis. This efficient synthesis concept takes advantage of the presynthesized thiazolidine building block. To gain further knowledge of SAR, d-Val2, and d-Leu4 were replaced with aliphatic amino acids. For l-Trp3 derivatization, a set of non-natural aromatic amino acids with manifold substitution and annulation patterns precisely shows structural imperatives, starting from the exchange of d-Val6 → d-Trp6 with a 2-fold improved biological activity. d-Trp6-lugdunin analogues with additional variation of d-Val2 and d-Leu4 residues were designed and synthesized followed by antimicrobial profiling. For the first time, these SAR studies deliver valuable information on the tolerance of other amino acids to d-Val2, l-Trp3, and d-Leu4 in the sequence of lugdunin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian S Saur
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian N Wirtz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Nadine A Schilling
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Krismer
- Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.,Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Peschel
- Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.,Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stephanie Grond
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
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44
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D’Souza AR, Necelis MR, Kulesha A, Caputo GA, Makhlynets OV. Beneficial Impacts of Incorporating the Non-Natural Amino Acid Azulenyl-Alanine into the Trp-Rich Antimicrobial Peptide buCATHL4B. Biomolecules 2021; 11:421. [PMID: 33809374 PMCID: PMC8001250 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) present a promising scaffold for the development of potent antimicrobial agents. Substitution of tryptophan by non-natural amino acid Azulenyl-Alanine (AzAla) would allow studying the mechanism of action of AMPs by using unique properties of this amino acid, such as ability to be excited separately from tryptophan in a multi-Trp AMPs and environmental insensitivity. In this work, we investigate the effect of Trp→AzAla substitution in antimicrobial peptide buCATHL4B (contains three Trp side chains). We found that antimicrobial and bactericidal activity of the original peptide was preserved, while cytocompatibility with human cells and proteolytic stability was improved. We envision that AzAla will find applications as a tool for studies of the mechanism of action of AMPs. In addition, incorporation of this non-natural amino acid into AMP sequences could enhance their application properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areetha R. D’Souza
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA; (A.R.D.); (A.K.)
| | - Matthew R. Necelis
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA; (M.R.N.); (G.A.C.)
| | - Alona Kulesha
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA; (A.R.D.); (A.K.)
| | - Gregory A. Caputo
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA; (M.R.N.); (G.A.C.)
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Olga V. Makhlynets
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA; (A.R.D.); (A.K.)
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Insights into the Action Mechanism of the Antimicrobial Peptide Lasioglossin III. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062857. [PMID: 33799744 PMCID: PMC8001998 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lasioglossin III (LL-III) is a cationic antimicrobial peptide derived from the venom of the eusocial bee Lasioglossum laticeps. LL-III is extremely toxic to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and it exhibits antifungal as well as antitumor activity. Moreover, it shows low hemolytic activity, and it has almost no toxic effects on eukaryotic cells. However, the molecular basis of the LL-III mechanism of action is still unclear. In this study, we characterized by means of calorimetric (DSC) and spectroscopic (CD, fluorescence) techniques its interaction with liposomes composed of a mixture of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-rac-phosphoglycerol (POPG) lipids as a model of the negatively charged membrane of pathogens. For comparison, the interaction of LL-III with the uncharged POPC liposomes was also studied. Our data showed that LL-III preferentially interacted with anionic lipids in the POPC/POPG liposomes and induces the formation of lipid domains. Furthermore, the leakage experiments showed that the peptide could permeabilize the membrane. Interestingly, our DSC results showed that the peptide-membrane interaction occurs in a non-disruptive manner, indicating an intracellular targeting mode of action for this peptide. Consistent with this hypothesis, our gel-retardation assay experiments showed that LL-III could interact with plasmid DNA, suggesting a possible intracellular target.
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Makhlynets OV, Caputo GA. Characteristics and therapeutic applications of antimicrobial peptides. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2021; 2:011301. [PMID: 38505398 PMCID: PMC10903410 DOI: 10.1063/5.0035731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The demand for novel antimicrobial compounds is rapidly growing due to the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. In response, numerous alternative approaches are being taken including use of polymers, metals, combinatorial approaches, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are a naturally occurring part of the immune system of all higher organisms and display remarkable broad-spectrum activity and high selectivity for bacterial cells over host cells. However, despite good activity and safety profiles, AMPs have struggled to find success in the clinic. In this review, we outline the fundamental properties of AMPs that make them effective antimicrobials and extend this into three main approaches being used to help AMPs become viable clinical options. These three approaches are the incorporation of non-natural amino acids into the AMP sequence to impart better pharmacological properties, the incorporation of AMPs in hydrogels, and the chemical modification of surfaces with AMPs for device applications. These approaches are being developed to enhance the biocompatibility, stability, and/or bioavailability of AMPs as clinical options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V. Makhlynets
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
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Torres MDT, Cao J, Franco OL, Lu TK, de la Fuente-Nunez C. Synthetic Biology and Computer-Based Frameworks for Antimicrobial Peptide Discovery. ACS NANO 2021; 15:2143-2164. [PMID: 33538585 PMCID: PMC8734659 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c09509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest challenges of our time. This global health problem originated from a paucity of truly effective antibiotic classes and an increased incidence of multi-drug-resistant bacterial isolates in hospitals worldwide. Indeed, it has been recently estimated that 10 million people will die annually from drug-resistant infections by the year 2050. Therefore, the need to develop out-of-the-box strategies to combat antibiotic resistance is urgent. The biological world has provided natural templates, called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which exhibit multiple intrinsic medical properties including the targeting of bacteria. AMPs can be used as scaffolds and, via engineering, can be reconfigured for optimized potency and targetability toward drug-resistant pathogens. Here, we review the recent development of tools for the discovery, design, and production of AMPs and propose that the future of peptide drug discovery will involve the convergence of computational and synthetic biology principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo D T Torres
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jicong Cao
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Octavio L Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70790160, Brazil
- S-inova Biotech, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS 79117010, Brazil
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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Wątły J, Miller A, Kozłowski H, Rowińska-Żyrek M. Peptidomimetics - An infinite reservoir of metal binding motifs in metabolically stable and biologically active molecules. J Inorg Biochem 2021; 217:111386. [PMID: 33610030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The involvement of metal ions in interactions with therapeutic peptides is inevitable. They are one of the factors able to fine-tune the biological properties of antimicrobial peptides, a promising group of drugs with one large drawback - a problematic metabolic stability. Appropriately chosen, proteolytically stable peptidomimetics seem to be a reasonable solution of the problem, and the use of D-, β-, γ-amino acids, unnatural amino acids, azapeptides, peptoids, cyclopeptides and dehydropeptides is an infinite reservoir of metal binding motifs in metabolically stable, well-designed, biologically active molecules. Below, their specific structural features, metal-chelating abilities and antimicrobial potential are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Wątły
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, Joliot - Curie 14, Wroclaw 50-383, Poland.
| | - Adriana Miller
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, Joliot - Curie 14, Wroclaw 50-383, Poland
| | - Henryk Kozłowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, Joliot - Curie 14, Wroclaw 50-383, Poland; Department of Health Sciences, University of Opole, Katowicka 68, Opole 45-060, Poland
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49
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Multistep optimization of a cell-penetrating peptide towards its antimicrobial activity. Biochem J 2021; 478:63-78. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria have adapted to most clinical antibiotics and are a growing threat to human health. One promising type of candidates for the everlasting demand of new antibiotic compounds constitute antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These peptides act against different types of microbes by permeabilizing pathogen cell membranes, whereas being harmless to mammalian cells. Contrarily, another class of membrane-active peptides, namely cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), is known to translocate in eukaryotic cells without substantially affecting the cell membrane. Since CPPs and AMPs share several physicochemical characteristics, we hypothesized if we can rationally direct the activity of a CPP towards antimicrobial activity. Herein, we describe the screening of a synthetic library, based on the CPP sC18, including structure-based design to identify the active residues within a CPP sequence and to discover novel AMPs with high activity. Peptides with increased hydrophobicity were tested against various bacterial strains, and hits were further optimized leading to four generations of peptides, with the last also comprising fluorinated amino acid building blocks. Interestingly, beside strong antibacterial activities, we also detected activity in cancer cells, while non-cancerous cells remained unharmed. The results highlight our new candidates, particularly those from generation 4, as a valuable and promising source for the development of future therapeutics with antibacterial activity and beyond.
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50
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Lu J, Xu H, Xia J, Ma J, Xu J, Li Y, Feng J. D- and Unnatural Amino Acid Substituted Antimicrobial Peptides With Improved Proteolytic Resistance and Their Proteolytic Degradation Characteristics. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:563030. [PMID: 33281761 PMCID: PMC7688903 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.563030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from the laboratory to market has been severely hindered by their instability toward proteases in biological systems. In the present study, we synthesized derivatives of the cationic AMP Pep05 (KRLFKKLLKYLRKF) by substituting L-amino acid residues with D- and unnatural amino acids, such as D-lysine, D-arginine, L-2,4-diaminobutanoic acid (Dab), L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), L-homoarginine, 4-aminobutanoic acid (Aib), and L-thienylalanine, and evaluated their antimicrobial activities, toxicities, and stabilities toward trypsin, plasma proteases, and secreted bacterial proteases. In addition to measuring changes in the concentration of the intact peptides, LC-MS was used to identify the degradation products of the modified AMPs in the presence of trypsin and plasma proteases to determine degradation pathways and examine whether the amino acid substitutions afforded improved proteolytic resistance. The results revealed that both D- and unnatural amino acids enhanced the stabilities of the peptides toward proteases. The derivative DP06, in which all of the L-lysine and L-arginine residues were replaced by D-amino acids, displayed remarkable stability and mild toxicity in vitro but only slight activity and severe toxicity in vivo, indicating a significant difference between the in vivo and in vitro results. Unexpectedly, we found that the incorporation of a single Aib residue at the N-terminus of compound UP09 afforded remarkably enhanced plasma stability and improved activity in vivo. Hence, this derivative may represent a candidate AMP for further optimization, providing a new strategy for the design of novel AMPs with improved bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguang Lu
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Hongjiang Xu
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Drug Evaluation and Research, Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Jianghua Xia
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Feng
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
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