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An Y, Guo X, Yan T, Jia Y, Jiao R, Cai X, Deng B, Bao G, Li Y, Yang W, Wang R, Sun W, Xie J. Enhancing the stability and therapeutic potential of the antimicrobial peptide Feleucin-K3 against Multidrug-Resistant a. Baumannii through rational utilization of a D-amino acid substitution strategy. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 225:116269. [PMID: 38723723 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which have a low probability of developing resistance, are considered the most promising antimicrobial agents for combating antibiotic resistance. Feleucin-K3 is an amphiphilic cationic AMP that exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In our previous research, the first phenylalanine residue was identified as the critical position affecting its biological activity. Here, a series of Feleucin-K3 analogs containing hydrophobic D-amino acids were developed, leveraging the low sensitivity of proteases to unnatural amino acids and the regulatory effect of hydrophobicity on antimicrobial activity. Among them, K-1dF, which replaced the phenylalanine of Feleucin-K3 with its enantiomer (D-phenylalanine), exhibited potent antimicrobial activity with a therapeutic index of 46.97 and MICs between 4 to 8 μg/ml against both sensitive and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. The introduction of D-phenylalanine increased the salt tolerance and serum stability of Feleucin-K3. Moreover, K-1dF displayed a rapid bactericidal effect, a low propensity to develop resistance, and a synergistic effect when combined with antibiotics. More importantly, it exhibited considerable or superior efficacy to imipenem against pneumonia and skin abscess infection. In brief, the K-1dF obtained by simple and effective modification strategy has emerged as a promising candidate antimicrobial agent for tackling multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying An
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaomin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tiantian Yan
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yue Jia
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ruoyan Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xinyu Cai
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Bochuan Deng
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guangjun Bao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yiping Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenle Yang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Wangsheng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Junqiu Xie
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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Roque-Borda CA, Primo LMDG, Franzyk H, Hansen PR, Pavan FR. Recent advances in the development of antimicrobial peptides against ESKAPE pathogens. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31958. [PMID: 38868046 PMCID: PMC11167364 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Multi-drug resistant ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) are a global health threat. The severity of the problem lies in its impact on mortality, therapeutic limitations, the threat to public health, and the costs associated with managing infections caused by these resistant strains. Effectively addressing this challenge requires innovative approaches to research, the development of new antimicrobials, and more responsible antibiotic use practices globally. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a part of the innate immune system of all higher organisms. They are short, cationic and amphipathic molecules with broad-spectrum activity. AMPs interact with the negatively charged bacterial membrane. In recent years, AMPs have attracted considerable interest as potential antibiotics. However, AMPs have low bioavailability and short half-lives, which may be circumvented by chemical modification. This review presents recent in vitro and in silico strategies for the modification of AMPs to improve their stability and application in preclinical experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Augusto Roque-Borda
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, Brazil
- Universidad Católica de Santa María, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Arequipa, Peru
| | | | - Henrik Franzyk
- University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Denmark
| | - Paul Robert Hansen
- University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Denmark
| | - Fernando Rogério Pavan
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, Brazil
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Salvado MG, André LSP, Pereira RFA, Pinheiro FR, Barbosa BDC, Scaffo JC, Pereira AJ, Arakaki DG, Xing H, de Oliveira KMP, de Andrade Dos Santos JV, Sachs D, Aguiar-Alves F, Conda-Sheridan M, Penna B. Evaluating the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of three synthetic antimicrobial Citropin analogs and their ability to fight against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae127. [PMID: 38772746 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
AIMS We developed three new analogs of the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Citropin 1.1: DAN-1-13, AJP-1-1, and HHX-2-28, and tested their potential antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against Staphylococcus aureus and S. pseudintermedius. Potential cytotoxic or hemolytic effects were determined using cultured human keratinocytes and erythrocytes to determine their safety. METHODS AND RESULTS To assess the antimicrobial activity of each compound, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined against methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible strains of S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius. Activity against newly formed and mature biofilms was determined in two clinical isolates using spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All three compounds exhibited antimicrobial and bactericidal activity against all studied S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius strains, with MICs ranging from 4-32 μg ml-1 and MBCs ranging from 8-128 μg ml-1. Subinhibitory concentrations of all compounds also showed ant-biofilm activity in the two tested isolates. All compounds exhibited limited cytotoxic and hemolytic activity. CONCLUSIONS Novel analogs of Citropin 1.1 exhibit antimicrobial and bactericidal activities against S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius isolates and inhibit the biofilm formation of these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Gomes Salvado
- Graduate Program in Veterinary Medicine, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24230-321, Brazil
- Gram Positive Cocci Laboratory, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Lialyz Soares Pereira André
- Molecular Epidemiology and Biotechnology Laboratory/Rodolpho Albino University Laboratory - Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24241-000, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Pathology, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Renata Freire Alves Pereira
- Molecular Epidemiology and Biotechnology Laboratory/Rodolpho Albino University Laboratory - Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24241-000, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Microbiology and Parasitology - Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Felipe Ramos Pinheiro
- Molecular Epidemiology and Biotechnology Laboratory/Rodolpho Albino University Laboratory - Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24241-000, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Pathology, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Beatriz das Chagas Barbosa
- Molecular Epidemiology and Biotechnology Laboratory/Rodolpho Albino University Laboratory - Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24241-000, Brazil
| | - Julia Chaves Scaffo
- Molecular Epidemiology and Biotechnology Laboratory/Rodolpho Albino University Laboratory - Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24241-000, Brazil
| | - Aramis José Pereira
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Daniela Granja Arakaki
- Group of Spectroscopy and Bioinformatics Applied Biodiversity and Health, Mato Grosso do Sul Federal University, Pioneiros, 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Huihua Xing
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | | | | | - Daniela Sachs
- Microbiological Testing Laboratory Associated with Materials and Drugs of the Center for Studies, Research, and Innovation in Biofunctional Materials and Biotechnology, Federal University of Itajubá, Itajuba, 37500-903, Brazil
| | - Fabio Aguiar-Alves
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL 33403, USA
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Bruno Penna
- Graduate Program in Veterinary Medicine, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24230-321, Brazil
- Gram Positive Cocci Laboratory, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24020-141, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Microbiology and Parasitology - Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, 24020-141, Brazil
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Farzi N, Oloomi M, Bahramali G, Siadat SD, Bouzari S. Antibacterial Properties and Efficacy of LL-37 Fragment GF-17D3 and Scolopendin A2 Peptides Against Resistant Clinical Strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii In Vitro and In Vivo Model Studies. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2024; 16:796-814. [PMID: 37148452 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10070-w] [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] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii have emerged as major clinical threats owing to the increasing prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant or extensively drug-resistant strains. The present study aimed to assess the antibacterial effects and efficacy of LL-37 fragment GF-17D3 and synthetic Scolopendin A2 peptides against resistant clinical strains in vitro and in vivo models. P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and A. baumannii were isolated from clinical infections. Their antibiotic resistance and minimum inhibitory concentration were assessed. LL-37 fragment GF-17D3 peptide was selected from available databases. Scolopendin A2 peptide's 6th amino acid (proline) was substituted with lysine and peptides and MICs were determined. The biofilm inhibitory activity was quantified at sub MIC concentrations. Synergetic effects of Scolopendin A2 and imipenem were assessed by checkerboard. After mice nasal infection with P. aeruginosa, peptides LD50 was determined. Isolates harbored complete resistance toward the majority of antibiotics and MIC values ranged between 1 and > 512 µg/ml. The majority of isolates exhibited strong biofilm activity. Synthetic peptides showed lower MIC values than antibiotic agents and the lowest MIC values were obtained for synthetic peptides in combination with antibiotics. The Synergisms effect of Scolopendin A2 with imipenem was also determined. Scolopendin A2 was found to have antibacterial efficacy against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and A. baumannii with MIC 64 µg/ml, 8 µg/ml, and 16 µg/ml, respectively, and LL37 showed antibacterial efficacy against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and A. baumannii with MIC 128 µg/ml, 32 µg/ml, and 32 µg/ml, respectively. Both AMPs decreased biofilms by ≥ 96% at 1 × MIC. The biofilm inhibitory activity was measured at sub MIC concentrations of the peptides and the results demonstrated that Scolopendin A2 exhibited anti-biofilm activity at 1/4 × MIC and 1/2 × MIC concentrations was 47.9 to 63.8%, although LL37 among 1/4 × MIC and 1/2 × MIC concentrations was 21.3 to 49.6% against three pathogens. The combination of Scolopendin A2 and antibiotics demonstrated synergistic activity-resistant strains with FIC values ≤ 0.5 for three pathogens, while LL37 and antibiotics showed synergistic activity FIC values ≤ 0.5 for only P. aeruginosa. Infection model Scolopendin A2 with Imipenem (2 × MIC) was efficacious in vivo, with a 100% survival rate following treatment at 2 × MIC after 120 h. The mRNA expression of biofilm-related genes was decreased for both peptides. Synthesis Scolopendin A2 decreased the expression of biofilm formation genes compared to the control group. Synthetic Scolopendin A2 exhibits antimicrobial activity without causing toxicity on the human epithelial cell line. Based on our findings, it seems that synthetic Scolopendin A2 is an appropriate antimicrobial source. That could be a promising option in combination with antibiotics for a topical medication and in the prevention of acute and chronic infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nevertheless, additional experiments are required to assess another potential of this novel AMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Farzi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mana Oloomi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Golnaz Bahramali
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Davar Siadat
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Saeid Bouzari
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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5
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Yilmaz S, Moulahoum H, Tok K, Zihnioglu F. Discarded CHO cells as a valuable source of bioactive peptides for sustainable biotechnological applications. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 272:132869. [PMID: 38838895 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132869] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Repurposing discarded cells stands as a groundbreaking paradigm shift in sustainable biotechnology, with profound implications across diverse industrial sectors. Our study proposes a transformative concept by harnessing histone proteins from discarded CHO cells to produce bioactive peptides. We systematically isolated and hydrolyzed histones using Trypsin and Neutrase enzymes, optimizing reaction conditions. Ultrafiltration yielded distinct peptide fractions (<3 kDa and 3-10 kDa), which we analyzed for DPP-IV inhibition, antioxidant potential, and other activities. Furthermore, LC-Q-TOF-MS analysis and in silico tools unveiled the structural composition of bioactive peptides within these fractions. Three peptide sequences with high bioactivity potential were identified: KLPFQR, VNRFLR, and LSSCAPVFL. Our findings demonstrated exceptional DPP-IV inhibition, potent antioxidant effects, and effective anti-lipid peroxidation activities, surpassing reference compounds. Hemolytic activity assessment indicated promising biocompatibility, enhancing therapeutic application prospects. Pioneering the strategic repurposing of discarded cells, this research addresses cost-efficiency in cell-based studies and promotes sustainable use of biological resources across sectors. This novel approach offers an efficient, eco-friendly method for bioactive molecule procurement and resource management, revolutionizing cell culture studies and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sude Yilmaz
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Bornova 35040, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Hichem Moulahoum
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Bornova 35040, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Kerem Tok
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Bornova 35040, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Figen Zihnioglu
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Bornova 35040, Izmir, Turkey.
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Carpenter AM, van Hoek ML. Development of a defibrinated human blood hemolysis assay for rapid testing of hemolytic activity compared to computational prediction. J Immunol Methods 2024; 529:113670. [PMID: 38604530 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2024.113670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Cytotoxicity studies determining hemolytic properties of antimicrobial peptides or other drugs are an important step in the development of novel therapeutics for clinical use. Hemolysis is an affordable, accessible, and rapid method for initial assessment of cellular toxicity for all drugs under development. However, variability in species of red blood cells and protocols used may result in significant differences in results. AMPs generally possess higher selectivity for bacterial cells but can have toxicity against host cells at high concentrations. Knowing the hemolytic activity of the peptides we are developing contributes to our understanding of their potential toxicity. Computational approaches for predicting hemolytic activity of AMPs exist and were tested head-to-head with our experimental results. RESULTS Starting with an observation of high hemolytic activity of LL-37 peptide against human red blood cells that were collected in EDTA, we explored alternative approaches to develop a more robust, accurate and simple hemolysis assay using defibrinated human blood. We found significant differences between the sensitivity of defibrinated red blood cells and EDTA treated red blood cells. SIGNIFICANCE Accurately determining the hemolytic activity using human red blood cells will allow for a more robust calculation of the therapeutic index of our potential antimicrobial compounds, a critical measure in their pre-clinical development. CONCLUSION We introduce a standardized, more accurate protocol for assessing hemolytic activity using defibrinated human red blood cells. This approach, facilitated by the increased commercial availability of de-identified human blood and defibrination methods, offers a robust tool for evaluating toxicity of emerging drug compounds, especially AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Carpenter
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, United States of America
| | - Monique L van Hoek
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, United States of America; Center for Infectious Disease Research, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, United States of America.
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Liang Q, Liu Z, Liang Z, Zhu C, Li D, Kong Q, Mou H. Development strategies and application of antimicrobial peptides as future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172150. [PMID: 38580107 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The use of in-feed antibiotics has been widely restricted due to the significant environmental pollution and food safety concerns they have caused. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted widespread attention as potential future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics owing to their demonstrated antimicrobial activity and environment friendly characteristics. However, the challenges of weak bioactivity, immature stability, and low production yields of natural AMPs impede practical application in the feed industry. To address these problems, efforts have been made to develop strategies for approaching the AMPs with enhanced properties. Herein, we summarize approaches to improving the properties of AMPs as potential alternatives to in-feed antibiotics, mainly including optimization of structural parameters, sequence modification, selection of microbial hosts, fusion expression, and industrially fermentation control. Additionally, the potential for application of AMPs in animal husbandry is discussed. This comprehensive review lays a strong theoretical foundation for the development of in-feed AMPs to achieve the public health globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingping Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Zhemin Liu
- Fundamental Science R&D Center of Vazyme Biotech Co. Ltd., Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Ziyu Liang
- Section of Neurobiology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Changliang Zhu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Dongyu Li
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Qing Kong
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Haijin Mou
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China.
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Berida TI, Adekunle YA, Dada-Adegbola H, Kdimy A, Roy S, Sarker SD. Plant antibacterials: The challenges and opportunities. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31145. [PMID: 38803958 PMCID: PMC11128932 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Nature possesses an inexhaustible reservoir of agents that could serve as alternatives to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While some of the most effective drugs for treating bacterial infections originate from natural sources, they have predominantly been derived from fungal and bacterial species. However, a substantial body of literature is available on the promising antibacterial properties of plant-derived compounds. In this comprehensive review, we address the major challenges associated with the discovery and development of plant-derived antimicrobial compounds, which have acted as obstacles preventing their clinical use. These challenges encompass limited sourcing, the risk of agent rediscovery, suboptimal drug metabolism, and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) properties, as well as a lack of knowledge regarding molecular targets and mechanisms of action, among other pertinent issues. Our review underscores the significance of these challenges and their implications in the quest for the discovery and development of effective plant-derived antimicrobial agents. Through a critical examination of the current state of research, we give valuable insights that will advance our understanding of these classes of compounds, offering potential solutions to the global crisis of AMR. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomayo I. Berida
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Pharmacognosy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Yemi A. Adekunle
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
- Centre for Natural Products Discovery (CNPD), School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Dada-Adegbola
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ayoub Kdimy
- LS3MN2E, CERNE2D, Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, 10056, Morocco
| | - Sudeshna Roy
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Pharmacognosy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Satyajit D. Sarker
- Centre for Natural Products Discovery (CNPD), School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, United Kingdom
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9
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Homer B, Barekatain R, Petrovski KR, Plush KJ, Dwan C, D’Souza DN, Verma PJ, Kirkwood RN, Tucker BS. Preweaning Purified Fucoidan Drench: Effects on Growth, Immune Response, and Intestinal Morphology in Weaned Piglets. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1472. [PMID: 38791689 PMCID: PMC11117201 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101472] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Weaning stress imposes considerable physiological challenges on piglets, often manifesting in intestinal disturbances, such as inflammation and compromised barrier function, ultimately affecting growth and health outcomes. While conventional interventions, including antimicrobials, have effectively mitigated these sequelae, concerns surrounding antimicrobial resistance necessitate the exploration of alternatives. Fucoidan, derived from brown seaweed, offers promise due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Previous research has been limited to the in-feed supplementation of partially purified fucoidan extracted from brown seaweed. The focus of the present study is assessing the effect of a preweaning drench with highly purified (85%) fucoidan on piglet growth, immune response, and intestinal morphology post-weaning. Forty-eight male piglets at 17 ± 3 days of age (5.67 ± 0.16 kg) were assigned to a saline (control), fucoidan, or antimicrobial group, receiving treatment as a single 18 mL oral drench three days before weaning. Monitoring for seven days post-weaning included body weight measurements, blood sample collection for the inflammatory protein assay, and small intestine morphological analysis. The findings revealed that the preweaning fucoidan drench did not elicit adverse effects on piglets. However, neither fucoidan nor antimicrobial drenches significantly enhanced growth parameters, immune markers, or intestinal morphology compared to that of the control-treated piglets (p > 0.05). The lack of response may be attributed to the high health status of the experimental cohort and the limitation of a single dosage. Future research should consider a more challenging production setting to evaluate the viability and optimal application of fucoidan as an antimicrobial alternative in the pig industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie Homer
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
| | - Reza Barekatain
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
- College of Engineering and Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Kiro R. Petrovski
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
| | | | - Corinna Dwan
- Marinova Pty Ltd., 249 Kennedy Drive, Cambridge, TAS 7170, Australia
| | | | - Paul J. Verma
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
- College of Engineering and Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Roy N. Kirkwood
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
| | - Bryony S. Tucker
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
- College of Engineering and Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
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Silva MSD, Taveira GB, Silva Gebara RD, Azevedo Dos Santos LD, Cherene MB, Souza TAM, Moreira FF, Rodrigues PS, Motta OV, Seabra SH, Oliveira Carvalho AD, Rodrigues R, Gomes VM. Understanding the mechanism of action of protease inhibitors in controlling the growth of the Candida Genus: potential candidates for development of new antifungal molecules. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:257. [PMID: 38734773 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03993-7] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
There is a growing imperative for research into alternative compounds for the treatment of the fungal infections. Thus, many studies have focused on the analysis of antifungal proteins and peptides from different plant sources. Among these molecules are protease inhibitors (PIs). Previously, PIs present in the peptide-rich fractions called PEF1, PEF2 and PEF3 were identified from Capsicum chinense seeds, which have strong activity against phytopathogenic fungi. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of action and antimicrobial activity of PIs from PEF2 and PEF3 on the growth of yeasts of the genus Candida. In this work, analyses of their antimicrobial activity and cell viability were carried out. Subsequently, the mechanism of action by which the PIs cause the death of the yeasts was evaluated. Cytotoxicity was assessed in vitro by erythrocytes lysis and in vivo in Galleria mellonella larvae. PEF2 and PEF3 caused 100% of the growth inhibition of C. tropicalis and C. buinensis. For C. albicans inhibition was approximately 60% for both fractions. The PEF2 and PEF3 caused a reduction in mitochondrial functionality of 54% and 46% for C. albicans, 26% and 30% for C. tropicalis, and 71% and 68% for C. buinensis, respectively. These fractions induced morphological alterations, led to membrane permeabilization, elevated ROS levels, and resulted in necrotic cell death in C. tropicalis, whilst demonstrating low toxicity toward host cells. From the results obtained here, we intend to contribute to the understanding of the action of PIs in the control of fungal diseases of medical importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marciele Souza da Silva
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Bonan Taveira
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo da Silva Gebara
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Layrana de Azevedo Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Milena Bellei Cherene
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Thaynã Amanda Melo Souza
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Felipe Figueirôa Moreira
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Pedro Souto Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Olney Vieira Motta
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Agropecuárias, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Sergio Henrique Seabra
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - André de Oliveira Carvalho
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rosana Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Melhoramento e Genética Vegetal, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Agropecuárias, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Valdirene Moreira Gomes
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
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11
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Costa I, Lopes I, Morais M, Silva R, Remião F, Medeiros R, Alves LG, Pinto E, Cerqueira F. Disclosing the Antifungal Mechanisms of the Cyclam Salt H 4[H 2( 4-CF3PhCH 2) 2Cyclam]Cl 4 against Candida albicans and Candida krusei. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5209. [PMID: 38791254 PMCID: PMC11121207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105209] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycoses are one of the major causes of morbidity/mortality among immunocompromised individuals. Considering the importance of these infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined a priority list of fungi for health in 2022 that include Candida albicans as belonging to the critical priority group and Pichia kudriavzevii (Candida krusei) to the medium priority group. The existence of few available antifungal drugs, their high toxicity, the acquired fungal resistance, and the appearance of new species with a broader spectrum of resistance, points out the need for searching for new antifungals, preferably with new and multiple mechanisms of action. The cyclam salt H4[H2(4-CF3PhCH2)2Cyclam]Cl4 was previously tested against several fungi and revealed an interesting activity, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8 µg/mL for C. krusei and of 128 µg/mL for C. albicans. The main objective of the present work was to deeply understand the mechanisms involved in its antifungal activity. The effects of the cyclam salt on yeast metabolic viability (resazurin reduction assay), yeast mitochondrial function (JC-1 probe), production of reactive oxygen species (DCFH-DA probe) and on intracellular ATP levels (luciferin/luciferase assay) were evaluated. H4[H2(4-CF3PhCH2)2Cyclam]Cl4 induced a significant decrease in the metabolic activity of both C. albicans and C. krusei, an increase in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production, and an impaired mitochondrial function. The latter was observed by the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane and decrease in ATP intracellular levels, mechanisms that seems to be involved in the antifungal activity of H4[H2(4-CF3PhCH2)2Cyclam]Cl4. The interference of the cyclam salt with human cells revealed a CC50 value against HEK-293 embryonic kidney cells of 1.1 μg/mL and a HC10 value against human red blood cells of 0.8 μg/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Costa
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira nº 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (I.C.); (R.S.); (F.R.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Lopes
- Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (I.L.); (M.M.); (R.M.); (F.C.)
- School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Morais
- Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (I.L.); (M.M.); (R.M.); (F.C.)
- ICBAS, Abel Salazar Institute for the Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Renata Silva
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira nº 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (I.C.); (R.S.); (F.R.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Remião
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira nº 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (I.C.); (R.S.); (F.R.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Medeiros
- Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (I.L.); (M.M.); (R.M.); (F.C.)
- FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, GIT-LoSa, University Fernando Pessoa, Praça 9 de Abril 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Rua Carlos da Maia 296, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís G. Alves
- Centro de Química Estrutural—Institute of Molecular Sciences, Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento, Av. António José de Almeida nº 12, 1000-043 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Eugénia Pinto
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Fátima Cerqueira
- Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (I.L.); (M.M.); (R.M.); (F.C.)
- FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, GIT-LoSa, University Fernando Pessoa, Praça 9 de Abril 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Rua Carlos da Maia 296, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal
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12
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Méndez LR, Rodríguez-Cornejo T, Rodríguez-Ramos T, Al-Hussinee L, Velázquez J, Campbell JH, Carpio Y, Estrada MP, Dixon B. PACAP sequence modifications modulate the peptide antimicrobial activity against bacterial pathogens affecting aquaculture. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 148:109512. [PMID: 38499216 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The global aquaculture industry has significant losses each year due to disease outbreaks. Antibiotics are one of the common methods to treat fish infections, but prolonged use can lead to the emergence of resistant strains. Aeromonas spp. Infections are a common and problematic disease in fish, and members of this genera can produce antibiotic resistant strains. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as an alternative method to treat and prevent infections and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a prominent member of this family. The objective of this research was to study PACAP's direct antimicrobial activity and its toxicity in fish cells. Four synthetic variants of the natural PACAP from Clarias gariepinus were tested in addition to the natural variant. The experimental results show a different antimicrobial activity against A. salmonicida and A. hydrophila of each PACAP variant, and for the first time show dependence on the culture broth used. Furthermore, the results suggest that the underlying mechanism of PACAP antimicrobial activity includes a bacterial membrane permeabilizing effect, classifying PACAP as a membrane disruptive AMP. This study also demonstrated that the five PACAP variants evaluated showed low toxicity in vitro, at concentrations relevant for in vivo applications. Therefore, PACAP could be a promising alternative to antibiotics in the aquaculture sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rivera Méndez
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W., Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | | | - Tania Rodríguez-Ramos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W., Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Lowia Al-Hussinee
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W., Waterloo, ON, Canada; Animal Health Laboratory, OVC, Guelph University, Canada
| | - Janet Velázquez
- Animal Biotechnology Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), P.O. Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - James Hugh Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W., Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Yamila Carpio
- Animal Biotechnology Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), P.O. Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - Mario Pablo Estrada
- Animal Biotechnology Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), P.O. Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - Brian Dixon
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W., Waterloo, ON, Canada.
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13
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Cresti L, Cappello G, Pini A. Antimicrobial Peptides towards Clinical Application-A Long History to Be Concluded. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4870. [PMID: 38732089 PMCID: PMC11084544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094870] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are molecules with an amphipathic structure that enables them to interact with bacterial membranes. This interaction can lead to membrane crossing and disruption with pore formation, culminating in cell death. They are produced naturally in various organisms, including humans, animals, plants and microorganisms. In higher animals, they are part of the innate immune system, where they counteract infection by bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. AMPs can also be designed de novo by bioinformatic approaches or selected from combinatorial libraries, and then produced by chemical or recombinant procedures. Since their discovery, AMPs have aroused interest as potential antibiotics, although few have reached the market due to stability limits or toxicity. Here, we describe the development phase and a number of clinical trials of antimicrobial peptides. We also provide an update on AMPs in the pharmaceutical industry and an overall view of their therapeutic market. Modifications to peptide structures to improve stability in vivo and bioavailability are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cresti
- Medical Biotechnology Department, University of Siena, Via A Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Giovanni Cappello
- Medical Biotechnology Department, University of Siena, Via A Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Alessandro Pini
- Medical Biotechnology Department, University of Siena, Via A Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.C.); (A.P.)
- SetLance srl, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
- Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital, 53100 Siena, Italy
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14
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Zheng EJ, Valeri JA, Andrews IW, Krishnan A, Bandyopadhyay P, Anahtar MN, Herneisen A, Schulte F, Linnehan B, Wong F, Stokes JM, Renner LD, Lourido S, Collins JJ. Discovery of antibiotics that selectively kill metabolically dormant bacteria. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:712-728.e9. [PMID: 38029756 PMCID: PMC11031330 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to discover and develop non-toxic antibiotics that are effective against metabolically dormant bacteria, which underlie chronic infections and promote antibiotic resistance. Traditional antibiotic discovery has historically favored compounds effective against actively metabolizing cells, a property that is not predictive of efficacy in metabolically inactive contexts. Here, we combine a stationary-phase screening method with deep learning-powered virtual screens and toxicity filtering to discover compounds with lethality against metabolically dormant bacteria and favorable toxicity profiles. The most potent and structurally distinct compound without any obvious mechanistic liability was semapimod, an anti-inflammatory drug effective against stationary-phase E. coli and A. baumannii. Integrating microbiological assays, biochemical measurements, and single-cell microscopy, we show that semapimod selectively disrupts and permeabilizes the bacterial outer membrane by binding lipopolysaccharide. This work illustrates the value of harnessing non-traditional screening methods and deep learning models to identify non-toxic antibacterial compounds that are effective in infection-relevant contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica J Zheng
- Program in Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Valeri
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ian W Andrews
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Parijat Bandyopadhyay
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Melis N Anahtar
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alice Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fabian Schulte
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brooke Linnehan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Felix Wong
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jonathan M Stokes
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Lars D Renner
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research and the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - James J Collins
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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15
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Xing H, de Campos LJ, Pereira AJ, Fiora MM, Aguiar-Alves F, Tagliazucchi M, Conda-Sheridan M. Engineering a nanoantibiotic system displaying dual mechanism of action. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321498121. [PMID: 38593077 PMCID: PMC11032466 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321498121] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, peptide amphiphiles (PAs) have established themselves as promising self-assembling bioinspired materials in a wide range of medical fields. Herein, we report a dual-therapeutic system constituted by an antimicrobial PA and a cylindrical protease inhibitor (LJC) to achieve broad antimicrobial spectrum and to enhance therapeutic efficacy. We studied two strategies: PA-LJC nanostructures (Encapsulation) and PA nanostructures + free LJC (Combination). Computational modeling using a molecular theory for amphiphile self-assembly captures and explains the morphology of PA-LJC nanostructures and the location of encapsulated LJC in agreement with transmission electron microscopy and two-dimensional (2D) NMR observations. The morphology and release profile of PA-LJC assemblies are strongly correlated to the PA:LJC ratio: high LJC loading induces an initial burst release. We then evaluated the antimicrobial activity of our nanosystems toward gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. We found that the Combination broadens the spectrum of LJC, reduces the therapeutic concentrations of both agents, and is not impacted by the inoculum effect. Further, the Encapsulation provides additional benefits including bypassing water solubility limitations of LJC and modulating the release of this molecule. The different properties of PA-LJC nanostructures results in different killing profiles, and reduced cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity. Meanwhile, details in membrane alterations caused by each strategy were revealed by various microscopy and fluorescent techniques. Last, in vivo studies in larvae treated by the Encapsulation strategy showed better antimicrobial efficacy than polymyxin B. Collectively, this study established a multifunctional platform using a versatile PA to act as an antibiotic, membrane-penetrating assistant, and slow-release delivery vehicle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihua Xing
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE68198
| | - Luana Janaína de Campos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE68198
| | - Aramis Jose Pereira
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE68198
| | - Maria Mercedes Fiora
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial, Micro y Nanotecnologías, San Martín, Buenos AiresB1650WAB, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Inorgánica Analítica y Química Física, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresC1428, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Quimica de los Materiales, Ambiente y Energia, Pabellon 2, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos AiresC1428
| | - Fabio Aguiar-Alves
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University, FL33401
| | - Mario Tagliazucchi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Inorgánica Analítica y Química Física, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresC1428, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Quimica de los Materiales, Ambiente y Energia, Pabellon 2, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos AiresC1428
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE68198
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16
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Chaudhary K, Agrahari B, Biswas B, Chatterjee N, Chaudhary A, Kumar A, Sonker H, Dewan S, Saxena D, Akhir A, Malhotra N, Chopra S, Misra S, Matheswaran S, Singh RG. Pyridine-2,6-Dicarboxamide Proligands and their Cu(II)/Zn(II) Complexes Targeting Staphylococcus Aureus for the Attenuation of In Vivo Dental Biofilm. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2400378. [PMID: 38621382 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400378] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
In the pursuit to combat stubborn bacterial infections, particularly those stemming from gram-positive bacteria, this study is an attempt to craft a precision-driven platform characterized by unparalleled selectivity, specificity, and synergistic antimicrobial mechanisms. Leveraging remarkable potential of metalloantibiotics in antimicrobial applications, herein, this work rationally designs, synthesizes, and characterizes a new library of Pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide ligands and their corresponding transition metal Cu(II)/Zn(II) complexes. The lead compound L11 demonstrates robust antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) = 2-16 µg mL-1), methicillin and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (MIC = 2-4 µg mL-1) and exhibit superior antibacterial activity when compared to FDA-approved vancomycin, the drug of last resort. Additionally, the compound exhibits notable antimicrobial efficacy against resistant enterococcus strains (MIC = 2-8 µg mL-1). To unravel mechanistic profile, advanced imaging techniques including SEM and AFM are harnessed, collectively suggesting a mechanistic pathway involving cell wall disruption. Live/dead fluorescence studies further confirm efficacy of L11 and its complexes against S. aureus membranes. This translational exploration extends to a rat model, indicating promising in vivo therapeutic potential. Thus, this comprehensive research initiative has capabilities to transcends the confines of this laboratory, heralding a pivotal step toward combatting antibiotic-resistant pathogens and advancing the frontiers of metalloantibiotics-based therapy with a profound clinical implication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bhumika Biswas
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, IIT, Kanpur, 208016, India
| | - Niranjan Chatterjee
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, IIT, Kanpur, 208016, India
| | | | | | | | - Sayari Dewan
- Department of Chemistry, IIT, Kanpur, 208016, India
| | - Deepanshi Saxena
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Abdul Akhir
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Nidhi Malhotra
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Gautam Budh Nagar, 201314, India
| | - Sidharth Chopra
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Santosh Misra
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, IIT, Kanpur, 208016, India
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Madani AF, Syauqi MA, Permatasari JA, Putri AA, M F, Permana AD. Development of Telmisartan Nanocrystal-Based Dissolving Microneedle for Brain Targeting via Trigeminal Pathway: A Potentially Promising Treatment for Alzheimer's with an Improved Pharmacokinetic Profile. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:2582-2593. [PMID: 38567491 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Telmisartan (TMN), an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) drug, is being considered as an alternative therapy for Alzheimer's disease (ALZ). However, when taken orally, its low water solubility leads to a low bioavailability and brain concentration. To overcome this problem, TMN was formulated as nanocrystals (NC), then incorporated into dissolving microneedles (DMN) to enhance drug delivery to the brain via the trigeminal route on the face. TMN-NC was formulated with 1% PVA using the top-down method and stirred for 12 h, producing the smallest particle size of 132 ± 11 nm and showing a better release profile, reaching 89.51 ± 7.52% (2 times greater than pure TMN). TMN-NC-DMN with a combination of 15% PVA and 25% PVP showed optimal mechanical strength and penetration ability; they could dissolve completely within 15 min, and their surface pH was safe for the skin. The permeation test of TMN-NC-DMN showed the highest concentration, reaching 285.80 ± 32.12 μg/mL, compared to TMN-DMN and patch control, which only reached 87.17 ± 11.24 and 94.00 ± 11.09 μg/mL, respectively. The TMN-NC-DMN combination showed better bioavailability and was found to be well-delivered to the brain without any irritation to the skin. Pharmacokinetic parameters had a significant difference (p > 0.05) compared to other preparations, making it a promising treatment for ALZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqilah F Madani
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Muhammad A Syauqi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Jihan A Permatasari
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Annisa A Putri
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Fadel M
- Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Andi Dian Permana
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
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18
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Castillo-Mendieta K, Agüero-Chapin G, Marquez E, Perez-Castillo Y, Barigye SJ, Pérez-Cárdenas M, Peréz-Giménez F, Marrero-Ponce Y. Multiquery Similarity Searching Models: An Alternative Approach for Predicting Hemolytic Activity from Peptide Sequence. Chem Res Toxicol 2024; 37:580-589. [PMID: 38501392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00408] [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: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The desirable pharmacological properties and a broad number of therapeutic activities have made peptides promising drugs over small organic molecules and antibody drugs. Nevertheless, toxic effects, such as hemolysis, have hampered the development of such promising drugs. Hence, a reliable computational tool to predict peptide hemolytic toxicity is enormously useful before synthesis and experimental evaluation. Currently, four web servers that predict hemolytic activity using machine learning (ML) algorithms are available; however, they exhibit some limitations, such as the need for a reliable negative set and limited application domain. Hence, we developed a robust model based on a novel theoretical approach that combines network science and a multiquery similarity searching (MQSS) method. A total of 1152 initial models were constructed from 144 scaffolds generated in a previous report. These were evaluated on external data sets, and the best models were fused and improved. Our best MQSS model I1 outperformed all state-of-the-art ML-based models and was used to characterize the prevalence of hemolytic toxicity on therapeutic peptides. Based on our model's estimation, the number of hemolytic peptides might be 3.9-fold higher than the reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Castillo-Mendieta
- School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Hda. San José s/n y Proyecto Yachay, Urcuquí 100119, Ecuador
| | - Guillermin Agüero-Chapin
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Edgar Marquez
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Química y Biología, Departamento de Química y Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Norte, Carrera 51B, Km 5, vía Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia
| | - Yunierkis Perez-Castillo
- Bio-Chemoinformatics Research Group and Escuela de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas. Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170504, Ecuador
| | - Stephen J Barigye
- Departamento de Química Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariela Pérez-Cárdenas
- School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Hda. San José s/n y Proyecto Yachay, Urcuquí 100119, Ecuador
| | - Facundo Peréz-Giménez
- Unidad de Investigación de Diseño de Fármacos y Conectividad Molecular, Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Farmacia, Universitat de València, Valencia 46100, Spain
| | - Yovani Marrero-Ponce
- Unidad de Investigación de Diseño de Fármacos y Conectividad Molecular, Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Farmacia, Universitat de València, Valencia 46100, Spain
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Panamericana, Augusto Rodin No. 498, Insurgentes Mixcoac, Benito Juárez, CDMX, Mexico 03920, Mexico
- Grupo de Medicina Molecular y Traslacional (MeM&T), Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud (COCSA), Escuela de Medicina, Edificio de Especialidades Médicas; and Instituto de Simulación Computacional (ISC-USFQ), Diego de Robles y vía Interoceánica, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito, Pichincha 170157, Ecuador
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19
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Yang H, Wang J, Wang X, Wang S, Xu J, Shan Q, Wang J, Ma X, Zhu Y. Nanofiber Peptides for Bacterial Trapping: A Novel Approach to Antibiotic Alternatives in Wound Infections. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2304657. [PMID: 38607802 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202304657] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The pervasive employment of antibiotics has engendered the advent of drug-resistant bacteria, imperiling the well-being and health of both humans and animals. Infections precipitated by such multi-resistant bacteria, especially those induced by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), pervade hospital settings, constituting a grave menace to patient vitality. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have garnered considerable attention as a potent countermeasure against multidrug resistant bacteria. In preceding research endeavors, an insect-derived antimicrobial peptide is identified that, while possessing antimicrobial attributes, manifested suboptimal efficacy against drug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. To ameliorate this issue, this work enhances the antimicrobial capabilities of the initial β-hairpin AMPs by substituting the structural sequence of the original AMPs with variant lengths of hydrophobic amino acid-hydrophilic amino acid repeat units. Throughout this endeavor, this work has identified a number of peptides that possess highly effective antibacterial characteristics against a wide range of bacteria. Additionally, some of these peptides have the ability to self-assemble into nanofibers, which then build networks in a distinctive manner to capture bacteria. Consequently, they represent prospective antibiotic alternatives for addressing wound infections engendered by drug-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jiufeng Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Xue Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jieru Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qiang Shan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yaohong Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
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20
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Wang Q, Yang Y, Dong X, Wang H, Ding L, Wang X. Design of a Novel Lysine Isopeptide 1018KI11 with Potent Antimicrobial Activity as a Safe and Stable Food Preservative Candidate. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:7894-7905. [PMID: 38551085 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are potent food additive candidates, but most of them are sensitive to proteases, which limits their application. Therefore, we substituted arginine for lysine and introduced a lysine isopeptide bond to peptide IDR-1018 in order to improve its enzymatic stability. Subsequently, the protease stability and antimicrobial/antibiofilm activity of the novel peptides (1018K2-1018KI11) were investigated. The data revealed that the antienzymatic potential of 1018KI11 to bromelain and papain increased by 2-8 folds and 16 folds, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1018KI11 against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC43300 and Escherichia coli (E. coli) ATCC25922 was reduced 2-fold compared to 1018K11. Mechanism exploration suggested that 1018KI11 was more effective than 1018K11 in disrupting the cell barrier and damaging genomic DNA. Additionally, 1018KI11 at certain concentration conditions (2-64 μg/mL) reduced biofilm development of MRSA ATCC43300 by 4.9-85.9%. These data indicated that novel peptide 1018KI11 is a potential food preservative candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
- School of Food and Pharmacy, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P. R. China
| | - Yuxin Yang
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Xunxi Dong
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Lijian Ding
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
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21
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Sara M, Yasir M, Kalaiselvan P, Hui A, Kuppusamy R, Kumar N, Chakraborty S, Yu TT, Wong EHH, Molchanova N, Jenssen H, Lin JS, Barron AE, Willcox M. The activity of antimicrobial peptoids against multidrug-resistant ocular pathogens. Cont Lens Anterior Eye 2024; 47:102124. [PMID: 38341309 PMCID: PMC11024869 DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2024.102124] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ocular infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens can result in partial or complete vision loss. The development of pan-resistant microbial strains poses a significant challenge for clinicians as there are limited antimicrobial options available. Synthetic peptoids, which are sequence-specific oligo-N-substituted glycines, offer potential as alternative antimicrobial agents to target multidrug-resistant bacteria. METHODS The antimicrobial activity of synthesised peptoids against multidrug-resistant (MDR) ocular pathogens was evaluated using the microbroth dilution method. Hemolytic propensity was assessed using mammalian erythrocytes. Peptoids were also incubated with proteolytic enzymes, after which their minimum inhibitory activity against bacteria was re-evaluated. RESULTS Several alkylated and brominated peptoids showed good inhibitory activity against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains at concentrations of ≤15 μg mL-1 (≤12 µM). Similarly, most brominated compounds inhibited the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at 1.9 to 15 μg mL-1 (12 µM). The N-terminally alkylated peptoids caused less toxicity to erythrocytes. The peptoid denoted as TM5 had a high therapeutic index, being non-toxic to either erythrocytes or corneal epithelial cells, even at 15 to 22 times its MIC. Additionally, the peptoids were resistant to protease activity. CONCLUSIONS Peptoids studied here demonstrated potent activity against various multidrug-resistant ocular pathogens. Their properties make them promising candidates for controlling vision-related morbidity associated with eye infections by antibiotic-resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjulatha Sara
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia.
| | - Muhammad Yasir
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Alex Hui
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia; Centre for Ocular Research and Education, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | - Rajesh Kuppusamy
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia; School of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Tsz Tin Yu
- School of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Natalia Molchanova
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 4720, USA
| | - Håvard Jenssen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jennifer S Lin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine & School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 9430, USA
| | - Annelise E Barron
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine & School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 9430, USA
| | - Mark Willcox
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia.
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22
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Berglin M, Cavanagh JP, Caous JS, Thakkar BS, Vasquez JM, Stensen W, Lyvén B, Svendsen JS, Svenson J. Flexible and Biocompatible Antifouling Polyurethane Surfaces Incorporating Tethered Antimicrobial Peptides through Click Reactions. Macromol Biosci 2024; 24:e2300425. [PMID: 38009664 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300425] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Efficient, simple antibacterial materials to combat implant-associated infections are much in demand. Herein, the development of polyurethanes, both cross-linked thermoset and flexible and versatile thermoplastic, suitable for "click on demand" attachment of antibacterial compounds enabled via incorporation of an alkyne-containing diol monomer in the polymer backbone, is described. By employing different polyolic polytetrahydrofurans, isocyanates, and chain extenders, a robust and flexible material comparable to commercial thermoplastic polyurethane is prepared. A series of short synthetic antimicrobial peptides are designed, synthesized, and covalently attached in a single coupling step to generate a homogenous coating. The lead material is shown to be biocompatible and does not display any toxicity against either mouse fibroblasts or reconstructed human epidermis according to ISO and OECD guidelines. The repelling performance of the peptide-coated materials is illustrated against colonization and biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis on coated plastic films and finally, on coated commercial central venous catheters employing LIVE/DEAD staining, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and bacterial counts. This study presents the successful development of a versatile and scalable polyurethane with the potential for use in the medical field to reduce the impact of bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattias Berglin
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, 413 90, Sweden
| | - Jorunn Pauline Cavanagh
- Amicoat A/S, Oslo Science Park, Oslo, 1386, Norway
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Josefin Seth Caous
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
| | | | - Jeddah Marie Vasquez
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
| | - Wenche Stensen
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Benny Lyvén
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
| | - John-Sigurd Svendsen
- Amicoat A/S, Oslo Science Park, Oslo, 1386, Norway
- Department of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Johan Svenson
- Department of Materials and Production, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Gothenburg, 413 46, Sweden
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23
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Conlon JM, Sridhar A, Khan D, Cunning TS, Delaney JJ, Taggart MG, Ternan NG, Leprince J, Coquet L, Jouenne T, Attoub S, Mechkarska M. Multifunctional host-defense peptides isolated from skin secretions of the banana tree dwelling frog Boana platanera (Hylidae; Hylinae). Biochimie 2024; 223:23-30. [PMID: 38561076 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Five host-defense peptides (figainin 2PL, hylin PL, raniseptin PL, plasticin PL, and peptide YL) were isolated from norepinephrine-stimulated skin secretions of the banana tree dwelling frog Boana platanera (Hylidae; Hylinae) collected in Trinidad. Raniseptin PL (GVFDTVKKIGKAVGKFALGVAKNYLNS.NH2) and figainin 2PL (FLGTVLKLGKAIAKTVVPMLTNAMQPKQ. NH2) showed potent and rapid bactericidal activity against a range of clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative ESKAPE + pathogens and Clostridioides difficile. The peptides also showed potent cytotoxic activity (LC50 values < 30 μM) against A549, MDA-MB-231 and HT29 human tumor-derived cell lines but appreciably lower hemolytic activity against mouse erythrocytes (LC50 = 262 ± 14 μM for raniseptin PL and 157 ± 16 μM for figainin 2PL). Hylin PL (FLGLIPALAGAIGNLIK.NH2) showed relatively weak activity against microorganisms but was more hemolytic. The glycine-leucine-rich peptide with structural similarity to the plasticins (GLLSTVGGLVGGLLNNLGL.NH2) and the non-cytotoxic peptide YL (YVPGVIESLL.NH2) lacked antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Hylin PL, raniseptinPL and peptide YL stimulated the rate of release of insulin from BRIN-BD11 clonal β-cells at concentrations ≥100 nM. Peptide YL was the most effective (2.3-fold increase compared with basal rate at 1 μM concentration) and may represent a template for the design of a new class of incretin-based anti-diabetic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Conlon
- Diabetes Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK.
| | - Ananyaa Sridhar
- Diabetes Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Dawood Khan
- Diabetes Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Taylor S Cunning
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Jack J Delaney
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Megan G Taggart
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Nigel G Ternan
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Jérôme Leprince
- Université Rouen Normandie, Inserm, NorDiC UMR 1239, HeRacLeS, US 51, PRIMACEN, F-76000, Rouen, France
| | - Laurent Coquet
- CNRS UAR2026 HeRacLeS-PISSARO, CNRS UMR 6270 PBS, Université Rouen Normandie, 76821, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Thierry Jouenne
- CNRS UAR2026 HeRacLeS-PISSARO, CNRS UMR 6270 PBS, Université Rouen Normandie, 76821, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Samir Attoub
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Milena Mechkarska
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of The West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago
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24
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Pereira AJ, Xing H, de Campos LJ, Seleem MA, de Oliveira KMP, Obaro SK, Conda-Sheridan M. Structure-Activity Relationship Study to Develop Peptide Amphiphiles as Species-Specific Antimicrobials. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303986. [PMID: 38221408 PMCID: PMC10939825 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are a promising class of molecules that can disrupt the bacterial membrane or act as drug nanocarriers. In this study, we prepared 33 PAs to establish supramolecular structure-activity relationships. We studied the morphology and activity of the nanostructures against different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii). Next, we used principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the key contributors to activity. We found that for S. aureus, the zeta potential was the major contributor to the activity while Gram-negative bacteria were more influenced by the partition coefficient (LogP) with the following order P. aeruginosa>E. coli>A. baumannii. We also performed a study of the mechanism of action of selected PAs on the bacterial membrane assessing the membrane permeability and depolarization, changes in zeta potential and overall integrity. We studied the toxicity of the nanostructures against mammalian cells. Finally, we performed an in vivo study using the wax moth larvae to determine the therapeutic efficacy of the active PAs. This study shows cationic PA nanostructures can be an intriguing platform for the development of nanoantibacterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aramis J. Pereira
- A. J. Pereira, Dr. H. Xing, L. J. de Campos, Prof. Dr. M. Conda-Sheridan, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE 68198 (USA)
| | - Huihua Xing
- A. J. Pereira, Dr. H. Xing, L. J. de Campos, Prof. Dr. M. Conda-Sheridan, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE 68198 (USA)
| | - Luana J. de Campos
- A. J. Pereira, Dr. H. Xing, L. J. de Campos, Prof. Dr. M. Conda-Sheridan, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE 68198 (USA)
| | - Mohamed A. Seleem
- Dr. M.A. Seleem, Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 4434003 (Egypt)
| | - Kelly M. P. de Oliveira
- Prof. Dr. K. M. P. de Oliveira, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), Dourados, MS 79804-970 (Brazil)
| | - Stephen K. Obaro
- Prof. Dr. S. K. Obaro, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL 35233 (USA), International Foundation against Infectious Diseases in Nigeria (IFAIN), Abuja, 900108 (Nigeria)
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- A. J. Pereira, Dr. H. Xing, L. J. de Campos, Prof. Dr. M. Conda-Sheridan, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE 68198 (USA)
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25
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Reinseth I, Diep DB, Kjos M, Tønnesen HH, Carlsen H. Exploring the feasibility of bacteriocins EntK1 and EntEJ97s in treatment of systemic vancomycin resistant enterococci infections in mice. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae054. [PMID: 38439668 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae054] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Enterocins K1 and EJ97 have specific antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of these enterocins for in vivo treatment of systemic enterococcal infections. METHODS AND RESULTS The antimicrobial effect in blood was analysed and compared against the effect in saline. Colony forming unit counts revealed that the enterocins killed all the bacteria within 1 hour. Additionally, the bactericidal effect against E. faecalis was more rapid in blood, indicating a possible synergy between EntEJ97 and blood. Importantly, no enterocin resistant mutants emerged in these experiments. Injecting the enterocins intraperitoneally in an in vivo mouse model and using fluorescence and minimum inhibitory concentration determination to estimate concentrations of the peptides in plasma, indicate that the enterocins exist in circulation in therapeutic concentrations. Alanine aminotransferase detection, and haemolysis analysis indicates that there is no detectable liver damage or haemolytic effect after injection. CONCLUSIONS The study revealed that EntK1 and EntEJ97 are able to kill all bacteria ex vivo in the presence of blood. In vivo experiments determine that the enterocins exist in circulation in therapeutic concentrations without causing liver damage or haemolysis. Future experiments should test these peptides for treatment of infection in a relevant in vivo model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingvild Reinseth
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Dzung B Diep
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Morten Kjos
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Hanne H Tønnesen
- Section of Pharmaceutics and Social Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1068 Blindern 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Harald Carlsen
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003 1432 Ås, Norway
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26
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Peng J, Li L, Wan Y, Yang Y, An X, Yuan K, Qiu Z, Jiang Y, Guo G, Shen F, Liang G. Molecular characterization and antimicrobial activity of cecropin family in Hermetia illucens. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 152:105111. [PMID: 38081402 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.105111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are potential alternatives to traditional antibiotics in the face of increasing bacterial resistance. Insects possess many antimicrobial peptides and have become a valuable source of novel and highly effective antimicrobial peptides. Hermetia illucens as a resource insect, for example, has the highest number of antimicrobial peptides of any dipteran. However, most antimicrobial peptides, especially cecropin, have not been comprehensively identified and have not been evaluated for their antimicrobial ability. In this study, we analyzed the localization and gene structure of 33 cecropin molecules in the H. illucens genome and evaluated their activity against common human pathogens. The results showed that 32 cecropin molecules were concentrated on 1 chromosome, most with 2 exons. More importantly, most of the cecropins had a good antibacterial effect against Gram-negative bacteria, and were not hemolytic. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the cecropin designated H3 against E. coli was 4 μg/mL. The toxicity, killing time kinetics, and anti-biofilm activity of H3 were further investigated and confirmed its antimicrobial ability. Overall, H3 is a potential candidate for the development of new antimicrobials to treat severe infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens such as E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Peng
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China; Guizhou Institute of Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550009, Guizhou, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Li
- Guizhou Institute of Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550009, Guizhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550009, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wan
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqin An
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Kexin Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhilang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinhui Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo Guo
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Shen
- Guizhou Institute of Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550009, Guizhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550009, Guizhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guiyou Liang
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Cardiac Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550009, Guizhou, People's Republic of China.
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Le-Vinh B, Le NMN, Phan TNQ, Lam HT, Bernkop-Schnürch A. Effects of excipients on the interactions of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems with human blood plasma and plasma membranes. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01541-w. [PMID: 38411893 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01541-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Due to its versatility in formulation and manufacturing, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) can be used to design parenteral formulations. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the effects of excipients on the behavior of SEDDS formulations upon parenteral administration, particularly their interactions with blood plasma and cell membranes. In this study, we prepared three neutrally charged SEDDS formulations composed of medium-chain triglycerides as the oil phase, polyoxyl-35 castor oil (EL35) and polyethylene glycol (15)-hydroxystearate (HS15) as the nonionic surfactants, medium-chain mono- and diglycerides as the co-surfactant, and propylene glycol as the co-solvent. The cationic surfactant, didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDA), and the anionic surfactant, sodium deoxycholate (DEO), were added to the neutral SEDDS preconcentrates to obtain cationic and anionic SEDDS, respectively. SEDDS were incubated with human blood plasma and recovered by size exclusion chromatography. Data showed that SEDDS emulsion droplets can bind plasma protein to different extents depending on their surface charge and surfactant used. At pH 7.4, the least protein binding was observed with anionic SEDDS. Positive charges increased protein binding. SEDDS stabilized by HS15 can adsorb more plasma protein and induce more plasma membrane disruption activity than SEDDS stabilized by EL35. These effects were more pronounced with the HS15 + DDA combination. The addition of DDA and DEO to SEDDS increased plasma membrane disruption (PMD) activities, and DDA (1% w/w) was more active than DEO (2% w/w). PMD activities of SEDDS were concentration-dependent and vanished at appropriate dilution ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Le-Vinh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
- Department of Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh, 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyet-Minh Nguyen Le
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
- Department of Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh, 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Thi Nhu Quynh Phan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Hung Thanh Lam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho, Viet Nam
| | - Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
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28
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Váradi G, Bende G, Borics A, Dán K, Rákhely G, Tóth GK, Galgóczy L. Rational Design of Antifungal Peptides Based on the γ-Core Motif of a Neosartorya ( Aspergillus) fischeri Antifungal Protein to Improve Structural Integrity, Efficacy, and Spectrum. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:7206-7214. [PMID: 38371770 PMCID: PMC10870298 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Antifungal peptides offer promising alternative compounds for the treatment of fungal infections, for which new antifungal compounds are urgently needed. Constant and broad antifungal spectra of these peptides play essential roles in their reliable therapeutic application. It has been observed that rationally designed peptides using the evolutionarily conserved γ-core region (GXC-X3-9-C) of an antifungal protein from Neosartorya (Aspergillus) fischeri highly inhibit the growth of fungi. The cysteines in these peptides have free sulfhydryl groups, which allow cyclization and dimerization under oxidative conditions, thereby impairing antifungal efficacy. To overcome this problem, one or two cysteine residues were substituted by serines or S-tert-butyl was applied as a cysteine-protecting group. Furthermore, structural integrity and antifungal efficacy investigations before and after oxidative exposure revealed that substituting both cysteines with serines and S-tert-butylation helped maintain the structural integrity. However, it slightly decreased the antifungal efficacy against a yeast, Candida albicans. Interestingly, S-tert-butylation maintained the efficacy and could extend the antifungal activity to a mold, Aspergillus fumigatus. Usually, cyclization and dimerization did not influence the antifungal efficacy of most peptides. Additionally, hemolysis tests and Galleria mellonella toxicity model experiments indicated that none of the applied modifications made the peptides harmful to animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Györgyi Váradi
- Department
of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Gábor Bende
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6726, Hungary
- Doctoral
School of Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Attila Borics
- Institute
of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research
Centre, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - Kinga Dán
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6726, Hungary
- Doctoral
School of Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Gábor Rákhely
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6726, Hungary
- Institute
of Biophysics, HUN-REN Biological Research
Centre, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - Gábor K. Tóth
- Department
of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
- MTA-SZTE
Biomimetic Systems Research Group, University
of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - László Galgóczy
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6726, Hungary
- Institute
of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research
Centre, Szeged 6726, Hungary
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29
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Alhhazmi AA, Alluhibi SS, Alhujaily R, Alenazi ME, Aljohani TL, Al-Jazzar AAT, Aljabri AD, Albaqami R, Almutairi D, Alhelali LK, Albasri HM, Almutawif YA, Alturkostani MA, Almutairi AZ. Novel antimicrobial peptides identified in legume plant, Medicago truncatula. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0182723. [PMID: 38236024 PMCID: PMC10845954 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01827-23] [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: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the major issues in healthcare today is antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a subclass of host defense peptides, have been suggested as a viable solution for the multidrug resistance problem. Legume plants express more than 700 nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides. Three NCR peptides (NCR094, NCR888, and NCR992) were predicted to have antimicrobial activity using in silico AMP prediction programs. This study focused on investigating the roles of the NCRs in antimicrobial activity and antibiofilm activity, followed by in vitro toxicity profiling. Different variants were synthesized, i.e., mutated and truncated derivatives. The effect on the growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was monitored post-treatment, and survived cells were counted using an in vitro and ex vivo killing assay. The antibiofilm assay was conducted using subinhibitory concentrations of the NCRs and monitoring K. pneumoniae biomass, followed by crystal violet staining. The cytotoxicity profile was evaluated using erythrocyte hemolysis and leukemia (K562) cell line toxicity assays. Out of the NCRs, NCR094 and NCR992 displayed mainly in vitro and ex vivo bactericidal activity on K. pneumoniae. NCR094 wild type (WT) and NCR992 eradicated K. pneumoniae at different potency; NCR094 and NCR992 killed K. pneumoniae completely at 25 and 50 µM, respectively. However, both peptides in the wild type showed negligible bactericidal effect on MRSA in vitro and ex vivo. NCR094 and its derivatives relatively retained the antimicrobial activity on K. pneumoniae in vitro and ex vivo. NCR992 WT lost its antimicrobial activity on K. pneumoniae ex vivo, yet the different truncated and mutated variants retained some of the antimicrobial role ex vivo. All the different variants of NCR094 had no effect on MRSA in vitro and ex vivo. Similarly, NCR992's variants had a negligible bactericidal role on MRSA in vitro, yet the truncated variants had a significantly high bactericidal effect on MRSA ex vivo. NCR094.3 (cystine replacement variant) and NCR992.1 displayed significant antibiofilm activity more than 90%. NCR992.3 and NCR992.2 displayed more than 50% of antibiofilm activity. All the NCR094 forms had no toxicity, except NCR094.1 (49.38%, SD ± 3.46) and all NCR992 forms (63%-93%), which were above the cutoff (20%). Only NCR992.2 showed low toxicity on K562 (24.8%, SD ± 3.40), yet above the 20% cutoff. This study provided preliminary antimicrobial and safety data for the potential use of these peptides for therapeutical applications.IMPORTANCEThe discovery of new antibiotics is urgently needed, given the global expansion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the rising mortality rate. One of the initial lines of defense against microbial infections is antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Plants can express hundreds of such AMPs as defensins and defensin-like peptides. The nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides are a class of defensin-like peptides that have evolved in rhizobial-legume symbioses. This study screened the antimicrobial activity of a subset of NCR sequences using online computational AMP prediction algorithms. Two novel NCRs, NCR094 and NCR992, with different variants were identified to exhibit antimicrobial activity with various potency on two problematic pathogens, K. pneumoniae and MRSA, using in vitro and ex vivo killing assays. Yet, one variant, NCR094.3, had no toxicity toward human cells and displayed antibiofilm activity, which make it a promising lead for antimicrobial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areej A. Alhhazmi
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah S. Alluhibi
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rahaf Alhujaily
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maymona E. Alenazi
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Taif L. Aljohani
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Al-Anoud T. Al-Jazzar
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahaad D. Aljabri
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Razan Albaqami
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dalal Almutairi
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lujain K. Alhelali
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hibah M. Albasri
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yahya A. Almutawif
- Medical Laboratories Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
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Czarnowski M, Słowińska M, Sawieljew M, Wnorowska U, Daniluk T, Król G, Karasiński M, Okła S, Savage PB, Piktel E, Bucki R. Efficacy of Ceragenins in Controlling the Growth of Oral Microorganisms: Implications for Oral Hygiene Management. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:204. [PMID: 38399419 PMCID: PMC10893225 DOI: 10.3390/ph17020204] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Ensuring proper dental hygiene is of paramount importance for individuals' general well-being, particularly for patients receiving medical care. There is a prevailing utilization of conventional oral hygiene items, including toothbrushes and mouthwashes, which have gained widespread acceptance; nevertheless, their limitations encourage investigating novel options in this domain. Our study indicates that ceragenins (CSAs) being lipid analogs of host defense peptides, well-recognized for their wide-ranging antimicrobial properties, may be a potentially efficacious means to augment oral hygiene in hospitalized individuals. We demonstrate that ceragenins CSA-13, CSA-44, and CSA-131 as well as undescribed to date CSA-255 display potent antimicrobial activities against isolates of fungi, aerobic, and anaerobic bacteria from Candida, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacteroides species, which are well-recognized representatives of microbes found in the oral cavity. These effects were further confirmed against mono- and dual-species fungal and bacterial biofilms. While the ceragenins showed similar or slightly diminished efficacy compared to commercially available mouthwashes, they demonstrated a highly favorable toxicity profile toward host cells, that may translate into better maintenance of host mucosal membrane stability. This suggests that incorporating ceragenins into oral hygiene products could be a valuable strategy for reducing the risk of both oral cavity-localized and secondary systemic infections and for improving the overall health outcomes of individuals receiving medical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Czarnowski
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland; (M.C.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (U.W.); (T.D.); (M.K.)
| | - Monika Słowińska
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland; (M.C.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (U.W.); (T.D.); (M.K.)
| | - Mariusz Sawieljew
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland; (M.C.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (U.W.); (T.D.); (M.K.)
| | - Urszula Wnorowska
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland; (M.C.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (U.W.); (T.D.); (M.K.)
| | - Tamara Daniluk
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland; (M.C.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (U.W.); (T.D.); (M.K.)
| | - Grzegorz Król
- Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, 25-317 Kielce, Poland; (G.K.); (S.O.)
| | - Maciej Karasiński
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland; (M.C.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (U.W.); (T.D.); (M.K.)
| | - Sławomir Okła
- Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, 25-317 Kielce, Poland; (G.K.); (S.O.)
- Holy Cross Cancer Center, 25-734 Kielce, Poland
| | - Paul B. Savage
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA;
| | - Ewelina Piktel
- Independent Laboratory of Nanomedicine, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland;
| | - Robert Bucki
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland; (M.C.); (M.S.); (M.S.); (U.W.); (T.D.); (M.K.)
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31
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Jeon E, Kim MK, Park Y. Efficacy of the bee-venom antimicrobial peptide Osmin against sensitive and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 63:107054. [PMID: 38072166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.107054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae strains causes severe problems in the treatment of bacterial infections owing to limited treatment options. Especially, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is rapidly spreading worldwide and is emerging as a new cause of drug-resistant healthcare-associated infections. CRKP also has been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most pressing antibiotic resistance threats. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are drawing considerable attention as ideal antibiotic alternative candidates to combat MDR bacterial infections. In a previous study, Osmin is composed of 17 amino acids and is isolated from solitary bee (Osmia rufa) venom. Herein, we evaluated the potential of Osmin to be used against drug-resistant K. pneumoniae as an alternative to conventional antibiotics. Osmin exhibited significant antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity and lower toxicity than melittin, a well-known bee venom peptide. Additionally, we confirmed that it possesses a bactericidal mechanism that rapidly destroys bacterial membranes. Osmin was relatively more stable than melittin under the influence of various environmental factors and unlike conventional antibiotics, it exhibited a low bacterial resistance risk. During in vivo tests, Osmin reduced bacterial growth and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis-related genes in mice with CRKP-induced sepsis. Overall, our results indicate a high potential for Osmin to be used as a valuable therapeutic agent against drug-resistant K. pneumoniae infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunyeong Jeon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Kyung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonkyung Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Research Center for Proteineous Materials (RCPM), Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
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32
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Wong F, Zheng EJ, Valeri JA, Donghia NM, Anahtar MN, Omori S, Li A, Cubillos-Ruiz A, Krishnan A, Jin W, Manson AL, Friedrichs J, Helbig R, Hajian B, Fiejtek DK, Wagner FF, Soutter HH, Earl AM, Stokes JM, Renner LD, Collins JJ. Discovery of a structural class of antibiotics with explainable deep learning. Nature 2024; 626:177-185. [PMID: 38123686 PMCID: PMC10866013 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06887-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of novel structural classes of antibiotics is urgently needed to address the ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis1-9. Deep learning approaches have aided in exploring chemical spaces1,10-15; these typically use black box models and do not provide chemical insights. Here we reasoned that the chemical substructures associated with antibiotic activity learned by neural network models can be identified and used to predict structural classes of antibiotics. We tested this hypothesis by developing an explainable, substructure-based approach for the efficient, deep learning-guided exploration of chemical spaces. We determined the antibiotic activities and human cell cytotoxicity profiles of 39,312 compounds and applied ensembles of graph neural networks to predict antibiotic activity and cytotoxicity for 12,076,365 compounds. Using explainable graph algorithms, we identified substructure-based rationales for compounds with high predicted antibiotic activity and low predicted cytotoxicity. We empirically tested 283 compounds and found that compounds exhibiting antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus were enriched in putative structural classes arising from rationales. Of these structural classes of compounds, one is selective against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, evades substantial resistance, and reduces bacterial titres in mouse models of MRSA skin and systemic thigh infection. Our approach enables the deep learning-guided discovery of structural classes of antibiotics and demonstrates that machine learning models in drug discovery can be explainable, providing insights into the chemical substructures that underlie selective antibiotic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Wong
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Integrated Biosciences, San Carlos, CA, USA
| | - Erica J Zheng
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Valeri
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nina M Donghia
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Melis N Anahtar
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Satotaka Omori
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Integrated Biosciences, San Carlos, CA, USA
| | - Alicia Li
- Integrated Biosciences, San Carlos, CA, USA
| | - Andres Cubillos-Ruiz
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wengong Jin
- Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Abigail L Manson
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jens Friedrichs
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research and the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ralf Helbig
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research and the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, Dresden, Germany
| | - Behnoush Hajian
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dawid K Fiejtek
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Florence F Wagner
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Holly H Soutter
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ashlee M Earl
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan M Stokes
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research and David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lars D Renner
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research and the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, Dresden, Germany
| | - James J Collins
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Marković K, Kesić A, Novaković M, Grujović M, Simijonović D, Avdović EH, Matić S, Paunović M, Milutinović M, Nikodijević D, Stefanović O, Marković Z. Biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles synthesized using extracts of Agrimonia eupatoria L. and in vitro and in vivo studies of potential medicinal applications. RSC Adv 2024; 14:4591-4606. [PMID: 38318620 PMCID: PMC10839552 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra07819a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
This research explores the synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from acetone (AgNPs-acetone) and aqueous (AgNPs-H2O) extracts of Agrimonia eupatoria. The nanoparticles exhibit isometric morphology and uniform size distribution, as elucidated through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) analyses. The utilization of Scanning Transmission Microscopy (STEM) with High-Angle Annular Dark-Field (HAADF) imaging and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) confirms the crystalline nature of AgNPs. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis reveals identical functional groups in the plant extracts and their corresponding AgNPs, suggesting the involvement of phytochemicals in the reduction of silver ions. Spectrophotometric monitoring of the synthesis process, influenced by various parameters, provides insights into the kinetics and optimal conditions for AgNP formation. The antioxidant activities of the plant extracts and synthesized AgNPs are evaluated through DPPH and ABTS methods, highlighting AgNPs-acetone as a potent antioxidant. Third-instar larvae exposed to the extracts have differential effects on DNA damage, with the acetone extract demonstrating antigenotoxic properties. Similarly, biosynthesized AgNPs-acetone displays antigenotoxic effects against EMS-induced DNA damage. The genotoxic effect of water extract and AgNPs-acetone was dose-dependent. Hemolytic potential is assessed on rat erythrocytes, revealing that low concentrations of AgNPs-acetone and AgNPs-H2O had a nontoxic effect on erythrocytes. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrate time-dependent and dose-dependent effects, with AgNPs-acetone exhibiting superior cytotoxicity. Proapoptotic activity is confirmed through apoptosis induction, emphasizing the potential therapeutic applications of AgNPs. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs reveals concentration-dependent effects. AgNPs-H2O display better antibacterial activity, while antifungal activities are comparable between the two nanoparticle types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Marković
- University of Kragujevac, Institute for Information Technologies, Department of Science Jovana Cvijica bb 34000 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Ana Kesić
- University of Kragujevac, Institute for Information Technologies, Department of Science Jovana Cvijica bb 34000 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Mirjana Novaković
- University of Belgrade, Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Department of Atomic Physics Belgrade Serbia
| | - Mirjana Grujović
- University of Kragujevac, Institute for Information Technologies, Department of Science Jovana Cvijica bb 34000 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Dušica Simijonović
- University of Kragujevac, Institute for Information Technologies, Department of Science Jovana Cvijica bb 34000 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Edina H Avdović
- University of Kragujevac, Institute for Information Technologies, Department of Science Jovana Cvijica bb 34000 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Sanja Matić
- University of Kragujevac, Institute for Information Technologies, Department of Science Jovana Cvijica bb 34000 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Milica Paunović
- University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology Radoja Damjanovic 12 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Milena Milutinović
- University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology Radoja Damjanovic 12 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Danijela Nikodijević
- University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology Radoja Damjanovic 12 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Olgica Stefanović
- University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology Radoja Damjanovic 12 Kragujevac Serbia
| | - Zoran Marković
- University of Kragujevac, Institute for Information Technologies, Department of Science Jovana Cvijica bb 34000 Kragujevac Serbia
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Barros ALAN, Silva VC, Ribeiro-Junior AF, Cardoso MG, Costa SR, Moraes CB, Barbosa CG, Coleone AP, Simões RP, Cabral WF, Falcão RM, Vasconcelos AG, Rocha JA, Arcanjo DDR, Batagin-Neto A, Borges TKS, Gonçalves J, Brand GD, Freitas-Junior LHG, Eaton P, Marani M, Kato MJ, Plácido A, Leite JRSA. Antiviral Action against SARS-CoV-2 of a Synthetic Peptide Based on a Novel Defensin Present in the Transcriptome of the Fire Salamander ( Salamandra salamandra). Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:190. [PMID: 38399250 PMCID: PMC10892092 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020190] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The potential emergence of zoonotic diseases has raised significant concerns, particularly in light of the recent pandemic, emphasizing the urgent need for scientific preparedness. The bioprospection and characterization of new molecules are strategically relevant to the research and development of innovative drugs for viral and bacterial treatment and disease management. Amphibian species possess a diverse array of compounds, including antimicrobial peptides. This study identified the first bioactive peptide from Salamandra salamandra in a transcriptome analysis. The synthetic peptide sequence, which belongs to the defensin family, was characterized through MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. Molecular docking assays hypothesized the interaction between the identified peptide and the active binding site of the spike WT RBD/hACE2 complex. Although additional studies are required, the preliminary evaluation of the antiviral potential of synthetic SS-I was conducted through an in vitro cell-based SARS-CoV-2 infection assay. Additionally, the cytotoxic and hemolytic effects of the synthesized peptide were assessed. These preliminary findings highlighted the potential of SS-I as a chemical scaffold for drug development against COVID-19, hindering viral infection. The peptide demonstrated hemolytic activity while not exhibiting cytotoxicity at the antiviral concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Luisa A N Barros
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Tropical, PGMT, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Vladimir C Silva
- Laboratório de Vigilância Genômica e Biologia Molecular-Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Piauí, Teresina 64001-350, PI, Brazil
| | - Atvaldo F Ribeiro-Junior
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Miguel G Cardoso
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
- imed.ULisboa-Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Samuel R Costa
- Instituto de Química, IQ, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Carolina B Moraes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, SP, Brazil
| | - Cecília G Barbosa
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Alex P Coleone
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais (POSMAT), School of Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Bauru 17033-360, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael P Simões
- School of Agriculture, Department of Bioprocess and Biotechnology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, SP, Brazil
| | - Wanessa F Cabral
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Raul M Falcão
- Bioinformatics Postgraduate Program, Metrópole Digital Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-900, RN, Brazil
| | - Andreanne G Vasconcelos
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
- People&Science Pesquisa Desenvolvimento e Inovação LTDA, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (CDT), Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Jefferson A Rocha
- Campus São Bernardo, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, UFMA, São Bernardo 65550-000, MA, Brazil
| | - Daniel D R Arcanjo
- Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
| | - Augusto Batagin-Neto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais (POSMAT), School of Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Bauru 17033-360, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Sciences and Engineering, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Itapeva 18409-010, SP, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Karla S Borges
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - João Gonçalves
- imed.ULisboa-Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Guilherme D Brand
- Instituto de Química, IQ, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Lucio H G Freitas-Junior
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Peter Eaton
- Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde/Rede de Química e Tecnologia (LAQV/REQUIMTE), Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- School of Chemistry, The Bridge, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7EL, UK
| | - Mariela Marani
- IPEEC-CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn 9120, Argentina
| | - Massuo J Kato
- Instituto de Química (IQ), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandra Plácido
- Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde/Rede de Química e Tecnologia (LAQV/REQUIMTE), Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - José Roberto S A Leite
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
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Gupta PS, Wasnik K, Patra S, Pareek D, Singh G, Yadav DD, Maity S, Paik P. Nitric oxide releasing novel amino acid-derived polymeric nanotherapeutic with anti-inflammatory properties for rapid wound tissue regeneration. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:1770-1791. [PMID: 38170815 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr03923d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Endogenous gasotransmitter nitric oxide (NO) is a central signalling molecule that modulates wound healing by maintaining homeostasis, collagen formation, wound contraction, anti-microbial action and accelerating tissue regeneration. The optimum delivery of NO using nanoparticles (NPs) is clinically challenging; hence, it is drawing significant attention in wound healing. Herein, a novel polymeric nanoplatform loaded with sodium nitroprusside (SP) NPs was prepared and used for wound healing to obtain the sustained release of NO in therapeutic quantities. SP NPs-induced excellent proliferation (∼300%) of mouse fibroblast (L929) cells was observed. With an increase in the SP NPs dose at 200 μg mL-1 concentration, a 200% upsurge in proliferation was observed along with enhanced migration, and only 17.09 h were required to fill the 50% gap compared to 37.85 h required by the control group. Further, SP NPs showed an insignificant impact on the coagulation cascade, revealing safe wound-healing treatment when tested in isolated rat RBCs. Additionally, SP NPs exhibited excellent angiogenic activity at a 10 μg mL-1 dose. Moreover, the formulated SP nanoformulation is non-irritant, non-toxic, and does not produce any skin sensitivity reaction on the rat's skin. Further, an in vivo wound healing study revealed that within 11 days of treatment with SP nanoformulation, 99.2 ± 1.0% of the wound was closed, while in the control group, only 45.5 ± 3.8% was repaired. These results indicate that owing to sustained NO release, the SP NP and SP nanoformulations are paramount with enormous clinical potential for the regeneration of wound tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem Shankar Gupta
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India.
| | - Kirti Wasnik
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India.
| | - Sukanya Patra
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India.
| | - Divya Pareek
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India.
| | - Gurmeet Singh
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India.
| | - Desh Deepak Yadav
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India.
| | - Somedutta Maity
- School of Engineering Science and Technology, University of Hydrabad, Hydrabad, India
| | - Pradip Paik
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India.
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Nascimento MFD, Costa WK, Aguiar JCRDOFD, Navarro DMDAF, Silva MVD, Paiva PMG, Oliveira AMD, Napoleão TH. Essential oil from leaves of Croton blanchetianus Baill does not present acute oral toxicity, has antigenotoxic action and reduces neurogenic and inflammatory nociception in mice. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 318:116908. [PMID: 37460027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Croton blanchetianus Baill., popularly known as "marmeleiro preto", is an endemic plant from Brazil, being found mainly in the Northeast region. In traditional medicine, the use of medicines based on the leaves of this plant has been reported for the treatment of inflammatory processes, pain, urethral pain, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatism and headache. AIM OF THE STUDY The present work describes the chemical characterization, as well as toxicological evaluation and antinociceptive activity of an essential oil of C. blanchetianus leaves (EOCb). MATERIALS AND METHODS The chemical constituents of the oil were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In vitro hemolytic activity was tested using mouse blood. Acute toxicity in mice was assessed by the oral or intraperitoneal administration of a single dose of 2000 mg/kg b.w. EOCb (1000 and 2000 mg/kg) was also evaluated for genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity in vivo using the micronucleus test. The antinociceptive activity of EOCb (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) was evaluated through the abdominal writhing, formalin and tail flick tests. RESULTS The chemical characterization indicated as major components α-pinene (21.23%), β-phelandrene (13.92%), terpinolene (13.01%) and germacrene D (10.89%). EOCb did not cause hemolysis and was also neither toxic nor genotoxic, while protected the animals' bone marrow cells from damage caused by cyclophosphamide in oral treatment. However, all animals died after 15 min of intraperitoneal treatment. There was a reduction in the number of abdominal contortions (69.43-89.41%) as well as in licks in the first (38.77-84.47%) and second (59.75-90.74%) phases of the formalin test. In the latter case, the effects were reduced by naloxone and glibenclamide, indicating action via the opioid system and blockage of K+ channels. The latency time in the tail flick test also increased significantly. CONCLUSION In conclusion, ingestion of EOCb proved to be safe when administered orally; however, it was lethal intraperitoneally. Additionally, EOCb protected mouse blood cell DNA against the action of cyclophosphamide and showed an antinociceptive effect via the opioid system and dependent on K+ channels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wêndeo Kennedy Costa
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Marcia Vanusa da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Patrícia Maria Guedes Paiva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Alisson Macário de Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Thiago Henrique Napoleão
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
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Mildenberger V, Alpízar-Pedraza D, Martell-Huguet EM, Krämer M, Bolotnikov G, Otero-Gonzalez AJ, Weil T, Rodriguez-Alfonso A, Preising N, Ständker L, Vogel V, Spellerberg B, Kissmann AK, Rosenau F. The Designed Pore-Forming Antimicrobial Peptide C14R Combines Excellent Activity against the Major Opportunistic Human Pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Low Cytotoxicity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:83. [PMID: 38256916 PMCID: PMC10820675 DOI: 10.3390/ph17010083] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The diminishing portfolio of mankind's available antibiotics urges science to develop novel potent drugs. Here, we present a peptide fitting the typical blueprint of amphipathic and membrane-active antimicrobial peptides, denominated C14R. This 2 kDa peptide consists of 16 amino acid residues, with seven being either hydrophobic, aromatic, or non-polar, and nine being polar or positively charged, strictly separated on opposite sides of the predicted α-helix. The affinity of the peptide C14R to P. aeruginosa membranes and its intrinsic tendency to productively insert into membranes of such composition were analyzed by dynamic simulations. Its biological impact on the viability of two different P. aeruginosa reference strains was demonstrated by determining the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), which were found to be in the range of 10-15 µg/mL. C14R's pore-forming capability was verified in a permeabilization assay based on the peptide-triggered uptake of fluorescent dyes into the bacterial cells. Finally, the peptide was used in radial diffusion assays, which are commonly used for susceptibility testing of antimicrobial peptides in clinical microbiology. In comparison to reference strains, six clinical P. aeruginosa isolates were clearly affected, thereby paving the way for further in-depth analyses of C14R as a promising new AMP drug in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Mildenberger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
| | - Daniel Alpízar-Pedraza
- Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (CIDEM), 26th Avenue, No. 1605, Nuevo Vedado, La Habana 10400, Cuba;
| | - Ernesto M. Martell-Huguet
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, 25 and I, La Habana 10400, Cuba; (E.M.M.-H.); (A.J.O.-G.)
| | - Markus Krämer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
| | - Grigory Bolotnikov
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
| | - Anselmo J. Otero-Gonzalez
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, 25 and I, La Habana 10400, Cuba; (E.M.M.-H.); (A.J.O.-G.)
| | - Tanja Weil
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Armando Rodriguez-Alfonso
- Core Facility for Functional Peptidomics (CFP), Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (A.R.-A.); (N.P.); (L.S.)
- Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Nico Preising
- Core Facility for Functional Peptidomics (CFP), Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (A.R.-A.); (N.P.); (L.S.)
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Core Facility for Functional Peptidomics (CFP), Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (A.R.-A.); (N.P.); (L.S.)
| | - Verena Vogel
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Clinic of Ulm, TBC1 Forschung, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany (B.S.)
| | - Barbara Spellerberg
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Clinic of Ulm, TBC1 Forschung, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany (B.S.)
| | - Ann-Kathrin Kissmann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Frank Rosenau
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (V.M.); (M.K.); (G.B.)
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Lima WG, Brito JCM, Verly RM, de Lima ME. Jelleine, a Family of Peptides Isolated from the Royal Jelly of the Honey Bees ( Apis mellifera), as a Promising Prototype for New Medicines: A Narrative Review. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:24. [PMID: 38251241 PMCID: PMC10819630 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16010024] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The jelleine family is a group of four peptides (jelleines I-IV) originally isolated from the royal jelly of honey bee (Apis mellifera), but later detected in some honey samples. These oligopeptides are composed of 8-9 amino acid residues, positively charged (+2 to +3 at pH 7.2), including 38-50% of hydrophobic residues and a carboxamide C-terminus. Jelleines, generated by processing of the C-terminal region of major royal jelly proteins 1 (MRJP-1), play an important biological role in royal jelly conservation as well as in protecting bee larvae from potential pathogens. Therefore, these molecules present numerous benefits for human health, including therapeutic purposes as shown in preclinical studies. In this review, we aimed to evaluate the biological effects of jelleines in addition to characterising their toxicities and stabilities. Jelleines I-III have promising antimicrobial activity and low toxicity (LD50 > 1000 mg/Kg). However, jelleine-IV has not shown relevant biological potential. Jelleine-I, but not the other analogues, also has antiparasitic, healing, and pro-coagulant activities in addition to indirectly modulating tumor cell growth and controlling the inflammatory process. Although it is sensitive to hydrolysis by proteases, the addition of halogens increases the chemical stability of these molecules. Thus, these results suggest that jelleines, especially jelleine-I, are a potential target for the development of new, effective and safe therapeutic molecules for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Gustavo Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Medicina e Biomedicina, Faculdade de Saúde da Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Avenida dos Andradas, 2688, Santa Efigênia, Belo Horizonte 30110-005, MG, Brazil;
| | - Julio Cesar Moreira Brito
- Fundação Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro, 8, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte 30510-010, MG, Brazil;
| | - Rodrigo Moreira Verly
- Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367, 5000, Auto da Jacuba, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil;
| | - Maria Elena de Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Medicina e Biomedicina, Faculdade de Saúde da Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Avenida dos Andradas, 2688, Santa Efigênia, Belo Horizonte 30110-005, MG, Brazil;
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Li X, Chi H, Dalmo RA, Tang X, Xing J, Sheng X, Zhan W. Anti-microbial activity and immunomodulation of recombinant hepcidin 2 and NK-lysin from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127590. [PMID: 37871716 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127590] [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: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Infections due to pathogens impact global aquaculture economy, where diseases caused by bacteria should be in particular focus due to antibiotic resistance. Hepcidin and NK-lysin are important innate immune factors having potential to be exploited as alternatives to antibiotics due to their antimicrobial activity and immunomodulatory capacity. In this study, the recombinant proteins of hepcidin 2 and NK-lysin (rPoHep2 and rPoNKL) from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) were obtained via a prokaryotic expression system. The results exhibited that rPoHep2 and rPoNKL killed both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria mainly via attachment and disruption of the membrane. Interestingly, both peptides could bind to bacterial DNA. The antiviral assay showed that both peptides have antiviral activity against hirame nonvirhabdovirus. They exhibited no cytotoxicity to the mammalian and fish cell lines. PoHep2 was found localized in G-CSFR-positive peritoneal cells. Moreover, rPoHep2 significantly enhanced the phagocytosis of flounder leukocytes in vitro. These findings suggested that neutrophils contained rPoHep2 and may respond to the immunoreaction of neutrophils. In summary, both rPoHep2 and rPoNKL possess antimicrobial activities and may be exploited to replace traditional antibiotics. rPoHep2 possess immune regulatory functions, that can be further investigated as an immunostimulant in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Li
- Laboratory of Pathology and Immunology of Aquatic Animals, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Heng Chi
- Laboratory of Pathology and Immunology of Aquatic Animals, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
| | - Roy Ambli Dalmo
- Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Xiaoqian Tang
- Laboratory of Pathology and Immunology of Aquatic Animals, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Xing
- Laboratory of Pathology and Immunology of Aquatic Animals, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiuzhen Sheng
- Laboratory of Pathology and Immunology of Aquatic Animals, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenbin Zhan
- Laboratory of Pathology and Immunology of Aquatic Animals, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
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Yao A, Liu T, Cai Y, Zhou S, Chen X, Zhou M, Ma C, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L. Progressive Design of a Ranatuerin-2 Peptide from Amolops wuyiensis: Enhancement of Bioactivity and In Vivo Efficacy. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 13:5. [PMID: 38275314 PMCID: PMC10812557 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert multiple functions are considered promising candidates to combat the bacterial drug resistance crisis. Nowadays, targeted peptide modification has been widely recognised to improve biological activity and make up for deficiencies in clinical applications such as toxicity. In this study, a helix-loop peptide was isolated and identified from the skin secretion of the Wuyi torrent frog Amolops wuyiensis, namely, ranatuerin-2-AW (R2AW) (GFMDTAKNVAKNVAATLLDKLKCKITGGC). Target modifications were made to R2AW to study the structure-activity relationships and to optimise its bioactivities. Five analogues were progressively designed via residue substitution and truncation and the antibacterial and anticancer activities were evaluated. We found that the serine-substitution and cyclic-domain-deletion products showed similar antibacterial activity to the natural peptide R2AW, implying that the disulphide bridge and Rana box were dispensable for the antibacterial activity of ranatuerin-2 peptides. Notably, the cationicity- and hydrophobicity-enhanced variant, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2, exhibited significantly optimised antibacterial and anticancer activities. Additionally, it killed bacteria by membrane disruption at a highly efficient rate. Moreover, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 exerted potential in vivo efficacy in a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected waxworm model. Overall, this study demonstrated some rational design ideas for optimising the dual antibacterial and anticancer activities of ranatuerin-2 peptides and it proposes [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 as an appealing candidate for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aifang Yao
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Tianxing Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Yuhai Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Siqi Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
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Bouhrour N, van der Reijden TJK, Voet MM, Schonkeren-Ravensbergen B, Cordfunke RA, Drijfhout JW, Bendali F, Nibbering PH. Novel Antibacterial Agents SAAP-148 and Halicin Combat Gram-Negative Bacteria Colonizing Catheters. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1743. [PMID: 38136778 PMCID: PMC10741160 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12121743] [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: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The antibiotic management of catheter-related infections (CRIs) often fails owing to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains and/or biofilm/persister apparitions. Thus, we investigated the efficacy of two novel antimicrobial agents, i.e., the synthetic peptide SAAP-148 and the novel antibiotic halicin, against Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) colonizing catheters. The antibacterial, anti-biofilm, and anti-persister activities of both agents were evaluated against Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The enrolled strains were isolated from catheters and selected based on their resistance to at least three antibiotic classes and biofilm formation potential. Furthermore, the hemolysis and endotoxin neutralization abilities of these agents were explored. The bactericidal activity of both agents was reduced in urine and plasma as compared to buffered saline. In a dose-dependent manner, SAAP-148 and halicin reduced bacterial counts in 24 h preformed biofilms on silicone elastomer discs and eliminated persisters originating from antibiotic-exposed mature 7-day biofilms, with halicin being less effective than SAAP-148. Importantly, SAAP-148 and halicin acted synergistically on E. coli and K. pneumoniae biofilms but not on A. baumannii biofilms. The peptide, but not halicin, decreased the production of IL-12p40 upon exposure to UV-killed bacteria. This preliminary study showed that SAAP-148 and halicin alone/in combination are promising candidates to fight GNB colonizing catheters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrine Bouhrour
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, Bejaia 06000, Algeria
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (T.J.K.v.d.R.); (M.M.V.); (B.S.-R.); (P.H.N.)
| | - Tanny J. K. van der Reijden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (T.J.K.v.d.R.); (M.M.V.); (B.S.-R.); (P.H.N.)
| | - Michella M. Voet
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (T.J.K.v.d.R.); (M.M.V.); (B.S.-R.); (P.H.N.)
| | - Bep Schonkeren-Ravensbergen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (T.J.K.v.d.R.); (M.M.V.); (B.S.-R.); (P.H.N.)
| | - Robert A. Cordfunke
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (R.A.C.); (J.W.D.)
| | - Jan Wouter Drijfhout
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (R.A.C.); (J.W.D.)
| | - Farida Bendali
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, Bejaia 06000, Algeria
| | - Peter H. Nibbering
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (T.J.K.v.d.R.); (M.M.V.); (B.S.-R.); (P.H.N.)
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Ghanipour F, Nazari R, Aghaei SS, Jafari P. Effect of lipopeptide extracted from Bacillus licheniformis on the expression of bap and luxI genes in multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Amino Acids 2023; 55:1891-1907. [PMID: 37907777 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03346-6] [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: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Recently, opportunistic pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have caused concern due to their ability to cause antibiotic resistance in weakened immune systems. As a result, researchers are always seeking efficient antimicrobial agents to tackle this issue. The hypothesis of the recent study was that probiotic products derived from bacteria would be effective in reducing drug resistance in other bacteria. This research aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of probiotic products from various bacterial strains, including Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Pediococcus acidilactisi, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis. These were tested against multi-drug-resistant (MDR) standard strains A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa. B. licheniformis was found to be the most effective probiotic strain, possessing the LanA and LanM lantibiotic genes. The lipopeptide nature of the probiotic product was confirmed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The anti-biofilm and antimicrobial properties of this probiotic were measured using an SEM electron microscope and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. Real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to compare the expression of bap and luxI genes, which are considered virulence factors of drug-resistant bacteria, before and after treatment with antimicrobial agents. The MIC results showed that the probiotic product prevented the growth of bacteria at lower concentrations compared to antibiotics. In addition, the ΔΔCqs indicated that gene expression was significantly down-regulated following treatment with the obtained probiotic product. It was found that B. licheniformis probiotic products could reduce drug resistance in other bacteria, making it a potential solution to antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farangis Ghanipour
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, 15 Khordad Boulevard, Qom, Iran
| | - Razieh Nazari
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, 15 Khordad Boulevard, Qom, Iran.
| | - Seyed Soheil Aghaei
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, 15 Khordad Boulevard, Qom, Iran
| | - Parvaneh Jafari
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, 3749113191, Iran
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Yang X, Hua C, Lin L, Ganting Z. Antimicrobial peptides as potential therapy for gastrointestinal cancers. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2023; 396:2831-2841. [PMID: 37249612 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-023-02536-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Since conventional therapy faces limitations in the field of different cancers as well as gastrointestinal cancers, that decrease the survival rate of patients, there is an urgent need to find new effective therapeutic approaches without the adverse effects of the traditional agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) attract much attention and are well known for their role in innate immunity. These peptides, in addition to their antimicrobial activity, exhibit strong anticancer potential against various types of malignancy. AMPs specifically target tumor cells and have selective toxicity for these cells without affecting normal cells. Here we aim to comprehensively overview the current knowledge in the field of using AMPs as novel therapeutic agents for gastrointestinal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Yang
- Heping Hospital Attached to Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, 046000, China
| | - Cui Hua
- Tangshan Fengnan District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Tangshan, 063000, China.
| | - Lin Lin
- Tangshan Hongci Hospital, Tangshan, 063000, China
| | - Zhao Ganting
- Heping Hospital Attached to Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, 046000, China
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Xing H, Loya-Perez V, Franzen J, Denton PW, Conda-Sheridan M, Rodrigues de Almeida N. Designing peptide amphiphiles as novel antibacterials and antibiotic adjuvants against gram-negative bacteria. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 94:117481. [PMID: 37776750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative strains are intrinsically resistant to most antibiotics due to the robust and impermeable characteristic of their outer membrane. Self-assembling cationic peptide amphiphiles (PAs) have the ability to disrupt bacteria membranes, constituting an excellent antibacterial alternative to small molecule drugs that can be used alone or as antibiotic adjuvants to overcome bacteria resistance. PA1 (C16KHKHK), self-assembled into micelles, which exhibited low antibacterial activity against all strains tested, and showed strong synergistic antibacterial activity in combination with Vancomycin with a Fractional Inhibitory Concentration index (FICi) of 0.15 against E. coli. The molecules, PA2 (C16KRKR) and PA3 (C16AAAKRKR), also self-assembled into micelles, displayed a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against all strains tested, and low susceptibility to resistance development over 21 days. Finally, PA1, PA 2 and PA3 displayed low cytotoxicity against mammalian cells, and PA2 showed a potent antibacterial activity and low toxicity in preliminary in vivo models using G. mellonella. The results show that PAs are a great platform for the future development of effective antibiotics to slow down the antibiotic resistance and can act as antibiotic adjuvants with synergistic mechanism of action, which can be repurposed for use with existing antibiotics commonly used to treat gram-positive bacteria to treat infections caused by gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihua Xing
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Vanessa Loya-Perez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Joshua Franzen
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Paul W Denton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
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Efremenko E, Aslanli A, Stepanov N, Senko O, Maslova O. Various Biomimetics, Including Peptides as Antifungals. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:513. [PMID: 37999154 PMCID: PMC10669293 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8070513] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomimetics, which are similar to natural compounds that play an important role in the metabolism, manifestation of functional activity and reproduction of various fungi, have a pronounced attraction in the current search for new effective antifungals. Actual trends in the development of this area of research indicate that unnatural amino acids can be used as such biomimetics, including those containing halogen atoms; compounds similar to nitrogenous bases embedded in the nucleic acids synthesized by fungi; peptides imitating fungal analogs; molecules similar to natural substrates of numerous fungal enzymes and quorum-sensing signaling molecules of fungi and yeast, etc. Most parts of this review are devoted to the analysis of semi-synthetic and synthetic antifungal peptides and their targets of action. This review is aimed at combining and systematizing the current scientific information accumulating in this area of research, developing various antifungals with an assessment of the effectiveness of the created biomimetics and the possibility of combining them with other antimicrobial substances to reduce cell resistance and improve antifungal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Efremenko
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Lenin Hills 1/3, Moscow 119991, Russia
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Costa FMS, Granja A, Pérez RL, Warner IM, Reis S, Passos MLC, Saraiva MLMFS. Fluoroquinolone-Based Organic Salts (GUMBOS) with Antibacterial Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15714. [PMID: 37958698 PMCID: PMC10650486 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115714] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a silent pandemic considered a public health concern worldwide. Strategic therapies are needed to replace antibacterials that are now ineffective. One approach entails the use of well-known antibacterials along with adjuvants that possess non-antibiotic properties but can extend the lifespan and enhance the effectiveness of the treatment, while also improving the suppression of resistance. In this regard, a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS) presents an alternative to this problem allowing the combination of antibacterials with adjuvants. Fluoroquinolones are a family of antibacterials used to treat respiratory and urinary tract infections with broad-spectrum activity. Ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin-based GUMBOS were synthesized via anion exchange reactions with lithium and sodium salts. Structural characterization, thermal stability and octanol/water partition ratios were evaluated. The antibacterial profiles of most GUMBOS were comparable to their cationic counterparts when tested against Gram-positive S. aureus and Gram-negative E. coli, except for deoxycholate anion, which demonstrated the least effective antibacterial activity. Additionally, some GUMBOS were less cytotoxic to L929 fibroblast cells and non-hemolytic to red blood cells. Therefore, these agents exhibit promise as an alternative approach to combining drugs for treating infections caused by resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio M. S. Costa
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Pharmacy, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (F.M.S.C.); (A.G.); (S.R.)
| | - Andreia Granja
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Pharmacy, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (F.M.S.C.); (A.G.); (S.R.)
| | - Rocío L. Pérez
- Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; (R.L.P.); (I.M.W.)
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA
| | - Isiah M. Warner
- Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; (R.L.P.); (I.M.W.)
- Department of Chemistry, Cincinnati University, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Salette Reis
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Pharmacy, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (F.M.S.C.); (A.G.); (S.R.)
| | - Marieta L. C. Passos
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Pharmacy, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (F.M.S.C.); (A.G.); (S.R.)
| | - M. Lúcia M. F. S. Saraiva
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Pharmacy, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (F.M.S.C.); (A.G.); (S.R.)
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Van Moll L, Wouters M, De Smet J, De Vooght L, Delputte P, Van Der Borght M, Cos P. In-depth biological characterization of two black soldier fly anti- Pseudomonas peptides reveals LPS-binding and immunomodulating effects. mSphere 2023; 8:e0045423. [PMID: 37800918 PMCID: PMC10597467 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00454-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As effector molecules of the innate immune system, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gathered substantial interest as a potential future generation of antibiotics. Here, we demonstrate the anti-Pseudomonas activity and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding ability of HC1 and HC10, two cecropin peptides from the black soldier fly (Hermetia Illucens). Both peptides are active against a wide range of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, including drug-resistant clinical isolates. Moreover, HC1 and HC10 can bind to lipid A, the toxic center of LPS and reduce the LPS-induced nitric oxide and cytokine production in murine macrophage cells. This suggests that the peptide-LPS binding can also lower the strong inflammatory response associated with P. aeruginosa infections. As the activity of AMPs is often influenced by the presence of salts, we studied the LPS-binding activity of HC1 and HC10 in physiological salt concentrations, revealing a strong decrease in activity. Our research confirmed the early potential of HC1 and HC10 as starting points for anti-Pseudomonas drugs, as well as the need for structural or formulation optimization before further preclinical development can be considered. IMPORTANCE The high mortality and morbidity associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections remain an ongoing challenge in clinical practice that requires urgent action. P. aeruginosa mostly infects immunocompromised individuals, and its prevalence is especially high in urgent care hospital settings. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are outer membrane structures that are responsible for inducing the innate immune cascade upon infection. P. aeruginosa LPS can cause local excessive inflammation, or spread systemically throughout the body, leading to multi-organ failure and septic shock. As antimicrobial resistance rates in P. aeruginosa infections are rising, the research and development of new antimicrobial agents remain indispensable. Especially, antimicrobials that can both kill the bacteria themselves and neutralize their toxins are of great interest in P. aeruginosa research to develop as the next generation of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Van Moll
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing (IP&P), KU Leuven, Campus Geel, Geel, Belgium
| | - Milan Wouters
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jeroen De Smet
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing (IP&P), KU Leuven, Campus Geel, Geel, Belgium
| | - Linda De Vooght
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter Delputte
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mik Van Der Borght
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing (IP&P), KU Leuven, Campus Geel, Geel, Belgium
| | - Paul Cos
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Choi W, Nensel AK, Droho S, Fattah MA, Mokashi-Punekar S, Swygart DI, Burton ST, Schwartz GW, Lavine JA, Gianneschi NC. Thrombospondin-1 proteomimetic polymers exhibit anti-angiogenic activity in a neovascular age-related macular degeneration mouse model. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi8534. [PMID: 37831763 PMCID: PMC10575579 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Current therapy includes monthly intraocular injections of anti-VEGF antibodies, which are ineffective in up to one third of patients. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) inhibits angiogenesis via CD36 binding, and its down-regulated expression is negatively associated with the onset of nAMD. Here, we describe TSP1 mimetic protein-like polymers (TSP1 PLPs). TSP1 PLPs bind CD36 with high affinity, resist degradation, show prolonged intraocular half-lives (13.1 hours), have no toxicity at relevant concentrations in vivo (40 μM), and are more efficacious in ex vivo choroidal sprouting assays compared to the peptide sequence and Eylea (aflibercept), the current standard of care anti-VEGF treatment. Furthermore, PLPs exhibit superior in vivo efficacy in a mouse model for nAMD compared to control PLPs consisting of scrambled peptide sequences, using fluorescein angiography and immunofluorescence. Since TSP-1 inhibits angiogenesis by VEGF-dependent and independent mechanisms, TSP1 PLPs are a potential therapeutic for patients with anti-VEGF treatment-resistant nAMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonmin Choi
- Department of Chemistry, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Ashley K. Nensel
- Department of Chemistry, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Steven Droho
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mara A. Fattah
- Department of Chemistry, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Soumitra Mokashi-Punekar
- Department of Chemistry, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - David I. Swygart
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Spencer T. Burton
- Department of Chemistry, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Greg W. Schwartz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jeremy A. Lavine
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nathan C. Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacology, Simpson Querrey Institute, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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Zafar I, Safder A, Imran Afridi H, Riaz S, -ur-Rehman R, Unar A, Un Nisa F, Gaafar ARZ, Bourhia M, Wondmie GF, Sharma R, Kumar D. In silico and in vitro study of bioactive compounds of Nigella sativa for targeting neuropilins in breast cancer. Front Chem 2023; 11:1273149. [PMID: 37885828 PMCID: PMC10598785 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1273149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Breast cancer poses a significant global challenge, prompting researchers to explore novel approaches for potential treatments. Material and Methods: For in vitro study we used thin layer chromatography (TAC) for phytochemical screening, total antioxidant capacity (TLC) assay for antioxidant capacity, and hemolytic activity test for toxicity of Neuropilins (NRPs). We performed bioinformatic analyses to predict protein structures, molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling, and virtual screening to reveal interactions with oncogenes. We conducted 200 ns Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and MMGBSA calculations to assess the complex dynamics and stability. Results: We identified phytochemical constituents in Nigella sativa leaves, including tannins, saponins, steroids, and cardiac glycosides, while phlobatannins and terpenoids were absent. The leaves contained 9.4% ± 0.04% alkaloids and 1.9% ± 0.05% saponins. Methanol extract exhibited the highest yield and antioxidant capacity, with Total Flavonoid Content at 127.51 ± 0.76 mg/100 g and Total Phenolic Content at 134.39 ± 0.589 mg GAE/100 g. Hemolysis testing showed varying degrees of hemolysis for different extracts. In-silico analysis indicated stable Neuropilin complexes with key signaling pathways relevant for anti-cancer therapy. Molecular docking scores at different possesses (0, C-50, C -80, C-120,C -150, C -200 ns) revealed strong hydrogen bonding in the complexes and showed -12.9, -11.6, and -11.2 binding Affinities (kcal/mol) to support their stability. Our MD simulations analysis at 200ns confirmed the stability of Neuropilin complexes with the signaling pathways protein PI3K. The calculated binding free energies using MMGBSA provided valuable quantitative information on ligand potency on different time steps. These findings highlight the potential health benefits of N. sativa leaves and their possible role in anti-cancer treatments targeting angiogenesis. Conclusion: Nigella sativa leaves have shown significant medical potential due to their bioactive compounds, which exhibit strong properties in supporting organogenic processes related to cancer. Furthermore, studies have highlighted the promising role of neuropilins in anticancer treatment, demonstrating stable interactions and potential as targeted therapy specifically for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Zafar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Virtual University Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Arfa Safder
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Hassan Imran Afridi
- National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - Sania Riaz
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics and Biosciences, Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Rizwan -ur-Rehman
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics and Biosciences, Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ahsanullah Unar
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Fakhar Un Nisa
- Depatment of Molecular Biology, Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Abdel-Rhman Z. Gaafar
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Laayoune, Morocco
| | | | - Rohit Sharma
- Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Dileep Kumar
- UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be) University, Pune, India
- Centre for Advanced Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Poona College of Pharmacy, Pune, India
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Ogunsile A, Songnaka N, Sawatdee S, Lertcanawanichakul M, Krobthong S, Yingchutrakul Y, Uchiyama J, Atipairin A. Anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and antibiofilm activity of new peptides produced by a Brevibacillus strain. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16143. [PMID: 37810790 PMCID: PMC10552749 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is listed as a highly prioritized pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) to search for effective antimicrobial agents. Previously, we isolated a soil Brevibacillus sp. strain SPR19 from a botanical garden, which showed anti-MRSA activity. However, the active substances were still unknown. Methods The cell-free supernatant of this bacterium was subjected to salt precipitation, cation exchange, and reversed-phase chromatography. The antimicrobial activity of pure substances was determined by broth microdilution assay. The peptide sequences and secondary structures were characterized by tandem mass spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD), respectively. The most active anti-MRSA peptide underwent a stability study, and its mechanism was determined through scanning electron microscopy, cell permeability assay, time-killing kinetics, and biofilm inhibition and eradication. Hemolysis was used to evaluate the peptide toxicity. Results The pure substances (BrSPR19-P1 to BrSPR19-P5) were identified as new peptides. Their minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against S. aureus and MRSA isolates ranged from 2.00 to 32.00 and 2.00 to 64.00 µg/mL, respectively. The sequence analysis of anti-MRSA peptides revealed a length ranging from 12 to 16 residues accompanied by an amphipathic structure. The physicochemical properties of peptides were predicted such as pI (4.25 to 10.18), net charge at pH 7.4 (-3 to +4), and hydrophobicity (0.12 to 0.96). The CD spectra revealed that all peptides in the water mainly contained random coil structures. The increased proportion of α-helix structure was observed in P2-P5 when incubated with SDS. P2 (NH2-MFLVVKVLKYVV-COOH) showed the highest antimicrobial activity and high stability under stressed conditions such as temperatures up to 100 °C, solution of pH 3 to 10, and proteolytic enzymes. P2 disrupted the cell membrane and caused bacteriolysis, in which its action was dependent on the incubation time and peptide concentration. Antibiofilm activity of P2 was determined by which the half-maximal inhibition of biofilm formation was observed at 2.92 and 4.84 µg/mL for S. aureus TISTR 517 and MRSA isolate 2468, respectively. Biofilm eradication of tested pathogens was found at the P2 concentration of 128 µg/mL. Furthermore, P2 hemolytic activity was less than 10% at concentrations up to 64 µg/mL, which reflected the hemolysis index thresholds of 32. Conclusion Five novel anti-MRSA peptides were identified from SPR19. P2 was the most active peptide and was demonstrated to cause membrane disruption and cell lysis. The P2 activity was dependent on the peptide concentration and exposure time. This peptide had antibiofilm activity against tested pathogens and was compatible with human erythrocytes, supporting its potential use as an anti-MRSA agent in this post-antibiotic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abiodun Ogunsile
- School of Pharmacy, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Nuttapon Songnaka
- School of Pharmacy, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
- Drug and Cosmetic Excellence Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Somchai Sawatdee
- School of Pharmacy, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
- Drug and Cosmetic Excellence Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | | | - Sucheewin Krobthong
- Center of Excellence in Natural Products Chemistry (CENP), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yodying Yingchutrakul
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Jumpei Uchiyama
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Apichart Atipairin
- School of Pharmacy, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
- Drug and Cosmetic Excellence Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
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