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Szarszoń K, Andrä S, Janek T, Wątły J. Insights into the Chemistry, Structure, and Biological Activity of Human Salivary MUC7 Fragments and Their Cu(II) and Zn(II) Complexes. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:11616-11627. [PMID: 38856909 PMCID: PMC11200262 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c00868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Mucin 7 (MUC7) is one of the salivary proteins whose role in the innate immune system is widely known, but still, neither its mechanism of action nor the impact of its metal coordination is fully understood. MUC7 and its fragments demonstrate potent antimicrobial activity, serving as a natural defense mechanism for organisms against pathogens. This study delves into the bioinorganic chemistry of MUC7 fragments (L1─EGRERDHELRHRRHHHQSPK; L2─EGRERDHELRHRR; L3─HHHQSPK) and their complexes with Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions. The antimicrobial characteristics of the investigated peptides and their complexes were systematically assessed against bacterial and fungal strains at pH 5.40 and pH 7.40. Our findings highlight the efficacy of these systems against Streptococcus sanguinis, a common oral cavity pathogen. Most interestingly, Zn(II) coordination increased (or triggered) the MUC7 antimicrobial activity, which underscores the pivotal role of metal ion coordination in governing the antimicrobial activity of human salivary MUC7 fragments against S. sanguinis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Szarszoń
- Faculty
of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Silke Andrä
- Faculty
of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Tomasz Janek
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Joanna Wątły
- Faculty
of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
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Szarszoń K, Mikołajczyk A, Grelich-Mucha M, Wieczorek R, Matera-Witkiewicz A, Olesiak-Bańska J, Rowińska-Żyrek M, Wątły J. Bioinorganic chemistry of shepherin II complexes helps to fight Candida albicans? J Inorg Biochem 2024; 253:112476. [PMID: 38171045 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The fungal cell wall and cell membrane are an important target for antifungal therapies, and a needle-like cell wall or membrane disruption may be an entirely novel antifungal mode of action. In this work, we show how the coordination of Zn(II) triggers the antifungal properties of shepherin II, a glycine- and histidine-rich antimicrobial peptide from the root of Capsella bursa-pastoris. We analyze Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of this peptide using experimental and theoretical methods, such as: mass spectrometry, potentiometry, UV-Vis and CD spectroscopies, AFM imaging, biological activity tests and DFT calculations in order to understand the correlation between their metal binding mode, structure, morphology and biological activity. We observe that Zn(II) coordinates to Shep II and causes a structural change, resulting in fibril formation, what has a pronounced biological consequence - a strong anticandidal activity. This phenomenon was observed neither for the peptide itself, nor for its copper(II) complex. The Zn(II) - shepherin II complex can be considered as a starting point for further anticandidal drug discovery, which is extremely important in the era of increasing antifungal drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Szarszoń
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Mikołajczyk
- Screening of Biological Activity Assays and Collection of Biological Material Laboratory, Wrocław Medical University Biobank, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Manuela Grelich-Mucha
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Robert Wieczorek
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz
- Screening of Biological Activity Assays and Collection of Biological Material Laboratory, Wrocław Medical University Biobank, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Joanna Olesiak-Bańska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Joanna Wątły
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland.
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3
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Wątły J, Szarszoń K, Mikołajczyk A, Grelich-Mucha M, Matera-Witkiewicz A, Olesiak-Bańska J, Rowińska-Żyrek M. Zn(II) Induces Fibril Formation and Antifungal Activity in Shepherin I, An Antimicrobial Peptide from Capsella bursa-pastoris. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:19786-19794. [PMID: 37983127 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c03409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Shepherin I is a glycine- and histidine-rich antimicrobial peptide from the root of a shepherd's purse, whose antimicrobial activity was suggested to be enhanced by the presence of Zn(II) ions. We describe Zn(II) and Cu(II) complexes of this peptide, aiming to understand the correlation between their metal binding mode, structure, morphology, and biological activity. We observe a logical sequence of phenomena, each of which is the result of the previous one: (i) Zn(II) coordinates to shepherin I, (ii) causes a structural change, which, in turn, (iii) results in fibril formation. Eventually, this chain of structural changes has a (iv) biological consequence: The shepherin I-Zn(II) fibrils are highly antifungal. What is of particular interest, both fibril formation and strong anticandidal activity are only observed for the shepherin I-Zn(II) complex, linking its structural rearrangement that occurs after metal binding with its morphology and biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Wątły
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Klaudia Szarszoń
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Mikołajczyk
- Screening of Biological Activity Assays and Collection of Biological Material Laboratory, Wrocław Medical University Biobank, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Manuela Grelich-Mucha
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wyb, Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz
- Screening of Biological Activity Assays and Collection of Biological Material Laboratory, Wrocław Medical University Biobank, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Joanna Olesiak-Bańska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wyb, Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
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4
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Dudek D, Miller A, Hecel A, Kola A, Valensin D, Mikołajczyk A, Barcelo-Oliver M, Matera-Witkiewicz A, Rowińska-Żyrek M. Semenogelins Armed in Zn(II) and Cu(II): May Bioinorganic Chemistry Help Nature to Cope with Enterococcus faecalis? Inorg Chem 2023; 62:14103-14115. [PMID: 37582221 PMCID: PMC10466376 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Proteolytic degradation of semenogelins, the most abundant proteins from human semen, results in the formation of 26- and 29-amino acid peptides (SgIIA and SgI-29, respectively), which share a common 15 amino acid fragment (Sg-15). All three ligands are effective Zn(II) and Cu(II) binders; in solution, a variety of differently metalated species exist in equilibrium, with the [NH2, 3Nim] donor set prevailing at physiological pH in the case of both metals. For the first time, the Cu(II)-induced antimicrobial activity of Sg-15 against Enterococcus faecalis is shown. In the case of the two native semenogelin fragment metal complexes, the strong local positive charge in the metal-bound HH motif correlates well with their antimicrobial activity. A careful analysis of semenogelins' metal coordination behavior reveals two facts: (i) The histamine-like Cu(II) binding mode of SgI-29 strongly increases the stability of such a complex below pH 6 (with respect to the non-histamine-like binding of SgIIA), while in the case of the SgI-29 Zn(II)-histamine-like species, the stability enhancement is less pronounced. (ii) The HH sequence is a more tempting site for Cu(II) ions than the HXH one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Dudek
- Faculty
of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Adriana Miller
- Faculty
of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Hecel
- Faculty
of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Arian Kola
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Daniela Valensin
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Aleksandra Mikołajczyk
- Screening
of Biological Activity Assays and Collection of Biological Material
Laboratory, Wroclaw Medical University Biobank,
Faculty of Pharmacy, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Miquel Barcelo-Oliver
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de
Mallorca, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz
- Screening
of Biological Activity Assays and Collection of Biological Material
Laboratory, Wroclaw Medical University Biobank,
Faculty of Pharmacy, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
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