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Dias LM, Cilli EM, Medeiros KS, Brasil MCODA, Marin LM, Siqueira WL, Pavarina AC. Antibiofilm Activity and Biocompatibility of Temporin-SHa: A Promising Antimicrobial Peptide for Control of Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans. Microorganisms 2024; 12:99. [PMID: 38257927 PMCID: PMC10818419 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010099] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) Hylin-a1, KR-12-a5, and Temporin-SHa in Candida albicans as well as the biocompatibility of keratinocytes spontaneously immortalized (NOK-si) and human gingival fibroblasts (FGH) cells. Initially, the susceptible (CaS-ATCC 90028) and fluconazole-resistant (CaR-ATCC 96901) C. albicans strains were grown to evaluate the effect of each AMP in planktonic culture, biofilm, and biocompatibility on oral cells. Among the AMPs evaluated, temporin-SHa showed the most promising results. After 24 h of Temporin-SHa exposure, the survival curve results showed that CaS and CaR suspensions reduced 72% and 70% of cell viability compared to the control group. The minimum inhibitory/fungicide concentrations (MIC and MFC) showed that Temporin-SHa was able to reduce ≥50% at ≥256 µg/mL for both strains. The inhibition of biofilm formation, efficacy against biofilm formation, and total biomass assays were performed until 48 h of biofilm maturation, and Temporin-SHa was able to reduce ≥50% of CaS and CaR growth. Furthermore, Temporin-SHa (512 µg/mL) was classified as non-cytotoxic and slightly cytotoxic for NOK-si and FGH, respectively. Temporin-SHa demonstrated an anti-biofilm effect against CaS and CaR and was biocompatible with NOK-si and FGH oral cells in monolayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Mendonça Dias
- Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 16015-050, Brazil; (L.M.D.); (K.S.M.)
- College of Dentistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada;
| | - Eduardo Maffud Cilli
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-060, Brazil; (E.M.C.); (M.C.O.d.A.B.)
| | - Karine Sousa Medeiros
- Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 16015-050, Brazil; (L.M.D.); (K.S.M.)
| | - Maria Carolina Oliveira de Arruda Brasil
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-060, Brazil; (E.M.C.); (M.C.O.d.A.B.)
| | - Lina Maria Marin
- College of Dentistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada;
| | - Walter L. Siqueira
- College of Dentistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada;
| | - Ana Claudia Pavarina
- Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 16015-050, Brazil; (L.M.D.); (K.S.M.)
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Lei R, Yang C, Sun Y, Li D, Hao L, Li Y, Wu S, Li H, Lan C, Fang X. Turning cationic antimicrobial peptide KR-12 into self-assembled nanobiotics with potent bacterial killing and LPS neutralizing activities. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:887-902. [PMID: 38105768 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05174a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative sepsis has become a substantial and escalating global healthcare challenge due to the growing antibiotic resistance crisis and the sluggish development of new antibiotics. LL-37, a unique Cathelicidin species found in humans, exhibits a wide range of bioactive properties, including direct bactericidal effects, inflammation regulation, and LPS neutralization. KR-12, the smallest yet potent peptide fragment of LL-37, has been modified to create more effective antimicrobials. In this study, we designed two myristoylated derivatives of KR-12, referred to as Myr-KR-12N and Myr-KR-12C. These derivatives displayed remarkable ability to spontaneously assemble into nanoparticles when mixed with deionized water. Myristoylated KR-12 derivatives exhibited broad-spectrum and intensified bactericidal activity by disrupting bacterial cell membranes. In particular, Myr-KR-12N showed superior capability to rescue mice from lethal E. coli-induced sepsis in comparison with the conventional antibiotic meropenem. We also confirmed that the myristoylated KR-12 nanobiotic possesses significant LPS binding capacity and effectively reduces inflammation in vitro. In an in vivo context, Myr-KR-12N outperformed polymyxin B in rescuing mice from LPS-induced sepsis. Crucially, toxicological assessments revealed that neither Myr-KR-12N nor Myr-KR-12C nanobiotics induced meaningful hemolysis or caused damage to the liver and kidneys. Collectively, our study has yielded an innovative nanobiotic with dual capabilities of bactericidal action and LPS-neutralization, offering substantial promise for advancing the clinical translation of antimicrobial peptides and the development of novel antibiotics. This addresses the critical need for effective solutions to combat Gram-negative sepsis, a pressing global medical challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyi Lei
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
| | - Chujun Yang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Yaqi Sun
- China National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Dejian Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
| | - Liman Hao
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
| | - Shuijing Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
| | - Chao Lan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
| | - Xiangming Fang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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Vasconcelos MA, da Silva BR, Andrade AL, de Azevedo Pinheiro A, Evaristo FFV, Arruda FVS, Lorenzón EN, Cilli EM, Teixeira EH. Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of Synthetic Peptide [W7]KR12-KAEK Against Enterococcus faecalis Strains. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:325. [PMID: 37606794 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03445-3] [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: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of infections caused by microorganisms in the oral cavity and increasing concerns regarding the use of antibiotics have resulted in the development of novel antimicrobial molecules, such as antimicrobial synthetic peptides. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of the native peptide KR-12 and its derivative, the synthetic peptide [W7]KR12-KAEK, against planktonic and biofilms Enterococcus faecalis strains. The methods used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity in planktonic cultures include minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration assays. The effects of [W7]KR12-KAEK on biofilm formation and mature biofilms were evaluated by quantifying biomass (crystal violet staining) and counting colony-forming units. Structural assessments of the biofilms and cellular morphological changes were performed using scanning electron microscopy. Peptide [W7]KR12-KAEK showed potential antimicrobial activity against planktonic cells. Interestingly, the native peptide KR-12 showed no antimicrobial activity. Moreover, it inhibited biofilm formation and disrupted the mature biofilms of E. faecalis strains. These results suggest that [W7]KR12-KAEK may be a potential molecule for the development of auxiliary antimicrobial therapies against oral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayron Alves Vasconcelos
- Laboratório Integrado de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
- Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Unidade de Divinópolis, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil
- Faculdade de Educação de Itapipoca (FACEDI), Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Itapipoca, CE, Brazil
| | - Bruno Rocha da Silva
- Laboratório Integrado de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
- Universidade de Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Lopes Andrade
- Laboratório Integrado de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Aryane de Azevedo Pinheiro
- Laboratório Integrado de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | | | - Francisco Vassiliepe Sousa Arruda
- Laboratório Integrado de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
- UNINTA, Sobral, CE, Brazil
| | | | - Eduardo Maffud Cilli
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Edson Holanda Teixeira
- Laboratório Integrado de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
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In silico assessment of missense point mutations on human cathelicidin LL-37. J Mol Graph Model 2023; 118:108368. [PMID: 36335830 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2022.108368] [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: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides are a diverse family of cationic amphipathic peptides with multiple activities. In humans, cathelicidin LL-37 is one of the main host defense peptides with a remarkable medical and biotechnological potential. Deregulation of LL-37 expression has been associated with inflammatory diseases. However the effects of point mutations driven by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on LL-37 are unknown. Here we applied an array of computational tools to investigate the effects of such mutations on LL-37 structure and activity. Due to the fact that, on cathelicidins, the prodomain is more conserved than the mature peptide, the SNP effect predictions were biased and, overall, resulted in neutral effects; and due to the slight changes in physicochemical properties, the antimicrobial predictions indicated the maintenance of such activity. Nonetheless, R07P, R07W, R29Q, R29W mutations reduced the peptide net charge, which in turn could result in less active LL-37 variants. Molecular dynamics data indicated that R07Q and N30Y mutations altered the LL-37 structure, leading to potential deleterious effects. In addition, the helix dipole is altered in G03A, R07P, R07W and L31P mutations, which could also alter the antimicrobial activity. Our results indicated that despite the mutations did not alter the residues from LL-37 active core, they could influence the antimicrobial activity and consequently, could be involved in inflammatory diseases.
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Lee SG, Kiattiburut W, Khongkha T, Schinkel SCB, Lunn Y, Decker AP, Mohammadi A, Vera-Cruz A, Misra A, Angel JB, Anderson DJ, Baker M, Kaul R, Wang G, Tanphaichitr N. 17BIPHE2, an engineered cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide with low susceptibility to proteases, is an effective spermicide and microbicide against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:2503-2517. [PMID: 36053257 PMCID: PMC9724780 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is 17BIPHE2, an engineered cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide with low susceptibility to proteases, a better spermicide in cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) than its parental peptides, LL-37 and GF-17? SUMMARY ANSWER At the same mass concentration, 17BIPHE2 exhibited the highest spermicidal activity on human sperm resuspended in CVF-containing medium. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY LL-37 and its truncated peptide GF-17 exert both spermicidal and microbicidal activities, although they are prone to proteolytic degradation in body fluids. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Spermicidal activities of 17BIPHE2 were evaluated in vitro in mouse and human sperm, both resuspended in medium, and then on human sperm incubated in CVF-containing medium; in the latter condition, the spermicidal activity and peptide stability in CVF of 17BIPHE2 were compared with that of LL-37 and GF-17. The in vivo contraceptive effects of 17BIPHE2 and the reversibility thereof were then assessed in mice. Finally, in vitro microbicidal effects of 17BIPHE2 on Neisseria gonorrhoeae were determined. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Sperm motility and plasma membrane integrity were assessed by videomicroscopy and exclusion of Sytox Green, a membrane-impermeable fluorescent dye, respectively. Successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) was determined by the presence of two pronuclei in oocytes following their coincubation with capacitated untreated or 17BIPHE2-treated sperm. Sperm alone or with 17BIPHE2 were transcervically injected into female mice and successful in vivo fertilization was indicated by the formation of two-cell embryos 42-h postinjection, and by pregnancy through pup delivery 21-25 days afterwards. Peptide intactness was assessed by immunoblotting and HPLC. Reversibility of the contraceptive effects of 17BIPHE2 was evaluated by resumption of pregnancy of the female mice, pretranscervically injected with 17BIPHE2, following natural mating with fertile males. Minimum inhibitory/bactericidal concentrations of 17BIPHE2 on N. gonorrhoeae were obtained through microdilution broth assay. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE At the same mass concentration, 17BIPHE2 was a more effective spermicide than LL-37 or GF-17 on human sperm resuspended in CVF-containing medium, with the spermicidal concentration of 32.4 µM. This was mainly due to lower susceptibility of 17BIPHE2 to CVF proteases. Importantly, the reproductive tract of mouse females treated three times with 32.4 µM 17BIPHE2 remained normal and their fecundity resumed after stopping 17BIPHE2 treatment. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION For ethical reasons, the inhibitory effects of 17BIPHE2 on fertilization and pregnancy cannot presently be performed in women. Also, while our study has proven the effectiveness of 17BIPHE2 as a spermicide for mouse and human sperm in vitro, dosage formulation (e.g. in hydrogel) of 17BIPHE2 still needs to be developed to allow 17BIPHE2 to remain in the vagina/uterine cavity with controlled release for its spermicidal action. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Since 17BIPHE2 also exerted bactericidal activity against N. gonorrhoeae at its spermicidal concentration, it is a promising candidate to be developed into a vaginal multipurpose prevention technology agent, thus empowering women against unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (PJT 173268 to N.T.). There are no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Gee Lee
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Thitiporn Khongkha
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Yvonne Lunn
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron P Decker
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Avid Mohammadi
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ana Vera-Cruz
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Avika Misra
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan B Angel
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Deborah J Anderson
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark Baker
- Department of Biological Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Rupert Kaul
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Nongnuj Tanphaichitr
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Design and Evaluation of Short Bovine Lactoferrin-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides against Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus faecium. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11081085. [PMID: 36009954 PMCID: PMC9404989 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11081085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus faecium has become an important drug-resistant nosocomial pathogen because of widespread antibiotic abuse. We developed short and chemically simple antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with a selective amino acid composition, fixed charge, and hydrophobicity ratio based on the core antimicrobial motif of bovine lactoferrin (LfcinB6). Among these peptides, 5L and 6L (both 12 residues long) demonstrated a narrow spectrum and high antibacterial activity against drug-resistant E. faecium isolates with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) that ranged from 4–16 µg/mL. At 32 µg/mL, peptides 5L and 6L inhibited E. faecium strain C68 biofilm formation by 90% and disrupted established biofilms by 75%. At 40 µg/mL, 5L reduced 1 × 107E. faecium persister cells by 3 logs within 120 min of exposure, whereas 6L eliminated all persister cells within 60 min. At 0.5× MIC, 5L and 6L significantly downregulated the expression of a crucial biofilm gene ace by 8 folds (p = 0.02) and 4 folds (p = 0.01), respectively. At 32 µg/mL, peptides 5L and 6L both depolarized the E. faecium membrane, increased fluidity, and eventually ruptured the membrane. Physiologically, 5L (at 8 µg/mL) altered the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glutathione, and purine metabolism. Interestingly, in an ex vivo model of porcine skin infection, compared to no treatment, 5L (at 10× MIC) effectively eliminated all 1 × 106 exponential (p = 0.0045) and persister E. faecium cells (p = 0.0002). In conclusion, the study outlines a roadmap for developing narrow-spectrum selective AMPs and presents peptide 5L as a potential therapeutic candidate to be explored against E. faecium.
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Use of Photodynamic Therapy Associated with Antimicrobial Peptides for Bacterial Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063226. [PMID: 35328647 PMCID: PMC8953507 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the challenges related to antimicrobial resistance, other strategies for controlling infections have been suggested, such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and antimicrobial peptides (AMP). This study aims to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to obtain evidence on the antimicrobial effectiveness of aPDT associated with AMP and establish in vitro knowledge on this topic for further study designs. The PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scielo, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Two independent and calibrated researchers (Kappa = 0.88) performed all the systematic steps according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The odds ratio (OR) was used as the effect measure. The Peto method was used to perform the meta-analysis due to the sparse data. Twenty studies were included in the present review. The result was significant (OR = 0.14/p = 0.0235/I-squared = 0%), showing better outcomes of aPDT associated with peptides than those of aPDT alone for controlling the microbial load. Only 20% of the studies included evaluated this approach in a biofilm culture. Combined treatment with aPDT and AMP highly increased the ability of microbial reduction of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. However, additional blind studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of this therapy on microbial biofilms.
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Preußke N, Lipfert M, Rothemund S, Leippe M, Sönnichsen FD. Designed Trp-Cage Proteins with Antimicrobial Activity and Enhanced Stability. Biochemistry 2021; 60:3187-3199. [PMID: 34613690 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
α-Helical antimicrobial peptides (αAMPs) are among the potential candidates for new anti-infectives to tackle the global crisis in antibiotic resistance, but they suffer from low bioavailability due to high susceptibility to enzymatic degradation. Here, we describe a strategy to increase the resistance of αAMPs against proteases. Fusing the 12-residue αAMP KR-12 with a Trp-cage domain induces an α-helical structure in the otherwise unfolded KR-12 moiety in solution. The resulting antimicrobial Trp-cage exhibits higher proteolytic resistance due to its stable fold as evidenced by correlating sequence-resolved digest data with structural analyses. In addition, the antimicrobial Trp-cage displays increased activity against bacteria in the presence of physiologically relevant concentrations of NaCl, while the hemolytic activity remains negligible. In contrast to previous strategies, the presented approach is not reliant on artificial amino acids and is therefore applicable to biosynthetic procedures. Our study aims to improve the pharmacokinetics of αAMPs to facilitate their use as therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Preußke
- Otto Diels Institute for Organic Chemistry, Kiel University, Otto-Hahn-Platz 3-5, 24118 Kiel, Germany.,Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 3-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Lipfert
- Otto Diels Institute for Organic Chemistry, Kiel University, Otto-Hahn-Platz 3-5, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Sven Rothemund
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Leippe
- Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 3-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Frank D Sönnichsen
- Otto Diels Institute for Organic Chemistry, Kiel University, Otto-Hahn-Platz 3-5, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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9
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Physical behavior of KR-12 peptide on solid surfaces and Langmuir-Blodgett lipid films: Complementary approaches to its antimicrobial mode against S. aureus. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1864:183779. [PMID: 34560046 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biophysical characterization of antimicrobial peptides helps to understand the mechanistic aspects of their action. The physical behavior of the KR-12 antimicrobial peptide (e.g. orientation and changes in secondary structure), was analyzed after interactions with a Staphylococcus aureus membrane model and solid surfaces. We performed antimicrobial tests using Gram-positive S. aureus (ATCC 25923) bacteria. Moreover, Langmuir-Blodgett experiments showed that the synthetic peptide can disturb the lipidic membrane at a concentration lower than the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, thus confirming that KR-12/lipid interactions are involved. Partially- and fully-deactivated KR-12 hybrid samples were obtained by physisorption and covalent immobilization in chitosan/silica and glyoxal-rich solid supports. The correlation of Langmuir-Blodgett data with the α-helix formation, followed by FTIR-ATR in a frozen-like state, and the antimicrobial activity showed the importance of these interactions and conformation changes on the first step action mode of this peptide. This is the first time that material science (immobilization in solid surfaces assisted by FTIR-ATR analysis in frozen-like state) and physical (Langmuir-Blodgett/Schaefer) approaches are combined for exploring mechanistic aspects of the primary action mode of the KR-12 antimicrobial peptide against S. aureus.
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10
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Mori T, Hazekawa M, Yoshida M, Nishinakagawa T, Uchida T, Ishibashi D. Enhancing the anticancer efficacy of a LL-37 peptide fragment analog using peptide-linked PLGA conjugate micelles in tumor cells. Int J Pharm 2021; 606:120891. [PMID: 34324984 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
LL-37, a well-known antimicrobial human peptide, is a cationic peptide that provides an important antimicrobial defense mechanism in damaged skin. Accumulating evidence indicates that LL-37 also displays an anticancer effect in colon cancer, gastric cancer, hematologic malignancy and oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, anticancer activity of LL-37 peptide fragment analogs has not been reported. Poor intercellular translocation may be one of the causes for this lack of observed anticancer activity. In this study, a LL-37 peptide fragment analog with cysteine at the N-terminus was conjugated with the biodegradable polymer, lactic acid/glycolic acid copolymer (PLGA), using the thiol group of cysteine. The purpose of this study was to improve the cell permeability of the peptide using a micellar system and then evaluate the anticancer activity. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assays were performed to evaluate the anticancer activity in four cancer cell lines with high metastasis, HM-1, B16/BL6, HeLa, and HepG2. The LL-37 fragment peptide analog-linked PLGA conjugate was shown to effectively inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and had increased cell permeability in all the cancer cell lines, compared with the peptide alone. These results suggested that LL-37 fragment peptide analog (CKR12)-linked PLGA conjugate micelles could be useful in the development of cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Mori
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women's University, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Mai Hazekawa
- Department of Immunological and Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Miyako Yoshida
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women's University, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Takuya Nishinakagawa
- Department of Immunological and Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takahiro Uchida
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women's University, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ishibashi
- Department of Immunological and Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
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11
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A novel dual-action antimicrobial peptide for caries management. J Dent 2021; 111:103729. [PMID: 34146653 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2021.103729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop a novel dual-action peptide with antimicrobial and mineralising properties. METHODS A novel peptide, namely GA-KR12, was synthesised through grafting gallic acid to KR12. The secondary structure of GA-KR12 was evaluated by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The stability was evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by a mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity assay. The antimicrobial properties against common cariogenic species were evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC). The morphology of cariogenic species was analysed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). To assess the mineralising effect of GA-KR12 on enamel, the lesion depths, mineral loss, surface morphology, calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and crystal characteristics were determined using micro-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy X-ray diffraction, respectively. RESULTS GA-KR12 did not exhibit cytotoxicity against HGF. Around 82% of the GA-KR12 remained in human saliva at 37°C for 1 h. The MIC and MBC/MFC against the tested species were 10-320 μM and 20-1,280 μM, respectively. GA-KR12 induced remarkable morphological defects in the tested species. The enamel treated with GA-KR12 had smaller lesion depths (p < 0.001), less mineral loss (p < 0.001) and higher calcium-to-phosphorus molar ratios (p < 0.001) than those in the enamel treated with water. SEM showed a well-organised prism pattern in enamel treated with GA-KR12. X-ray diffraction revealed that the hydroxyapatite on the enamel treated with GA-KR12 was better crystalised. CONCLUSIONS This study developed a biocompatible and stable peptide which inhibited the growth of cariogenic species and mineralised the enamel caries. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The novel dual-action peptide, GA-KR12, is potential applicable in the management of caries.
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Lakshmaiah Narayana J, Golla R, Mishra B, Wang X, Lushnikova T, Zhang Y, Verma A, Kumar V, Xie J, Wang G. Short and Robust Anti-Infective Lipopeptides Engineered Based on the Minimal Antimicrobial Peptide KR12 of Human LL-37. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1795-1808. [PMID: 33890759 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to push the frontier of the engineering of human cathelicidin LL-37, a critical antimicrobial innate immune peptide that wards off invading pathogens. By sequential truncation of the smallest antibacterial peptide (KR12) of LL-37 and conjugation with fatty acids, with varying chain lengths, a library of lipopeptides is generated. These peptides are subjected to antibacterial activity and hemolytic assays. Candidates (including both forms made of l- and d-amino acids) with the optimal cell selectivity are subsequently fed to the second layer of in vitro filters, including salts, pH, serum, and media. These practices lead to the identification of a miniature LL-37 like peptide (d-form) with selectivity, stability, and robust antimicrobial activity in vitro against both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. Proteomic studies reveal far fewer serum proteins that bind to the d-form than the l-form peptide. C10-KR8d targets bacterial membranes to become helical, making it difficult for bacteria to develop resistance in a multiple passage experiment. In vivo, C10-KR8d is able to reduce bacterial burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) USA300 LAC in neutropenic mice. In addition, this designer peptide prevents bacterial biofilm formation in a catheter-associated mouse model. Meanwhile, C10-KR8d also recruits cytokines to the vicinity of catheters to clear infection. Thus, based on the antimicrobial region of LL-37, this study succeeds in identifying the smallest anti-infective peptide C10-KR8d with both robust antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and immune modulation activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayaram Lakshmaiah Narayana
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Radha Golla
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Biswajit Mishra
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Xiuqing Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Tamara Lushnikova
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Yingxia Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Atul Verma
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Core Facility, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Jingwei Xie
- Department of Surgery-Transplant and Mary & Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, United States
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
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Lee CH, Lou YC, Wang AHJ. DMTMM-Mediated Intramolecular Cyclization of Acidic Residues in Peptides/Proteins. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:4708-4718. [PMID: 33644578 PMCID: PMC7905807 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c05503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The formation of succinimide in proteins has attracted considerable attention in protein aging and biopharmaceutical research. The succinimide formation occurs spontaneously in proteins and is prone to hydrolysis to yield aspartate and isoaspartate, resulting in altered protein functions. Herein, we demonstrated that the coupling reagent 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMTMM) can mediate intramolecular cyclization of aspartic acid to form succinimide efficiently in the LL37-derived short antimicrobial peptide KR12. The formation of succinimide in KR12 was confirmed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Moreover, the succinimide-containing KR12 displayed decreased antimicrobial activity, helicity, and serum stability in comparison with unmodified KR12. The succinimide formation usually changes the protein structure and function, and only in rare cases, it can help to maintain the protein stability. In addition to succinimide, DMTMM can also mediate intraresidue cyclization of N-terminal glutamate to form pyroglutamate. Our work thus provides a convenient and efficient method for preparation of succinimide/pyroglutamate-containing peptides, which can be used for studying their impact on peptide/protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Hua Lee
- Institute
of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Chao Lou
- Biomedical
Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Andrew H.-J. Wang
- Institute
of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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Secondary Structural Transformation of Bovine Lactoferricin Affects Its Antibacterial Activity. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2020; 13:873-884. [PMID: 33188636 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-020-09726-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Lactoferricin (Lfcin) is a potent antibacterial peptide derived from lactoferrin by pepsin hydrolysis. It was hypothesized that structural transformation of Lfcin could affect its antibacterial function through forming and breaking of intramolecular disulfide bond. To prove this hypothesis, bovine Lfcin (bLfcin) and its two derivatives, bLfcin with a disulfide bond (bLfcin DB) and bLfcin with a mutation C36G (bLfcin C36G), were synthesized, purified, and identified. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the peptides were detected in solutions with different ionic and hydrophobic strength. Then, the secondary structure contents of the peptides were calculated on the basis of the CD spectra. The antibacterial activity of the peptides against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, Shigella flexneri ATCC 12022, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was evaluated. The results showed that bLfcin and bLfcin C36G had similar percentages of secondary structure in water, while bLfcin and bLfcin DB had similar ratios of secondary structure under less hydrophobic conditions. The synthetic peptides exhibited antibacterial activity against all the tested bacteria, except for S. aureus ATCC 25923. bLfcin demonstrated higher antibacterial activity compared with its derivatives. The results suggested that bLfcin could transform its structure under alterative ionic strengths and hydrophobic conditions, and the transformation of structures was beneficial to enhancing the antibacterial function.
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15
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Pei J, Xiong L, Chu M, Guo X, Yan P. Effect of intramolecular disulfide bond of bovine lactoferricin on its molecular structure and antibacterial activity against Trueperella pyogenes separated from cow milk with mastitis. BMC Vet Res 2020; 16:401. [PMID: 33097042 PMCID: PMC7585202 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02620-z] [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: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lactoferricin (Lfcin) is an antimicrobial activity center of lactoferrin, produced by hydrolysis from the N-terminal of lactoferrin. It was hypothesized that the intramolecular disulfide bond in Lfcin could affect its antibacterial function through influencing its molecular structure. To prove this hypothesis, bovine Lfcin (bLfcin) and its two derivatives, bLfcin with an intramolecular disulfate bond (bLfcin DB) and bLfcin with a mutation C36G (bLfcin C36G), were synthesized, purified, and identified. The circular dichroism spectra of the peptides were detected in solutions with different ionic and hydrophobic strength. The antibacterial activity of the peptides against Trueperella pyogenes, separated from cow milk with mastitis, were determined. Results The secondary structure of bLfcin DB showed more β-turn and less random coil than the other peptides in H2O, similar ratios of secondary structures with bLfcin and bLfcin C36G under ionic conditions, and close percentages of secondary structure with bLfcin under hydrophobic conditions. The synthetic peptides exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against T. pyogenes isolates, T. pyogenes ATCC 19,411, and E. coli ATCC 25,922. The antimicrobial activities of the three peptides were greater against T. pyogenes than against E. coli, and bLfcin DB exhibited higher antibacterial activity compared with its derivatives. Conclusions The intramolecular disulfide bond could change the molecular structure of bLfcin under alternative ionic strengths and hydrophobic effects, and the formation of the disulfide bond is beneficial to executing the antibacterial function of bLfcin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Pei
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 730050, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Yak Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction Engineering of Gansu Province, 730050, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lin Xiong
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 730050, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Yak Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction Engineering of Gansu Province, 730050, Lanzhou, China
| | - Min Chu
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 730050, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Yak Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction Engineering of Gansu Province, 730050, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xian Guo
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 730050, Lanzhou, China. .,Key Laboratory for Yak Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction Engineering of Gansu Province, 730050, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Ping Yan
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 730050, Lanzhou, China. .,Key Laboratory for Yak Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction Engineering of Gansu Province, 730050, Lanzhou, China.
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16
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Antimicrobial Peptides with Enhanced Salt Resistance and Antiendotoxin Properties. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186810. [PMID: 32948086 PMCID: PMC7554977 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A strategy was described to design antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with enhanced salt resistance and antiendotoxin activities by linking two helical AMPs with the Ala-Gly-Pro (AGP) hinge. Among the designed peptides, KR12AGPWR6 demonstrated the best antimicrobial activities even in high salt conditions (NaCl ~300 mM) and possessed the strongest antiendotoxin activities. These activities may be related to hydrophobicity, membrane-permeability, and α-helical content of the peptide. Amino acids of the C-terminal helices were found to affect the peptide-induced permeabilization of LUVs, the α-helicity of the designed peptides under various LUVs, and the LPS aggregation and size alternation. A possible model was proposed to explain the mechanism of LPS neutralization by the designed peptides. These findings could provide a new approach for designing AMPs with enhanced salt resistance and antiendotoxin activities for potential therapeutic applications.
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Souza PF, Marques LS, Oliveira JT, Lima PG, Dias LP, Neto NA, Lopes FE, Sousa JS, Silva AF, Caneiro RF, Lopes JL, Ramos MV, Freitas CD. Synthetic antimicrobial peptides: From choice of the best sequences to action mechanisms. Biochimie 2020; 175:132-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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18
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Kamysz E, Sikorska E, Jaśkiewicz M, Bauer M, Neubauer D, Bartoszewska S, Barańska-Rybak W, Kamysz W. Lipidated Analogs of the LL-37-Derived Peptide Fragment KR12-Structural Analysis, Surface-Active Properties and Antimicrobial Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E887. [PMID: 32019109 PMCID: PMC7036753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of multidrug-resistant pathogens is a serious problem of modern medicine and new antibiotics are highly demanded. In this study, different n-alkyl acids (C2-C14) and aromatic acids (benzoic and trans-cinnamic) were conjugated to the N-terminus of KR12 amide. The effect of this modification on antimicrobial activity (ESKAPE bacteria and biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus) and cytotoxicity (human red blood cells and HaCaT cell line) was examined. The effect of lipophilic modifications on helicity was studied by CD spectroscopy, whereas peptide self-assembly was studied by surface tension measurements and NMR spectroscopy. As shown, conjugation of the KR12-NH2 peptide with C4-C14 fatty acid chains enhanced the antimicrobial activity with an optimum demonstrated by C8-KR12-NH2 (MIC 1-4 μg/mL against ESKAPE strains; MBEC of S. aureus 4-16 μg/mL). Correlation between antimicrobial activity and self-assembly behavior of C14-KR12-NH2 and C8-KR12-NH2 has shown that the former self-assembled into larger aggregated structures, which reduced its antimicrobial activity. In conclusion, N-terminal modification can enhance antimicrobial activity of KR12-NH2; however, at the same time, the cytotoxicity increases. It seems that the selectivity against pathogens over human cells can be achieved through conjugation of peptide N-terminus with appropriate n-alkyl fatty and aromatic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Kamysz
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biological Macromolecules, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- Laboratory of Structural Studies of Biopolymers, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Maciej Jaśkiewicz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (M.B.); (D.N.); (S.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Marta Bauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (M.B.); (D.N.); (S.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (M.B.); (D.N.); (S.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Sylwia Bartoszewska
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (M.B.); (D.N.); (S.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Wioletta Barańska-Rybak
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (M.B.); (D.N.); (S.B.); (W.K.)
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19
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Fu L, Jin P, Hu Y, Lu H, Su L. KR‑12‑a6 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via BMP/SMAD signaling. Mol Med Rep 2020; 21:61-68. [PMID: 31939626 PMCID: PMC6896396 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the increased resistance to antibiotics in the clinic and the ideal antibacterial properties of KR‑12, the effects of KR‑12‑a6, an important analogue of KR‑12, on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were investigated. Osteogenic differentiation‑associated experiments were conducted in hBMSCs, and KR‑12‑a6 was used as an additional stimulating factor during osteogenic induction. Quantitative analysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red staining, and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR analysis of the expression of osteogenesis‑associated genes were performed to determine the effects of KR‑12‑a6 on the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. LDN‑212854 was selected to selectively suppress BMP/SMAD signaling. Western blotting was performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. The intensity of ALP and alizarin red staining gradually increased with increasing KR‑12‑a6 concentrations. KR‑12‑a6 induced the strongest staining at 40 µg/ml, whereas 60 µg/ml and 80 µg/ml concentrations did not further increase the intensity of staining. The mRNA expression levels of RUNX2 and ALP increased in a dose‑dependent manner as early as 3 days post‑KR‑12‑a6 treatment. The mRNA expression of COL1A1, BSP and BMP2 exhibited significant upregulation from day 7 post‑KR‑12‑a6 treatment. In contrast, the mRNA levels of OSX, OCN and OPN were enhanced dramatically at day 14 following KR‑12‑a6 stimulation. Additionally, KR‑12‑a6 significantly promoted the phosphorylation of Smad1/5. Furthermore, LDN‑212854 suppressed the activation of Smad1/5 and inhibited the upregulation of several osteogenic differentiation‑associated genes in KR‑12‑a6‑treated hBMSCs. KR‑12‑a6 promoted the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs via BMP/SMAD signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanqing Fu
- Department of Orthopedics, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
| | - Peicheng Jin
- Department of Orthopedics, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei 441000, P.R. China
| | - Yajun Hu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
| | - Hougen Lu
- Department of Orthopedics, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
| | - Linlin Su
- Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, P.R. China
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20
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Meng X, Zhang J, Chen J, Nie B, Yue B, Zhang W, Lyu Z, Long T, Wang Y. KR-12 coating of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) surface via polydopamine improves osteointegration and antibacterial activity in vivo. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:10190-10204. [DOI: 10.1039/d0tb01899f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
KR-12 was grafted onto the surface of PEEK, which improved the hydrophilicity of the material surface, promoted cell adhesion, osteogenic differentiation and osseointegration, while also endowing the appreciable antibacterial activity on the material surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangchao Meng
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - Jue Zhang
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - Binen Nie
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - Bing Yue
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - Zhuocheng Lyu
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - Teng Long
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
| | - You Wang
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Renji Hospital
- School of Medicine
- Shanghai Jiaotong University
- Shanghai
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21
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Yang X, Liu W, Xi G, Wang M, Liang B, Shi Y, Feng Y, Ren X, Shi C. Fabricating antimicrobial peptide-immobilized starch sponges for hemorrhage control and antibacterial treatment. Carbohydr Polym 2019; 222:115012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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22
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Mohammed I, Said DG, Nubile M, Mastropasqua L, Dua HS. Cathelicidin-Derived Synthetic Peptide Improves Therapeutic Potential of Vancomycin Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2190. [PMID: 31608030 PMCID: PMC6761703 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the leading cause of corneal blindness worldwide. A constant increase in multi-drug resistant PA strains have heightened the challenge of effectively managing corneal infections with conventional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides are promising antibiotic analogs with a unique mode of action. Cathelicidin-derived shorter peptides (FK13 and FK16) have previously been shown to kill a range of pathogens in both in vitro and in vivo systems. Here, our aim was to exploit the potential of FK13 or FK16 to enhance the anti-Pseudomonas activity of vancomycin, which normally has low clinical efficacy against PA. Our results have demonstrated that FK16 is more potent than FK13 against different PA strains including a clinical isolate from a patient's ocular surface. FK16 was shown to enhance the membrane permeability of PAO1 at sub-inhibitory concentrations. Moreover, FK16 at lower concentrations was shown to increase the antibacterial susceptibility of vancomycin against PA strains up to eightfold. The bactericidal synergism between FK16 and vancomycin was shown to be stable in the presence of physiological tear salt concentration and did not cause toxic effects on the human corneal epithelial cells and human red blood cells. Our results have revealed that sub-inhibitory concentration of FK16 could augment the antimicrobial effects of vancomycin against PA. It is anticipated that the future exploitation of the peptide design approach may enhance the effectiveness of FK16 and its application as an adjuvant to antibiotic therapy for the treatment of multi-drug resistant infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Mohammed
- Academic Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Dalia G Said
- Academic Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Nubile
- Ophthalmology Clinic, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Harminder S Dua
- Academic Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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23
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Li H, Zhang S, Nie B, Long T, Qu X, Yue B. KR-12-a5 Reverses Adverse Effects of Lipopolysaccharides on HBMSC Osteogenic Differentiation by Influencing BMP/Smad and P38 MAPK Signaling Pathways. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:639. [PMID: 31231225 PMCID: PMC6561377 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
KR-12-a5 is an analogue of the antimicrobial peptide KR-12. Both of these two agents can play key effects in the treatment of infections such as osteomyelitis. Our previous work demonstrated that the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HBMSCs) can be enhanced by KR-12. The present study investigated if KR-12-a5 could reverse the adverse effects of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on HBMSC osteogenesis and the involved molecular mechanisms. We observed the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of HBMSCs in the presence of KR-12-a5 by a cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry. The osteogenic differentiation of HBMSCs was studied by alkaline phosphatase, Alizarin Red staining, and quantitative assays. Osteogenic differentiation marker levels were detected using real-time quantitative PCR analysis, which demonstrated that KR-12-a5 treatment reversed the inhibition of osteogenesis. Western blot analysis indicated that LPS-activated P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling was inhibited and BMP/Smad pathway was reactivated after KR-12-a5 treatment under induced osteogenic conditions. Furthermore, flow cytometry results demonstrated that KR-12-a5 relieved LPS-induced oxidative stress. Combining the LPS-treated mouse model results, we proved that KR-12-a5 reversed the adverse effects of LPS on HBMSC osteogenic differentiation by influencing the BMP/Smad and P38 MAPK signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Bing Yue
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Saporito P, Biljana M, Løbner Olesen A, Jenssen H. Antibacterial mechanisms of GN-2 derived peptides and peptoids against Escherichia coli. Biopolymers 2019; 110:e23275. [PMID: 30951211 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli is the main etiological agent of urinary trait infections, able to form biofilms in indwelling devices, resulting in chronic infections which are refractory to antibiotics treatment. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties exerted against E. coli ATCC 25922, by a set of peptoids and peptides modeled upon the peptide GN-2, previously reported as a valid antimicrobial agent. The putative antimicrobials were designed to evaluate the effect of cationicity, hydrophobicity and their partitioning on the overall properties against planktonic cells and biofilms as well as on LPS binding, permeabilization of Gram-negative bacteria membranes and hemolysis. The data demonstrated that peptides are stronger antimicrobials than the analogue peptoids which in return have superior anti-biofilm properties. In this study, we present evidence that peptides antimicrobial activity correlates with enhanced LPS binding and hydrophobicity but is not affected by partitioning. The data demonstrated that the enhanced anti-biofilm properties of the peptoids are associated with decreased hydrophobicity and increased penetration of the inner membrane, compared to that of their peptide counterpart, suggesting that the characteristic flexibility of peptoids or their lack of H-bonding donors in their backbone, would play a role in their ability to penetrate bacterial membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Saporito
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark.,Section for Functional Genomics and Center for Bacterial Stress Response and Persistence, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mojsoska Biljana
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Anders Løbner Olesen
- Section for Functional Genomics and Center for Bacterial Stress Response and Persistence, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Håvard Jenssen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
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25
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Scheenstra MR, van den Belt M, Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven JLM, Schneider VAF, Ordonez SR, van Dijk A, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP. Cathelicidins PMAP-36, LL-37 and CATH-2 are similar peptides with different modes of action. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4780. [PMID: 30886247 PMCID: PMC6423055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41246-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs) play a pivotal role in innate immunity and have, in addition to antimicrobial activity, also important immunomodulatory functions. Bacteria are less likely to develop resistance against HDPs because these peptides target and kill bacteria in multiple ways, as well as modulate the immune system. Therefore, HDPs, and derivatives thereof, are promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Hardly anything is known about the immunomodulatory functions of porcine cathelicidin PMAP-36. In this study, we aimed to determine both antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities of PMAP-36 comparing the properties of PMAP-36 analogs with two well-studied peptides, human LL-37 and chicken CATH-2. Transmission electron microscopy revealed different killing mechanisms of E. coli for PMAP-36, CATH-2 and LL-37. LL-37 binds LPS very weakly in contrast to PMAP-36, but it inhibits LPS activation of macrophages the strongest. The first 11 amino acids of the N-terminal side of PMAP-36 are dispensable for E. coli killing, LPS-neutralization and binding. Deletion of four additional amino acids resulted in a strong decrease in activity. The activity of full length PMAP-36 was not affected by monomerization, whereas the shorter analogs require dimerization for proper immunomodulatory activity but not for their antibacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike R Scheenstra
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Matthias van den Belt
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna L M Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Viktoria A F Schneider
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Soledad R Ordonez
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J A Veldhuizen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P Haagsman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division of Molecular Host Defence, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Design of Antimicrobial Peptides: Progress Made with Human Cathelicidin LL-37. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1117:215-240. [PMID: 30980360 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-3588-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The incorporation of the innate immune system into humans is essential for survival and health due to the rapid replication of invading microbes and the delayed action of the adaptive immune system. Antimicrobial peptides are important components of human innate immunity. Over 100 such peptides have been identified in various human tissues. Human cathelicidin LL-37 is best studied, and there has been a growing interest in designing new peptides based on LL-37. This chapter describes the alternative processing of the human cathelicidin precursor, protease digestion, and lab cutting of LL-37. Both a synthetic peptide library and structure-based design are utilized to identify the active regions. Although challenging, the determination of the 3D structure of LL-37 enabled the identification of the core antimicrobial region. The minimal region of LL-37 can be function-dependent. We discuss the design and potential applications of LL-37 into antibacterial, antibiofilm, antiviral, antifungal, immune modulating, and anticancer peptides. LL-37 has been engineered into 17BIPHE2, a stable, selective, and potent antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anticancer peptide. Both 17BIPHE2 and SAAP-148 can eliminate the ESKAPE pathogens and show topical in vivo antibiofilm efficacy. Also discussed are other application strategies, including peptide formulation, antimicrobial implants, and peptide-inducing factors such as vitamin D and sunlight. Finally, we summarize what we learned from peptide design based on human LL-37.
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Gunasekera S, Muhammad T, Strömstedt AA, Rosengren KJ, Göransson U. Alanine and Lysine Scans of the LL-37-Derived Peptide Fragment KR-12 Reveal Key Residues for Antimicrobial Activity. Chembiochem 2018; 19:931-939. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sunithi Gunasekera
- Pharmacognosy; Department of Medicinal Chemistry; Uppsala University; Biomedical Centre; Box 574 75123 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Taj Muhammad
- Pharmacognosy; Department of Medicinal Chemistry; Uppsala University; Biomedical Centre; Box 574 75123 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Adam A. Strömstedt
- Pharmacognosy; Department of Medicinal Chemistry; Uppsala University; Biomedical Centre; Box 574 75123 Uppsala Sweden
| | - K. Johan Rosengren
- The University of Queensland; School of Biomedical Sciences; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Ulf Göransson
- Pharmacognosy; Department of Medicinal Chemistry; Uppsala University; Biomedical Centre; Box 574 75123 Uppsala Sweden
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Wang X, Mishra B, Lushnikova T, Narayana JL, Wang G. Amino Acid Composition Determines Peptide Activity Spectrum and Hot-Spot-Based Design of Merecidin. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 2. [PMID: 30800727 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201700259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
There is a great interest in developing the only human cathelicidin into therapeutic molecules. The major antimicrobial region of human LL-37 corresponds to residues 17-32. The resultant peptide GF-17 shows a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. By reducing the hydrophobic content, we previously succeeded in converting the broad-spectrum GF-17 to two narrow-spectrum peptides (GF-17d3 and KR-12) with activity against Gram-negative bacteria. This study demonstrates that substitution of multiple basic amino acids by hydrophobic alanines makes a broad-spectrum peptide 17BIPHE2 (designed based on GF-17d3) active against Staphylococcal pathogens but not other bacteria tested. Taken together, our results reveal distinct charge and hydrophobic requirements for peptides to kill Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. This finding is in line with the bioinformatics analysis of the peptides in the Antimicrobial Peptide Database (http://aps.unmc.edu/AP). In addition, a hot spot arginine is identified and used to design merecidin with reduced toxicity to human cells. Merecidin protects wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella) from the infection of methicillin-resistant S. aureus USA300. These new selective peptides constitute interesting candidates for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuqing Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA.,Department of Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Biswajit Mishra
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Tamara Lushnikova
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Jayaram Lakshmaiah Narayana
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
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da Silva BR, Conrado AJS, Pereira AL, Evaristo FFV, Arruda FVS, Vasconcelos MA, Lorenzón EN, Cilli EM, Teixeira EH. Antibacterial activity of a novel antimicrobial peptide [W7]KR12-KAEK derived from KR-12 against Streptococcus mutans planktonic cells and biofilms. BIOFOULING 2017; 33:835-846. [PMID: 28967271 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2017.1374378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to describe the synthesis of a novel synthetic peptide based on the primary structure of the KR-12 peptide and to evaluate its antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities against Streptococcus mutans. The antimicrobial effect of KR-12 and [W7]KR12-KAEK was assessed by determining the minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal (MBC) concentrations. The evaluation of anti-biofilm activity was assessed through total biomass quantification, colony forming unit counting and scanning electron microscopy. [W7]KR12-KAEK showed MIC and MBC values ranging from 31.25 to 7.8 and 62.5 to 15.6 μg ml-1, respectively. Furthermore, [W7]KR12-KAEK significantly reduced biofilm biomass (50-100%). Regarding cell viability, [W7]KR12-KAEK showed reductions in the number of CFUs at concentrations ranging from 62.5 to 7.8 μg ml-1 and 500 to 62.5 μg ml-1 with respect to biofilm formation and preformed biofilms, respectively. SEM micrographs of S. mutans treated with [W7]KR12-KAEK suggested damage to the bacterial surface. [W7]KR12-KAEK is demonstrated to be an antimicrobial agent to control microbial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B R da Silva
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- d School of Dentistry , Universidade de Fortaleza - UNIFOR , Fortaleza , Brazil
| | - A J S Conrado
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
| | - A L Pereira
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
| | - F F V Evaristo
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- b School of Dentistry , Faculdades INTA , Sobral , Brazil
| | - F V S Arruda
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- b School of Dentistry , Faculdades INTA , Sobral , Brazil
| | - M A Vasconcelos
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
- e Department of Biological Sciences , Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte , Mossoró , Brazil
| | - E N Lorenzón
- f Institute of Biological Science , Universidade Federal de Goiás , Goiânia , Brazil
| | - E M Cilli
- c Institute of Chemistry , Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) , Araraquara , Brazil
| | - E H Teixeira
- a DPML/LIBS, Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules , Federal University of Ceará , Fortaleza , Brazil
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30
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Wang X, Junior JCB, Mishra B, Lushnikova T, Epand RM, Wang G. Arginine-lysine positional swap of the LL-37 peptides reveals evolutional advantages of the native sequence and leads to bacterial probes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1859:1350-1361. [PMID: 28450045 PMCID: PMC5516960 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are essential components of the innate immune system of multicellular organisms. Although cationic and hydrophobic amino acids are known determinants of these amphipathic molecules for bacterial killing, it is not clear how lysine-arginine (K-R) positional swaps influence peptide structure and activity. This study addresses this question by investigating two groups of peptides (GF-17 and 17BIPHE2) derived from human cathelicidin LL-37. K-R positional swap showed little effect on minimal inhibitory concentrations of the peptides. However, there are clear differences in bacterial killing kinetics. The membrane permeation patterns vary with peptide and bacterial types, but not changes in fluorescent dyes, salts or pH. In general, the original peptide is more efficient in bacterial killing, but less toxic to human cells, than the K-R swapped peptides, revealing the evolutionary significance of the native sequence for host defense. The characteristic membrane permeation patterns for different bacteria suggest a possible application of these K-R positional-swapped peptides as molecular probes for the type of bacteria. Such differences are related to bacterial membrane compositions: minimal for Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus with essentially all anionic lipids (cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol), but evident for Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli with a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. Biophysical characterization found similar structures and binding affinities for these peptides in vesicle systems mimicking E. coli and S. aureus. It seems that interfacial arginines of GF-17 are preferred over lysines in bacterial membrane permeation. Our study sheds new light on the design of cationic amphipathic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuqing Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA; Department of Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - José Carlos Bozelli Junior
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Biswajit Mishra
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA
| | - Tamara Lushnikova
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA
| | - Richard M Epand
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA.
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31
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Rice A, Wereszczynski J. Probing the disparate effects of arginine and lysine residues on antimicrobial peptide/bilayer association. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1859:1941-1950. [PMID: 28583830 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key components of the innate immune response and represent promising templates for the development of broad-spectrum alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Most AMPs are short, cationic peptides that interact more strongly with negatively charged prokaryotic membranes than net neutral eukaryotic ones. Both AMPs and synthetic analogues with arginine-like side chains are more active against bacteria than those with lysine-like amine groups, though the atomistic mechanism for this increase in potency remains unclear. To examine this, we conducted comparative molecular dynamics simulations of a model negatively-charged membrane system interacting with two mutants of the AMP KR-12: one with lysine residues mutated to arginines (R-KR12) and one with arginine residues mutated to lysine (K-KR12). Simulations show that both partition analogously to the bilayer and display similar preferences for hydrogen bonding with the anionic POPGs. However, R-KR12 binds stronger to the bilayer than K-KR12 and forms significantly more hydrogen bonds, leading to considerably longer interaction times. Additional simulations with methylated R-KR12 and charge-modified K-KR12 mutants show that the extensive interaction seen in the R-KR12 system is partly due to arginine's strong atomic charge distribution, rather than being purely an effect of the greater number of hydrogen bond donors. Finally, free energy simulations reveal that both peptides are disordered in solution but form an amphipathic α-helix when inserted into the bilayer headgroup region. Overall, these results highlight the role of charge and hydrogen bond strength in peptide bilayer insertion, and offer potential insights for designing more potent analogues in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rice
- Department of Physics and The Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA
| | - J Wereszczynski
- Department of Physics and The Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA.
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Song DW, Kim SH, Kim HH, Lee KH, Ki CS, Park YH. Multi-biofunction of antimicrobial peptide-immobilized silk fibroin nanofiber membrane: Implications for wound healing. Acta Biomater 2016; 39:146-155. [PMID: 27163404 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED An antimicrobial peptide motif (Cys-KR12) originating from human cathelicidin peptide (LL37) was immobilized onto electrospun SF nanofiber membranes using EDC/NHS and thiol-maleimide click chemistry to confer the various bioactivities of LL37 onto the membrane for wound care purposes. Surface characterizations revealed that the immobilization density of Cys-KR12 on SF nanofibers could be precisely controlled with a high reaction yield. The Cys-KR12-immobilized SF nanofiber membrane exhibited antimicrobial activity against four pathogenic bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) without biofilm formation on the membrane surface. It also facilitated the proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts and promoted the differentiation of keratinocytes with enhanced cell-cell attachment. In addition, immobilized Cys-KR12 significantly suppressed the LPS-induced TNF-α expression of monocytes (Raw264.7) cultured on the membrane. These results suggest that a Cys-KR12-immobilized SF nanofiber membrane, which has multiple biological activities, would be a promising candidate as a wound dressing material. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This research article reports various bioactivities of an antimicrobial peptide on electrospun silk fibroin nanofiber membrane. Recently, human cathelicidin peptide LL37 has been extensively explored as an alternative antibiotic material. It has not only a great antimicrobial activity but also a wide variety of bioactivities which can facilitate wound healing process. Especially, many studies on immobilization of LL37 or its analogues have shown the immobilization technique could improve performance of wound dressing materials or tissue culture matrices. Nevertheless, so far studies have only focused on the bactericidal effect of immobilized peptide on material surface. On the other hand, we tried to evaluate multi-biofunction of immobilized antimicrobial peptide Cys-KR12, which is the shortest peptide motif as an analogue of LL37. We fabricated silk fibroin nanofiber membrane as a model wound dressing by electrospinning and immobilized the antimicrobial peptide. As a result, we confirmed that the immobilized peptide can play multi-role in wound healing process, such as antimicrobial activity, facilitation of cell proliferation and keratinocyte differentiation, and inhibition of inflammatory cytokine expression. These findings have not been reported and can give an inspiration in wound-care application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Woong Song
- Department of Biosystems and Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin Hwan Kim
- Product Tech Transfer Team, Ajinomoto Genexine Corporation, Incheon 21991, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Hwan Kim
- Department of Biosystems and Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Hoon Lee
- Department of Biosystems and Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Seok Ki
- Department of Biosystems and Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Young Hwan Park
- Department of Biosystems and Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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Hu K, Jiang Y, Xie Y, Liu H, Liu R, Zhao Z, Lai R, Yang L. Small-Anion Selective Transmembrane "Holes" Induced by an Antimicrobial Peptide Too Short to Span Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:8553-60. [PMID: 26126210 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b03133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Whereas many membrane-destabilization modes have been suggested for membrane-spanning antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), few are available for those too short to span membrane thickness. Here we show that ORB-1, a 15-residue disulfide-bridged AMP that is only ∼20 Å long even when fully stretched like a hairpin, may act by inducing small anion-selective transmembrane "holes" of negative mean curvature. In model membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, ORB-1 induces chloride transmembrane transport and formation of transmembrane channels of negative mean curvature, whereas the inactive analogue, ORB-N, does not, suggesting a correlation between antibacterial activity and ability to induce transmembrane channels. Given that ORB-N is the C-terminus amidated form of ORB-1, our results further suggest that formation of membrane-spanning dimers may be required to initiate the observed channel induction. Moreover, ORB-1 renders model bacterial membranes permeable to anions with effective hydration diameters of <1 nm (e.g., Cl(-) and NO3(-)), but not cations of similar sizes (e.g., H3O(+)), indicative of anion-selective transmembrane channels with an effective inner diameter of ≤1 nm. In addition, negative-intrinsic-curvature (NIC) lipids such as phosphoethanolamine (PE) may facilitate the membrane-destabilization process of ORB-1. Our findings may expand current understandings on how AMPs destabilize membranes and facilitate the pharmaceutical development of ORB-1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rui Liu
- ‡Biotoxin Units of Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | | | - Ren Lai
- ‡Biotoxin Units of Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
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Mishra B, Lushnikova T, Wang G. Small lipopeptides possess anti-biofilm capability comparable to daptomycin and vancomycin. RSC Adv 2015; 5:59758-59769. [PMID: 26257894 DOI: 10.1039/c5ra07896b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance, to a large extent, is related to the formation of bacterial biofilms. Thus, compounds with anti-biofilm capability are of practical importance. Inspired by the recent discovery of two amino acid lipopeptides from marine bacteria, we constructed a family of small lipopeptides with 2-3 amino acids. While no antimicrobial activity was found for anionic lipopeptides, cationic candidates are potent against Staphylococcus strains, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) USA200, USA300, USA400, UAMS-1, Newman, and Mu50. In the simplest design, two lysines (C14-KK) or three arginines (C14-RRR) attached to an acyl chain of 14 carbons were sufficient to make the compounds antimicrobial. These simple lipopeptides are inherently stable towards S. aureus V8 proteinase and fungal proteinase K, more soluble in water, and more selective than other lipopeptides containing a mixture of hydrophobic and cationic amino acids. Furthermore, the activity of C14-RRR was not compromised by salts, serum, or a change in pH. Live cell experiments revealed that these lipopeptides, with a detergent-like structure, killed bacteria rapidly by targeting cell membranes. Importantly, these compounds were also able to inhibit biofilm formation and could even disrupt preformed biofilms of clinically relevant MRSA strains with an in vitro efficacy comparable to daptomycin and vancomycin. These results indicate that small lipopeptides are potentially useful candidates for preventing or eliminating bacterial biofilms alone or in combination with daptomycin or vancomycin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswajit Mishra
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA
| | - Tamara Lushnikova
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA
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35
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Basu A, Mishra B, Leong SSJ. Global transcriptome analysis reveals distinct bacterial response towards soluble and surface-immobilized antimicrobial peptide (Lasioglossin-III). RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra14862f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial response towards soluble and immobilized AMP molecules revealed through global transcriptome analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anindya Basu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore 637459
| | - Biswajit Mishra
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore 637459
| | - Susanna Su Jan Leong
- Singapore Institute of Technology
- Singapore 138683
- Department of Biochemistry
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
- National University of Singapore
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Chakraborty S, Phu M, de Morais TP, Nascimento R, Goulart LR, Rao BJ, Asgeirsson B, Dandekar AM. The PDB database is a rich source of alpha-helical anti-microbial peptides to combat disease causing pathogens. F1000Res 2014; 3:295. [PMID: 26629331 PMCID: PMC4642847 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.5802.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of α-helical anti-microbial peptides (AH-AMP) to combat pathogens is fast gaining prominence. Based on recently published open access software for characterizing α-helical peptides (PAGAL), we elucidate a search methodology (SCALPEL) that leverages the massive structural data pre-existing in the PDB database to obtain AH-AMPs belonging to the host proteome. We provide in vitro validation of SCALPEL on plant pathogens ( Xylella fastidiosa, Xanthomonas arboricola and Liberibacter crescens) by identifying AH-AMPs that mirror the function and properties of cecropin B, a well-studied AH-AMP. The identified peptides include a linear AH-AMP present within the existing structure of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PPC20), and an AH-AMP mimicing the properties of the two α-helices of cecropin B from chitinase (CHITI25). The minimum inhibitory concentration of these peptides are comparable to that of cecropin B, while anionic peptides used as control failed to show any inhibitory effect on these pathogens. Substitute therapies in place of conventional chemotherapies using membrane permeabilizing peptides like these might also prove effective to target cancer cells. The use of native structures from the same organism largely ensures that administration of such peptides will be better tolerated and not elicit an adverse immune response. We suggest a similar approach to target Ebola epitopes, enumerated using PAGAL recently, by selecting suitable peptides from the human proteome, especially in wake of recent reports of cationic amphiphiles inhibiting virus entry and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Chakraborty
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - My Phu
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Tâmara Prado de Morais
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael Nascimento
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Basuthkar J. Rao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Bjarni Asgeirsson
- Science Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Abhaya M. Dandekar
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Chakraborty S, Phu M, de Morais TP, Nascimento R, Goulart LR, Rao BJ, Asgeirsson B, Dandekar AM. The PDB database is a rich source of alpha-helical anti-microbial peptides to combat disease causing pathogens. F1000Res 2014; 3:295. [PMID: 26629331 PMCID: PMC4642847 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.5802.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of α-helical anti-microbial peptides (AH-AMP) to combat pathogens is fast gaining prominence. Based on recently published open access software for characterizing α-helical peptides (PAGAL), we elucidate a search methodology (SCALPEL) that leverages the massive structural data pre-existing in the PDB database to obtain AH-AMPs belonging to the host proteome. We provide in vitro validation of SCALPEL on plant pathogens ( Xylella fastidiosa, Xanthomonas arboricola and Liberibacter crescens) by identifying AH-AMPs that mirror the function and properties of cecropin B, a well-studied AH-AMP. The identified peptides include a linear AH-AMP present within the existing structure of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PPC20), and an AH-AMP mimicing the properties of the two α-helices of cecropin B from chitinase (CHITI25). The minimum inhibitory concentration of these peptides are comparable to that of cecropin B, while anionic peptides used as control failed to show any inhibitory effect on these pathogens. Substitute therapies in place of conventional chemotherapies using membrane permeabilizing peptides like these might also prove effective to target cancer cells. The use of native structures from the same organism could possibly ensure that administration of such peptides will be better tolerated and not elicit an adverse immune response. We suggest a similar approach to target Ebola epitopes, enumerated using PAGAL recently, by selecting suitable peptides from the human proteome, especially in wake of recent reports of cationic amphiphiles inhibiting virus entry and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Chakraborty
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - My Phu
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Tâmara Prado de Morais
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael Nascimento
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Basuthkar J. Rao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Bjarni Asgeirsson
- Science Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Abhaya M. Dandekar
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Chakraborty S, Rao B, Dandekar A. PAGAL - Properties and corresponding graphics of alpha helical structures in proteins. F1000Res 2014; 3:206. [PMID: 25352981 PMCID: PMC4207245 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.4952.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha helices (AH) are peptide fragments characterized by regular patterns of hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl oxygen and amino nitrogen of residues regularly spaced in sequence, resulting in spiral conformations. Their preponderance in protein structures underlines their importance. Interestingly, AHs are present in most anti-microbial peptides, although they might remain in random-coil conformations depending on the solvent dielectric. For example, the cecropin component of the chimeric anti-microbial protein designed previously by our group comprises of two AHs linked by a short stretch of random coil. These anti-microbial peptides are often amphipathic (quantified by a hydrophobic moment), aligning hydrophobic residues on one surface and charged residues on the others. In the current work, we reproduce previously described computational methods to compute the hydrophobic moment of AHs - and provide open access to the source code (PAGAL). We simultaneously generated input files for TikZ (a package for creating high resolution graphics programmatically) to obtain the Edmundson wheel and showing the direction and magnitude of the hydrophobic moment, and Pymol scripts to generate color coded protein surfaces. Additionally, we have observed an empirical structural property of AHs: the distance between the Cα atoms of the ith and (i+4)th residue is equal to the distance between the carbonyl oxygens of the ith and (i+4)th residue. We validated this using 100 non-homologous high resolution structures from the PISCES database. The source code and manual is available at http://github.com/sanchak/pagal and on http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11136.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Chakraborty
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA ; Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Basuthkar Rao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Abhaya Dandekar
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
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High-quality 3D structures shine light on antibacterial, anti-biofilm and antiviral activities of human cathelicidin LL-37 and its fragments. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2014; 1838:2160-72. [PMID: 24463069 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Revised: 12/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Host defense antimicrobial peptides are key components of human innate immunity that plays an indispensible role in human health. While there are multiple copies of cathelicidin genes in horses, cattle, pigs, and sheep, only one cathelicidin gene is found in humans. Interestingly, this single cathelicidin gene can be processed into different forms of antimicrobial peptides. LL-37, the most commonly studied form, is not only antimicrobial but also possesses other functional roles such as chemotaxis, apoptosis, wound healing, immune modulation, and cancer metastasis. This article reviews recent advances made in structural and biophysical studies of human LL-37 and its fragments, which serve as a basis to understand their antibacterial, anti-biofilm and antiviral activities. High-quality structures were made possible by using improved 2D NMR methods for peptide fragments and 3D NMR spectroscopy for intact LL-37. The two hydrophobic domains in the long amphipathic helix (residues 2-31) of LL-37 separated by a hydrophilic residue serine 9 explain its cooperative binding to bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Both aromatic rings (F5, F6, F17, and F27) and interfacial basic amino acids of LL-37 directly interact with anionic phosphatidylglycerols (PG). Although the peptide sequences reported in the literature vary slightly, there is a consensus that the central helix of LL-37 is essential for disrupting superbugs (e.g., MRSA), bacterial biofilms, and viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In the central helix, the central arginine R23 is of particular importance in binding to bacterial membranes or DNA. Mapping the functional roles of the cationic amino acids of the major antimicrobial region of LL-37 provides a basis for designing antimicrobial peptides with desired properties. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Interfacially Active Peptides and Proteins. Guest Editors: William C. Wimley and Kalina Hristova.
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