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Zhao H, Zhao S, Wang S, Liu Y. Human β-defensins: The multi-functional natural peptide. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 227:116451. [PMID: 39059771 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The increasing threat of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic microorganisms and the urgent demand for new antibiotics require immediate attention. Antimicrobial peptides exhibit effectiveness against microorganisms, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. The discovery of human β-defensins represents a major milestone in biomedical research, opening new avenues for scientific investigation into the innate immune system and its resistance mechanisms against pathogenic microorganisms. Multiple defensins present a promising alternative in the context of antibiotic abuse. However, obstacles to the practical application of defensins as anti-infective therapies persist due to the unique properties of human β-defensins themselves and serious pharmacological and technical challenges. To overcome these challenges, diverse delivery vehicles have been developed and progressively improved for the conjugation or encapsulation of human β-defensins. This review briefly introduces the biology of human β-defensins, focusing on their multistage structure and diverse functions. It also discusses several heterologous systems for producing human β-defensins, various delivery systems created for these peptides, and patent applications related to their utilization, concluding with a summary of current challenges and potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haile Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China
| | - Shuli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China
| | - Simeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China.
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2
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Jeyarajan S, Peter AS, Ranjith S, Sathyan A, Duraisamy S, Kandasamy I, Chidambaram P, Kumarasamy A. Glycine-replaced epinecidin-1 variant bestows better stability and stronger antimicrobial activity against a range of nosocomial pathogenic bacteria. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2024. [PMID: 39034467 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Epinecidin-1 (epi-1), an antimicrobial peptide first identified in marine grouper fish, has multifunctional bioactivities. The present study aims to improve its therapeutic potential via structural modifications that could enhance its antimicrobial activity and stability. To achieve it, we replaced glycine and the first histidine in the parent epi-1 with lysine, which resulted in a peptide with a repeating KXXK motif and improved physiochemical properties related to antimicrobial activity. This modified peptide, referred to as glycine-to-lysine replaced-epi-1, also gained stability and a twofold increase in helical propensity. To produce the active peptide, overlap extension PCR was employed to generate the gene of GK-epi-1 via site-directed mutagenesis, which was then cloned into the pET-32a vector and expressed as a recombinant fusion protein in Escherichia coli C43 (DE3) strain. The recombinant protein was purified and digested with enterokinase to release the active peptide fragment, which was then evaluated for antimicrobial activity and stability. The lysine substitution led to an enhancement in broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against a wide range of nosocomial pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivakumar Jeyarajan
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Transgeinc Animal Model Core, Biomedical Research Core Facilities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ansu Susan Peter
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sukumar Ranjith
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Aswathy Sathyan
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Senbagam Duraisamy
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Indira Kandasamy
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Anbarasu Kumarasamy
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
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Yu T, Hu T, Na K, Zhang L, Lu S, Guo X. Glutamine-derived peptides: Current progress and future directions. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2024; 23:e13386. [PMID: 38847753 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in the body, plays a critical role in preserving immune function, nitrogen balance, intestinal integrity, and resistance to infection. However, its limited solubility and instability present challenges for its use a functional nutrient. Consequently, there is a preference for utilizing glutamine-derived peptides as an alternative to achieve enhanced functionality. This article aims to review the applications of glutamine monomers in clinical, sports, and enteral nutrition. It compares the functional effectiveness of monomers and glutamine-derived peptides and provides a comprehensive assessment of glutamine-derived peptides in terms of their classification, preparation, mechanism of absorption, and biological activity. Furthermore, this study explores the potential integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-based peptidomics and synthetic biology in the de novo design and large-scale production of these peptides. The findings reveal that glutamine-derived peptides possess significant structure-related bioactivities, with the smaller molecular weight fraction serving as the primary active ingredient. These peptides possess the ability to promote intestinal homeostasis, exert hypotensive and hypoglycemic effects, and display antioxidant properties. However, our understanding of the structure-function relationships of glutamine-derived peptides remains largely exploratory at current stage. The combination of AI based peptidomics and synthetic biology presents an opportunity to explore the untapped resources of glutamine-derived peptides as functional food ingredients. Additionally, the utilization and bioavailability of these peptides can be enhanced through the use of delivery systems in vivo. This review serves as a valuable reference for future investigations of and developments in the discovery, functional validation, and biomanufacturing of glutamine-derived peptides in food science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfei Yu
- College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan City, China
| | - Tianshuo Hu
- College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan City, China
| | - Kai Na
- College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan City, China
| | - Li Zhang
- College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan City, China
| | - Shuang Lu
- College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan City, China
| | - Xiaohua Guo
- College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan City, China
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4
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Pennone V, Rosini E, Mascheroni E, Gianola S, Castellini G, Bargeri S, Lovati AB. Revolutionizing orthopedic healthcare: a systematic review unveiling recombinant antimicrobial peptides. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1370826. [PMID: 38756724 PMCID: PMC11097975 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1370826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing demand for orthopedic surgeries, including joint replacements, is driven by an aging population and improved diagnosis of joint conditions. Orthopedic surgeries carry a risk of infection, especially in patients with comorbidities. The rise of antibiotic resistance exacerbates this issue, necessitating alternatives like in vitro bioengineered antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), offering broad-spectrum activity and multiple action mechanisms. This review aimed to assess the prevalence of antimicrobial potential and the yield after purification among recombinant AMP families. The antimicrobial potential was evaluated using the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values against the most common bacteria involved in clinical infections. This systematic review adhered to PRISMA guidelines, focusing on in vitro studies of recombinant AMPs. The search strategy was run on PubMed, Scopus and Embase up to 30th March 2023. The Population, Exposure and Outcome model was used to extract the data from studies and ToxRTool for the risk of bias analysis. This review included studies providing peptide production yield data and MIC values against pathogenic bacteria. Non-English texts, reviews, conference abstracts, books, studies focusing solely on chemical synthesis, those reporting incomplete data sets, using non-standard MIC assessment methods, or presenting MIC values as ranges rather than precise concentrations, were excluded. From 370 publications, 34 studies on AMPs were analyzed. These covered 46 AMPs across 18 families, with Defensins and Hepcidins being most common. Yields varied from 0.5 to 2,700 mg/L. AMPs were tested against 23 bacterial genera, with MIC values ranging from 0.125 to >1,152 μg/mL. Arenicins showed the highest antimicrobial activity, particularly against common orthopedic infection pathogens. However, AMP production yields varied and some AMPs demonstrated limited effectiveness against certain bacterial strains. This systematic review emphasizes the critical role of bioengineered AMPs to cope infections and antibiotic resistance. It meticulously evaluates recombinant AMPs, focusing on their antimicrobial efficacy and production yields. The review highlights that, despite the variability in AMP yields and effectiveness, Arenicins and Defensins are promising candidates for future research and clinical applications in treating antibiotic-resistant orthopedic infections. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of AMPs in healthcare, underscoring their potential in addressing the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance. Systematic review registration:https://osf.io/2uq4c/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Pennone
- Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Rosini
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Elena Mascheroni
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Silvia Gianola
- Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Greta Castellini
- Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Bargeri
- Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna B. Lovati
- Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
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Jeyarajan S, Peter AS, Sathyan A, Ranjith S, Kandasamy I, Duraisamy S, Chidambaram P, Kumarasamy A. Expression and purification of epinecidin-1 variant (Ac-Var-1) by acid cleavage. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:176. [PMID: 38277014 PMCID: PMC10817847 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13017-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The demand for massive quantities of therapeutic active antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is high due to their potential as alternatives to antibiotics. However, each antimicrobial peptide has unique properties, necessitating distinct synthesis and purification strategies for their large-scale production. In this study, we bio-synthesized and purified a functional enhanced variant of the AMP epinecidin-1, known as Ac-Var-1 (acid-cleavable variant-1). To generate the active peptide, we cloned the gene for Ac-Var-1 with acid-cleavable site (aspartic acid-proline) into the pET-32a expression vector, purified the fusion protein by His tag enrichment chromatography, and performed acid cleavage to release the active Ac-Var-1 peptide. After acid cleavage, the active Ac-Var-1 was purified and characterized by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry. The results from both techniques provided confirmation of the intactness of the purified Ac-Var-1. The Ac-Var-1 inhibited the growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. KEY POINTS : • Epinecidin-1 is a well-known antimicrobial peptide having multipotential bioactivities. • Epinecidin-1 variant is developed via the site-directed mutagenesis method to improve its structural stability and bioactivity. • AC-Var-1 development is an economical and easy method to remove peptide from tag protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivakumar Jeyarajan
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ansu Susan Peter
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Aswathy Sathyan
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sukumar Ranjith
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Indira Kandasamy
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Senbagam Duraisamy
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM University, Chennai, India
| | | | - Anbarasu Kumarasamy
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Xu K, Zhao X, Tan Y, Wu J, Cai Y, Zhou J, Wang X. A systematical review on antimicrobial peptides and their food applications. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 155:213684. [PMID: 37976831 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Food safety issues are a major concern in food processing and packaging industries. Food spoilage is caused by microbial contamination, where antimicrobial peptides (APs) provide solutions by eliminating microorganisms. APs such as nisin have been successfully and commonly used in food processing and preservation. Here, we discuss all aspects of the functionalization of APs in food applications. We briefly review the natural sources of APs and their native functions. Recombinant expression of APs in microorganisms and their yields are described. The molecular mechanisms of AP antibacterial action are explained, and this knowledge can further benefit the design of functional APs. We highlight current utilities and challenges for the application of APs in the food industry, and address rational methods for AP design that may overcome current limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangjie Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - XinYi Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Yameng Tan
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Junheng Wu
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Yiqing Cai
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China..
| | - Xinglong Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
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7
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Xu Y, Dong M, Wang Q, Sun Y, Hang B, Zhang H, Hu J, Zhang G. Soluble Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide BSN-37 from Escherichia coli by SUMO Fusion Technology. Protein J 2023; 42:563-574. [PMID: 37561256 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-023-10144-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a kind of small molecular peptide that an organism produces to resist the invasion of foreign microorganisms. AMP BSN-37 is a bovine AMP that exhibits high antibacterial activity. In this paper, the optimized gene AMP BSN-37 was cloned into pCold-SUMO for fusion expression by recombinant DNA technology. The gene sequence of AMP BSN-37 was obtained by codons reverse translation, and the codons were optimized according to the codons preference of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The recombinant plasmid was constructed and identified by PCR, enzyme digestion and sequencing. Then the recombinant plasmid was transformed into BL21 E. coli to induce expression, and the IPTG concentration and time were optimized. The expressed soluble fusion protein SUMO-BSN-37 was purified by chromatography and then cleaved by SUMO proteases to release BSN-37. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and Western blotting were used for identification. The recombinant plasmid pCold-SUMO-BSN-37 was obtained, and the fusion AMP BSN-37 was preliminarily expressed in BL21. After optimization, the optimal expression condition was 37 ℃ with 0.4 µM IPTG and 6 h incubation. Under optimal conditions, a large amount of fusion AMP BSN-37 was obtained by purification. Western blotting showed that the fusion peptide was successfully expressed and had good activity. The expressed BSN-37 showed antimicrobial activity similar to that of synthesized BSN-37. In this study, soluble expression products of AMP BSN-37 were obtained, and the problem regarding the limited source of AMP BSN-37 could be effectively solved, laying a foundation for further research on AMP BSN-37.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhao Xu
- Postdoctoral Research Station, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
- Postdoctoral Research Base, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
| | - Mengmeng Dong
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Qing Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Yawei Sun
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Bolin Hang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Huihui Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Jianhe Hu
- Postdoctoral Research Base, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Gaiping Zhang
- Postdoctoral Research Station, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
- Postdoctoral Research Base, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
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Wang P, Lin Z, Lin S, Zheng B, Zhang Y, Hu J. Prokaryotic Expression, Purification, and Antibacterial Activity of the Hepcidin Peptide of Crescent Sweetlips ( Plectorhinchus cinctus). Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:7212-7227. [PMID: 37754240 PMCID: PMC10528233 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45090456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The hepcidin peptide of crescent sweetlips (Plectorhinchus cinctus) is a cysteine-rich, cationic antimicrobial peptide that plays a crucial role in the innate immune system's defense against invading microbes. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal parameters for prokaryotic expression and purification of this hepcidin peptide and characterize its antibacterial activity. The recombinant hepcidin peptides were expressed in Escherichia coli strain Arctic Express (DE3), with culture and induction conditions optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The obtained hepcidin peptides were then purified before tag cleavage, and their antibacterial activity was determined. The obtained results revealed that induction temperature had the most significant impact on the production of soluble recombinant peptides. The optimum induction conditions were determined to be an isopropylthio-β-galactoside (IPTG) concentration of 0.21 mmol/L, induction temperature of 18.81 °C, and an induction time of 16.01 h. Subsequently, the recombinant hepcidin peptide was successfully purified using Ni-IDA affinity chromatography followed by SUMO protease cleavage. The obtained hepcidin peptide (without His-SUMO tag) demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity in vitro against V. parahaemolyticus, E. coli, and S. aureus. The results showed prokaryotic (E. coli) expression is a feasible way to produce the hepcidin peptide of crescent sweetlips in a cost-effective way, which has great potential to be used as an antimicrobial agent in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peixin Wang
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China (S.L.); (B.Z.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhongjing Lin
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China (S.L.); (B.Z.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shaoling Lin
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China (S.L.); (B.Z.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Baodong Zheng
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China (S.L.); (B.Z.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China (S.L.); (B.Z.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jiamiao Hu
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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9
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Ri CH, Li SR, Paek CI, Kim YS. Functional expression of an antimicrobial peptide, belonging to halocin C8 family, from Natrinema sp. RNS21 in Escherichia coli. Extremophiles 2023; 27:21. [PMID: 37548679 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-023-01308-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Halocins, the proteinaceous antimicrobial agents produced by haloarchaea, may be used for the preservation of salted foods and the treatment of diseases. For their application and function explanation, it is necessary to produce the active recombinants. In this work, a haloarchaeal strain producing halocin was isolated from the salt-fermented shrimp and identified as Natrinema sp. RNS21 by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. From 1 L of RNS21 culture, about 0.32 mg of halocin with 96% purity was obtained. Based on the molecular weight, stability and amino acid sequence alignment, the antimicrobial peptide belonged to the halocin C8 (HalC8) family. HalC8 was expressed by fusion with glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in E. coli, followed by affinity purification and enterokinase (EK) cleavage. About 6.2 mg of recombinant HalC8 with 95% purity was obtained from 1 L of E. coli culture. MALDI-TOF-MS and RP-HPLC analysis indicated that the molecular weight and folding pattern of purified recombinant HalC8 were the same as those of native HalC8. Recombinant HalC8 showed obvious inhibitory activity against Haloferax volcanii. Contrast to native HalC8, the active recombinant HalC8 could be easily produced in a short time with a high yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Ho Ri
- Faculty of Life Science, KIM IL SUNG University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
| | - Song Ryong Li
- Faculty of Life Science, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Chon Il Paek
- Faculty of Life Science, KIM IL SUNG University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Sin Kim
- Faculty of Life Science, KIM IL SUNG University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
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10
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Li X, Zhang B, Hu Q, Chen C, Huang J, Liu L, Wang S. Refinement of the Fusion Tag PagP for Effective Formation of Inclusion Bodies in Escherichia coli. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0380322. [PMID: 37222613 PMCID: PMC10269538 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03803-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Methods for efficient insoluble protein production require further exploration. PagP, an Escherichia coli outer membrane protein with high β-sheet content, could function as an efficient fusion partner for inclusion body-targeted expression of recombinant peptides. The primary structure of a given polypeptide determines to a large extent its propensity to aggregate. Herein, aggregation "hot spots" (HSs) in PagP were analyzed using the web-based software AGGRESCAN, leading to identification of a C-terminal region harboring numerous HSs. Moreover, a proline-rich region was found in the β-strands. Substitution of these prolines by residues with high β-sheet propensity and hydrophobicity significantly improved its ability to form aggregates. Consequently, the absolute yields of recombinant antimicrobial peptides Magainin II, Metchnikowin, and Andropin were increased significantly when expressed in fusion with this refined version of PagP. We describe separation of recombinant target proteins expressed in inclusion bodies fused with the tag. An artificial NHT linker peptide with three motifs was implemented for separation and purification of authentic recombinant antimicrobial peptides. IMPORTANCE Fusion tag-induced formation of inclusion bodies provides a powerful means to express unstructured or toxic proteins. For a given fusion tag, how to enhance the formation of inclusion bodies remains to be explored. Our study illustrated that the aggregation HSs in a fusion tag played important roles in mediating its insoluble expression. Efficient production of inclusion bodies could also be implemented by refining its primary structure to form a more stable β-sheet with higher hydrophobicity. This study provides a promising method for improvement of the insoluble expression of recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Li
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Baorong Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Quan Hu
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changchao Chen
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiahua Huang
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Liu
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shengbin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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11
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Lyu Z, Yang P, Lei J, Zhao J. Biological Function of Antimicrobial Peptides on Suppressing Pathogens and Improving Host Immunity. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1037. [PMID: 37370356 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12061037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant genes and concerns about food safety caused by the overuse of antibiotics are becoming increasingly prominent. There is an urgent need for effective alternatives to antibiotics in the fields of livestock production and human medicine. Antimicrobial peptides can effectively replace antibiotics to kill pathogens and enhance the immune functions of the host, and pathogens cannot easily produce genes that are resistant to them. The ability of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to kill pathogens is associated with their structure and physicochemical properties, such as their conformation, electrical charges, hydrophilicity, and hydrophobicity. AMPs regulate the activity of immunological cells and stimulate the secretion of inflammatory cytokines via the activation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. However, there are still some limitations to the application of AMPs in the fields of livestock production and human medicine, including a restricted source base, high costs of purification and expression, and the instability of the intestines of animals and humans. This review summarizes the information on AMPs as effective antibiotic substitutes to improve the immunological functions of the host through suppressing pathogens and regulating inflammatory responses. Potential challenges for the commercial application of AMPs in animal husbandry and human medicine are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqian Lyu
- Guangdong Haid Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511400, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Pan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jian Lei
- Guangdong Haid Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511400, China
- Qingyuan Haibei BIO-TECH Co., Ltd., Qingyuan 511853, China
| | - Jinbiao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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12
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Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek A, Baran J, Ciach T. Antimicrobial Peptides: Challenging Journey to the Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Cosmeceutical Use. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109031. [PMID: 37240379 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109031] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or host defence peptides, are short proteins in various life forms. Here we discuss AMPs, which may become a promising substitute or adjuvant in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmeceutical uses. Their pharmacological potential has been investigated intensively, especially as antibacterial and antifungal drugs and as promising antiviral and anticancer agents. AMPs exhibit many properties, and some of these have attracted the attention of the cosmetic industry. AMPs are being developed as novel antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens and as potential treatments for various diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disorders, and viral infections. In biomedicine, AMPs are being developed as wound-healing agents because they promote cell growth and tissue repair. The immunomodulatory effects of AMPs could be helpful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In the cosmeceutical industry, AMPs are being investigated as potential ingredients in skincare products due to their antioxidant properties (anti-ageing effects) and antibacterial activity, which allows the killing of bacteria that contribute to acne and other skin conditions. The promising benefits of AMPs make them a thrilling area of research, and studies are underway to overcome obstacles and fully harness their therapeutic potential. This review presents the structure, mechanisms of action, possible applications, production methods, and market for AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Baran
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Ciach
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warynskiego 1, 00-645 Warsaw, Poland
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13
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Ciulla MG, Gelain F. Structure-activity relationships of antibacterial peptides. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:757-777. [PMID: 36705032 PMCID: PMC10034643 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides play a crucial role in innate immunity, whose components are mainly peptide-based molecules with antibacterial properties. Indeed, the exploration of the immune system over the past 40 years has revealed a number of natural peptides playing a pivotal role in the defence mechanisms of vertebrates and invertebrates, including amphibians, insects, and mammalians. This review provides a discussion regarding the antibacterial mechanisms of peptide-based agents and their structure-activity relationships (SARs) with the aim of describing a topic that is not yet fully explored. Some growing evidence suggests that innate immunity should be strongly considered for the development of novel antibiotic peptide-based libraries. Also, due to the constantly rising concern of antibiotic resistance, the development of new antibiotic drugs is becoming a priority of global importance. Hence, the study and the understanding of defence phenomena occurring in the immune system may inspire the development of novel antibiotic compound libraries and set the stage to overcome drug-resistant pathogens. Here, we provide an overview of the importance of peptide-based antibacterial sources, focusing on accurately selected molecular structures, their SARs including recently introduced modifications, their latest biotechnology applications, and their potential against multi-drug resistant pathogens. Last, we provide cues to describe how antibacterial peptides show a better scope of action selectivity than several anti-infective agents, which are characterized by non-selective activities and non-targeted actions toward pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gessica Ciulla
- Institute for Stem-Cell Biology, Regenerative Medicine and Innovative Therapies, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
- Center for Nanomedicine and Tissue Engineering (CNTE), ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Gelain
- Institute for Stem-Cell Biology, Regenerative Medicine and Innovative Therapies, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
- Center for Nanomedicine and Tissue Engineering (CNTE), ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
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14
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Colomina-Alfaro L, Marchesan S, Stamboulis A, Bandiera A. Smart tools for antimicrobial peptides expression and application: The elastic perspective. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:323-332. [PMID: 36349439 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have become a promising alternative to the use of conventional and chemically synthesized antibiotics, especially after the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms. Thus, this review aims to provide an updated overview of the state-of-the-art for producing antimicrobial peptides fused or conjugated with the elastin-like (ELP) peculiar carriers, and that are mostly intended for biomedical application. The elastin-like biopolymers are thermosensitive proteins with unique properties. Due to the flexibility of their modular structure, their features can be tuned and customized to improve the production of the antimicrobial domain while reducing their toxic effects on the host cells. Both fields of research faced a huge rise in interest in the last decade, as witnessed by the increasing number of publications on these topics, and several recombinant fusion proteins made of these two domains have been already described but they still present a limited variability. Herein, the approaches described to recombinantly fuse and chemically conjugate diverse AMPs with ELPs are reviewed, and the nature of the AMPs and the ELPs used, as well as the main features of the expression and production systems are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Marchesan
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Artemis Stamboulis
- School of Metallurgy and Materials, Biomaterials Research Group, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
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15
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Roca-Pinilla R, Lisowski L, Arís A, Garcia-Fruitós E. The future of recombinant host defense peptides. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:267. [PMID: 36544150 PMCID: PMC9768982 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01991-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial resistance crisis calls for the discovery and production of new antimicrobials. Host defense peptides (HDPs) are small proteins with potent antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities that are attractive for translational applications, with several already under clinical trials. Traditionally, antimicrobial peptides have been produced by chemical synthesis, which is expensive and requires the use of toxic reagents, hindering the large-scale development of HDPs. Alternatively, HDPs can be produced recombinantly to overcome these limitations. Their antimicrobial nature, however, can make them toxic to the hosts of recombinant production. In this review we explore the different strategies that are used to fine-tune their activities, bioengineer them, and optimize the recombinant production of HDPs in various cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Roca-Pinilla
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XTranslational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145 Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XTranslational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145 Australia ,grid.415641.30000 0004 0620 0839Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Arís
- grid.8581.40000 0001 1943 6646Department of Ruminant Production, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries IRTA, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Spain
| | - Elena Garcia-Fruitós
- grid.8581.40000 0001 1943 6646Department of Ruminant Production, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries IRTA, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Spain
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16
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Fu L, Sun M, Wen W, Dong N, Li D. Extracellular production of Ulp1 403-621 in leaky E. coli and its application in antimicrobial peptide production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:7805-7817. [PMID: 36260100 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12235-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) tag is widely used to promote soluble expression of exogenous proteins, which can then be cleaved by ubiquitin-like protease 1 (Ulp1) to obtain interested protein. But the application of Ulp1 in large-scale recombinant protein production is limited by complicated purification procedures and high cost. In this study, we describe an efficient and simple method of extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 using a leaky Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), engineered by deleting the peptidoglycan-associated outer membrane lipoprotein (pal) gene. Ulp1403-621 was successfully leaked into extracellular supernatant by the BL21(DE3)-Δpal strain after IPTG induction. The addition of 1% glycine increased the extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 approximately four fold. Moreover, extracellular Ulp1403-621 without purification had high activities for cleaving SUMO fusion proteins, and antimicrobial peptide pBD2 obtained after cleavage can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The specific activity of extracellular Ulp1403-621 containing 1 mM EDTA and 8 mM DTT reached 2.0 × 106 U/L. Another commonly used protease, human rhinovirus 3C protease, was also successfully secreted by leaky E. coli strains. In conclusion, extracellular production of tool enzymes is an attractive way for producing large-scale active recombinant proteins at a lower cost for pharmaceutical, industrial, and biotechnological applications. KEY POINTS: • First report of extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 in leaky Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) strain. • One percent glycine addition into cultivation medium increased the extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 approximately four fold. • The specific activity of extracellular Ulp1403-621 produced in this study reached 2.0 × 106 U/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linglong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengning Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Weizhang Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
| | - Defa Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
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17
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Zhang Y, Li J, Ma Y, He Y, Fu Z. Small ubiquitin-related modifier-fused bacteriophage tail fiber protein with favorable aqueous solubility for lateral flow assay of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 216:114637. [PMID: 35988432 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Rapid and sensitive assay of pathogenic bacteria is critical for minimizing the risk of infectious diseases. Inspired by the interaction between bacteriophages and host bacteria, we obtained a gene sequence of tail fiber protein (TFP) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacteriophage. Then the gene sequence was used to express a recombinant TFP, which can act as a potential capture molecule for P. aeruginosa. Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) tag was fused onto the TFP fragment to overcome its unfavorable aqueous solubility. The obtained SUMO tag-fused TFP (STFP) can be uniformly distributed onto a nitrocellulose membrane to form a test line due to the improved aqueous solubility, which facilities fabrication of a lateral flow assay strip. Thus we developed a lateral flow assay method by using STFP as a capture molecule and AuCo nanoparticles-labeled aptamer as a signal tracer for point-of-care testing of P. aeruginosa. By using the test strip, P. aeruginosa can be semi quantified with color band and quantified with chemiluminescent (CL) signal catalyzed by AuCo nanoparticles. The concentration range for quantification is 3.3 × 102 CFU/mL to 3.3 × 107 CFU/mL. The test strip was applied to assay P. aeruginosa in different sample matrixes including cerebrospinal fluid, physiological salt solution, drinking water and pear juice. The results demonstrate the application potential of the STFP-based lateral flow assay for medical diagnosis, food and drug safety monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- The State Key Lab of Silkworm Geneome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Jizhou Li
- The State Key Lab of Silkworm Geneome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yuchan Ma
- The State Key Lab of Silkworm Geneome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yong He
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou Province, China.
| | - Zhifeng Fu
- The State Key Lab of Silkworm Geneome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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18
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High Level Expression and Purification of Cecropin-like Antimicrobial Peptides in Escherichia coli. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061351. [PMID: 35740373 PMCID: PMC9220022 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cecropins are a family of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are widely found in the innate immune system of Cecropia moths. Cecropins exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial and anticancer activities. The structures of Cecropins are composed of 34–39 amino acids with an N-terminal amphipathic α-helix, an AGP hinge and a hydrophobic C-terminal α-helix. KR12AGPWR6 was designed based on the Cecropin-like structural feature. In addition to its antimicrobial activities, KR12AGPWR6 also possesses enhanced salt resistance, antiendotoxin and anticancer properties. Herein, we have developed a strategy to produce recombinant KR12AGPWR6 through a salt-sensitive, pH and temperature dependent intein self-cleavage system. The His6-Intein-KR12AGPWR6 was expressed by E. coli and KR12AGPWR6 was released by the self-cleavage of intein under optimized ionic strength, pH and temperature conditions. The molecular weight and structural feature of the recombinant KR12AGPWR6 was determined by MALDI-TOF mass, CD, and NMR spectroscopy. The recombinant KR12AGPWR6 exhibited similar antimicrobial activities compared to the chemically synthesized KR12AGPWR6. Our results provide a potential strategy to obtain large quantities of AMPs and this method is feasible and easy to scale up for commercial production.
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19
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Muñoz-Flores C, González-Chavarría I, Sandoval F, Roa FJ, Palacios P, Astuya A, Fernández K, Altamirano C, Romero A, Acosta J, Toledo JR. New strategy for the design, production and pre-purification of chimeric peptide with immunomodulatory activity in Salmosalar. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 125:120-127. [PMID: 35537671 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The intensive salmon farming is associated with massive outbreaks of infections. The use of antibiotics for their prevention and control is related to damage to the environment and human health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as an alternative to the use of antibiotics for their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. However, one of the main challenges for its massive clinical application is the high production cost and the complexity of chemical synthesis. Thus, recombinant DNA technology offers a more sustainable, scalable, and profitable option. In the present study, using an AMPs function prediction methodology, we designed a chimeric peptide consisting of sequences derived from cathelicidin fused with the immunomodulatory peptide derived from flagellin. The designed peptide, CATH-FLA was produced by recombinant expression using an easy pre-purification system. The chimeric peptide was able to induce IL-1β and IL-8 expression in Salmo salar head kidney leukocytes, and prevented Piscirickettsia salmonis-induced cytotoxicity in SHK-1 cells. These results suggest that pre-purification of a recombinant AMP-based chimeric peptide designed in silico allow obtaining a peptide with immunomodulatory activity in vitro. This could solve the main obstacle of AMPs for massive clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Muñoz-Flores
- Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción. Víctor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Iván González-Chavarría
- Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción. Víctor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Felipe Sandoval
- Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción. Víctor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Francisco J Roa
- Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción. Víctor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Paulo Palacios
- Salmones Antártica S.A., Camino Los Ángeles, Santa Bárbara, Km. 12,8, BioBio, Chile
| | - Allisson Astuya
- Laboratory of Cell Culture and Marine Genomics, Department of Oceanography and COPAS Sur-Austral, Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Science, Universidad de Concepción, Victor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Khaterina Fernández
- Laboratory of Biomaterials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Concepción. Victor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Claudia Altamirano
- Laboratorio de Cultivos Celulares, Escuela de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, 2362803, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Alex Romero
- Centro FONDAP, Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Chile; Instituto de Patología Animal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Jannel Acosta
- Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción. Víctor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Jorge R Toledo
- Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción. Víctor Lamas 1290, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
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20
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López-Cano A, Martínez-Miguel M, Guasch J, Ratera I, Arís A, Garcia-Fruitós E. Exploring the impact of the recombinant Escherichia coli strain on defensins antimicrobial activity: BL21 versus Origami strain. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:77. [PMID: 35527241 PMCID: PMC9082834 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01803-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing emergence of microorganisms resistant to antibiotics has prompted the development of alternative antimicrobial therapies. Among them, the antimicrobial peptides produced by innate immunity, which are also known as host defense peptides (HDPs), hold great potential. They have been shown to exert activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including those resistant to antibiotics. These HDPs are classified into three categories: defensins, cathelicidins, and histatins. Traditionally, HDPs have been chemically synthesized, but this strategy often limits their application due to the high associated production costs. Alternatively, some HDPs have been recombinantly produced, but little is known about the impact of the bacterial strain in the recombinant product. This work aimed to assess the influence of the Escherichia coli strain used as cell factory to determine the activity and stability of recombinant defensins, which have 3 disulfide bonds. For that, an α-defensin [human α-defensin 5 (HD5)] and a β-defensin [bovine lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP)] were produced in two recombinant backgrounds. The first one was an E. coli BL21 strain, which has a reducing cytoplasm, whereas the second was an E. coli Origami B, that is a strain with a more oxidizing cytoplasm. The results showed that both HD5 and LAP, fused to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), were successfully produced in both BL21 and Origami B strains. However, differences were observed in the HDP production yield and bactericidal activity, especially for the HD5-based protein. The HD5 protein fused to GFP was not only produced at higher yields in the E. coli BL21 strain, but it also showed a higher quality and stability than that produced in the Origami B strain. Hence, this data showed that the strain had a clear impact on both HDPs quantity and quality.
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21
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Li X, Jiang Y, Lin Y. Production of antimicrobial peptide arasin-like Sp in Escherichia coli via an ELP-intein self-cleavage system. J Biotechnol 2022; 347:49-55. [PMID: 35240202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat to both humans and animals. There is an urgent need for antimicrobial agents with novel modes of action. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity become the ideal alternative to traditional antibiotics. Here, the ELP-intein self-cleavage system was used to produce antimicrobial peptide arasin-likeSp in Escherichia coli. The tagged target protein (ELP-intein-arasin-likeSp) was mainly expressed in soluble, separated from cell lysates by the inverse transition cycling (ITC), and the arasin-likeSp was further purified by the self-cleavage of intein and the second round of ITC. The final yield of arasin-likeSp was about 3.56 mg/L. Purified arasin-likeSp exhibited significant antibacterial activities against the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Vibrio harveyi bacteria. FE-SEM and PI staining analysis revealed that the arasin-likeSp treatment altered the morphology and membrane permeability of Bacillus subtilis and Vibrio harveyi. Collectively, these data suggest that arasin-likeSp is a candidate AMP for effective inhibition of Vibrio harveyi, a significant bacterial pathogen infecting marine fish and invertebrates. The ELP-intein self-cleavage system described here is a low-cost, simple and potential method for producing antimicrobial peptides, which lays foundations for the large-scale production of antimicrobial peptides in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Yu Jiang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Ying Lin
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China.
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22
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Ding GB, Zhu C, Wang Q, Cao H, Li BC, Yang P, Stauber RH, Nie G, Li Z. Molecularly engineered tumor acidity-responsive plant toxin gelonin for safe and efficient cancer therapy. Bioact Mater 2022; 18:42-55. [PMID: 35387163 PMCID: PMC8961304 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy and inexorable side effects of small molecule antineoplastic agents, extensive efforts have been devoted to the development of more potent macromolecular agents with high specificity. Gelonin is a plant-derived protein toxin that exhibits robust antitumor effect via inactivating ribosomes and inhibiting protein synthesis. Nonetheless, its poor internalization ability to tumor cells has compromised the therapeutic promise of gelonin. In this study, a tumor acidity-responsive intracellular protein delivery system ─ functional gelonin (Trx-pHLIP-Gelonin, TpG) composed of a thioredoxin (Trx) tag, a pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP) and gelonin, was designed and obtained by genetic recombination technique for the first time. TpG could effectively enter into tumor cells under weakly acidic conditions and markedly suppress tumor cell proliferation via triggering cell apoptosis and inhibiting protein synthesis. Most importantly, treatment by intravenous injection into subcutaneous SKOV3 solid tumors in a mouse model showed that TpG was much more effective than gelonin in curtailing tumor growth rates with negligible toxicity. Collectively, our present work suggests that the tumor acidity-targeted delivery manner endowed by pHLIP offers a new avenue for efficient delivery of other bioactive substances to acidic diseased tissues. A pH-responsive gelonin delivery platform — TpG was molecularly engineered. TpG exhibited good thermal stability and excellent serum stability. TpG enabled an efficient intracellular translocation of gelonin at pH 6.5. TpG exerted pronounced anti-proliferative effect via inducing massive apoptosis. TpG significantly delayed tumor growth with favorable in vivo biosafety profile.
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Lieser RM, Li Q, Chen W, Sullivan MO. Incorporation of Endosomolytic Peptides with Varying Disruption Mechanisms into EGFR-Targeted Protein Conjugates: The Effect on Intracellular Protein Delivery and EGFR Specificity in Breast Cancer Cells. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:661-673. [PMID: 35040326 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.1c00788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular delivery of protein therapeutics remains a significant challenge limiting the majority of clinically available protein drugs to extracellular targets. Strategies to deliver proteins to subcellular compartments have traditionally relied on cell-penetrating peptides, which can drive enhanced internalization but exhibit unreliable activity and are rarely able to target specific cells, leading to off-target effects. Moreover, few design rules exist regarding the relative efficacy of various endosomal escape strategies in proteins. Accordingly, we developed a simple fusion modification approach to incorporate endosomolytic peptides onto epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted protein conjugates and performed a systematic comparison of the endosomal escape efficacy, mechanism of action, and capacity to maintain EGFR-targeting specificity of conjugates modified with four different endosomolytic sequences of varying modes of action (Aurein 1.2, GALA, HA2, and L17E). Use of the recently developed Gal8-YFP assay indicated that the fusion of each endosomolytic peptide led to enhanced endosomal disruption. Additionally, the incorporation of each endosomolytic peptide increased the half-life of the internalized protein and lowered lysosomal colocalization, further supporting the membrane-disruptive capacity. Despite this, only EGFR-targeted conjugates modified with Aurein 1.2 or GALA maintained EGFR specificity. These results thus demonstrated that the choice of endosomal escape moiety can substantially affect targeting capability, cytotoxicity, and bioactivity and provided important new insights into endosomolytic peptide selection for the design of targeted protein delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Lieser
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Qirun Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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Li G, Chen J, Li J, Shang C, Wang C. Structural Characteristics, Prokaryotic Expression and Activity Analysis of Antimicrobial Peptide ALFPm10 from Penaeus monodon. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10343-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Gao X, Ding J, Liao C, Xu J, Liu X, Lu W. Defensins: The natural peptide antibiotic. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 179:114008. [PMID: 34673132 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Defensins are a family of cationic antimicrobial peptides active against a broad range of infectious microbes including bacteria, viruses and fungi, playing important roles as innate effectors and immune modulators in immunological control of microbial infection. Their antibacterial properties and unique mechanisms of action have garnered considerable interest in developing defensins into a novel class of natural antibiotic peptides to fend off pathogenic infection by bacteria, particularly those resistant to conventional antibiotics. However, serious pharmacological and technical obstacles, some of which are unique to defensins and others are common to peptide drugs in general, have hindered the development and clinical translation of defensins as anti-infective therapeutics. To overcome them, several technologies have been developed, aiming for improved functionality, prolonged circulation time, enhanced proteolytic stability and bioavailability, and efficient and controlled delivery and release of defensins to the site of infection. Additional challenges include the alleviation of potential toxicity of defensins and their cost-effective manufacturing. In this review, we briefly introduce defensin biology, focus on various transforming strategies and practical techniques developed for defensins and their derivatives as antibacterial therapeutics, and conclude with a summation of future challenges and possible solutions.
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Evaluation the Therapeutic Index of Recombinant Antimicrobial S3 Tetramer-Peptides Expressed in E. coli. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10263-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Salehzadeh S, Tabatabaei M, Derakhshandeh A, Karbalaei-Heidari H, Kazemipour N. A novel approach of recombinant laterosporulin production using the N-SH2 domain of SHP-2. BMC Biotechnol 2021; 21:60. [PMID: 34674683 PMCID: PMC8529825 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-021-00721-7] [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: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The current study was aimed at evaluating the role of the N-SH2 domain of SHP-2 as a partner protein in the expression of a toxic peptide, laterosporulin (LTS). We also investigated its effects on the formation of the disulfide bond and functional folding of the peptide in vitro. The N-SH2-LTS protein was expressed as a His-tagged fusion protein, capable of undergoing enzymatic cleavage. Results Based on the data presented herein, the total yield of the folded fusion protein from inclusion bodies was found to be about 105 mg/l, demonstrating a high-level of heterologous expression. After enzymatic cleavage, 1.5 mg of the folded recombinant laterosporulin was obtained from each 10 mg of the fusion protein. The purity of the recombinant laterosporulin was analyzed by RP-HPLC, to yield peptides with suitable purity (85%). Conclusions Our findings indicated the advantages of using the N-SH2 domain of SHP-2 as a rapid and easy approach not only in producing easy target proteins but also in its function as a chaperone. N-SH2 domain of SHP-2 can influence on the purification of laterosporulin at reasonable yield and in a cost-effective fashion. The N-SH2 domain of SHP-2 as a protein chaperone may be potentially favorable to produce other proteins with disulfide bonds. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-021-00721-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Salehzadeh
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Tabatabaei
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Abdollah Derakhshandeh
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Nasrin Kazemipour
- Department of Basic Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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Gan BH, Gaynord J, Rowe SM, Deingruber T, Spring DR. The multifaceted nature of antimicrobial peptides: current synthetic chemistry approaches and future directions. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:7820-7880. [PMID: 34042120 PMCID: PMC8689412 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00729c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial infections caused by 'superbugs' are increasing globally, and conventional antibiotics are becoming less effective against these bacteria, such that we risk entering a post-antibiotic era. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained significant attention for their clinical potential as a new class of antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance. In this review, we discuss several facets of AMPs including their diversity, physicochemical properties, mechanisms of action, and effects of environmental factors on these features. This review outlines various chemical synthetic strategies that have been applied to develop novel AMPs, including chemical modifications of existing peptides, semi-synthesis, and computer-aided design. We will also highlight novel AMP structures, including hybrids, antimicrobial dendrimers and polypeptides, peptidomimetics, and AMP-drug conjugates and consider recent developments in their chemical synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bee Ha Gan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Josephine Gaynord
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Sam M Rowe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Tomas Deingruber
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - David R Spring
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
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Park AR, Kim SW, Kim SY, Kwon KC. Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP), Cecropin B, in a Fused Form to SUMO Tag With or Without Three-Glycine Linker in Escherichia coli and Evaluation of Bacteriolytic Activity of the Purified AMP. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2021; 13:1780-1789. [PMID: 34018140 PMCID: PMC8578067 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-021-09797-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Current antibiotics have limited action mode, which makes it difficult for the antibiotics dealing with the emergence of bacteria resisting the existing antibiotics. As a need for new bacteriolytic agents alternative to the antibiotics, AMPs have long been considered substitutes for the antibiotics. Cecropin B was expressed in a fusion form to six-histidine and SUMO tags in Escherichia coli. Six-histidine tag attached to SUMO was for purification of SUMO-cecropin B fusion proteins and removal of the SUMO tag from cecropin B. Chimeric gene was constructed into pKSEC1 vector that was designed to be functional in both Escherichia coli and chloroplast. To maximize translation of the fusion protein, sequences were codon-optimized. Four different constructs were tested for the level of expression and solubility, and the construct with a linker, 6xHisSUMO3xGly-cecropin B, showed the highest expression. In addition, cleavage of the SUMO tag by SUMOase in the three fusion constructs which have no linker sequence (3xGly, three glycines) was not as efficient as the construct with the linker between SUMO and cecropin B. The cleaved cecropin B showed bacteriolytic activity against Bacillus subtilis at a concentration of 0.0625 μg/μL, while cecropin B fused to SUMO had no activity at a higher concentration, 0.125 μg/μL. As an expression system for AMPs in prokaryotic hosts, the use of tag proteins and appropriate codon-optimization strategy can be employed and further genetic modification of the fusion construct should help the complete removal of the tag proteins from the AMP in the final step of purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rom Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, Korea
| | - Seon Woong Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, Korea
| | - Soon Young Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, Korea.
| | - Kwang-Chul Kwon
- MicroSynbiotiX Ltd, 11011 N Torrey Pines Rd Ste #135, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Rezaei S, Hadadian S, Khavari-Nejad RA, Norouzian D. Recombinant Tandem Repeated Expression of S3 and SΔ3 Antimicrobial Peptides. Rep Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 9:348-356. [PMID: 33649729 DOI: 10.29252/rbmb.9.3.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidates for new generations of antibiotics to overcome the threats of multidrug-resistant infections as well as other industrial applications. Recombinant expression of small peptides is challenging due to low expression rates and high sensitivity to proteases. However, recombinant multimeric or fusion expression of AMPs facilitates cost-effective large-scale production of AMPs. In This project, S3 and SΔ3 AMPs were expressed as fusion partners. S3 peptide is a 34 amino acid linear antimicrobial peptide derived from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding site of factor C of horseshoe crab hemolymph and SΔ3 is a modified variant of S3 possessing more positive charges. Methods Two copy tandem repeat of the fusion protein (named as SΔ3S3-2mer-GS using glycine- serine linker was expressed in E. coli. BL21 (DE3). After cell disruption and solubilization of inclusion bodies, the protein was purified by Ni -NTA affinity chromatography. Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic properties of purified SΔ3S3-2mer-GS were compared with a previously produced tetramer of S3 with the same glycine- serine linker (S3-4mer-GS) and each of monomeric blocks of S3 and SΔ3. Results SΔ3S3-2mer-GS was successfully expressed with an expression rate of 26%. The geometric average of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC GM) of SΔ3S3-2mer-GS was 28%, 34%, and 57% lower than SΔ3, S3-4mer-GS, and S3, respectively. SΔ3S3-2mer-GS had no toxic effect on eukaryotes human embryonic kidney cells at its MIC concentration. Conclusion tandem repeated fusion expression strategy could be employed as an effective technique for recombinant production of AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadegh Rezaei
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Hadadian
- Nano-Biotechnology Department, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Dariush Norouzian
- Nano-Biotechnology Department, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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31
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Cao W, Liu Q, Wang T, Zhang Q, Cheng F, Tang Y, Mei C, Wen F, Wang W. Recombinant expression of the precursor of rat lung surfactant protein B in Escherichia coli and its antibacterial mechanism. Protein Expr Purif 2020; 179:105801. [PMID: 33248225 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2020.105801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
While the discovery of antibiotics has made a huge contribution to medicine, bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics pose new challenges to medicine. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a new kind of antibiotics, have attracted people's attention because they are not prone to drug resistance. In this study, glutathione transferase (GST) was used as a fusion partner to recombinantly expressed rat lung surfactant protein B precursor (proSP-B) in E. coli pLySs. Cck-8 evaluated the cytotoxicity of the fusion protein and calculated its 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50). The purified peptides showed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity using filter paper method and MIC, and propidium iodide (PI) was used to explore the antibacterial mechanism against Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the pEGFP-N2-proSP-B vector was constructed to explore the localization of proSP-B in CCL-149 cells. We found that proSP-B has obvious antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, and has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Besides, proSP-B fusion protein has low toxicity and can change the permeability of Staphylococcus aureus cell membrane to realize its antibacterial. For these reasons, proSP-B can be used as a potential natural antibacterial drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wulong Cao
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Qin Liu
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Ting Wang
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Qiuhan Zhang
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Fu Cheng
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Yishan Tang
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Chenchen Mei
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Fang Wen
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
| | - Wanneng Wang
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, PR China.
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Ghidey M, Islam SMA, Pruett G, Kearney CM. Making plants into cost-effective bioreactors for highly active antimicrobial peptides. N Biotechnol 2020; 56:63-70. [PMID: 31812667 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens become an ever-increasing concern, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have grown increasingly attractive as alternatives. Potentially, plants could be used as cost-effective AMP bioreactors; however, reported heterologous AMP expression is much lower in plants than in E. coli expression systems and often results in plant cytotoxicity, even for AMPs fused to carrier proteins. This suggests that there may be a physical characteristic of the previously described heterologous AMPs which impedes efficient expression in plants. Using a meta-analysis of protein databases, this study has determined that native plant AMPs were significantly less cationic than AMPs native to other taxa. To apply this finding to plant expression, the transient expression of 10 different heterologous AMPs, ranging in charge from +7 to -5, was tested in the tobacco, Nicotiana benthamiana. Elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) was used as the carrier protein for AMP expression. ELP fusion allowed for a simple, cost-effective temperature shift purification. Using this system, all five anionic AMPs expressed well, with two at unusually high levels (375 and 563 μg/gfw). Furthermore, antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis was an order of magnitude greater (average minimum inhibitory concentration MIC of 0.26μM) than that typically seen for AMPs expressed in E. coli systems and was associated with the uncleaved fusion peptide. In summary, this study describes a means of expressing AMP fusions in plants in high yield, purified by a simple temperature-shift protocol, resulting in a fusion peptide with high antimicrobial activity and without the need for a peptide cleavage step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meron Ghidey
- Biomedical Studies Program, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | | | - Grace Pruett
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #7388, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Christopher Michel Kearney
- Biomedical Studies Program, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #7388, Waco, TX, 76798, USA.
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Glukhova KA, Klyashtorny VG, Uversky VN, Melnik BS. Natural container for drug storage and delivery: chimeric GFP with embedded xenogenic peptide. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:4192-4197. [PMID: 32425113 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1771423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.,Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Pushchino, Russian Federation
| | - Bogdan S Melnik
- Institute of Protein research RAS, Pushchino, Russian Federation
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Zhan N, Wang T, Zhang L, Shan A. A eukaryotic expression strategy for producing the novel antimicrobial peptide PRW4. Braz J Microbiol 2020; 51:999-1008. [PMID: 32415637 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-020-00291-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide PMAP-36 is a cationic peptide derived from porcine myeloid. The N-terminally paired lysine of PMAP-36 was substituted with tryptophan, and the C-terminal hydrophobic tail was deleted, thereby obtaining the antimicrobial peptide PRW4. PRW4 is a α-helical antimicrobial peptide with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In this study, PRW4 was fused to the 6× His-Trx, and the fusion protein was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 from the vector pPICZαA. The maximal induction of recombinant protein occurred in the presence of 1% methanol after 96 h at pH 6.0. After purification by a Ni-NTA resin column and digestion by enterokinase protease, 15 mg of recombinant PRW4 with a purity of 90% was obtained from 1 L of fermentation culture. The results indicated that recombinant PRW4 had similar antimicrobial activity as synthetic PRW4 against bacteria such as Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Escherichia coli UB 1005, Salmonella typhimurium C7731, Salmonella typhimurium 7913, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, and Streptococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. We have successfully expressed PRW4 in P. pastoris, and this work provides a reference for the production of modified antimicrobial peptides in P. pastoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, No. 600 Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, No. 600 Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China
| | - Licong Zhang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, No. 600 Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, No. 600 Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China.
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Chen QC, Liu L, Yu TY, Tang L, Yin ML, Zhu WH, Jiang XY, Wang HY. High-Level Expression and Purification of Melittin in Escherichia coli Using SUMO Fusion Partner. Int J Pept Res Ther 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-020-10060-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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36
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Valiyari S, Salimi M, Bouzari S. Novel fusion protein NGR-sIL-24 for targetedly suppressing cancer cell growth via apoptosis. Cell Biol Toxicol 2020; 36:179-193. [PMID: 32239369 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-020-09519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pro-apoptotic peptides have attracted much attention as promising anticancer agents due to their high activity. However, poor cellular uptake of the peptides is often associated with limited therapeutic application. Cell-penetrating homing peptides (CPHPs) were found to increase cell internalization as well as anticancer efficacy of the peptide conjugates. In this study, we developed a novel recombinant fusion protein composed of sIL-24 peptide as a pro-apoptotic moiety and asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR) motif as a CD13-targeting CPHP component. In silico analysis demonstrated that flexible GGGGS linker provided the best structure and stability for our designed fusion protein. Cell adhesion experiments showed a significant binding affinity toward high CD13-expressing cells (U937 and A549) for NGR-sIL-24. Moreover, confocal microscopy revealed that NGR strongly facilitated the binding and cellular uptake of sIL-24 in U937 and A549 cancer cells. NGR-sIL-24 treatment markedly inhibited the growth of U937 and A549 cancer cells in a dose and time-dependent manner, without affecting the normal cell line MRC-5. Flow cytometric analysis and Hoechst 33342 staining exhibited potent apoptosis induction in U937 and A549 cells treated with NGR-sIL-24. Further mechanism elucidation uncovered that apoptotic death promoted by NGR-sIL-24 was attributed to upregulation of BiP/GRP78, Bax/Bcl-2, GADD34, cytochrome c release, and cleavage of caspase-3, suggesting NGR-sIL-24 penetration into cancerous cells and subsequent apoptosis induction, mainly through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-dependent and mitochondria-dependent signaling pathways. Our results indicate that the designed recombinant fusion protein NGR-sIL-24 may serve as a potential targeted therapy agent for cancers with high expression of CD13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Valiyari
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mona Salimi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Bouzari
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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Fernández de Ullivarri M, Arbulu S, Garcia-Gutierrez E, Cotter PD. Antifungal Peptides as Therapeutic Agents. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:105. [PMID: 32257965 PMCID: PMC7089922 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi have been used since ancient times in food and beverage-making processes and, more recently, have been harnessed for the production of antibiotics and in processes of relevance to the bioeconomy. Moreover, they are starting to gain attention as a key component of the human microbiome. However, fungi are also responsible for human infections. The incidence of community-acquired and nosocomial fungal infections has increased considerably in recent decades. Antibiotic resistance development, the increasing number of immunodeficiency- and/or immunosuppression-related diseases and limited therapeutic options available are triggering the search for novel alternatives. These new antifungals should be less toxic for the host, with targeted or broader antimicrobial spectra (for diseases of known and unknown etiology, respectively) and modes of actions that limit the potential for the emergence of resistance among pathogenic fungi. Given these criteria, antimicrobial peptides with antifungal properties, i.e., antifungal peptides (AFPs), have emerged as powerful candidates due to their efficacy and high selectivity. In this review, we provide an overview of the bioactivity and classification of AFPs (natural and synthetic) as well as their mode of action and advantages over current antifungal drugs. Additionally, natural, heterologous and synthetic production of AFPs with a view to greater levels of exploitation is discussed. Finally, we evaluate the current and potential applications of these peptides, along with the future challenges relating to antifungal treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Fernández de Ullivarri
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Sara Arbulu
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Enriqueta Garcia-Gutierrez
- Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Ireland.,Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Paul D Cotter
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
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38
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Saffari B, Amininasab M, Sheikhi S, Davoodi J. An efficient method for recombinant production of human alpha synuclein in Escherichia coli using thioredoxin as a fusion partner. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2020; 50:723-734. [PMID: 32129160 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2020.1734938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we describe a simple and efficient approach to produce recombinant human α-synuclein (hAS) with high purity from Escherichia coli (E. coli). The cDNA for hAS was inserted into plasmid pET32a and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) with an N-terminal tag containing E. coli thioredoxin (trx), followed by a histidine hexapeptide, and a tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage site (trx-6His-TEV). The fusion protein, trx-hAS, was initially released by osmotic shock treatment from the host cells and subsequently purified using a nickel affinity chromatography. A TEV protease cleavage step was performed to liberate the target protein, hAS, from the fusion partner, trx. Finally, an additional nickel affinity chromatography was performed to further purify the digested product. The yield of this method is ∼25 mg of tag-less protein (with ∼99% purity) per liter of culture volume. Reverse phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry confirmed the purity and authenticity of the purified protein. Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy demonstrated that the purified proteins form fibrils. Our protocol not only provides a convenient procedure for preparing highly pure hAS, but also requires very little specialized laboratory techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Saffari
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehriar Amininasab
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Sheikhi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamshid Davoodi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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39
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Guler HI. Recombinant Production of Opiorphin Pentapeptide as Tandem Multimers Through Rational Design of Primers. APPL BIOCHEM MICRO+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s0003683820020167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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40
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Azari M, Asad S, Mehrnia MR. Heterologous production of porcine derived antimicrobial peptide PR-39 in Escherichia coli using SUMO and intein fusion systems. Protein Expr Purif 2020; 169:105568. [PMID: 31935447 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2020.105568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
About half a century after antibiotics discovery, multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria posed a new challenge to medicine. Attempts to discover new antibiotics have drawn the attention to Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs). The rapid growth, besides its known genetic and manipulation systems, makes E. coli the preferred host system for production of recombinant proteins on an industrial scale. To produce AMPs in E. coli, the application of fusion-tags with the aim of stability, solubility, and prevention of antimicrobial activity is one of the best practices in this regard. In this study, we presented two different expression systems for the production of PR-39 in E. coli; one in fusion with intein-Chitin binding domain (CBD) and another in fusion with SUMO accompanied by polyhistidine affinity tag. Both were cloned in the NdeI-XhoI sites of pET-17b and transformed to E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS. Recombinant bacteria were cultured and induced with 0.4 mM IPTG at 30 °C. Expression and purification of target proteins were confirmed by Tricine- SDS-PAGE and dot blot analysis. Recovery of 250 μg PR-39/L from SUMO fusion system and 280 μg PR-39/L from the intein fusion system was achieved. Both purified peptides showed antibacterial activity using MIC/MBC demonstrating their functionality after SUMO and intein mediated purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandana Azari
- School of Chemical Engineering-Biotechnology, College of Engineering, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Asad
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Reza Mehrnia
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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41
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Gaglione R, Pane K, Dell’Olmo E, Cafaro V, Pizzo E, Olivieri G, Notomista E, Arciello A. Cost-effective production of recombinant peptides in Escherichia coli. N Biotechnol 2019; 51:39-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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42
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Kim DS, Kim SW, Song JM, Kim SY, Kwon KC. A new prokaryotic expression vector for the expression of antimicrobial peptide abaecin using SUMO fusion tag. BMC Biotechnol 2019; 19:13. [PMID: 30770741 PMCID: PMC6377777 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-019-0506-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the growing demand for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for clinical use as an alternative approach against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the manufacture of AMPs relies on expensive, small-scale chemical methods. The small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) tag is industrially practical for increasing the yield of recombinant proteins by increasing solubility and preventing degradation in expression systems. Results A new vector system, pKSEC1, was designed to produce AMPs, which can work in prokaryotic systems such as Escherichia coli and plant chloroplasts. 6xHis was tagged to SUMO for purification of SUMO-fused AMPs. Abaecin, a 34-aa-long antimicrobial peptide from honeybees, was expressed in a fusion form to 6xHis-SUMO in a new vector system to evaluate the prokaryotic expression platform of the antimicrobial peptides. The fusion sequences were codon-optimized in three different combinations and expressed in E. coli. The combination of the native SUMO sequence with codon-optimized abaecin showed the highest expression level among the three combinations, and most of the expressed fusion proteins were detected in soluble fractions. Cleavage of the SUMO tag by sumoase produced a 29-aa-long abaecin derivative with a C-terminal deletion. However, this abaecin derivative still retained the binding sequence for its target protein, DnaK. Antibacterial activity of the 29-aa long abaecin was tested against Bacillus subtilis alone or in combination with cecropin B. The combined treatment of the abaecin derivative and cecropin B showed bacteriolytic activity 2 to 3 times greater than that of abaecin alone. Conclusions Using a SUMO-tag with an appropriate codon-optimization strategy could be an approach for the production of antimicrobial peptides in E.coli without affecting the viability of the host cell. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12896-019-0506-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Sol Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, South Korea
| | - Seon Woong Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, South Korea
| | - Jae Min Song
- Department of Global Medical Science, Health & Wellness College, Sungshin University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Soon Young Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, South Korea.
| | - Kwang-Chul Kwon
- MicroSynbiotiX Ltd, 11011 N Torrey Pines Rd Ste. #135, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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43
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Biocontrol of Brettanomyces/Dekkera bruxellensis in alcoholic fermentations using saccharomycin-overproducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:3073-3083. [PMID: 30734124 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09657-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Microbial contamination of alcoholic fermentation processes (e.g. winemaking and fuel-ethanol production) is a serious problem for the industry since it may render the product unacceptable and/or reduce its productivity, leading to large economic losses. Brettanomyces/Dekkera bruxellensis is one of the most dangerous microbial contaminant of ethanol industrial fermentations. In the case of wine, this yeast species can produce phenolic compounds that confer off-flavours to the final product. In fuel-ethanol fermentations, D. bruxellensis is a persistent contaminant that affects ethanol yields and productivities. We recently found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae secretes a biocide, which we named saccharomycin, composed of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) derived from the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Saccharomycin is active against several wine-related yeast species, namely D. bruxellensis. However, the levels of saccharomycin naturally secreted by S. cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation are not sufficient to ensure the complete death of D. bruxellensis. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to construct genetically modified S. cerevisiae strains to overproduce these GAPDH-derived AMPs. The expression levels of the nucleotides sequences encoding the AMPs were evaluated in the modified S. cerevisiae strains by RT-qPCR, confirming the success of the recombinant approach. Furthermore, we confirmed by immunological tests that the modified S. cerevisiae strains secreted higher amounts of the AMPs by comparison with the non-modified strain, inducing total death of D. bruxellensis during alcoholic fermentations.
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Sinha R, Shukla P. Antimicrobial Peptides: Recent Insights on Biotechnological Interventions and Future Perspectives. Protein Pept Lett 2019; 26:79-87. [PMID: 30370841 PMCID: PMC6416458 DOI: 10.2174/0929866525666181026160852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
With the unprecedented rise of drug-resistant pathogens, particularly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and no new antibiotics in the pipeline over the last three decades, the issue of antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a critical public health threat. Antimicrobial Peptides (AMP) have garnered interest as a viable solution to this grave issue and are being explored for their potential antimicrobial applications. Given their low bioavailability in nature, tailoring new AMPs or strategizing approaches for increasing the yield of AMPs, therefore, becomes pertinent. The present review focuses on biotechnological interventions directed towards enhanced AMP synthesis and revisits existing genetic engineering and synthetic biology strategies for production of AMPs. This review further underscores the importance and potential applications of advanced gene editing technologies for the synthesis of novel AMPs in future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pratyoosh Shukla
- Address correspondence to this author at the Enzyme Technology and Protein Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Microbiology,
Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak-124001, Haryana, India; E-mail:
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45
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Wibowo D, Zhao CX. Recent achievements and perspectives for large-scale recombinant production of antimicrobial peptides. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 103:659-671. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9524-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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46
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Sun B, Wibowo D, Sainsbury F, Zhao CX. Design and production of a novel antimicrobial fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:8763-8772. [PMID: 30120526 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9319-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted increasing attention. The microbial cells provide a simple, cost-effective platform to produce AMPs in industrial quantities. While AMP production as fusion proteins in microorganisms is commonly used, the recovery of AMPs necessitates the use of expensive proteases and extra purification steps. Here, we develop a novel fusion protein DAMP4-F-pexiganan comprising a carrier protein DAMP4 linked to the AMP, pexiganan, through a long, flexible linker. We show that this fusion protein can be purified using a non-chromatography approach and exhibits the same antimicrobial activity as the chemically synthesized pexiganan peptide without any cleavage step. Activity of the fusion protein is dependent on a long, flexible linker between the AMP and carrier domains, as well as on the expression conditions of the fusion protein, with low-temperature expression promoting better folding of the AMP domain. The production of DAMP4-F-pexiganan circumvents the time-consuming and costly steps of chromatography-based purification and enzymatic cleavages, therefore shows considerable advantages over traditional microbial production of AMPs. We expect this novel fusion protein, and the studies on the effect of linker and expression conditions on its antimicrobial activity, will broaden the rational design and production of antimicrobial products based on AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baode Sun
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, QLD, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - David Wibowo
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, QLD, St Lucia, 4072, Australia.
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, QLD, Nathan, 4111, Australia.
| | - Frank Sainsbury
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, QLD, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Chun-Xia Zhao
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, QLD, St Lucia, 4072, Australia.
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47
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Billerbeck S. Small Functional Peptides and Their Application in Superfunctionalizing Proteins. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527688104.ch11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Billerbeck
- Columbia University; Department of Chemistry; 550 West 120th Street New York NY 10027 USA
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48
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Pane K, Verrillo M, Avitabile A, Pizzo E, Varcamonti M, Zanfardino A, Di Maro A, Rega C, Amoresano A, Izzo V, Di Donato A, Cafaro V, Notomista E. Chemical Cleavage of an Asp-Cys Sequence Allows Efficient Production of Recombinant Peptides with an N-Terminal Cysteine Residue. Bioconjug Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariavittoria Verrillo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università 100, Portici 80055, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Antimo Di Maro
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 81100, Italy
| | - Camilla Rega
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 81100, Italy
| | | | - Viviana Izzo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Salerno, via S. Allende, Baronissi 84081, Italy
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Ding GB, Sun J, Wu G, Li B, Yang P, Li Z, Nie G. Robust Anticancer Efficacy of a Biologically Synthesized Tumor Acidity-Responsive and Autophagy-Inducing Functional Beclin 1. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:5227-5239. [PMID: 29359549 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b17454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
As a potent autophagy inducer, Beclin 1 is essential for the initiation of autophagic cell death, and triggering extensive autophagy by targeted delivery of Beclin 1 to tumors has enormous potential to inhibit tumor growth. Yet, the therapeutic application of Beclin 1 is hampered by its inability to internalize into cells and nonselective biodistribution in vivo. To tackle this challenge, we employed a novel Beclin 1 delivery manner by constructing a functional protein (Trx-pHLIP-Beclin 1, TpB) composed of a thioredoxin (Trx) tag, a pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP), and an evolutionarily conserved motif of Beclin 1. This protein could effectively transport Beclin 1 to breast and ovarian cancer cell lines under weakly acidic conditions (pH 6.5), markedly inhibit tumor cell growth and proliferation, and induce obvious autophagy. Furthermore, the in vivo antitumor efficacy of the functional Beclin 1 against an SKOV3 xenograft tumor mouse model was tested via intravenous injection. TpB preferentially accumulated in tumors and exhibited a significantly higher tumor growth inhibition than the nontargeted Beclin 1 control, whereas no overt side effects were observed. Taken together, this study sheds light on the potential application of TpB as a highly efficient yet safe antitumor agent for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Guangjun Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190, China
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50
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Sun B, Wibowo D, Middelberg APJ, Zhao CX. Cost-effective downstream processing of recombinantly produced pexiganan peptide and its antimicrobial activity. AMB Express 2018; 8:6. [PMID: 29368022 PMCID: PMC5783979 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-018-0541-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have significant potential as alternatives to classical antibiotics. However, AMPs are currently prepared using processes which are often laborious, expensive and of low-yield, thus hindering their research and application. Large-scale methods for production of AMPs using a cost-effective approach is urgently required. In this study, we report a scalable, chromatography-free downstream processing method for producing an antimicrobial peptide, pexiganan, using recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli). The four helix bundle structure of the unique carrier protein DAMP4 was used to facilitate a simple and cheap purification process based on a selective thermochemical precipitation. Highly pure fusion protein DAMP4var-pexiganan was obtained at high yield (around 24 mg per 800 mL cell culture with a final cultivation OD600 ~ 2). The purification yield of DAMP4var-pexiganan protein is increased twofold with a 72.9% of the protein recovery in this study as compared to the previous purification processes (Dwyer in Chem Eng Sci 105:12–21, 2014). The antimicrobial peptide pexiganan was released and activated from the fusion protein by a simple acid-cleavage. Isoelectric precipitation was then applied to separate the pexiganan peptide from the DAMP4var protein carrier. The final yield of pure bio-produced pexiganan was 1.6 mg from 800 mL of bacterial cell culture (final cultivation OD600 ~ 2). The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) test demonstrated that the bio-produced pexiganan has the same antimicrobial activity as chemically synthesized counterpart. This novel downstream process provides a new strategy for simple and probable economic production of antimicrobial peptides.
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