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AlShammari AK, Abd El-Aziz TM, Al-Sabi A. Snake Venom: A Promising Source of Neurotoxins Targeting Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 16:12. [PMID: 38251229 PMCID: PMC10820993 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The venom derived from various sources of snakes represents a vast collection of predominantly protein-based toxins that exhibit a wide range of biological actions, including but not limited to inflammation, pain, cytotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. The venom of a particular snake species is composed of several toxins, while the venoms of around 600 venomous snake species collectively encompass a substantial reservoir of pharmacologically intriguing compounds. Despite extensive research efforts, a significant portion of snake venoms remains uncharacterized. Recent findings have demonstrated the potential application of neurotoxins derived from snake venom in selectively targeting voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv). These neurotoxins include BPTI-Kunitz polypeptides, PLA2 neurotoxins, CRISPs, SVSPs, and various others. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on the significance of Kv channels in various tissues, highlighting their crucial role as proteins susceptible to modulation by diverse snake venoms. These toxins have demonstrated potential as valuable pharmacological resources and research tools for investigating the structural and functional characteristics of Kv channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Altaf K. AlShammari
- College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait;
| | - Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ahmed Al-Sabi
- College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait;
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2
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Shimizu JF, Feferbaum-Leite S, Santos IA, Martins DOS, Kingston NJ, Shegdar M, Zothner C, Sampaio SV, Harris M, Stonehouse NJ, Jardim ACG. Effect of proteins isolated from Brazilian snakes on enterovirus A71 replication cycle: An approach against hand, foot and mouth disease. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 241:124519. [PMID: 37085072 PMCID: PMC7615699 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Enterovirus A71 (EVA71) belongs to the Picornaviridae family and is the main etiological agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). There is no approved antiviral against EVA71, and therefore the search for novel anti-EVA71 therapeutics is essential. In this context, the antiviral activity of proteins isolated from snake venoms has been reported against a range of viruses. Here, the proteins CM10 and CM14 isolated from Bothrops moojeni, and Crotamin and PLA2CB isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus were investigated for their antiviral activity against EVA71 infection. CM14 and Crotamin possessed a selective index (SI) of 170.8 and 120.4, respectively, while CM10 and PLA2CB had an SI of 67.4 and 12.5, respectively. CM14 inhibited all steps of viral replication (protective effect: 76 %; virucidal: 99 %; and post-entry: 99 %). Similarly, Crotamin inhibited up to 99 % of three steps. In contrast, CM10 and PLA2CB impaired one or two steps of EVA71 replication, respectively. Further dose-response assays using increasing titres of EVA71 were performed and CM14 and Crotamin retained functionality with high concentrations of EVA71 (up to 1000 TCID50). These data demonstrate that proteins isolated from snake venom are potent inhibitors of EVA71 and could be used as scaffolds for future development of novel antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Farinha Shimizu
- Laboratory of Antiviral Research, Institute of Biomedical Science - ICBIM, Federal University of Uberlândia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Institute of Biosciences, Language and Exact Science - IBILCE, São Paulo State University - UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil; Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Centre for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-100, Brazil
| | - Shiraz Feferbaum-Leite
- Laboratory of Antiviral Research, Institute of Biomedical Science - ICBIM, Federal University of Uberlândia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Igor Andrade Santos
- Laboratory of Antiviral Research, Institute of Biomedical Science - ICBIM, Federal University of Uberlândia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Daniel Oliveira Silva Martins
- Laboratory of Antiviral Research, Institute of Biomedical Science - ICBIM, Federal University of Uberlândia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Institute of Biosciences, Language and Exact Science - IBILCE, São Paulo State University - UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Natalie J Kingston
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Mona Shegdar
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Carsten Zothner
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Suely Vilela Sampaio
- Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo - USP, SP, Brazil
| | - Mark Harris
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J Stonehouse
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Carolina Gomes Jardim
- Laboratory of Antiviral Research, Institute of Biomedical Science - ICBIM, Federal University of Uberlândia - UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Institute of Biosciences, Language and Exact Science - IBILCE, São Paulo State University - UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil.
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3
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Wang G, Cui Y, Liu H, Tian Y, Li S, Fan Y, Sun S, Wu D, Peng C. Antibacterial peptides-loaded bioactive materials for the treatment of bone infection. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2023; 225:113255. [PMID: 36924650 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial bone infection in open fractures is an urgent problem to solve in orthopedics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), as a part of innate immune defense, have good biocompatibility. Their antibacterial mechanism and therapeutic application against bacteria have been widely studied. Compared with traditional antibiotics, AMPs do not easily cause bacterial resistance and can be a reliable substitute for antibiotics in the future. Therefore, various physical and chemical strategies have been developed for the combined application of AMPs and bioactive materials to infected sites, which are conducive to maintaining the local stability of AMPs, reducing many complications, and facilitating bone infection resolution. This review explored the molecular structure, function, and direct and indirect antibacterial mechanisms of AMPs, introduced two important AMPs (LL-37 and β-defensins) in bone tissues, and reviewed advanced AMP loading strategies and different bioactive materials. Finally, the latest progress and future development of AMPs-loaded bioactive materials for the promotion of bone infection repair were discussed. This study provided a theoretical basis and application strategy for the treatment of bone infection with AMP-loaded bioactive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gan Wang
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China
| | - Yutao Cui
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China
| | - He Liu
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China
| | - Yuhang Tian
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China
| | - Shaorong Li
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China
| | - Yi Fan
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China
| | - Shouye Sun
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China
| | - Dankai Wu
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China.
| | - Chuangang Peng
- Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, PR China.
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Past, Present, and Future of Naturally Occurring Antimicrobials Related to Snake Venoms. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040744. [PMID: 36830531 PMCID: PMC9952678 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040744] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on proteins and peptides with antimicrobial activity because these biopolymers can be useful in the fight against infectious diseases and to overcome the critical problem of microbial resistance to antibiotics. In fact, snakes show the highest diversification among reptiles, surviving in various environments; their innate immunity is similar to mammals and the response of their plasma to bacteria and fungi has been explored mainly in ecological studies. Snake venoms are a rich source of components that have a variety of biological functions. Among them are proteins like lectins, metalloproteinases, serine proteinases, L-amino acid oxidases, phospholipases type A2, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, as well as many oligopeptides, such as waprins, cardiotoxins, cathelicidins, and β-defensins. In vitro, these biomolecules were shown to be active against bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses that are pathogenic to humans. Not only cathelicidins, but all other proteins and oligopeptides from snake venom have been proteolyzed to provide short antimicrobial peptides, or for use as templates for developing a variety of short unnatural sequences based on their structures. In addition to organizing and discussing an expressive amount of information, this review also describes new β-defensin sequences of Sistrurus miliarius that can lead to novel peptide-based antimicrobial agents, using a multidisciplinary approach that includes sequence phylogeny.
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Osipov A, Utkin Y. What Are the Neurotoxins in Hemotoxic Snake Venoms? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032919. [PMID: 36769242 PMCID: PMC9917609 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Snake venoms as tools for hunting are primarily aimed at the most vital systems of the prey, especially the nervous and circulatory systems. In general, snakes of the Elapidae family produce neurotoxic venoms comprising of toxins targeting the nervous system, while snakes of the Viperidae family and most rear-fanged snakes produce hemotoxic venoms directed mainly on blood coagulation. However, it is not all so clear. Some bites by viperids results in neurotoxic signs and it is now known that hemotoxic venoms do contain neurotoxic components. For example, viperid phospholipases A2 may manifest pre- or/and postsynaptic activity and be involved in pain and analgesia. There are other neurotoxins belonging to diverse families ranging from large multi-subunit proteins (e.g., C-type lectin-like proteins) to short peptide neurotoxins (e.g., waglerins and azemiopsin), which are found in hemotoxic venoms. Other neurotoxins from hemotoxic venoms include baptides, crotamine, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, Kunitz-type protease inhibitors, sarafotoxins and three-finger toxins. Some of these toxins exhibit postsynaptic activity, while others affect the functioning of voltage-dependent ion channels. This review represents the first attempt to systematize data on the neurotoxins from "non-neurotoxic" snake venom. The structural and functional characteristic of these neurotoxins affecting diverse targets in the nervous system are considered.
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Gopalan SS, Perry BW, Schield DR, Smith CF, Mackessy SP, Castoe TA. Origins, genomic structure and copy number variation of snake venom myotoxins. Toxicon 2022; 216:92-106. [PMID: 35820472 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.06.014] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine, myotoxin a and homologs are short peptides that often comprise major fractions of rattlesnake venoms and have been extensively studied for their bioactive properties. These toxins are thought to be important for rapidly immobilizing mammalian prey and are implicated in serious, and sometimes fatal, responses to envenomation in humans. While high quality reference genomes for multiple venomous snakes are available, the loci that encode myotoxins have not been successfully assembled in any existing genome assembly. Here, we integrate new and existing genomic and transcriptomic data from the Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) to reconstruct, characterize, and infer the chromosomal locations of myotoxin-encoding loci. We integrate long-read transcriptomics (Pacific Bioscience's Iso-Seq) and short-read RNA-seq to infer gene sequence diversity and characterize patterns of myotoxin and paralogous β-defensin expression across multiple tissues. We also identify two long non-coding RNA sequences which both encode functional myotoxins, demonstrating a newly discovered source of venom coding sequence diversity. We also integrate long-range mate-pair chromatin contact data and linked-read sequencing to infer the structure and chromosomal locations of the three myotoxin-like loci. Further, we conclude that the venom-associated myotoxin is located on chromosome 1 and is adjacent to non-venom paralogs. Consistent with this locus contributing to venom composition, we find evidence that the promoter of this gene is selectively open in venom gland tissue and contains transcription factor binding sites implicated in broad trans-regulatory pathways that regulate snake venoms. This study provides the best genomic reconstruction of myotoxin loci to date and raises questions about the physiological roles and interplay between myotoxin and related genes, as well as the genomic origins of snake venom variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth S Gopalan
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Cara F Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 12801 East 17th Avenue, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
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7
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Slavetinsky CJ, Hauser JN, Gekeler C, Slavetinsky J, Geyer A, Kraus A, Heilingbrunner D, Wagner S, Tesar M, Krismer B, Kuhn S, Ernst CM, Peschel A. Sensitizing Staphylococcus aureus to antibacterial agents by decoding and blocking the lipid flippase MprF. eLife 2022; 11:66376. [PMID: 35044295 PMCID: PMC8806190 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pandemic of antibiotic resistance represents a major human health threat demanding new antimicrobial strategies. MprF is the synthase and flippase of the phospholipid lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol that increases virulence and resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other pathogens to cationic host defense peptides and antibiotics. With the aim to design MprF inhibitors that could sensitize MRSA to antimicrobial agents and support the clearance of staphylococcal infections with minimal selection pressure, we developed MprF-targeting monoclonal antibodies, which bound and blocked the MprF flippase subunit. Antibody M-C7.1 targeted a specific loop in the flippase domain that proved to be exposed at both sides of the bacterial membrane, thereby enhancing the mechanistic understanding of bacterial lipid translocation. M-C7.1 rendered MRSA susceptible to host antimicrobial peptides and antibiotics such as daptomycin, and it impaired MRSA survival in human phagocytes. Thus, MprF inhibitors are recommended for new anti-virulence approaches against MRSA and other bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cordula Gekeler
- Department of Infection Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
| | | | - André Geyer
- Department of Infection Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
| | | | | | - Samuel Wagner
- Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', University of Tübingen
| | | | - Bernhard Krismer
- Department of Infection Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
| | - Sebastian Kuhn
- Department of Infection Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
| | - Christoph M Ernst
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Broad Institute
| | - Andreas Peschel
- Department of Infection Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
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8
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OUP accepted manuscript. Med Mycol 2022; 60:6526320. [PMID: 35142862 PMCID: PMC8929677 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myac008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging, multi drug resistant fungal pathogen that has caused infectious outbreaks in over 45 countries since its first isolation over a decade ago, leading to in-hospital crude mortality rates as high as 72%. The fungus is also acclimated to disinfection procedures and persists for weeks in nosocomial ecosystems. Alarmingly, the outbreaks of C. auris infections in Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients have also been reported. The pathogenicity, drug resistance and global spread of C. auris have led to an urgent exploration of novel, candidate antifungal agents for C. auris therapeutics. This narrative review codifies the emerging data on the following new/emerging antifungal compounds and strategies: antimicrobial peptides, combinational therapy, immunotherapy, metals and nano particles, natural compounds, and repurposed drugs. Encouragingly, a vast majority of these exhibit excellent anti- C. auris properties, with promising drugs now in the pipeline in various stages of development. Nevertheless, further research on the modes of action, toxicity, and the dosage of the new formulations are warranted. Studies are needed with representation from all five C. auris clades, so as to produce data of grater relevance, and broader significance and validity.
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Antimicrobial Activity of Snake β-Defensins and Derived Peptides. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 14:toxins14010001. [PMID: 35050978 PMCID: PMC8777785 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
β-defensins are antimicrobial peptides presenting in vertebrate animals. They participate in innate immunity, but little is known about them in reptiles, including snakes. Although several β-defensin genes were described in Brazilian snakes, their function is still unknown. The peptide sequence from these genes was deduced, and synthetic peptides (with approximately 40 amino acids and derived peptides) were tested against pathogenic bacteria and fungi using microbroth dilution assays. The linear peptides, derived from β-defensins, were designed applying the bioisosterism strategy. The linear β-defensins were more active against Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Citrobacter freundii, and Staphylococcus aureus. The derived peptides (7–14 mer) showed antibacterial activity against those bacteria and on Klebsiella pneumoniae. Nonetheless, they did not present activity against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trychophyton rubrum, and Aspergillus fumigatus showing that the cysteine substitution to serine is deleterious to antifungal properties. Tryptophan residue showed to be necessary to improve antibacterial activity. Even though the studied snake β-defensins do not have high antimicrobial activity, they proved to be attractive as template molecules for the development of antibiotics.
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Hayashi MAF, Campeiro JD, Yonamine CM. Revisiting the potential of South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus toxins as therapeutic, theranostic and/or biotechnological agents. Toxicon 2021; 206:1-13. [PMID: 34896407 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.12.005] [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] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The potential biotechnological and biomedical applications of the animal venom components are widely recognized. Indeed, many components have been used either as drugs or as templates/prototypes for the development of innovative pharmaceutical drugs, among which many are still used for the treatment of human diseases. A specific South American rattlesnake, named Crotalus durissus terrificus, shows a venom composition relatively simpler compared to any viper or other snake species belonging to the Crotalus genus, although presenting a set of toxins with high potential for the treatment of several still unmet human therapeutic needs, as reviewed in this work. In addition to the main toxin named crotoxin, which is under clinical trials studies for antitumoral therapy and which has also anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities, other toxins from the C. d. terrificus venom are also being studied, aiming for a wide variety of therapeutic applications, including as antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antitumoral or antiparasitic agent, or as modulator of animal metabolism, fibrin sealant (fibrin glue), gene carrier or theranostic agent. Among these rattlesnake toxins, the most relevant, considering the potential clinical applications, are crotamine, crotalphine and gyroxin. In this narrative revision, we propose to organize and present briefly the updates in the accumulated knowledge on potential therapeutic applications of toxins collectively found exclusively in the venom of this specific South American rattlesnake, with the objective of contributing to increase the chances of success in the discovery of drugs based on toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil.
| | - Joana D Campeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Camila M Yonamine
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil.
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Baudou FG, Rodriguez JP, Fusco L, de Roodt AR, De Marzi MC, Leiva L. South American snake venoms with abundant neurotoxic components. Composition and toxicological properties. A literature review. Acta Trop 2021; 224:106119. [PMID: 34481791 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In South America there are three snake genera with predominantly neurotoxic venoms: Crotalus, Micrurus and Hydrophis, which include nine species/subspecies, 97 species and a single marine species, respectively. Although accidents with neurotoxic venoms are less frequent than those with anticoagulant, cytotoxic or necrotic venoms (e.g. from Bothrops), they are of major public health importance. Venoms from genus Crotalus have been extensively studied, while data on the venoms from the other two genera are very limited, especially for Hydrophis. The venoms of North and South American Crotalus species show biochemical and physiopathological differences. The former species cause bothrops-like envenomation symptoms, while the latter mainly have neurotoxic and myotoxic effects, leading to respiratory paralysis and, occasionally, renal failure by myoglobinuria and death, often with no local lesions. Micrurus and Hydrophis also cause neurotoxic envenomations. Many studies have isolated, identified and characterized new enzymes and toxins, thus expanding the knowledge of snake venom composition. The present review summarizes the currently available information on neurotoxic venoms from South American snakes, with a focus on protein composition and toxicological properties. It also includes some comments concerning potential medical applications of elapid and crotalic toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico G Baudou
- Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu), Depto. de Ciencias Básicas, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Inmunología, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES), UNLu-CONICET, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Juan P Rodriguez
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de la Facultad de Medicina (LIBIM), Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (IQUIBA-NEA), Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (UNNE-CONICET), Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Luciano Fusco
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (UNNE, CONICET), FaCENA, (UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Adolfo R de Roodt
- Área Investigación y Desarrollo-Venenos, Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos, Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Argentina; Primera Cátedra de Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Toxinopatología, Centro de Patología Experimental y Aplicada, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauricio C De Marzi
- Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu), Depto. de Ciencias Básicas, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Inmunología, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES), UNLu-CONICET, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Leiva
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (UNNE, CONICET), FaCENA, (UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina
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12
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Bin Hafeez A, Jiang X, Bergen PJ, Zhu Y. Antimicrobial Peptides: An Update on Classifications and Databases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11691. [PMID: 34769122 PMCID: PMC8583803 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are distributed across all kingdoms of life and are an indispensable component of host defenses. They consist of predominantly short cationic peptides with a wide variety of structures and targets. Given the ever-emerging resistance of various pathogens to existing antimicrobial therapies, AMPs have recently attracted extensive interest as potential therapeutic agents. As the discovery of new AMPs has increased, many databases specializing in AMPs have been developed to collect both fundamental and pharmacological information. In this review, we summarize the sources, structures, modes of action, and classifications of AMPs. Additionally, we examine current AMP databases, compare valuable computational tools used to predict antimicrobial activity and mechanisms of action, and highlight new machine learning approaches that can be employed to improve AMP activity to combat global antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmer Bin Hafeez
- Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan;
| | - Xukai Jiang
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (X.J.); (P.J.B.)
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Phillip J. Bergen
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (X.J.); (P.J.B.)
| | - Yan Zhu
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (X.J.); (P.J.B.)
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Five major two components systems of Staphylococcus aureus for adaptation in diverse hostile environment. Microb Pathog 2021; 159:105119. [PMID: 34339796 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is an eminent and opportunistic human pathogen that can colonize in the intestines, skin tissue and perineal regions of the host and cause severe infectious diseases. The presence of complex regulatory network and existence of virulent gene expression along with tuning metabolism enables the S. aureus to adopt the diversity of environments. Two component system (TCS) is a widely distributed mechanism in S. aureus that permit it for changing gene expression profile in response of environment stimuli. TCS usually consist of transmembrane histidine kinase (HK) and cytosolic response regulator. S. aureus contains totally 16 conserved pairs of two component systems, involving in different signaling mechanisms. There is a connection among these regulatory circuits and they can easily have effect on each other's expression. This review has discussed five major types of TCS in S. aureus and covers the recent knowledge of their virulence gene expression. We can get more understanding towards staphylococcal pathogenicity by getting insights about gene regulatory pathways via TCS, which can further provide implications in vaccine formation and new ways for drug design to combat serious infections caused by S. aureus in humans.
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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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15
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Struyfs C, Cammue BPA, Thevissen K. Membrane-Interacting Antifungal Peptides. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:649875. [PMID: 33912564 PMCID: PMC8074791 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.649875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of invasive fungal infections is increasing worldwide, resulting in more than 1.6 million deaths every year. Due to growing antifungal drug resistance and the limited number of currently used antimycotics, there is a clear need for novel antifungal strategies. In this context, great potential is attributed to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are part of the innate immune system of organisms. These peptides are known for their broad-spectrum activity that can be directed toward bacteria, fungi, viruses, and/or even cancer cells. Some AMPs act via rapid physical disruption of microbial cell membranes at high concentrations causing cell leakage and cell death. However, more complex mechanisms are also observed, such as interaction with specific lipids, production of reactive oxygen species, programmed cell death, and autophagy. This review summarizes the structure and mode of action of antifungal AMPs, thereby focusing on their interaction with fungal membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Struyfs
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bruno P A Cammue
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karin Thevissen
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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16
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Santana FL, Estrada K, Ortiz E, Corzo G. Reptilian β-defensins: Expanding the repertoire of known crocodylian peptides. Peptides 2021; 136:170473. [PMID: 33309943 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
One of the major families of host defense peptides (HDPs) in vertebrates are β-defensins. They constitute important components of innate immunity and have remained an interesting topic of research for more than two decades. While many β-defensin sequences in mammals and birds have been identified and their properties and functions characterized, β-defensin peptides from other groups of vertebrates, particularly reptiles, are still largely unexplored. In this review, we focus on reptilian β-defensins and summarize different aspects of their biology, such as their genomic organization, evolution, structure, and biological activities. Reptilian β-defensin genes exhibit similar genomic organization to birds and their number and gene structure are variable among different species. During the evolution of reptiles, several gene duplication and deletion events have occurred and the functional diversification of β-defensins has been mainly driven by positive selection. These peptides display broad antimicrobial activity in vitro, but a deeper understanding of their mechanisms of action in vivo, including their role as immunomodulators, is still lacking. Reptilian β-defensins constitute unique polypeptide sequences to expand our current understanding of innate immunity in these animals and elucidate core biological functions of this family of HDPs across amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix L Santana
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 510-3, Cuernavaca Mor., 62250, Mexico.
| | - Karel Estrada
- Unidad de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 510-3, Cuernavaca Mor., 62250, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Corzo
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 510-3, Cuernavaca Mor., 62250, Mexico.
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17
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de Carvalho Porta L, Fadel V, D'Arc Campeiro J, Oliveira EB, Godinho RO, Hayashi MAF. Biophysical and pharmacological characterization of a full-length synthetic analog of the antitumor polypeptide crotamine. J Mol Med (Berl) 2020; 98:1561-1571. [PMID: 32895732 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-020-01975-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a polypeptide isolated from the venom of a South American rattlesnake. Among the properties and biological activities of crotamine, the most extraordinary is its ability to enter cells with unique selective affinity and cytotoxic activity against actively proliferating cells, such as tumor cells. This peptide is also a cargo carrier, and anticipating commercial application of this native polypeptide as a potential theranostic compound against cancer, we performed here a side-by-side characterization of a chemically synthesized full-length crotamine compared with its native counterpart. The structural, biophysical, and pharmacological properties were evaluated. Comparative NMR studies showed structural conservation of synthetic crotamine. Moreover, similarly to native crotamine, the synthetic polypeptide was also capable of inhibiting tumor growth in vivo, increasing the survival of mice bearing subcutaneous tumor. We also confirmed the ability of synthetic crotamine to transfect and transport DNA into eukaryotic cells, in addition to the importance of proteoglycans on cell surface for its internalization. This work opens new opportunities for future evaluation of chimeric and/or point-mutated analogs of this snake polypeptide, aiming for improving crotamine properties and applications, as well as possibly diminishing its potential toxic effects. KEY MESSAGES: • Synthetic crotamine showed ex vivo and in vivo activities similar to native peptide. • Synthetic crotamine structure conservation was demonstrated by NMR analysis. • Synthetic crotamine is able to transfect and transport DNA into eukaryotic cells. • Synthetic crotamine shows tumor growth inhibition in vivo. • Synthetic crotamine increases survival of mice bearing tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas de Carvalho Porta
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Valmir Fadel
- Universidade Estadual de São Paulo (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Joana D'Arc Campeiro
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Brandt Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-FMRP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rosely Oliveira Godinho
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Mirian Akemi Furuie Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua 3 de maio 100, Ed. INFAR, 3rd floor, São Paulo, CEP 04044-020, Brazil.
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18
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Porta LC, Campeiro JD, Papa GB, Oliveira EB, Godinho RO, Rodrigues T, Hayashi MAF. In vivo effects of the association of the psychoactive phenotiazine thioridazine on antitumor activity and hind limb paralysis induced by the native polypeptide crotamine. Toxicon 2020; 185:64-71. [PMID: 32621838 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a cationic polypeptide composed by 42 amino acid residues with several pharmacological and biological properties, including the selective ability to enter and kill actively proliferating tumour cells, which led us to propose its use as a theranostic agent for cancer therapy. At the moment, the improvement of crotamine antitumoral efficacy by association with chemotherapeutic adjuvants is envisioned. In the present work, we evaluated the association of crotamine with the antitumoral adjuvant phenotiazine thioridazine (THD). In spite of the clear efficacy of these both compounds as anticancer agents in long-term in vivo treatment of animal model bearing implanted xenograph melanoma tumor, the expected mutual potentiation of the antitumor effects was not observed here. Moreover, this association revealed for the first time the influence of THD on crotamine ability to trigger the hind limb paralysis in mice, and this discovery may represent the first report suggesting the potential involvement of the CNS in the action of this snake polypeptide on the skeletal muscle paralysis, which was classically believed to be essentially limited to a direct action in peripheral tissues as the skeletal muscle. This is also supported by the observed ability of crotamine to potentiate the sedative effects of THD which action was consistently demonstrated to be based on its central action. The better characterization of crotamine properties in CNS may certainly bring important insights for the knowledge needed to pave the way toward the use of this molecule as a theranostic compound in human diseases as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C Porta
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Joana D Campeiro
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Giovanna B Papa
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo B Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-RP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rosely O Godinho
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | | | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil.
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19
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Witherell KS, Price J, Bandaranayake AD, Olson J, Call DR. Circumventing colistin resistance by combining colistin and antimicrobial peptides to kill colistin-resistant and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2020; 22:706-712. [PMID: 32512236 PMCID: PMC7644326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Colistin is a ‘last-line’ antibiotic used to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, but colistin resistance has emerged. Colistin normally binds to the lipid A moiety on the bacterial outer membrane, where it then destroys the bacterial membrane. Mobilize colistin resistance (MCR, encoded by mcr-1 and others) is a phosphoethanolamine transferase that modifies lipid A, preventing colistin binding. We hypothesized that combining pore-forming AMPs and colistin will circumvent this mechanism and reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of colistin for both colistin- and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Methods: In vitro cultures were incubated for 18 h after combining bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) with serially diluted colistin and a fixed concentration of peptide MSI-78 or OTD-244. Results: When combined with either peptide, the colistin MIC decreased more than 4-fold for 88% of all tested isolates (n = 17; range, 4–64-fold reduction) and for 75% of colistin-resistant isolates (n = 8; range, 4–64-fold reduction). The concentrations used had no effect on red blood cells based on a conventional haemolysis assay. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with two membrane-damaging compounds having an additive effect on bacterial killing. Combining antimicrobial peptides with colistin is a promising strategy for bypassing MCR-mediated colistin resistance, but also for improving the susceptibility of other Gram-negative bacteria while potentially reducing the therapeutic concentration of colistin needed to treat infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason Price
- The Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - James Olson
- The Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Douglas R Call
- Allen School, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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20
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Falcao CB, Radis-Baptista G. Crotamine and crotalicidin, membrane active peptides from Crotalus durissus terrificus rattlesnake venom, and their structurally-minimized fragments for applications in medicine and biotechnology. Peptides 2020; 126:170234. [PMID: 31857106 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2019.170234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A global public health crisis has emerged with the extensive dissemination of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from plants and animals have represented promising tools to counteract those resistant pathogens due to their multiple pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory and cell-penetrating activities. In this review, we will focus on crotamine and crotalicidin, which are two interesting examples of membrane active peptides derived from the South America rattlesnake Crotalus durrisus terrificus venom. Their full-sequences and structurally-minimized fragments have potential applications, as anti-infective and anti-proliferative agents and diagnostics in medicine and in pharmaceutical biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Borges Falcao
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil; Peter Pan Association to Fight Childhood Cancer, Fortaleza, CE, 60410-770, Brazil.
| | - Gandhi Radis-Baptista
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate program in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Av da Abolição 3207, Fortaleza, CE, 60165-081, Brazil.
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21
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Yadav VK, Singh PK, Agarwal V, Singh SK. Crosstalk between Platelet and Bacteria: A Therapeutic Prospect. Curr Pharm Des 2019; 25:4041-4052. [PMID: 31553286 DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666190925163347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Platelets are typically recognized for their roles in the maintenance of hemostasis and vascular wall repair to reduce blood loss. Beyond hemostasis, platelets also play a critical role in pathophysiological conditions like atherosclerosis, stroke, thrombosis, and infections. During infection, platelets interact directly and indirectly with bacteria through a wide range of cellular and molecular mechanisms. Platelet surface receptors such as GPIbα, FcγRIIA, GPIIbIIIa, and TLRs, etc. facilitate direct interaction with bacterial cells. Besides, the indirect interaction between platelet and bacteria involves host plasma proteins such as von Willebrand Factor (vWF), fibronectin, IgG, and fibrinogen. Bacterial cells induce platelet activation, aggregation, and thrombus formation in the microvasculature. The activated platelets induce the Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) formation, which further contribute to thrombosis. Thus, platelets are extensively anticipated as vital immune modulator cells during infection, which may further lead to cardiovascular complications. In this review, we cover the interaction mechanisms between platelets and bacteria that may lead to the development of thrombotic disorders. Platelet receptors and other host molecules involved in such interactions can be used to develop new therapeutic strategies to combat against infection-induced cardiovascular complications. In addition, we highlight other receptor and enzyme targets that may further reduce infection-induced platelet activation and various pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek K Yadav
- Department of Biotechnology Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
| | - Pradeep K Singh
- Department of Biotechnology Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
| | - Vishnu Agarwal
- Department of Biotechnology Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
| | - Sunil K Singh
- Department of Animal Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India
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22
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Dal Mas C, Rossato L, Shimizu T, Oliveira EB, da Silva Junior PI, Meis JF, Colombo AL, Hayashi MAF. Effects of the Natural Peptide Crotamine from a South American Rattlesnake on Candida auris, an Emergent Multidrug Antifungal Resistant Human Pathogen. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9060205. [PMID: 31141959 PMCID: PMC6627186 DOI: 10.3390/biom9060205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive Candida infections are an important growing medical concern and treatment options are limited to a few antifungal drug classes, with limited efficacies depending on the infecting organism. In this scenario, invasive infections caused by multiresistant Candida auris are emerging in several places around the world as important healthcare-associated infections. As antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exert their activities primarily through mechanisms involving membrane disruption, they have a lower chance of inducing drug resistance than general chemical antimicrobials. Interestingly, we previously described the potent candicidal effect of a rattlesnake AMP, crotamine, against standard and treatment-resistant clinical isolates, with no hemolytic activity. We evaluated the antifungal susceptibility of several Candida spp. strains cultured from different patients by using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) microdilution assay, and the antifungal activity of native crotamine was evaluated by a microbial growth inhibition microdilution assay. Although all Candida isolates evaluated here showed resistance to amphotericin B and fluconazole, crotamine (40–80 µM) exhibited in vitro activity against most isolates tested. We suggest that this native polypeptide from the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus has potential as a structural model for the generation of a new class of antimicrobial compounds with the power to fight against multiresistant Candida spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Dal Mas
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo SP 04038-032, Brazil.
| | - Luana Rossato
- Departamento de Medicina, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo SP 04038-032, Brazil.
| | - Thaís Shimizu
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo SP 04038-032, Brazil.
| | - Eduardo B Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-RP), Ribeirão Preto SP 14049-900, Brazil.
| | - Pedro I da Silva Junior
- Special Laboratory for Applied Toxinology (LETA), Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo SP 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Jacques F Meis
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ), 6532 Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
- Departamento de Medicina, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo SP 04038-032, Brazil.
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo SP 04038-032, Brazil.
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23
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Unifying structural signature of eukaryotic α-helical host defense peptides. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:6944-6953. [PMID: 30877253 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1819250116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Diversity of α-helical host defense peptides (αHDPs) contributes to immunity against a broad spectrum of pathogens via multiple functions. Thus, resolving common structure-function relationships among αHDPs is inherently difficult, even for artificial-intelligence-based methods that seek multifactorial trends rather than foundational principles. Here, bioinformatic and pattern recognition methods were applied to identify a unifying signature of eukaryotic αHDPs derived from amino acid sequence, biochemical, and three-dimensional properties of known αHDPs. The signature formula contains a helical domain of 12 residues with a mean hydrophobic moment of 0.50 and favoring aliphatic over aromatic hydrophobes in 18-aa windows of peptides or proteins matching its semantic definition. The holistic α-core signature subsumes existing physicochemical properties of αHDPs, and converged strongly with predictions of an independent machine-learning-based classifier recognizing sequences inducing negative Gaussian curvature in target membranes. Queries using the α-core formula identified 93% of all annotated αHDPs in proteomic databases and retrieved all major αHDP families. Synthesis and antimicrobial assays confirmed efficacies of predicted sequences having no previously known antimicrobial activity. The unifying α-core signature establishes a foundational framework for discovering and understanding αHDPs encompassing diverse structural and mechanistic variations, and affords possibilities for deterministic design of antiinfectives.
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Abstract
Daptomycin, a calcium-dependent lipopeptide antibiotic whose full mode of action is still not entirely understood, has become a standard-of-care agent for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Daptomycin-resistant (DAP-R) S. aureus mutants emerge during therapy, featuring isolates which in most cases possess point mutations in the mprF gene. MprF is a bifunctional bacterial resistance protein that synthesizes the positively charged lipid lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol (LysPG) and translocates it subsequently from the inner membrane leaflet to the outer membrane leaflet. This process leads to increased positive S. aureus surface charge and reduces susceptibility to cationic antimicrobial peptides and cationic antibiotics. We characterized the most commonly reported MprF mutations in DAP-R S. aureus strains in a defined genetic background and found that only certain mutations, including the frequently reported T345A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), can reproducibly cause daptomycin resistance. Surprisingly, T345A did not alter LysPG synthesis, LysPG translocation, or the S. aureus cell surface charge. MprF-mediated DAP-R relied on a functional flippase domain and was restricted to daptomycin and a related cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic, friulimicin B, suggesting that the mutations modulate specific interactions with these two antibiotics. Notably, the T345A mutation led to weakened intramolecular domain interactions of MprF, suggesting that daptomycin and friulimicin resistance-conferring mutations may alter the substrate range of the MprF flippase to directly translocate these lipopeptide antibiotics or other membrane components with crucial roles in the activity of these antimicrobials. Our study points to a new mechanism used by S. aureus to resist calcium-dependent lipopeptide antibiotics and increases our understanding of the bacterial phospholipid flippase MprF.IMPORTANCE Ever since daptomycin was introduced to the clinic, daptomycin-resistant isolates have been reported. In most cases, the resistant isolates harbor point mutations in MprF, which produces and flips the positively charged phospholipid LysPG. This has led to the assumption that the resistance mechanism relies on the overproduction of LysPG, given that increased LysPG production may lead to increased electrostatic repulsion of positively charged antimicrobial compounds, including daptomycin. Here we show that the resistance mechanism is highly specific and relies on a different process that involves a functional MprF flippase, suggesting that the resistance-conferring mutations may enable the flippase to accommodate daptomycin or an unknown component that is crucial for its activity. Our report provides a new perspective on the mechanism of resistance to a major antibiotic.
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25
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Lima SDC, Porta LDC, Lima ÁDC, Campeiro JD, Meurer Y, Teixeira NB, Duarte T, Oliveira EB, Picolo G, Godinho RO, Silva RH, Hayashi MAF. Pharmacological characterization of crotamine effects on mice hind limb paralysis employing both ex vivo and in vivo assays: Insights into the involvement of voltage-gated ion channels in the crotamine action on skeletal muscles. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006700. [PMID: 30080908 PMCID: PMC6095621 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The high medical importance of Crotalus snakes is unquestionable, as this genus is the second in frequency of ophidian accidents in many countries, including Brazil. With a relative less complex composition compared to other genera venoms, as those from the Bothrops genus, the Crotalus genus venom from South America is composed basically by the neurotoxin crotoxin (a phospholipase A2), the thrombin-like gyroxin (a serinoprotease), a very potent aggregating protein convulxin, and a myotoxic polypeptide named crotamine. Interestingly not all Crotalus snakes express crotamine, which was first described in early 50s due to its ability to immobilize animal hind limbs, contributing therefore to the physical immobilization of preys and representing an important advantage for the envenoming efficacy, and consequently, for the feeding and survival of these snakes in nature. Representing about 10–25% of the dry weight of the crude venom of crotamine-positive rattlesnakes, the polypeptide crotamine is also suggested to be of importance for antivenom therapy, although the contribution of this toxin to the main symptoms of envenoming process remains far unknown until now. Herein, we concomitantly performed in vitro and in vivo assays to show for the first time the dose-dependent response of crotamine-triggered hind limbs paralysis syndrome, up to now believed to be observable only at high (sub-lethal) concentrations of crotamine. In addition, ex vivo assay performed with isolated skeletal muscles allowed us to suggest here that compounds active on voltage-sensitive sodium and/or potassium ion channels could both affect the positive inotropic effect elicited by crotamine in isolated diaphragm, besides also affecting the hind limbs paralysis syndrome imposed by crotamine in vivo. By identifying the potential molecular targets of this toxin, our data may contribute to open new roads for translational studies aiming to improve the snakebite envenoming treatment in human. Interestingly, we also demonstrate that the intraplantal or intraperitoneal (ip) injections of crotamine in mice do not promote pain. Therefore, this work may also suggest the profitable utility of non-toxic analogs of crotamine as a potential tool for targeting voltage-gated ion channels in skeletal muscles, aiming its potential use in the therapy of neuromuscular dysfunctions and envenoming therapy. Representing more than 10% of the dry weight of the crude venom of crotamine-positive rattlesnakes, crotamine may act as toxin mainly by imposing the physical immobilization of preys. Its presence was described to be important for antivenom therapy, although the knowledge on the effective contribution of crotamine to the main symptoms of envenoming process remains elusive and limited. Herein, we show for the first time the dose-dependent response for the hind limbs paralysis syndrome promoted by crotamine. We also report herein that compounds active on voltage-sensitive sodium and/or potassium ion channels can affect the positive inotropic effect elicited by crotamine in vitro in isolated diaphragm and also in the hind limbs paralysis syndrome triggered by crotamine in vivo. This potential targeting of voltage-sensitive sodium and/or potassium ion channels suggested here for crotamine may contribute to open new roads for translational studies aiming to improve the snakebite envenoming treatment in human. More importantly, nociceptive threshold evaluation demonstrated that crotamine does not trigger pain, and therefore, we also suggest crotamine as a potential tool for targeting voltage-gated ion channels present in skeletal muscles, with potential to be used as a lead compound to develop drugs for neuromuscular dysfunctions therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunamita de Carvalho Lima
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas de Carvalho Porta
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Álvaro da Costa Lima
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joana D'Arc Campeiro
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ywlliane Meurer
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Thiago Duarte
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Brandt Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-RP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gisele Picolo
- Laboratório Especial de Dor e Sinalização, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosely Oliveira Godinho
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Regina Helena Silva
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mirian Akemi Furuie Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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26
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Lee MW, Lee EY, Wong GCL. What Can Pleiotropic Proteins in Innate Immunity Teach Us about Bioconjugation and Molecular Design? Bioconjug Chem 2018; 29:2127-2139. [PMID: 29771496 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A common bioengineering strategy to add function to a given molecule is by conjugation of a new moiety onto that molecule. Adding multiple functions in this way becomes increasingly challenging and leads to composite molecules with larger molecular weights. In this review, we attempt to gain a new perspective by looking at this problem in reverse, by examining nature's strategies of multiplexing different functions into the same pleiotropic molecule using emerging analysis techniques such as machine learning. We concentrate on examples from the innate immune system, which employs a finite repertoire of molecules for a broad range of tasks. An improved understanding of how diverse functions are multiplexed into a single molecule can inspire new approaches for the deterministic design of multifunctional molecules.
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27
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Beta-defensin genes of the Colubridae snakes Phalotris mertensi , Thamnodynastes hypoconia , and T. strigatus. Toxicon 2018; 146:124-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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28
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Regulated Cell Death as a Therapeutic Target for Novel Antifungal Peptides and Biologics. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2018; 2018:5473817. [PMID: 29854086 PMCID: PMC5944218 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5473817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The rise of microbial pathogens refractory to conventional antibiotics represents one of the most urgent and global public health concerns for the 21st century. Emergence of Candida auris isolates and the persistence of invasive mold infections that resist existing treatment and cause severe illness has underscored the threat of drug-resistant fungal infections. To meet these growing challenges, mechanistically novel agents and strategies are needed that surpass the conventional fungistatic or fungicidal drug actions. Host defense peptides have long been misunderstood as indiscriminant membrane detergents. However, evidence gathered over the past decade clearly points to their sophisticated and selective mechanisms of action, including exploiting regulated cell death pathways of their target pathogens. Such peptides perturb transmembrane potential and mitochondrial energetics, inducing phosphatidylserine accessibility and metacaspase activation in fungi. These mechanisms are often multimodal, affording target pathogens fewer resistance options as compared to traditional small molecule drugs. Here, recent advances in the field are examined regarding regulated cell death subroutines as potential therapeutic targets for innovative anti-infective peptides against pathogenic fungi. Furthering knowledge of protective host defense peptide interactions with target pathogens is key to advancing and applying novel prophylactic and therapeutic countermeasures to fungal resistance and pathogenesis.
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29
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Marinovic MP, Campeiro JD, Lima SC, Rocha AL, Nering MB, Oliveira EB, Mori MA, Hayashi MAF. Crotamine induces browning of adipose tissue and increases energy expenditure in mice. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5057. [PMID: 29567992 PMCID: PMC5864908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22988-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Crotamine, originally isolated from rattlesnake venom, has been extensively studied due to its pleiotropic biological properties, and special attention has been paid to its antitumor activity. However, long-term treatment with crotamine was accompanied by a reduction in animal body weight gain and by increases in glucose tolerance. As cancer is commonly associated with cachexia, to preclude the possible cancer cachexia-like effect of crotamine, herein this polypeptide was administered in healthy wild-type C57/BL6 mice by the oral route daily, for 21 days. Reduced body weight gain, in addition to decreased white adipose tissue (WAT) and increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass were observed in healthy animals in the absence of tumor. In addition, we observed improved glucose tolerance and increased insulin sensitivity, accompanied by a reduction of plasma lipid levels and decreased levels of biomarkers of liver damage and kidney disfunctions. Importantly, long-term treatment with crotamine increased the basal metabolic rate in vivo, which was consistent with the increased expression of thermogenic markers in BAT and WAT. Interestingly, cultured brown adipocyte cells induced to differentiation in the presence of crotamine also showed increases in some of these markers and in lipid droplets number and size, indicating increased brown adipocyte maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo P Marinovic
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Joana D Campeiro
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sunamita C Lima
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Andrea L Rocha
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcela B Nering
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo B Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-RP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Marcelo A Mori
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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30
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Lee EY, Lee MW, Wong GCL. Modulation of toll-like receptor signaling by antimicrobial peptides. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 88:173-184. [PMID: 29432957 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are typically thought of as molecular hole punchers that directly kill pathogens by membrane permeation. However, recent work has shown that AMPs are pleiotropic, multifunctional molecules that can strongly modulate immune responses. In this review, we provide a historical overview of the immunomodulatory properties of natural and synthetic antimicrobial peptides, with a special focus on human cathelicidin and defensins. We also summarize the various mechanisms of AMP immune modulation and outline key structural rules underlying the recently-discovered phenomenon of AMP-mediated Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. In particular, we describe several complementary studies demonstrating how AMPs self-assemble with nucleic acids to form nanocrystalline complexes that amplify TLR-mediated inflammation. In a broader scope, we discuss how this new conceptual framework allows for the prediction of immunomodulatory behavior in AMPs, how the discovery of hidden antimicrobial activity in known immune signaling proteins can inform these predictions, and how these findings reshape our understanding of AMPs in normal host defense and autoimmune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Y Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Michelle W Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Gerard C L Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
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31
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Ojeda PG, Ramírez D, Alzate-Morales J, Caballero J, Kaas Q, González W. Computational Studies of Snake Venom Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 10:E8. [PMID: 29271884 PMCID: PMC5793095 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 12/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most snake venom toxins are proteins, and participate to envenomation through a diverse array of bioactivities, such as bleeding, inflammation, and pain, cytotoxic, cardiotoxic or neurotoxic effects. The venom of a single snake species contains hundreds of toxins, and the venoms of the 725 species of venomous snakes represent a large pool of potentially bioactive proteins. Despite considerable discovery efforts, most of the snake venom toxins are still uncharacterized. Modern bioinformatics tools have been recently developed to mine snake venoms, helping focus experimental research on the most potentially interesting toxins. Some computational techniques predict toxin molecular targets, and the binding mode to these targets. This review gives an overview of current knowledge on the ~2200 sequences, and more than 400 three-dimensional structures of snake toxins deposited in public repositories, as well as of molecular modeling studies of the interaction between these toxins and their molecular targets. We also describe how modern bioinformatics have been used to study the snake venom protein phospholipase A2, the small basic myotoxin Crotamine, and the three-finger peptide Mambalgin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola G Ojeda
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - David Ramírez
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - Jans Alzate-Morales
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - Julio Caballero
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Wendy González
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
- Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channels-Associated Diseases (MiNICAD), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
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32
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Kim CH, Lee YJ, Go HJ, Oh HY, Lee TK, Park JB, Park NG. Defensin-neurotoxin dyad in a basally branching metazoan sea anemone. FEBS J 2017; 284:3320-3338. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Hee Kim
- Department of Biotechnology; College of Fisheries Sciences; Pukyong National University; Busan Korea
| | - Ye Jin Lee
- Department of Biotechnology; College of Fisheries Sciences; Pukyong National University; Busan Korea
| | - Hye-Jin Go
- Department of Biotechnology; College of Fisheries Sciences; Pukyong National University; Busan Korea
| | - Hye Young Oh
- Department of Biotechnology; College of Fisheries Sciences; Pukyong National University; Busan Korea
| | - Tae Kwan Lee
- Department of Biotechnology; College of Fisheries Sciences; Pukyong National University; Busan Korea
| | - Ji Been Park
- Department of Biotechnology; College of Fisheries Sciences; Pukyong National University; Busan Korea
| | - Nam Gyu Park
- Department of Biotechnology; College of Fisheries Sciences; Pukyong National University; Busan Korea
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33
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Chan JYW, Zhou H, Kwan YW, Chan SW, Radis-Baptista G, Lee SMY. Evaluation in zebrafish model of the toxicity of rhodamine B-conjugated crotamine, a peptide potentially useful for diagnostics and therapeutics. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2017; 31. [PMID: 28815806 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.21964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Crotamine is defensin-like cationic peptide from rattlesnake venom that possesses anticancer, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. Despite these promising biological activities, toxicity is a major concern associated with the development of venom-derived peptides as therapeutic agents. In the present study, we used zebrafish as a system model to evaluate the toxicity of rhodamine B-conjugated (RhoB) crotamine derivative. The lethal toxic concentration of RhoB-crotamine was as low as 4 μM, which effectively kill zebrafish larvae in less than 10 min. With non-lethal concentrations (<1 μM), crotamine caused malformation in zebrafish embryos, delayed or completely halted hatching, adversely affected embryonic developmental programming, decreased the cardiac functions, and attenuated the swimming distance of zebrafish. The RhoB-crotamine translocated across vitelline membrane and accumulated in zebrafish yolk sac. These results demonstrate the sensitive responsivity of zebrafish to trial crotamine analogues for the development of novel therapeutic peptides with improved safety, bioavailability, and efficacy profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Yuet-Wa Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Hefeng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yiu Wa Kwan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shun Wan Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gandhi Radis-Baptista
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
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34
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Durban J, Sanz L, Trevisan-Silva D, Neri-Castro E, Alagón A, Calvete JJ. Integrated Venomics and Venom Gland Transcriptome Analysis of Juvenile and Adult Mexican Rattlesnakes Crotalus simus, C. tzabcan, and C. culminatus Revealed miRNA-modulated Ontogenetic Shifts. J Proteome Res 2017; 16:3370-3390. [PMID: 28731347 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Adult rattlesnakes within genus Crotalus express one of two distinct venom phenotypes, type I (hemorrhagic) and type II (neurotoxic). In Costa Rican Central American rattlesnake, ontogenetic changes in the concentration of miRNAs modulate venom type II to type I transition. Venomics and venom gland transcriptome analyses showed that adult C. simus and C. tzabcan expressed intermediate patterns between type II and type I venoms, whereas C. culminatus had a canonical type I venom. Neonate/juvenile and adult Mexican rattlesnakes showed notable inter- and intraspecific variability in the number, type, abundance and ontogenetic shifts of the transcriptional and translational venom gland activities. These results support a role for miRNAs in the ontogenetic venom compositional changes in the three congeneric Mexican rattlesnakes. It is worth noting the finding of dual-action miRNAs, which silence the translation of neurotoxic heterodimeric PLA2 crotoxin and acidic PLA2 mRNAs while simultaneously up-regulating SVMP-targeting mRNAs. Dual transcriptional regulation potentially explains the existence of mutually exclusive crotoxin-rich (type-II) and SVMP-rich (type-I) venom phenotypic dichotomy among rattlesnakes. Our results support the hypothesis that alterations of the distribution of miRNAs, modulating the translational activity of venom gland toxin-encoding mRNAs in response to an external cue, may contribute to the mechanism generating adaptive venom variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Durban
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia , Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Jaime Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Libia Sanz
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia , Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Jaime Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Dilza Trevisan-Silva
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia , Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Jaime Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná , Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Edgar Neri-Castro
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Juan J Calvete
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia , Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Jaime Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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35
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Ageitos J, Sánchez-Pérez A, Calo-Mata P, Villa T. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs): Ancient compounds that represent novel weapons in the fight against bacteria. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 133:117-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2016.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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36
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Perumal Samy R, Stiles BG, Franco OL, Sethi G, Lim LH. Animal venoms as antimicrobial agents. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 134:127-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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37
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Hong S, Takahashi H, Nadres ET, Mortazavian H, Caputo GA, Younger JG, Kuroda K. A Cationic Amphiphilic Random Copolymer with pH-Responsive Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169262. [PMID: 28060853 PMCID: PMC5217864 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this report, we demonstrate the pH-dependent, in vitro antimicrobial activity of a cationic, amphiphilic random copolymer against clinical isolates of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The polymer was developed toward a long-term goal of potential utility in the treatment of skin infections. The proposed mechanism of action of the polymer is through selectively binding to bacterial membranes and subsequent disruption of the membrane structure/integrity, ultimately resulting in bacterial cell death. The polymer showed bactericidal activity against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant or vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus. The polymer was effective in killing S. aureus at neutral pH, but inactive under acidic conditions (pH 5.5). The polymer did not exhibit any significant hemolytic activity against human red blood cells or display cytotoxicity to human dermal fibroblasts over a range of pH values (5.5–7.4). These results indicate that the polymer activity was selective against bacteria over human cells. Using this polymer, we propose a new potential strategy for treatment of skin infections using the pH-sensitive antimicrobial polymer agent that would selectively target infections at pH-neutral wound sites, but not the acidic, healthy skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungyoup Hong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (SH); (KK)
| | - Haruko Takahashi
- Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Enrico T. Nadres
- Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Hamid Mortazavian
- Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Gregory A. Caputo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - John G. Younger
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kenichi Kuroda
- Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SH); (KK)
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38
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Yang DC, Deuis JR, Dashevsky D, Dobson J, Jackson TNW, Brust A, Xie B, Koludarov I, Debono J, Hendrikx I, Hodgson WC, Josh P, Nouwens A, Baillie GJ, Bruxner TJC, Alewood PF, Lim KKP, Frank N, Vetter I, Fry BG. The Snake with the Scorpion's Sting: Novel Three-Finger Toxin Sodium Channel Activators from the Venom of the Long-Glanded Blue Coral Snake (Calliophis bivirgatus). Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:E303. [PMID: 27763551 PMCID: PMC5086663 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8100303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Millions of years of evolution have fine-tuned the ability of venom peptides to rapidly incapacitate both prey and potential predators. Toxicofera reptiles are characterized by serous-secreting mandibular or maxillary glands with heightened levels of protein expression. These glands are the core anatomical components of the toxicoferan venom system, which exists in myriad points along an evolutionary continuum. Neofunctionalisation of toxins is facilitated by positive selection at functional hotspots on the ancestral protein and venom proteins have undergone dynamic diversification in helodermatid and varanid lizards as well as advanced snakes. A spectacular point on the venom system continuum is the long-glanded blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgatus), a specialist feeder that preys on fast moving, venomous snakes which have both a high likelihood of prey escape but also represent significant danger to the predator itself. The maxillary venom glands of C. bivirgatus extend one quarter of the snake's body length and nestle within the rib cavity. Despite the snake's notoriety its venom has remained largely unstudied. Here we show that the venom uniquely produces spastic paralysis, in contrast to the flaccid paralysis typically produced by neurotoxic snake venoms. The toxin responsible, which we have called calliotoxin (δ-elapitoxin-Cb1a), is a three-finger toxin (3FTx). Calliotoxin shifts the voltage-dependence of NaV1.4 activation to more hyperpolarised potentials, inhibits inactivation, and produces large ramp currents, consistent with its profound effects on contractile force in an isolated skeletal muscle preparation. Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) are a particularly attractive pharmacological target as they are involved in almost all physiological processes including action potential generation and conduction. Accordingly, venom peptides that interfere with NaV function provide a key defensive and predatory advantage to a range of invertebrate venomous species including cone snails, scorpions, spiders, and anemones. Enhanced activation or delayed inactivation of sodium channels by toxins is associated with the extremely rapid onset of tetanic/excitatory paralysis in envenomed prey animals. A strong selection pressure exists for the evolution of such toxins where there is a high chance of prey escape. However, despite their prevalence in other venomous species, toxins causing delay of sodium channel inhibition have never previously been described in vertebrate venoms. Here we show that NaV modulators, convergent with those of invertebrates, have evolved in the venom of the long-glanded coral snake. Calliotoxin represents a functionally novel class of 3FTx and a structurally novel class of NaV toxins that will provide significant insights into the pharmacology and physiology of NaV. The toxin represents a remarkable case of functional convergence between invertebrate and vertebrate venom systems in response to similar selection pressures. These results underscore the dynamic evolution of the Toxicofera reptile system and reinforces the value of using evolution as a roadmap for biodiscovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl C Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3168, Australia.
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Jennifer R Deuis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Daniel Dashevsky
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - James Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy N W Jackson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Andreas Brust
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Bing Xie
- Bejing Genomics Institute-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Jordan Debono
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Iwan Hendrikx
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Wayne C Hodgson
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3168, Australia.
| | - Peter Josh
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Gregory J Baillie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy J C Bruxner
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Kelvin Kok Peng Lim
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377, Singapore.
| | | | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Australia.
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
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Antimicrobial Properties of an Immunomodulator - 15 kDa Human Granulysin. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156321. [PMID: 27276051 PMCID: PMC4898823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Granulysin, a cationic protein expressed by human natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, is a mediator for drug-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and graft-versus-host disease. Some 15 kDa granulysin are processed into 9 kDa forms and sequestered in cytolytic granules, while others are constitutively secreted into body fluids. Both 9 and 15 kDa granulysin have been shown to be a serum marker for cell-mediated immunity. Furthermore, 15 kDa is able to activate monocyte differentiation. However, its antimicrobial properties have not been clearly addressed. Here, we report a novel method to prepare both the soluble 9 and 15 kDa granulysin and show that the 15 kDa form is more effective than the 9 kDa form in exerting specific antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa within a range of few micromolars. We also show that the 15 kDa granulysin is able to hyperpolarize the membrane potential and increase membrane permeability of treated bacteria. Interestingly, the bactericidal activity and membrane permeability of the granulysins were markedly reduced at lower pH (pH 5.4) as a result of probable increase in hydrophobicity of the granulysins. Additionally, we’ve also shown the granulysin to inhibit biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa. These results suggest that the 15 kDa granulysin exhibits a novel mechanism in bacteria killing in a way that’s different from most antimicrobial peptides. Our novel granulysin preparation methodology will be useful for further study of action mechanisms of other antimicrobial, cytotoxic and immunomodulating properties in granulysin-mediated diseases.
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Maleki H, Rai A, Pinto S, Evangelista M, Cardoso RMS, Paulo C, Carvalheiro T, Paiva A, Imani M, Simchi A, Durães L, Portugal A, Ferreira L. High Antimicrobial Activity and Low Human Cell Cytotoxicity of Core-Shell Magnetic Nanoparticles Functionalized with an Antimicrobial Peptide. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:11366-11378. [PMID: 27074633 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b03355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) functionalized with antimicrobial agents are promising infection-targeted therapeutic platforms when coupled with external magnetic stimuli. These antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs) may offer advantages in fighting intracellular pathogens as well as biomaterial-associated infections. This requires the development of NPs with high antimicrobial activity without interfering with the biology of mammalian cells. Here, we report the preparation of biocompatible antimicrobial SPION@gold core-shell NPs based on covalent immobilization of the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) cecropin melittin (CM) (the conjugate is named AMP-NP). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the AMP-NP for Escherichia coli was 0.4 μg/mL, 10-times lower than the MIC of soluble CM. The antimicrobial activity of CM depends on the length of the spacer between the CM and the NP. AMP-NPs are taken up by endothelial (between 60 and 170 pg of NPs per cell) and macrophage (between 18 and 36 pg of NPs per cell) cells and accumulate preferentially in endolysosomes. These NPs have no significant cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory activities for concentrations up to 200 μg/mL (at least 100 times higher than the MIC of soluble CM). Our results in membrane models suggest that the selectivity of AMP-NPs for bacteria and not eukaryotic membranes is due to their membrane compositions. The AMP-NPs developed here open new opportunities for infection-site targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajar Maleki
- CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra , 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Akhilesh Rai
- Biocant-Biotechnology Innovation Center, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
- CNC-Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra , 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sandra Pinto
- Biocant-Biotechnology Innovation Center, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
- CNC-Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra , 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marta Evangelista
- Biocant-Biotechnology Innovation Center, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
- CNC-Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra , 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Renato M S Cardoso
- Biocant-Biotechnology Innovation Center, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
- CNC-Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra , 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cristiana Paulo
- Biocant-Biotechnology Innovation Center, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
- CNC-Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra , 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Tiago Carvalheiro
- Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation , 3041-861 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Artur Paiva
- Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation , 3041-861 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mohammad Imani
- Novel Drug Delivery Systems Department, Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute , 13115-14977 Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdolreza Simchi
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology , 11365-11155 Tehran, Iran
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology , 11365-11155 Tehran, Iran
| | - Luísa Durães
- CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra , 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - António Portugal
- CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra , 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Lino Ferreira
- Biocant-Biotechnology Innovation Center, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
- CNC-Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra , 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
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A brief update on potential molecular mechanisms underlying antimicrobial and wound-healing potency of snake venom molecules. Biochem Pharmacol 2016; 115:1-9. [PMID: 26975619 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A wide range of diverse, novel classes of natural antibiotics have been isolated from different snake species in the recent past. Snake venoms contain diverse groups of proteins with potent antibacterial activity against a wide range of human pathogens. Some snake venom molecules are pharmacologically attractive, as they possess promising broad-spectrum antibacterial activities. Furthermore, snake venom proteins (SVPs)/peptides also bind to integrins with high affinity, thereby inhibiting cell adhesion and accelerating wound healing in animal models. Thus, SVPs are a potential alternative to chemical antibiotics. The mode of action for many antibacterial peptides involves pore formation and disruption of the plasma membrane. This activity often includes modulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation during skin wound healing. The NF-κB pathway negatively regulates the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/Smad pathway by inducing the expression of Smad7 and eventually reducing in vivo collagen production at the wound sites. In this context, SVPs that regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway may serve as potential targets for drug development.
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Rai A, Pinto S, Evangelista MB, Gil H, Kallip S, Ferreira MG, Ferreira L. High-density antimicrobial peptide coating with broad activity and low cytotoxicity against human cells. Acta Biomater 2016; 33:64-77. [PMID: 26821340 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2014] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Medical device-associated infections are a multi-billion dollar burden for the worldwide healthcare systems. The modification of medical devices with non-leaching coatings capable of killing microorganisms on contact is one of the strategies being investigated to prevent microorganism colonization. Here we developed a robust antimicrobial coating based on the chemical immobilization of the antimicrobial peptide (AMP), cecropin-melittin (CM), on gold nanoparticles coated surfaces. The concentration of AMP immobilized (110 μg/cm(2)) was higher than most of the studies reported so far (<10 μg/cm(2)). This translated onto a coating with high antimicrobial activity against Gram positive and negative bacteria sp., as well as multi-drug resistant bacteria. Studies with E. coli reporter bacteria showed that these coatings induced the permeability of the outer membrane of bacteria in less than 5 min and the inner membrane in approximately 20 min. Importantly, the antimicrobial properties of the coating are maintained in the presence of 20% (v/v) human serum, and have low probability to induce bacteria resistance. We further show that coatings have low toxicity against human endothelial and fibroblast cells and is hemocompatible since it does not induce platelet and complement activation. The antimicrobial coating described here may be promising to prevent medical device-associated infections. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been chemically immobilized on surfaces of medical devices to render them with antimicrobial properties. Surfaces having immobilized cationic peptides are susceptible to be adsorbed by plasma proteins with the subsequent loss of antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, with the exception of very few studies that have determined the cytotoxicity of surfaces in mammalian cells, the effect of the immobilized AMP on human cells is relatively unknown. Here we report a coating based on cecropin-melittin peptide (CM) that maintains its antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and negative bacteria including multi-drugs resistance bacteria in the presence of serum and has relatively low cytotoxicity against human cells. The reported coatings may be translated on to variety of substrates (glass and titanium) and medical devices to prevent device-associated microbial infection.
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Using adjuvants and environmental factors to modulate the activity of antimicrobial peptides. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:926-35. [PMID: 26751595 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The increase in antibiotic resistant and multi-drug resistant bacterial infections has serious implications for the future of health care. The difficulty in finding both new microbial targets and new drugs against existing targets adds to the concern. The use of combination and adjuvant therapies are potential strategies to counter this threat. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising class of antibiotics (ABs), particularly for topical and surface applications. Efforts have been directed toward a number of strategies, including the use of conventional ABs combined with AMPs, and the use of potentiating agents to increase the performance of AMPs. This review focuses on combination strategies such as adjuvants and the manipulation of environmental variables to improve the efficacy of AMPs as potential therapeutic agents. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Antimicrobial peptides edited by Karl Lohner and Kai Hilpert.
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The GraS Sensor in Staphylococcus aureus Mediates Resistance to Host Defense Peptides Differing in Mechanisms of Action. Infect Immun 2015; 84:459-66. [PMID: 26597988 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01030-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus uses the two-component regulatory system GraRS to sense and respond to host defense peptides (HDPs). However, the mechanistic impact of GraS or its extracellular sensing loop (EL) on HDP resistance is essentially unexplored. Strains with null mutations in the GraS holoprotein (ΔgraS) or its EL (ΔEL) were compared for mechanisms of resistance to HDPs of relevant immune sources: neutrophil α-defensin (human neutrophil peptide 1 [hNP-1]), cutaneous β-defensin (human β-defensin 2 [hBD-2]), or the platelet kinocidin congener RP-1. Actions studied by flow cytometry included energetics (ENR); membrane permeabilization (PRM); annexin V binding (ANX), and cell death protease activation (CDP). Assay conditions simulated bloodstream (pH 7.5) or phagolysosomal (pH 5.5) pH contexts. S. aureus strains were more susceptible to HDPs at pH 7.5 than at pH 5.5, and each HDP exerted a distinct effect signature. The impacts of ΔgraS and ΔΕL on HDP resistance were peptide and pH dependent. Both mutants exhibited defects in ANX response to hNP-1 or hBD-2 at pH 7.5, but only hNP-1 did so at pH 5.5. Both mutants exhibited hyper-PRM, -ANX, and -CDP responses to RP-1 at both pHs and hypo-ENR at pH 5.5. The actions correlated with ΔgraS or ΔΕL hypersusceptibility to hNP-1 or RP-1 (but not hBD-2) at pH 7.5 and to all study HDPs at pH 5.5. An exogenous EL mimic protected mutant strains from hNP-1 and hBD-2 but not RP-1, indicating that GraS and its EL play nonredundant roles in S. aureus survival responses to specific HDPs. These findings suggest that GraS mediates specific resistance countermeasures to HDPs in immune contexts that are highly relevant to S. aureus pathogenesis in humans.
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Kiselar JG, Wang X, Dubyak GR, El Sanadi C, Ghosh SK, Lundberg K, Williams WM. Modification of β-Defensin-2 by Dicarbonyls Methylglyoxal and Glyoxal Inhibits Antibacterial and Chemotactic Function In Vitro. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130533. [PMID: 26244639 PMCID: PMC4526640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Beta-defensins (hBDs) provide antimicrobial and chemotactic defense against bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Human β-defensin-2 (hBD-2) acts against gram-negative bacteria and chemoattracts immature dendritic cells, thus regulating innate and adaptive immunity. Immunosuppression due to hyperglycemia underlies chronic infection in Type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia also elevates production of dicarbonyls methylgloxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO). Methods The effect of dicarbonyl on defensin peptide structure was tested by exposing recombinant hBD-2 (rhBD-2) to MGO or GO with subsequent analysis by MALDI-TOF MS and LC/MS/MS. Antimicrobial function of untreated rhBD-2 vs. rhBD-2 exposed to dicarbonyl against strains of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in culture was determined by radial diffusion assay. The effect of dicarbonyl on rhBD-2 chemotactic function was determined by chemotaxis assay in CEM-SS cells. Results MGO or GO in vitro irreversibly adducts to the rhBD-2 peptide, and significantly reduces antimicrobial and chemotactic functions. Adducts derive from two arginine residues, Arg22 and Arg23 near the C-terminus, and the N-terminal glycine (Gly1). We show by radial diffusion testing on gram-negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa, and gram-positive S. aureus, and a chemotaxis assay for CEM-SS cells, that antimicrobial activity and chemotactic function of rhBD-2 are significantly reduced by MGO. Conclusions Dicarbonyl modification of cationic antimicrobial peptides represents a potential link between hyperglycemia and the clinical manifestation of increased susceptibility to infection, protracted wound healing, and chronic inflammation in undiagnosed and uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna G. Kiselar
- Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Periodontics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - George R. Dubyak
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Caroline El Sanadi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Santosh K. Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Kathleen Lundberg
- Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Wesley M. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Zhang Y. Why do we study animal toxins? DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 36:183-222. [PMID: 26228472 PMCID: PMC4790257 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2015.4.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Venom (toxins) is an important trait evolved along the evolutionary tree of animals. Our knowledges on venoms, such as their origins and loss, the biological relevance and the coevolutionary patterns with other organisms are greatly helpful in understanding many fundamental biological questions, i.e., the environmental adaptation and survival competition, the evolution shaped development and balance of venoms, and the sophisticated correlations among venom, immunity, body power, intelligence, their genetic basis, inherent association, as well as the cost-benefit and trade-offs of biological economy. Lethal animal envenomation can be found worldwide. However, from foe to friend, toxin studies have led lots of important discoveries and exciting avenues in deciphering and fighting human diseases, including the works awarded the Nobel Prize and lots of key clinic therapeutics. According to our survey, so far, only less than 0.1% of the toxins of the venomous animals in China have been explored. We emphasize on the similarities shared by venom and immune systems, as well as the studies of toxin knowledge-based physiological toxin-like proteins/peptides (TLPs). We propose the natural pairing hypothesis. Evolution links toxins with humans. Our mission is to find out the right natural pairings and interactions of our body elements with toxins, and with endogenous toxin-like molecules. Although, in nature, toxins may endanger human lives, but from a philosophical point of view, knowing them well is an effective way to better understand ourselves. So, this is why we study toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of The Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223,
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Yang W, Feng J, Xiang F, Xie Z, Zhang G, Sabatier JM, Cao Z, Li W, Chen Z, Wu Y. Endogenous animal toxin-like human β-defensin 2 inhibits own K(+) channels through interaction with channel extracellular pore region. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:845-53. [PMID: 25238780 PMCID: PMC11113244 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1715-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Human potassium channels are widely inhibited by peptide toxins from venomous animals. However, no human endogenous peptide inhibitor has been discovered so far. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time using electrophysiological techniques, that endogenous human β-defensin 2 (hBD2) is able to selectively and dose-dependently inhibit the human voltage-gated Kv1.3 channel at picomolar peptide concentration. The co-immunoprecipitation assays further supported the selective binding of hBD2 to Kv1.3 channel. Using mutagenesis experiments, we found that the outer pore domain of Kv1.3 channel was the binding site of hBD2, which is similar to the interacting site of Kv1.3 channel recognized by animal toxin inhibitors. The hBD2 was able to suppress IL-2 production through inhibition of Kv1.3 channel currents in human Jurkat cells, which was further confirmed by the lack of hBD2 activity on IL-2 production after Kv1.3 knockdown in these cells. More interestingly, hBD2 was also found to efficiently inhibit Kv1.3 channel currents and suppress IL-2 production in both human primary CD3(+) T cells and peripheral mononuclear cells from either healthy donors or psoriasis patients. Our findings not only evidenced hBD2 as the first characterized endogenous peptide inhibitor of human potassium channels, but also paved a promising avenue to investigate newly discovered function of hBD2 as Kv1.3 channel inhibitor in the immune system and other fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weishan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
| | - Jing Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
| | - Fang Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
| | - Zili Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
| | - Guoyi Zhang
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medicine Sciences, Nanjing, 210042 China
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Laboratoire INSERM UMR 1097, Université d’Aix-Marseille, 163, Avenue de Luminy, Case 939, TPR2 INSERM, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
- Center for BioDrug Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
| | - Wenxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
- Center for BioDrug Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
| | - Zongyun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
- Center for BioDrug Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China
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Ottolini B, Hornsby MJ, Abujaber R, MacArthur JAL, Badge RM, Schwarzacher T, Albertson DG, Bevins CL, Solnick JV, Hollox EJ. Evidence of convergent evolution in humans and macaques supports an adaptive role for copy number variation of the β-defensin-2 gene. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 6:3025-38. [PMID: 25349268 PMCID: PMC4255768 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
β-defensins are a family of important peptides of innate immunity, involved in host defense, immunomodulation, reproduction, and pigmentation. Genes encoding β-defensins show evidence of birth-and-death evolution, adaptation by amino acid sequence changes, and extensive copy number variation (CNV) within humans and other species. The role of CNV in the adaptation of β-defensins to new functions remains unclear, as does the adaptive role of CNV in general. Here, we fine-map CNV of a cluster of β-defensins in humans and rhesus macaques. Remarkably, we found that the structure of the CNV is different between primates, with distinct mutational origins and CNV boundaries defined by retroviral long terminal repeat elements. Although the human β-defensin CNV region is 322 kb and encompasses several genes, including β-defensins, a long noncoding RNA gene, and testes-specific zinc-finger transcription factors, the orthologous region in the rhesus macaque shows CNV of a 20-kb region, containing only a single gene, the ortholog of the human β-defensin-2 gene. Despite its independent origins, the range of gene copy numbers in the rhesus macaque is similar to humans. In addition, the rhesus macaque gene has been subject to divergent positive selection at the amino acid level following its initial duplication event between 3 and 9.5 Ma, suggesting adaptation of this gene as the macaque successfully colonized novel environments outside Africa. Therefore, the molecular phenotype of β-defensin-2 CNV has undergone convergent evolution, and this gene shows evidence of adaptation at the amino acid level in rhesus macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J Hornsby
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine
| | - Razan Abujaber
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline A L MacArthur
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco Present address: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Richard M Badge
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Donna G Albertson
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco Present address: Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York
| | - Charles L Bevins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine
| | - Jay V Solnick
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine Department of Medicine, Center for Comparative Medicine, and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California
| | - Edward J Hollox
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, United Kingdom
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Vu TTT, Jeong B, Yu J, Koo BK, Jo SH, Robinson RC, Choe H. Soluble prokaryotic expression and purification of crotamine using an N-terminal maltose-binding protein tag. Toxicon 2014; 92:157-65. [PMID: 25448388 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a peptide toxin found in the venom of the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus. Interestingly, crotamine demonstrates promising anticancer, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities. The crotamine peptide can also deliver plasmids into rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer and stem cells, and demonstrates potent analgesic effects. Efficiently producing crotamine in mammalian cells is difficult because it is both cell-permeable and cytotoxic. Prokaryotic expression of this peptide is also difficult to maintain because it does not fold properly in the cytoplasm, resulting in aggregation and in the formation of inclusion bodies. In our current study, we show for the first time that N-terminal fusion with three protein tags-N-utilization substance protein A (NusA), protein disulfide isomerase b'a' domain (PDIb'a'), and maltose-binding protein (MBP)-enables the soluble overexpression of crotamine in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. MBP-tagged crotamine was purified using Ni affinity, anion exchange, and MBP chromatography. The tag was cleaved using TEV protease, and the final product was pure on a silver-stained gels. In total, 0.9 mg pure crotamine was obtained from each liter of bacterial culture with endotoxin level approximately 0.15 EU/μg, which is low enough to use in biomedical applications. The identity and intramolecular disulfide bonds were confirmed using MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Purified crotamine inhibited the hKv1.3 channel (but not hKv1.5) in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 value of 67.2 ± 44.7 nM (n = 10), indicating the correct protein folding. The crotamine product fused with MBP at its N-terminus also inhibited the hKv1.3 channel, suggesting that the N-terminus is not involved in the channel binding of the toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thu Trang Thi Vu
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Boram Jeong
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Jing Yu
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Bon-Kyung Koo
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Hyun Jo
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
| | - Robert Charles Robinson
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency of Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
| | - Han Choe
- Department of Physiology and Bio-Medical Institute of Technology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea.
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Goyffon M, Tournier JN. Scorpions: a presentation. Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:2137-48. [PMID: 25133517 PMCID: PMC4113747 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6072137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Scorpions, at least the species of the family Buthidæ whose venoms are better known, appear as animals that have evolved very little over time. The composition of their venoms is relatively simple as most toxins have a common structural motif that is found in other venoms from primitive species. Moreover, all the scorpion venom toxins principally act on membrane ionic channels of excitable cells. The results of recent works lead to the conclusion that in scorpions there is a close relationship between venomous function and innate immune function both remarkably efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Goyffon
- Department RDDM, National Museum of Natural History, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France.
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