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Jasiewicz NE, Mei KC, Oh HM, Bonacquisti EE, Chaudhari A, Byrum C, Jensen BC, Nguyen J. In Situ-Crosslinked Zippersomes Enhance Cardiac Repair by Increasing Accumulation and Retention. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.14.585030. [PMID: 38559120 PMCID: PMC10980051 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.14.585030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising treatment for myocardial infarction, but their therapeutic efficacy is limited by inefficient accumulation at the target site. A non-invasive MSC EV therapy that enhances EV accumulation at the disease site and extends EV retention could significantly improve post-infarct cardiac regeneration. Here we show that EVs decorated with the next-generation of high-affinity heterodimerizing leucine zippers, termed high-affinity (HiA) Zippersomes, amplify targetable surface areas through in situ crosslinking and exhibited ∼7-fold enhanced accumulation within the infarcted myocardium in mice after three days and continued to be retained up to day 21, surpassing the performance of unmodified EVs. After myocardial infarction in mice, high-affinity Zippersomes increase the ejection fraction by 53% and 100% compared with unmodified EVs and PBS, respectively. This notable improvement in cardiac function played a crucial role in restoring healthy heart performance. High-affinity Zippersomes also robustly decrease infarct size by 52% and 60% compared with unmodified EVs and PBS, respectively, thus representing a promising platform for non-invasive vesicle delivery to the infarcted heart. Translational Impact Statement Therapeutic delivery to the heart remains inefficient and poses a bottleneck in modern drug delivery. Surgical application and intramyocardial injection of therapeutics carry high risks for most heart attack patients. To address these limitations, we have developed a non-invasive strategy for efficient cardiac accumulation of therapeutics using in situ crosslinking. Our approach achieves high cardiac deposition of therapeutics without invasive intramyocardial injections. Patients admitted with myocardial infarction typically receive intravenous access, which would allow painless administration of Zippersomes alongside standard of care.
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2
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Tandon A, Harioudh MK, Verma NK, Saroj J, Gupta A, Pant G, Tripathi JK, Kumar A, Kumari T, Tripathi AK, Mitra K, Ghosh JK. Characterization of a Myeloid Differentiation Factor 2-Derived Peptide that Facilitates THP-1 Macrophage-Mediated Phagocytosis of Gram-Negative Bacteria. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:845-857. [PMID: 38363869 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2), the TLR4 coreceptor, has been shown to possess opsonic activity and has been implicated in phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Gram-negative bacteria. However, any MD2 protein segment involved in phagocytosis of Gram-negative bacteria is not yet known. A short synthetic MD2 segment, MD54 (amino acid regions 54 to 69), was shown to interact with a Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane component, LPS, earlier. Furthermore, the MD54 peptide induced aggregation of LPS and facilitated its internalization in THP-1 cells. Currently, it has been investigated if MD2-derived MD54 possesses any opsonic property and role in phagocytosis of Gram-negative bacteria. Remarkably, we observed that MD54 facilitated agglutination of Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC BAA-427), but not of Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). The MD54-opsonized Gram-negative bacteria internalized within PMA-treated THP-1 cells and were killed over a longer incubation period. However, both internalization and intracellular killing of the MD54-opsonized Gram-negative bacteria within THP-1 phagocytes were appreciably inhibited in the presence of a phagocytosis inhibitor, cytochalasin D. Furthermore, MD54 facilitated the clearance of Gram-negative bacteria E. coli (ATCC 25922) and P. aeruginosa (ATCC BAA-427) from the infected BALB/c mice whereas an MD54 analog, MMD54, was inactive. Overall, for the first time, the results revealed that a short MD2-derived peptide can specifically agglutinate Gram-negative bacteria, act as an opsonin for these bacteria, and facilitate their phagocytosis by THP-1 phagocytes. The results suggest that the MD54 segment could have a crucial role in MD2-mediated host-pathogen interaction involving the Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshika Tandon
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Munesh Kumar Harioudh
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Neeraj Kumar Verma
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Jyotshana Saroj
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Arvind Gupta
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Garima Pant
- Electron Microscopy Unit, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Jitendra Kumar Tripathi
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Tripti Kumari
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Amit Kumar Tripathi
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Kalyan Mitra
- Electron Microscopy Unit, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
| | - Jimut Kanti Ghosh
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226 031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110001, India
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3
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Yadav V, Misra R. A review emphasizing on utility of heptad repeat sequence as a tool to design pharmacologically safe peptide-based antibiotics. Biochimie 2021; 191:126-139. [PMID: 34492334 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Extensive usage of antibiotics has created an unprecedented scenario of the rapid emergence of many drug-resistant bacteria, which has become an alarming public health concern around the globe. Search for better alternatives that are as efficacious as antibiotics led to the discovery of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These small cationic amphiphilic peptides have emerged as a promising option as antimicrobial agents, owing to their multifaceted implications against varied pathogens. Recent years have witnessed tremendous growth in research on AMPs resulting in them being tested in clinical trials of which six got approved for topical application. The relatively less successful outcome has been attributed to the poor cell selectivity shown by most of the naturally occurring AMPs. This drawback needs to be circumvented by identifying strategies to design safe and effective peptides. In the present review, we have emphasized the importance of heptad repeat sequence (leucine and/or phenylalanine zipper motif) as a tool that has shown great promise in remodeling the toxic AMPs to safe antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Yadav
- Department of Translational Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium.
| | - Richa Misra
- Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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4
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Azmi S, Verma NK, Tripathi JK, Srivastava S, Verma DP, Ghosh JK. Introduction of cell‐selectivity in bovine cathelicidin
BMAP
‐28 by exchanging heptadic isoleucine with the adjacent proline at a non‐heptadic position. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarfuddin Azmi
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division CSIR‐CDRI Lucknow India
- Scientific Research Centre Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Sulaimaniyah Riyadh Saudi Arabia
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Tandon A, Harioudh MK, Ishrat N, Tripathi AK, Srivastava S, Ghosh JK. An MD2-derived peptide promotes LPS aggregation, facilitates its internalization in THP-1 cells, and inhibits LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:2431-2446. [PMID: 29313060 PMCID: PMC11105695 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2735-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
MD2, a 160-residue accessory glycoprotein, is responsible for the recognition and binding of Gram-negative bacterial membrane component, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Internalization of pathogen inside the mononuclear phagocytes has also been attributed to MD2 which leads to the clearance of pathogens from the host. However, not much is known about the segments in MD2 that are responsible for LPS interaction or internalization of pathogen inside the defense cells. A 16-residue stretch (MD54) from MD2 protein has been identified that possesses a short heptad repeat sequence and four cationic residues enabling it to participate in both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions with LPS. An MD54 analog of the same size was also designed in which a leucine residue at a heptadic position was replaced with an alanine residue. MD54 but not its analog, MMD54 induced aggregation of LPS and aided in its internalization within THP-1 monocytes. Furthermore, MD54 inhibited LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB in PMA-treated THP-1 and TLR4/MD2/CD14-transfected HEK-293T cells and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, in in vivo experiments, MD54 showed marked protection and survival of mice against LPS-induced inflammation and death. Overall, we have identified a short peptide with heptad repeat sequence from MD2 that can cause aggregation of LPS and abet in its internalization within THP-1 cells, resulting in attenuation of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshika Tandon
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Munesh Kumar Harioudh
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Nayab Ishrat
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Amit Kumar Tripathi
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Saurabh Srivastava
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Jimut Kanti Ghosh
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India.
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6
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HIV-1 Nef CAWLEAQ motif: a regulator of monocytes invasion through ENO1 modulation. Mol Cell Biochem 2018; 447:151-164. [DOI: 10.1007/s11010-018-3300-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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7
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Modulation of anti-endotoxin property of Temporin L by minor amino acid substitution in identified phenylalanine zipper sequence. Biochem J 2016; 473:4045-4062. [PMID: 27609815 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160713] [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: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A 13-residue frog antimicrobial peptide Temporin L (TempL) possesses versatile antimicrobial activities and is considered a lead molecule for the development of new antimicrobial agents. To find out the amino acid sequences that influence the anti-microbial property of TempL, a phenylalanine zipper-like sequence was identified in it which was not reported earlier. Several alanine-substituted analogs and a scrambled peptide having the same composition of TempL were designed for evaluating the role of this motif. To investigate whether leucine residues instead of phenylalanine residues at 'a' and/or 'd' position(s) of the heptad repeat sequence could alter its antimicrobial property, several TempL analogs were synthesized after replacing these phenylalanine residues with leucine residues. Replacing phenylalanine residues with alanine residues in the phenylalanine zipper sequence significantly compromised the anti-endotoxin property of TempL. This is evident from the higher production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rat bone-marrow-derived macrophage cells in the presence of its alanine-substituted analogs than TempL itself. However, replacement of these phenylalanine residues with leucine residues significantly augmented anti-endotoxin property of TempL. A single alanine-substituted TempL analog (F8A-TempL) showed significantly reduced cytotoxicity but retained the antibacterial activity of TempL, while the two single leucine-substituted analogs (F5L-TempL and F8L-TempL), although exhibiting lower cytotoxicity, were able to retain the antibacterial activity of the parent peptide. The results demonstrate how minor amino acid substitutions in the identified phenylalanine zipper sequence in TempL could yield analogs with better antibacterial and/or anti-endotoxin properties with their plausible mechanism of action.
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8
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Design and characterization of short antimicrobial peptides using leucine zipper templates with selectivity towards microorganisms. Amino Acids 2014; 46:2531-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-014-1802-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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9
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Srivastava RM, Srivastava S, Singh M, Bajpai VK, Ghosh JK. Consequences of alteration in leucine zipper sequence of melittin in its neutralization of lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory response in macrophage cells and interaction with lipopolysaccharide. J Biol Chem 2011; 287:1980-95. [PMID: 22128186 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.302893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The bee venom antimicrobial peptide, melittin, besides showing versatile activity against microorganisms also neutralizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced proinflammatory responses in macrophage cells. However, how the amino acid sequence of melittin contributes in its anti-inflammatory properties is mostly unknown. To determine the importance of the leucine zipper sequence of melittin in its neutralization of LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages and interaction with LPS, anti-inflammatory properties of melittin and its three analogues and their interactions with LPS were studied in detail. Two of these analogues, namely melittin Mut-1 (MM-1) and melittin Mut-2 (MM-2), possess leucine to alanine substitutions in the single and double heptadic leucine residue(s) of melittin, respectively, whereas the third analogue is a scrambled peptide (Mel-SCR) that contains the amino acid composition of melittin with minor rearrangement in its leucine zipper sequence. Although MM-1 partly inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines in RAW 264.7 and rat primary macrophage cells in the presence of LPS, MM-2 and Mel-SCR were negligibly active. A progressive decrease in interaction of melittin with LPS, aggregation in LPS, and dissociation of LPS aggregates with alteration in the leucine zipper sequence of melittin was observed. Furthermore, with alteration in the leucine zipper sequence of melittin, these analogues failed to exhibit cellular responses associated with neutralization of LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophage cells by melittin. The data indicated a probable important role of the leucine zipper sequence of melittin in neutralizing LPS-induced proinflammatory responses in macrophage cells as well as in its interaction with LPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghvendra M Srivastava
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility, Central Drug Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chattar Manzil Palace, P. O. Box 173, Lucknow 226001, India
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10
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Verma R, Ghosh JK. Phospholipid membrane-interaction of a peptide from S4 segment of KvAP K+ channel and the influence of the positive charges and an identified heptad repeat in its interaction with a S3 peptide. Biochimie 2011; 93:1001-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2011.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2010] [Accepted: 02/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Verma R, Malik C, Azmi S, Srivastava S, Ghosh S, Ghosh JK. A synthetic S6 segment derived from KvAP channel self-assembles, permeabilizes lipid vesicles, and exhibits ion channel activity in bilayer lipid membrane. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:24828-41. [PMID: 21592970 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.209676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
KvAP is a voltage-gated tetrameric K(+) channel with six transmembrane (S1-S6) segments in each monomer from the archaeon Aeropyrum pernix. The objective of the present investigation was to understand the plausible role of the S6 segment, which has been proposed to form the inner lining of the pore, in the membrane assembly and functional properties of KvAP channel. For this purpose, a 22-residue peptide, corresponding to the S6 transmembrane segment of KvAP (amino acids 218-239), and a scrambled peptide (S6-SCR) with rearrangement of only hydrophobic amino acids but without changing its composition were synthesized and characterized structurally and functionally. Although both peptides bound to the negatively charged phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylglycerol model membrane with comparable affinity, significant differences were observed between these peptides in their localization, self-assembly, and aggregation properties onto this membrane. S6-SCR also exhibited reduced helical structures in SDS micelles and phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylglycerol lipid vesicles as compared with the S6 peptide. Furthermore, the S6 peptide showed significant membrane-permeabilizing capability as evidenced by the release of calcein from the calcein-entrapped lipid vesicles, whereas S6-SCR showed much weaker efficacy. Interestingly, although the S6 peptide showed ion channel activity in the bilayer lipid membrane, despite having the same amino acid composition, S6-SCR was significantly inactive. The results demonstrated sequence-specific structural and functional properties of the S6 wild type peptide. The selected S6 segment is probably an important structural element that could play an important role in the membrane interaction, membrane assembly, and functional property of the KvAP channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Verma
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chattar Manzil Palace, Lucknow 226001, India
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12
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Studies on the assembly of a leucine zipper antibacterial peptide and its analogs onto mammalian cells and bacteria. Amino Acids 2010; 40:749-59. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-010-0744-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2010] [Accepted: 09/02/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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13
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Pandey BK, Ahmad A, Asthana N, Azmi S, Srivastava RM, Srivastava S, Verma R, Vishwakarma AL, Ghosh JK. Cell-Selective Lysis by Novel Analogues of Melittin against Human Red Blood Cells and Escherichia coli. Biochemistry 2010; 49:7920-9. [DOI: 10.1021/bi100729m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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14
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Verma R, Ghosh JK. Structural and functional changes in a synthetic S5 segment of KvLQT1 channel as a result of a conserved amino acid substitution that occurs in LQT1 syndrome of human. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2010; 1798:461-70. [PMID: 20044973 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2009.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2009] [Revised: 12/09/2009] [Accepted: 12/17/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in various voltage gated cardiac ion channels are the cause of different forms of long QT syndrome (LQTS), which is an inherited arrhythmic disorder marked as a prolonged QT interval on electrocardiogram. Of these LQTS1 is associated with mutations in the gene encoding KCNQ1 (KvLQT1) channel. One responsible mutation, G269S, in the S5 segment of KvLQT1, that affects the proper expression and function of channel protein leads to LQTS1. Our objective was to study how G269S mutation interferes with the structure and function of a synthetic S5 segment of KvLQT1 channel. One wild type 22-residue peptide and another mutant peptide of the same length with G269S mutation, derived from the S5 segment were synthesized and labeled with fluorescent probes. The mutant peptide exhibited lower affinity towards phospholipid vesicles as compared to the wild type peptide and showed impaired assembly and localization onto the lipid vesicles as evidenced by membrane-binding, energy transfer and proteolytic cleavage experiments. Loss in the helical content of S5 mutant peptide in membrane-mimetic environments was observed. Furthermore, it was observed that G269S mutation significantly inhibited the ability of S5 peptide to permeabilize the lipid vesicles. The present studies show the basis of change in function of the selected S5 segment as a result of G269S mutation which is associated with LQT1 syndrome. We speculate that the structural and functional changes related to the glycine to serine amino acid substitution in the S5 segment may also influence the activity of the whole KvLQT1 channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Verma
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, CSIR, Lucknow-226001, India
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15
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Ahmad A, Azmi S, Srivastava RM, Srivastava S, Pandey BK, Saxena R, Bajpai VK, Ghosh JK. Design of nontoxic analogues of cathelicidin-derived bovine antimicrobial peptide BMAP-27: the role of leucine as well as phenylalanine zipper sequences in determining its toxicity. Biochemistry 2009; 48:10905-17. [PMID: 19845398 DOI: 10.1021/bi9009874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BMAP-27 is a cathelicidin-derived bovine antimicrobial peptide, which shows moderate cytotoxicity and potent antibacterial activity against a wide variety of microorganisms. Despite a number of studies, very little is known about the amino acid sequences of this peptide that controls its antibacterial and cytotoxic activities. Small stretches of phenylalanine and leucine zipper sequences were identified at the N- and C-termini of the molecule, respectively. To understand the structural and functional roles of these sequence elements, we synthesized and characterized several analogues of BMAP-27 after substituting leucine or phenylalanine residue(s) at a and/or d positions of the leucine and phenylalanine zipper sequences, respectively, with alanine. BMAP-27 analogues exhibited significantly reduced cytotoxicity against the human red blood (hRBC) and murine 3T3 cells as compared to that of the wild-type peptide. Interestingly, BMAP-27 and its analogues exhibited comparable antibacterial activity against the selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, BMAP-27 and its analogues exhibited similar localization and assembly onto the selected bacteria and induced comparable permeability in these cells. However, only BMAP-27, not its analogues, assembled and bound strongly onto the hRBCs and permeabilized them. The results indicated that not only a leucine zipper but also a phenylalanine zipper sequence plays an important role in maintaining the assembly of BMAP-27 on the mammalian cells examined here and cytotoxic activity against them. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the evaluation of structural and functional roles of a phenylalanine zipper sequence in a naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqeel Ahmad
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, CSIR,Lucknow 226001, India
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16
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Tarafdar PK, Vedantam LV, Kondreddy A, Podile AR, Swamy MJ. Biophysical investigations on the aggregation and thermal unfolding of harpinPss and identification of leucine-zipper-like motifs in harpins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2009; 1794:1684-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2009.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2009] [Revised: 07/11/2009] [Accepted: 07/31/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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Ahmad A, Asthana N, Azmi S, Srivastava RM, Pandey BK, Yadav V, Ghosh JK. Structure-function study of cathelicidin-derived bovine antimicrobial peptide BMAP-28: design of its cell-selective analogs by amino acid substitutions in the heptad repeat sequences. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2009; 1788:2411-20. [PMID: 19735644 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2009.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2009] [Revised: 08/24/2009] [Accepted: 08/25/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Although BMAP-28 is a potent cathelicidin-derived bovine antimicrobial peptide, its cytotoxic activity against the human and other mammalian cells is of concern for converting it into a novel antimicrobial drug. We have identified a short leucine and isoleucine zipper sequences at the N- and C-terminals of BMAP-28, respectively. To understand the possible role of these structural elements in BMAP-28, a number of alanine-substituted analogs were designed, synthesized and characterized along with the wild-type peptide. The substitution of amino acids at single or multiple 'a' position(s) of these structural motifs by alanine showed significant effects on the cytotoxic activity of the molecule on the human red blood cells (hRBCs) and 3T3 cells without showing much effects on their MIC values against the selected bacteria. BMAP-28 and all its analogs depolarized the Escherichia coli cells with almost equal efficacy. In contrast, the alanine-substituted analogs of BMAP-28 depolarized hRBCs much less efficiently than the parent molecule. Results further showed that BMAP-28 assembled appreciably onto the live E. coli and hRBC. However, the selected less toxic analogs of BMAP-28 although assembled as good as the parent molecule onto the live E. coli cells, their assembly onto the live mammalian hRBCs was much weaker as compared to that of the wild-type molecule. Looking at the remarkable similarity with the data presented in our previous work on melittin, it appears that probably the heptad repeat sequence possesses a general role in maintaining the cytotoxicity of the antimicrobial peptides against the mammalian cells and assembly therein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqeel Ahmad
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, CSIR, Lucknow-226001, India
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18
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A peptide derived from the putative transmembrane domain in the tail region of E. coli toxin hemolysin E assembles in phospholipid membrane and exhibits lytic activity to human red blood cells: Plausible implications in the toxic activity of the protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2009; 1788:538-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2008] [Revised: 11/06/2008] [Accepted: 11/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Kouokam JC, Wai SN. OUTER MEMBRANE VESICLE-MEDIATED EXPORT OF A PORE-FORMING CYTOTOXIN FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI. TOXIN REV 2008. [DOI: 10.1080/15569540500320888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Yadav SP, Ahmad A, Pandey BK, Verma R, Ghosh JK. Inhibition of Lytic Activity of Escherichia coli Toxin Hemolysin E against Human Red Blood Cells by a Leucine Zipper Peptide and Understanding the Underlying Mechanism. Biochemistry 2008; 47:2134-42. [DOI: 10.1021/bi701187e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sharada Prasad Yadav
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow-226001, India
| | - Aqeel Ahmad
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow-226001, India
| | - Brijesh Kumar Pandey
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow-226001, India
| | - Richa Verma
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow-226001, India
| | - Jimut Kanti Ghosh
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow-226001, India
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Yadav SP, Ahmad A, Ghosh JK. Addition of a small hydrophobic segment from the head region to an amphipathic leucine zipper like motif of E. coli toxin hemolysin E enhances the peptide-induced permeability of zwitterionic lipid vesicles. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2007; 1768:1574-82. [PMID: 17467657 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2007.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2006] [Revised: 02/28/2007] [Accepted: 03/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
To find out the sequence requirement of the H-205 peptide, containing an amphipathic leucine zipper motif corresponding to the amino acid (a.a.) region 205-234 of hemolysin E (HlyE) to induce efficient permeation in zwitterionic lipid vesicles, the peptide was extended at the N-terminal after the addition of seven amino acids from the predicted transmembrane region in the head domain of the protein-toxin. The new peptide, H-198 (a.a. 198-234) and a scrambled mutant peptide of the same size were synthesized, fluorescently labeled and characterized functionally and structurally. The results showed that H-198 induced significantly higher permeation in the zwitterionic PC/Chol lipid vesicles than its shorter version, H-205. H-198 formed large aggregates in the PC/Chol vesicles unlike H-205 and also adopted more helical structure in the membrane mimetic environments compared to that of H-205. Fluorescence energy transfer experiments by flow cytometry indicated that only H-198 but not its mutant or H-205 oligomerized in the zwitterionic lipid vesicles, while in the negatively charged lipid vesicles both H-198 and H-205 formed oligomeric assembly. The results suggest a probable role of the hydrophobic residues of the head domain of HlyE in inducing permeability in the zwitterionic lipid vesicles by the peptide derived from the a.a. 198-234 of the toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharada Prasad Yadav
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow-226001, India
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Ahmad A, Yadav SP, Asthana N, Mitra K, Srivastava SP, Ghosh JK. Utilization of an Amphipathic Leucine Zipper Sequence to Design Antibacterial Peptides with Simultaneous Modulation of Toxic Activity against Human Red Blood Cells. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:22029-22038. [PMID: 16717087 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m602378200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The toxicity of naturally occurring or designed antimicrobial peptides is a major barrier for converting them into drugs. To synthesize antimicrobial peptides with reduced toxicity, several amphipathic peptides were designed based on the leucine zipper sequence. The first one was a leucine zipper peptide (LZP); in others, leucine residues at the a- and/or d-position were substituted with single or double alanine residues. The results showed that LZP and its analogs exhibited appreciable and similar antibacterial activity against the tested gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. However, the substitution of alanine progressively lowered the toxicity of LZP against human red blood cells (hRBCs). The substitution of leucine with alanine impaired the binding and localization of LZP to hRBCs, but had little effect on the peptide-induced damage of Escherichia coli cells. Although LZP and its analogs exhibited similar permeability, secondary structures, and localization in negatively charged membranes, significant differences were observed among these peptides in zwitterionic membranes. The results suggest a novel approach for designing antibacterial peptides with modulation of toxicity against hRBCs by employing the leucine zipper sequence. Also, to the best of our knowledge, the results demonstrate that this sequence could be utilized to design novel cell-selective molecules for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqeel Ahmad
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, United Kingdom
| | - Sharada Prasad Yadav
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, United Kingdom
| | - Neeta Asthana
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, United Kingdom
| | - Kalyan Mitra
- Electron Microscopy Unit, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226 001, India
| | | | - Jimut Kanti Ghosh
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, United Kingdom.
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Asthana N, Yadav SP, Ghosh JK. Dissection of Antibacterial and Toxic Activity of Melittin. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:55042-50. [PMID: 15475354 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m408881200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Melittin, a naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide, exhibits strong lytic activity against both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Despite a tremendous amount of work done, very little is known about the amino acid sequence, which regulates its toxic activity. With the goal of understanding the basis of toxic activity and poor cell selectivity in melittin, a leucine zipper motif has been identified. To evaluate the possible structural and functional roles of this motif, melittin and its two analogs, after substituting the heptadic leucine by alanine, were synthesized and characterized. Functional studies indicated that alanine substitution in the leucine zipper motif resulted in a drastic reduction of the hemolytic activity of melittin. However, interestingly, both the designed analogs exhibited antibacterial activity comparable to melittin. Mutations caused a significant decrease in the membrane permeability of melittin in zwitterionic but not in negatively charged lipid vesicles. Although both the analogs exhibited similar secondary structures in the presence of negatively charged lipid vesicles as melittin, they failed to adopt a significant helical structure in the presence of zwitterionic lipid vesicles. Results suggest that the substitution of heptadic leucine by alanine impaired the assembly of melittin in an aqueous environment and its localization only in zwitterionic but not in negatively charged membrane. Altogether, the results suggest the identification of a structural element in melittin, which probably plays a prominent role in regulating its toxicity but not antibacterial activity. The results indicate that cell selectivity in some antimicrobial peptides can probably be introduced by modulating their assembly in an aqueous environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeta Asthana
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226 001, India
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