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Ookubo M, Tashiro Y, Asano K, Kamei Y, Tanaka Y, Honda T, Yokoyama T, Honda M. "Rich arginine and strong positive charge" antimicrobial protein protamine: From its action on cell membranes to inhibition of bacterial vital functions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2024; 1866:184323. [PMID: 38614236 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2024.184323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Protamine, an antimicrobial protein derived from salmon sperm with a molecular weight of approximately 5 kDa, is composed of 60-70 % arginine and is a highly charged protein. Here, we investigated the mechanism of antimicrobial action of protamine against Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) focusing on its rich arginine content and strong positive charge. Especially, we focused on the attribution of dual mechanisms of antimicrobial protein, including membrane disruption or interaction with intracellular components. We first determined the dose-dependent antibacterial activity of protamine against C. acnes. In order to explore the interaction between bacterial membrane and protamine, we analyzed cell morphology, zeta potential, membrane permeability, and the composition of membrane fatty acid. In addition, the localization of protamine in bacteria was observed using fluorescent-labeled protamine. For investigation of the intracellular targets of protamine, bacterial translation was examined using a cell-free translation system. Based on our results, the mechanism of the antimicrobial action of protamine against C. acnes is as follows: 1) electrostatic interactions with the bacterial cell membrane; 2) self-internalization into the bacterial cell by changing the composition of the bacterial membrane; and 3) inhibition of bacterial growth by blocking translation inside the bacteria. However, owing to its strong electric charge, protamine can also interact with DNA, RNA, and other proteins inside the bacteria, and may inhibit various bacterial life processes beyond the translation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momoka Ookubo
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuka Tashiro
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kosuke Asano
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Kamei
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Tanaka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan; The advanced center for innovations in next-generation medicine (INGEM), Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8573, Japan
| | - Takayuki Honda
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yokoyama
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan; The advanced center for innovations in next-generation medicine (INGEM), Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8573, Japan
| | - Michiyo Honda
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Kanagawa, Japan.
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Li HL, Chen YN, Cai J, Liao T, Zu XY. Identification, Screening and Antibacterial Mechanism Analysis of Novel Antimicrobial Peptides from Sturgeon ( Acipenser ruthenus) Spermary. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:386. [PMID: 37504917 PMCID: PMC10381568 DOI: 10.3390/md21070386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fish is an important source of antimicrobial peptides. This study aimed to identify and screen antibacterial peptides with excellent antibacterial activity derived from sturgeon spermary peptides (SSPs) and to analyze their antibacterial activity and mechanism. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry methods were used to analyze and identify peptide sequences, computational prediction tool and molecular docking methods were used for virtual screening of antimicrobial peptides, and finally, candidate peptides were synthesized by solid-phase synthesis method. The results demonstrate that SSPs have excellent inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli with an inhibitory rate of 76.46%. Most parts of the SSPs were derived from the sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) histones, and the coverage of histone H2B was the highest (45%). Two novel peptides (NDEELNKLM and RSSKRRQ) were obtained by in silico prediction tools and molecular docking, which may interact with the DNA gyrase and dihydrofolate reductase of E. coli by forming salt bridges and hydrogen bonds. Compared to the individual peptides, the antibacterial effect was significantly improved by mixing the two peptides in equal proportions. Two novel peptides change the permeability of the E. coli cell membranes and may exert antimicrobial activity by inhibiting the metabolic process of the nucleic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Lan Li
- Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Institute of Agro-Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
| | - Ya-Nan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Institute of Agro-Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
- Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Jun Cai
- Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Tao Liao
- Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Institute of Agro-Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Zu
- Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Institute of Agro-Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
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Chen YN, Li HL, Huang JJ, Li MJ, Liao T, Zu XY. Antimicrobial activities and mechanism of sturgeon spermary protein extracts against Escherichia coli. Front Nutr 2022; 9:1021338. [PMID: 36263303 PMCID: PMC9575452 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1021338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activities and mechanism of sturgeon spermary protein extracts (SSPE) against Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. Cell structural change was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and transmission electron microscope. Moreover, pH, zeta potential, membrane potential, intracellular ATP concentrations and the interaction of SSPE with genomic DNA were analyzed. Results showed that molecular weight of SSPE is 13.4 kDa, the content of basic amino acids is the highest, in which arginine accounts for 73.2%. The MIC and MBC of SSPE for E. coli were 0.05 and 5 mg/mL, respectively. After SSPE treatment, cell membrane permeability changes, zeta potential decrease and genomic DNA lysis occurred in E. coli, which indicated it exerted bacteriostatic effects either independently or simultaneously by destroying the cell membrane and genomic DNA. These findings indicated that SSPE has potential to be a natural antiseptic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Chen
- Institute of Agricultural Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China,School of Biological Engineering and Food, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hai-Lan Li
- Institute of Agricultural Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China,Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Cold Chain Logistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Jun Huang
- School of Biological Engineering and Food, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mei-Jin Li
- School of Biological Engineering and Food, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Liao
- Institute of Agricultural Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Zu
- Institute of Agricultural Products Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China,Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Cold Chain Logistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Xiao-Yan Zu
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Czechowicz P, Neubauer D, Nowicka J, Kamysz W, Gościniak G. Antifungal Activity of Linear and Disulfide-Cyclized Ultrashort Cationic Lipopeptides Alone and in Combination with Fluconazole against Vulvovaginal Candida spp. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13101589. [PMID: 34683882 PMCID: PMC8537571 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101589] [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: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) occurs in over 75% of women at least once during their lifetime and is an infection that significantly affects their health. Candida strains resistant to standard azole antifungal therapy and relapses of VVC are more and more common. Hypothetically, biofilm is one of the main reasons of relapses and failure of the therapy. Ultrashort cationic lipopeptides (USCLs) exhibit high antimicrobial activities. Our previous study on USCLs revealed that disulfide cyclization can result in selective antifungal compounds. Therefore, four USCL were selected and their antifungal activity were studied on 62 clinical strains isolated from VVC. The results confirmed previous premises that cyclic analogs have increased selectivity between fungal cells and keratinocytes and improved anticandidal activity compared to their linear analogs against both planktonic and biofilm cultures. On the other hand, linear lipopeptides in combination with fluconazole showed a synergistic effect. It was found that the minimum inhibitory concentrations of the tested compounds in combination with fluconazole were at least four times lower than when used separately. Our results indicate that combination therapy of VVC with USCLs and fluconazole at low non-toxic concentrations can be beneficial owing to the synergistic effect. However, further in vivo studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Czechowicz
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Wrocław Medical University, 51-368 Wrocław, Poland; (J.N.); (G.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-71-784-13-01
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland; (D.N.); (W.K.)
| | - Joanna Nowicka
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Wrocław Medical University, 51-368 Wrocław, Poland; (J.N.); (G.G.)
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland; (D.N.); (W.K.)
| | - Grażyna Gościniak
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Wrocław Medical University, 51-368 Wrocław, Poland; (J.N.); (G.G.)
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Neubauer D, Jaśkiewicz M, Sikorska E, Bartoszewska S, Bauer M, Kapusta M, Narajczyk M, Kamysz W. Effect of Disulfide Cyclization of Ultrashort Cationic Lipopeptides on Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7208. [PMID: 33003569 PMCID: PMC7582905 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrashort cationic lipopeptides (USCLs) are considered to be a promising class of antimicrobials with high activity against a broad-spectrum of microorganisms. However, the majority of these compounds are characterized by significant toxicity toward human cells, which hinders their potential application. To overcome those limitations, several approaches have been advanced. One of these is disulfide cyclization that has been shown to improve drug-like characteristics of peptides. In this article the effect of disulfide cyclization of the polar head of N-palmitoylated USCLs on in vitro biological activity has been studied. Lipopeptides used in this study consisted of three or four basic amino acids (lysine and arginine) and cystine in a cyclic peptide. In general, disulfide cyclization of the lipopeptides resulted in peptides with reduced cytotoxicity. Disulfide-cyclized USCLs exhibited improved selectivity between Candida sp., Gram-positive strains and normal cells in contrast to their linear counterparts. Interactions between selected USCLs and membranes were studied by molecular dynamics simulations using a coarse-grained force field. Moreover, membrane permeabilization properties and kinetics were examined. Fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy revealed damage to Candida cell membrane and organelles. Concluding, USCLs are strong membrane disruptors and disulfide cyclization of polar head can have a beneficial effect on its in vitro selectivity between Candida sp. and normal human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (S.B.); (M.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Maciej Jaśkiewicz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (S.B.); (M.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Sylwia Bartoszewska
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (S.B.); (M.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Marta Bauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (S.B.); (M.B.); (W.K.)
| | - Małgorzata Kapusta
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Magdalena Narajczyk
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.J.); (S.B.); (M.B.); (W.K.)
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Changes in the Ultrastructure of Candida albicans Treated with Cationic Peptides. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8040582. [PMID: 32316565 PMCID: PMC7232200 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8040582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is becoming increasingly harmful for humans, which determines the need for new effective antifungal preparations. Currently, when testing antifungals, various morphological methods are used, among which transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is not the leading one. In this work, we used TEM to study the submicroscopic changes in C. albicans cells induced by cationic peptides R9F2 and (KFF)3K. Studies were performed on C. albicans-34 strain from the Collection of EMTC of ICBFM SB RAS in logarithmic phase. R9F2 and (KFF)3K showed an antifungal effect (MIC 10 and 20 μM) and suppressed fungal hyphal growth. Semithin and ultrathin sections of fungal suspensions incubated with 10 μM of peptides were studied at regular intervals from 15 min to 24 h. The first target of both peptides was plasmalemma, and its “alignment” was the only common morphological manifestation of their effect. Other changes in the plasmalemma and alteration of the vacuole and cell wall ultrastructure distinctly differed in cells treated with R9F2 and (KFF)3K peptides. In general, our work has shown pronounced differences of the temporal and morphologic characteristics of the effect of peptides, evidently related to their physicochemical properties. The benefit of TEM studies of ultrathin sections for understanding the mechanisms of action of antifungal drugs is shown.
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Tasaki S, Cho T, Nagao JI, Ikezaki S, Narita Y, Arita-Morioka KI, Yasumatsu K, Toyoda K, Kojima H, Tanaka Y. Th17 cells differentiated with mycelial membranes of Candida albicans prevent oral candidiasis. FEMS Yeast Res 2019; 18:4862473. [PMID: 29462298 PMCID: PMC6019029 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foy018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a human commensal that causes opportunistic infections. Th17 cells provide resistance against mucosal infection with C. albicans; however, the T cell antigens remain little known. Our final goal is to find effective T cell antigens of C. albicans that are responsible for immunotherapy against candidiasis. Here, we prepared fractions including cytosol, membrane and cell wall from yeast and mycelial cells. Proteins derived from a membrane fraction of mycelial cells effectively induced differentiation of CD4+ T cells into IL-17A-producing Th17 cells. To confirm the immunological response in vivo of proteins from mycelial membrane, we performed adoptive transfer experiments using ex vivo stimulated CD4+ T cells from IL-17A-GFP reporter mice. Mycelial membrane-differentiated CD4+ Th17 cells adoptively transferred intravenously prevented oral candidiasis by oral infection of C. albicans, compared with control anti-CD3-stimulated CD4+ T cells. This was confirmed by the clinical score and the number of neutrophils on the infected tissues. These data suggest that effective T cell antigens against candidiasis could be present in the membrane protein fraction of mycelial cells. The design of novel vaccination strategies against candidiasis will be our next step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Tasaki
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan.,Section of Dentistry for the Disabled, Department of Oral Growth and Development, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Tamaki Cho
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Nagao
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Shojiro Ikezaki
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Yuka Narita
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Arita-Morioka
- Advanced Science Research Center, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Kanae Yasumatsu
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Keita Toyoda
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kojima
- Section of Dentistry for the Disabled, Department of Oral Growth and Development, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Tanaka
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan.,Advanced Science Research Center, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
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