1
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Enninful GN, Kuppusamy R, Tiburu EK, Kumar N, Willcox MDP. Non-canonical amino acid bioincorporation into antimicrobial peptides and its challenges. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3560. [PMID: 38262069 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3560] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistance and multi-drug resistant pathogens has necessitated explorations for novel antibiotic agents as the discovery of conventional antibiotics is becoming economically less viable and technically more challenging for biopharma. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising alternative because of their particular mode of action, broad spectrum and difficulty that microbes have in becoming resistant to them. The AMPs bacitracin, gramicidin, polymyxins and daptomycin are currently used clinically. However, their susceptibility to proteolytic degradation, toxicity profile, and complexities in large-scale manufacture have hindered their development. To improve their proteolytic stability, methods such as integrating non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into their peptide sequence have been adopted, which also improves their potency and spectrum of action. The benefits of ncAA incorporation have been made possible by solid-phase peptide synthesis. However, this method is not always suitable for commercial production of AMPs because of poor yield, scale-up difficulties, and its non-'green' nature. Bioincorporation of ncAA as a method of integration is an emerging field geared towards tackling the challenges of solid-phase synthesis as a green, cheaper, and scalable alternative for commercialisation of AMPs. This review focusses on the bioincorporation of ncAAs; some challenges associated with the methods are outlined, and notes are given on how to overcome these challenges. The review focusses particularly on addressing two key challenges: AMP cytotoxicity towards microbial cell factories and the uptake of ncAAs that are unfavourable to them. Overcoming these challenges will draw us closer to a greater yield and an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to make AMPs more druggable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rajesh Kuppusamy
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Naresh Kumar
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark D P Willcox
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
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2
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Bahatheg G, Kuppusamy R, Yasir M, Bridge S, Mishra SK, Cranfield CG, StC Black D, Willcox M, Kumar N. Dimeric peptoids as antibacterial agents. Bioorg Chem 2024; 147:107334. [PMID: 38583251 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107334] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Building upon our previous study on peptoid-based antibacterials which showed good activity against Gram-positive bacteria only, herein we report the synthesis of 34 dimeric peptoid compounds and the investigation of their activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. The newly designed peptoids feature a di-hydrophobic moiety incorporating phenyl, bromo-phenyl, and naphthyl groups, combined with variable lengths of cationic units such as amino and guanidine groups. The study also underscores the pivotal interplay between hydrophobicity and cationicity in optimizing efficacy against specific bacteria. The bromophenyl dimeric guanidinium peptoid compound 10j showed excellent activity against S. aureus 38 and E. coli K12 with MIC of 0.8 μg mL-1 and 6.2 μg mL-1, respectively. Further investigation into the mechanism of action revealed that the antibacterial effect might be attributed to the disruption of bacterial cell membranes, as suggested by tethered bilayer lipid membranes (tBLMs) and cytoplasmic membrane permeability studies. Notably, these promising antibacterial agents exhibited negligible toxicity against mammalian red blood cells. Additionally, the study explored the potential of 12 active compounds to disrupt established biofilms of S. aureus 38. The most effective biofilm disruptors were ethyl and octyl-naphthyl guanidinium peptoids (10c and 10 k). These compounds 10c and 10 k disrupted the established biofilms of S. aureus 38 with 51 % at 4x MIC (MIC = 17.6 μg mL-1 and 11.2 μg mL-1) and 56 %-58 % at 8x MIC (MIC = 35.2 μg mL-1 and 22.4 μg mL-1) respectively. Overall, this research contributes insights into the design principles of cationic dimeric peptoids and their antibacterial activity, with implications for the development of new antibacterial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghayah Bahatheg
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rajesh Kuppusamy
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Muhammad Yasir
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Samara Bridge
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Ultimo 2007, Australia
| | - Shyam K Mishra
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Charles G Cranfield
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Ultimo 2007, Australia
| | - David StC Black
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Mark Willcox
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Naresh Kumar
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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3
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Shao Z, Tam KKG, Achalla VPK, Woon ECY, Mason AJ, Chow SF, Yam WC, Lam JKW. Synergistic combination of antimicrobial peptide and isoniazid as inhalable dry powder formulation against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Int J Pharm 2024; 654:123960. [PMID: 38447778 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.123960] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has posed a serious threat to global public health, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged to be promising candidates to tackle this deadly infectious disease. Previous study has suggested that two AMPs, namely D-LAK120-A and D-LAK120-HP13, can potentiate the effect of isoniazid (INH) against mycobacteria. In this study, the strategy of combining INH and D-LAK peptide as a dry powder formulation for inhalation was explored. The antibacterial effect of INH and D-LAK combination was first evaluated on three MDR clinical isolates of Mycobacteria tuberculosis (Mtb). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and fractional inhibitory concentration indexes (FICIs) were determined. The combination was synergistic against Mtb with FICIs ranged from 0.25 to 0.38. The INH and D-LAK peptide at 2:1 mole ratio (equivalent to 1: 10 mass ratio) was identified to be optimal. This ratio was adopted for the preparation of dry powder formulation for pulmonary delivery, with mannitol used as bulking excipient. Spherical particles with mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of around 5 µm were produced by spray drying. The aerosol performance of the spray dried powder was moderate, as evaluated by the Next Generation Impactor (NGI), with emitted fraction and fine particle fraction of above 70 % and 45 %, respectively. The circular dichroism spectra revealed that both D-LAK peptides retained their secondary structure after spray drying, and the antibacterial effect of the combination against the MDR Mtb clinical isolates was successfully preserved. The combination was found to be effective against MDR Mtb isolates with KatG or InhA mutations. Overall, the synergistic combination of INH with D-LAK peptide formulated as inhaled dry powder offers a new therapeutic approach against MDR-TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zitong Shao
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Kingsley King-Gee Tam
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - V P K Achalla
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Esther C Y Woon
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Shing Fung Chow
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Wing Cheong Yam
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Jenny K W Lam
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, United Kingdom; Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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4
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Yang P, Mao W, Zhang J, Yang Y, Zhang F, Ouyang X, Li B, Wu X, Ba Z, Ran K, Tian Y, Liu H, Zhang Y, Gou S, Zhong C, Ni J. A novel antimicrobial peptide with broad-spectrum and exceptional stability derived from the natural peptide Brevicidine. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 269:116337. [PMID: 38537511 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116337] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The global issue of antibiotic resistance is increasingly severe, highlighting the urgent necessity for the development of new antibiotics. Brevicidine, a natural cyclic lipopeptide, exhibits remarkable antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, a comprehensive structure-activity relationship of Brevicidine was investigated through 20 newly synthesized cyclic lipopeptide analogs, resulting in the identification of an optimal linear analog 22. The sequence of analog 22 consisted of five d-amino acids and four non-natural amino acid 2,5-diaminovaleric acid (Orn) and conjugated with decanoic acid at N-terminal. Compared to Brevicidine, analog 22 was easier to synthesize, and exerted broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and excellent stability (t1/2 = 40.98 h). Additionally, analog 22 demonstrated a rapid bactericidal effect by permeating non-specifically through the bacterial membranes, thereby minimizing the likelihood of inducing resistance. Moreover, it exhibited remarkable efficacy in combating bacterial biofilms and reversing bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics. Furthermore, it effectively suppressed the growth of bacteria in vital organs of mice infected with S. aureus ATCC 25923. In conclusion, analog 22 may represent a potential antimicrobial peptide for further optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Yang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Wenbo Mao
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Jingying Zhang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Yinyin Yang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Fangyan Zhang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Xu Ouyang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Beibei Li
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Zufang Ba
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Kaixin Ran
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Yali Tian
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Hui Liu
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, PR China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, PR China
| | - Sanhu Gou
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, PR China
| | - Chao Zhong
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, PR China.
| | - Jingman Ni
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, PR China.
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5
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Ki MR, Kim SH, Park TI, Pack SP. Self-Entrapment of Antimicrobial Peptides in Silica Particles for Stable and Effective Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery System. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16423. [PMID: 38003614 PMCID: PMC10671715 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216423] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising solution to tackle bacterial infections and combat antibiotic resistance. However, their vulnerability to protease degradation and toxicity towards mammalian cells has hindered their clinical application. To overcome these challenges, our study aims to develop a method to enhance the stability and safety of AMPs applicable to effective drug-device combination products. The KR12 antimicrobial peptide was chosen, and in order to further enhance its delivery and efficacy the human immunodeficiency virus TAT protein-derived cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) was fused to form CPP-KR12. A new product, CPP-KR12@Si, was developed by forming silica particles with self-entrapped CPP-KR12 peptide using biomimetic silica precipitability because of its cationic nature. Peptide delivery from CPP-KR12@Si to bacteria and cells was observed at a slightly delivered rate, with improved stability against trypsin treatment and a reduction in cytotoxicity compared to CPP-KR12. Finally, the antimicrobial potential of the CPP-KR12@Si/bone graft substitute (BGS) combination product was demonstrated. CPP-KR12 is coated in the form of submicron-sized particles on the surface of the BGS. Self-entrapped AMP in silica nanoparticles is a safe and effective AMP delivery method that will be useful for developing a drug-device combination product for tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Ran Ki
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Industrial Technology, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Ho Kim
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae In Park
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Pil Pack
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-ro 2511, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
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6
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Wang D, Deng B, Cheng L, Li J, Guo X, Zhang J, Zhang X, Su P, Li G, Miao X, Yang W, Xie J, Wang R. The novel peptide DR4penA attenuates the bleomycin- and paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis by suppressing the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23225. [PMID: 37855708 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301363r] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF), which is caused by continuous alveolar epithelial cell injury and abnormal repair, is referred to as a difficult disease of the lung system by the World Health Organization due to its rapid progression, poor prognosis, and high mortality rate. However, there is still a lack of ideal therapeutic strategies. The peptide DR8 (DHNNPQIR-NH2 ), which is derived from rapeseed, exerted antifibrotic activity in the lung, liver, and kidney in our previous studies. By studying the structure-activity relationship and rational design, we introduced an unnatural hydrophobic amino acid (α-(4-pentenyl)-Ala) into DR8 and screened the novel peptide DR4penA (DHNα-(4-pentenyl)-APQIR-NH2 ), which had higher anti-PF activity, higher antioxidant activity and a longer half-life than DR8. Notably, DR4penA attenuated bleomycin- and paraquat-induced PF, and the anti-PF activity of DR4penA was equivalent to that of pirfenidone. Additionally, DR4penA suppressed the TGF-β/Smad pathway in TGF-β1-induced A549 cells and paraquat-induced rats. This study demonstrates that the novel peptide DR4penA is a potential candidate compound for PF therapy, and its antifibrotic activity in different preclinical models of PF provides a theoretical basis for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Medical Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Bochuan Deng
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lu Cheng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Centre, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jieru Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaomin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ping Su
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guofeng Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Centre, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaokang Miao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wenle Yang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Junqiu Xie
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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7
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Goettig P, Koch NG, Budisa N. Non-Canonical Amino Acids in Analyses of Protease Structure and Function. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14035. [PMID: 37762340 PMCID: PMC10531186 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
All known organisms encode 20 canonical amino acids by base triplets in the genetic code. The cellular translational machinery produces proteins consisting mainly of these amino acids. Several hundred natural amino acids serve important functions in metabolism, as scaffold molecules, and in signal transduction. New side chains are generated mainly by post-translational modifications, while others have altered backbones, such as the β- or γ-amino acids, or they undergo stereochemical inversion, e.g., in the case of D-amino acids. In addition, the number of non-canonical amino acids has further increased by chemical syntheses. Since many of these non-canonical amino acids confer resistance to proteolytic degradation, they are potential protease inhibitors and tools for specificity profiling studies in substrate optimization and enzyme inhibition. Other applications include in vitro and in vivo studies of enzyme kinetics, molecular interactions and bioimaging, to name a few. Amino acids with bio-orthogonal labels are particularly attractive, enabling various cross-link and click reactions for structure-functional studies. Here, we cover the latest developments in protease research with non-canonical amino acids, which opens up a great potential, e.g., for novel prodrugs activated by proteases or for other pharmaceutical compounds, some of which have already reached the clinical trial stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Goettig
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Nikolaj G. Koch
- Biocatalysis Group, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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8
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Wang X, Yang X, Wang Q, Meng D. Unnatural amino acids: promising implications for the development of new antimicrobial peptides. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023; 49:231-255. [PMID: 35254957 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2022.2047008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The increasing incidence and rapid spread of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics are a serious global threat to public health, highlighting the need to develop new antimicrobial alternatives. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a class of promising natural antibiotic candidates due to their broad-spectrum activity and low tendency to induce resistance. However, the development of AMPs for medical use is hampered by several obstacles, such as moderate activity, lability to proteolytic degradation, and low bioavailability. To date, many researchers have focussed on the optimization or design of novel artificial AMPs with desired properties. Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) are valuable building blocks in the manufacture of a variety of pharmaceuticals, and have been used to develop artificial AMPs with specific structural and physicochemical properties. Rational incorporation of UAAs has become a very promising approach to endow AMPs with strong and long-lasting activity but no toxicity. This review aims to summarize key approaches that have been used to incorporate UAAs to develop novel AMPs with improved properties and better performance. It is anticipated that this review will guide future design considerations for UAA-based antimicrobial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaoe Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cosmetic, China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Demei Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Gasin-DH Preservation Technology Co., Ltd, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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9
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Wang D, Deng B, Cheng L, Li J, Zhang J, Zhang X, Guo X, Yan T, Yue X, An Y, Zhang B, Yang W, Xie J, Wang R. A novel and low-toxic peptide DR3penA alleviates pulmonary fibrosis by regulating the MAPK/miR-23b-5p/AQP5 signaling axis. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:722-738. [PMID: 36873181 PMCID: PMC9979266 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a pathological change caused by repeated injuries and repair dysfunction of the alveolar epithelium. Our previous study revealed that the residues Asn3 and Asn4 of peptide DR8 (DHNNPQIR-NH2) could be modified to improve stability and antifibrotic activity, and the unnatural hydrophobic amino acids α-(4-pentenyl)-Ala and d-Ala were considered in this study. DR3penA (DHα-(4-pentenyl)-ANPQIR-NH2) was verified to have a longer half-life in serum and to significantly inhibit oxidative damage, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, DR3penA has a dosage advantage over pirfenidone through the conversion of drug bioavailability under different routes of administration. A mechanistic study revealed that DR3penA increased the expression of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) by inhibiting the upregulation of miR-23b-5p and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, indicating that DR3penA may alleviate PF by regulating MAPK/miR-23b-5p/AQP5. Safety evaluation showed that DR3penA is a peptide drug without obvious toxicity or acute side effects and has significantly improved safety compared to DR8. Thus, our findings suggest that DR3penA, as a novel and low-toxic peptide, has the potential to be a leading compound for PF therapy, which provides a foundation for the development of peptide drugs for fibrosis-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Bochuan Deng
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lu Cheng
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jieru Li
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaomin Guo
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tiantian Yan
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xin Yue
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yingying An
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Bangzhi Zhang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenle Yang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Junqiu Xie
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Institute of Materia Medica and Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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10
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Yadav N, Kumar U, Chauhan VS. Conformationally restricted, dipeptide-based, self-assembled nanoparticles for efficient vancomycin delivery. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2022; 17:2023-2035. [PMID: 36645108 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2022-0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Emergence of vancomycin (Van) resistance, and usage of its higher dose and short half-life are posing a serious concern. Slow and sustained release of Van using a nanodelivery system may overcome these problems. Materials & methods: Arginine-α,β-dehydrophenylalanine (RΔF) was synthesized using solution-phase synthesis which self-assembled into nanospheres. Van was entrapped in the nanoparticles (NPs). In vitro and in vivo efficacy of Van-RΔF was determined using broth microdilution and the mouse thigh infection model, respectively. Results & conclusion: Van-RΔF NPs efficiently inhibited bacterial growth (Staphylococcus aureus), while Van alone showed limited growth inhibition in in vitro. Intravenous administration of Van-RΔF in mice with bacterial thigh infection showed enhanced efficacy (double) compared with Van alone, which indicates its high potential for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Yadav
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sector-3, Pushpvihar, New Delhi, 110017, India
| | - Utkarsh Kumar
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Virander Singh Chauhan
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
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11
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Pei P, Chen L, Fan R, Zhou XR, Feng S, Liu H, Guo Q, Yin H, Zhang Q, Sun F, Peng L, Wei P, He C, Qiao R, Wang Z, Luo SZ. Computer-Aided Design of Lasso-like Self-Assembling Anticancer Peptides with Multiple Functions for Targeted Self-Delivery and Cancer Treatments. ACS NANO 2022; 16:13783-13799. [PMID: 36099446 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer peptides are promising drug candidates for cancer treatment, but the short circulation time and low delivery efficiency limit their clinical applications. Herein, we designed several lasso-like self-assembling anticancer peptides (LASAPs) integrated with multiple functions by a computer-aided approach. Among these LASAPs, LASAP1 (CRGDKGPDCGKAFRRFLGALFKALSHLL, 1-9 disulfide bond) was determined to be superior to the others because it can self-assemble into homogeneous nanoparticles and exhibits improved stability in serum. Thus, LASAP1 was chosen for proving the design idea. LASAP1 can self-assemble into nanoparticles displaying iRGD on the surface because of its amphiphilic structure and accumulate to the tumor site after injection because of the EPR effect and iRGD targeting to αVβ3 integrin. The nanoparticles could disassemble in the acidic microenvironment of the solid tumor, and cleaved by the overexpressed hK2, which was secreted by prostate tumor cells, to release the effector peptide PTP-7b (FLGALFKALSHLL), which was further activated by the acidic pH. Therefore, LASAP1 could target the orthotopic prostate tumor in the model mice after intraperitoneal injection and specifically inhibit tumor growth, with low systematic toxicity. Combining the multiple targeting functions, LASAP1 represents a promising design of self-delivery of peptide drugs for targeted cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Pei
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Long Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Ruru Fan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Xi-Rui Zhou
- Division of Metrology in Chemistry, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Shan Feng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Hangrui Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Quanqiang Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Huiwei Yin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Fude Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Liang Peng
- Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Peng Wei
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Chengzhi He
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Renzhong Qiao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Zai Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Shi-Zhong Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
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12
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He S, Yang Z, Li X, Wu H, Zhang L, Wang J, Shan A. Optimized proteolytic resistance motif (DabW)-based U1-2WD: A membrane-induced self-aggregating peptide to trigger bacterial agglutination and death. Acta Biomater 2022; 153:540-556. [PMID: 36162762 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The biggest application bottleneck of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is the low oral bioavailability caused by the poor stability of digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. However, the research methods and evaluation criteria of available studies about anti-proteolytic strategies are not uniform and far from the actual environment in vivo. Here, we developed a research system and evaluation criteria for proteolytic resistance and systematically evaluated the effectiveness of different strategies for improving the protease stability of AMPs on the same platform for the first time. After a comprehensive analysis, Dab modification is identified as the most effective strategy to improve the trypsin stability of AMPs. By further modulating the proteolytic resistance optimization motif (DabW)n, U1-2WD is obtained with ideal stability and antimicrobial properties in vivo and in vitro. Notably, U1-2WD has a unique antibacterial mechanism, which forms amorphous aggregates in the bacteria environment to trigger the agglutination of bacterial cells to prevent bacterial escape. It then kills bacteria by disrupting bacterial membranes and inhibiting bacterial energy metabolism. Overall, our work has led to a new understanding of the effectiveness of proteolytic resistance strategies and accelerated the development of anti-proteolytic AMPs to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We developed research system and evaluation criteria for proteolytic resistance and systematically evaluated the effectiveness of different strategies for improving protease stability of AMPs on the same platform for the first time. we found effective strategies to resist trypsin hydrolysis: modification with backbone (β-Arg), D-enantiomer (D-Arg) and L-2,4-diaminobutanoic acid (Dab). Further, the proteolytic resistance optimization motif (DabW)n was designed. When n=3, derivative U1-2WD was obtained with desirable stability and antimicrobial properties in vivo and in vitro. Notably, U1-2WD has a unique antibacterial mechanism, which can self-aggregate into amorphous aggregates in the bacteria environment to mediate the agglutination and sedimentation of bacterial cells to prevent bacterial escape, and then kill bacteria by destroying bacterial membranes and inhibiting bacterial energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi He
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Zhanyi Yang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Hua Wu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Licong Zhang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Jiajun Wang
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China.
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China.
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13
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Role of Antimicrobial Peptides in Treatment and Prevention of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: A Review. Int J Pept Res Ther 2022; 28:132. [PMID: 35891800 PMCID: PMC9305673 DOI: 10.1007/s10989-022-10435-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading cause of death worldwide, and the world is fighting with this global health emergency from the past 25 year. The current clinical interventions for the management of TB face a number of inherent challenges which includes low patient compliance due to the long therapy regimen, and emerging antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, there is an unmet need of new anti-TB therapeutic agent with enhanced safety profile, which can reduce the duration of therapy, enhanced bioavailability and efficacy against drug resistant forms of TB. Bacteriocins or anti microbial peptides (AMPs) occurring in microbes, human beings and other life forms have been investigated as host defense peptides. Structurally AMPs are short and ionized and play crucial role in innate immunity of host. Some AMPs can kill microbial infections directly while others function indirectly by altering the host defense mechanisms. Amidst rising issue of antibiotic resistance, AMPs are being tested in clinical research as potential antibiotics and novel therapeutics to fight against infections and non-infectious diseases. Studies have also highlighted the ability of AMPs to act against the bacteria spreading tuberculosis. The present review provides information on antimicrobial peptides, highlights their biological role, classification and mode of action in treatment and prevention of tuberculosis. It further mentions the prospects and challenges of developing peptides for their therapeutic applications against mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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14
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Akbari R, Hakemi Vala M, Sabatier JM, Pooshang Bagheri K. Fast killing kinetics, significant therapeutic index, and high stability of melittin-derived antimicrobial peptide. Amino Acids 2022; 54:1275-1285. [PMID: 35779173 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03180-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is a major challenge for antimicrobial chemotherapy. Concerning this issue, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been presented as novel promising antibiotics. Our previous de novo designed melittin-derived peptides (MDP1 and MDP2) indicated their potential as peptide drug leads. Accordingly, this study was aimed to evaluate the kinetics of activity, toxicity, and stability of MDP1 and MDP2 as well as determination of their structures. The killing kinetics of MDP1 and MDP2 demonstrate that all bacterial strains were rapidly killed. MDP1 and MDP2 were ca. 100- and 26.6-fold less hemolytic than melittin and found to be respectively 72.9- and 41.6-fold less cytotoxic than melittin on the HEK293 cell line. MDP1 and MDP2 showed 252- and 132-fold improvement in their therapeutic index in comparison to melittin. MDP1 and MDP2 sustained their activities in the presence of human plasma and were found to be ca. four to eightfold more stable than melittin. Spectropolarimetry analysis of MDP1 and MDP2 indicates that the peptides adopt an alpha-helical structure predominantly. According to the fast killing kinetics, significant therapeutic index, and high stability of MDP1, it could be considered as a drug lead in a mouse model of septicemia infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Akbari
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, West Azerbaijan, Iran
| | - Mojdeh Hakemi Vala
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology (INP), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université D'Aix-Marseille, UMR 7051, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, CEDEX 05, 13385, Marseille, France
| | - Kamran Pooshang Bagheri
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Kotynia A, Wiatrak B, Kamysz W, Neubauer D, Jawień P, Marciniak A. Cationic Peptides and Their Cu(II) and Ni(II) Complexes: Coordination and Biological Characteristics. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222112028. [PMID: 34769458 PMCID: PMC8584440 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are a promising group of compounds used for the treatment of infections. In some cases, metal ions are essential to activate these molecules. Examples of metalloantibiotics are, for instance, bleomycin and dermcidin. This study is focused on three new pseudopeptides with potential biological activity. The coordination behavior of all ligands with Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions has been examined. Various analytical methods such as potentiometric titration, UV-Vis and CD spectroscopies, and mass spectrometry were used. All compounds are convenient chelators for metal ion-binding. Two of the ligands tested have histidine residues. Surprisingly, imidazole nitrogen is not involved in the coordination of the metal ion. The N-terminal amino group, Dab side chains, and amide nitrogen atoms of the peptide bonds coordinated Cu(II) and Ni(II) in all the complexes formed. The cytotoxicity of three pseudopeptides and their complexes was evaluated. Moreover, their other model allowed for assessing the attenuation of LPS-induced cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activities were also evaluated, the results of which revealed to be very promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kotynia
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211A, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (A.K.); (A.M.); Tel.: +48-71-784-03-35 (A.K.)
| | - Benita Wiatrak
- Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Jana Mikulicza-Radeckiego 2, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland; (B.W.); (P.J.)
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (W.K.); (D.N.)
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland; (W.K.); (D.N.)
| | - Paulina Jawień
- Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Jana Mikulicza-Radeckiego 2, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland; (B.W.); (P.J.)
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida 25/27, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Marciniak
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211A, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (A.K.); (A.M.); Tel.: +48-71-784-03-35 (A.K.)
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16
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Tram NDT, Selvarajan V, Boags A, Mukherjee D, Marzinek JK, Cheng B, Jiang ZC, Goh P, Koh JJ, Teo JWP, Bond PJ, Ee PLR. Manipulating turn residues on de novo designed β-hairpin peptides for selectivity against drug-resistant bacteria. Acta Biomater 2021; 135:214-224. [PMID: 34506975 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a useful source for the development of novel antimicrobial agents. β-hairpin peptides generally consist of two side strands bridged by a reverse turn. In literature, most studies focused on the modifications of the side strands to manipulate the stability and activity of β-hairpin peptides, and much less is known about the impact of the turn region. By designing a series of de novo β-hairpin peptides with identical side strands but varied turns, we demonstrated that mutations of only 2 to 4 amino acids at the turn region could impart a wide range of antimicrobial profiles among synthetic β-hairpin AMPs. BTT2-4 and BTT6 displayed selective potency against Gram-negative bacteria, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 4-8 µM. In contrast, BTT1 exhibited broad-spectrum activity, with MICs of 4-8 µM against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Additionally, BTT1 was potent against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and colistin-resistant Enterobacterales. The antimicrobial potency of BTT1 persisted after 14 days of serial passage. Mechanistic studies revealed that interactions between lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the peptides were critical to their membranolytic activity against the bacterial inner membrane. Aside from folding stability, we observed that a degree of conformational flexibility was required for disruptive membrane interactions. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: By examining the significance of the turn region of β-hairpin peptides, we present valuable knowledge to the design toolkit of novel antimicrobial peptides as alternative therapeutics to overcome antibiotic resistance. Our de novo designed synthetic peptides displayed selective activity against Gram-negative bacteria and potent activity against clinically relevant antibiotic-resistant strains (e.g. colistin-resistant Enterobacterales and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). The bactericidal activity of our peptides was shown to be robust in the presence of proteolytic trypsin and saline, conditions that could suppress peptide activity. Our peptides were also determined to be non-cytotoxic against a human cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhan D T Tram
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vanitha Selvarajan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alister Boags
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138671, Singapore, Singapore; School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Devika Mukherjee
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jan K Marzinek
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138671, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bernadette Cheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology Unit, National University Hospital, 119074, Singapore , Singapore
| | - Zi-Chen Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, M5S 1A1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pascal Goh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jun-Jie Koh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeanette W P Teo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology Unit, National University Hospital, 119074, Singapore , Singapore
| | - Peter J Bond
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138671, Singapore, Singapore; National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, 117558, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pui Lai Rachel Ee
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, 119077, Singapore, Singapore.
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17
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Peptide DR8 analogs alleviate pulmonary fibrosis via suppressing TGF-β1 mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition and ERK1/2 pathway in vivo and in vitro. Eur J Pharm Sci 2021; 167:106009. [PMID: 34537373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2021.106009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic progressive lung disease that lacks effective treatments in clinic. It is characterized by repair disorder of epithelial cells, formation of fibroblast foci as well as destruction of alveolar structure. Previously we first determined that parent peptide DR8 (DHNNPQIR-NH2) has anti-fibrotic activity in bleomycin-induced mice. In order to further improve the druggability of DR8, including anti-fibrotic activity, stability and security, the structure-activity relationship was investigated using a series of D-amino acid and alanine scanning analogs of DR8. The results indicated that peptides DR8-3D and DR8-8A exhibited potent anti-fibrotic activity and better stability. Further mechanism research revealed that DR8-3D and DR8-8A ameliorated lung fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-β1 mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition process and ERK1/2 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we found that anti-fibrotic activity of DR8 was closely related to the residues aspartic acid (Asp)1, histidine (His)2, proline (Pro)5 and glutamine (Gln)6, which suggested that the position of residues asparagine (Asn)3, asparagine (Asn)4, isoleucine (Ile)7 and arginine (Arg)8 could be further modified to optimized its anti-fibrotic effect. Therefore, we consider that DR8-3D and DR8-8A not only could be used as a potential leading compound for the treatment of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis but also laid a foundation for the development of new anti-fibrotic drugs.
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18
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Wang C, Hong T, Cui P, Wang J, Xia J. Antimicrobial peptides towards clinical application: Delivery and formulation. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 175:113818. [PMID: 34090965 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides hold promise to supplement small molecules antibiotics and combat the multidrug resistant microbes. There are however technical hurdles towards the clinical applications, largely due to the inherent limitations of peptides including stability, cytotoxicity and bioavailability. Here we review recent studies concerning the delivery and formulation of antimicrobial peptides, by categorizing the different strategies as driven by physical interactions or chemical conjugation reactions, and carriers ranging from inorganic based ones (including gold, silver and silica based solid nanoparticles) to organic ones (including micelle, liposome and hydrogel) are covered. Besides, targeted delivery of antimicrobial peptides or using antimicrobial peptides as the targeting moiety, and responsive release of the peptides after delivery are also reviewed. Lastly, strategies towards the increase of oral bioavailability, from both physical or chemical methods, are highlighted. Altogether, this article provides a comprehensive review of the recent progress of the delivery and formulation of antimicrobial peptides towards clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Tingting Hong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Pengfei Cui
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Jianhao Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China.
| | - Jiang Xia
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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19
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Milly TA, Engler ER, Chichura KS, Buttner AR, Koirala B, Tal-Gan Y, Bertucci MA. Harnessing Multiple, Nonproteogenic Substitutions to Optimize CSP:ComD Hydrophobic Interactions in Group 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae. Chembiochem 2021; 22:1940-1947. [PMID: 33644965 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a human pathobiont that causes drastic antibiotic-resistant infections and is responsible for millions of deaths universally. Pneumococcus pathogenicity relies on the competence-stimulating peptide (CSP)-mediated quorum-sensing (QS) pathway that controls competence development for genetic transformation and, consequently, the spread of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. Modulation of QS in S. pneumoniae can therefore be used to enervate pneumococcal infectivity as well as minimize the susceptibility to resistance development. In this work, we sought to optimize the interaction of CSP1 with its cognate transmembrane histidine kinase receptor (ComD1) through substitution of proteogenic and nonproteogenic amino acids on the hydrophobic binding face of CSP1. The findings from this study not only provided additional structure-activity data that are significant in optimizing CSP1 potency, but also led to the development of potent QS modulators. These CSP-based QS modulators could be used as privileged scaffolds for the development of antimicrobial agents against pneumococcal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahmina A Milly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Emilee R Engler
- Department of Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA
| | - Kylie S Chichura
- Department of Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA
| | - Alec R Buttner
- Department of Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA
| | - Bimal Koirala
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Yftah Tal-Gan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Michael A Bertucci
- Department of Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA
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20
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Potent intracellular antibacterial activity of a marine peptide-N6NH 2 and its D-enantiomer against multidrug-resistant Aeromonas veronii. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:2351-2361. [PMID: 33635357 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11176-3] [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: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Aeromonas veronii can cause a variety of diseases such as sepsis in humans and animals. However, there has been no effective way to eradicate A. veronii. In this study, the intracellular antibacterial activities of the C-terminal aminated marine peptide N6 (N6NH2) and its D-enantiomer (DN6NH2) against A. veronii were investigated in macrophages and in mice, respectively. The result showed that DN6NH2 with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.62 μM is more resistant to cathepsin B than N6NH2 (3.23 μM). The penetration percentages of the cells treated with 4-200 μg/mL fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-DN6NH2 were 52.5-99.6%, higher than those of FITC-N6NH2 (27.0-99.1%). Both N6NH2 and DN6NH2 entered macrophages by macropinocytosis and an energy-dependent manner. DN6NH2 reduced intracellular A. veronii by 34.57%, superior to N6NH2 (19.52%). After treatment with 100 μg/mL DN6NH2, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β were reduced by 53.45%, 58.54%, and 44.62%, respectively, lower than those of N6NH2 (15.65%, 12.88%, and 14.10%, respectively); DN6NH2 increased the IL-10 level (42.94%), higher than N6NH2 (7.67%). In the mice peritonitis model, 5 μmol/kg DN6NH2 reduced intracellular A. veronii colonization by 73.22%, which was superior to N6NH2 (32.45%) or ciprofloxacin (45.67%). This suggests that DN6NH2 may be used as the candidate for treating intracellular multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. veronii. KEY POINTS: • DN6NH2 improved intracellular antibacterial activity against MDR A. veronii. • DN6NH2 entered macrophages by micropinocytosis and enhanced the internalization rates. • DN6NH2 effectively protected the mice from infection with A. veronii.
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21
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Lu J, Xu H, Xia J, Ma J, Xu J, Li Y, Feng J. D- and Unnatural Amino Acid Substituted Antimicrobial Peptides With Improved Proteolytic Resistance and Their Proteolytic Degradation Characteristics. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:563030. [PMID: 33281761 PMCID: PMC7688903 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.563030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from the laboratory to market has been severely hindered by their instability toward proteases in biological systems. In the present study, we synthesized derivatives of the cationic AMP Pep05 (KRLFKKLLKYLRKF) by substituting L-amino acid residues with D- and unnatural amino acids, such as D-lysine, D-arginine, L-2,4-diaminobutanoic acid (Dab), L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), L-homoarginine, 4-aminobutanoic acid (Aib), and L-thienylalanine, and evaluated their antimicrobial activities, toxicities, and stabilities toward trypsin, plasma proteases, and secreted bacterial proteases. In addition to measuring changes in the concentration of the intact peptides, LC-MS was used to identify the degradation products of the modified AMPs in the presence of trypsin and plasma proteases to determine degradation pathways and examine whether the amino acid substitutions afforded improved proteolytic resistance. The results revealed that both D- and unnatural amino acids enhanced the stabilities of the peptides toward proteases. The derivative DP06, in which all of the L-lysine and L-arginine residues were replaced by D-amino acids, displayed remarkable stability and mild toxicity in vitro but only slight activity and severe toxicity in vivo, indicating a significant difference between the in vivo and in vitro results. Unexpectedly, we found that the incorporation of a single Aib residue at the N-terminus of compound UP09 afforded remarkably enhanced plasma stability and improved activity in vivo. Hence, this derivative may represent a candidate AMP for further optimization, providing a new strategy for the design of novel AMPs with improved bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguang Lu
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Hongjiang Xu
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Drug Evaluation and Research, Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Jianghua Xia
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Feng
- Key State Laboratory of Drug Innovation and Pharmaceutical Technology, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.,Department of Peptide Drugs R&D, Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
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22
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Fleeman RM, Macias LA, Brodbelt JS, Davies BW. Defining principles that influence antimicrobial peptide activity against capsulated Klebsiella pneumoniae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:27620-27626. [PMID: 33087568 PMCID: PMC7959497 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2007036117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [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
The extracellular polysaccharide capsule of Klebsiella pneumoniae resists penetration by antimicrobials and protects the bacteria from the innate immune system. Host antimicrobial peptides are inactivated by the capsule as it impedes their penetration to the bacterial membrane. While the capsule sequesters most peptides, a few antimicrobial peptides have been identified that retain activity against encapsulated K. pneumoniae, suggesting that this bacterial defense can be overcome. However, it is unclear what factors allow peptides to avoid capsule inhibition. To address this, we created a peptide analog with strong antimicrobial activity toward several K. pneumoniae strains from a previously inactive peptide. We characterized the effects of these two peptides on K. pneumoniae, along with their physical interactions with K. pneumoniae capsule. Both peptides disrupted bacterial cell membranes, but only the active peptide displayed this activity against capsulated K. pneumoniae Unexpectedly, the active peptide showed no decrease in capsule binding, but did lose secondary structure in a capsule-dependent fashion compared with the inactive parent peptide. We found that these characteristics are associated with capsule-peptide aggregation, leading to disruption of the K. pneumoniae capsule. Our findings reveal a potential mechanism for disrupting the protective barrier that K. pneumoniae uses to avoid the immune system and last-resort antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee M Fleeman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Luis A Macias
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Jennifer S Brodbelt
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Bryan W Davies
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712;
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- John Ring LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
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23
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Shankar S, Junaid Ur Rahim, Rai R. Self-Assembly in Peptides Containing β-and γ-amino Acids. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2020; 21:584-597. [DOI: 10.2174/1389203721666200127112244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The peptides containing β-and γ-amino acids as building blocks display well-defined secondary
structures with unique morphologies. The ability of such peptides to self-assemble into complex
structures of controlled geometries has been exploited in biomedical applications. Herein, we have
provided an updated overview about the peptides containing β-and γ-amino acids considering the significance
and advancement in the area of development of peptide-based biomaterials having diverse
applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudha Shankar
- Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-180001, India
| | - Junaid Ur Rahim
- Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-180001, India
| | - Rajkishor Rai
- Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-180001, India
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24
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Selvarajan V, Obuobi S, Ee PLR. Silica Nanoparticles-A Versatile Tool for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections. Front Chem 2020; 8:602. [PMID: 32760699 PMCID: PMC7374024 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid emergence of drug resistance continues to outpace the development of new antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases. Conventional therapy is currently limited by drug access issues such as low intracellular drug accumulations, drug efflux by efflux pumps and/or enzymatic degradation. To improve access, targeted delivery using nanocarriers could provide the quantum leap in intracellular drug transport and retention. Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) with crucial advantages such as large surface area, ease-of-functionalization, and biocompatibility, are one of the most commonly used nanoparticles in drug delivery applications. A porous variant, called the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), also confers additional amenities such as tunable pore size and volume, leading to high drug loading capacity. In the context of bacterial infections, SiNPs and its variants can act as a powerful tool for the targeted delivery of antimicrobials, potentially reducing the impact of high drug dosage and its side effects. In this review, we will provide an overview of SiNPs synthesis, its structural proficiency which is critical in loading and conjugation of antimicrobials and its role in different antimicrobial applications with emphasis on intracellular drug targeting in anti-tuberculosis therapy, nitric oxide delivery, and metal nanocomposites. The role of SiNPs in antibiofilm coatings will also be covered in the context of nosocomial infections and surgical implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanitha Selvarajan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sybil Obuobi
- Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, UIT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pui Lai Rachel Ee
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Singapore
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25
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Cushnie TPT, Cushnie B, Echeverría J, Fowsantear W, Thammawat S, Dodgson JLA, Law S, Clow SM. Bioprospecting for Antibacterial Drugs: a Multidisciplinary Perspective on Natural Product Source Material, Bioassay Selection and Avoidable Pitfalls. Pharm Res 2020; 37:125. [PMID: 32529587 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-020-02849-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bioprospecting is the exploration, extraction and screening of biological material and sometimes indigenous knowledge to discover and develop new drugs and other products. Most antibiotics in current clinical use (eg. β-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, macrolides) were discovered using this approach, and there are strong arguments to reprioritize bioprospecting over other strategies in the search for new antibacterial drugs. Academic institutions should be well positioned to lead the early stages of these efforts given their many thousands of locations globally and because they are not constrained by the same commercial considerations as industry. University groups can lack the full complement of knowledge and skills needed though (eg. how to tailor screening strategy to biological source material). In this article, we review three key aspects of the bioprospecting literature (source material and in vitro antibacterial and toxicity testing) and present an integrated multidisciplinary perspective on (a) source material selection, (b) legal, taxonomic and other issues related to source material, (c) cultivation methods, (d) bioassay selection, (e) technical standards available, (f) extract/compound dissolution, (g) use of minimum inhibitory concentration and selectivity index values to identify progressible extracts and compounds, and (h) avoidable pitfalls. The review closes with recommendations for future study design and information on subsequent steps in the bioprospecting process.
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Affiliation(s)
- T P Tim Cushnie
- Faculty of Medicine, Mahasarakham University, 269 Nakornsawan Road, Mahasarakham, 44000, Thailand.
| | - Benjamart Cushnie
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Thailand
| | - Javier Echeverría
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Winita Fowsantear
- Faculty of Medicine, Mahasarakham University, 269 Nakornsawan Road, Mahasarakham, 44000, Thailand
| | - Sutthiwan Thammawat
- Faculty of Medicine, Mahasarakham University, 269 Nakornsawan Road, Mahasarakham, 44000, Thailand
| | | | - Samantha Law
- National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria (NCIMB) Ltd, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Simon M Clow
- PMI BioPharma Solutions LLC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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26
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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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27
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Khara JS, Mojsoska B, Mukherjee D, Langford PR, Robertson BD, Jenssen H, Ee PLR, Newton SM. Ultra-Short Antimicrobial Peptoids Show Propensity for Membrane Activity Against Multi-Drug Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:417. [PMID: 32256474 PMCID: PMC7089965 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) results in both morbidity and mortality on a global scale. With drug resistance on the increase, there is an urgent need to develop novel anti-mycobacterials. Thus, we assessed the anti-mycobacterial potency of three novel synthetic peptoids against drug-susceptible and multi-drug resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro using Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, killing efficacy and intracellular growth inhibition assays, and in vivo against mycobacteria infected BALB/c mice. In addition, we verified cell selectivity using mammalian cells to assess peptoid toxicity. The mechanism of action was determined using flow cytometric analysis, and microfluidic live-cell imaging with time-lapse microscopy and uptake of propidium iodide. Peptoid BM 2 demonstrated anti-mycobacterial activity against both drug sensitive and MDR M. tuberculosis together with an acceptable toxicity profile that showed selectivity between bacterial and mammalian membranes. The peptoid was able to efficiently kill mycobacteria both in vitro and intracellularly in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages, and significantly reduced bacterial load in the lungs of infected mice. Flow cytometric and time lapse fluorescence microscopy indicate mycobacterial membrane damage as the likely mechanism of action. These data demonstrate that peptoids are a novel class of antimicrobial which warrant further investigation and development as therapeutics against TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmeet Singh Khara
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Biljana Mojsoska
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Devika Mukherjee
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul R. Langford
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brian D. Robertson
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Håvard Jenssen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Pui Lai Rachel Ee
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sandra M. Newton
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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28
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Kumar V, Kumar R, Agrawal P, Patiyal S, Raghava GPS. A Method for Predicting Hemolytic Potency of Chemically Modified Peptides From Its Structure. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:54. [PMID: 32153395 PMCID: PMC7045810 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, a systematic effort has been made to predict the hemolytic potency of chemically modified peptides. All models have been trained, tested, and evaluated on a dataset that contains 583 modified hemolytic peptides and a balanced number of non-hemolytic peptides. Machine learning techniques have been used to build the classification models using an immense range of peptide features that include 2D, 3D descriptors, fingerprints, atom, and diatom compositions. Random Forest based model developed using fingerprints as an input feature achieved maximum accuracy of 78.33% with AUC of 0.86 on the main dataset and accuracy of 78.29% with AUC of 0.85 on the validation dataset. Models developed in this study have been incorporated in a web server “HemoPImod” to facilitate the scientific community (http://webs.iiitd.edu.in/raghava/hemopimod/).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod Kumar
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla, India.,Bioinformatics Centre, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla, India.,Bioinformatics Centre, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India
| | - Piyush Agrawal
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla, India.,Bioinformatics Centre, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sumeet Patiyal
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla, India
| | - Gajendra P S Raghava
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla, India
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29
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Santos NCDS, Scodro RBDL, Leal DC, do Prado SM, Micheletti DF, Sampiron EG, Costacurta GF, de Almeida AL, da Silva LA, Ieque AL, Ghiraldi Lopes LD, de Pádua RA, Siqueira VL, Caleffi-Ferracioli KR, Cardoso RF. Determination of minimum bactericidal concentration, in single or combination drugs, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Future Microbiol 2020; 15:107-114. [PMID: 32064924 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2019-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate an assay to detect minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, using as single model rifampicin, isoniazid, levofloxacin (LVX) and linezolid (LNZ) and in combination. Material & methods: MBCs were carried out directly from resazurin microtiter assay plate and 3D checkerboard in M. tuberculosis H37Rv and five resistant clinical isolates. Results: The proposed MBC assay showed similar values to those determined by MGIT™, used as control. LVX and LNZ's MBC values were close to their MIC values. LNZ or LVX combined with isoniazid and rifampicin showed MBC value reduced in 63.7% of the assays. Conclusion: The proposed assay to determine MBCs of drugs can be applied to the study of new compounds with anti-M. tuberculosis activity to detect their bactericidal effect and also in laboratory routine for clinical dose adjustment of drugs according to the patient's profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathally C de S Santos
- Postgraduate Program in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Regiane B de L Scodro
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Dayane Cb Leal
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Silvia Mt do Prado
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Daniela F Micheletti
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Eloísa G Sampiron
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Giovana F Costacurta
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Aryadne L de Almeida
- Postgraduate Program in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Liliani Af da Silva
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Andressa L Ieque
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Luciana D Ghiraldi Lopes
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Rubia Af de Pádua
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Vera Ld Siqueira
- Postgraduate Program in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Katiany R Caleffi-Ferracioli
- Postgraduate Program in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Rosilene F Cardoso
- Postgraduate Program in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
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30
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Santos NCDS, Scodro RBDL, Sampiron EG, Ieque AL, Carvalho HCD, Santos TDS, Ghiraldi Lopes LD, Campanerut-Sá PAZ, Siqueira VLD, Caleffi-Ferracioli KR, Teixeira JJV, Cardoso RF. Minimum Bactericidal Concentration Techniques in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Systematic Review. Microb Drug Resist 2020; 26:752-765. [PMID: 31977277 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2019.0191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assay is an accepted parameter for evaluating new antimicrobial agents, and it is frequently used as a research tool to provide a prediction of bacterial eradication. To the best of our knowledge, there is no standardization among researchers regarding the technique used to detect a drug's MBC in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Thus, the aim of this systematic review is to discuss the available literature in determining a drug's MBC in M. tuberculosis, to find the most commonly used technique and standardize the process. A broad and rigorous literature search of three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and LILACS) was performed according to the PRISMA statement. We considered studies that were published from January 1, 1990 to February 19, 2019. Google Scholar was also searched to increase the number of publications. We searched for articles using the MeSH terms "microbiological techniques," "Mycobacterium," "antibacterial agents." In addition, free terms were used in the search. The search yielded 6,674 publications. After filter application, 5,348 publications remained. Of these, we evaluated the full text of 187 publications. By applying the inclusion criteria, 69 studies were included in the present systematic review. In the literature analyzed, a great variety in the techniques used to determine a drug's MBC in M. tuberculosis was observed. The most common variability is related to the culture media used, culture incubation time, and the percentage of bacterial death for the drug to be considered as bactericidal. The most commonly used technique for drug's MBC determination was carried out using the drug's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. Aliquots from prior MIC values were subcultured in Middlebrook agar and incubated for 4 weeks at 35°C for determining the colony forming unit (CFU) with relevance to detect 99.9% bacilli killed or reduction in 3 log10 viable bacilli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Regiane Bertin de Lima Scodro
- Postgraduation in Health Sciences, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Thais da Silva Santos
- Postgraduation in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
| | - Luciana Dias Ghiraldi Lopes
- Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
| | - Paula Aline Zanetti Campanerut-Sá
- Postgraduation in Health Sciences, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
| | - Vera Lucia Dias Siqueira
- Postgraduation in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
| | - Katiany Rizzieri Caleffi-Ferracioli
- Postgraduation in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
| | - Jorge Juarez Vieira Teixeira
- Postgraduation in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil.,Postgraduation in Health Sciences, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
| | - Rosilene Fressatti Cardoso
- Postgraduation in Bioscience and Physiopathology, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil.,Postgraduation in Health Sciences, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
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31
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Yadav N, Chauhan MK, Chauhan VS. Short to ultrashort peptide-based hydrogels as a platform for biomedical applications. Biomater Sci 2019; 8:84-100. [PMID: 31696870 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01304k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Short peptides have attracted significant attention from researchers in the past few years due to their easy design, synthesis and characterization, diverse functionalisation possibilities, low cost, possibility to make a large range of hierarchical nanostructures and most importantly their high biocompatibility and biodegradability. Generally, short peptides are also relatively more stable than their longer variants, non-immunogenic in nature and many of them self-assemble to provide an exciting range of nanostructures, including hydrogels. Thus, the development of short peptide-based hydrogels has become an area of intense investigation. Although these hydrogels have a water content of greater than 90%, they are surprisingly highly stable structures, and thus have been used for various biomedical applications, including cell therapeutics, drug delivery, tissue engineering and regeneration, contact lenses, biosensors, and wound healing, by different researchers. Herein, we review the progress of research in the rapidly expanding field of short to ultrashort peptide-based hydrogels and their possible applications. Special attention is paid to address and review this field with regard to the stability of peptide-based hydrogels, particularly to enzymatic degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Yadav
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi-110067, India. and Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sector-3, Pushpvihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Meenakshi K Chauhan
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sector-3, Pushpvihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Virander S Chauhan
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi-110067, India.
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Haney EF, Barbosa SC, Baquir B, Hancock REW. Influence of Non-natural Cationic Amino Acids on the Biological Activity Profile of Innate Defense Regulator Peptides. J Med Chem 2019; 62:10294-10304. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evan F. Haney
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Simone C. Barbosa
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Beverlie Baquir
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Robert E. W. Hancock
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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33
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Udagawa H, Yoneda TH, Masuda R, Koide T. A Strategy for Discovering Heterochiral Bioactive Peptides by Using the OB2 n P Library and SPOTs Method. Chembiochem 2019; 20:2070-2073. [PMID: 31111638 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
d-Amino acid containing peptides are promising as drug lead compounds because of their expected higher stability in vivo. A heterochiral random peptide library called the one-bead-2n -peptide (OB2n P) library, which can display 2n peptide diastereomers per bead, has been developed. Through screening of the OB2n P library and subsequent binding assay among the peptide diastereomers synthesized in parallel by means of the SPOTs method, new heterochiral mimotopes for the anti-β-endorphin monoclonal antibody have been obtained. One mimotope was a new ligand for the μ-opioid receptor. The screening strategy enabled d-amino acid containing drug leads to be obtained efficiently by expanding searchable chemical space without increasing the experimental scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hinako Udagawa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
| | - Takato H Yoneda
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
| | - Ryo Masuda
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan.,Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
| | - Takaki Koide
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan.,Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
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34
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Torres MD, Sothiselvam S, Lu TK, de la Fuente-Nunez C. Peptide Design Principles for Antimicrobial Applications. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:3547-3567. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Pérez‐Peinado C, Dias SA, Mendonça DA, Castanho MA, Veiga AS, Andreu D. Structural determinants conferring unusual long life in human serum to rattlesnake‐derived antimicrobial peptide Ctn[15‐34]. J Pept Sci 2019; 25:e3195. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.3195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clara Pérez‐Peinado
- Department of Experimental and Health ScienceUniversitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park Barcelona 08003 Spain
| | - Susana A. Dias
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de MedicinaUniversidade de Lisboa Lisbon 1649‐028 Portugal
| | - Diogo A. Mendonça
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de MedicinaUniversidade de Lisboa Lisbon 1649‐028 Portugal
| | - Miguel A.R.B. Castanho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de MedicinaUniversidade de Lisboa Lisbon 1649‐028 Portugal
| | - Ana S. Veiga
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de MedicinaUniversidade de Lisboa Lisbon 1649‐028 Portugal
| | - David Andreu
- Department of Experimental and Health ScienceUniversitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park Barcelona 08003 Spain
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Mant CT, Jiang Z, Gera L, Davis T, Nelson KL, Bevers S, Hodges RS. De Novo Designed Amphipathic α-Helical Antimicrobial Peptides Incorporating Dab and Dap Residues on the Polar Face To Treat the Gram-Negative Pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3354-3366. [PMID: 30848594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We have designed de novo and synthesized ten 26-residue D-conformation amphipathic α-helical cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), seven with "specificity determinants", which provide specificity for prokaryotic cells over eukaryotic cells. The ten AMPs contain five or six positively charged residues (d-Arg, d-Lys, d-Orn, l-Dab, or l-Dap) on the polar face to understand their role in hemolytic activity against human red blood cells and antimicrobial activity against seven Acinetobacter baumannii strains, resistant to polymyxin B and colistin, and 20 A. baumannii worldwide isolates from 2016 and 2017 with antibiotic resistance to 18 different antibiotics. AMPs with specificity determinants and with l-Dab and l-Dap residues on the polar face have essentially no hemolytic activity at 1000 μg/mL (380 μM), showing for the first time the importance of these unusual amino acid residues in solving long-standing hemolysis issues of AMPs. Specificity determinants maintained excellent antimicrobial activity in the presence of human sera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin T Mant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Ziqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Lajos Gera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Tim Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | | | - Shaun Bevers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
| | - Robert S Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine , University of Colorado , Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , Colorado 80045 , United States
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Cationic biaryl 1,2,3-triazolyl peptidomimetic amphiphiles targeting Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile: Synthesis, antibacterial evaluation and an in vivo C. difficile infection model. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 170:203-224. [PMID: 30901686 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.02.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile is a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterial pathogen that causes severe gastrointestinal infection in humans. The current chemotherapeutic options are vastly inadequate, expensive and limited; this results in an exorbitant medical and financial burden. New, inexpensive chemotherapeutic treatments for C. difficile infection with improved efficacy are urgently needed. A streamlined synthetic pathway was developed to allow access to 38 novel mono- and di-cationic biaryl 1,2,3-triazolyl peptidomimetics with increased synthetic efficiency, aqueous solubility and enhanced antibacterial efficacy. The monocationic arginine derivative 28 was identified as a potent, Gram-positive selective antibacterial with MIC values of 4 μg/mL against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 8 μg/mL against C. difficile. Furthermore, the dicationic bis-triazole analogue 50 was found to exhibit broad-spectrum activity with substantial Gram-negative efficacy against Acinetobacter baumannii (8 μg/mL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8 μg/mL) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (16 μg/mL); additionally, compound 50 displayed reduced haemolytic activity (<13%) in an in vitro haemolysis assay. Membrane-disruption assays were conducted on selected derivatives to confirm the membrane-active mechanism of action inherent to the synthesized amphiphilic compounds. A comparative solubility assay was developed and utilized to optimize the aqueous solubility of the compounds for in vivo studies. The biaryl peptidomimetics 28 and 67 were found to exhibit significant efficacy in an in vivo murine model of C. difficile infection by reducing the severity and slowing the onset of disease.
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38
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Cationic biaryl 1,2,3-triazolyl peptidomimetic amphiphiles: synthesis, antibacterial evaluation and preliminary mechanism of action studies. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 168:386-404. [PMID: 30831407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic small molecular antimicrobial peptidomimetics represent a promising new class of potential antibiotics due to their membrane-disrupting ability and their decreased propensity for bacterial resistance. A library of 43 mono- and di-cationic biaryl 1,2,3-triazolyl peptidomimetics was designed and synthesized based upon previously established lead biarylpeptidomimetics and a known pharmacophore. A reliable, facile and modular synthetic pathway allowed for the efficient synthesis of multiple unique scaffolds which were subjected to divergent derivatization to furnish the amphiphilic compounds. In vitro testing revealed enhanced antibacterial efficacy against a range of pathogenic bacteria, including bacterial isolates with methicillin, vancomycin, daptomycin, or multi-drug resistance. Preliminary time-kill kinetics and membrane-disruption assays revealed a likely membrane-active mechanism for the tested peptidomimetics. An optimal balance between hydrophobicity and cationic charge was found to be essential for reduced cytotoxicity/haemolysis (i.e. membrane selectivity) and enhanced Gram-negative activity. The cationic biaryl amphiphile 81 was identified as a potent, broad-spectrum peptidomimetic with activity against Gram-positive (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - MIC = 2 μg/mL) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli - MIC = 4 μg/mL) pathogenic bacteria.
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39
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Obuobi S, Wang Y, Khara JS, Riegger A, Kuan SL, Ee PLR. Antimicrobial and Anti-Biofilm Activities of Surface Engineered Polycationic Albumin Nanoparticles with Reduced Hemolytic Activity. Macromol Biosci 2018; 18:e1800196. [DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201800196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sybil Obuobi
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543
| | - Jasmeet Singh Khara
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543
| | - Andreas Riegger
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research; Ackermannweg 10 55128 Mainz Germany
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry I; Ulm University; Albert-Einstein-Allee 11 89081 Ulm Germany
| | - Seah Ling Kuan
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research; Ackermannweg 10 55128 Mainz Germany
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry I; Ulm University; Albert-Einstein-Allee 11 89081 Ulm Germany
| | - Pui Lai Rachel Ee
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543
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40
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Man DKW, Kanno T, Manzo G, Robertson BD, Lam JKW, Mason AJ. Rifampin- or Capreomycin-Induced Remodeling of the Mycobacterium smegmatis Mycolic Acid Layer Is Mitigated in Synergistic Combinations with Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides. mSphere 2018; 3:e00218-18. [PMID: 30021876 PMCID: PMC6052339 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00218-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The mycobacterial cell wall affords natural resistance to antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) modify the surface properties of mycobacteria and can act synergistically with antibiotics from differing classes. Here, we investigate the response of Mycobacterium smegmatis to the presence of rifampin or capreomycin, either alone or in combination with two synthetic, cationic, α-helical AMPs that are distinguished by the presence (D-LAK120-HP13) or absence (D-LAK120-A) of a kink-inducing proline. Using a combination of high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) metabolomics, diphenylhexatriene (DPH) fluorescence anisotropy measurements, and laurdan emission spectroscopy, we show that M. smegmatis responds to challenge with rifampin or capreomycin by substantially altering its metabolism and, in particular, by remodeling the cell envelope. Overall, the changes are consistent with a reduction of trehalose dimycolate and an increase of trehalose monomycolate and are associated with increased rigidity of the mycolic acid layer observed following challenge by capreomycin but not rifampin. Challenge with D-LAK120-A or D-LAK120-HP13 induced no or modest changes, respectively, in mycomembrane metabolites and did not induce a significant increase in the rigidity of the mycolic acid layer. Furthermore, the response to rifampin or capreomycin was significantly reduced when these were combined with D-LAK120-HP13 and D-LAK120-A, respectively, suggesting a possible mechanism for the synergy of these combinations. The remodeling of the mycomembrane in M. smegmatis is therefore identified as an important countermeasure deployed against rifampin or capreomycin, but this can be mitigated and the efficacy of rifampin or capreomycin potentiated by combining the drug with AMPs.IMPORTANCE We have used a combined NMR metabolomics/biophysical approach to better understand differences in the mechanisms of two closely related antimicrobial peptides, as well as the response of the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis to challenge with first- or second-line antibiotics used against mycobacterial pathogens. We show that, in addition to membrane damage, the triggering of oxidative stress may be an important part of the mechanism of action of one AMP. The metabolic shift that accompanied rifampin and, particularly, capreomycin challenge was associated with modest and more dramatic changes, respectively, in the mycomembrane, providing a rationale for how the response to one antibiotic may affect bacterial penetration and, hence, the action of another. This study presents the first insights into how antimicrobial peptides may operate synergistically with existing antibiotics whose efficacy is waning or sensitize MDR mycobacteria and/or latent mycobacterial infections to them, prolonging the useful life of these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- DeDe Kwun-Wai Man
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tokuwa Kanno
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giorgia Manzo
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brian D Robertson
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny K W Lam
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Bioinspired Designs, Molecular Premise and Tools for Evaluating the Ecological Importance of Antimicrobial Peptides. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2018; 11:ph11030068. [PMID: 29996512 PMCID: PMC6161137 DOI: 10.3390/ph11030068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review article provides an overview of recent developments in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), summarizing structural diversity, potential new applications, activity targets and microbial killing responses in general. The use of artificial and natural AMPs as templates for rational design of peptidomimetics are also discussed and some strategies are put forward to curtail cytotoxic effects against eukaryotic cells. Considering the heat-resistant nature, chemical and proteolytic stability of AMPs, we attempt to summarize their molecular targets, examine how these macromolecules may contribute to potential environmental risks vis-à-vis the activities of the peptides. We further point out the evolutional characteristics of the macromolecules and indicate how they can be useful in designing target-specific peptides. Methods are suggested that may help to assess toxic mechanisms of AMPs and possible solutions are discussed to promote the development and application of AMPs in medicine. Even if there is wide exposure to the environment like in the hospital settings, AMPs may instead contribute to prevent healthcare-associated infections so long as ecotoxicological aspects are considered.
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42
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Chen HL, Su PY, Kuo SC, Lauderdale TLY, Shih C. Adding a C-terminal Cysteine (CTC) Can Enhance the Bactericidal Activity of Three Different Antimicrobial Peptides. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1440. [PMID: 30002652 PMCID: PMC6031733 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has threatened our health worldwide. There is an urgent need for novel antibiotics. Previously, we identified a novel 37-mer antimicrobial peptide (AMP), HBcARD, with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. Here, we improved the efficacy of HBcARD, by re-engineering the peptide, including the addition of a new cysteine to its C-terminus (CTC). The new 28-mer derivative, D-150-177C, contains all D-form arginines, in addition to a C-terminal cycteine. This peptide can kill antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, and is more potent than the parental HBcARD peptide in a mouse sepsis model. In another lung infection mouse model, D-150-177C showed protection efficacy against colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Unlike colistin, we observed no acute toxicity of D-150-177C in vivo. Interestingly, we found that CTC modification could enhance the antibacterial activity of several other AMPs, such as buforinII and lysin. The potential application and mechanism of this CTC method as a general approach to improving drug efficacy, warrants further investigation in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Li Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yi Su
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Chen Kuo
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Ling Y Lauderdale
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Chiaho Shih
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Arranz-Trullén J, Lu L, Pulido D, Bhakta S, Boix E. Host Antimicrobial Peptides: The Promise of New Treatment Strategies against Tuberculosis. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1499. [PMID: 29163551 PMCID: PMC5681943 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a devastating infectious disease and remerges as a global health emergency due to an alarming rise of antimicrobial resistance to its treatment. Despite of the serious effort that has been applied to develop effective antitubercular chemotherapies, the potential of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) remains underexploited. A large amount of literature is now accessible on the AMP mechanisms of action against a diversity of pathogens; nevertheless, research on their activity on mycobacteria is still scarce. In particular, there is an urgent need to integrate all available interdisciplinary strategies to eradicate extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. In this context, we should not underestimate our endogenous antimicrobial proteins and peptides as ancient players of the human host defense system. We are confident that novel antibiotics based on human AMPs displaying a rapid and multifaceted mechanism, with reduced toxicity, should significantly contribute to reverse the tide of antimycobacterial drug resistance. In this review, we have provided an up to date perspective of the current research on AMPs to be applied in the fight against TB. A better understanding on the mechanisms of action of human endogenous peptides should ensure the basis for the best guided design of novel antitubercular chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Arranz-Trullén
- Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Mycobacteria Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lu Lu
- Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - David Pulido
- Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Sanjib Bhakta
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ester Boix
- Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
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Disruption of drug-resistant biofilms using de novo designed short α-helical antimicrobial peptides with idealized facial amphiphilicity. Acta Biomater 2017; 57:103-114. [PMID: 28457962 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance has increased pressure to develop novel therapeutic strategies to tackle drug-resistant infections. Antimicrobial peptides have emerged as a promising class of therapeutics for various systemic and topical clinical applications. In this study, the de novo design of α-helical peptides with idealized facial amphiphilicities, based on an understanding of the pertinent features of protein secondary structures, is presented. Synthetic amphiphiles composed of the backbone sequence (X1Y1Y2X2)n, where X1 and X2 are hydrophobic residues (Leu or Ile or Trp), Y1 and Y2 are cationic residues (Lys), and n is the number repeat units (2 or 2.5 or 3), demonstrated potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against clinical isolates of drug-susceptible and multi-drug resistant bacteria. Live-cell imaging revealed that the most selective peptide, (LKKL)3, promoted rapid permeabilization of bacterial membranes. Importantly, (LKKL)3 not only suppressed biofilm growth, but effectively disrupted mature biofilms after only 2h of treatment. The peptides (LKKL)3 and (WKKW)3 suppressed the production of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators to levels of unstimulated controls at low micromolar concentrations. Thus, the rational design strategies proposed herein can be implemented to develop potent, selective and multifunctional α-helical peptides to eradicate drug-resistant biofilm-associated infections. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are increasingly explored as therapeutics for drug-resistant and biofilm-related infections to help expand the size and quality of the current antibiotic pipeline in the face of mounting antimicrobial resistance. Here, synthetic peptides rationally designed based upon principles governing the folding of natural α-helical AMPs, comprising the backbone sequence (X1Y1Y2X2)n, and which assemble into α-helical structures with idealized facial amphiphilicity, is presented. These multifunctional peptide amphiphiles demonstrate high bacterial selectivity, promote the disruption of pre-formed drug-resistant biofilms, and effectively neutralize endotoxins at low micromolar concentrations. Overall, the design strategies presented here could provide a useful tool for developing therapeutic peptides with broad-ranging clinical applications from the treatment and prevention of drug-resistant biofilms to the neutralization of bacterial endotoxins.
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