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Chen M, Lu M, Feng X, Wu M, Luo X, Xiang R, Luo R, Wu H, Liu Z, Wang M, Zhou X. LmNaTx15, a novel scorpion toxin, enhances the activity of Nav channels and induces pain in mice. Toxicon 2023; 236:107331. [PMID: 37918718 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107331] [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: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Polypeptide toxins are major bioactive components found in venomous animals. Many polypeptide toxins can specifically act on targets, such as ion channels and voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels, in the nervous, muscle, and cardiovascular systems of the recipient to increase defense and predation efficiency. In this study, a novel polypeptide toxin, LmNaTx15, was isolated from the venom of the scorpion Lychas mucronatus, and its activity was analyzed. LmNaTx15 slowed the fast inactivation of Nav1.2, Nav1.3, Nav1.4, Nav1.5, and Nav1.7 and inhibited the peak current of Nav1.5, but it did not affect Nav1.8. In addition, LmNaTx15 altered the voltage-dependent activation and inactivation of these Nav channel subtypes. Furthermore, like site 3 neurotoxins, LmNaTx15 induced pain in mice. These results show a novel scorpion toxin with a modulatory effect on specific Nav channel subtypes and pain induction in mice. Therefore, LmNaTx15 may be a key bioactive component for scorpion defense and predation. Besides, this study provides a basis for analyzing structure-function relationships of the scorpion toxins affecting Nav channel activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minzhi Chen
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Minjuan Lu
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Xujun Feng
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Meijing Wu
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoqing Luo
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Ruiqi Xiang
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Ren Luo
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Hang Wu
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Meichi Wang
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China.
| | - Xi Zhou
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Peptide and Small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China.
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Gao B, Zhu S. Mutation-driven parallel evolution in emergence of ACE2-utilizing sarbecoviruses. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1118025. [PMID: 36910184 PMCID: PMC9996049 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1118025] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutation and recombination are two major genetic mechanisms that drive the evolution of viruses. They both exert an interplay during virus evolution, in which mutations provide a first ancestral source of genetic diversity for subsequent recombination. Sarbecoviruses are a group of evolutionarily related β-coronaviruses including human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 and a trove of related animal viruses called SARS-like CoVs (SL-CoVs). This group of members either use or not use angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as their entry receptor, which has been linked to the properties of their spike protein receptor binding domains (RBDs). This raises an outstanding question regarding how ACE2 binding originated within sarbecoviruses. Using a combination of analyses of phylogenies, ancestral sequences, structures, functions and molecular dynamics, we provide evidence in favor of an evolutionary scenario, in which three distinct ancestral RBDs independently developed the ACE2 binding trait via parallel amino acid mutations. In this process, evolutionary intermediate RBDs might be firstly formed through loop extensions to offer key functional residues accompanying point mutations to remove energetically unfavorable interactions and to change the dynamics of the functional loops, all required for ACE2 binding. Subsequent optimization in the context of evolutionary intermediates led to the independent emergence of ACE2-binding RBDs in the SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 clades of Asian origin and the clade comprising SL-CoVs of European and African descent. These findings will help enhance our understanding of mutation-driven evolution of sarbecoviruses in their early history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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3
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Zhao F, Fang L, Wang Q, Ye Q, He Y, Xu W, Song Y. Exploring the Pivotal Components Influencing the Side Effects Induced by an Analgesic-Antitumor Peptide from Scorpion Venom on Human Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels 1.4 and 1.5 through Computational Simulation. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 15:33. [PMID: 36668853 PMCID: PMC9864070 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs, or Nav) are important determinants of action potential generation and propagation. Efforts are underway to develop medicines targeting different channel subtypes for the treatment of related channelopathies. However, a high degree of conservation across its nine subtypes could lead to the off-target adverse effects on skeletal and cardiac muscles due to acting on primary skeletal muscle sodium channel Nav1.4 and cardiac muscle sodium channel Nav1.5, respectively. For a long evolutionary process, some peptide toxins from venoms have been found to be highly potent yet selective on ion channel subtypes and, therefore, hold the promising potential to be developed into therapeutic agents. In this research, all-atom molecular dynamic methods were used to elucidate the selective mechanisms of an analgesic-antitumor β-scorpion toxin (AGAP) with human Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 in order to unravel the primary reason for the production of its adverse reactions on the skeletal and cardiac muscles. Our results suggest that the rational distribution of residues with ring structures near position 38 and positive residues in the C-terminal on AGAP are critical factors to ensure its analgesic efficacy. Moreover, the substitution for residues with benzene is beneficial to reduce its side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhao
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liangyi Fang
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qi Ye
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yanan He
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Weizhuo Xu
- Faculty of Functional Food and Wine, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yongbo Song
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
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Hadiatullah H, Zhang Y, Samurkas A, Xie Y, Sundarraj R, Zuilhof H, Qiao J, Yuchi Z. Recent progress in the structural study of ion channels as insecticide targets. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1522-1551. [PMID: 35575601 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ion channels, many expressed in insect neural and muscular systems, have drawn huge attention as primary targets of insecticides. With the recent technical breakthroughs in structural biology, especially in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), many new high-resolution structures of ion channel targets, apo or in complex with insecticides, have been solved, shedding light on the molecular mechanism of action of the insecticides and resistance mutations. These structures also provide accurate templates for structure-based insecticide screening and rational design. This review summarizes the recent progress in the structural studies of 5 ion channel families: the ryanodine receptor (RyR), the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC), the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel, and the ligand-gated chloride channel (LGCC). We address the selectivity of the channel-targeting insecticides by examining the conservation of key coordinating residues revealed by the structures. The possible resistance mechanisms are proposed based on the locations of the identified resistance mutations on the 3D structures of the target channels and their impacts on the binding of insecticides. Finally, we discuss how to develop "green" insecticides with a novel mode of action based on these high-resolution structures to overcome the resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadiatullah Hadiatullah
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongliang Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Arthur Samurkas
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yunxuan Xie
- Department of Environmental Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Rajamanikandan Sundarraj
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Han Zuilhof
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhiguang Yuchi
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital; National Clinical Research Center for Cancer; Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
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5
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Gu J, Isozumi N, Gao B, Ohki S, Zhu S. Mutation-driven evolution of antibacterial function in an ancestral antifungal scaffold: Significance for peptide engineering. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1053078. [PMID: 36532476 PMCID: PMC9751787 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1053078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutation-driven evolution of novel function on an old gene has been documented in many development- and adaptive immunity-related genes but is poorly understood in immune effector molecules. Drosomycin-type antifungal peptides (DTAFPs) are a family of defensin-type effectors found in plants and ecdysozoans. Their primitive function was to control fungal infection and then co-opted for fighting against bacterial infection in plants, insects, and nematodes. This provides a model to study the structural and evolutionary mechanisms behind such functional diversification. In the present study, we determined the solution structure of mehamycin, a DTAFP from the Northern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla with antibacterial activity and an 18-mer insert, and studied the mutational effect through using a mutant with the insert deleted. Mehamycin adopts an expected cysteine-stabilized α-helix and β-sheet fold in its core scaffold and the inserted region, called single Disulfide Bridge-linked Domain (abbreviated as sDBD), forms an extended loop protruding from the scaffold. The latter folds into an amphipathic architecture stabilized by one disulfide bridge, which likely confers mehamycin a bacterial membrane permeability. Deletion of the sDBD remarkably decreased the ability but accompanying an increase in thermostability, indicative of a structure-function trade-off in the mehamycin evolution. Allosteric analysis revealed an interior interaction between the two domains, which might promote point mutations at some key sites of the core domain and ultimately give rise to the emergence of antibacterial function. Our work may be valuable in guiding protein engineering of mehamycin to improve its activity and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Noriyoshi Isozumi
- Center for Nano Materials and Technology (CNMT), Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shinya Ohki
- Center for Nano Materials and Technology (CNMT), Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Monfared N, Ahadiyat A, Fathipour Y, Mianroodi RA. Evaluation of recombinant toxin JFTX-23, an oral-effective anti-insect peptide from the spider Selenocosmia jiafu venom gland proteome. Toxicon 2022; 217:78-86. [PMID: 35973605 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Excessive utilization of chemical pesticides for pest control can lead to adverse consequences for the health of humans and other organisms and may also cause irreversible ecological changes; therefore, the use of biologically derived insecticides can be a safe alternate strategy. Transcriptomic studies have shown JFTX- 23,a small peptide from the spider Selenocosmia jiafuis highly similar to U1-TRTX-Sp1, a well-characterized oral-effective insecticide toxin from the Australian tarantula Selenotypus plumipes. First, we evaluated the JFTX-23 peptide sequence using bioinformatics tools and modeling studies. Preliminary results showed a high similarity of JFTX-23 to JZTX-58 (91.67%) and U1-TRTX-Sp1 (86.11%). Superimposition of the α-carbons of the modeled JFTX-23 and U1-TRTX-Sp1 demonstrated a very high similarity of the 3-D structure of the two peptides (RMSD of 0.02 Å).The injection assay of JFTX-23 in Helicoverpa armigera indicated an LD50 of 0.077 and 0.423 nmol/insect after 24 and 120 h, respectively. JFTX-23 was toxic to H. armigera via oral administration with an LC50 of 1.16 nmol/g food after 5 days, which was comparable to the toxicity of the oral-effective toxin U1-TRTX-Sp1. Our studies have shown that JFTX-23 is a potent oral-effective toxin that can be considered an attractive candidate for the biological control of insect pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niusha Monfared
- Department of Plant Protection, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Ahadiyat
- Department of Plant Protection, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaghoub Fathipour
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Arabi Mianroodi
- R&D Department, Research and Production Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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Bermúdez-Guzmán MJ, Jiménez-Vargas JM, Possani LD, Zamudio F, Orozco-Gutiérrez G, Oceguera-Contreras E, Enríquez-Vara JN, Vazquez-Vuelvas OF, García-Villalvazo PE, Valdez-Velázquez LL. Biochemical characterization and insecticidal activity of isolated peptides from the venom of the scorpion Centruroides tecomanus. Toxicon 2022; 206:90-102. [PMID: 34973996 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.12.015] [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: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The venom of scorpions is a mixture of components that constitute a source of bioactive molecules. The venom of the scorpion Centruroides tecomanus contains peptides toxic to insects, however, to date no toxin responsible for this activity has yet been isolated and fully characterized. This communication describes two new peptides Ct-IT1 and Ct-IT2 purified from this scorpion. Both peptides contain 63 amino acids with molecular weight 6857.85 for Ct-IT1 and 6987.77 Da for Ct-IT2. The soluble venom was separated using chromatographic techniques of molecular size exclusion, cationic exchange, and reverse phase chromatography, allowing the identification of at least 99 components of which in 53 the insecticidal activity was evaluated. The LD50 determined for Ct-IT1 is 3.81 μg/100 mg of cricket weight, but low amounts of peptides (0.8 μg of peptide) already cause paralysis in crickets. The relative abundance of these two peptides in the venom is 2.1% for Ct-IT1 and 1% for Ct-IT2. The molecular masses and N-terminal sequences of both insecticidal toxins were determined by mass spectrometry and Edman degradation. The primary structure of both toxins was compared with other known peptides isolated from other scorpion venoms. The analysis of the sequence alignments revealed the position of a highly conserved amino acid residue, Gly39, exclusively present in anti-insect selective depressant β-toxins (DBTXs), which in Ct-IT1 and Ct-IT2 is at position Gly40. Similarly, a three-dimensional structure of this toxins was obtained by homology modeling and compared to the structure of known insect toxins of scorpions. An important similarity of the cavity formed by the trapping apparatus region of the depressant toxin LqhIT2, isolated from the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus, was found in the toxins described here. These results indicate that Ct-IT1 and Ct-IT2 toxins have a high potential to be evaluated on pests that affect economically important crops to eventually consider them as a potential biological control method.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Bermúdez-Guzmán
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Km. 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlán, C.P. 28400, Coquimatlán, Colima, México; Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Km. 35 Carretera Colima-Manzanillo, C.P. 28100, Tecomán, Colima, México
| | - J M Jiménez-Vargas
- CONACYT-Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Km. 9 Carretera-Coquimatlán, C.P. 28400, Coquimatlán, Colima, México
| | - L D Possani
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, C.P. 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - F Zamudio
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, C.P. 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - G Orozco-Gutiérrez
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Km. 35 Carretera Colima-Manzanillo, C.P. 28100, Tecomán, Colima, México
| | - E Oceguera-Contreras
- Centro Universitario de los Valles, Universidad de Guadalajara, Km. 45.5 Carretera Guadalajara-Ameca, Ameca, Jalisco, México
| | - J N Enríquez-Vara
- CONACYT-Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Camino Arenero 1227, Col. El Bajío C.P. 45019, Zapopan, Jalisco, México
| | - O F Vazquez-Vuelvas
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Km. 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlán, C.P. 28400, Coquimatlán, Colima, México
| | - P E García-Villalvazo
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Km. 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlán, C.P. 28400, Coquimatlán, Colima, México
| | - L L Valdez-Velázquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Km. 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlán, C.P. 28400, Coquimatlán, Colima, México.
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8
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Zhu S, Gao B, Umetsu Y, Peigneur S, Li P, Ohki S, Tytgat J. Adaptively evolved human oral actinomyces-sourced defensins show therapeutic potential. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 14:e14499. [PMID: 34927385 PMCID: PMC8819291 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of eukaryote‐derived antimicrobial peptides as systemically administered drugs has proven a challenging task. Here, we report the first human oral actinomyces‐sourced defensin—actinomycesin—that shows promise for systemic therapy. Actinomycesin and its homologs are only present in actinobacteria and myxobacteria, and share similarity with a group of ancient invertebrate‐type defensins reported in fungi and invertebrates. Signatures of natural selection were detected in defensins from the actinomyces colonized in human oral cavity and ruminant rumen and dental plaque, highlighting their role in adaptation to complex multispecies bacterial communities. Consistently, actinomycesin exhibited potent antibacterial activity against oral bacteria and clinical isolates of Staphylococcus and synergized with two classes of human salivary antibacterial factors. Actinomycesin specifically inhibited bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis and displayed weak immunomodulatory activity and low toxicity on human and mammalian cells and ion channels in the heart and central nervous system. Actinomycesin was highly efficient in mice infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae and mice with MRSA‐induced experimental peritoneal infection. This work identifies human oral bacteria as a new source of systemic anti‐infective drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yoshitaka Umetsu
- Center for Nano Materials and Technology (CNMT), Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Nomi, Japan
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ping Li
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety (Chinese Academy of Sciences), National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shinya Ohki
- Center for Nano Materials and Technology (CNMT), Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Nomi, Japan
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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9
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Zhu Q, Du Y, Nomura Y, Gao R, Cang Z, Wei GW, Gordon D, Gurevitz M, Groome J, Dong K. Charge substitutions at the voltage-sensing module of domain III enhance actions of site-3 and site-4 toxins on an insect sodium channel. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 137:103625. [PMID: 34358664 PMCID: PMC9376739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Scorpion α-toxins bind at the pharmacologically-defined site-3 on the sodium channel and inhibit channel inactivation by preventing the outward movement of the voltage sensor in domain IV (IVS4), whereas scorpion β-toxins bind at site-4 on the sodium channel and enhance channel activation by trapping the voltage sensor of domain II (IIS4) in its outward position. However, limited information is available on the role of the voltage-sensing modules (VSM, comprising S1-S4) of domains I and III in toxin actions. We have previously shown that charge reversing substitutions of the innermost positively-charged residues in IIIS4 (R4E, R5E) increase the activity of an insect-selective site-4 scorpion toxin, Lqh-dprIT3-c, on BgNav1-1a, a cockroach sodium channel. Here we show that substitutions R4E and R5E in IIIS4 also increase the activity of two site-3 toxins, LqhαIT from Leiurusquinquestriatus hebraeus and insect-selective Av3 from Anemonia viridis. Furthermore, charge reversal of either of two conserved negatively-charged residues, D1K and E2K, in IIIS2 also increase the action of the site-3 and site-4 toxins. Homology modeling suggests that S2-D1 and S2-E2 interact with S4-R4 and S4-R5 in the VSM of domain III (III-VSM), respectively, in the activated state of the channel. However, charge swapping between S2-D1 and S4-R4 had no compensatory effects on gating or toxin actions, suggesting that charged residue interactions are complex. Collectively, our results highlight the involvement of III-VSM in the actions of both site 3 and site 4 toxins, suggesting that charge reversing substitutions in III-VSM allosterically facilitate IIS4 or IVS4 voltage sensor trapping by these toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhu
- Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China; Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yuzhe Du
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yoshiko Nomura
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Rong Gao
- Department of Hygienic Analysis and Detection, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 818 Tianyuan East Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zixuan Cang
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Dalia Gordon
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology & Ecology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michael Gurevitz
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology & Ecology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - James Groome
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
| | - Ke Dong
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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Mapping the interaction surface of scorpion β-toxins with an insect sodium channel. Biochem J 2021; 478:2843-2869. [PMID: 34195804 PMCID: PMC10081811 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of insect-selective scorpion depressant β-toxins (LqhIT2 and Lqh-dprIT3 from Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus) with the Blattella germanica sodium channel, BgNav1-1a, was investigated using site-directed mutagenesis, electrophysiological analyses, and structural modeling. Focusing on the pharmacologically defined binding site-4 of scorpion β-toxins at the voltage-sensing domain II (VSD-II), we found that charge neutralization of D802 in VSD-II greatly enhanced the channel sensitivity to Lqh-dprIT3. This was consistent with the high sensitivity of the splice variant BgNav2-1, bearing G802, to Lqh-dprIT3, and low sensitivity of BgNav2-1 mutant, G802D, to the toxin. Further mutational and electrophysiological analyses revealed that the sensitivity of the WT = D802E < D802G < D802A < D802K channel mutants to Lqh-dprIT3 correlated with the depolarizing shifts of activation in toxin-free channels. However, the sensitivity of single mutants involving IIS4 basic residues (K4E = WT << R1E < R2E < R3E) or double mutants (D802K = K4E/D802K = R3E/D802K > R2E/D802K > R1E/D802K > WT) did not correlate with the activation shifts. Using the cryo-EM structure of the Periplaneta americana channel, NavPaS, as a template and the crystal structure of LqhIT2, we constructed structural models of LqhIT2 and Lqh-dprIT3-c in complex with BgNav1-1a. These models along with the mutational analysis suggest that depressant toxins approach the salt-bridge between R1 and D802 at VSD-II to form contacts with linkers IIS1-S2, IIS3-S4, IIIP5-P1 and IIIP2-S6. Elimination of this salt-bridge enables deeper penetration of the toxin into a VSD-II gorge to form new contacts with the channel, leading to increased channel sensitivity to Lqh-dprIT3.
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11
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Gao B, Zhu S. A Fungal Defensin Targets the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:553. [PMID: 34356932 PMCID: PMC8304516 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) elicited by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is calling for novel targeted drugs. Since the viral entry into host cells depends on specific interactions between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral Spike protein and the membrane-bound monocarboxypeptidase angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the development of high affinity RBD binders to compete with human ACE2 represents a promising strategy for the design of therapeutics to prevent viral entry. Here, we report the discovery of such a binder and its improvement via a combination of computational and experimental approaches. The binder micasin, a known fungal defensin from the dermatophytic fungus Microsporum canis with antibacterial activity, can dock to the crevice formed by the receptor-binding motif (RBM) of RBD via an extensive shape complementarity interface (855.9 Å2 in area) with numerous hydrophobic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Using microscale thermophoresis (MST) technique, we confirmed that micasin and its C-terminal γ-core derivative with multiple predicted interacting residues exhibited a low micromolar affinity to RBD. Expanding the interface area of micasin through a single point mutation to 970.5 Å2 accompanying an enhanced hydrogen bond network significantly improved its binding affinity by six-fold. Our work highlights the naturally occurring fungal defensins as an emerging resource that may be suitable for the development into antiviral agents for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China;
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Niklas B, Jankowska M, Gordon D, Béress L, Stankiewicz M, Nowak W. Interactions of Sea Anemone Toxins with Insect Sodium Channel-Insights from Electrophysiology and Molecular Docking Studies. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26051302. [PMID: 33670972 PMCID: PMC7957711 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms are considered as a promising source of new drugs. Sea anemones release polypeptides that affect electrical activity of neurons of their prey. Voltage dependent sodium (Nav) channels are the common targets of Av1, Av2, and Av3 toxins from Anemonia viridis and CgNa from Condylactis gigantea. The toxins bind to the extracellular side of a channel and slow its fast inactivation, but molecular details of the binding modes are not known. Electrophysiological measurements on Periplaneta americana neuronal preparation revealed differences in potency of these toxins to increase nerve activity. Av1 and CgNa exhibit the strongest effects, while Av2 the weakest effect. Extensive molecular docking using a modern SMINA computer method revealed only partial overlap among the sets of toxins’ and channel’s amino acid residues responsible for the selectivity and binding modes. Docking positions support earlier supposition that the higher neuronal activity observed in electrophysiology should be attributed to hampering the fast inactivation gate by interactions of an anemone toxin with the voltage driven S4 helix from domain IV of cockroach Nav channel (NavPaS). Our modelling provides new data linking activity of toxins with their mode of binding in site 3 of NavPaS channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Niklas
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
- Correspondence: (B.N.); (W.N.)
| | - Milena Jankowska
- Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Dalia Gordon
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
| | - László Béress
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic of Immunology, Division of Experimental and Clinical Peptide Research, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Maria Stankiewicz
- Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Wieslaw Nowak
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
- Correspondence: (B.N.); (W.N.)
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