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K R G, Balenahalli Narasingappa R, Vishnu Vyas G. Unveiling mechanisms of antimicrobial peptide: Actions beyond the membranes disruption. Heliyon 2024; 10:e38079. [PMID: 39386776 PMCID: PMC11462253 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 09/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a critical component of the innate immune system, playing a key role in defending against a variety of pathogenic microorganisms. While many AMPs act primarily on the cell membrane of target pathogens, leading to lysis and subsequent cell death, less is known about their nonlytic membrane activity. This nonlytic activity allows AMPs to target and disrupt bacterial cells without causing lysis, leading to bacterial death through alternative mechanisms.Understanding these nonlytic properties of AMPs is crucial, as they present a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics, which can induce bacterial resistance and have adverse effects on human health and the environment. The mechanisms by which AMPs exhibit nonlytic membrane activity are still being explored. However, it is believed that AMPs penetrate the bacterial membrane and interact directly with internal cellular components such as DNA, RNA, and various enzymes essential for microbial survival and replication. This interaction disrupts metabolic homeostasis, ultimately resulting in bacterial death.The nonlytic activity of AMPs also results in minimal damage to host cells and tissues, making them attractive candidates for the development of new, more effective antibiotics. This review emphasizes the mechanisms by which AMPs nonlytically target cellular components, including DNA, proteins, RNA, and other biomolecules, and discusses their clinical significance. Understanding these mechanisms may pave the way for developing alternatives to conventional antibiotics, offering a solution to the growing issue of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gagandeep K R
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560065, India
| | - Ramesh Balenahalli Narasingappa
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560065, India
| | - Gatta Vishnu Vyas
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560065, India
- ICAR-AICRP On Post Harvest Engineering and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bengaluru, 560065, India
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2
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Dajka M, Rath T, Morgner N, Joseph B. Dynamic basis of lipopolysaccharide export by LptB 2FGC. eLife 2024; 13:RP99338. [PMID: 39374147 PMCID: PMC11458178 DOI: 10.7554/elife.99338] [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] [Indexed: 10/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) confer resistance against harsh conditions, including antibiotics, in Gram-negative bacteria. The lipopolysaccharide transport (Lpt) complex, consisting of seven proteins (A-G), exports LPS across the cellular envelope. LptB2FG forms an ATP-binding cassette transporter that transfers LPS to LptC. How LptB2FG couples ATP binding and hydrolysis with LPS transport to LptC remains unclear. We observed the conformational heterogeneity of LptB2FG and LptB2FGC in micelles and/or proteoliposomes using pulsed dipolar electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, we monitored LPS binding and release using laser-induced liquid bead ion desorption mass spectrometry. The β-jellyroll domain of LptF stably interacts with the LptG and LptC β-jellyrolls in both the apo and vanadate-trapped states. ATP binding at the cytoplasmic side is allosterically coupled to the selective opening of the periplasmic LptF β-jellyroll domain. In LptB2FG, ATP binding closes the nucleotide binding domains, causing a collapse of the first lateral gate as observed in structures. However, the second lateral gate, which forms the putative entry site for LPS, exhibits a heterogeneous conformation. LptC binding limits the flexibility of this gate to two conformations, likely representing the helix of LptC as either released from or inserted into the transmembrane domains. Our results reveal the regulation of the LPS entry gate through the dynamic behavior of the LptC transmembrane helix, while its β-jellyroll domain is anchored in the periplasm. This, combined with long-range ATP-dependent allosteric gating of the LptF β-jellyroll domain, may ensure efficient and unidirectional transport of LPS across the periplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Dajka
- Department of Physics, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Tobias Rath
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe Universität FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany
| | - Nina Morgner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe Universität FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany
| | - Benesh Joseph
- Department of Physics, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
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3
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Liu Q, Wu Q, Xu T, Malakar PK, Zhu Y, Liu J, Zhao Y, Zhang Z. Thanatin: A Promising Antimicrobial Peptide Targeting the Achilles' Heel of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9496. [PMID: 39273441 PMCID: PMC11395501 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179496] [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: 08/14/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance poses an escalating threat to human health, necessitating the development of novel antimicrobial agents capable of addressing challenges posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Thanatin, a 21-amino acid β-hairpin insect antimicrobial peptide featuring a single disulfide bond, exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, particularly effective against multidrug-resistant strains. The outer membrane biosynthesis system is recognized as a critical vulnerability in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which thanatin targets to exert its antimicrobial effects. This peptide holds significant promise for diverse applications. This review begins with an examination of the structure-activity relationship and synthesis methods of thanatin. Subsequently, it explores thanatin's antimicrobial activity, detailing its various mechanisms of action. Finally, it discusses prospective clinical, environmental, food, and agricultural applications of thanatin, offering valuable insights for future research endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhui Liu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Qian Wu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Tianming Xu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Pradeep K Malakar
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yongheng Zhu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Jing Liu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yong Zhao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Zhaohuan Zhang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
- International Research Center for Food and Health, Shanghai Ocean University, 999# Hu Cheng Huan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
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4
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Liu M, Cheng JH, Zhao H, Yu C, Wu J. Targeting the outer membrane of gram-negative foodborne pathogens for food safety: compositions, functions, and disruption strategies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2024:1-14. [PMID: 39213149 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2397462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Foodborne pathogens are a major threat to both food safety and public health. The current trend toward fresh and less processed foods and the misuse of antibiotics in food production have made controlling these pathogens even more challenging. The outer membrane has been employed as a practical target to combat foodborne Gram-negative pathogens due to its accessibility and importance. In this review, the compositions of the outer membrane are extensively described firstly, to offer a thorough overview of this target. Current strategies for disrupting the outer membrane are also discussed, with emphasized on their mechanism of action. The disruption of the outer membrane structure, whether caused by severe damage of the lipid bilayer or by interference with the biosynthesis pathway, has been demonstrated to represent an effective antimicrobial strategy. Interference with the outer membrane-mediated functions of barrier, efflux and adhesion also contributes to the fight against Gram-negative pathogens. Their potential for control of foodborne pathogens in the production chain are also proposed. However, it is possible that multiple components in the food matrix may act as a protective barrier against microorganisms, and it is often the case that contamination is not caused by a single microorganism. Further investigation is needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of these methods in more complex systems, and it may be advisable to consider a multi-technology combined approach. Additionally, further studies on outer membranes are necessary to discover more promising mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Academy of Contemporary Food Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Hu Cheng
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Academy of Contemporary Food Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haigang Zhao
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- ChemPartner PharmaTech Co., Ltd., Jiangmen, China
| | - Chongchong Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Big Data Technology for Food Safety, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingzhu Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Big Data Technology for Food Safety, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
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Shepperson OA, Harris PWR, Brimble MA, Cameron AJ. The Antimicrobial Peptide Capitellacin: Chemical Synthesis of Analogues to Probe the Role of Disulphide Bridges and Their Replacement with Vinyl Sulphides. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:615. [PMID: 39061298 PMCID: PMC11273936 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13070615] [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] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Capitellacin (1) is a 20-residue antimicrobial β-hairpin, produced by the marine polychaeta (segmented worms) Capitella teletai. Since its discovery in 2020, only very limited studies have been undertaken to understand capitellacin's structure-activity relationship (SAR). Using fast-flow Fmoc-SPPS, a focused library of capitellacin analogues was prepared to systematically study the influence of the two disulphide bridges on its structure and activity, and their replacement with a vinyl sulphide as a potential bioisostere. Upon studying the resulting peptides' antimicrobial activity and secondary structure, the most terminal disulphide emerged as the most critical element for maintaining both bioactivity and the secondary structure, properties which were demonstrated to be closely interlinked. The removal of the innermost disulphide bridge or disulphide replacement with a vinyl sulphide emerged as strategies with which to tune the activity spectrum, producing selectivity towards E. coli. Additionally, an enantiomeric d-capitellacin analogue revealed mechanistic insights, suggesting that chirality may be an inherent property of capitellacin's bacterial membrane target, or that a hitherto unknown secondary mechanism of action may exist. Additionally, we propose the Alloc protecting group as a more appropriate alternative to the common Dde group during fast-flow Fmoc-SPPS, in particular for short-chain diamino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar A. Shepperson
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Bio-Discovery, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Paul W. R. Harris
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Bio-Discovery, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Margaret A. Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Bio-Discovery, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Alan J. Cameron
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Bio-Discovery, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St., Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Panayi T, Diavoli S, Nicolaidou V, Papaneophytou C, Petrou C, Sarigiannis Y. Short-Chained Linear Scorpion Peptides: A Pool for Novel Antimicrobials. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:422. [PMID: 38786150 PMCID: PMC11117241 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13050422] [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: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Scorpion venom peptides are generally classified into two main groups: the disulfide bridged peptides (DBPs), which usually target membrane-associated ion channels, and the non-disulfide bridged peptides (NDBPs), a smaller group with multifunctional properties. In the past decade, these peptides have gained interest because most of them display functions that include antimicrobial, anticancer, haemolytic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Our current study focuses on the short (9-19 amino acids) antimicrobial linear scorpion peptides. Most of these peptides display a net positive charge of 1 or 2, an isoelectric point at pH 9-10, a broad range of hydrophobicity, and a Grand Average of Hydropathy (GRAVY) Value ranging between -0.05 and 1.7. These features allow these peptides to be attracted toward the negatively charged phospholipid head groups of the lipid membranes of target cells, a force driven by electrostatic interactions. This review outlines the antimicrobial potential of short-chained linear scorpion venom peptides. Additionally, short linear scorpion peptides are in general more attractive for large-scale synthesis from a manufacturing point of view. The structural and functional diversity of these peptides represents a good starting point for the development of new peptide-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tolis Panayi
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (T.P.); (V.N.); (C.P.)
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
| | - Spiridoula Diavoli
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
| | - Vicky Nicolaidou
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (T.P.); (V.N.); (C.P.)
| | - Christos Papaneophytou
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (T.P.); (V.N.); (C.P.)
| | - Christos Petrou
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
| | - Yiannis Sarigiannis
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus; (S.D.); (C.P.)
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7
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Ren Y, Dong W, Li Y, Cao W, Xiao Z, Zhou Y, Teng Y, You X, Yang X, Huang H, Wang H. The Prediction of LptA and LptC Protein-Protein Interactions and Virtual Screening for Potential Inhibitors. Molecules 2024; 29:1827. [PMID: 38675646 PMCID: PMC11052386 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29081827] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria remains one of the most pressing challenges to global public health. Blocking the transportation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a crucial component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, is considered a promising strategy for drug discovery. In the transportation process of LPS, two components of the LPS transport (Lpt) complex, LptA and LptC, are responsible for shuttling LPS across the periplasm to the outer membrane, highlighting their potential as targets for antibacterial drug development. In the current study, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) model of LptA and LptC was constructed, and a molecular screening strategy was employed to search a protein-protein interaction compound library. The screening results indicated that compound 18593 exhibits favorable binding free energy with LptA and LptC. In comparison with the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on currently known inhibitors, compound 18593 shows more stable target binding ability at the same level. The current study suggests that compound 18593 may exhibit an inhibitory effect on the LPS transport process, making it a promising hit compound for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Ren
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China;
- Institute of National Security, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wenting Dong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Laboratory of Pharmacology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Division for Medicinal Microorganism-Related Strains, CAMS Collection Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yan Li
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Weiting Cao
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zengshuo Xiao
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yun Teng
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xuefu You
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Laboratory of Pharmacology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Division for Medicinal Microorganism-Related Strains, CAMS Collection Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms, Beijing 100050, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xinyi Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Laboratory of Pharmacology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Division for Medicinal Microorganism-Related Strains, CAMS Collection Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Huoqiang Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China;
- Institute of National Security, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100081, China
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Lim J, Myung H, Lim D, Song M. Antimicrobial peptide thanatin fused endolysin PA90 (Tha-PA90) for the control of Acinetobacter baumannii infection in mouse model. J Biomed Sci 2024; 31:36. [PMID: 38622637 PMCID: PMC11020296 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-024-01027-4] [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: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study addresses the urgent need for infection control agents driven by the rise of drug-resistant pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii. Our primary aim was to develop and assess a novel endolysin, Tha-PA90, designed to combat these challenges. METHODS Tha-PA90 incorporates an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) called thanatin at its N-terminus, enhancing bacterial outer membrane permeability and reducing host immune responses. PA90 was selected as the endolysin component. The antibacterial activity of the purified Tha-PA90 was evaluated using an in vitro colony-forming unit (CFU) reduction assay and a membrane permeability test. A549 cells were utilized to measure the penetration into the cytosol and the cytotoxicity of Tha-PA90. Finally, infection control was monitored in A. baumannii infected mice following the intraperitoneal administration of Tha-PA90. RESULTS Tha-PA90 demonstrated remarkable in vitro efficacy, completely eradicating A. baumannii strains, even drug-resistant variants, at a low concentration of 0.5 μM. Notably, it outperformed thanatin, achieving only a < 3-log reduction at 4 μM. Tha-PA90 exhibited 2-3 times higher membrane permeability than a PA90 and thanatin mixture or PA90 alone. Tha-PA90 was found within A549 cells' cytosol with no discernible cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, Tha-PA90 administration extended the lifespan of A. baumannii-infected mice, reducing bacterial loads in major organs by up to 3 logs. Additionally, it decreased proinflammatory cytokine levels (TNF-α and IL-6), reducing the risk of sepsis from rapid bacterial lysis. Our findings indicate that Tha-PA90 is a promising solution for combating drug-resistant A. baumannii. Its enhanced efficacy, low cytotoxicity, and reduction of proinflammatory responses render it a potential candidate for infection control. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the significance of engineered endolysins in addressing the pressing challenge of drug-resistant pathogens and offers insights into improved infection management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeonghyun Lim
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin, 17035, Republic of Korea
| | - Heejoon Myung
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin, 17035, Republic of Korea
- LyseNTech Co., Ltd., Seongnam-Si, 13486, Republic of Korea
| | - Daejin Lim
- Division of Biomedical Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea.
| | - Miryoung Song
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin, 17035, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Yoon Y, Song S. Structural Insights into the Lipopolysaccharide Transport (Lpt) System as a Novel Antibiotic Target. J Microbiol 2024; 62:261-275. [PMID: 38816673 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-024-00137-w] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a critical component of the extracellular leaflet within the bacterial outer membrane, forming an effective physical barrier against environmental threats in Gram-negative bacteria. After LPS is synthesized and matured in the bacterial cytoplasm and the inner membrane (IM), LPS is inserted into the outer membrane (OM) through the ATP-driven LPS transport (Lpt) pathway, which is an energy-intensive process. A trans-envelope complex that contains seven Lpt proteins (LptA-LptG) is crucial for extracting LPS from the IM and transporting it across the periplasm to the OM. The last step in LPS transport involves the mediation of the LptDE complex, facilitating the insertion of LPS into the outer leaflet of the OM. As the Lpt system plays an essential role in maintaining the impermeability of the OM via LPS decoration, the interactions between these interconnected subunits, which are meticulously regulated, may be potential targets for the development of new antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. In this review, we aimed to provide an overview of current research concerning the structural interactions within the Lpt system and their implications to clarify the function and regulation of LPS transport in the overall process of OM biogenesis. Additionally, we explored studies on the development of therapeutic inhibitors of LPS transport, the factors that limit success, and future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurim Yoon
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Saemee Song
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea.
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10
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Sharifian Gh. M, Norouzi F, Sorci M, Zaid TS, Pier GB, Achimovich A, Ongwae GM, Liang B, Ryan M, Lemke M, Belfort G, Gadjeva M, Gahlmann A, Pires MM, Venter H, Harris TE, Laurie GW. Targeting Iron - Respiratory Reciprocity Promotes Bacterial Death. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.01.582947. [PMID: 38464199 PMCID: PMC10925246 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.01.582947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Discovering new bacterial signaling pathways offers unique antibiotic strategies. Here, through an unbiased resistance screen of 3,884 gene knockout strains, we uncovered a previously unknown non-lytic bactericidal mechanism that sequentially couples three transporters and downstream transcription to lethally suppress respiration of the highly virulent P. aeruginosa strain PA14 - one of three species on the WHO's 'Priority 1: Critical' list. By targeting outer membrane YaiW, cationic lacritin peptide 'N-104' translocates into the periplasm where it ligates outer loops 4 and 2 of the inner membrane transporters FeoB and PotH, respectively, to suppress both ferrous iron and polyamine uptake. This broadly shuts down transcription of many biofilm-associated genes, including ferrous iron-dependent TauD and ExbB1. The mechanism is innate to the surface of the eye and is enhanced by synergistic coupling with thrombin peptide GKY20. This is the first example of an inhibitor of multiple bacterial transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fatemeh Norouzi
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Mirco Sorci
- Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA
| | - Tanweer S Zaid
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Gerald B. Pier
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Alecia Achimovich
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - George M. Ongwae
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Binyong Liang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Margaret Ryan
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Michael Lemke
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Georges Belfort
- Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA
| | - Mihaela Gadjeva
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Andreas Gahlmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Marcos M. Pires
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Henrietta Venter
- Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Thurl E. Harris
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Gordon W. Laurie
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
- Contact author: Gordon Laurie
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11
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Abdullah SJ, Yan BTS, Palanivelu N, Dhanabal VB, Bifani JP, Bhattacharjya S. Outer-Membrane Permeabilization, LPS Transport Inhibition: Activity, Interactions, and Structures of Thanatin Derived Antimicrobial Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2122. [PMID: 38396798 PMCID: PMC10888688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042122] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Currently, viable antibiotics available to mitigate infections caused by drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are highly limited. Thanatin, a 21-residue-long insect-derived antimicrobial peptide (AMP), is a promising lead molecule for the potential development of novel antibiotics. Thanatin is extremely potent, particularly against the Enterobacter group of Gram-negative pathogens, e.g., E. coli and K. pneumoniae. As a mode of action, cationic thanatin efficiently permeabilizes the LPS-outer membrane and binds to the periplasmic protein LptAm to inhibit outer membrane biogenesis. Here, we have utilized N-terminal truncated 16- and 14-residue peptide fragments of thanatin and investigated structure, activity, and selectivity with correlating modes of action. A designed 16-residue peptide containing D-Lys (dk) named VF16 (V1PIIYCNRRT-dk-KCQRF16) demonstrated killing activity in Gram-negative bacteria. The VF16 peptide did not show any detectable toxicity to the HEK 293T cell line and kidney cell line Hep G2. As a mode of action, VF16 interacted with LPS, permeabilizing the outer membrane and binding to LptAm with high affinity. Atomic-resolution structures of VF16 in complex with LPS revealed cationic and aromatic surfaces involved in outer membrane interactions and permeabilization. Further, analyses of an inactive 14-residue native thanatin peptide (IM14: IIYCNRRTGKCQRM) delineated the requirement of the β-sheet structure in activity and target interactions. Taken together, this work would pave the way for the designing of short analogs of thanatin-based antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaleeha Jaan Abdullah
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (S.J.A.); (N.P.)
| | - Bernice Tan Siu Yan
- A*Star Infectious Diseases Labs, 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Nithya Palanivelu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (S.J.A.); (N.P.)
| | - Vidhya Bharathi Dhanabal
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (S.J.A.); (N.P.)
| | - Juan Pablo Bifani
- A*Star Infectious Diseases Labs, 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (S.J.A.); (N.P.)
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12
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Stephani J, Gerhards L, Khairalla B, Solov’yov IA, Brand I. How do Antimicrobial Peptides Interact with the Outer Membrane of Gram-Negative Bacteria? Role of Lipopolysaccharides in Peptide Binding, Anchoring, and Penetration. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:763-778. [PMID: 38259029 PMCID: PMC10862549 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00673] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria possess a complex structural cell envelope that constitutes a barrier for antimicrobial peptides that neutralize the microbes by disrupting their cell membranes. Computational and experimental approaches were used to study a model outer membrane interaction with an antimicrobial peptide, melittin. The investigated membrane included di[3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonyl]-lipid A (KLA) in the outer leaflet and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPE) in the inner leaflet. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the positively charged helical C-terminus of melittin anchors rapidly into the hydrophilic headgroup region of KLA, while the flexible N-terminus makes contacts with the phosphate groups of KLA, supporting melittin penetration into the boundary between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions of the lipids. Electrochemical techniques confirmed the binding of melittin to the model membrane. To probe the peptide conformation and orientation during interaction with the membrane, polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy was used. The measurements revealed conformational changes in the peptide, accompanied by reorientation and translocation of the peptide at the membrane surface. The study suggests that melittin insertion into the outer membrane affects its permeability and capacitance but does not disturb the membrane's bilayer structure, indicating a distinct mechanism of the peptide action on the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus
C. Stephani
- Institute
of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University
of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Luca Gerhards
- Institute
of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University
of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Bishoy Khairalla
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl von Ossietzky University
of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ilia A. Solov’yov
- Institute
of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University
of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research
Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky
University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- CeNaD—Center
for Nanoscale Dynamics, Carl von Ossietzky
University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Izabella Brand
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl von Ossietzky University
of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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13
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Abdullah SJ, Mu Y, Bhattacharjya S. Structures, Interactions and Activity of the N-Terminal Truncated Variants of Antimicrobial Peptide Thanatin. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:74. [PMID: 38247633 PMCID: PMC10812785 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are intrinsically more resistant to many frontline antibiotics, which is attributed to the permeability barrier of the outer membrane, drug efflux pumps and porins. Consequently, discovery of new small molecules antibiotics to kill drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria presents a significant challenge. Thanatin, a 21-residue insect-derived antimicrobial peptide, is known for its potent activity against Enterobacter Gram-negative bacteria, including drug-resistant strains. Here, we investigated a 15-residue N-terminal truncated analog PM15 (P1IIYCNRRTGKCQRM15) of thanatin to determine modes of action and antibacterial activity. PM15 and the P1 to Y and A substituted variants PM15Y and PM15A delineated interactions and permeabilization of the LPS-outer membrane. In antibacterial assays, PM15 and the analogs showed growth inhibition of strains of Gram-negative bacteria that is largely dependent on the composition of the culture media. Atomic-resolution structures of PM15 and PM15Y in free solution and in complex with LPS micelle exhibited persistent β-hairpin structures similar to native thanatin. However, in complex with LPS, the structures of peptides are more compact, with extensive packing interactions among residues across the two anti-parallel strands of the β-hairpin. The docked complex of PM15/LPS revealed a parallel orientation of the peptide that may be sustained by potential ionic and van der Waals interactions with the lipid A moiety of LPS. Further, PM15 and PM15Y bind to LptAm, a monomeric functional variant of LptA, the periplasmic component of the seven-protein (A-G) complex involved in LPS transport. Taken together, the structures, target interactions and antibacterial effect of PM15 presented in the current study could be useful in designing thanatin-based peptide analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (S.J.A.); (Y.M.)
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14
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Pipiya SO, Kudzhaev AM, Mirzoeva NZ, Mokrushina YA, Ziganshin RH, Komlev AS, Petrova PE, Smirnov IV, Gabibov AG, Shamova OV, Terekhov SS. Bioengineering the Antimicrobial Activity of Yeast by Recombinant Thanatin Production. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1719. [PMID: 38136753 PMCID: PMC10741026 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12121719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The global spread of antibiotic resistance marks the end of the era of conventional antibiotics. Mankind desires new molecular tools to fight pathogenic bacteria. In this regard, the development of new antimicrobials based on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is again of particular interest. AMPs have various mechanisms of action on bacterial cells. Moreover, AMPs have been reported to be efficient in preclinical studies, demonstrating a low level of resistance formation. Thanatin is a small, beta-hairpin antimicrobial peptide with a bacterial-specific mode of action, predetermining its low cytotoxicity toward eukaryotic cells. This makes thanatin an exceptional candidate for new antibiotic development. Here, a microorganism was bioengineered to produce an antimicrobial agent, providing novel opportunities in antibiotic research through the directed creation of biocontrol agents. The constitutive heterologous production of recombinant thanatin (rThan) in the yeast Pichia pastoris endows the latter with antibacterial properties. Optimized expression and purification conditions enable a high production level, yielding up to 20 mg/L of rThan from the culture medium. rThan shows a wide spectrum of activity against pathogenic bacteria, similarly to its chemically synthesized analogue. The designed approach provides new avenues for AMP engineering and creating live biocontrol agents to fight antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofiya O. Pipiya
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
| | - Arsen M. Kudzhaev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
| | - Nisso Z. Mirzoeva
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
| | - Yuliana A. Mokrushina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
| | - Rustam H. Ziganshin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
| | - Alexey S. Komlev
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (A.S.K.); (P.E.P.); (O.V.S.)
| | - Polina E. Petrova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (A.S.K.); (P.E.P.); (O.V.S.)
| | - Ivan V. Smirnov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Mscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Alexander G. Gabibov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Mscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Olga V. Shamova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (A.S.K.); (P.E.P.); (O.V.S.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Stanislav S. Terekhov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (A.M.K.); (N.Z.M.); (Y.A.M.); (R.H.Z.); (I.V.S.); (A.G.G.)
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15
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Huynh K, Kibrom A, Donald BR, Zhou P. Discovery, characterization, and redesign of potent antimicrobial thanatin orthologs from Chinavia ubica and Murgantia histrionica targeting E. coli LptA. J Struct Biol X 2023; 8:100091. [PMID: 37416832 PMCID: PMC10320583 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2023.100091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Podisus maculiventris thanatin has been reported as a potent antimicrobial peptide with antibacterial and antifungal activity. Its antibiotic activity has been most thoroughly characterized against E. coli and shown to interfere with multiple pathways, such as the lipopolysaccharide transport (LPT) pathway comprised of seven different Lpt proteins. Thanatin binds to E. coli LptA and LptD, thus disrupting the LPT complex formation and inhibiting cell wall synthesis and microbial growth. Here, we performed a genomic database search to uncover novel thanatin orthologs, characterized their binding to E. coli LptA using bio-layer interferometry, and assessed their antimicrobial activity against E. coli. We found that thanatins from Chinavia ubica and Murgantia histrionica bound tighter (by 3.6- and 2.2-fold respectively) to LptA and exhibited more potent antibiotic activity (by 2.1- and 2.8-fold respectively) than the canonical thanatin from P. maculiventris. We crystallized and determined the LptA-bound complex structures of thanatins from C. ubica (1.90 Å resolution), M. histrionica (1.80 Å resolution), and P. maculiventris (2.43 Å resolution) to better understand their mechanism of action. Our structural analysis revealed that residues A10 and I21 in C. ubica and M. histrionica thanatin are important for improving the binding interface with LptA, thus overall improving the potency of thanatin against E. coli. We also designed a stapled variant of thanatin that removes the need for a disulfide bond but retains the ability to bind LptA and antibiotic activity. Our discovery presents a library of novel thanatin sequences to serve as starting scaffolds for designing more potent antimicrobial therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Huynh
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Amanuel Kibrom
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Bruce R. Donald
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Pei Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
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16
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Yang Y, Chen H, Corey RA, Morales V, Quentin Y, Froment C, Caumont-Sarcos A, Albenne C, Burlet-Schiltz O, Ranava D, Stansfeld PJ, Marcoux J, Ieva R. LptM promotes oxidative maturation of the lipopolysaccharide translocon by substrate binding mimicry. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6368. [PMID: 37821449 PMCID: PMC10567701 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42007-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Insertion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the bacterial outer membrane (OM) is mediated by a druggable OM translocon consisting of a β-barrel membrane protein, LptD, and a lipoprotein, LptE. The β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) assembles LptD together with LptE at the OM. In the enterobacterium Escherichia coli, formation of two native disulfide bonds in LptD controls translocon activation. Here we report the discovery of LptM (formerly YifL), a lipoprotein conserved in Enterobacteriaceae, that assembles together with LptD and LptE at the BAM complex. LptM stabilizes a conformation of LptD that can efficiently acquire native disulfide bonds, whereas its inactivation makes disulfide bond isomerization by DsbC become essential for viability. Our structural prediction and biochemical analyses indicate that LptM binds to sites in both LptD and LptE that are proposed to coordinate LPS insertion into the OM. These results suggest that, by mimicking LPS binding, LptM facilitates oxidative maturation of LptD, thereby activating the LPS translocon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiying Yang
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Haoxiang Chen
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Robin A Corey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Violette Morales
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Yves Quentin
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Carine Froment
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31077, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique, ProFI, FR 2048, Toulouse, France
| | - Anne Caumont-Sarcos
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Cécile Albenne
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Odile Burlet-Schiltz
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31077, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique, ProFI, FR 2048, Toulouse, France
| | - David Ranava
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Phillip J Stansfeld
- School of Life Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Gibbet Hill Campus, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Julien Marcoux
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31077, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique, ProFI, FR 2048, Toulouse, France
| | - Raffaele Ieva
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, 31062, France.
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17
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Mourenza A, Ganesan R, Camarero JA. Resistance is futile: targeting multidrug-resistant bacteria with de novo Cys-rich cyclic polypeptides. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:722-735. [PMID: 37799576 PMCID: PMC10549238 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00015j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The search for novel antimicrobial agents to combat microbial pathogens is intensifying in response to rapid drug resistance development to current antibiotic therapeutics. The use of disulfide-rich head-to-tail cyclized polypeptides as molecular frameworks for designing a new type of peptide antibiotics is gaining increasing attention among the scientific community and the pharmaceutical industry. The use of macrocyclic peptides, further constrained by the presence of several disulfide bonds, makes these peptide frameworks remarkably more stable to thermal, biological, and chemical degradation showing better activities when compared to their linear analogs. Many of these novel peptide scaffolds have been shown to have a high tolerance to sequence variability in those residues not involved in disulfide bonds, able to cross biological membranes, and efficiently target complex biomolecular interactions. Hence, these unique properties make the use of these scaffolds ideal for many biotechnological applications, including the design of novel peptide antibiotics. This article provides an overview of the new developments in the use of several disulfide-rich cyclic polypeptides, including cyclotides, θ-defensins, and sunflower trypsin inhibitor peptides, among others, in the development of novel antimicrobial peptides against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Mourenza
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy Los Angeles CA90033 USA +1-(323) 442-1417
| | - Rajasekaran Ganesan
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy Los Angeles CA90033 USA +1-(323) 442-1417
| | - Julio A Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy Los Angeles CA90033 USA +1-(323) 442-1417
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Los Angeles CA90033 USA
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18
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Kadeřábková N, Mahmood AJS, Furniss RCD, Mavridou DAI. Making a chink in their armor: Current and next-generation antimicrobial strategies against the bacterial cell envelope. Adv Microb Physiol 2023; 83:221-307. [PMID: 37507160 PMCID: PMC10517717 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2023.05.003] [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] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are uniquely equipped to defeat antibiotics. Their outermost layer, the cell envelope, is a natural permeability barrier that contains an array of resistance proteins capable of neutralizing most existing antimicrobials. As a result, its presence creates a major obstacle for the treatment of resistant infections and for the development of new antibiotics. Despite this seemingly impenetrable armor, in-depth understanding of the cell envelope, including structural, functional and systems biology insights, has promoted efforts to target it that can ultimately lead to the generation of new antibacterial therapies. In this article, we broadly overview the biology of the cell envelope and highlight attempts and successes in generating inhibitors that impair its function or biogenesis. We argue that the very structure that has hampered antibiotic discovery for decades has untapped potential for the design of novel next-generation therapeutics against bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikol Kadeřábková
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Ayesha J S Mahmood
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - R Christopher D Furniss
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Despoina A I Mavridou
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States; John Ring LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
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19
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Randall JR, Wang X, Groover KE, O'Donnell AC, Davies BW. Using display technologies to identify macrocyclic peptide antibiotics. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119473. [PMID: 37011732 PMCID: PMC10198949 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistant bacterial infections are now a leading cause of global mortality. While drug resistance continues to spread, the clinical antibiotic pipeline has become bare. This discord has focused attention on developing new strategies for antimicrobial discovery. Natural macrocyclic peptide-based products have provided novel antibiotics and antibiotic scaffolds targeting several essential bacterial cell envelope processes, but discovery of such natural products remains a slow and inefficient process. Synthetic strategies employing peptide display technologies can quickly screen large libraries of macrocyclic sequences for specific target binding and general antibacterial potential providing alternative approaches for new antibiotic discovery. Here we review cell envelope processes that can be targeted with macrocyclic peptide therapeutics, outline important macrocyclic peptide display technologies, and discuss future strategies for both library design and screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Randall
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Xun Wang
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kyra E Groover
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Angela C O'Donnell
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Bryan W Davies
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, TX, USA.
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20
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Oi KK, Moehle K, Schuster M, Zerbe O. Early Molecular Insights into Thanatin Analogues Binding to A. baumannii LptA. Molecules 2023; 28:4335. [PMID: 37298811 PMCID: PMC10254193 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114335] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The cationic antimicrobial ß-hairpin, thanatin, was recently developed into drug-like analogues active against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). The analogues represent new antibiotics with a novel mode of action targeting LptA in the periplasm and disrupting LPS transport. The compounds lose antimicrobial efficacy when the sequence identity to E. coli LptA falls below 70%. We wanted to test the thanatin analogues against LptA of a phylogenetic distant organism and investigate the molecular determinants of inactivity. Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a critical Gram-negative pathogen that has gained increasing attention for its multi-drug resistance and hospital burden. A. baumannii LptA shares 28% sequence identity with E. coli LptA and displays an intrinsic resistance to thanatin and thanatin analogues (MIC values > 32 µg/mL) through a mechanism not yet described. We investigated the inactivity further and discovered that these CRE-optimized derivatives can bind to LptA of A. baumannii in vitro, despite the high MIC values. Herein, we present a high-resolution structure of A. baumannii LptAm in complex with a thanatin derivative 7 and binding affinities of selected thanatin derivatives. Together, these data offer structural insights into why thanatin derivatives are inactive against A. baumannii LptA, despite binding events in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Oliver Zerbe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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21
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Schuster M, Brabet E, Oi KK, Desjonquères N, Moehle K, Le Poupon K, Hell S, Gable S, Rithié V, Dillinger S, Zbinden P, Luther A, Li C, Stiegeler S, D’Arco C, Locher H, Remus T, DiMaio S, Motta P, Wach A, Jung F, Upert G, Obrecht D, Benghezal M, Zerbe O. Peptidomimetic antibiotics disrupt the lipopolysaccharide transport bridge of drug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg3683. [PMID: 37224246 PMCID: PMC10208570 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistance poses a substantial threat to our health system, and, hence, development of drugs against novel targets is urgently needed. The natural peptide thanatin kills Gram-negative bacteria by targeting proteins of the lipopolysaccharide transport (Lpt) machinery. Using the thanatin scaffold together with phenotypic medicinal chemistry, structural data, and a target-focused approach, we developed antimicrobial peptides with drug-like properties. They exhibit potent activity against Enterobacteriaceae both in vitro and in vivo while eliciting low frequencies of resistance. We show that the peptides bind LptA of both wild-type and thanatin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains with low-nanomolar affinities. Mode of action studies revealed that the antimicrobial activity involves the specific disruption of the Lpt periplasmic protein bridge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schuster
- University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Emile Brabet
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Kathryn K. Oi
- University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Kerstin Moehle
- University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Karen Le Poupon
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Hell
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Gable
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Rithié
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - Peter Zbinden
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Anatol Luther
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Li
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Stiegeler
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Carolin D’Arco
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Hans Locher
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Remus
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Selena DiMaio
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Paola Motta
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Achim Wach
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Françoise Jung
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Grégory Upert
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Obrecht
- Spexis AG, Hegenheimermattweg 125, CH-4112 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - Oliver Zerbe
- University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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22
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Panteleev PV, Safronova VN, Kruglikov RN, Bolosov IA, Ovchinnikova TV. Genomic Insights into Bacterial Resistance to Proline-Rich Antimicrobial Peptide Bac7. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:438. [PMID: 37103865 PMCID: PMC10145973 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13040438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) having a potent antimicrobial activity and a modest toxicity toward mammalian cells attract much attention as new templates for the development of antibiotic drugs. However, a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms of bacterial resistance development to PrAMPs is necessary before their clinical application. In this study, development of the resistance to the proline-rich bovine cathelicidin Bac71-22 derivative was characterized in the multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolate causing the urinary tract infection. Three Bac71-22-resistant strains with ≥16-fold increase in minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were selected by serially passaging after four-week experimental evolution. It was shown that in salt-containing medium, the resistance was mediated by inactivation of the SbmA transporter. The absence of salt in the selection media affected both dynamics and main molecular targets under selective pressure: a point mutation leading to the amino acid substitution N159H in the WaaP kinase responsible for heptose I phosphorylation in the LPS structure was also found. This mutation led to a phenotype with a decreased susceptibility to both the Bac71-22 and polymyxin B. Screening of antimicrobial activities with the use of a wide panel of known AMPs, including the human cathelicidin LL-37 and conventional antibiotics, against selected strains indicated no significant cross-resistance effects.
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23
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Romano K, Hung D. Targeting LPS biosynthesis and transport in gram-negative bacteria in the era of multi-drug resistance. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119407. [PMID: 36543281 PMCID: PMC9922520 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria pose a major threat to human health in an era fraught with multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. Despite extensive drug discovery campaigns over the past decades, no new antibiotic target class effective against gram-negative bacteria has become available to patients since the advent of the carbapenems in 1985. Antibiotic discovery efforts against gram-negative bacteria have been hampered by limited intracellular accumulation of xenobiotics, in large part due to the impermeable cell envelope comprising lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane, as well as a panoply of efflux pumps. The biosynthesis and transport of LPS are essential to the viability and virulence of most gram-negative bacteria. Thus, both LPS biosynthesis and transport are attractive pathways to target therapeutically. In this review, we summarize the LPS biosynthesis and transport pathways and discuss efforts to find small molecule inhibitors against targets within these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- K.P. Romano
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D.T. Hung
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Corresponding author at: The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. (D.T. Hung)
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24
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Sperandeo P, Martorana AM, Zaccaria M, Polissi A. Targeting the LPS export pathway for the development of novel therapeutics. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119406. [PMID: 36473551 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The rapid rise of multi-resistant bacteria is a global health threat. This is especially serious for Gram-negative bacteria in which the impermeable outer membrane (OM) acts as a shield against antibiotics. The development of new drugs with novel modes of actions to combat multi-drug resistant pathogens requires the selection of suitable processes to be targeted. The LPS export pathway is an excellent under exploited target for drug development. Indeed, LPS is the major determinant of the OM permeability barrier, and its biogenetic pathway is conserved in most Gram-negatives. Here we describe efforts to identify inhibitors of the multiprotein Lpt system that transports LPS to the cell surface. Despite none of these molecules has been approved for clinical use, they may represent valuable compounds for optimization. Finally, the recent discovery of a link between inhibition of LPS biogenesis and changes in peptidoglycan structure uncovers additional targets to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Sperandeo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra M Martorana
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marta Zaccaria
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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25
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Phosphatidylglycerol Is the Lipid Donor for Synthesis of Phospholipid-Linked Enterobacterial Common Antigen. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0040322. [PMID: 36622229 PMCID: PMC9879101 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00403-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative outer membrane (OM) is an asymmetric bilayer with phospholipids in its inner leaflet and mainly lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in its outer leaflet and is largely impermeable to many antibiotics. In Enterobacterales (e.g., Escherichia, Salmonella, Klebsiella, and Yersinia), the outer leaflet of the OM also contains phosphoglyceride-linked enterobacterial common antigen (ECAPG). This molecule consists of the conserved ECA carbohydrate linked to diacylglycerol-phosphate (DAG-P) through a phosphodiester bond. ECAPG contributes to the OM permeability barrier and modeling suggests that it may alter the packing of LPS molecules in the OM. Here, we investigate, in Escherichia coli K-12, the reaction synthesizing ECAPG from ECA precursor linked to an isoprenoid carrier to identify the lipid donor that provides the DAG-P moiety to ECAPG. Through overexpression of phospholipid biosynthesis genes, we observed alterations expected to increase levels of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) increased the synthesis of ECAPG, whereas alterations expected to decrease levels of PG decreased the synthesis of ECAPG. We discovered depletion of PG levels in strains that could synthesize ECAPG, but not other forms of ECA, causes additional growth defects, likely due to the buildup of ECA precursor on the isoprenoid carrier inhibiting peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Our results demonstrate ECAPG can be synthesized in the absence of the other major phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin). Overall, these results conclusively demonstrate PG is the lipid donor for the synthesis of ECAPG and provide a key insight into the reaction producing ECAPG. In addition, these results provide an interesting parallel to lipoprotein acylation, which also uses PG as its DAG donor. IMPORTANCE The Gram-negative outer membrane is a permeability barrier preventing cellular entry of antibiotics. However, outer membrane biogenesis pathways are targets for small molecule development. Here, we investigate the synthesis of a form of enterobacterial common antigen (ECA), ECAPG, found in the outer membrane of Enterobacterales (e.g., Escherichia, Salmonella, and Klebsiella). ECAPG consists of the conserved ECA carbohydrate unit linked to diacylglycerol-phosphate-ECA is a phospholipid headgroup. The details of the reaction forming this molecule from polymerized ECA precursor are unknown. We determined the lipid donor providing the phospholipid moiety is phosphatidylglycerol. Understanding the synthesis of outer membrane constituents such as ECAPG provides the opportunity for development of molecules to increase outer membrane permeability, expanding the antibiotics available to treat Gram-negative infections.
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26
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Randall JR, DuPai CD, Cole TJ, Davidson G, Groover KE, Slater SL, Mavridou DA, Wilke CO, Davies BW. Designing and identifying β-hairpin peptide macrocycles with antibiotic potential. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade0008. [PMID: 36630516 PMCID: PMC9833666 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Peptide macrocycles are a rapidly emerging class of therapeutic, yet the design of their structure and activity remains challenging. This is especially true for those with β-hairpin structure due to weak folding properties and a propensity for aggregation. Here, we use proteomic analysis and common antimicrobial features to design a large peptide library with macrocyclic β-hairpin structure. Using an activity-driven high-throughput screen, we identify dozens of peptides killing bacteria through selective membrane disruption and analyze their biochemical features via machine learning. Active peptides contain a unique constrained structure and are highly enriched for cationic charge with arginine in their turn region. Our results provide a synthetic strategy for structured macrocyclic peptide design and discovery while also elucidating characteristics important for β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R. Randall
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Cory D. DuPai
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - T. Jeffrey Cole
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Gillian Davidson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kyra E. Groover
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Sabrina L. Slater
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Claus O. Wilke
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Bryan W. Davies
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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27
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Slingerland C, Kotsogianni I, Wesseling CMJ, Martin NI. Polymyxin Stereochemistry and Its Role in Antibacterial Activity and Outer Membrane Disruption. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:2396-2404. [PMID: 36342383 PMCID: PMC9745799 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
With increasing rates of resistance toward commonly used antibiotics, especially among Gram-negative bacteria, there is renewed interested in polymyxins. Polymyxins are lipopeptide antibiotics with potent anti-Gram-negative activity and are generally believed to target lipid A, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) anchor found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. To characterize the stereochemical aspects of their mechanism(s) of action, we synthesized the full enantiomers of polymyxin B and the polymyxin B nonapeptide (PMBN). Both compounds were compared with the natural compounds in biological and biophysical assays, revealing strongly reduced antibacterial activity for the enantiomeric species. The enantiomeric compounds also exhibit reduced LPS binding, lower outer membrane (OM) permeabilization, and loss of synergetic potential. These findings provide new insights into the stereochemical requirements underlying the mechanisms of action of polymyxin B and PMBN.
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28
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Priya P, Aneesh B, Sivakumar KC, Harikrishnan K. Comparative proteomic analysis of saline tolerant, phosphate solubilizing endophytic Pantoea sp., and Pseudomonas sp. isolated from Eichhornia rhizosphere. Microbiol Res 2022; 265:127217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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29
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Paulussen FM, Schouten GK, Moertl C, Verheul J, Hoekstra I, Koningstein GM, Hutchins GH, Alkir A, Luirink RA, Geerke DP, van Ulsen P, den Blaauwen T, Luirink J, Grossmann TN. Covalent Proteomimetic Inhibitor of the Bacterial FtsQB Divisome Complex. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:15303-15313. [PMID: 35945166 PMCID: PMC9413201 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The use of antibiotics is threatened by the emergence
and spread
of multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria. Thus, there is a need
to develop antibiotics that address new targets. In this respect,
the bacterial divisome, a multi-protein complex central to cell division,
represents a potentially attractive target. Of particular interest
is the FtsQB subcomplex that plays a decisive role in divisome assembly
and peptidoglycan biogenesis in E. coli. Here, we report the structure-based design of
a macrocyclic covalent inhibitor derived from a periplasmic region
of FtsB that mediates its binding to FtsQ. The bioactive conformation
of this motif was stabilized by a customized cross-link resulting
in a tertiary structure mimetic with increased affinity for FtsQ.
To increase activity, a covalent handle was incorporated, providing
an inhibitor that impedes the interaction between FtsQ and FtsB irreversibly. The covalent inhibitor reduced the growth of an outer
membrane-permeable E. coli strain,
concurrent with the expected loss of FtsB localization, and also affected
the infection of zebrafish larvae by a clinical E.
coli strain. This first-in-class inhibitor of a divisome
protein–protein interaction highlights the potential of proteomimetic
molecules as inhibitors of challenging targets. In particular, the
covalent mode-of-action can serve as an inspiration for future antibiotics
that target protein–protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix M Paulussen
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Gina K Schouten
- Medical Microbiology and Infection Control (MMI), Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, Netherlands
| | - Carolin Moertl
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Jolanda Verheul
- Department of Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, Netherlands
| | - Irma Hoekstra
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Gregory M Koningstein
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - George H Hutchins
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Aslihan Alkir
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Rosa A Luirink
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Daan P Geerke
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Peter van Ulsen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Tanneke den Blaauwen
- Department of Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, Netherlands
| | - Joen Luirink
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
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30
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Atomic-Resolution Structures and Mode of Action of Clinically Relevant Antimicrobial Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094558. [PMID: 35562950 PMCID: PMC9100274 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Global rise of infections and deaths caused by drug-resistant bacterial pathogens are among the unmet medical needs. In an age of drying pipeline of novel antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are proven to be valid therapeutics modalities. Direct in vivo applications of many AMPs could be challenging; however, works are demonstrating encouraging results for some of them. In this review article, we discussed 3-D structures of potent AMPs e.g., polymyxin, thanatin, MSI, protegrin, OMPTA in complex with bacterial targets and their mode of actions. Studies on human peptide LL37 and de novo-designed peptides are also discussed. We have focused on AMPs which are effective against drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Since treatment options for the infections caused by super bugs of Gram-negative bacteria are now extremely limited. We also summarize some of the pertinent challenges in the field of clinical trials of AMPs.
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31
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Botte M, Ni D, Schenck S, Zimmermann I, Chami M, Bocquet N, Egloff P, Bucher D, Trabuco M, Cheng RKY, Brunner JD, Seeger MA, Stahlberg H, Hennig M. Cryo-EM structures of a LptDE transporter in complex with Pro-macrobodies offer insight into lipopolysaccharide translocation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1826. [PMID: 35383177 PMCID: PMC8983717 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29459-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharides are major constituents of the extracellular leaflet in the bacterial outer membrane and form an effective physical barrier for environmental threats and for antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria. The last step of LPS insertion via the Lpt pathway is mediated by the LptD/E protein complex. Detailed insights into the architecture of LptDE transporter complexes have been derived from X-ray crystallography. However, no structure of a laterally open LptD transporter, a transient state that occurs during LPS release, is available to date. Here, we report a cryo-EM structure of a partially opened LptDE transporter in complex with rigid chaperones derived from nanobodies, at 3.4 Å resolution. In addition, a subset of particles allows to model a structure of a laterally fully opened LptDE complex. Our work offers insights into the mechanism of LPS insertion, provides a structural framework for the development of antibiotics targeting LptD and describes a highly rigid chaperone scaffold to enable structural biology of challenging protein targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Botte
- leadXpro AG, Park Innovaare, 5234, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Dongchun Ni
- C-CINA, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstr. 24, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Schenck
- leadXpro AG, Park Innovaare, 5234, Villigen, Switzerland
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Iwan Zimmermann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Gloriastasse 28/30, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland
- Linkster Therapeutics AG, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Chami
- C-CINA, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstr. 24, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Pascal Egloff
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Gloriastasse 28/30, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland
- Linkster Therapeutics AG, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Bucher
- leadXpro AG, Park Innovaare, 5234, Villigen, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Janine D Brunner
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Markus A Seeger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Gloriastasse 28/30, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- C-CINA, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstr. 24, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Hennig
- leadXpro AG, Park Innovaare, 5234, Villigen, Switzerland.
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32
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Sinha S, Bhattacharjya S. NMR Structure and Localization of the Host Defense Peptide ThanatinM21F in Zwitterionic Dodecylphosphocholine Micelle: Implications in Antimicrobial and Hemolytic Activity. J Membr Biol 2022; 255:151-160. [PMID: 35257227 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-022-00223-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Non-hemolytic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are vital lead molecules for the designing and development of peptide-based antibiotics. Thanatin a 21-amino acid long single disulfide bonded AMP is known to be highly non-hemolytic with a limited toxicity to human cells and model animals. Thanatin demonstrates a potent antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. A single mutated variant of thanatin replaced last residue Met21 to Phe or thanatin M21F has recently been found to be more active compared to the native peptide. In order to gain mechanistic insights toward bacterial cell lysis versus non-hemolysis, here, we report atomic resolution structure and mode insertion of thanatinM21F reconstituted into zwitterionic detergent micelle by use of solution NMR spectroscopy. The 3D structure of thanatinM21F in DPC micelle is defined by an anti-parallel β-sheet between residues I9-F21 with a central cationic loop, residues N12-R14. PRE NMR studies revealed hydrophobic core residues of thanatinM21F are deeply inserted in the DPC micelle, while residues at the extended N-terminal half of the peptide are appeared to be mostly surface localized. Marked structural differences of thanatin and thanatinM21F in negatively charged LPS and DPC micelle could be correlated with non-hemolytic and antibacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheetal Sinha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
- Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore, 637141, Singapore
| | - Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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33
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Sinha S, Dhanabal VB, Sperandeo P, Polissi A, Bhattacharjya S. Linking dual mode of action of host defense antimicrobial peptide thanatin: Structures, lipopolysaccharide and LptA m binding of designed analogs. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:183839. [PMID: 34915021 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
At present, antibiotics options to cure infections caused by drug resistant Gram-negative pathogens are highly inadequate. LPS outer membrane, proteins involved in LPS transport and biosynthesis pathways are vital targets. Thanatin, an insect derived 21-residue long antimicrobial peptide may be exploited for the development of effective antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria. As a mode of bacterial cell killing, thanatin disrupts LPS outer membrane and inhibits LPS transport by binding to the periplasmic protein LptAm. Here, we report structure-activity correlation of thanatin and analogs for the purpose of rational design. These analogs of thanatin are investigated, by NMR, ITC and fluorescence, to correlate structure, antibacterial activity and binding with LPS and LptAm, a truncated monomeric variant. Our results demonstrate that an analog thanatin M21F exhibits superior antibacterial activity. In LPS interaction analyses, thanatin M21F demonstrate high affinity binding to outer membrane LPS. The atomic resolution structure of thanatin M21F in LPS micelle reveals four stranded β-sheet structure in a dimeric topology whereby the sidechain of aromatic residues Y10, F21 sustained mutual packing at the interface. Strikingly, LptAm binding affinity of thanatin M21F has been significantly increased with an estimated Kd ~ 0.73 nM vs 13 nM for thanatin. Further, atomic resolution structures and interactions of Ala based thanatin analogs define plausible correlations with antibacterial activity and LPS, LptAm interactions. Taken together, the current work provides a frame-work for the designing of thanatin based potent antimicrobial peptides for the treatment of drug resistance Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheetal Sinha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore; Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore 637141, Singapore
| | - Vidhya Bharathi Dhanabal
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Paola Sperandeo
- Dept. of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Dept. of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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34
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Landon C, Zhu Y, Mustafi M, Madinier JB, Lelièvre D, Aucagne V, Delmas AF, Weisshaar JC. Real-Time Fluorescence Microscopy on Living E. coli Sheds New Light on the Antibacterial Effects of the King Penguin β-Defensin AvBD103b. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042057. [PMID: 35216173 PMCID: PMC8880245 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics. Among AMPs, the disulfide-rich β-defensin AvBD103b, whose antibacterial activities are not inhibited by salts contrary to most other β-defensins, is particularly appealing. Information about the mechanisms of action is mandatory for the development and approval of new drugs. However, data for non-membrane-disruptive AMPs such as β-defensins are scarce, thus they still remain poorly understood. (2) We used single-cell fluorescence imaging to monitor the effects of a β-defensin (namely AvBD103b) in real time, on living E. coli, and at the physiological concentration of salts. (3) We obtained key parameters to dissect the mechanism of action. The cascade of events, inferred from our precise timing of membrane permeabilization effects, associated with the timing of bacterial growth arrest, differs significantly from the other antimicrobial compounds that we previously studied in the same physiological conditions. Moreover, the AvBD103b mechanism does not involve significant stereo-selective interaction with any chiral partner, at any step of the process. (4) The results are consistent with the suggestion that after penetrating the outer membrane and the cytoplasmic membrane, AvBD103b interacts non-specifically with a variety of polyanionic targets, leading indirectly to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Landon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (Y.Z.); (M.M.); (J.C.W.)
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France; (J.-B.M.); (D.L.); (V.A.); (A.F.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Yanyu Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (Y.Z.); (M.M.); (J.C.W.)
| | - Mainak Mustafi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (Y.Z.); (M.M.); (J.C.W.)
| | - Jean-Baptiste Madinier
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France; (J.-B.M.); (D.L.); (V.A.); (A.F.D.)
| | - Dominique Lelièvre
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France; (J.-B.M.); (D.L.); (V.A.); (A.F.D.)
| | - Vincent Aucagne
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France; (J.-B.M.); (D.L.); (V.A.); (A.F.D.)
| | - Agnes F. Delmas
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France; (J.-B.M.); (D.L.); (V.A.); (A.F.D.)
| | - James C. Weisshaar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (Y.Z.); (M.M.); (J.C.W.)
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35
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Garcia-Vello P, Di Lorenzo F, Zucchetta D, Zamyatina A, De Castro C, Molinaro A. Lipopolysaccharide lipid A: A promising molecule for new immunity-based therapies and antibiotics. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 230:107970. [PMID: 34454000 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are the main components of the external leaflet of the Gram-negative outer membrane and consist of three different moieties: lipid A, core oligosaccharide, and O-polysaccharide. The lipid A is a glucosamine disaccharide with different levels of acylation and phosphorylation, beside carrying, in certain cases, additional substituents on the sugar backbone. It is also the main immunostimulatory part of the LPS, as its recognition by the host immune system represents a fundamental event for detection of perilous microorganisms. Moreover, an uncontrolled immune response caused by a large amount of circulating LPS can lead to dramatic outcomes for human health, such as septic shock. The immunostimulant properties of an LPS incredibly vary depending on lipid A chemical structure, and for this reason, natural and synthetic variants of the lipid A are under study to develop new drugs that mimic or antagonise its natural effects. Here, we review past and recent findings on the lipid A as an antibiotic target and immune-therapeutic molecule, with a special attention on the crucial role of the chemical structure and its exploitation for conceiving novel strategies for treatment of several immune-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Garcia-Vello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Flaviana Di Lorenzo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Daniele Zucchetta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alla Zamyatina
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cristina De Castro
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Antonio Molinaro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
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36
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Lee J, Cha WH, Lee DW. Multiple Precursor Proteins of Thanatin Isoforms, an Antimicrobial Peptide Associated With the Gut Symbiont of Riptortus pedestris. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:796548. [PMID: 35069496 PMCID: PMC8767025 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.796548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Thanatin is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) generated by insects for defense against bacterial infections. In the present study, we performed cDNA cloning of thanatin and found the presence of multiple precursor proteins from the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris. The cDNA sequences encoded 38 precursor proteins, generating 13 thanatin isoforms. In the phylogenetic analysis, thanatin isoforms were categorized into two groups based on the presence of the membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) domain. In insect-bacterial symbiosis, specific substances are produced by the immune system of the host insect and are known to modulate the symbiont’s population. Therefore, to determine the biological function of thanatin isoforms in symbiosis, the expression levels of three AMP genes were compared between aposymbiotic insects and symbiotic R. pedestris. The expression levels of the thanatin genes were significantly increased in the M4 crypt, a symbiotic organ, of symbiotic insects upon systemic bacterial injection. Further, synthetic thanatin isoforms exhibited antibacterial activity against gut-colonized Burkholderia symbionts rather than in vitro-cultured Burkholderia cells. Interestingly, the suppression of thanatin genes significantly increased the population of Burkholderia gut symbionts in the M4 crypt under systemic Escherichia coli K12 injection. Overgrown Burkholderia gut symbionts were observed in the hemolymph of host insects and exhibited insecticidal activity. Taken together, these results suggest that thanatin of R. pedestris is a host-derived symbiotic factor and an AMP that controls the population of gut-colonized Burkholderia symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junbeom Lee
- Metabolomics Research Center for Functional Materials, Kyungsung University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Wook Hyun Cha
- Department of Bio-Safety, Kyungsung University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Dae-Weon Lee
- Metabolomics Research Center for Functional Materials, Kyungsung University, Busan, South Korea.,Department of Bio-Safety, Kyungsung University, Busan, South Korea
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37
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Randall JR, Davidson G, Fleeman RM, Acosta SA, Riddington IM, Cole TJ, DuPai CD, Davies BW. Synthetic antibacterial discovery of symbah-1, a macrocyclic β-hairpin peptide antibiotic. iScience 2022; 25:103611. [PMID: 35005555 PMCID: PMC8719016 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development and spread of antibiotic resistance necessitate the development of novel strategies for antibiotic discovery. Symbah-1, a synthetic peptide antibiotic, was identified in a high-throughput antibacterial screen of random peptide sequences. Symbah-1 functions through membrane disruption and contains broad spectrum bactericidal activity against several drug-resistant pathogens. Circular dichroism and high-resolution mass spectrometry indicate symbah-1 has a β-hairpin structure induced by lipopolysaccharide and is cyclized via an intramolecular disulfide bond. Together these data classify symbah-1 as an uncommon synthetic member of the β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide class. Symbah-1 displays low hemolysis but loses activity in human serum. Characterization of a symbah-1 peptide library identified two variants with increased serum activity and protease resistance. The method of discovery and subsequent characterization of symbah-1 suggests large synthetic peptide libraries bias toward macrocyclic β-hairpin structure could be designed and screened to rapidly expand and better understand this rare peptide antibiotic class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R. Randall
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Gillian Davidson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Renee M. Fleeman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Santos A. Acosta
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ian M. Riddington
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - T. Jeffrey Cole
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Cory D. DuPai
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Bryan W. Davies
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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38
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Martorana AM, Moura ECCM, Sperandeo P, Di Vincenzo F, Liang X, Toone E, Zhou P, Polissi A. Degradation of Components of the Lpt Transenvelope Machinery Reveals LPS-Dependent Lpt Complex Stability in Escherichia coli. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:758228. [PMID: 35004843 PMCID: PMC8727689 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.758228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a peculiar component of the outer membrane (OM) of many Gram-negative bacteria that renders these bacteria highly impermeable to many toxic molecules, including antibiotics. LPS is assembled at the OM by a dedicated intermembrane transport system, the Lpt (LPS transport) machinery, composed of seven essential proteins located in the inner membrane (IM) (LptB2CFG), periplasm (LptA), and OM (LptDE). Defects in LPS transport compromise LPS insertion and assembly at the OM and result in an overall modification of the cell envelope and its permeability barrier properties. LptA is a key component of the Lpt machine. It connects the IM and OM sub-complexes by interacting with the IM protein LptC and the OM protein LptD, thus enabling the LPS transport across the periplasm. Defects in Lpt system assembly result in LptA degradation whose stability can be considered a marker of an improperly assembled Lpt system. Indeed, LptA recruitment by its IM and OM docking sites requires correct maturation of the LptB2CFG and LptDE sub-complexes, respectively. These quality control checkpoints are crucial to avoid LPS mistargeting. To further dissect the requirements for the complete Lpt transenvelope bridge assembly, we explored the importance of LPS presence by blocking its synthesis using an inhibitor compound. Here, we found that the interruption of LPS synthesis results in the degradation of both LptA and LptD, suggesting that, in the absence of the LPS substrate, the stability of the Lpt complex is compromised. Under these conditions, DegP, a major chaperone–protease in Escherichia coli, is responsible for LptD but not LptA degradation. Importantly, LptD and LptA stability is not affected by stressors disturbing the integrity of LPS or peptidoglycan layers, further supporting the notion that the LPS substrate is fundamental to keeping the Lpt transenvelope complex assembled and that LptA and LptD play a major role in the stability of the Lpt system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra M Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabete C C M Moura
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Sperandeo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Flavia Di Vincenzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Xiaofei Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Eric Toone
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Pei Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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39
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The sacrificial adaptor protein Skp functions to remove stalled substrates from the β-barrel assembly machine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114997119. [PMID: 34969846 PMCID: PMC8740687 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114997119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) of gram-negative bacteria acts as a robust permeability barrier to enable cell survival in a wide variety of harsh environments. Crucial to OM integrity are β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) that are assembled into the membrane by the broadly conserved β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) complex. Here, we identify specific roles for the periplasmic chaperone Skp in functioning as a sacrificial adaptor protein to remove stalled substrates from the Bam complex, imposing an active quality control mechanism that ensures efficient assembly of nascent OMPs into the OM. This work identifies the molecular mechanism of the Skp/DegP functional relationship and clarifies the long-standing paradox of how substrate release from the high-affinity, long-lived Skp–OMP complex is achieved in vivo. The biogenesis of integral β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in gram-negative bacteria requires transport by molecular chaperones across the aqueous periplasmic space. Owing in part to the extensive functional redundancy within the periplasmic chaperone network, specific roles for molecular chaperones in OMP quality control and assembly have remained largely elusive. Here, by deliberately perturbing the OMP assembly process through use of multiple folding-defective substrates, we have identified a role for the periplasmic chaperone Skp in ensuring efficient folding of OMPs by the β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) complex. We find that β-barrel substrates that fail to integrate into the membrane in a timely manner are removed from the Bam complex by Skp, thereby allowing for clearance of stalled Bam–OMP complexes. Following the displacement of OMPs from the assembly machinery, Skp subsequently serves as a sacrificial adaptor protein to directly facilitate the degradation of defective OMP substrates by the periplasmic protease DegP. We conclude that Skp acts to ensure efficient β-barrel folding by directly mediating the displacement and degradation of assembly-compromised OMP substrates from the Bam complex.
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40
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Al Ayed K, Ballantine RD, Hoekstra M, Bann SJ, Wesseling CMJ, Bakker AT, Zhong Z, Li YX, Brüchle NC, van der Stelt M, Cochrane SA, Martin NI. Synthetic Studies with the Brevicidine and Laterocidine Lipopeptide Antibiotics Including Analogues with Enhanced Properties and in vivo Efficacy. Chem Sci 2022; 13:3563-3570. [PMID: 35432860 PMCID: PMC8943889 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc00143h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Brevicidine and laterocidine are two recently discovered lipopeptide antibiotics with promising antibacterial activity. Possessing a macrocyclic core, multiple positive charges, and a lipidated N-terminus, these lipopeptides exhibit potent and selective activity against Gram-negative pathogens, including polymyxin-resistant isolates. Given the low amounts of brevicidine and laterocidine accessible by fermentation of the producing microorganisms, synthetic routes to these lipopeptides present an attractive alternative. We here report the convenient solid-phase syntheses of both brevicidine and laterocidine and confirm their potent anti-Gram-negative activities. The synthetic routes developed also provide convenient access to novel structural analogues of both brevicidine and laterocidine that display improved hydrolytic stability while maintaining potent antibacterial activity in both in vitro assays and in vivo infection models. Convenient solid-phase approaches are described for the synthesis of brevicidine and laterocidine. Also reported are novel analogues including a laterocidine variant with enhanced hydrolytic stability and potent in vivo antibacterial activity.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Karol Al Ayed
- Biological Chemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University Sylviusweg 72 2333 BE Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Ross D Ballantine
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road BT9 5AG Belfast UK
| | - Michael Hoekstra
- Biological Chemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University Sylviusweg 72 2333 BE Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Samantha J Bann
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road BT9 5AG Belfast UK
| | - Charlotte M J Wesseling
- Biological Chemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University Sylviusweg 72 2333 BE Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Bakker
- Molecular Physiology Group, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Zheng Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong China
| | - Yong-Xin Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong China
| | - Nora C Brüchle
- Biological Chemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University Sylviusweg 72 2333 BE Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Mario van der Stelt
- Molecular Physiology Group, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Stephen A Cochrane
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road BT9 5AG Belfast UK
| | - Nathaniel I Martin
- Biological Chemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University Sylviusweg 72 2333 BE Leiden The Netherlands
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41
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Fiorentino F, Bolla JR. Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Dynamics and Interactions of the LPS Translocon LptDE. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2548:109-128. [PMID: 36151495 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2581-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane (OM) is essential for Gram-negative bacteria OM barrier function and for maintaining its cell integrity. As such, comprehensive information about its biosynthesis and translocation represents a successful strategy for the development of antibacterial drugs. LPS is a complex glycolipid, and probing its interactions with LPS transport (Lpt) proteins has been extremely challenging. However, mass spectrometry (MS) techniques have recently catalyzed tremendous advancements in the characterization of LPS transport (Lpt) proteins and probed associated conformational dynamics upon substrate binding. Here, we describe the application of MS methods to study the dynamics of LPS translocon LptDE in the presence of natural substrates and inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Fiorentino
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Jani R Bolla
- The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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42
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Schultz KM, Klug CS. Use of Site-Directed Spin Labeling EPR Spectroscopy to Study Protein-LPS Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2548:83-96. [PMID: 36151493 PMCID: PMC10765611 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2581-1_6] [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] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Site-directed spin labeling EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) spectroscopy is a technique used to identify the local conformational changes at a specific residue of interest within a purified protein in response to a ligand. Here, we describe the site-directed spin labeling EPR spectroscopy methodology to monitor changes in the side-chain motion in soluble lipopolysaccharide transport proteins upon the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A comparison of the spectral overlays of the spin-labeled protein in the absence and presence of LPS provides a qualitative visualization of how LPS binding affects the motion of each spin-labeled site tested within the protein. No change in the spectral lineshapes of a spin-labeled protein in the absence and presence of LPS indicates that the site is not affected by LPS binding, while differences in the spectral lineshapes indicate that LPS does affect the mobility of the spin label side chain within the protein structure. This is a powerful readout of conformational changes at specific residues of interest that can be used to identify a specific site as a reporter of changes induced by ligand binding and to map out the effects of ligand binding through an array of reporter sites within a protein. With the use of AquaStar tubing, protein concentrations as low as 2 μM allow for up to a 100-fold excess of LPS. This methodology may also be applied to other protein-ligand or protein-protein interactions with minor adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Schultz
- Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Candice S Klug
- Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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43
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Shchelik IS, Gademann K. Thiol- and Disulfide-Containing Vancomycin Derivatives Against Bacterial Resistance and Biofilm Formation. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1898-1904. [PMID: 34917252 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant and biofilm-associated infections constitute a rapidly growing issue. Use of the last-resort antibiotic vancomycin is under threat due to the increasing appearance of vancomycin-resistant bacteria as well as the formation of biofilms. Herein, we report a series of novel vancomycin derivatives carrying thiol- and disulfide-containing moieties. The new compounds exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity against a broad range of bacterial strains, including vancomycin-resistant microbes and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, all obtained derivatives demonstrated improved antibiofilm formation activity against VanB-resistant Enterococcus compared to vancomycin. This work establishes a promising strategy for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections or disrupting biofilm formation and advances the knowledge on the structural optimization of antibiotics with sulfur-containing modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga S. Shchelik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karl Gademann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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44
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Müller M, Gräbnitz F, Barandun N, Shen Y, Wendt F, Steiner SN, Severin Y, Vetterli SU, Mondal M, Prudent JR, Hofmann R, van Oostrum M, Sarott RC, Nesvizhskii AI, Carreira EM, Bode JW, Snijder B, Robinson JA, Loessner MJ, Oxenius A, Wollscheid B. Light-mediated discovery of surfaceome nanoscale organization and intercellular receptor interaction networks. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7036. [PMID: 34857745 PMCID: PMC8639842 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27280-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular nanoscale organization of the surfaceome is a fundamental regulator of cellular signaling in health and disease. Technologies for mapping the spatial relationships of cell surface receptors and their extracellular signaling synapses would unlock theranostic opportunities to target protein communities and the possibility to engineer extracellular signaling. Here, we develop an optoproteomic technology termed LUX-MS that enables the targeted elucidation of acute protein interactions on and in between living cells using light-controlled singlet oxygen generators (SOG). By using SOG-coupled antibodies, small molecule drugs, biologics and intact viral particles, we demonstrate the ability of LUX-MS to decode ligand receptor interactions across organisms and to discover surfaceome receptor nanoscale organization with direct implications for drug action. Furthermore, by coupling SOG to antigens we achieved light-controlled molecular mapping of intercellular signaling within functional immune synapses between antigen-presenting cells and CD8+ T cells providing insights into T cell activation with spatiotemporal specificity. LUX-MS based decoding of surfaceome signaling architectures thereby provides a molecular framework for the rational development of theranostic strategies. The spatial organization of cell surface receptors is critical for cell signaling and drug action. Here, the authors develop an optoproteomic method for mapping surface protein interactions, revealing cellular responses to antibodies, drugs and viral particles as well as immunosynapse signaling events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Müller
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), ETH Zurich, Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), Zurich, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Gräbnitz
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Microbiology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Niculò Barandun
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Microbiology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yang Shen
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Wendt
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), ETH Zurich, Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), Zurich, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian N Steiner
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), ETH Zurich, Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), Zurich, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yannik Severin
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Milon Mondal
- Chemistry Department, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Raphael Hofmann
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marc van Oostrum
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), ETH Zurich, Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), Zurich, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roman C Sarott
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexey I Nesvizhskii
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Erick M Carreira
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jeffrey W Bode
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Berend Snijder
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - John A Robinson
- Chemistry Department, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annette Oxenius
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Microbiology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Wollscheid
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), ETH Zurich, Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), Zurich, Switzerland. .,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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45
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Zhang Z, Huang Z, Tong J, Wu Q, Pan Y, Malakar PK, Zhao Y. An outlook for food sterilization technology: targeting the outer membrane of foodborne gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. Curr Opin Food Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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46
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Kathayat D, Helmy YA, Deblais L, Srivastava V, Closs G, Khupse R, Rajashekara G. Novel Small Molecule Growth Inhibitor Affecting Bacterial Outer Membrane Reduces Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) Infection in Avian Model. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0000621. [PMID: 34468186 PMCID: PMC8557866 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00006-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), a subgroup of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), causes colibacillosis in chickens and is reportedly implicated in urinary tract infections and meningitis in humans. A major limitation for the current ExPEC antibiotic therapy is the development of resistance, and antibacterial drugs that can circumvent this problem are critically needed. Here, we evaluated eight novel membrane-affecting anti-APEC small molecule growth inhibitors (GIs), identified in our previous study, against APEC infection in chickens. Among the GIs tested, GI-7 (the most effective), when administered orally (1 mg/kg of body weight), reduced the mortality (41.7%), severity of lesions (62.9%), and APEC load (2.6 log) in chickens. Furthermore, GI-7 administration at an optimized dose (60 mg/liter) in drinking water also reduced the mortality (14.7%), severity of lesions (29.5%), and APEC load (2.2 log) in chickens. The abundances of Lactobacillus and oleate were increased in the cecum and serum, respectively, of GI-7-treated chickens. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that GI-7 was readily absorbed with minimal accumulation in the tissues. Earlier, we showed that GI-7 induced membrane blebbing and increased membrane permeability in APEC, suggesting an effect on the APEC membrane. Consistent with this finding, the expression of genes essential for maintaining outer membrane (OM) integrity was downregulated in GI-7-treated APEC. Furthermore, decreased levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transport (Lpt) proteins and LPS were observed in GI-7-treated APEC. However, the mechanism of action of GI-7 currently remains unknown and needs further investigation. Our studies suggest that GI-7 represents a promising novel lead compound that can be developed to treat APEC infection in chickens and related human ExPEC infections. IMPORTANCE APEC is a subgroup of ExPEC, and genetic similarities of APEC with human ExPECs, including uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC), have been reported. Our study identified a novel small molecule growth inhibitor, GI-7, effective in reducing APEC infection in chickens with an efficacy similar to that of the currently used antibiotic sulfadimethoxine, notably with an 8-times-lower dose. GI-7 affects the OM integrity and decreases the Lpt protein and LPS levels in APEC, an antibacterial mechanism that can overcome the antibiotic resistance problem. Overall, GI-7 represents a promising lead molecule/scaffold for the development of novel antibacterial therapies that could have profound implications for treating APEC infections in chickens, as well as human infections caused by ExPECs and other related Gram-negative bacteria. Further elucidation of the mechanism of action of GI-7 and identification of its target(s) in APEC will benefit future novel antibacterial development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipak Kathayat
- Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Yosra A. Helmy
- Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Loic Deblais
- Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Vishal Srivastava
- Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Gary Closs
- Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Rahul Khupse
- College of Pharmacy, University of Findlay, Findlay, Ohio, USA
| | - Gireesh Rajashekara
- Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
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47
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Ren S, Zhang X, Li Z, Jian X, Zhao J, Song YY. Development of a pulse-induced electrochemical biosensor based on gluconamide for Gram-negative bacteria detection. Mikrochim Acta 2021; 188:399. [PMID: 34716816 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-021-05073-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria can cause the outbreaks of disease and threaten human health, which stimulates the development of advanced detection techniques. Herein, a specific and sensitive electrochemical biosensor for Gram-negative bacteria was established based on the conductive polymer with artificial muscle properties. The effective recognition was achieved through the specific carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction between gluconamide and lipopolysaccharide. The application of impulse voltage enhances the efficiency of recognition and shortens the detection time through the temporary deformation of the electrode surface, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 × 100 CFU/mL and a linear range of 1 × 100 - 1 × 106 CFU/mL for Escherichia coli (E. coli). In addition to the merits of low cost, high efficiency, and rapidity, the developed label-free electrochemical biosensor can also be applicable for other Gram-negative bacteria, owning promising potential in the application of portable devices and paving a potential way for the construction of electrochemical biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sida Ren
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Zhijie Li
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Xiaoxia Jian
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Junjian Zhao
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Yan-Yan Song
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, China.
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Zhu D, Chen F, Chen YC, Peng H, Wang KJ. The Long-Term Effect of a Nine Amino-Acid Antimicrobial Peptide AS-hepc3 (48-56) Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa With No Detectable Resistance. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:752637. [PMID: 34676176 PMCID: PMC8523948 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.752637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens has become a global public health crisis. Among them, MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the main cause of nosocomial infections and deaths. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered as competitive drug candidates to address this threat. In the study, we characterized two AMPs (AS-hepc3(41-71) and AS-hepc3(48-56)) that had potent activity against 5 new clinical isolates of MDR P. aeruginosa. Both AMPs destroyed the integrity of the cell membrane, induced leakage of intracellular components, and ultimately led to cell death. A long-term comparative study on the bacterial resistance treated with AS-hepc3(41-71), AS-hepc3(48-56) and 12 commonly used antibiotics showed that P. aeruginosa quickly developed resistance to the nine antibiotics tested (including aztreonam, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, gentamicin, and piperacillin) as early as 12 days after 150 days of successive culture generations. The initial effective concentration of 9 antibiotics against P. aeruginosa was greatly increased to a different high level at 150 days, however, both AS-hepc3(41-71) and AS-hepc3(48-56) maintained their initial MIC unchangeable through 150 days, indicating that P. aeruginosa did not produce any significant resistance to both AMPs. Furthermore, AS-hepc3(48-56) did not show any toxic effect on mammalian cells in vitro and mice in vivo. AS-hepc3(48-56) had a therapeutic effect on MDR P. aeruginosa infection using a mouse lung infection model and could effectively increase the survival rate of mice by inhibiting bacterial proliferation and attenuating lung inflammation. Taken together, the short peptide AS-hepc3(48-56) would be a promising agent for clinical treatment of MDR P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Depeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Fangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yan-Chao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Hui Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ke-Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Innovation Research Institute for Marine Biological Antimicrobial Peptide Industrial Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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49
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Fiorentino F, Rotili D, Mai A, Bolla JR, Robinson CV. Mass spectrometry enables the discovery of inhibitors of an LPS transport assembly via disruption of protein-protein interactions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:10747-10750. [PMID: 34585198 PMCID: PMC7614387 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc04186j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We developed a native mass spectrometry-based approach to quantify the monomer-dimer equilibrium of the LPS transport protein LptH. We use this method to assess the potency and efficacy of an antimicrobial peptide and small molecule disruptors, obtaining new information on their structure-activity relationships. This approach led to the identification of quinoline-based hit compounds representing the basis for the development of novel LPS transport inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Fiorentino
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK. .,The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, 3 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Drug Chemistry & Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le A Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry & Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le A Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.
| | - Jani R Bolla
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK. .,The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, 3 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Carol V Robinson
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK.
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50
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Li G, Peng X, Guo Y, Gong S, Cao S, Qiu F. Currently Available Strategies for Target Identification of Bioactive Natural Products. Front Chem 2021; 9:761609. [PMID: 34660543 PMCID: PMC8515416 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.761609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, biologically active natural products have gradually become important agents in the field of drug research and development because of their wide availability and variety. However, the target sites of many natural products are yet to be identified, which is a setback in the pharmaceutical industry and has seriously hindered the translation of research findings of these natural products as viable candidates for new drug exploitation. This review systematically describes the commonly used strategies for target identification via the application of probe and non-probe approaches. The merits and demerits of each method were summarized using recent examples, with the goal of comparing currently available methods and selecting the optimum techniques for identifying the targets of bioactive natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuling Peng
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yajing Guo
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shaoxuan Gong
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shijie Cao
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Qiu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
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