1
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Penfield J, Zhang L. Interaction and dynamics of chemokine receptor CXCR4 binding with CXCL12 and hBD-3. Commun Chem 2024; 7:205. [PMID: 39271963 PMCID: PMC11399392 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01280-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemokine receptor CXCR4 is involved in diverse diseases. A comparative study was conducted on CXCR4 embedded in a POPC lipid bilayer binding with CXCL12 in full and truncated forms, hBD-3 in wildtype, analog, and mutant forms based on in total 63 µs all-atom MD simulations. The initial binding structures of CXCR4 with ligands were predicted using HADDOCK docking or random-seed method, then μs-long simulations were performed to refine the structures. CXCR4&ligand binding structures predicted agree with available literature data. Both kinds of ligands bind stably to the N-terminus, extracellular loop 2 (ECL2), and ECL3 regions of CXCR4; the C2-C3 (K32-R38) region and occasionally the head of hBD-3 bind stably with CXCR4. hBD-3 analogs with Cys11-Cys40 disulfide bond can activate CXCR4 based on the Helix3-Helix6 distance calculation, but not other analogs or mutant. The results provide insight into understanding the dynamics and activation mechanism of CXCR4 receptor binding with different ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Penfield
- Chemical Engineering Department, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA
| | - Liqun Zhang
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA.
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2
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Zhao H, Zhao S, Wang S, Liu Y. Human β-defensins: The multi-functional natural peptide. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 227:116451. [PMID: 39059771 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The increasing threat of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic microorganisms and the urgent demand for new antibiotics require immediate attention. Antimicrobial peptides exhibit effectiveness against microorganisms, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. The discovery of human β-defensins represents a major milestone in biomedical research, opening new avenues for scientific investigation into the innate immune system and its resistance mechanisms against pathogenic microorganisms. Multiple defensins present a promising alternative in the context of antibiotic abuse. However, obstacles to the practical application of defensins as anti-infective therapies persist due to the unique properties of human β-defensins themselves and serious pharmacological and technical challenges. To overcome these challenges, diverse delivery vehicles have been developed and progressively improved for the conjugation or encapsulation of human β-defensins. This review briefly introduces the biology of human β-defensins, focusing on their multistage structure and diverse functions. It also discusses several heterologous systems for producing human β-defensins, various delivery systems created for these peptides, and patent applications related to their utilization, concluding with a summary of current challenges and potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haile Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China
| | - Shuli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China
| | - Simeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock Jointly Constructed by Ministry and Province, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, 24 Zhaojun Road, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010020, China.
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3
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Yuan L, Zhang S, Bi R, Liu X, Han Z, Li M, Liao X, Xie T, Bai S, Xie Q, Luo C, Jiang Y, Yuan J, Luo H, Yan H, Sun C, Shu Y. A broad-spectrum multiepitope vaccine against seasonal influenza A and B viruses in mice. EBioMedicine 2024; 106:105269. [PMID: 39111250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Influenza viruses pose a persistent threat to global public health, necessitating the development of innovative and broadly effective vaccines. METHODS This study focuses on a multiepitope vaccine (MEV) designed to provide broad-spectrum protection against different influenza viruses. The MEV, containing 19 B-cell linear epitopes, 7 CD4+ T cells, and 11 CD8+ T cells epitopes identified through enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) in influenza viruses infected mice, was administered through a regimen of two doses of DNA vaccine followed by one dose of a protein vaccine in C57BL/6 female mice. FINDINGS Upon lethal challenge with both seasonal circulating strains (H1N1, H3N2, BV, and BY) and historical strains (H1N1-PR8 and H3N2-X31), MEV demonstrated substantial protection against different influenza seasonal strains, with partial efficacy against historical strains. Notably, the increased germinal centre B cells and antibody-secreting cells, along with robust T cell immune responses, highlighted the comprehensive immune defence elicited by MEV. Elevated hemagglutinin inhibition antibody was also observed against seasonal circulating and historical strains. Additionally, mice vaccinated with MEV exhibited significantly lower counts of inflammatory cells in the lungs compared to negative control groups. INTERPRETATION Our results demonstrated the efficacy of a broad-spectrum MEV against influenza viruses in mice. Conducting long-term studies to evaluate the durability of MEV-induced immune responses and explore its potential application in diverse populations will offer valuable insights for the continued advancement of this promising vaccine. FUNDING Funding bodies are described in the Acknowledgments section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Yuan
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Shengze Zhang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Rongjun Bi
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Xuejie Liu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Zirong Han
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Minchao Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Xinzhong Liao
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Ting Xie
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Shaohui Bai
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Qian Xie
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Chuming Luo
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
| | - Ying Jiang
- Shenzhen Nanshan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518054, PR China.
| | - Jianhui Yuan
- Shenzhen Nanshan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518054, PR China.
| | - Huanle Luo
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, PR China.
| | - Huacheng Yan
- Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Southern Military Theatre, 510610, Guangzhou, PR China.
| | - Caijun Sun
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, PR China.
| | - Yuelong Shu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes and Biosafetuy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen Infection Prevention and Control (MOE), State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 102629, PR China.
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4
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Chen M, Hu Z, Shi J, Xie Z. Human β-defensins and their synthetic analogs: Natural defenders and prospective new drugs of oral health. Life Sci 2024; 346:122591. [PMID: 38548013 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
As a family of cationic host defense peptides, human β-defensins (HBDs) are ubiquitous in the oral cavity and are mainly synthesized primarily by epithelial cells, serving as the primary barrier and aiming to prevent microbial invasion, inflammation, and disease while maintaining physiological homeostasis. In recent decades, there has been great interest in their biological functions, structure-activity relationships, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential in oral diseases. Meanwhile, researchers are dedicated to improving the properties of HBDs for clinical application. In this review, we first describe the classification, structural characteristics, functions, and mechanisms of HBDs. Next, we cover the role of HBDs and their synthetic analogs in oral diseases, including dental caries and pulp infections, periodontitis, peri-implantitis, fungal/viral infections and oral mucosal diseases, and oral squamous cell carcinoma. Finally, we discuss the limitations and challenges of clinical translation of HBDs and their synthetic analogs, including, but not limited to, stability, bioavailability, antimicrobial activity, resistance, and toxicity. Above all, this review summarizes the biological functions, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential of both natural HBDs and their synthetic analogs in oral diseases, as well as the challenges associated with clinical translation, thus providing substantial insights into the laboratory development and clinical application of HBDs in oral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mumian Chen
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
| | - Zihe Hu
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
| | - Jue Shi
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
| | - Zhijian Xie
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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5
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Yuan L, Li X, Li M, Bi R, Li Y, Song J, Li W, Yan M, Luo H, Sun C, Shu Y. In silico design of a broad-spectrum multiepitope vaccine against influenza virus. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:128071. [PMID: 37967595 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Influenza remains a global health concern due to its potential to cause pandemics as a result of rapidly mutating influenza virus strains. Existing vaccines often struggle to keep up with these rapidly mutating flu viruses. Therefore, the development of a broad-spectrum peptide vaccine that can stimulate an optimal antibody response has emerged as an innovative approach to addressing the influenza threat. In this study, an immunoinformatic approach was employed to rapidly predict immunodominant epitopes from different antigens, aiming to develop an effective multiepitope influenza vaccine (MEV). The immunodominant B-cell linear epitopes of seasonal influenza strains hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) were predicted using an antibody-peptide microarray, involving a human cohort including vaccinees and infected patients. On the other hand, bioinformatics tools were used to predict immunodominant cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) and helper T-cell (HTL) epitopes. Subsequently, these epitopes were evaluated by various immunoinformatic tools. Epitopes with high antigenicity, high immunogenicity, non-allergenicity, non-toxicity, as well as exemplary conservation were then connected in series with appropriate linkers and adjuvants to construct a broad-spectrum MEV. Moreover, the structural analysis revealed that the MEV candidates exhibited good stability, and the docking results demonstrated their strong affinity to Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4). In addition, molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the stable interaction between TLR4 and MEVs. Three injections with MEVs showed a high level of B-cell and T-cell immune responses according to the immunological simulations in silico. Furthermore, in-silico cloning was performed, and the results indicated that the MEVs could be produced in considerable quantities in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Based on these findings, it is reasonable to create a broad-spectrum MEV against different subtypes of influenza A and B viruses in silico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Yuan
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
| | - Xu Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, Hunan, PR China.
| | - Minchao Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
| | - Rongjun Bi
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Yingrui Li
- Shenzhen Digital Life Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, PR China.
| | - Jiaping Song
- Shenzhen Digital Life Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, PR China.
| | - Wei Li
- Shenzhen Digital Life Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, PR China.
| | - Mingchen Yan
- Shenzhen Digital Life Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, PR China
| | - Huanle Luo
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
| | - Caijun Sun
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
| | - Yuelong Shu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, PR China; Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100176, PR China.
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6
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Zhang G, Han L, Zhao Y, Li Q, Wang S, Shi H. Development and evaluation of a multi-epitope subunit vaccine against Mycoplasma synoviae infection. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126685. [PMID: 37666406 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Mycoplasma synoviae is an extremely significant avian pathogen, causing substantial financial harm to poultry farmers worldwide, and impacting both chicken and turkey production. Multi-epitope vaccines offer higher immunity and lower allergenicity compared to conventional vaccines. In this study, our objective is to develop a multi-epitope vaccine for M. synoviae (MSMV) and to evaluate the immune responses and protective efficacy of MSMV in chickens. We successfully identified a total of 14 B-cell, 5 MHC-I, and 16 MHC-II binding epitopes from the immunodominant proteins RS01790, BMP, GrpE, RS00900, and RS00275. Subsequently, we synthesized the multi-epitope vaccine by connecting all conserved epitopes using appropriate linkers. The resulting MSMV demonstrated notable antigenicity, non-allergenic properties, and stability. Notably, the MSMV effectively stimulated high levels of antibody production in chickens. Furthermore, MSMV the vaccine elicited a robust cellular immune response in chickens, characterized by a well-balanced Th1/Th2-type cytokine profile and enhanced lymphocyte proliferation. In immune protection experiments, the vaccinated chickens exhibited reduced air sac lesion scores and tracheal mucosal thickness compared to their non-vaccinated chickens. Additionally, vaccinated chickens displayed lower M. synoviae loads in throat swabs. These findings collectively suggested that the MSMV holds significant potential as a promising vaccine candidate for managing M. synoviae infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guihua Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lejiabao Han
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yuying Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
| | - Quan Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China.
| | - Shifeng Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0880, USA.
| | - Huoying Shi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University (JIRLAAPS), Yangzhou, China.
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7
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Watanabe R, Matsugaki A, Gokcekaya O, Ozasa R, Matsumoto T, Takahashi H, Yasui H, Nakano T. Host bone microstructure for enhanced resistance to bacterial infections. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 154:213633. [PMID: 37775399 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Postoperative bacterial infection is a serious complication of orthopedic surgery. Not only infections that develop in the first few weeks after surgery but also late infections that develop years after surgery are serious problems. However, the relationship between host bone and infection activation has not yet been explored. Here, we report a novel association between host bone collagen/apatite microstructure and bacterial infection. The bone-mimetic-oriented micro-organized matrix structure was obtained by prolonged controlled cell alignment using a grooved-structured biomedical titanium alloy. Surprisingly, we have discovered that highly aligned osteoblasts have a potent inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli adhesion. Additionally, the oriented collagen/apatite micro-organization of the bone matrix showed excellent antibacterial resistance against Escherichia coli. The proposed mechanism for realizing the antimicrobial activity of the micro-organized bone matrix is by the controlled secretion of the antimicrobial peptides, including β-defensin 2 and β-defensin 3, from the highly aligned osteoblasts. Our findings contribute to the development of anti-infective strategies for orthopedic surgeries. The recovery of the intrinsically ordered bone matrix organization provides superior antibacterial resistance after surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Watanabe
- Teijin Nakashima Medical Co. Ltd., 688-1 Joto-Kitagata, Higashi-ku, Okayama 709-0625, Japan; Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Aira Matsugaki
- Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Ozkan Gokcekaya
- Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Ryosuke Ozasa
- Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Takuya Matsumoto
- Department of Biomaterials, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1, Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Takahashi
- Teijin Nakashima Medical Co. Ltd., 688-1 Joto-Kitagata, Higashi-ku, Okayama 709-0625, Japan.
| | - Hidekazu Yasui
- Teijin Nakashima Medical Co. Ltd., 688-1 Joto-Kitagata, Higashi-ku, Okayama 709-0625, Japan.
| | - Takayoshi Nakano
- Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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Dey J, Mahapatra SR, Singh PK, Prabhuswamimath SC, Misra N, Suar M. Designing of multi-epitope peptide vaccine against Acinetobacter baumannii through combined immunoinformatics and protein interaction-based approaches. Immunol Res 2023; 71:639-662. [PMID: 37022613 PMCID: PMC10078064 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-023-09374-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the major pathogenic ESKAPE bacterium, which is responsible for about more than 722,000 cases in a year, globally. Despite the alarming increase in multidrug resistance, a safe and effective vaccine for Acinetobacter infections is still not available. Hence in the current study, a multiepitope vaccine construct was developed using linear B cell, cytotoxic T cell, and helper T cell epitopes from the antigenic and well-conserved lipopolysaccharide assembly proteins employing systematic immunoinformatics and structural vaccinology strategies. The multi-peptide vaccine was predicted to be highly antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, and cover maximum population coverage worldwide. Further, the vaccine construct was modeled along with adjuvant and peptide linkers and validated to achieve a high-quality three-dimensional structure which was subsequently utilized for cytokine prediction, disulfide engineering, and docking analyses with Toll-like receptor (TLR4). Ramachandran plot showed 98.3% of the residues were located in the most favorable and permitted regions, thereby corroborating the feasibility of the modeled vaccine construct. Molecular dynamics simulation for a 100 ns timeframe further confirmed the stability of the binding vaccine-receptor complex. Finally, in silico cloning and codon adaptation were also performed with the pET28a (+) plasmid vector to determine the efficiency of expression and translation of the vaccine. Immune simulation studies demonstrated that the vaccine could trigger both B and T cell responses and can elicit strong primary, secondary, and tertiary immune responses. The designed multi-peptide subunit vaccine would certainly expedite the experimental approach for the development of a vaccine against A. baumannii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyotirmayee Dey
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, -751024, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Soumya Ranjan Mahapatra
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, -751024, Bhubaneswar, India
| | | | - Samudyata C Prabhuswamimath
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, -570015, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Namrata Misra
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, -751024, Bhubaneswar, India.
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, -751024, Bhubaneswar, India.
| | - Mrutyunjay Suar
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, -751024, Bhubaneswar, India.
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, -751024, Bhubaneswar, India.
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Rcheulishvili N, Mao J, Papukashvili D, Feng S, Liu C, Wang X, He Y, Wang PG. Design, evaluation, and immune simulation of potentially universal multi-epitope mpox vaccine candidate: focus on DNA vaccine. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1203355. [PMID: 37547674 PMCID: PMC10403236 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1203355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Monkeypox (mpox) is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the mpox virus. Mpox symptoms are similar to smallpox with less severity and lower mortality. As yet mpox virus is not characterized by as high transmissibility as some severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, still, it is spreading, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). Thus, taking preventive measures, such as vaccination, is highly recommended. While the smallpox vaccine has demonstrated considerable efficacy against the mpox virus due to the antigenic similarities, the development of a universal anti-mpox vaccine remains a necessary pursuit. Recently, nucleic acid vaccines have garnered special attention owing to their numerous advantages compared to traditional vaccines. Importantly, DNA vaccines have certain advantages over mRNA vaccines. In this study, a potentially universal DNA vaccine candidate against mpox based on conserved epitopes was designed and its efficacy was evaluated via an immunoinformatics approach. The vaccine candidate demonstrated potent humoral and cellular immune responses in silico, indicating the potential efficacy in vivo and the need for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yunjiao He
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Peng George Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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10
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Bello-Madruga R, Valle J, Jiménez MÁ, Torrent M, Montero-Alejo V, Andreu D. The C-Terminus of Panusin, a Lobster β-Defensin, Is Crucial for Optimal Antimicrobial Activity and Serum Stability. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1777. [PMID: 37376223 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15061777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
β-defensins are one of the most abundant and studied families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Because of their selective toxicity to bacterial membranes and a broad spectrum of microbicidal action, β-defensins are regarded as potential therapeutic agents. This work focuses on a β-defensin-like AMP from the spiny lobster Panulirus argus (hereafter referred to as panusin or PaD). This AMP is structurally related to mammalian defensins via the presence of an αβ domain stabilized by disulfide bonds. Previous studies of PaD suggest that its C-terminus (Ct_PaD) contains the main structural determinants of antibacterial activity. To confirm this hypothesis, we made synthetic versions of PaD and Ct_PaD to determine the influence of the C-terminus on antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity, proteolytic stability, and 3D structure. After successful solid-phase synthesis and folding, antibacterial assays of both peptides showed truncated Ct_PaD to be more active than native PaD, confirming the role of the C-terminus in activity and suggesting that cationic residues in that region enhance binding to negatively charged membranes. On the other hand, neither PaD nor Ct_PaD were hemolytic or cytotoxic in human cells. Proteolysis in human serum was also studied, showing high (>24 h) t1/2 values for PaD and lower but still considerable for Ct_PaD, indicating that the missing native disulfide bond in Ct_PaD alters protease resistance, albeit not decisively. NMR-2D experiments in water agree with the results obtained by circular dichroism (CD), where in SDS micelles, CD showed both peptides adopting an increasingly ordered structure in a hydrophobic environment, in tune with their ability to perturb bacterial membrane systems. In conclusion, while the β-defensin features of PaD are confirmed as advantageous in terms of antimicrobial activity, toxicity, and protease stability, the results of the present work suggest that these same features are preserved, even enhanced, in the structurally simpler Ct_PaD, which must therefore be viewed as a valuable lead for the development of novel anti-infectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Bello-Madruga
- Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Systems Biology of Infection Lab, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, (CIDEM), La Habana 10400, Cuba
| | - Javier Valle
- Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Ángeles Jiménez
- Instituto de Química Física Blas Cabrera-CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marc Torrent
- Systems Biology of Infection Lab, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Vivian Montero-Alejo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, (CIDEM), La Habana 10400, Cuba
| | - David Andreu
- Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Lee YCJ, Javdan B, Cowan A, Smith K. More than skin deep: cyclic peptides as wound healing and cytoprotective compounds. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1195600. [PMID: 37325572 PMCID: PMC10267460 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1195600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and cost of wounds pose a challenge to patients as well as the healthcare system. Wounds can involve multiple tissue types and, in some cases, become chronic and difficult to treat. Comorbidities may also decrease the rate of tissue regeneration and complicate healing. Currently, treatment relies on optimizing healing factors rather than administering effective targeted therapies. Owing to their enormous diversity in structure and function, peptides are among the most prevalent and biologically important class of compounds and have been investigated for their wound healing bioactivities. A class of these peptides, called cyclic peptides, confer stability and improved pharmacokinetics, and are an ideal source of wound healing therapeutics. This review provides an overview of cyclic peptides that have been shown to promote wound healing in various tissues and in model organisms. In addition, we describe cytoprotective cyclic peptides that mitigate ischemic reperfusion injuries. Advantages and challenges in harnessing the healing potential for cyclic peptides from a clinical perspective are also discussed. Cyclic peptides are a potentially attractive category of wound healing compounds and more research in this field could not only rely on design as mimetics but also encompass de novo approaches as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chiang J. Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Bahar Javdan
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Alexis Cowan
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Keith Smith
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, United States
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12
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Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek A, Baran J, Ciach T. Antimicrobial Peptides: Challenging Journey to the Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Cosmeceutical Use. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109031. [PMID: 37240379 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or host defence peptides, are short proteins in various life forms. Here we discuss AMPs, which may become a promising substitute or adjuvant in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmeceutical uses. Their pharmacological potential has been investigated intensively, especially as antibacterial and antifungal drugs and as promising antiviral and anticancer agents. AMPs exhibit many properties, and some of these have attracted the attention of the cosmetic industry. AMPs are being developed as novel antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens and as potential treatments for various diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disorders, and viral infections. In biomedicine, AMPs are being developed as wound-healing agents because they promote cell growth and tissue repair. The immunomodulatory effects of AMPs could be helpful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In the cosmeceutical industry, AMPs are being investigated as potential ingredients in skincare products due to their antioxidant properties (anti-ageing effects) and antibacterial activity, which allows the killing of bacteria that contribute to acne and other skin conditions. The promising benefits of AMPs make them a thrilling area of research, and studies are underway to overcome obstacles and fully harness their therapeutic potential. This review presents the structure, mechanisms of action, possible applications, production methods, and market for AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Baran
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Ciach
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warynskiego 1, 00-645 Warsaw, Poland
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13
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van Dijk A, Guabiraba R, Bailleul G, Schouler C, Haagsman HP, Lalmanach AC. Evolutionary diversification of defensins and cathelicidins in birds and primates. Mol Immunol 2023; 157:53-69. [PMID: 36996595 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Divergent evolution for more than 310 million years has resulted in an avian immune system that is complex and more compact than that of primates, sharing much of its structure and functions. Not surprisingly, well conserved ancient host defense molecules, such as defensins and cathelicidins, have diversified over time. In this review, we describe how evolution influenced the host defense peptides repertoire, its distribution, and the relationship between structure and biological functions. Marked features of primate and avian HDPs are linked to species-specific characteristics, biological requirements, and environmental challenge.
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14
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Bayani F, Safaei Hashkavaei N, Karamian MR, Uskoković V, Sefidbakht Y. In silico design of a multi-epitope vaccine against the spike and the nucleocapsid proteins of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:11748-11762. [PMID: 36703619 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2170470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Computational studies can comprise an effective approach to treating and preventing viral infections. Since 2019, the world has been dealing with the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The most important achievement in this short period of time in the effort to reduce morbidity and mortality was the production of vaccines and effective antiviral drugs. Although the virus has been significantly suppressed, it continues to evolve, spread, and evade the host's immune system. Recently, researchers have turned to immunoinformatics tools to reduce side effects and save the time and cost of traditional vaccine production methods. In the present study, an attempt has been made to design a multi-epitope vaccine with humoral and cellular immune response stimulation against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 by investigating new mutations in spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. The population coverage of the vaccine was evaluated as appropriate compared to other studies. The results of molecular dynamics simulation and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) calculations predict the stability and proper interaction of the vaccine with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) as an innate immune receptor. The results of the immune simulation show a significant increase in the coordinated response of IgM and IgG after the third injection of the vaccine. Also, in the continuation of the research, spike proteins from BA.4 and BA.5 lineages were screened by immunoinformatics filters and effective epitopes were suggested for vaccine design. Despite the high precision of computational studies, in-vivo and in-vitro research is needed for final confirmation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Bayani
- Protein Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Reza Karamian
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vuk Uskoković
- TardigradeNano LLC, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yahya Sefidbakht
- Protein Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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15
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AlChalabi R, Al-Rahim A, Omer D, Suleiman AA. Immunoinformatics design of multi-epitope peptide-based vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae strain using cell division protein. NETWORK MODELING AND ANALYSIS IN HEALTH INFORMATICS AND BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 12:1. [PMID: 36465492 PMCID: PMC9707196 DOI: 10.1007/s13721-022-00395-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Haemophilus influenzae is a pathogen that causes invasive bacterial infections in humans. The highest prevalence lies in both young children and adults. Generally, there are no vaccines available that target all the strains of Haemophilus influenzae. Hence, the purpose of this research is to employ bioinformatics and immunoinformatics approaches to design a Multi-Epitope Vaccine candidate employing the pathogenic cell division protein FtsN that specifically combat all the Haemophilus influenzae strains. The current research focuses on developing subunit vaccine in contrast to vaccines generated from the entire pathogen. This will be accomplished by combining multiple bioinformatics and immunoinformatics approaches. As a result, prospective T cells (helper T lymphocyte and cytotoxic T lymphocytes) and B cells epitopes were investigated. The human leukocyte antigen allele having strong associations with the antigenic and overlapping epitopes were chosen, with 70% of the total coverage of the world population. To construct a linked vaccine design, multiple linkers were used. To increase the immunogenic profile, an adjuvant was linked using EAAAK linker. The final vaccine construct with 149 amino acids was obtained after adjuvants and linkers were added. The developed Multi-Epitope Vaccine has a high antigenicity as well as viable physiochemical features. The 3D conformation was modeled and undergoes refinement and validation using bioinformatics methods. Furthermore, protein-protein molecular docking analysis was performed to predict the effective binding poses of Multi-Epitope Vaccine with the Toll-like receptor 4 protein. Besides, vaccine underwent the codon translational optimization and computational cloning to verify the reliability and proper Multi-Epitope Vaccine expression. In addition, it is necessary to conduct experiments and research in the laboratory to demonstrate that the vaccine that has been developed is immunogenic and protective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rawaa AlChalabi
- College of Biotechnology, Department of Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Aya Al-Rahim
- College of Biotechnology, Department of Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Dania Omer
- College of Biotechnology, Department of Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq
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16
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Huang S, Zhang C, Li J, Dai Z, Huang J, Deng F, Wang X, Yue X, Hu X, Li Y, Deng Y, Wang Y, Zhao W, Zhong Z, Wang Y. Designing a multi-epitope vaccine against coxsackievirus B based on immunoinformatics approaches. Front Immunol 2022; 13:933594. [PMID: 36439191 PMCID: PMC9682020 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.933594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Coxsackievirus B (CVB) is one of the major viral pathogens of human myocarditis and cardiomyopathy without any effective preventive measures; therefore, it is necessary to develop a safe and efficacious vaccine against CVB. Immunoinformatics methods are both economical and convenient as in-silico simulations can shorten the development time. Herein, we design a novel multi-epitope vaccine for the prevention of CVB by using immunoinformatics methods. With the help of advanced immunoinformatics approaches, we predicted different B-cell, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), and helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes, respectively. Subsequently, we constructed the multi-epitope vaccine by fusing all conserved epitopes with appropriate linkers and adjuvants. The final vaccine was found to be antigenic, non-allergenic, and stable. The 3D structure of the vaccine was then predicted, refined, and evaluated. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation were performed to reveal the interactions between the vaccine with the immune receptors MHC-I, MHC-II, TLR3, and TLR4. Finally, to ensure the complete expression of the vaccine protein, the sequence of the designed vaccine was optimized and further performed in-silico cloning. In conclusion, the molecule designed in this study could be considered a potential vaccine against CVB infection and needed further experiments to evaluate its safety and efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sichao Huang
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Congcong Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jianing Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zongmao Dai
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jingjing Huang
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Fengzhen Deng
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xumeng Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xinxin Yue
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xinnan Hu
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuxuan Li
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yushu Deng
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yanhang Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wenran Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhaohua Zhong
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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17
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Rahman S, Das AK. A subtractive proteomics and immunoinformatics approach towards designing a potential multi-epitope vaccine against pathogenic Listeriamonocytogenes. Microb Pathog 2022; 172:105782. [PMID: 36150556 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105782] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, which is dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly or individuals with a weakened immune system. Individuals with leukaemia, cancer, HIV/AIDS, kidney transplant and steroid therapy suffer from immunological damage are menaced. World Health Organization (WHO) reports that human listeriosis has a high mortality rate of 20-30% every year. To date, no vaccine is available to treat listeriosis. Thereby, it is high time to design novel vaccines against L. monocytogenes. Here, we present computational approaches to design an antigenic, stable and safe vaccine against the L. monocytogenes that could help to control the infections associated with the pathogen. Three vital pathogenic proteins of L. monocytogenes, such as Listeriolysin O (LLO), Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), and Actin polymerization protein (ActA), were selected using a subtractive proteomics approach to design the multi-epitope vaccine (MEV). A total of 5 Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and 9 Helper T-lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes were predicted from these selected proteins. To design the multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) from the selected proteins, CTL epitopes were joined with the AAY linker, and HTL epitopes were joined with the GPGPG linker. Additionally, a human β-defensin-3 (hBD-3) adjuvant was added to the N-terminal side of the final MEV construct to increase the immune response to the vaccine. The final MEV was predicted to be antigenic, non-allergen and non-toxic in nature. Physicochemical property analysis suggested that the MEV construct is stable and could be easily purified through the E. coli expression system. This in-silico study showed that MEV has a robust binding interaction with Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), a key player in the innate immune system. Current subtractive proteomics and immunoinformatics study provides a background for designing a suitable, safe and effective vaccine against pathogenic L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakilur Rahman
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, West Bengal, India
| | - Amit Kumar Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, West Bengal, India.
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18
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Kamli MR, Sabir JSM, Malik MA, Ahmad A. Human β defensins-1, an antimicrobial peptide, kills Candida glabrata by generating oxidative stress and arresting the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 154:113569. [PMID: 35988423 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113569] [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: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida glabrata is the most frequently isolated non-albicans Candida species in clinical samples and is known to develop resistance to commonly used antifungal drugs. Human β defensins (hBDs) are antimicrobial peptides of immune systems and are active against a broad range of pathogens including Candida species. Herein, the antifungal effect of hBD-1 and its mechanism of action in C. glabrata was studied. The antifungal susceptibility of hBD-1 against C. glabrata was calculated by broth microdilution assay. To study the mechanism of antifungal action, the impact of hBD-1 on cell cycle, expression of oxidative stress enzymes, and membrane disintegration were assessed. The susceptibility results confirmed that hBD-1 possessed the minimum inhibitory concentration of 3.12 µg/mL and prevented the growth and caused yeast cell death to various extents. The peptide at subinhibitory and inhibitory concentrations blocked the cell cycle in C. glabrata in G0/G1 phase and disturbed the activity of primary and secondary antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, at higher concentrations disruption of membrane integrity was observed. Altogether, hBD-1 showed candidicidal activity against C. glabrata and was able to induce oxidative stress and arrested cell cycle in C. auris and therefore has a potential to be developed as an antifungal drug against C. glabrata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Rasool Kamli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Jamal S M Sabir
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maqsood Ahmad Malik
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aijaz Ahmad
- Center of excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Division of Infection Control, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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19
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Kumar P, Shiraz M, Akif M. Multi-epitope-based vaccine design by exploring antigenic potential among leptospiral lipoproteins using comprehensive immunoinformatics and structure-based approaches. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2022; 70:670-687. [PMID: 35877991 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2389] [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: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a tropical and globally neglected zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes, leptospira. Although the disease has been studied for decades, a potent or effective vaccine is not available so far. Efforts are being made to design an efficient vaccine candidate using different approaches. Immunoinformatics approaches have been proven to be promising in terms of time and cost. Here, we used immunoinformatics and structure-based approaches to evaluate antigenic B and T-cell epitopes present on the Leptospiral lipoproteins (LipL). The promiscuous overlapping epitopes (B-cell, T-cell, IFN- γ positive and non-allergens), which can induce humoral, cell-mediated, and innate immunity, were selected to generate a multi-epitope chimeric vaccine. To enhance the vaccine immunogenicity, a TLR agonist was fused to the vaccine with a suitable linker. The chimeric vaccine structure was predicted for molecular docking studies with immune receptors. Moreover, the stability of the vaccine-immune receptor complexes was analyzed by normal mode analysis (NMA). The potency of the vaccine construct was predicted by the immune simulation tool. The study provides additional information towards constructing a peptide-based chimeric vaccine effort against Leptospira. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Kumar
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, INDIA
| | - Mohd Shiraz
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, INDIA
| | - Mohd Akif
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, INDIA
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20
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Wei DX, Zhang XW. Biosynthesis, Bioactivity, Biosafety and Applications of Antimicrobial Peptides for Human Health. BIOSAFETY AND HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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21
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Escobar‐Salom M, Torrens G, Jordana‐Lluch E, Oliver A, Juan C. Mammals' humoral immune proteins and peptides targeting the bacterial envelope: from natural protection to therapeutic applications against multidrug‐resistant
Gram
‐negatives. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1005-1037. [PMID: 35043558 PMCID: PMC9304279 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian innate immunity employs several humoral ‘weapons’ that target the bacterial envelope. The threats posed by the multidrug‐resistant ‘ESKAPE’ Gram‐negative pathogens (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) are forcing researchers to explore new therapeutic options, including the use of these immune elements. Here we review bacterial envelope‐targeting (peptidoglycan and/or membrane‐targeting) proteins/peptides of the mammalian immune system that are most likely to have therapeutic applications. Firstly we discuss their general features and protective activity against ESKAPE Gram‐negatives in the host. We then gather, integrate, and discuss recent research on experimental therapeutics harnessing their bactericidal power, based on their exogenous administration and also on the discovery of bacterial and/or host targets that improve the performance of this endogenous immunity, as a novel therapeutic concept. We identify weak points and knowledge gaps in current research in this field and suggest areas for future work to obtain successful envelope‐targeting therapeutic options to tackle the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Escobar‐Salom
- Department of Microbiology University Hospital Son Espases‐Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa) Carretera de Valldemossa 79 Palma Balearic Islands 07010 Spain
| | - Gabriel Torrens
- Department of Microbiology University Hospital Son Espases‐Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa) Carretera de Valldemossa 79 Palma Balearic Islands 07010 Spain
| | - Elena Jordana‐Lluch
- Department of Microbiology University Hospital Son Espases‐Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa) Carretera de Valldemossa 79 Palma Balearic Islands 07010 Spain
| | - Antonio Oliver
- Department of Microbiology University Hospital Son Espases‐Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa) Carretera de Valldemossa 79 Palma Balearic Islands 07010 Spain
| | - Carlos Juan
- Department of Microbiology University Hospital Son Espases‐Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa) Carretera de Valldemossa 79 Palma Balearic Islands 07010 Spain
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22
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Immunoinformatics and reverse vaccinomic approaches for effective design. COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES FOR NOVEL THERAPEUTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC DESIGNING TO MITIGATE SARS-COV-2 INFECTION 2022. [PMCID: PMC9300457 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91172-6.00004-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of mutagenic strains of severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) worst hit the world which already suffered from the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for 2 years. Due to recent advances in vaccinomics, many vaccine candidates are available but their efficacy against a mutant version of SARS-CoV-2 has remained uncertain. The immune-informatics-based reverse vaccinomic approaches have shown promising investigations recently for the development of cost-effective vaccinomics candidates in a very short period of time. The strategic vaccine development of selected epitopes using artificial intelligence for both B- and T-cells is a very crucial step in this process. This approach provides a highly effective and immunogenic vaccine that offers immunological safety against autoimmunity and other adverse effects over ethnicities, pregnant women, and vulnerable age groups. Several researchers have developed effective vaccine candidates using computational vaccinology and the immune-informatics approach. In this process, a unique peptide sequence of viral proteins such as Nucleocapsid, spike, envelope protein was identified by various in silico tools which are acting as immunological epitopes against TLRs, T-cells, and B-cells. While the conventional immunological vaccine studies take years for vaccine candidature, the immunoinformatics approach is a time-efficient way for the next generation research to study host-pathogen interactions and vaccine development. It is also cost-effective and leads to a better understanding of disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, and immunological response. Owing to the advantage of immunoinformatics-based vaccine approaches the present chapter aimed to discuss vaccine development using immunoinformatics approaches. Besides, the current challenges and future aspects have also been discussed herewith.
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Antimicrobial Activity of Snake β-Defensins and Derived Peptides. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 14:toxins14010001. [PMID: 35050978 PMCID: PMC8777785 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
β-defensins are antimicrobial peptides presenting in vertebrate animals. They participate in innate immunity, but little is known about them in reptiles, including snakes. Although several β-defensin genes were described in Brazilian snakes, their function is still unknown. The peptide sequence from these genes was deduced, and synthetic peptides (with approximately 40 amino acids and derived peptides) were tested against pathogenic bacteria and fungi using microbroth dilution assays. The linear peptides, derived from β-defensins, were designed applying the bioisosterism strategy. The linear β-defensins were more active against Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Citrobacter freundii, and Staphylococcus aureus. The derived peptides (7–14 mer) showed antibacterial activity against those bacteria and on Klebsiella pneumoniae. Nonetheless, they did not present activity against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trychophyton rubrum, and Aspergillus fumigatus showing that the cysteine substitution to serine is deleterious to antifungal properties. Tryptophan residue showed to be necessary to improve antibacterial activity. Even though the studied snake β-defensins do not have high antimicrobial activity, they proved to be attractive as template molecules for the development of antibiotics.
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Gubatan J, Holman DR, Puntasecca CJ, Polevoi D, Rubin SJS, Rogalla S. Antimicrobial peptides and the gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27:7402-7422. [PMID: 34887639 PMCID: PMC8613745 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i43.7402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are highly diverse and dynamic molecules that are expressed by specific intestinal epithelial cells, Paneth cells, as well as immune cells in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They play critical roles in maintaining tolerance to gut microbiota and protecting against enteric infections. Given that disruptions in tolerance to commensal microbiota and loss of barrier function play major roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and converge on the function of AMP, the significance of AMP as potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets in IBD have been increasingly recognized in recent years. In this frontier article, we discuss the function and mechanisms of AMP in the GI tract, examine the interaction of AMP with the gut microbiome, explore the role of AMP in the pathogenesis of IBD, and review translational applications of AMP in patients with IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Gubatan
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA 94063, United States
| | - Derek R Holman
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford , Stanford University, Stanford , CA 94305, United States
| | | | - Danielle Polevoi
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94063, United States
| | - Samuel JS Rubin
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94063, United States
| | - Stephan Rogalla
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA 94063, United States
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Brewer A, Zhang L. Binding free energy calculation of human beta defensin 3 with negatively charged lipid bilayer using free energy perturbation method. Biophys Chem 2021; 277:106662. [PMID: 34399250 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2021.106662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Human β defensin type 3 (hBD-3) is a cationic peptide having strong antimicrobial activities even at high salt concentrations. The conserved sequence is believed to contribute to its unique antibacterial activities. To design novel drugs based on hBD-3, predicting the binding free energy contribution of each residue on hBD-3 with bacterial membrane is important. Firstly, the stable binding structure of hBD-3 dimer in analog form bound on POPG lipid bilayer was predicted using NAMD simulations, which was confirmed by RMSD, buried surface area, hydrogen bonds, distance map, and insertion depth map calculations. Then, free energy perturbation (FEP) method was applied to calculate the binding free energy of each residue by mutating it into Alanine. It was found that the positively charged residues on the tail region of hBD-3 contribute significantly to its binding with membrane. The result emphasized the importance of electrostatic interactions to hBD-3's binding with bacterial membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Brewer
- Chemical Engineering Department, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN 38505, United States of America
| | - Liqun Zhang
- Chemical Engineering Department, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN 38505, United States of America.
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Yao Y, Frew JW, Thomsen SF, Ring HC. Antimicrobial peptides in hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review. Br J Dermatol 2021; 186:236-244. [PMID: 34498267 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.20750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease of the hair follicle defined by recurrent nodules, tunnels and scarring involving the intertriginous regions. HS is associated with microbial dysbiosis and immune dysregulation. In HS, an increasing number of studies have investigated antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). OBJECTIVES To provide an overview of the literature on AMPs in HS, and to discuss the potential role of AMPs in the pathogenesis of HS. METHODS PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched. The titles, abstracts and full texts of all articles were manually screened. Additionally, the reference lists of the included articles were screened and hand searched for relevant studies. RESULTS The final literature sample comprised 18 retrospective and prospective studies (no reviews or commentaries) published between 2009 and 2020. CONCLUSIONS This review demonstrates the multitude of AMPs in HS. Although the methodology of the studies varied, the included studies indicate a consistent overexpression of human β-defensin (hBD)-2, S100A7, S100A8 and S100A9 at both the mRNA and protein levels, and a decreased expression of hBD-1. Overall, the studies point to a dysregulation of AMPs in both lesional and nonlesional HS skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Yao
- Department of Dermato-Venereology and Wound Healing Centre, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J W Frew
- Department of Dermatology, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia.,University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Dermatology Research Group, Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
| | - S F Thomsen
- Department of Dermato-Venereology and Wound Healing Centre, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - H C Ring
- Department of Dermato-Venereology and Wound Healing Centre, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Miao F, Li Y, Tai Z, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Hu M, Zhu Q. Antimicrobial Peptides: The Promising Therapeutics for Cutaneous Wound Healing. Macromol Biosci 2021; 21:e2100103. [PMID: 34405955 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202100103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wound infections have caused an increasing number of deaths and economic burden, which necessitates wound treatment options. Hitherto, the development of functional wound dressings has achieved reasonable progress. Antibacterial agents, growth factors, and miRNAs are incorporated in different wound dressings to treat various types of wounds. As an effective antimicrobial agent and emerging wound healing therapeutic, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted significant attention. The present study focuses on the application of AMPs in wound healing and discusses the types, properties and formulation strategies of AMPs used for wound healing. In addition, the clinical trial and the current status of studies on "antimicrobial peptides and wound healing" are elaborated through bibliometrics. Also, the challenges and opportunities for further development and utilization of AMP formulations in wound healing are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengze Miao
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200443, China.,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Ying Li
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Zongguang Tai
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Yue Gao
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Menghong Hu
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200443, China.,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Quangang Zhu
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200443, China
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Molecular Identification and Antibacterial Activity Analysis of Blue Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) β-Defensins 108 and 122. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071857. [PMID: 34206565 PMCID: PMC8300115 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The blue fox (Vulpes lagopus) is an important fur animal in China; its reproductive performance is directly related to the economic benefits of breeding. β-Defensins can protect the male reproductive system from bacterial invasion, maintain the stability of reproductive tract microenvironment and improve semen quality in mammals. Few studies have proposed to investigate the antibacterial effect of Vulpes lagopus beta-defensin (vBDs). In this study, we analyzed the antibacterial activity of recombinant vBD108 and vBD122 protein in vitro by an antibacterial activity analysis experiment. Our preliminary results demonstrate that the two vBDs have good antibacterial activity. The blue fox β-defensins may be used as an extender component of the semen diluent to protect semen from bacterial infection. Abstract The blue fox (Vulpes lagopus), a fur-bearing animal, is an important component of the breeding industry in China. Semen quality is a key factor for the reproductive process and the breeding effectiveness of the farmed blue fox. However, bacterial contamination in semen samples utilized in artificial fertilization is very common. The β-defensins, a class of important antimicrobial peptides in mammals, could protect the reproductive system of male animals from bacterial invasion, maintain the stability of the genital tract microenvironment and improve semen quality. In this study, molecular cloning and bioinformatics analysis were conducted to analyze the protein structure and function of blue fox β-defensin 108 (Vulpes lagopus beta-defensin 108, vBD108) and 122 (Vulpes lagopus beta-defensin 122, vBD122). To evaluate the bacteriostatic effect of recombinant vBDs (Vulpes lagopus beta-defensins) protein, varying concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 µg/mL) were taken to evaluate the effects on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at different times (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 h). The results showed that vBD108 and vBD122 existed in different forms in protein structure and had antibacterial activity. Both proteins, at 50 µg/mL, had efficacious bacteriostatic activity. This study shows that recombinant vBD108 and vBD122 proteins have good antibacterial activity in vitro. This implies a potential role in improving semen quality and hygienic measures in the process of artificial insemination as an extender of semen dilution with antibacterial activity.
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Yeasmin R, Brewer A, Fine LR, Zhang L. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Human Beta-Defensin Type 3 Crossing Different Lipid Bilayers. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:13926-13939. [PMID: 34095684 PMCID: PMC8173616 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c01803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Human β defensin type 3 (hBD-3) is a small cationic cysteine-rich peptide. It has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. However, at high concentrations, it also shows hemolytic activity by interrupting red blood cells. To understand the selectivity of hBD-3 disrupting cell membranes, investigating the capability of hBD-3 translocating through different membranes is important. Since hBD-3 in the analogue form in which all three pairs of disulfide bonds are broken has similar antibacterial activities to the wild-type, this project investigates the structure and dynamics of an hBD-3 analogue in monomer, dimer, and tetramer forms through both zwitterionic and negatively charged lipid bilayers using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. One tetramer structure of hBD-3 was predicted by running all-atom MD simulations on hBD-3 in water at a high concentration, which was found to be stable in water during 400 ns all-atom simulations based on root-mean-squared deviation, root-mean-squared fluctuation, buried surface area, and binding interaction energy calculations. After that, hBD-3 in different forms was placed inside different membranes, and then steered MD simulation was conducted to pull the hBD-3 out of the membrane along the z-direction to generate different configurational windows to set up umbrella-sampling (US) simulations. Because extensive sampling is important to obtain accurate free energy barriers, coarse-grained US MD simulations were performed in each window. Based on the long-term simulation result, membrane thinning was found near hBD-3 in different lipid bilayers and in different hBD-3 oligomer systems. By calculating the root-mean-squared deviation of the z-coordinate of hBD-3 molecules, rotation of the oligomer inside the bilayer and stretching of the oligomer structure along the z-direction were observed. Although reorientation of lipid heads toward the hBD-3 tetramer was observed based on the density profile calculation, the order parameter calculation shows that hBD-3 disrupts 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine (POPS) lipids more significantly and makes it less ordered than on 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) lipids. Calculating the free energy of hBD-3 through different lipid bilayers, it was found that generally hBD-3 encounters a lower energy barrier through negatively charged lipid membranes than the zwitterionic membrane. hBD-3 in different forms needs to overcome a lower energy barrier crossing the combined POPC+POPS bilayer through the POPS leaflet than through the POPC leaflet. Besides that, the potential of mean force result suggests that hBD-3 forms an oligomer translocating negatively charged lipid membranes at a low concentration. This study supplied new insight into the antibacterial mechanism of hBD-3 through different membranes.
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Neelima S, Archana K, Athira PP, Anju MV, Anooja VV, Bright Singh IS, Philip R. Molecular characterization of a novel β-defensin isoform from the red-toothed trigger fish, Odonus niger (Ruppel, 1836). J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2021; 19:71. [PMID: 33978838 PMCID: PMC8116387 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-021-00175-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background The concern regarding a post-antibiotic era with increasing drug resistance by pathogens imposes the need to discover alternatives for existing antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with their versatile therapeutic properties are a group of promising molecules with curative potentials. These evolutionarily conserved molecules play important roles in the innate immune system of several organisms. The β-defensins are a group of cysteine rich cationic antimicrobial peptides that play an important role in the innate immune system by their antimicrobial activity against the invading pathogens. The present study deals with a novel β-defensin isoform from the red-toothed trigger fish, Odonus niger. Total RNA was isolated from the gills, cDNA was synthesized and the β-defensin isoform obtained by polymerase chain reaction was cloned and subjected to structural and functional characterization in silico. Results A β-defensin isoform could be detected from the gill mRNA of red-toothed trigger fish, Odonus niger. The cDNA encoded a 63 amino acid peptide, β-defensin, with a 20 amino acid signal sequence followed by 43 amino acid cationic mature peptide (On-Def) having a molecular weight of 5.214 kDa and theoretical pI of 8.89. On-Def possessed six highly conserved cysteine residues forming disulfide bonds between C1–C5, C2–C4, and C3–C6, typical of β-defensins. An anionic pro-region was observed prior to the β-defensin domain within the mature peptide. Clustal alignment and phylogenetic analyses revealed On-Def as a group 2 β-defensin. Furthermore, it shared some structural similarities and functional motifs with β-defensins from other organisms. On-Def was predicted to be non-hemolytic with anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory potential. Conclusion On-Def is the first report of a β-defensin from the red-toothed trigger fish, Odonus niger. The antimicrobial profile showed the potential for further studies as a suitable candidate for antimicrobial peptide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Neelima
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology & Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, India
| | - K Archana
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology & Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, India
| | - P P Athira
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology & Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, India
| | - M V Anju
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology & Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, India
| | - V V Anooja
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology & Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, India
| | - I S Bright Singh
- National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, India
| | - Rosamma Philip
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology & Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, India.
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Yu W, Ning N, Xue Y, Huang Y, Guo F, Li T, Yang B, Luo D, Sun Y, Li Z, Wang J, He Z, Cheng S, Zhang X, Wang H. A Chimeric Cationic Peptide Composed of Human β-Defensin 3 and Human β-Defensin 4 Exhibits Improved Antibacterial Activity and Salt Resistance. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:663151. [PMID: 34025617 PMCID: PMC8137984 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.663151] [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: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Human beta-defensins (hBDs) play an important role in the host defense against various microbes, showing different levels of antibacterial activity and salt resistance in vitro. It is of interest to investigate whether can chimeric hBD analogs enhanced antibacterial activity and salt resistance. In this study, we designed a chimeric human defensin, named H4, by combining sequences of human beta-defensin-3 (hBD-3) and human beta-defensin-4 (hBD-4), then evaluated its antibacterial activity, salt resistance, and cytotoxic effects. The result showed that the antibacterial activity of H4 against most tested strains, including Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Acinetobacter baumannii was significantly improved compared to that of hBD-3 and hBD-4. Notably, H4 exhibited significantly better antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant isolate A. baumannii MDR-ZJ06 than commonly used antibiotics. Chimeric H4 still showed more than 80% antibacterial activity at high salt concentration (150 μM), which proves its good salt tolerance. The cytotoxic effect assay showed that the toxicity of H4 to Hela, Vero, A549 cells and erythrocytes at a low dose (<10 μg/ml) was similar to that of hBD-3 and hBD-4. In conclusion, given its broad spectrum of antibacterial activity and high salt resistance, chimeric H4 could serve as a promising template for new therapeutic antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Nianzhi Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.,College of Life Science, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Yanyu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Boning Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Henan University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Deyan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yakun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhili He
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Shiwei Cheng
- College of Life Science, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Xingxiao Zhang
- College of Life Science, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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Blumenthal I, Davis LR, Berman CM, Griswold KE. Nonclassical antagonism between human lysozyme and AMPs against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:705-713. [PMID: 33480189 PMCID: PMC7931236 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Combinations of human lysozyme (hLYS) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are known to exhibit either additive or synergistic activity, and as a result, they have therapeutic potential for persistent and antibiotic‐resistant infections. We examined hLYS activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa when combined with six different AMPs. In contrast to prior reports, we discovered that some therapeutically relevant AMPs manifest striking antagonistic interactions with hLYS across particular concentration ranges. We further found that the synthetic AMP Tet009 can inhibit hLYS‐mediated bacterial lysis. To the best of our knowledge, these results represent the first observations of antagonism between hLYS and AMPs, and they advise that future development of lytic enzyme and AMP combination therapies considers the potential for antagonistic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Blumenthal
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Lydia R Davis
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Chet M Berman
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Karl E Griswold
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.,Lyticon LLC, Lebanon, NH, USA
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Zhang R, Fan X, Jiang X, Zou M, Xiao H, Wu G. Multiple Mechanisms of the Synthesized Antimicrobial Peptide TS against Gram-Negative Bacteria for High Efficacy Antibacterial Action In Vivo. Molecules 2020; 26:molecules26010060. [PMID: 33374458 PMCID: PMC7795306 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria emphasizes the urgent need for novel antibiotics. The antimicrobial peptide TS shows extensive antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo, especially in gram-negative bacteria; however, its antibacterial mechanism is unclear. Here, we find that TS without hemolytic activity disrupts the integrity of the outer bacterial cell membrane by displacing divalent cations and competitively binding lipopolysaccharides. In addition, the antimicrobial peptide TS can inhibit and kill E. coli by disintegrating the bacteria from within by interacting with bacterial DNA. Thus, antimicrobial peptide TS’s multiple antibacterial mechanisms may not easily induce bacterial resistance, suggesting use as an antibacterial drug to be for combating bacterial infections in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; (R.Z.); (X.F.); (X.J.); (M.Z.); (H.X.)
| | - Xiaobo Fan
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; (R.Z.); (X.F.); (X.J.); (M.Z.); (H.X.)
| | - Xinglu Jiang
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; (R.Z.); (X.F.); (X.J.); (M.Z.); (H.X.)
| | - Mingyuan Zou
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; (R.Z.); (X.F.); (X.J.); (M.Z.); (H.X.)
| | - Han Xiao
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; (R.Z.); (X.F.); (X.J.); (M.Z.); (H.X.)
| | - Guoqiu Wu
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; (R.Z.); (X.F.); (X.J.); (M.Z.); (H.X.)
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-25-83272503
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Para R, Romero R, Miller D, Panaitescu B, Varrey A, Chaiworapongsa T, Hassan SS, Hsu CD, Gomez-Lopez N. Human β-defensin-3 participates in intra-amniotic host defense in women with labor at term, spontaneous preterm labor and intact membranes, and preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2020; 33:4117-4132. [PMID: 30999788 PMCID: PMC6800590 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2019.1597047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Human β-defensin-3 (HBD-3) has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, and activity and, therefore, plays a central role in host defense mechanisms against infection. Herein, we determined whether HBD-3 was a physiological constituent of amniotic fluid during midtrimester and at term and whether the concentration of this defensin was increased in amniotic fluid of women with spontaneous preterm labor and intact membranes and those with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (pPROM) with intra-amniotic inflammation or intra-amniotic infection.Methods: Amniotic fluid was collected from 219 women in the following groups: (1) midtrimester who delivered at term (n = 35); (2) with or without spontaneous labor at term (n = 50); (3) spontaneous preterm labor with intact membranes who delivered at term (n = 29); (4) spontaneous preterm labor with intact membranes who delivered preterm with or without intra-amniotic inflammation or intra-amniotic infection (n = 69); and (5) pPROM with or without intra-amniotic infection (n = 36). Amniotic fluid HBD-3 concentrations were determined using a sensitive and specific ELISA kit.Results: (1) HBD-3 is a physiological constituent of amniotic fluid; (2) the amniotic fluid concentration of HBD-3 did not change with gestational age (midtrimester versus term not in labor); (3) amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD-3 were higher in women with spontaneous labor at term than in those without labor; (4) in the absence of intra-amniotic inflammation, amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD-3 were similar between women with spontaneous preterm labor who delivered preterm and those who delivered at term; (5) among patients with spontaneous preterm labor who delivered preterm, amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD-3 were greater in women with intra-amniotic infection than in those without this clinical condition; (6) among patients with spontaneous preterm labor, amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD-3 were higher in women with intra-amniotic inflammation or intra-amniotic infection who delivered preterm than in those without these clinical conditions who delivered at term; and (7) women with pPROM and intra-amniotic infection had higher median amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD-3 than those without this clinical condition.Conclusion: Human β-defensin-3 is a physiological constituent of amniotic fluid and increases during the process of labor at term. Amniotic fluid concentrations of HBD-3 were increased in women with spontaneous preterm labor with intact membranes or pPROM with intra-amniotic inflammation or intra-amniotic infection, indicating that this defensin participates in the host defense mechanisms in the amniotic cavity against microorganisms or danger signals. These findings provide insight into the soluble host defense mechanisms against intra-amniotic inflammation and intra-amniotic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Para
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Derek Miller
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Bogdan Panaitescu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Aneesha Varrey
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Sonia S. Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Chaur-Dong Hsu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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Fischer NG, Münchow EA, Tamerler C, Bottino MC, Aparicio C. Harnessing biomolecules for bioinspired dental biomaterials. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:8713-8747. [PMID: 32747882 PMCID: PMC7544669 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb01456g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Dental clinicians have relied for centuries on traditional dental materials (polymers, ceramics, metals, and composites) to restore oral health and function to patients. Clinical outcomes for many crucial dental therapies remain poor despite many decades of intense research on these materials. Recent attention has been paid to biomolecules as a chassis for engineered preventive, restorative, and regenerative approaches in dentistry. Indeed, biomolecules represent a uniquely versatile and precise tool to enable the design and development of bioinspired multifunctional dental materials to spur advancements in dentistry. In this review, we survey the range of biomolecules that have been used across dental biomaterials. Our particular focus is on the key biological activity imparted by each biomolecule toward prevention of dental and oral diseases as well as restoration of oral health. Additional emphasis is placed on the structure-function relationships between biomolecules and their biological activity, the unique challenges of each clinical condition, limitations of conventional therapies, and the advantages of each class of biomolecule for said challenge. Biomaterials for bone regeneration are not reviewed as numerous existing reviews on the topic have been recently published. We conclude our narrative review with an outlook on the future of biomolecules in dental biomaterials and potential avenues of innovation for biomaterial-based patient oral care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Fischer
- Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, University of Minnesota, 16-250A Moos Tower, 515 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
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Tahir Ul Qamar M, Shahid F, Aslam S, Ashfaq UA, Aslam S, Fatima I, Fareed MM, Zohaib A, Chen LL. Reverse vaccinology assisted designing of multiepitope-based subunit vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Infect Dis Poverty 2020; 9:132. [PMID: 32938504 PMCID: PMC7492789 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-020-00752-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) linked with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cause severe illness and life-threatening pneumonia in humans. The current COVID-19 pandemic demands an effective vaccine to acquire protection against the infection. Therefore, the present study was aimed to design a multiepitope-based subunit vaccine (MESV) against COVID-19. METHODS Structural proteins (Surface glycoprotein, Envelope protein, and Membrane glycoprotein) of SARS-CoV-2 are responsible for its prime functions. Sequences of proteins were downloaded from GenBank and several immunoinformatics coupled with computational approaches were employed to forecast B- and T- cell epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2 highly antigenic structural proteins to design an effective MESV. RESULTS Predicted epitopes suggested high antigenicity, conserveness, substantial interactions with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) binding alleles, and collective global population coverage of 88.40%. Taken together, 276 amino acids long MESV was designed by connecting 3 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), 6 helper T lymphocyte (HTL) and 4 B-cell epitopes with suitable adjuvant and linkers. The MESV construct was non-allergenic, stable, and highly antigenic. Molecular docking showed a stable and high binding affinity of MESV with human pathogenic toll-like receptors-3 (TLR3). Furthermore, in silico immune simulation revealed significant immunogenic response of MESV. Finally, MEV codons were optimized for its in silico cloning into the Escherichia coli K-12 system, to ensure its increased expression. CONCLUSION The MESV developed in this study is capable of generating immune response against COVID-19. Therefore, if designed MESV further investigated experimentally, it would be an effective vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 to control and prevent COVID-19.
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MESH Headings
- Betacoronavirus/immunology
- COVID-19
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Coronavirus Infections/genetics
- Coronavirus Infections/immunology
- Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/chemistry
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/chemistry
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Humans
- Immunogenicity, Vaccine/immunology
- Molecular Docking Simulation
- Pandemics/prevention & control
- Pneumonia, Viral/immunology
- Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control
- SARS-CoV-2
- Sequence Analysis, Protein
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/chemistry
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Toll-Like Receptor 3/chemistry
- Toll-Like Receptor 3/genetics
- Toll-Like Receptor 3/immunology
- Vaccines, Subunit/chemistry
- Vaccines, Subunit/genetics
- Vaccines, Subunit/immunology
- Vaccinology/methods
- Viral Matrix Proteins/chemistry
- Viral Matrix Proteins/genetics
- Viral Matrix Proteins/immunology
- Viral Vaccines/chemistry
- Viral Vaccines/genetics
- Viral Vaccines/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Farah Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Sidra Aslam
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Israr Fatima
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Mazhar Fareed
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ali Zohaib
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ling-Ling Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, P. R. China.
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Candida albicans Virulence Factors and Pathogenicity for Endodontic Infections. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8091300. [PMID: 32858856 PMCID: PMC7563224 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans (C. albicans) is the fungus most frequently isolated from endodontic root canal infections. Although recognized by dental pulp and periradicular tissue cells that elicit immune responses, it eludes host defenses and elicits cell death. Then, C. albicans binds tooth dentin, forms biofilms, and invades dentinal tubules to resist intracanal disinfectants and endodontic treatments. Insensitive to most common medicaments, it survives sequestered within biofilms and intratubular dentin. Thus, C. albicans has been associated with cases of persistent or refractory root canal infections. Its treatment strategies may require alternative intracanal irrigants, intracanal medicaments such as chlorhexidine gel or human beta defensin-3 (HBD3), Ca-Si-based obturating materials, and microsurgical procedures.
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Li J, Fernández-Millán P, Boix E. Synergism between Host Defence Peptides and Antibiotics Against Bacterial Infections. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:1238-1263. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200303122626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Background:Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to conventional antibiotics is becoming one of the main global health threats and novel alternative strategies are urging. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), once forgotten, are coming back into the scene as promising tools to overcome bacterial resistance. Recent findings have attracted attention to the potentiality of AMPs to work as antibiotic adjuvants.Methods:In this review, we have tried to collect the currently available information on the mechanism of action of AMPs in synergy with other antimicrobial agents. In particular, we have focused on the mechanisms of action that mediate the inhibition of the emergence of bacterial resistance by AMPs.Results and Conclusion:We find in the literature many examples where AMPs can significantly reduce the antibiotic effective concentration. Mainly, the peptides work at the bacterial cell wall and thereby facilitate the drug access to its intracellular target. Complementarily, AMPs can also contribute to permeate the exopolysaccharide layer of biofilm communities, or even prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm growth. Secondly, we find other peptides that can directly block the emergence of bacterial resistance mechanisms or interfere with the community quorum-sensing systems. Interestingly, the effective peptide concentrations for adjuvant activity and inhibition of bacterial resistance are much lower than the required for direct antimicrobial action. Finally, many AMPs expressed by innate immune cells are endowed with immunomodulatory properties and can participate in the host response against infection. Recent studies in animal models confirm that AMPs work as adjuvants at non-toxic concentrations and can be safely administrated for novel combined chemotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| | - Pablo Fernández-Millán
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| | - Ester Boix
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
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Tahir ul Qamar M, Shokat Z, Muneer I, Ashfaq UA, Javed H, Anwar F, Bari A, Zahid B, Saari N. Multiepitope-Based Subunit Vaccine Design and Evaluation against Respiratory Syncytial Virus Using Reverse Vaccinology Approach. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E288. [PMID: 32521680 PMCID: PMC7350008 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is primarily associated with respiratory disorders globally. Despite the availability of information, there is still no competitive vaccine available for RSV. Therefore, the present study has been designed to develop a multiepitope-based subunit vaccine (MEV) using a reverse vaccinology approach to curb RSV infections. Briefly, two highly antigenic and conserved proteins of RSV (glycoprotein and fusion protein) were selected and potential epitopes of different categories (B-cell and T-cell) were identified from them. Eminently antigenic and overlapping epitopes, which demonstrated strong associations with their respective human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and depicted collective ~70% coverage of the world's populace, were shortlisted. Finally, 282 amino acids long MEV construct was established by connecting 13 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-I with two MHC class-II epitopes with appropriate adjuvant and linkers. Adjuvant and linkers were added to increase the immunogenic stimulation of the MEV. Developed MEV was stable, soluble, non-allergenic, non-toxic, flexible and highly antigenic. Furthermore, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations analyses were carried out. Results have shown a firm and robust binding affinity of MEV with human pathogenic toll-like receptor three (TLR3). The computationally mediated immune response of MEV demonstrated increased interferon-γ production, a significant abundance of immunoglobulin and activation of macrophages which are essential for immune-response against RSV. Moreover, MEV codons were optimized and in silico cloning was performed, to ensure its increased expression. These outcomes proposed that the MEV developed in this study will be a significant candidate against RSV to control and prevent RSV-related disorders if further investigated experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zeeshan Shokat
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (Z.S.); (U.A.A.); (H.J.)
| | - Iqra Muneer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230052, China;
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (Z.S.); (U.A.A.); (H.J.)
| | - Hamna Javed
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (Z.S.); (U.A.A.); (H.J.)
| | - Farooq Anwar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan;
| | - Amna Bari
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Barira Zahid
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Nazamid Saari
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
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Parducho KR, Beadell B, Ybarra TK, Bush M, Escalera E, Trejos AT, Chieng A, Mendez M, Anderson C, Park H, Wang Y, Lu W, Porter E. The Antimicrobial Peptide Human Beta-Defensin 2 Inhibits Biofilm Production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Without Compromising Metabolic Activity. Front Immunol 2020; 11:805. [PMID: 32457749 PMCID: PMC7225314 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm production is a key virulence factor that facilitates bacterial colonization on host surfaces and is regulated by complex pathways, including quorum sensing, that also control pigment production, among others. To limit colonization, epithelial cells, as part of the first line of defense, utilize a variety of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) including defensins. Pore formation is the best investigated mechanism for the bactericidal activity of AMPs. Considering the induction of human beta-defensin 2 (HBD2) secretion to the epithelial surface in response to bacteria and the importance of biofilm in microbial infection, we hypothesized that HBD2 has biofilm inhibitory activity. We assessed the viability and biofilm formation of a pyorubin-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain in the presence and absence of HBD2 in comparison to the highly bactericidal HBD3. At nanomolar concentrations, HBD2 - independent of its chiral state - significantly reduced biofilm formation but not metabolic activity, unlike HBD3, which reduced biofilm and metabolic activity to the same degree. A similar discrepancy between biofilm inhibition and maintenance of metabolic activity was also observed in HBD2 treated Acinetobacter baumannii, another Gram-negative bacterium. There was no evidence for HBD2 interference with the regulation of biofilm production. The expression of biofilm-related genes and the extracellular accumulation of pyorubin pigment, another quorum sensing controlled product, did not differ significantly between HBD2 treated and control bacteria, and in silico modeling did not support direct binding of HBD2 to quorum sensing molecules. However, alterations in the outer membrane protein profile accompanied by surface topology changes, documented by atomic force microscopy, was observed after HBD2 treatment. This suggests that HBD2 induces structural changes that interfere with the transport of biofilm precursors into the extracellular space. Taken together, these data support a novel mechanism of biofilm inhibition by nanomolar concentrations of HBD2 that is independent of biofilm regulatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R. Parducho
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Brent Beadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Tiffany K. Ybarra
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Mabel Bush
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Erick Escalera
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Aldo T. Trejos
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Andy Chieng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Marlon Mendez
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Chance Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hyunsook Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yixian Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Wuyuan Lu
- Institute of Human Virology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Edith Porter
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Krishnakumari V, Binny TM, Adicherla H, Nagaraj R. Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide Modulates Biological Activities of Human-β-Defensin Analogues but Not Non-Ribosomally Synthesized Peptides. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:6366-6375. [PMID: 32258871 PMCID: PMC7114172 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b03770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Human-β-defensins (HBD1-3) are antibacterial peptides containing three disulphide bonds. In the present study, the effect of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the antibacterial activities of HBD2-3, C-terminal analogues having a single disulphide bond, Phd1-3, and their corresponding myristoylated analogues MPhd1-3 were investigated. The effect of LPS on the activities of linear amphipathic peptides melittin, LL37 and non-ribosomally synthesized peptides, polymyxin B, alamethicin, gramicidin A, and gramicidin S was also examined. The antibacterial activity of HBD 2-3, Phd1-3, and MPhd1-3 in the presence of LPS against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited. While LPS inhibited the antibacterial activity of LL37, the inhibition of melittin activity was partial. The hemolytic activity exhibited by MPhd1, MPhd3, melittin, and LL37 was inhibited in the presence of LPS. HBD2-3, Phd1-3, and MPhd1-3 also showed endotoxin neutralizing activity. The antibacterial and hemolytic activities of polymyxin B, alamethicin, gramicidin A, and gramicidin S were not inhibited in the presence of LPS. Fluorescence assays employing dansyl cadaverine showed that HBD2-3 and defensin analogues bind to LPS more strongly as compared to alamethicin, gramicidin A, and gramicidin S. Electron microscopy images indicated that peptides disintegrate the structure of LPS. The inhibition of the antibacterial activity of native defensins and analogues in the presence of LPS indicates that the initial interaction with the bacterial surface is similar. The native defensin sequence or structure is also not essential, although cationic charges are necessary for binding to LPS. Hydrophobic interaction is the main driving force for association of non-ribosomally synthesized polymyxin B, alamethicin, gramicidin A, and gramicidin S with LPS. It is likely that these peptides rapidly insert into membranes and do not interact with the bacterial cell surface, whereas cationic peptides such as β-defensin and their analogues, melittin and LL37, first interact with the bacterial cell surface and then the membrane. Our results suggest that evaluating interaction of antibacterial and hemolytic peptides with LPS is a compelling way of elucidating the mechanism of bacterial killing or hemolysis.
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Nehls C, Böhling A, Podschun R, Schubert S, Grötzinger J, Schromm A, Fedders H, Leippe M, Harder J, Kaconis Y, Gronow S, Gutsmann T. Influence of disulfide bonds in human beta defensin-3 on its strain specific activity against Gram-negative bacteria. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183273. [PMID: 32171739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role in the host defense against various microbes. One of the most efficient human AMPs is the human beta defensin-3 (hBD-3) which is produced by, e.g. keratinocytes and lung epithelial cells. However, the structure-function relationship for AMPs and in particular for defensins with their typical three disulfide bonds is still poorly understood. In this study the importance of the three disulfide bonds for the activity of the AMPs is investigated with biological assays and with biophysical experiments utilizing different membrane reconstitution systems. The activities of natural hBD-3, hBD-3-c (cyclic variant with one disulfide bond), and hBD-3-l (linear variant without disulfide bonds) and fragments thereof were tested against specific Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities were analyzed as well as the potency to neutralize immune cell stimulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Experiments using reconstituted lipid matrices composed of phospholipids or LPS purified from the respective Gram-negative bacteria, showed that the membrane activity of all three hBD-3 peptides is decisive for their capability to kill bacteria and to neutralize LPS. In most of the test systems the linear hBD-3-l showed the highest activity. It was also the only peptide significantly active against polymyxin B-resistant Proteus mirabilis R45. However, the stability of hBD-3 against protease activity decreases with decreasing number of disulfide bonds. This study demonstrates that the refining of AMP structures can generate more active compounds against certain strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Nehls
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Parkallee 10, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Arne Böhling
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Parkallee 10, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Rainer Podschun
- Institute for Infection Medicine, Christian-Albrechts University, Brunswiker Straße 4, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Sabine Schubert
- Institute for Infection Medicine, Christian-Albrechts University, Brunswiker Straße 4, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Joachim Grötzinger
- Institute of Biochemistry, Christian-Albrechts University, Ohlshausenstr. 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Andra Schromm
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Parkallee 10, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Henning Fedders
- Department of Zoophysiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Olshausenstraße 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Leippe
- Department of Zoophysiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Olshausenstraße 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Jürgen Harder
- Clinical Research Unit at the Department of Dermatology, Schittenhelmstr. 7, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Yani Kaconis
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Parkallee 10, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Sabine Gronow
- DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Inhoffenstr. 7b, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas Gutsmann
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Parkallee 10, 23845 Borstel, Germany.
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Zhang L. Disulfide Bonds Affect the Binding Sites of Human β Defensin Type 3 on Negatively Charged Lipid Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:2088-2100. [PMID: 32091905 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b10529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Human β defensin type 3 (hBD-3) is a small natural antimicrobiotic. It is strongly cationic and has six cysteine residues which can form three pairs of intramolecular disulfide bonds under oxidized condition. Those disulfide bonds can break under reducing condition. However, the antibacterial activities of hBD-3 in its wild-type and analog forms are similar. In this project, the structure and dynamics of hBD-3 were investigated by running simulations on hBD-3 in its wild-type and analog forms in solvent, binding to negatively charged lipid bilayers, and self-assembly with POPG lipids. It was found that the RMSFs of hBD-3 in both its wild-type and analog forms are similar in solvent, while they are very diverse depending on the binding sites of hBD-3 with negatively charged bilayers. Calculating both the distance map and insertion depths for 18 hBD-3 molecules binding on the POPG bilayer, hBD-3 in its analog form binds stably with the POPG bilayer through the head and loop regions, while hBD-3 wild-type binds with the POPG bilayer on the two loop regions stably. hBD-3 analog caused membrane thinning and disrupted the POPG lipids more significantly than the wildtype. Based on the self-assembly simulations, hBD-3 monomer can bind with and embed inside the negatively charged POPG lipid membrane and have more contacts with the POPG lipid heads than with tails. The current work emphasized the structural diversity of hBD-3 interacting with negatively charged lipid membrane affected by the disulfide bonding states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqun Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, United States
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Suff N, Karda R, Diaz JA, Ng J, Baruteau J, Perocheau D, Taylor PW, Alber D, Buckley SMK, Bajaj-Elliott M, Waddington SN, Peebles D. Cervical Gene Delivery of the Antimicrobial Peptide, Human β-Defensin (HBD)-3, in a Mouse Model of Ascending Infection-Related Preterm Birth. Front Immunol 2020; 11:106. [PMID: 32117260 PMCID: PMC7026235 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 40% of preterm births are preceded by microbial invasion of the intrauterine space; ascent from the vagina being the most common pathway. Within the cervical canal, antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) are important components of the cervical barrier which help to prevent ascending vaginal infection. We investigated whether expression of the AMP, human β-defensin-3 (HBD3), in the cervical mucosa of pregnant mice could prevent bacterial ascent from the vagina into the uterine cavity. An adeno-associated virus vector containing both the HBD3 gene and GFP transgene (AAV8 HBD3.GFP) or control AAV8 GFP, was administered intravaginally into E13.5 pregnant mice. Ascending infection was induced at E16.5 using bioluminescent Escherichia coli (E. coli K1 A192PP-lux2). Bioluminescence imaging showed bacterial ascent into the uterine cavity, inflammatory events that led to premature delivery and a reduction in pups born alive, compared with uninfected controls. Interestingly, a significant reduction in uterine bioluminescence in the AAV8 HBD3.GFP-treated mice was observed 24 h post-E. coli infection, compared to AAV8 GFP treated mice, signifying reduced bacterial ascent in AAV8 HBD3.GFP-treated mice. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the number of living pups in AAV HBD3.GFP-treated mice. We propose that HBD3 may be a potential candidate for augmenting cervical innate immunity to prevent ascending infection-related preterm birth and its associated neonatal consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Suff
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rajvinder Karda
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Antinao Diaz
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Ng
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Baruteau
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Metabolic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dany Perocheau
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter W. Taylor
- University College London School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dagmar Alber
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Suzanne M. K. Buckley
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mona Bajaj-Elliott
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon N. Waddington
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- SA/MRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Donald Peebles
- Preterm Birth Group, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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45
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Molecular Dynamics Study of the Human Beta-defensins 2 and 3 Chimeric Peptides with the Cell Membrane Model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Int J Pept Res Ther 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-019-10000-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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46
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Synthetic Human β Defensin-3-C15 Peptide in Endodontics: Potential Therapeutic Agent in Streptococcus gordonii Lipoprotein-Stimulated Human Dental Pulp-Derived Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 21:ijms21010071. [PMID: 31861863 PMCID: PMC6982004 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Human β defensin-3-C15, an epithelium-derived cationic peptide that has antibacterial/antifungal and immuno-regulatory properties, is getting attention as potential therapeutic agent in endodontics. This study aimed to investigate if synthetic human β defensin-3-C15 (HBD3-C15) peptides could inhibit inflammatory responses in human dental pulp cells (hDPCs), which had been induced by gram-positive endodontic pathogen. hDPC explant cultures were stimulated with Streptococcus gordonii lipoprotein extracts for 24 h to induce expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. The cells were then treated with either HBD3-C15 (50 μg/mL) or calcium hydroxide (CH, 100 μg/mL) as control for seven days, to assess their anti-inflammatory effects. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses and multiplex assays showed that S. gordonii lipoprotein induced the inflammatory reaction in hDPCs. There was a significant reduction of IL-8 and MCP-1 within 24 h of treatment with either CH or HBD3-C15 (p < 0.05), which was sustained over 1 week of treatment. Alleviation of inflammation in both medications was related to COX-2 expression and PGE2 secretion (p < 0.05), rather than TLR2 changes (p > 0.05). These findings demonstrate comparable effects of CH and HDB3-C15 as therapeutic agents for inflamed hDPCs.
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Rodriguez A, Pedersen MØ, Villegas E, Rivas‐Santiago B, Villegas‐Moreno J, Amero C, Norton RS, Corzo G. Antimicrobial activity and structure of a consensus human β‐defensin and its comparison to a novel putative hBD10. Proteins 2019; 88:175-186. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.25785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigación en BiotecnologíaUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca Mexico
| | | | - Elba Villegas
- Centro de Investigación en BiotecnologíaUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca Mexico
| | - Bruno Rivas‐Santiago
- Medical Research Unit‐ZacatecasMexican Institute of Social Security IMSS Zacatecas Mexico
| | - Jessica Villegas‐Moreno
- Centro de Investigaciones QuímicasUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca Mexico
| | - Carlos Amero
- Centro de Investigaciones QuímicasUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca Mexico
| | - Raymond S. Norton
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Gerardo Corzo
- Instituto de BiotecnologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavaca Mexico
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48
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Wendler J, Schroeder BO, Ehmann D, Koeninger L, Mailänder-Sánchez D, Lemberg C, Wanner S, Schaller M, Stange EF, Malek NP, Weidenmaier C, LeibundGut-Landmann S, Wehkamp J. Proteolytic Degradation of reduced Human Beta Defensin 1 generates a Novel Antibiotic Octapeptide. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3640. [PMID: 30842543 PMCID: PMC6403363 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40216-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial resistance against clinical used antibiotics is on the rise. Accordingly, there is a high demand for new innovative antimicrobial strategies. The host-defense peptide human beta-defensin 1 (hBD-1) is produced continuously by epithelial cells and exhibits compelling antimicrobial activity after reduction of its disulphide bridges. Here we report that proteolysis of reduced hBD-1 by gastrointestinal proteases as well as human duodenal secretions produces an eight-amino acid carboxy-terminal fragment. The generated octapeptide retains antibiotic activity, yet with distinct characteristics differing from the full-length peptide. We modified the octapeptide by stabilizing its termini and by using non-natural D-amino acids. The native and modified peptide variants showed antibiotic activity against pathogenic as well as antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, including E. coli, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. Moreover, in an in vitro C. albicans infection model the tested peptides demonstrated effective amelioration of C. albicans infection without showing cytotoxity on human cells. In summary, protease degradation of hBD-1 provides a yet unknown mechanism to broaden antimicrobial host defense, which could be used to develop defensin-derived therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Wendler
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Bjoern O Schroeder
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Wallenberg Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dirk Ehmann
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Louis Koeninger
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Christina Lemberg
- Institute of Dermatology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Institute of Immunology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Wanner
- Institute of Dermatology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Martin Schaller
- Institute of Dermatology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Eduard F Stange
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Nisar P Malek
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Christopher Weidenmaier
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Jan Wehkamp
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
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49
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Yeasmin R, Buck M, Weinberg A, Zhang L. Translocation of Human β Defensin Type 3 through a Neutrally Charged Lipid Membrane: A Free Energy Study. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:11883-11894. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b08285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rabeta Yeasmin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, United States
| | | | | | - Liqun Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, United States
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50
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Did cis- and trans-defensins derive from a common ancestor? Immunogenetics 2018; 71:61-69. [DOI: 10.1007/s00251-018-1086-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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