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Liang Q, Liu Z, Liang Z, Zhu C, Li D, Kong Q, Mou H. Development strategies and application of antimicrobial peptides as future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172150. [PMID: 38580107 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The use of in-feed antibiotics has been widely restricted due to the significant environmental pollution and food safety concerns they have caused. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted widespread attention as potential future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics owing to their demonstrated antimicrobial activity and environment friendly characteristics. However, the challenges of weak bioactivity, immature stability, and low production yields of natural AMPs impede practical application in the feed industry. To address these problems, efforts have been made to develop strategies for approaching the AMPs with enhanced properties. Herein, we summarize approaches to improving the properties of AMPs as potential alternatives to in-feed antibiotics, mainly including optimization of structural parameters, sequence modification, selection of microbial hosts, fusion expression, and industrially fermentation control. Additionally, the potential for application of AMPs in animal husbandry is discussed. This comprehensive review lays a strong theoretical foundation for the development of in-feed AMPs to achieve the public health globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingping Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Zhemin Liu
- Fundamental Science R&D Center of Vazyme Biotech Co. Ltd., Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Ziyu Liang
- Section of Neurobiology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Changliang Zhu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Dongyu Li
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Qing Kong
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China
| | - Haijin Mou
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China.
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2
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Chen C, Shi J, Wang D, Kong P, Wang Z, Liu Y. Antimicrobial peptides as promising antibiotic adjuvants to combat drug-resistant pathogens. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024; 50:267-284. [PMID: 36890767 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2023.2186215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
The widespread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) calls for the development of new antimicrobial strategies. Antibiotic adjuvant rescues antibiotic activity and increases the life span of the antibiotics, representing a more productive, timely, and cost-effective strategy in fighting drug-resistant pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from synthetic and natural sources are considered new-generation antibacterial agents. Besides their direct antimicrobial activity, growing evidence shows that some AMPs effectively enhance the activity of conventional antibiotics. The combinations of AMPs and antibiotics display an improved therapeutic effect on antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and minimize the emergence of resistance. In this review, we discuss the value of AMPs in the age of resistance, including modes of action, limiting evolutionary resistance, and their designing strategies. We summarise the recent advances in combining AMPs and antibiotics against antibiotic-resistant pathogens, as well as their synergistic mechanisms. Lastly, we highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of AMPs as potential antibiotic adjuvants. This will shed new light on the deployment of synergistic combinations to address the AMR crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jingru Shi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dejuan Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Pan Kong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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3
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You Y, Liu H, Zhu Y, Zheng H. Rational design of stapled antimicrobial peptides. Amino Acids 2023; 55:421-442. [PMID: 36781451 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03245-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The global increase in antimicrobial drug resistance has dramatically reduced the effectiveness of traditional antibiotics. Structurally diverse antibiotics are urgently needed to combat multiple-resistant bacterial infections. As part of innate immunity, antimicrobial peptides have been recognized as the most promising candidates because they comprise diverse sequences and mechanisms of action and have a relatively low induction rate of resistance. However, because of their low chemical stability, susceptibility to proteases, and high hemolytic effect, their usage is subject to many restrictions. Chemical modifications such as D-amino acid substitution, cyclization, and unnatural amino acid modification have been used to improve the stability of antimicrobial peptides for decades. Among them, a side-chain covalent bridge modification, the so-called stapled peptide, has attracted much attention. The stapled side-chain bridge stabilizes the secondary structure, induces protease resistance, and increases cell penetration and biological activity. Recent progress in computer-aided drug design and artificial intelligence methods has also been used in the design of stapled antimicrobial peptides and has led to the successful discovery of many prospective peptides. This article reviews the possible structure-activity relationships of stapled antimicrobial peptides, the physicochemical properties that influence their activity (such as net charge, hydrophobicity, helicity, and dipole moment), and computer-aided methods of stapled peptide design. Antimicrobial peptides under clinical trial: Pexiganan (NCT01594762, 2012-05-07). Omiganan (NCT02576847, 2015-10-13).
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Affiliation(s)
- YuHao You
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - HongYu Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - YouZhuo Zhu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Heng Zheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Stachurski O, Neubauer D, Walewska A, Iłowska E, Bauer M, Bartoszewska S, Sikora K, Hać A, Wyrzykowski D, Prahl A, Kamysz W, Sikorska E. Understanding the Role of Self-Assembly and Interaction with Biological Membranes of Short Cationic Lipopeptides in the Effective Design of New Antibiotics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1491. [PMID: 36358146 PMCID: PMC9686977 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigates short cationic antimicrobial lipopeptides composed of 2-4 amino acid residues and C12-C18 fatty acids attached to the N-terminal part of the peptides. The findings were discussed in the context of the relationship among biological activity, self-assembly, stability, and membrane interactions. All the lipopeptides showed the ability to self-assemble in PBS solution. In most cases, the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) much surpassed the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values, suggesting that monomers are the main active form of lipopeptides. The introduction of β-alanine into the peptide sequence resulted in a compound with a high propensity to fibrillate, which increased the peptide stability and activity against S. epidermidis and C. albicans and reduced the cytotoxicity against human keratinocytes. The results of our study indicated that the target of action of lipopeptides is the bacterial membrane. Interestingly, the type of peptide counterion may affect the degree of penetration of the lipid bilayer. In addition, the binding of the lipopeptide to the membrane of Gram-negative bacteria may lead to the release of calcium ions necessary for stabilization of the lipopolysaccharide layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktawian Stachurski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medicinal University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Walewska
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Emilia Iłowska
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Marta Bauer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medicinal University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Sylwia Bartoszewska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medicinal University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Karol Sikora
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medicinal University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Hać
- Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dariusz Wyrzykowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Adam Prahl
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medicinal University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
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Santos FA, Cruz GS, Vieira FA, Queiroz BR, Freitas CD, Mesquita FP, Souza PF. Systematic Review of Antiprotozoal Potential of Antimicrobial Peptides. Acta Trop 2022; 236:106675. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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6
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Ma L, Huang S, Xie H, Ma P, Jia B, Yao Y, Gao Y, Li W, Song J, Zhang W. Influence of chain length on the anticancer activity of the antimicrobial peptide CAMEL with fatty acid modification. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 239:114557. [PMID: 35759906 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) display promising potential in cancer therapy. Modification with fatty acids is a simple and effective approach to improve the activity of AMPs. In the present study, we investigated the effects of fatty acid chain lengths on the anticancer activity, self-assembly and mechanism of action of CAMEL (CM15, KWKLFKKIGAVLKVL-NH2), an amphipathic AMP with 15 amino acids. Conjugation of fatty acids could obviously improve the in vitro anticancer activity of CAMEL. Among the tested peptides, C12-CAMEL showed the highest anticancer activity, while C16-CAMEL killed cancer cells with the slowest kinetics. This may be related to the self-assembly of C12-CAMEL and C16-CAMEL, which could form spherical nanoparticles and tightened nanofibers, respectively. In addition, necrosis and necroptosis rather than apoptosis were the major mechanisms underlying the anticancer activity of CAMEL, C12-CAMEL and C16-CAMEL, implying that modification with fatty acids did not obviously alter the mechanism of action of CAMEL. Notably, C12-CAMEL, with high and rapid cell-killing activity, exhibited significantly stronger in vivo anticancer activity than CAMEL and C16-CAMEL. Overall, the present work suggests that the choice of a suitable fatty acid for structural modification is necessary for improving the anticancer activity of AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Ma
- The Institute of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Sujie Huang
- Institute of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Huan Xie
- Department of Medical, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Panpan Ma
- Institute of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Bo Jia
- Institute of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yufan Yao
- Institute of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yuxuan Gao
- The Institute of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Wenyuan Li
- Institute of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jingjing Song
- The Institute of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
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7
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Li W, Separovic F, O'Brien-Simpson NM, Wade JD. Chemically modified and conjugated antimicrobial peptides against superbugs. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:4932-4973. [PMID: 33710195 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01026j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to human health that, by 2050, will lead to more deaths from bacterial infections than cancer. New antimicrobial agents, both broad-spectrum and selective, that do not induce AMR are urgently required. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a novel class of alternatives that possess potent activity against a wide range of Gram-negative and positive bacteria with little or no capacity to induce AMR. This has stimulated substantial chemical development of novel peptide-based antibiotics possessing improved therapeutic index. This review summarises recent synthetic efforts and their impact on analogue design as well as their various applications in AMP development. It includes modifications that have been reported to enhance antimicrobial activity including lipidation, glycosylation and multimerization through to the broad application of novel bio-orthogonal chemistry, as well as perspectives on the direction of future research. The subject area is primarily the development of next-generation antimicrobial agents through selective, rational chemical modification of AMPs. The review further serves as a guide toward the most promising directions in this field to stimulate broad scientific attention, and will lead to new, effective and selective solutions for the several biomedical challenges to which antimicrobial peptidomimetics are being applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Li
- Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. and Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Frances Separovic
- Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia and School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Neil M O'Brien-Simpson
- Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. and Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - John D Wade
- School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia and The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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8
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Antimicrobial peptides as potential therapeutics for breast cancer. Pharmacol Res 2021; 171:105777. [PMID: 34298112 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common and deadliest cancer in women worldwide. Although notable advances have been achieved in the treatment of breast cancer, the overall survival rate of metastatic breast cancer patients is still considerably low due to the development of resistance to breast cancer chemotherapeutic agents and the non-optimal specificity of the current generation of cancer medications. Hence, there is a growing interest in the search for alternative therapeutics with novel anticancer mechanisms. Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained much attention due to their cost-effectiveness, high specificity of action, and robust efficacy. However, there are no clinical data available about their efficacy. This warrants the increasing need for clinical trials to be conducted to assess the efficacy of this new class of drugs. Here, we will focus on the recent progress in the use of AMPs for breast cancer therapy and will highlight their modes of action. Finally, we will discuss the combination of AMP-based therapeutics with other breast cancer therapy strategies, including nanotherapy and chemotherapy, which may provide a potential avenue for overcoming drug resistance.
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9
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Zhang D, Chen J, Jing Q, Chen Z, Ullah A, Jiang L, Zheng K, Yuan C, Huang M. Development of a Potent Antimicrobial Peptide With Photodynamic Activity. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:624465. [PMID: 34140932 PMCID: PMC8203924 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.624465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a serious challenge to medical practice worldwide. A small peptide with sequence RWRWRW was previously identified as a core antimicrobial peptide with limited antimicrobial spectrum to bacteria, especially Gram-positive bacteria. By conjugating this peptide and its analogs with lipophilic phthalocyanine (Pc), we identified a new antibiotic peptide [PcG3K5(RW)3]. The peptide demonstrates increased antimicrobial effect to both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. In addition, Pc also provides added and potent antimicrobial effect upon red light illumination. The inhibitory efficacy of PcG3K5(RW)3 was increased by ~140-fold to nanomolar range upon illumination. Moreover, PcG3K5(RW)3 was safe for mammalian cell and promoted wound healing in the mouse infection model. Our work provides a new direction to optimize antimicrobial peptides to enhance antimicrobial efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jingyi Chen
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qian Jing
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zheng Chen
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Azeem Ullah
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | | | - Ke Zheng
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Cai Yuan
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
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10
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Robles-Loaiza AA, Pinos-Tamayo EA, Mendes B, Teixeira C, Alves C, Gomes P, Almeida JR. Peptides to Tackle Leishmaniasis: Current Status and Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094400. [PMID: 33922379 PMCID: PMC8122823 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide-based drugs are an attractive class of therapeutic agents, recently recognized by the pharmaceutical industry. These molecules are currently being used in the development of innovative therapies for diverse health conditions, including tropical diseases such as leishmaniasis. Despite its socioeconomic influence on public health, leishmaniasis remains long-neglected and categorized as a poverty-related disease, with limited treatment options. Peptides with antileishmanial effects encountered to date are a structurally heterogeneous group, which can be found in different natural sources—amphibians, reptiles, insects, bacteria, marine organisms, mammals, plants, and others—or inspired by natural toxins or proteins. This review details the biochemical and structural characteristics of over one hundred peptides and their potential use as molecular frameworks for the design of antileishmanial drug leads. Additionally, we detail the main chemical modifications or substitutions of amino acid residues carried out in the peptide sequence, and their implications in the development of antileishmanial candidates for clinical trials. Our bibliographic research highlights that the action of leishmanicidal peptides has been evaluated mainly using in vitro assays, with a special emphasis on the promastigote stage. In light of these findings, and considering the advances in the successful application of peptides in leishmaniasis chemotherapy, possible approaches and future directions are discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto A. Robles-Loaiza
- Biomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150150, Ecuador; (A.A.R.-L.); (E.A.P.-T.)
| | - Edgar A. Pinos-Tamayo
- Biomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150150, Ecuador; (A.A.R.-L.); (E.A.P.-T.)
| | - Bruno Mendes
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, Brazil;
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (C.T.); (C.A.); (P.G.)
| | - Cláudia Alves
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (C.T.); (C.A.); (P.G.)
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (C.T.); (C.A.); (P.G.)
| | - José R. Almeida
- Biomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150150, Ecuador; (A.A.R.-L.); (E.A.P.-T.)
- Correspondence:
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11
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Cardoso P, Glossop H, Meikle TG, Aburto-Medina A, Conn CE, Sarojini V, Valery C. Molecular engineering of antimicrobial peptides: microbial targets, peptide motifs and translation opportunities. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:35-69. [PMID: 33495702 PMCID: PMC7817352 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00784-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The global public health threat of antimicrobial resistance has led the scientific community to highly engage into research on alternative strategies to the traditional small molecule therapeutics. Here, we review one of the most popular alternatives amongst basic and applied research scientists, synthetic antimicrobial peptides. The ease of peptide chemical synthesis combined with emerging engineering principles and potent broad-spectrum activity, including against multidrug-resistant strains, has motivated intense scientific focus on these compounds for the past decade. This global effort has resulted in significant advances in our understanding of peptide antimicrobial activity at the molecular scale. Recent evidence of molecular targets other than the microbial lipid membrane, and efforts towards consensus antimicrobial peptide motifs, have supported the rise of molecular engineering approaches and design tools, including machine learning. Beyond molecular concepts, supramolecular chemistry has been lately added to the debate; and helped unravel the impact of peptide self-assembly on activity, including on biofilms and secondary targets, while providing new directions in pharmaceutical formulation through taking advantage of peptide self-assembled nanostructures. We argue that these basic research advances constitute a solid basis for promising industry translation of rationally designed synthetic peptide antimicrobials, not only as novel drugs against multidrug-resistant strains but also as components of emerging antimicrobial biomaterials. This perspective is supported by recent developments of innovative peptide-based and peptide-carrier nanobiomaterials that we also review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Cardoso
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.,School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hugh Glossop
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | | | - Celine Valery
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
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12
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Rounds T, Straus SK. Lipidation of Antimicrobial Peptides as a Design Strategy for Future Alternatives to Antibiotics. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249692. [PMID: 33353161 PMCID: PMC7766664 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Multi-drug-resistant bacteria are becoming more prevalent, and treating these bacteria is becoming a global concern. One alternative approach to combat bacterial resistance is to use antimicrobial (AMPs) or host-defense peptides (HDPs) because they possess broad-spectrum activity, function in a variety of ways, and lead to minimal resistance. However, the therapeutic efficacy of HDPs is limited by a number of factors, including systemic toxicity, rapid degradation, and low bioavailability. One approach to circumvent these issues is to use lipidation, i.e., the attachment of one or more fatty acid chains to the amine groups of the N-terminus or a lysine residue of an HDP. In this review, we examined lipidated analogs of 66 different HDPs reported in the literature to determine: (i) whether there is a link between acyl chain length and antibacterial activity; (ii) whether the charge and (iii) the hydrophobicity of the HDP play a role; and (iv) whether acyl chain length and toxicity are related. Overall, the analysis suggests that lipidated HDPs with improved activity over the nonlipidated counterpart had acyl chain lengths of 8–12 carbons. Moreover, active lipidated peptides attached to short HDPs tended to have longer acyl chain lengths. Neither the charge of the parent HDP nor the percent hydrophobicity of the peptide had an apparent significant impact on the antibacterial activity. Finally, the relationship between acyl chain length and toxicity was difficult to determine due to the fact that toxicity is quantified in different ways. The impact of these trends, as well as combined strategies such as the incorporation of d- and non-natural amino acids or alternative approaches, will be discussed in light of how lipidation may play a role in the future development of antimicrobial peptide-based alternatives to current therapeutics.
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Magana M, Pushpanathan M, Santos AL, Leanse L, Fernandez M, Ioannidis A, Giulianotti MA, Apidianakis Y, Bradfute S, Ferguson AL, Cherkasov A, Seleem MN, Pinilla C, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Lazaridis T, Dai T, Houghten RA, Hancock REW, Tegos GP. The value of antimicrobial peptides in the age of resistance. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2020; 20:e216-e230. [PMID: 32653070 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30327-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 514] [Impact Index Per Article: 128.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Accelerating growth and global expansion of antimicrobial resistance has deepened the need for discovery of novel antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides have clear advantages over conventional antibiotics which include slower emergence of resistance, broad-spectrum antibiofilm activity, and the ability to favourably modulate the host immune response. Broad bacterial susceptibility to antimicrobial peptides offers an additional tool to expand knowledge about the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. Structural and functional limitations, combined with a stricter regulatory environment, have hampered the clinical translation of antimicrobial peptides as potential therapeutic agents. Existing computational and experimental tools attempt to ease the preclinical and clinical development of antimicrobial peptides as novel therapeutics. This Review identifies the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of using antimicrobial peptides against multidrug-resistant pathogens, highlights advances in the deployment of novel promising antimicrobial peptides, and underlines the needs and priorities in designing focused development strategies taking into account the most advanced tools available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Magana
- Department of Biopathology and Clinical Microbiology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Ana L Santos
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, Palma, Spain
| | - Leon Leanse
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Fernandez
- Department of Urologic Sciences, Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Steven Bradfute
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Global Health, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Artem Cherkasov
- Department of Urologic Sciences, Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Clemencia Pinilla
- Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, Port St Lucie, FL, USA
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Institute for Computational Science, and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Themis Lazaridis
- Department of Chemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY, USA; Graduate Programs in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, NY, USA
| | - Tianhong Dai
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Robert E W Hancock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - George P Tegos
- Reading Hospital, Tower Health, West Reading, PA, USA; Micromoria, Venture X Marlborough, Marlborough, MA, USA.
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Frederiksen N, Hansen PR, Björkling F, Franzyk H. Peptide/Peptoid Hybrid Oligomers: The Influence of Hydrophobicity and Relative Side-Chain Length on Antibacterial Activity and Cell Selectivity. Molecules 2019; 24:E4429. [PMID: 31817108 PMCID: PMC6943742 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous optimisation studies of peptide/peptoid hybrids typically comprise comparison of structurally related analogues displaying different oligomer length and diverse side chains. The present work concerns a systematically constructed series of 16 closely related 12-mer oligomers with an alternating cationic/hydrophobic design, representing a wide range of hydrophobicity and differences in relative side-chain lengths. The aim was to explore and rationalise the structure-activity relationships within a subclass of oligomers displaying variation of three structural features: (i) cationic side-chain length, (ii) hydrophobic side-chain length, and (iii) type of residue that is of a flexible peptoid nature. Increased side-chain length of cationic residues led to reduced hydrophobicity till the side chains became more extended than the aromatic/hydrophobic side chains, at which point hydrophobicity increased slightly. Evaluation of antibacterial activity revealed that analogues with lowest hydrophobicity exhibited reduced activity against E. coli, while oligomers with the shortest cationic side chains were most potent against P. aeruginosa. Thus, membrane-disruptive interaction with P. aeruginosa appears to be promoted by a hydrophobic surface of the oligomers (comprised of the aromatic groups shielding the cationic side chains). Peptidomimetics with short cationic side chains exhibit increased hemolytic properties as well as give rise to decreased HepG2 (hepatoblastoma G2 cell line) cell viability. An optimal hydrophobicity window could be defined by a threshold of minimal hydrophobicity conferring activity toward E. coli and a threshold for maximal hydrophobicity, beyond which cell selectivity was lost.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Henrik Franzyk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 162, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (N.F.); (P.R.H.); (F.B.)
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15
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Armas F, Pacor S, Ferrari E, Guida F, Pertinhez TA, Romani AA, Scocchi M, Benincasa M. Design, antimicrobial activity and mechanism of action of Arg-rich ultra-short cationic lipopeptides. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212447. [PMID: 30789942 PMCID: PMC6383929 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms represents one of the greatest challenges in the clinical management of infectious diseases, and requires the development of novel antimicrobial agents. To this aim, we de novo designed a library of Arg-rich ultra-short cationic antimicrobial lipopeptides (USCLs), based on the Arg-X-Trp-Arg-NH2 peptide moiety conjugated with a fatty acid, and investigated their antibacterial potential. USCLs exhibited an excellent antimicrobial activity against clinically pathogenic microorganisms, in particular Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug resistant strains, with MIC values ranging between 1.56 and 6.25 μg/mL. The capability of the two most active molecules, Lau-RIWR-NH2 and Lau-RRIWRR-NH2, to interact with the bacterial membranes has been predicted by molecular dynamics and verified on liposomes by surface plasmon resonance. Both compounds inhibited the growth of S. aureus even at sub MIC concentrations and induced cell membranes permeabilization by producing visible cell surface alterations leading to a significant decrease in bacterial viability. Interestingly, no cytotoxic effects were evidenced for these lipopeptides up to 50–100 μg/mL in hemolysis assay, in human epidermal model and HaCaT cells, thus highlighting a good cell selectivity. These results, together with the simple composition of USCLs, make them promising lead compounds as new antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Armas
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Area Science Park, Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sabrina Pacor
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Elena Ferrari
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Filomena Guida
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Thelma A. Pertinhez
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Transfusion Medicine Unit, AUSL-IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | | | - Marco Scocchi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Monica Benincasa
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail:
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16
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Rivas L, Rojas V. Cyanobacterial peptides as a tour de force in the chemical space of antiparasitic agents. Arch Biochem Biophys 2019; 664:24-39. [PMID: 30707942 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2019.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are scarcely addressed target for antimicrobial peptides despite their big impact in health and global economy. The notion of antimicrobial peptides is frequently associated to the innate immune defense of vertebrates and invertebrate vectors, as the ultimate recipients of the parasite infection. These antiparasite peptides are produced by ribosomal synthesis, with few post-translational modifications, and their diversity come mostly from their amino acid sequence. For many of them permeabilization of the cell membrane of the targeted pathogen is crucial for their microbicidal mechanism. In contrast, cyanobacterial peptides are produced either by ribosomal or non-ribosomal biosynthesis. Quite often, they undergo heavy modifications, such as the inclusion of non-proteinogenic amino acids, lipid acylation, cyclation, Nα-methylation, or heterocyclic rings. Furthermore, the few targets identified for cyanobacterial peptides in parasites are intracellular. Some cyanobacterial antiparasite peptides are active at picomolar concentrations, whereas those from higher eukaryotes usually work in the micromolar range. In all, cyanobacterial peptides are an appealing target to develop new antiparasite therapies and a challenge in the invention of new synthetic methods for peptides. This review aims to provide an updated appraisal of antiparasite cyanobacterial peptides and to establish a side-by -side comparison with those antiparasite peptides from higher eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Rivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (C.S.I.C), c/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Verónica Rojas
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Campus Curauma, Curauma, Valparaíso, Chile.
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17
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Wang C, Feng S, Qie J, Wei X, Yan H, Liu K. Polyion complexes of a cationic antimicrobial peptide as a potential systemically administered antibiotic. Int J Pharm 2018; 554:284-291. [PMID: 30439489 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are regarded as next-generation antibiotics to replace conventional antibiotics due to their rapid and broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and far less sensitivity to the development of pathogen resistance. However, they are susceptible to proteolysis in vivo by endogenous or bacterial proteases as well as induce the lysis of red blood cells, which prevent their intravenous applications. In this work, polyion complex (PIC) micelles of the cationic AMP MSI-78 and the anionic copolymer methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(α-glutamic acid) (mPEG-b-PGlu) were prepared to develop novel antimicrobial agents for potential application in vivo. With an increase in molar ratio of mPEG-b-PGlu to MSI-78, the complexation ability of the PIC micelles increased. FITC-labeled MSI-78 showed a sustained release from the PIC micelles. More importantly, these PIC micelles greatly decreased the hemolytic toxicity of MSI-78 to human red blood cells, without influencing its antimicrobial activity. Thus, this approach could be used as a suitable in vivo delivery method of AMPs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Siliang Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jiankun Qie
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xiaoli Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Husheng Yan
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Keliang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China.
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18
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Sikorska E, Stachurski O, Neubauer D, Małuch I, Wyrzykowski D, Bauer M, Brzozowski K, Kamysz W. Short arginine-rich lipopeptides: From self-assembly to antimicrobial activity. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1860:2242-2251. [PMID: 30409520 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we examine antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, self-assembly and interactions with anionic and zwitterionic membranes of short arginine-rich lipopeptides: C16-RRRR-NH2, C14-RRRR-NH2, C12-RRRR-NH2, and C16-PRRR-NH2. They show a tendency to self-assembly into micelles, but it is not required for antimicrobial activity. The membrane binding of the lipopeptides can be accompanied by other factors such as: peptide aggregation, pore formation or micellization of phospholipid bilayer. The shortening of the acyl chain results in compounds with a lower haemolytic activity and a slightly improved antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, what indicates enhanced cell specificity. Results of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations indicate different organization of membrane lipids upon binding of arginine-based lipopeptides and the previously studied lysine-based ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Sikorska
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Oktawian Stachurski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Izabela Małuch
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dariusz Wyrzykowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Marta Bauer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Brzozowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
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19
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Salas RL, Garcia JKDL, Miranda ACR, Rivera WL, Nellas RB, Sabido PMG. Effects of truncation of the peptide chain on the secondary structure and bioactivities of palmitoylated anoplin. Peptides 2018; 104:7-14. [PMID: 29614317 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Anoplin (GLLKRIKTLL-NH2) is of current interest due to its short sequence and specificity towards bacteria. Recent studies on anoplin have shown that truncation and acylation compromises its antimicrobial activity and specificity, respectively. In this study, truncated analogues (pal-ano-9 to pal-ano-5) of palmitoylated anoplin (pal-anoplin) were synthesized to determine the effects of C-truncation on its bioactivities. Moreover, secondary structure of each analogue using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was determined to correlate with bioactivities. Interestingly, pal-anoplin, pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6 were helical in water, unlike anoplin. In contrast, pal-ano-8, pal-ano-7 and pal-ano-5, with polar amino acid residues at the C-terminus, were random coil in water. Nevertheless, all the peptides folded into helical structures in 30% trifluoroethanol/water (TFE/H2O) except for the shortest analogue pal-ano-5. Hydrophobicity played a significant role in the enhancement of activity against bacteria E. coli and S. aureus as all lipopeptides including the random coil pal-ano-5 were more active than the parent anoplin. Meanwhile, the greatest improvement in activity against the fungus C. albicans was observed for pal-anoplin analogues (pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6) that were helical in water. Although, hydrophobicity is a major factor in the secondary structure and antimicrobial activity, it appears that the nature of amino acids at the C-terminus also influence folding of lipopeptides in water and its antifungal activity. Moreover, the hemolytic activity of the analogues was found to correlate with hydrophobicity, except for the least hemolytic, pal-ano-5. Since most of the analogues are more potent and shorter than anoplin, they are promising drug candidates for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remmer L Salas
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Jan Kathryne D L Garcia
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Ana Carmela R Miranda
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Windell L Rivera
- Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Ricky B Nellas
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines
| | - Portia Mahal G Sabido
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines.
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20
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Krishnakumari V, Guru A, Adicherla H, Nagaraj R. Effects of increasing hydrophobicity by N‐terminal myristoylation on the antibacterial and hemolytic activities of the C‐terminal cationic segments of human‐β‐defensins 1–3. Chem Biol Drug Des 2018; 92:1504-1513. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ankeeta Guru
- CSIR‐ Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology Hyderabad India
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21
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Antibiotic Hybrids: the Next Generation of Agents and Adjuvants against Gram-Negative Pathogens? Clin Microbiol Rev 2018. [PMID: 29540434 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00077-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The global incidence of drug-resistant Gram-negative bacillary infections has been increasing, and there is a dire need to develop novel strategies to overcome this problem. Intrinsic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, such as their protective outer membrane and constitutively overexpressed efflux pumps, is a major survival weapon that renders them refractory to current antibiotics. Several potential avenues to overcome this problem have been at the heart of antibiotic drug discovery in the past few decades. We review some of these strategies, with emphasis on antibiotic hybrids either as stand-alone antibacterial agents or as adjuvants that potentiate a primary antibiotic in Gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotic hybrid is defined in this review as a synthetic construct of two or more pharmacophores belonging to an established agent known to elicit a desired antimicrobial effect. The concepts, advances, and challenges of antibiotic hybrids are elaborated in this article. Moreover, we discuss several antibiotic hybrids that were or are in clinical evaluation. Mechanistic insights into how tobramycin-based antibiotic hybrids are able to potentiate legacy antibiotics in multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli are also highlighted. Antibiotic hybrids indeed have a promising future as a therapeutic strategy to overcome drug resistance in Gram-negative pathogens and/or expand the usefulness of our current antibiotic arsenal.
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22
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Optimisation of the antifungal potency of the amidated peptide H-Orn-Orn-Trp-Trp-NH2 against food contaminants. Int J Food Microbiol 2018; 265:40-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2017.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel aliphatic acid-conjugated antimicrobial peptides as potential agents with anti-tumor, multidrug resistance-reversing activity and enhanced stability. Amino Acids 2017; 49:1831-1841. [PMID: 28831625 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-017-2482-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Compared with traditional anti-tumor drugs, antimicrobial peptides as novel anti-tumor agents have prominent advantages of higher specificity and circumvention of multi-drug resistance. BP100 is a multifunctional membrane-active peptide with high antimicrobial activity. Taking BP100 as a lead peptide, we designed and synthesized a series of aliphatic chain-conjugated peptides through solid-phase synthesis. Biological evaluation revealed that these peptides exhibited better anti-cancer activity than BP100. Further investigations revealed that these peptides could disrupt the cell membrane and trigger the cytochrome C release into cytoplasm, which ultimately resulted in apoptosis. Meanwhile, these peptides also exhibited effective anti-tumor activity against multidrug resistant cells and had multidrug resistance-reversing effect. Additionally, conjugation of aliphatic acid to those peptides could enhance their stability in plasma. In conclusion, aliphatic acid-modified peptides might be promising anti-tumor agents for cancer therapy.
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Meir O, Zaknoon F, Cogan U, Mor A. A broad-spectrum bactericidal lipopeptide with anti-biofilm properties. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2198. [PMID: 28526864 PMCID: PMC5438364 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02373-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies of the oligoacyllysyl (OAK) series acyl-lysyl-lysyl-aminoacyl-lysine-amide, suggested their utility towards generating robust linear lipopeptide-like alternatives to antibiotics, although to date, none exhibited potent broad-spectrum bactericidal activity. To follow up on this premise, we produced a new analog (C14KKc12K) and investigated its properties in various media. Mechanistic studies suggest that C14KKc12K uses a non-specific membrane-disruptive mode of action for rapidly reducing viability of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) similarly to polymyxin B (PMB), a cyclic lipopeptide used as last resort antibiotic. Indeed, C14KKc12K displayed similar affinity for lipopolysaccharides and induced cell permeabilization associated with rapid massive membrane depolarization. Unlike PMB however, C14KKc12K was also bactericidal to Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) at or near the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), as assessed against a multispecies panel of >50 strains, displaying MIC50 at 3 and 6 µM, respectively for GPB and GNB. C14KKc12K retained activity in human saliva, reducing the viability of cultivable oral microflora by >99% within two minutes of exposure, albeit at higher concentrations, which, nonetheless, were similar to the commercial gold standard, chlorhexidine. This equipotent bactericidal activity was also observed in pre-formed biofilms of Streptococcus mutans, a major periodontal pathogen. Such compounds therefore, may be useful for eradication of challenging poly-microbial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Meir
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Fadia Zaknoon
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Uri Cogan
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Amram Mor
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel.
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25
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Lehto T, Vasconcelos L, Margus H, Figueroa R, Pooga M, Hällbrink M, Langel Ü. Saturated Fatty Acid Analogues of Cell-Penetrating Peptide PepFect14: Role of Fatty Acid Modification in Complexation and Delivery of Splice-Correcting Oligonucleotides. Bioconjug Chem 2017; 28:782-792. [PMID: 28209057 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Modifying cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) with fatty acids has long been used to improve peptide-mediated nucleic acid delivery. In this study we have revisited this phenomenon with a systematic approach where we developed a structure-activity relationship to describe the role of the acyl chain length in the transfection process. For that we took a well-studied CPP, PepFect14, as the basis and varied its N-terminal acyl chain length from 2 to 22 carbons. To evaluate the delivery efficiency, the peptides were noncovalently complexed with a splice-correcting oligonucleotide (SCO) and tested in HeLa pLuc705 reporter cell line. Our results demonstrate that biological splice-correction activity emerges from acyl chain of 12 carbons and increases linearly with each additional carbon. To assess the underlying factors regarding how the transfection efficacy of these complexes is dependent on hydrophobicity, we used an array of different methods. For the functionally active peptides (C12-22) there was no apparent difference in their physicochemical properties, including complex formation efficiency, hydrodynamic size, and zeta potential. Moreover, membrane activity studies with peptides and their complexes with SCOs confirmed that the toxicity of the complexes at higher molar ratios is mainly caused by the free fraction of the peptide which is not incorporated into the peptide/oligonucleotide complexes. Finally, we show that the increase in splice-correcting activity correlates with the ability of the complexes to associate with the cells. Collectively these studies lay the ground work for how to design highly efficient CPPs and how to optimize their oligonucleotide complexes for lowest toxicity without losing efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tõnis Lehto
- Department of Neurochemistry, The Svante Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University , Svante Arrhenius väg 16B, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Luis Vasconcelos
- Department of Neurochemistry, The Svante Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University , Svante Arrhenius väg 16B, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helerin Margus
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu , Riia 23a, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ricardo Figueroa
- Department of Neurochemistry, The Svante Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University , Svante Arrhenius väg 16B, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Margus Pooga
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu , Riia 23a, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mattias Hällbrink
- Department of Neurochemistry, The Svante Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University , Svante Arrhenius väg 16B, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ülo Langel
- Department of Neurochemistry, The Svante Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University , Svante Arrhenius väg 16B, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.,Institute of Technology, University of Tartu , Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
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da Hora GCA, Archilha NL, Lopes JLS, Müller DM, Coutinho K, Itri R, Soares TA. Membrane negative curvature induced by a hybrid peptide from pediocin PA-1 and plantaricin 149 as revealed by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:8884-8898. [PMID: 27722742 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01714b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are cationic peptides that kill bacteria with a broad spectrum of action, low toxicity to mammalian cells and exceptionally low rates of bacterial resistance. These features have led to considerable efforts in developing AMPs as an alternative antibacterial therapy. In vitro studies have shown that AMPs interfere with membrane bilayer integrity via several possible mechanisms, which are not entirely understood. We have performed the synthesis, membrane lysis measurements, and biophysical characterization of a novel hybrid peptide. These measurements show that PA-Pln149 does not form nanopores, but instead promotes membrane rupture. It causes fast rupture of the bacterial model membrane (POPG-rich) at concentrations 100-fold lower than that required for the disruption of mammalian model membranes (POPC-rich). Atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for single and multiple copies of PA-Pln149 in the presence of mixed and pure POPC/POPG bilayers to investigate the concentration-dependent membrane disruption by the hybrid peptide. These simulations reproduced the experimental trend and provided a potential mechanism of action for PA-Pln149. It shows that the PA-Pln149 does not form nanopores, but instead promotes membrane destabilization through peptide aggregation and induction of membrane negative curvature with the collapse of the lamellar arrangement. The sequence of events depicted for PA-Pln149 may offer insights into the mechanism of action of AMPs previously shown to induce negative deformation of membrane curvature and often associated with peptide translocation via non-bilayer intermediate structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- G C A da Hora
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-560 Cidade Universitária, Recife, Brazil.
| | - N L Archilha
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - J L S Lopes
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - D M Müller
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Cs. Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (U.N.L). Ciudad Universitaria, C.C.242, (C.P:3000) Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - K Coutinho
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - R Itri
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - T A Soares
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-560 Cidade Universitária, Recife, Brazil. and Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
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27
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Maciejewska M, Bauer M, Neubauer D, Kamysz W, Dawgul M. Influence of Amphibian Antimicrobial Peptides and Short Lipopeptides on Bacterial Biofilms Formed on Contact Lenses. MATERIALS 2016; 9:ma9110873. [PMID: 28773992 PMCID: PMC5457276 DOI: 10.3390/ma9110873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The widespread use of contact lenses is associated with several complications, including ocular biofilm-related infections. They are very difficult to manage with standard antimicrobial therapies, because bacterial growth in a biofilm is associated with an increased antibiotic resistance. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in eradication of bacterial biofilms formed on commercially available contact lenses. AMPs were synthesized according to Fmoc/tBu chemistry using the solid-phase method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of the compounds were determined. Anti-biofilm activity of the antimicrobial peptides determined at different temperatures (25 °C and 37 °C) were compared with the effectiveness of commercially available contact lens solutions. All of the tested compounds exhibited stronger anti-biofilm properties as compared to those of the tested lens solutions. The strongest activity of AMPs was noticed against Gram-positive strains at a temperature of 25 °C. Conclusions: The results of our experiments encourage us toward further studies on AMPs and their potential application in the prophylaxis of contact lens-related eye infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Maciejewska
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-416, Poland.
- Pharmaceutical Laboratory, Avena SJ, Osielsko 86-031, Poland.
| | - Marta Bauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-416, Poland.
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-416, Poland.
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-416, Poland.
| | - Malgorzata Dawgul
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-416, Poland.
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28
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Chu X, Aydin F, Dutt M. Modeling Interactions between Multicomponent Vesicles and Antimicrobial Peptide-Inspired Nanoparticles. ACS NANO 2016; 10:7351-7361. [PMID: 27434532 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b08133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We examine the interaction between peptide-inspired nanoparticles, or nanopins, and multicomponent vesicles using the dissipative particle dynamics simulation technique. We study the role of nanopin architecture and cholesterol concentration on the binding of the nanopins to the lipid bilayer, their insertion, and postembedding self-organization. We find the insertion to be triggered by enthalpically unfavorable interactions between the hydrophilic solvent and the lipophilic components of the nanopins. The nanopins are observed to form aggregates in solution, insert into the bilayer, and disassemble into the individual nanopins following the insertion process. We examine factors that influence the orientation of the nanopins in the host vesicle. We report the length of the hydrophilic segment of the nanopins to regulate their orientation within the clusters before the embedding process and in the bilayer, after the postinsertion disassembly of the aggregates. The orientation angle distribution for a given nanopin architecture is found to be driven by energy minimization. In addition, higher concentration of cholesterol is observed to constrain the orientation of the nanopins. We also report thermal fluctuations to induce transverse diffusion of nanopins with specific architectures. The incidence of transverse diffusion is observed to decrease with the concentration of cholesterol. Our results can provide guidelines for designing peptide-inspired nanoparticles or macromolecules that can interface with living cells to serve as sensors for applications in medicine, sustainability, and energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Chu
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Fikret Aydin
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Meenakshi Dutt
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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29
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Gottschalk S, Ingmer H, Thomsen LE. The lysine-peptoid hybrid LP5 maintain activity under physiological conditions and affects virulence gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus. Peptides 2016; 78:24-9. [PMID: 26851701 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide, LP5, is a lysine-peptoid hybrid, with antimicrobial activity against clinically relevant bacteria. Here, we investigated how various environmental conditions affect the antimicrobial activity of LP5 against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). We found that LP5 maintained activity under host physiological conditions of NaCl, MgCl2 and pH. However, when exposed to serum, LP5 lost activity. Furthermore, when increasing NaCl concentration and lowering pH, the peptide showed reduces activity. When investigating the tolerance mechanisms of S. aureus toward antimicrobial peptides, we found that LP5 was protease resistant. However, the dltA and vraF genes, involved in reducing the net anionic charge of the bacterial cell envelope and sensing of antimicrobial peptides, respectively, played a role in the tolerance of S. aureus against LP5. In addition, the exposure of S. aureus to sub-inhibitory concentrations of LP5 affected the expression of the major virulence factors of S. aureus, revealing a potential as anti-virulence compound. Thus, these results show how environmental factors affect the peptide efficiency and further add to the knowledge on how the peptide affects S. aureus, which is crucial information for designing new peptides for optimizing antimicrobial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Gottschalk
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| | - Hanne Ingmer
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| | - Line E Thomsen
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
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30
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Koh JJ, Zou H, Lin S, Lin H, Soh RT, Lim FH, Koh WL, Li J, Lakshminarayanan R, Verma C, Tan DTH, Cao D, Beuerman RW, Liu S. Nonpeptidic Amphiphilic Xanthone Derivatives: Structure-Activity Relationship and Membrane-Targeting Properties. J Med Chem 2015; 59:171-93. [PMID: 26681070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We recently reported the bioinspired synthesis of a highly potent nonpeptidic xanthone, 2c (AM-0016), with potent antibacterial activity against MRSA. Herein, we report a thorough structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of a series of nonpeptidic amphiphilic xanthone derivatives in an attempt to identify more potent compounds with lower hemolytic activity and greater membrane selectivity. Forty-six amphiphilic xanthone derivatives were analyzed in this study and structurally classified into four groups based on spacer length, cationic moieties, lipophilic chains, and triarm functionalization. We evaluated and explored the effects of the structures on their membrane-targeting properties. The SAR analysis successfully identified 3a with potent MICs (1.56-3.125 μ/mL) and lower hemolytic activity (80.2 μg/mL for 3a versus 19.7 μg/mL for 2c). Compound 3a displayed a membrane selectivity of 25.7-50.4. Thus, 3a with improved HC50 value and promising selectivity could be used as a lead compound for further structural optimization for the treatment of MRSA infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Koh
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , 119074 Singapore
| | - Hanxun Zou
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Shuimu Lin
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Huifen Lin
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore
| | - Rui Ting Soh
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore
| | - Fang Hui Lim
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore
| | - Wee Luan Koh
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore
| | - Jianguo Li
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, 07-01 Matrix, 138671 Singapore
| | - Rajamani Lakshminarayanan
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,SRP Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School , 169857 Singapore
| | - Chandra Verma
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, 07-01 Matrix, 138671 Singapore.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551 Singapore.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore , 14 Science Drive 4, 117543 Singapore
| | - Donald T H Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , 119074 Singapore.,Singapore National Eye Centre , 11 Third Hospital Avenue, 168751 Singapore
| | - Derong Cao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Roger W Beuerman
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,SRP Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School , 169857 Singapore
| | - Shouping Liu
- Singapore Eye Research Institute , The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856 Singapore.,SRP Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School , 169857 Singapore
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31
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Khara JS, Lim FK, Wang Y, Ke XY, Voo ZX, Yang YY, Lakshminarayanan R, Ee PLR. Designing α-helical peptides with enhanced synergism and selectivity against Mycobacterium smegmatis: Discerning the role of hydrophobicity and helicity. Acta Biomater 2015; 28:99-108. [PMID: 26380930 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recently, we reported on a series of short amphipathic α-helical peptides, comprising the backbone sequence (LLKK)2, with the ability to kill susceptible and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, the effect of key physicochemical parameters including hydrophobicity and helicity of α-helical peptides on anti-mycobacterial activity and synergism with rifampicin was investigated. The most hydrophobic analogue, W(LLKK)2W, displayed low selectivity against mycobacteria while peptides with intermediate hydrophobicity were shown to be equally active, yet significantly less toxic. Furthermore, proline substitution impeded the formation of stable amphipathic structures, rendering P(LLKK)2P as one of the least active analogues. Terminal capping with isoleucine was found to promote α-helical folding and the resultant peptide demonstrated the highest selectivity and minimal cytotoxicity against mammalian macrophages. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that enhancements in hydrophobicity and α-helicity increased the rate and extent of peptide-mediated membrane permeabilization. This finding corroborated the hypothesis that synergism between the peptides and rifampicin was likely mediated via peptide-induced pore formation. The rapid, concentration-dependent membrane depolarization, leakage of intracellular ATP and calcein release from PE/PG LUVs supported the membrane-lytic mechanism of action of the peptides. Together, these findings suggest that hydrophobicity and α-helicity significantly impact anti-mycobacterial activity and optimization of both parameters is necessary to develop synthetic analogues with superior selectivity indices and enhanced synergistic potential with conventional antibiotics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE There is an urgent clinical need for the discovery of new antimicrobials, effective not just for drug susceptible, but also rapidly emerging drug-resistant TB. Recently, we reported on a series of short amphipathic α-helical peptides, comprising the backbone sequence (LLKK)2, with the ability to kill susceptible and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis. In this study, we evaluated a series of synthetic α-helical (LLKK)2 peptides over a range of hydrophobicities for their activity against mycobacteria and provide the first report on the modulating effect of hydrophobicity and α-helicity on the antimicrobial mechanisms of synthetic AMPs and their synergism with first-line antibiotics. These findings demonstrate the applicability of strategies employed here for the rational design of AMPs with the aim of improving cell selectivity and synergistic interactions when co-administered with first-line antibiotics in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmeet Singh Khara
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Fang Kang Lim
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Xi-Yu Ke
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Zhi Xiang Voo
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Yi Yan Yang
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Rajamani Lakshminarayanan
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, SRP Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Pui Lai Rachel Ee
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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32
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Gottschalk S, Gottlieb CT, Vestergaard M, Hansen PR, Gram L, Ingmer H, Thomsen LE. Amphibian antimicrobial peptide fallaxin analogue FL9 affects virulence gene expression and DNA replication in Staphylococcus aureus. J Med Microbiol 2015; 64:1504-1513. [DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Gottschalk
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Caroline T. Gottlieb
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martin Vestergaard
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Paul R. Hansen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hanne Ingmer
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Line E. Thomsen
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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33
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Kaneti G, Meir O, Mor A. Controlling bacterial infections by inhibiting proton-dependent processes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015; 1858:995-1003. [PMID: 26522076 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is recognized as one of the greatest threats in modern healthcare, taking a staggering toll worldwide. New approaches for controlling bacterial infections must be designed, eventually combining multiple strategies for complimentary therapies. This review explores an old/new paradigm for multi-targeted antibacterial therapy, focused at disturbing bacterial cytoplasmic membrane functions at sub minimal inhibitory concentrations, namely through superficial physical alterations of the bilayer, thereby perturbing transmembrane signals transduction. Such a paradigm may have the advantage of fighting the infection while avoiding many of the known resistance mechanisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Antimicrobial peptides edited by Karl Lohner and Kai Hilpert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galoz Kaneti
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Ohad Meir
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Amram Mor
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
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34
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Koh JJ, Lin H, Caroline V, Chew YS, Pang LM, Aung TT, Li J, Lakshminarayanan R, Tan DTH, Verma C, Tan AL, Beuerman RW, Liu S. N-Lipidated Peptide Dimers: Effective Antibacterial Agents against Gram-Negative Pathogens through Lipopolysaccharide Permeabilization. J Med Chem 2015. [PMID: 26214729 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens is challenging, and there is concern regarding the toxicity of the most effective antimicrobials for Gram-negative pathogens. We hypothesized that conjugating a fatty acid moiety onto a peptide dimer could maximize the interaction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and facilitate the permeabilization of the LPS barrier, thereby improving potency against Gram-negative pathogens. We systematically designed a series of N-lipidated peptide dimers that are active against Gram-negative bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). The optimized lipid length was 6-10 carbons. At these lipid lengths, the N-lipidated peptide dimers exhibited strong LPS permeabilization. Compound 23 exhibited synergy with select antibiotics in most of the combinations tested. 23 and 32 also displayed rapid bactericidal activity. Importantly, 23 and 32 were nonhemolytic at 10 mg/mL, with no cellular or in vivo toxicity. These characteristics suggest that these compounds can overcome the limitations of current Gram-negative-targeted antimicrobials such as polymyxin B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Koh
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore.,Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , 119074, Singapore
| | - Huifen Lin
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore
| | - Vonny Caroline
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore
| | - Yu Siang Chew
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore
| | - Li Mei Pang
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore
| | - Thet Tun Aung
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore
| | - Jianguo Li
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore.,Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, 07-01 matrix, 138671, Singapore
| | - Rajamani Lakshminarayanan
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore.,SRP Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School , 169857, Singapore
| | - Donald T H Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , 119074, Singapore.,Singapore National Eye Centre , 11 Third Hospital Avenue, 168751, Singapore
| | - Chandra Verma
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore.,Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, 07-01 matrix, 138671, Singapore.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551, Singapore.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore , 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Ai Ling Tan
- Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital , 169608, Singapore
| | - Roger W Beuerman
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore.,SRP Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School , 169857, Singapore
| | - Shouping Liu
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia , 20 College Road, Discovery Tower Level 6, 169856, Singapore.,SRP Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School , 169857, Singapore
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35
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Sánchez-Gómez S, Ferrer-Espada R, Stewart PS, Pitts B, Lohner K, Martínez de Tejada G. Antimicrobial activity of synthetic cationic peptides and lipopeptides derived from human lactoferricin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa planktonic cultures and biofilms. BMC Microbiol 2015; 15:137. [PMID: 26149536 PMCID: PMC4491869 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-015-0473-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa constitute a serious health threat because this pathogen –particularly when it forms biofilms – can acquire resistance to the majority of conventional antibiotics. This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of synthetic peptides based on LF11, an 11-mer peptide derived from human lactoferricin against P. aeruginosa planktonic and biofilm-forming cells. We included in this analysis selected N-acylated derivatives of the peptides to analyze the effect of acylation in antimicrobial activity. To assess the efficacy of compounds against planktonic bacteria, microdilution assays to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and time-kill studies were conducted. The anti-biofilm activity of the agents was assessed on biofilms grown under static (on microplates) and dynamic (in a CDC-reactor) flow regimes. Results The antimicrobial activity of lipopeptides differed from that of non-acylated peptides in their killing mechanisms on planktonic and biofilm-forming cells. Thus, acylation enhanced the bactericidal activity of the parental peptides and resulted in lipopeptides that were uniformly bactericidal at their MIC. In contrast, acylation of the most potent anti-biofilm peptides resulted in compounds with lower anti-biofilm activity. Both peptides and lipopeptides displayed very rapid killing kinetics and all of them required less than 21 min to reduce 1,000 times the viability of planktonic cells when tested at 2 times their MBC. The peptides, LF11-215 (FWRIRIRR) and LF11-227 (FWRRFWRR), displayed the most potent anti-biofilm activity causing a 10,000 fold reduction in cell viability after 1 h of treatment at 10 times their MIC. At that concentration, these two compounds exhibited low citotoxicity on human cells. In addition to its bactericidal activity, LF11-227 removed more that 50 % of the biofilm mass in independent assays. Peptide LF11-215 and two of the shortest and least hydrophobic lipopeptides, DI-MB-LF11-322 (2,2-dimethylbutanoyl-PFWRIRIRR) and DI-MB-LF11-215, penetrated deep into the biofilm structure and homogenously killed biofilm-forming bacteria. Conclusion We identified peptides derived from human lactoferricin with potent antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa growing either in planktonic or in biofilm mode. Although further structure-activity relationship analyses are necessary to optimize the anti-biofilm activity of these compounds, the results indicate that lactoferricin derived peptides are promising anti-biofilm agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Sánchez-Gómez
- Department of Microbiology, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea 1, E-31008, Pamplona, Spain. .,Present address: Susana Sánchez-Gómez, Bionanoplus, 31110, Noain, Spain.
| | - Raquel Ferrer-Espada
- Department of Microbiology, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea 1, E-31008, Pamplona, Spain.
| | - Philip S Stewart
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Betsey Pitts
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Karl Lohner
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Biophysics Division, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
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36
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Shirangi M, Hennink WE, Somsen GW, van Nostrum CF. Identification and Assessment of Octreotide Acylation in Polyester Microspheres by LC-MS/MS. Pharm Res 2015; 32:3044-54. [PMID: 25832500 PMCID: PMC4526596 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-015-1685-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Polyesters with hydrophilic domains, i.e., poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic-co-hydroxymethyl glycolic acid) (PLGHMGA) and a multiblock copolymer of poly(ε-caprolactone)-PEG-poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(l-lactide) ((PC-PEG-PC)-(PL)) are expected to cause less acylation of encapsulated peptides than fully hydrophobic matrices. Our purpose is to assess the extent and sites of acylation of octreotide loaded in microspheres using tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Methods Octreotide loaded microspheres were prepared by a double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Release profiles of octreotide from hydrophilic microspheres were compared with that of PLGA microspheres. To scrutinize the structural information and localize the actual modification site(s) of octreotide, liquid chromatography ion-trap mass spectrometry (LC-ITMS) was performed on the acylated adducts. Results Hydrophilic microspheres showed less acylated adducts in comparison with PLGA microspheres. LC-MS/MS showed that besides the N-terminus and primary amine of lysine, the primary hydroxyl of the end group of octreotide was also subjected to acylation. Nucleophilic attack of the peptide can also occur to the carbamate bond presented in (PC-PEG-PC)-(PL) since 1,4-butanediisocyanate was used as the chain extender. Conclusions Hydrophilic polyesters are promising systems for controlled release of peptide because substantially less acylation occurs in microspheres based on these polymers. LC-ITMS provided detailed structural information of octreotide modifications via mass analysis of ion fragments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11095-015-1685-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrnoosh Shirangi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Krishnakumari V, Nagaraj R. N-Terminal fatty acylation of peptides spanning the cationic C-terminal segment of bovine β-defensin-2 results in salt-resistant antibacterial activity. Biophys Chem 2015; 199:25-33. [PMID: 25791057 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2015.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Peptides spanning the C-terminal segment of bovine-β-defensin-2 (BNBD-2) rich in cationic amino acids, show antimicrobial activity. However, they exhibit considerably reduced activity at physiological concentration of NaCl. In the present study, we have investigated whether N-terminal acylation (acetylation and palmitoylation) of these peptides would result in improved antimicrobial activity. N-terminal palmitoylation though increased hydrophobicity of the peptides, did not enhance antimicrobial potency. However, antibacterial activity of these peptides was not attenuated by NaCl. Biophysical studies on the palmitoylated peptides have indicated that antibacterial activity in the presence of NaCl arises due to the ability of the peptides to interact with membranes more effectively. These peptides showed hemolytic activity which was attenuated considerably in the presence of serum and lipid vesicles. In defensin related peptides, fatty acylation would be a convenient way to generate analogs that are active in the presence of salt.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramakrishnan Nagaraj
- CSIR - Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India
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Jahnsen RO, Sandberg-Schaal A, Frimodt-Møller N, Nielsen HM, Franzyk H. End group modification: Efficient tool for improving activity of antimicrobial peptide analogues towards Gram-positive bacteria. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2015; 95:40-6. [PMID: 25622790 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2015.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Increased incidence of infections with multidrug-resistant bacterial strains warrants an intensive search for novel potential antimicrobial agents. Here, an antimicrobial peptide analogue with a cationic/hydrophobic alternating design displaying only moderate activity against Gram-positive pathogens was optimized. Generally, introduction of hydrophobic moieties at the N-terminus resulted in analogues with remarkably increased activity against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium. Interestingly, the potency against Escherichia coli strains was unaffected, whereas modification with hydrophobic moieties led to increased activity towards the Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii. Despite increased cytotoxicity against murine fibroblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the optimized peptide analogues exhibited significantly improved cell selectivity. Overall, the most favorable hydrophobic activity-inducing moieties were found to be cyclohexylacetyl and pentafluorophenylacetyl groups, while the presence of a short PEG-like chain had no significant effect on activity. Introduction of cationic moieties conferred no effect or merely a moderate activity-promoting effect to the analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus O Jahnsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Anne Sandberg-Schaal
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Niels Frimodt-Møller
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
| | - Hanne Mørck Nielsen
- Dept. Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Henrik Franzyk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Xu X, Lai R. The chemistry and biological activities of peptides from amphibian skin secretions. Chem Rev 2015; 115:1760-846. [PMID: 25594509 DOI: 10.1021/cr4006704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology , Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
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Novel phospholipase A2 inhibitors from python serum are potent peptide antibiotics. Biochimie 2015; 111:30-44. [PMID: 25583073 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a vital role in defense against resistant bacteria. In this study, eight different AMPs synthesized from Python reticulatus serum protein were tested for bactericidal activity against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Burkholderia pseudomallei (KHW and TES strains), and Proteus vulgaris) using a disc-diffusion method (20 μg/disc). Among the tested peptides, phospholipase A2 inhibitory peptide (PIP)-18[59-76], β-Asp65-PIP[59-67], D-Ala66-PNT.II, and D60,65E-PIP[59-67] displayed the most potent bactericidal activity against all tested pathogens in a dose-dependent manner (100-6.8 μg/ml), with a remarkable activity noted against S. aureus at 6.8 μg/ml dose within 6 h of incubation. Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) by a micro-broth dilution method at 100-3.125 μg/ml revealed that PIP-18[59-76], β-Asp65-PIP[59-67] and D-Ala66-PNT.II peptides exerted a potent inhibitory effect against S. aureus and B. pseudomallei (KHW) (MICs 3.125 μg/ml), while a much less inhibitory potency (MICs 12.5 μg/ml) was noted for β-Asp65-PIP[59-67] and D-Ala66-PNT.II peptides against B. pseudomallei (TES). Higher doses of peptides had no effect on the other two strains (i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae). Overall, PIP-18[59-76] possessed higher antimicrobial activity than that of chloramphenicol (CHL), ceftazidime (CF) and streptomycin (ST) (30 μg/disc). When the two most active peptides, PIP-18[59-76] and β-Asp65-PIP[59-67], were applied topically at a 150 mg/kg dose for testing wound healing activity in a mouse model of S. aureus infection, the former accelerates faster wound healing than the latter peptide at 14 days post-treatment. The western blot data suggest that the topical application of peptides (PIP-18[59-67] and β-Asp65-PIP[59-67]) modulates NF-kB mediated wound repair in mice with relatively little haemolytic (100-1.56 μg/ml) and cytotoxic (1000-3.125 μg/ml) effects evident on human cells in vitro.
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Deng X, Qiu Q, Ma K, Wang X, Huang W, Qian H. Aliphatic acid-conjugated antimicrobial peptides – potential agents with anti-tumor, multidrug resistance-reversing activity and enhanced stability. Org Biomol Chem 2015; 13:7673-80. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ob00752f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We have designed and synthesized a series of aliphatic acid-conjugated peptides. Biological evaluation revealed that these peptides showed improved anti-tumor activity, plasma stability over the lead compound, and also multidrug resistance-reversing effects on multidrug-resistant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Deng
- Center of Drug Discovery
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines
- China Pharmaceutical University
- Nanjing 210009
- China
| | - Qianqian Qiu
- Center of Drug Discovery
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines
- China Pharmaceutical University
- Nanjing 210009
- China
| | - Ke Ma
- Atherosclerosis Research Center
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention
- Nanjing Medical University
- Nanjing 210029
- China
| | - Xuekun Wang
- Center of Drug Discovery
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines
- China Pharmaceutical University
- Nanjing 210009
- China
| | - Wenlong Huang
- Center of Drug Discovery
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines
- China Pharmaceutical University
- Nanjing 210009
- China
| | - Hai Qian
- Center of Drug Discovery
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines
- China Pharmaceutical University
- Nanjing 210009
- China
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Rodriguez CA, Papanastasiou EA, Juba M, Bishop B. Covalent modification of a ten-residue cationic antimicrobial peptide with levofloxacin. Front Chem 2014; 2:71. [PMID: 25279373 PMCID: PMC4166900 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2014.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The rampant spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria has spurred interest in alternative strategies for developing next-generation antibacterial therapies. As such, there has been growing interest in cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) and their therapeutic applications. Modification of CAMPs via conjugation to auxiliary compounds, including small molecule drugs, is a new approach to developing effective, broad-spectrum antibacterial agents with novel physicochemical properties and versatile antibacterial mechanisms. Here, we've explored design parameters for engineering CAMPs conjugated to small molecules with favorable physicochemical and antibacterial properties by covalently affixing a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, levofloxacin, to the ten-residue CAMP Pep-4. Relative to the unmodified Pep-4, the conjugate was found to demonstrate substantially increased antibacterial potency under high salt concentrations. Historically, it has been observed that most CAMPs lose antibacterial effectiveness in such high ionic strength environments, a fact that has presented a challenge to their development as therapeutics. Physicochemical studies revealed that P4LC was more hydrophobic than Pep-4, while mechanistic findings indicated that the conjugate was more effective at disrupting bacterial membrane integrity. Although the inherent antibacterial effect of the incorporated levofloxacin molecules did not appear to be substantially realized in this conjugate, these findings nevertheless suggest that covalent attachment of small molecule antibiotics with favorable physicochemical properties to CAMPs could be a promising strategy for enhancing peptide performance and overall therapeutic potential. These results have broader applicability to the development of future CAMP-antibiotic conjugates for potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University Fairfax, VA, USA
| | | | - Melanie Juba
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Barney Bishop
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University Fairfax, VA, USA
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R-thanatin inhibits growth and biofilm formation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in vivo and in vitro. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57:5045-52. [PMID: 23917310 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00504-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of the most frequent causes of device-associated infections, because it is known to cause biofilms that grow on catheters or other surgical implants. The persistent increasing resistance of S. epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) has driven the need for newer antibacterial agents with innovative therapeutic strategies. Thanatin is reported to display potent antibiotic activities, especially against extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. The present study aimed to investigate whether a shorter derivative peptide (R-thanatin) could be used as a novel antibacterial agent. We found that R-thanatin was highly potent in vitro against coagulase-negative staphylococci, such as S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, and S. hominis, and inhibited biofilm formation at subinhibitory concentrations. Properties of little toxicity to human red blood cells (hRBCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, a low incidence of resistance, and relatively high stability in plasma were confirmed. Excellent in vivo protective effects were also observed using a methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE)-induced urinary tract infection rat model. Electron microscopy and confocal laser-scanning microscopy analyses suggested that R-thanatin disturbed cell division of MRSE severely, which might be the reason for inhibition of MRSE growth. These findings indicate that R-thanatin is active against the growth and biofilm formation of MRSE in vitro and in vivo. R-thanatin might be considered as a specific drug candidate for treating CoNS infections.
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44
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Abed M, Zoubi KAL, Theurer M, Lang F. Effect of dermaseptin on erythrocytes. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2013; 113:347-52. [PMID: 23841716 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Dermaseptin, an antimicrobial peptide participating in the host defence against pathogens, interacts with the membrane of target cells, leading to membrane permeabilization and eventual cell lysis. Dermaseptin has previously been shown to trigger haemolysis. Prior to haemolysis, erythrocytes may enter suicidal death or eryptosis, which is characterized by cell shrinkage and by cell membrane scrambling leading to phosphatidylserine exposure at the erythrocyte surface. Triggers of eryptosis include increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺ activity [(Ca²⁺)](i) and formation of ceramide. This study explored whether dermaseptin modifies [Ca²⁺](i) and elicits eryptosis. Cell volume has been estimated from forward scatter, phosphatidylserine exposure from annexin-V binding, haemolysis from haemoglobin release, ceramide formation from binding of fluorescent antibodies and [Ca²⁺](i) from Fluo3-fluorescence. A 48-hr exposure to dermaseptin (50 μM) was followed by a significant increase in [Ca²⁺](i), a significant increase ceramide abundance, a significant decrease in forward scatter and a significant increase in annexin-V binding. The annexin-V binding after dermaseptin treatment was significantly blunted but not abrogated in the nominal absence of extracellular Ca²⁺. Dermaseptin triggers eryptosis, an effect at least partially due to entry of extracellular Ca²⁺.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majed Abed
- Physiologisches Institut, der Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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45
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Rico-Mata R, De Leon-Rodriguez LM, Avila EE. Effect of antimicrobial peptides derived from human cathelicidin LL-37 on Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites. Exp Parasitol 2012; 133:300-6. [PMID: 23274811 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2012.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The human cathelicidin hCAP18/LL-37 is an antimicrobial protein consisting of a conserved N-terminal prosequence called the cathelin-like domain and a C-terminal peptide called LL-37. This peptide contains 37 amino acid residues, and several truncated variants obtained from natural sources or by chemical synthesis differ in their capability to damage Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria as well as Candida albicans. KR-12 is the shortest peptide (12 amino acids) of LL-37 that has conserved antibacterial activity. In addition to LL-37, other active cathelicidin-derived peptides have been reported; for instance, the peptides KR-20, a 20-aa derivative of LL-37, and KS-30, a 30-aa derivative of LL-37, have been found in human sweat. Both peptides exhibit an overall increased antibacterial and antifungal activity when compared with LL-37. We investigated the effect of LL-37 and three peptides derived from this antimicrobial molecule, KR-12, KR-20 and KS-30, on the integrity of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites. The four peptides showed effects on E. histolytica integrity and viability in the concentration range of 10-50 μM. The peptides KR-12, KR-20, KS-30 and LL-37 differed in their capability to damage the parasite integrity, with KR-20 being the most effective and with KR-12 and LL-37 being less active. These results demonstrate the ability of antimicrobial peptides derived from human cathelicidin to damage Entamoeba trophozoites. Moreover, it was shown that the integrity of the peptides is altered in the presence of an ameba soluble fraction with cysteine protease activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Rico-Mata
- Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Departamento de Biologia, Universidad de Guanajuato, Colonia Noria Alta, Guanajuato, Gto, CP 36050, Mexico.
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Hwang H, Hyun S, Kim Y, Yu J. Reduction of helical content by insertion of a disulfide bond leads to an antimicrobial peptide with decreased hemolytic activity. ChemMedChem 2012; 8:59-62. [PMID: 23150226 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201200463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
CAPs off to the S-S bond: Application of a strategy involving the introduction of intramolecular disulfide bonds to amphipathic cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAPs) led to decreased α-helicity and hydrophobicity. The mutant peptides were observed to have significantly increased (250-fold) minimum hemolytic concentrations while maintaining MIC values against E. coli, affording more therapeutically selective CAPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heeyong Hwang
- Department of Chemistry and Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, Korea
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47
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Antibacterial properties of an oligo-acyl-lysyl hexamer targeting Gram-negative species. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012; 56:4827-32. [PMID: 22751534 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00511-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Toward developing new tools for fighting resistance to antibiotics, we investigated the antibacterial properties of a new decanoyl-based oligo-acyl-lysyl (OAK) hexamer, aminododecanoyl-lysyl-[aminodecanoyl-lysyl](5) (α(12)-5α(10)). The OAK exhibited preferential activity against Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), as determined using 36 strains, including diverse species, with an MIC(90) of 6.2 μM. The OAK's bactericidal mode of action was associated with rapid membrane depolarization and cell permeabilization, suggesting that the inner membrane was the primary target, whereas the observed binding affinity to lipoteichoic acid suggested that inefficacy against Gram-positive species resulted from a cell wall interaction preventing α(12)-5α(10) from reaching internal targets. Interestingly, perturbation of the inner membrane structure and function was preserved at sub-MIC values. This prompted us to assess the OAK's effect on the proton motive force-dependent efflux pump AcrAB-TolC, implicated in the low sensitivity of GNB to various antibiotics, including erythromycin. We found that under sub-MIC conditions, wild-type Escherichia coli was significantly more sensitive to erythromycin (the MIC dropped by >10-fold), unlike its acr-deletion mutant. Collectively, the data suggest a useful approach for treating GNB infections through overcoming antibiotic efflux.
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Seo J, Ren G, Liu H, Miao Z, Park M, Wang Y, Miller TM, Barron AE, Cheng Z. In vivo biodistribution and small animal PET of (64)Cu-labeled antimicrobial peptoids. Bioconjug Chem 2012; 23:1069-79. [PMID: 22486390 PMCID: PMC3410980 DOI: 10.1021/bc300091d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Peptoids are a rapidly developing class of biomimetic polymers based on oligo-N-substituted glycine backbones, designed to mimic peptides and proteins. Inspired by natural antimicrobial peptides, a group of cationic amphipathic peptoids has been successfully discovered with potent, broad-spectrum activity against pathogenic bacteria; however, there are limited studies to address the in vivo pharmacokinetics of the peptoids. Herein, (64)Cu-labeled DOTA conjugates of three different peptoids and two control peptides were synthesized and assayed in vivo by both biodistribution studies and small animal positron emission tomography (PET). The study was designed in a way to assess how structural differences of the peptidomimetics affect in vivo pharmacokinetics. As amphipathic molecules, major uptake of the peptoids occurred in the liver. Increased kidney uptake was observed by deleting one hydrophobic residue in the peptoid, and (64)Cu-3 achieved the highest kidney uptake of all the conjugates tested in this study. In comparison to peptides, our data indicated that peptoids had general in vivo properties of higher tissue accumulation, slower elimination, and higher in vivo stability. Different administration routes (intravenous, intraperitoneal, and oral) were investigated with peptoids. When administered orally, the peptoids showed poor bioavailability, reminiscent of that of peptide. However, remarkably longer passage through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract without rapid digestion was observed for peptoids. These unique in vivo properties of peptoids were rationalized by efficient cellular membrane permeability and protease resistance of peptoids. The results observed in the biodistribution studies could be confirmed by PET imaging, which provides a reliable way to evaluate in vivo pharmacokinetic properties of peptoids noninvasively and in real time. The pharmacokinetic data presented here can provide insight for further development of the antimicrobial peptoids as pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Seo
- School of General Studies, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Republic of Korea
| | - Gang Ren
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Bio-X Program, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, California, 94305-5344, USA
| | - Hongguang Liu
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Bio-X Program, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, California, 94305-5344, USA
| | - Zheng Miao
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Bio-X Program, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, California, 94305-5344, USA
| | - Minyoung Park
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, California, 94305-5440, USA
| | - Yihong Wang
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Bio-X Program, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, California, 94305-5344, USA
| | - Tyler M. Miller
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, California, 94305-5440, USA
| | - Annelise E. Barron
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, California, 94305-5440, USA
| | - Zhen Cheng
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Bio-X Program, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, California, 94305-5344, USA
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Fjell CD, Hiss JA, Hancock REW, Schneider G. Designing antimicrobial peptides: form follows function. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2011; 11:37-51. [PMID: 22173434 DOI: 10.1038/nrd3591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1350] [Impact Index Per Article: 103.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant bacteria are a severe threat to public health. Conventional antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective as a result of resistance, and it is imperative to find new antibacterial strategies. Natural antimicrobials, known as host defence peptides or antimicrobial peptides, defend host organisms against microbes but most have modest direct antibiotic activity. Enhanced variants have been developed using straightforward design and optimization strategies and are being tested clinically. Here, we describe advanced computer-assisted design strategies that address the difficult problem of relating primary sequence to peptide structure, and are delivering more potent, cost-effective, broad-spectrum peptides as potential next-generation antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Fjell
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, 2259 Lower Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Mangoni ML, Shai Y. Short native antimicrobial peptides and engineered ultrashort lipopeptides: similarities and differences in cell specificities and modes of action. Cell Mol Life Sci 2011; 68:2267-80. [PMID: 21573781 PMCID: PMC11114904 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-011-0718-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Due to the rapid emergence of resistant microbes to the currently available antibiotics, cationic antimicrobial peptides have attracted considerable interest as a possible new generation of anti-infective compounds. However, low cost development for therapeutic or industrial purposes requires, among other properties, that the peptides will be small and with simple structure. Therefore, considerable research has been devoted to optimizing peptide length combined with a simple design. This review focuses on the similarities and differences in the mode of action and target cell specificity of two families of small peptides: the naturally occurring temporins from the skin of amphibia and the engineered ultrashort lipopeptides. We will also discuss the finding that acylation of cationic peptides results in molecules with a more potent spectrum of activity and a higher resistance to proteolytic degradation. Conjugation of fatty acids to linear native peptide sequences is a powerful strategy to engineer novel successful anti-infective drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy,
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