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Cashman-Kadri S, Lagüe P, Subirade M, Fliss I, Beaulieu L. Insights into Molecular Interactions between a GAPDH-Related Fish Antimicrobial Peptide, Analogs Thereof, and Bacterial Membranes. Biochemistry 2024; 63:1257-1269. [PMID: 38683758 PMCID: PMC11112741 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Interactions between SJGAP (skipjack tuna GAPDH-related antimicrobial peptide) and four analogs thereof with model bacterial membranes were studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. MD trajectory analyses showed that the N-terminal segment of the peptide analogs has many contacts with the polar heads of membrane phospholipids, while the central α helix interacts strongly with the hydrophobic core of the membranes. The peptides also had a marked influence on the wave numbers associated with the phase transition of phospholipids organized as liposomes in both the interface and aliphatic chain regions of the infrared spectra, supporting the interactions observed in the MD trajectories. In addition, interesting links were found between peptide interactions with the aliphatic chains of membrane phospholipids, as determined by FTIR and from the MD trajectories, and the membrane permeabilization capacity of these peptide analogs, as previously demonstrated. To summarize, the combined experimental and computational efforts have provided insights into crucial aspects of the interactions between the investigated peptides and bacterial membranes. This work thus makes an original contribution to our understanding of the molecular interactions underlying the antimicrobial activity of these GAPDH-related antimicrobial peptides from Scombridae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Cashman-Kadri
- Institute
of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- Department
of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Patrick Lagüe
- Department
of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Sciences
and Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institute
for Integrative Systems Biology, Pavillon Charles-Eugene-Marchand, Université Laval, 1030 Avenue de la Medecine, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- The
Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Engineering, and
Applications (PROTEO), Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Muriel Subirade
- Institute
of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- Department
of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Ismail Fliss
- Institute
of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- Department
of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Lucie Beaulieu
- Institute
of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- Department
of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
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Cashman-Kadri S, Lagüe P, Fliss I, Beaulieu L. Assessing the Activity under Different Physico-Chemical Conditions, Digestibility, and Innocuity of a GAPDH-Related Fish Antimicrobial Peptide and Analogs Thereof. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1410. [PMID: 37760707 PMCID: PMC10525732 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial activity of SJGAP (skipjack tuna GAPDH-related antimicrobial peptide) and four chemical analogs thereof was determined under different physicochemical conditions, including different pH values, the presence of monovalent and divalent cations, and after a heating treatment. The toxicity of these five peptides was also studied with hemolytic activity assays, while their stability under human gastrointestinal conditions was evaluated using a dynamic in vitro digestion model and chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses. The antibacterial activity of all analogs was found to be inhibited by the presence of divalent cations, while monovalent cations had a much less pronounced impact, even promoting the activity of the native SJGAP. The peptides were also more active at acidic pH values, but they did not all show the same stability following a heat treatment. SJGAP and its analogs did not show significant hemolytic activity (except for one of the analogs at a concentration equivalent to 64 times that of its minimum inhibitory concentration), and the two analogs whose digestibility was studied degraded very rapidly once they entered the stomach compartment of the digestion model. This study highlights for the first time the characteristics of antimicrobial peptides from Scombridae or homologous to GAPDH that are directly related to their potential clinical or food applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Cashman-Kadri
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (S.C.-K.); (I.F.)
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Patrick Lagüe
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-Informatics, Pavillon, Alexandre-Vachon, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Medecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- The Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Engineering, and Applications (PROTEO), 1045 Avenue de la Medecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Ismail Fliss
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (S.C.-K.); (I.F.)
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Lucie Beaulieu
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (S.C.-K.); (I.F.)
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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Yang L, Tian Z, Zhao W, Zhang J, Tian C, Zhou L, Jiao Z, Peng J, Guo G. Novel antimicrobial peptide DvAMP serves as a promising antifungal agent against Cryptococcus neoformans. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106679. [PMID: 37329812 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106679] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an important opportunistic human fungal pathogen that causes cryptococcosis in immunocompromised patients. However, the number of drugs for the treatment of cryptococcosis is restricted, and the development of novel antifungal drugs and innovative strategies for the treatment of cryptococcosis is urgently needed. In this study, we validated that DvAMP is a novel antimicrobial peptide with antimicrobial activity and that it was obtained by pre-screening from the UniProt database of more than three million unknown functional sequences based on the quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) protocol (http://www.chemoinfolab.com/antifungal). The peptide exhibited satisfactory biosafety and physicochemical properties, and relatively rapid fungicidal activity against C. neoformans. Meanwhile, DvAMP was able to inhibit the static biofilm of C. neoformans and cause a reduction in the thickness of the capsule. In addition, DvAMP exerts antifungal effects through membrane-mediated mechanisms (membrane permeability and depolarization) and mitochondrial dysfunction, involving a hybrid multi-hit mechanism. Furthermore, by using the C. neoformans-Galleria mellonella infection model, we demonstrated that DvAMP has significant therapeutic effects in vivo and that it significantly reduces the mortality and fungal burden of infected larvae. These results suggest that DvAMP may be a potential antifungal drug candidate for the treatment of cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longbing Yang
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China; Translational Medicine Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Zhuqing Tian
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Chunren Tian
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Luoxiong Zhou
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China; School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Zhenlong Jiao
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China; Translational Medicine Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jian Peng
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Guo Guo
- The Key and Characteristic Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China; Translational Medicine Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China.
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Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhao X, Lu W, Zhong Y, Fu YV. Antifungal Peptide SP1 Damages Polysaccharide Capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans and Enhances Phagocytosis of Macrophages. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0456222. [PMID: 36916981 PMCID: PMC10100895 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04562-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen which causes nearly half a million deaths worldwide each year. Under host-relevant conditions, it produces a characteristic polysaccharide capsule. The polysaccharide capsule is one of the main virulence factors of C. neoformans, which involves antiphagocytosis and immune responses of the host to cause a lack of an immune. Meanwhile, the polysaccharide capsule is a promising drug target because of the absence of analogs in the host. Here, we demonstrate that antifungal peptide SP1, which is derived from the N terminus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase), disrupts the polysaccharide capsule of C. neoformans H99. The mechanism is possibly due to the interaction of SP1 with glucuronoxylomannan (GXM). Disruption of the polysaccharide capsule enhances the adhesion and phagocytosis of C. neoformans H99 by macrophages and reduces the replication of C. neoformans H99 within macrophages. Additionally, SP1 exhibits antifungal activity against cryptococcal biofilms associated with the capsular polysaccharides. These findings suggest the potential of SP1 as a drug candidate for the treatment of cryptococcosis. IMPORTANCE C. neoformans is an opportunistic pathogen that causes invasive infections with a high mortality rate. Currently, the clinical drugs available for the treatment of cryptococcosis are limited to amphotericin B, azoles, and flucytosine. Amphotericin is nephrotoxic, and the widespread use of azoles and 5-flucytosine has led to a rapid development of drug resistance in C. neoformans. There is an urgent need to develop new and effective anticryptococcal drugs. Targeting virulence factors is a novel strategy for developing antifungal drugs. The antifungal peptide SP1 is capable of disrupting the polysaccharide capsule, which is a principal virulence factor of C. neoformans. Studying the mechanism by which SP1 damages the polysaccharide capsule and investigating the potential benefits of SP1 in removing C. neoformans from the host provides baseline data to develop a therapeutic strategy against refractory cryptococcal infections. This strategy would involve both inhibiting virulence factors and directly killing C. neoformans cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weilai Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxin Zhong
- Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yu V. Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Zupin L, dos Santos-Silva CA, Al Mughrbi ARH, Vilela LMB, Benko-Iseppon AM, Crovella S. Bioactive Antimicrobial Peptides: A New Weapon to Counteract Zoonosis. Microorganisms 2022; 10:1591. [PMID: 36014009 PMCID: PMC9414035 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoonoses have recently become the center of attention of the general population and scientific community. Notably, more than 30 new human pathogens have been identified in the last 30 years, 75% of which can be classified as zoonosis. The complete eradication of such types of infections is far out of reach, considering the limited understanding of animal determinants in zoonoses and their causes of emergence. Therefore, efforts must be doubled in examining the spread, persistence, and pathogenicity of zoonosis and studying possible clinical interventions and antimicrobial drug development. The search for antimicrobial bioactive compounds has assumed great emphasis, considering the emergence of multi-drug-resistant microorganisms. Among the biomolecules of emerging scientific interest are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), potent biomolecules that can potentially act as important weapons against infectious diseases. Moreover, synthetic AMPs are easily tailored (bioinformatically) to target specific features of the pathogens to hijack, inducing no or very low resistance. Although very promising, previous studies on SAMPs' efficacy are still at their early stages. Indeed, further studies and better characterization on their mechanism of action with in vitro and in vivo assays are needed so as to proceed to their clinical application on human beings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Zupin
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34137 Trieste, Italy
| | | | | | - Livia Maria Batista Vilela
- Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Benko-Iseppon
- Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Sergio Crovella
- Biological Science Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
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