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Wang X, Yang X, Wang Q, Meng D. Unnatural amino acids: promising implications for the development of new antimicrobial peptides. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023; 49:231-255. [PMID: 35254957 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2022.2047008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The increasing incidence and rapid spread of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics are a serious global threat to public health, highlighting the need to develop new antimicrobial alternatives. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a class of promising natural antibiotic candidates due to their broad-spectrum activity and low tendency to induce resistance. However, the development of AMPs for medical use is hampered by several obstacles, such as moderate activity, lability to proteolytic degradation, and low bioavailability. To date, many researchers have focussed on the optimization or design of novel artificial AMPs with desired properties. Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) are valuable building blocks in the manufacture of a variety of pharmaceuticals, and have been used to develop artificial AMPs with specific structural and physicochemical properties. Rational incorporation of UAAs has become a very promising approach to endow AMPs with strong and long-lasting activity but no toxicity. This review aims to summarize key approaches that have been used to incorporate UAAs to develop novel AMPs with improved properties and better performance. It is anticipated that this review will guide future design considerations for UAA-based antimicrobial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaoe Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cosmetic, China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Demei Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Gasin-DH Preservation Technology Co., Ltd, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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Masadeh M, Ayyad A, Haddad R, Alsagar M, Alzoubi K, Alrabadi N. Functional and toxicological evaluation of the MAA-41: a novel rationally designed antimicrobial peptide using hybridization and modification methods from LL-37 and BMAP-28. Curr Pharm Des 2022; 28:2177-2188. [DOI: 10.2174/1381612828666220705150817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Managing bacterial infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) and biofilm-forming bacteria is a global health concern. Therefore, enormous efforts were directed toward finding potential alternative antimicrobial agents such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).
Aim:
We aimed to synthesize a novel modified hybrid peptide designed from natural parents’ peptides with enhanced activity and reduced toxicity profile.
Method:
Rational design was used to hybridize the two antimicrobial peptides, in which the alpha-helical parts of BMAP-28 and LL-37 were combined. Then, several amino acid modifications were applied to generate a modified hybrid peptide named MAA-41. The physicochemical properties were checked using in silico methods. The MAA-41 was evaluated for its antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities. Synergistic studies were performed with five conventional antibiotics. Finally, the cytotoxicity on mammalian cells and the hemolytic activity were assessed.
Results:
The MAA-41 revealed a broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including standard and MDR bacterial strains. The concentration against planktonic cells ranged between 10 and 20 μM with higher potency against Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the MAA-41 displayed potent activity in eradicating biofilm-forming cells, and the reported MBECs were equal to the MIC values reported for planktonic cells. This new peptide exhibited reduced toxicity profiles against erythrocyte cells but not against Vero cells. Combining MAA-41 peptides with conventional antibiotics improved the antimicrobial activity of the combined agents. Either synergistic or additive effects were shown as a significant decrease in MIC to 0.25 μM.
Conclusion:
This study proposes the validity of a novel peptide (MAA-41) with enhanced antimicrobial activity and reduced toxicity, especially when used as conventional antibiotic combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majed Masadeh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 22110
| | - Afnan Ayyad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 22110
| | - Razan Haddad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 22110
| | - Mohammad Alsagar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 22110
| | - Karem Alzoubi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 22110
| | - Nasr Alrabadi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 22110
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Ting DSJ, Beuerman RW, Dua HS, Lakshminarayanan R, Mohammed I. Strategies in Translating the Therapeutic Potentials of Host Defense Peptides. Front Immunol 2020; 11:983. [PMID: 32528474 PMCID: PMC7256188 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The golden era of antibiotics, heralded by the discovery of penicillin, has long been challenged by the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Host defense peptides (HDPs), previously known as antimicrobial peptides, are emerging as a group of promising antimicrobial candidates for combatting AMR due to their rapid and unique antimicrobial action. Decades of research have advanced our understanding of the relationship between the physicochemical properties of HDPs and their underlying antimicrobial and non-antimicrobial functions, including immunomodulatory, anti-biofilm, and wound healing properties. However, the mission of translating novel HDP-derived molecules from bench to bedside has yet to be fully accomplished, primarily attributed to their intricate structure-activity relationship, toxicity, instability in host and microbial environment, lack of correlation between in vitro and in vivo efficacies, and dwindling interest from large pharmaceutical companies. Based on our previous experience and the expanding knowledge gleaned from the literature, this review aims to summarize the novel strategies that have been employed to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy, proteolytic stability, and cell selectivity, which are all crucial factors for bench-to-bedside translation of HDP-based treatment. Strategies such as residues substitution with natural and/or unnatural amino acids, hybridization, L-to-D heterochiral isomerization, C- and N-terminal modification, cyclization, incorporation with nanoparticles, and "smart design" using artificial intelligence technology, will be discussed. We also provide an overview of HDP-based treatment that are currently in the development pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren Shu Jeng Ting
- Larry A. Donoso Laboratory for Eye Research, Academic Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Department of Ophthalmology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Anti-infectives Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Roger W Beuerman
- Anti-infectives Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Harminder S Dua
- Larry A. Donoso Laboratory for Eye Research, Academic Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Department of Ophthalmology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Rajamani Lakshminarayanan
- Anti-infectives Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Imran Mohammed
- Larry A. Donoso Laboratory for Eye Research, Academic Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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