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Chen M, Huang WK, Yao Y, Wu SM, Yang YX, Liu WX, Luo G, Wei SF, Zhang H, Liu HM, Wang B. Heterologous expression of the insect SVWC peptide WHIS1 inhibits Candida albicans invasion into A549 and HeLa epithelial cells. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1358752. [PMID: 38873147 PMCID: PMC11169590 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1358752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans (C. albicans), a microbe commonly isolated from Candida vaginitis patients with vaginal tract infections, transforms from yeast to hyphae and produces many toxins, adhesins, and invasins, as well as C. albicans biofilms resistant to antifungal antibiotic treatment. Effective agents against this pathogen are urgently needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been used to cure inflammation and infectious diseases. In this study, we isolated whole housefly larvae insect SVWC peptide 1 (WHIS1), a novel insect single von Willebrand factor C-domain protein (SVWC) peptide from whole housefly larvae. The expression pattern of WHIS1 showed a response to the stimulation of C. albicans. In contrast to other SVWC members, which function as antiviral peptides, interferon (IFN) analogs or pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), which are the prokaryotically expressed MdWHIS1 protein, inhibit the growth of C. albicans. Eukaryotic heterologous expression of WHIS1 inhibited C. albicans invasion into A549 and HeLa cells. The heterologous expression of WHIS1 clearly inhibited hyphal formation both extracellularly and intracellularly. Furthermore, the mechanism of WHIS1 has demonstrated that it downregulates all key hyphal formation factors (ALS1, ALS3, ALS5, ECE1, HWP1, HGC1, EFG1, and ZAP1) both extracellularly and intracellularly. These data showed that heterologously expressed WHIS1 inhibits C. albicans invasion into epithelial cells by affecting hyphal formation and adhesion factor-related gene expression. These findings provide new potential drug candidates for treating C. albicans infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Wei-Kang Huang
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yang Yao
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Shi-Mei Wu
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yong-Xin Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Wen-Xia Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Gang Luo
- School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Shao-Feng Wei
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Hong-Mei Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Health Medicine Biotechnology of Guizhou Province & School of Biology and Engineering (Modern Industry College of Health Medicine) & School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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Xia Y, Wu K, Liu C, Zhao X, Wang J, Cao J, Chen Z, Fang M, Yu J, Zhu C, Zhang X, Wang Z. Filamentous-Actin-Mimicking Nanoplatform for Enhanced Cytosolic Protein Delivery. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305600. [PMID: 38152963 PMCID: PMC10933650 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite the potential of protein therapeutics, the cytosolic delivery of proteins with high efficiency and bioactivity remains a significant challenge owing to exocytosis and lysosomal degradation after endocytosis. Therefore, it is important to develop a safe and efficient strategy to bypass endocytosis. Inspired by the extraordinary capability of filamentous-actin (F-actin) to promote cell membrane fusion, a cyanine dye assembly-containing nanoplatform mimicking the structure of natural F-actin is developed. The nanoplatform exhibits fast membrane fusion to cell membrane mimics and thus enters live cells through membrane fusion and bypasses endocytosis. Moreover, it is found to efficiently deliver protein cargos into live cells and quickly release them into the cytosol, leading to high protein cargo transfection efficiency and bioactivity. The nanoplatform also results in the superior inhibition of tumor cells when loaded with anti-tumor proteins. These results demonstrate that this fusogenic nanoplatform can be valuable for cytosolic protein delivery and tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqiong Xia
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
- Guangzhou Institute of TechnologyXidian UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510555P. R. China
| | - Keyun Wu
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
- Guangzhou Institute of TechnologyXidian UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510555P. R. China
| | - Chang Liu
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
- Guangzhou Institute of TechnologyXidian UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510555P. R. China
| | - Xuejuan Zhao
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
- Guangzhou Institute of TechnologyXidian UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510555P. R. China
| | - Jun Wang
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
| | - Jianxia Cao
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
| | - Zhaoxu Chen
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
| | - Minchao Fang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular StructuresSchool of Life SciencesTianjin University92 Weijin Road, Nankai DistrictTianjin300072P. R. China
| | - Jie Yu
- School of Biology and EngineeringGuizhou Medical UniversityGuizhouGuiyang550025P. R. China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular StructuresSchool of Life SciencesTianjin University92 Weijin Road, Nankai DistrictTianjin300072P. R. China
| | - Xianghan Zhang
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
- Guangzhou Institute of TechnologyXidian UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510555P. R. China
| | - Zhongliang Wang
- Lab of Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine (MITM)Engineering Research Center of Molecular & NeuroimagingMinistry of EducationSchool of Life Science and TechnologyXidian University & International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentXi'anShaanxi710126P. R. China
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Ostroumova OS, Efimova SS. Lipid-Centric Approaches in Combating Infectious Diseases: Antibacterials, Antifungals and Antivirals with Lipid-Associated Mechanisms of Action. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1716. [PMID: 38136750 PMCID: PMC10741038 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12121716] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the global challenges of the 21st century is the increase in mortality from infectious diseases against the backdrop of the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic microorganisms. In this regard, it is worth targeting antibacterials towards the membranes of pathogens that are quite conservative and not amenable to elimination. This review is an attempt to critically analyze the possibilities of targeting antimicrobial agents towards enzymes involved in pathogen lipid biosynthesis or towards bacterial, fungal, and viral lipid membranes, to increase the permeability via pore formation and to modulate the membranes' properties in a manner that makes them incompatible with the pathogen's life cycle. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each approach in the search for highly effective but nontoxic antimicrobial agents. Examples of compounds with a proven molecular mechanism of action are presented, and the types of the most promising pharmacophores for further research and the improvement of the characteristics of antibiotics are discussed. The strategies that pathogens use for survival in terms of modulating the lipid composition and physical properties of the membrane, achieving a balance between resistance to antibiotics and the ability to facilitate all necessary transport and signaling processes, are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga S. Ostroumova
- Laboratory of Membrane and Ion Channel Modeling, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Ave. 4, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia;
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Sharma L, Bisht GS. Short Antimicrobial Peptides: Therapeutic Potential and Recent Advancements. Curr Pharm Des 2023; 29:3005-3017. [PMID: 38018196 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128248959231102114334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
There has been a lot of interest in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as potential next-generation antibiotics. They are components of the innate immune system. AMPs have broad-spectrum action and are less prone to resistance development. They show potential applications in various fields, including medicine, agriculture, and the food industry. However, despite the good activity and safety profiles, AMPs have had difficulty finding success in the clinic due to their various limitations, such as production cost, proteolytic susceptibility, and oral bioavailability. To overcome these flaws, a number of solutions have been devised, one of which is developing short antimicrobial peptides. Short antimicrobial peptides do have an advantage over longer peptides as they are more stable and do not collapse during absorption. They have generated a lot of interest because of their evolutionary success and advantageous properties, such as low molecular weight, selective targets, cell or organelles with minimal toxicity, and enormous therapeutic potential. This article provides an overview of the development of short antimicrobial peptides with an emphasis on those with ≤ 30 amino acid residues as a potential therapeutic agent to fight drug-resistant microorganisms. It also emphasizes their applications in many fields and discusses their current state in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lalita Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Gopal Singh Bisht
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Himachal Pradesh, India
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Biodegradation of highly crystallized poly(ethylene terephthalate) through cell surface codisplay of bacterial PETase and hydrophobin. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7138. [PMID: 36414665 PMCID: PMC9681837 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34908-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of recycling poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) remains a major challenge due to the enzymatic degradation of high-crystallinity PET (hcPET). Recently, a bacterial PET-degrading enzyme, PETase, was found to have the ability to degrade the hcPET, but with low enzymatic activity. Here we present an engineered whole-cell biocatalyst to simulate both the adsorption and degradation steps in the enzymatic degradation process of PETase to achieve the efficient degradation of hcPET. Our data shows that the adhesive unit hydrophobin and degradation unit PETase are functionally displayed on the surface of yeast cells. The turnover rate of the whole-cell biocatalyst toward hcPET (crystallinity of 45%) dramatically increases approximately 328.8-fold compared with that of purified PETase at 30 °C. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations explain how the enhanced adhesion can promote the enzymatic degradation of PET. This study demonstrates engineering the whole-cell catalyst is an efficient strategy for biodegradation of PET.
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Juretić D. Designed Multifunctional Peptides for Intracellular Targets. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11091196. [PMID: 36139975 PMCID: PMC9495127 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11091196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature’s way for bioactive peptides is to provide them with several related functions and the ability to cooperate in performing their job. Natural cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), such as penetratins, inspired the design of multifunctional constructs with CPP ability. This review focuses on known and novel peptides that can easily reach intracellular targets with little or no toxicity to mammalian cells. All peptide candidates were evaluated and ranked according to the predictions of low toxicity to mammalian cells and broad-spectrum activity. The final set of the 20 best peptide candidates contains the peptides optimized for cell-penetrating, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity. Their predicted features are intrinsic disorder and the ability to acquire an amphipathic structure upon contact with membranes or nucleic acids. In conclusion, the review argues for exploring wide-spectrum multifunctionality for novel nontoxic hybrids with cell-penetrating peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davor Juretić
- Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, 21000 Split, Croatia;
- Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia;
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Apostolopoulos V, Bojarska J, Feehan J, Matsoukas J, Wolf W. Smart therapies against global pandemics: A potential of short peptides. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:914467. [PMID: 36046832 PMCID: PMC9420997 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.914467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Immunology Program, Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Joanna Bojarska
- Technical University of Lodz, Department of Chemistry, Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Lodz, Poland
- *Correspondence: Joanna Bojarska,
| | - Jack Feehan
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - John Matsoukas
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- NewDrug, Patras Science Park, Patras, Greece
| | - Wojciech Wolf
- Technical University of Lodz, Department of Chemistry, Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Lodz, Poland
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Zhou M, Abid M, Cao S, Zhu S. Progress of Research into Novel Drugs and Potential Drug Targets against Porcine Pseudorabies Virus. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081753. [PMID: 36016377 PMCID: PMC9416328 DOI: 10.3390/v14081753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is the causative agent of pseudorabies (PR), infecting most mammals and some birds. It has been prevalent around the world and caused huge economic losses to the swine industry since its discovery. At present, the prevention of PRV is mainly through vaccination; there are few specific antivirals against PRV, but it is possible to treat PRV infection effectively with drugs. In recent years, some drugs have been reported to treat PR; however, the variety of anti-pseudorabies drugs is limited, and the underlying mechanism of the antiviral effect of some drugs is unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new drug targets for PRV and develop economic and efficient drug resources for prevention and control of PRV. This review will focus on the research progress in drugs and drug targets against PRV in recent years, and discuss the future research prospects of anti-PRV drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High-Tech Research and Development of Veterinary Biopharmaceuticals, Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou 225306, China
| | - Muhammad Abid
- Viral Oncogenesis Group, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Shinuo Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High-Tech Research and Development of Veterinary Biopharmaceuticals, Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou 225306, China
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (S.Z.)
| | - Shanyuan Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High-Tech Research and Development of Veterinary Biopharmaceuticals, Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou 225306, China
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (S.Z.)
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