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Enninful GN, Kuppusamy R, Tiburu EK, Kumar N, Willcox MDP. Non-canonical amino acid bioincorporation into antimicrobial peptides and its challenges. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3560. [PMID: 38262069 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3560] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistance and multi-drug resistant pathogens has necessitated explorations for novel antibiotic agents as the discovery of conventional antibiotics is becoming economically less viable and technically more challenging for biopharma. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising alternative because of their particular mode of action, broad spectrum and difficulty that microbes have in becoming resistant to them. The AMPs bacitracin, gramicidin, polymyxins and daptomycin are currently used clinically. However, their susceptibility to proteolytic degradation, toxicity profile, and complexities in large-scale manufacture have hindered their development. To improve their proteolytic stability, methods such as integrating non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into their peptide sequence have been adopted, which also improves their potency and spectrum of action. The benefits of ncAA incorporation have been made possible by solid-phase peptide synthesis. However, this method is not always suitable for commercial production of AMPs because of poor yield, scale-up difficulties, and its non-'green' nature. Bioincorporation of ncAA as a method of integration is an emerging field geared towards tackling the challenges of solid-phase synthesis as a green, cheaper, and scalable alternative for commercialisation of AMPs. This review focusses on the bioincorporation of ncAAs; some challenges associated with the methods are outlined, and notes are given on how to overcome these challenges. The review focusses particularly on addressing two key challenges: AMP cytotoxicity towards microbial cell factories and the uptake of ncAAs that are unfavourable to them. Overcoming these challenges will draw us closer to a greater yield and an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to make AMPs more druggable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rajesh Kuppusamy
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Naresh Kumar
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark D P Willcox
- University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
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Chen H, Hu P, Liu H, Liu S, Liu Y, Chen L, Feng L, Chen L, Zhou T. Combining with domiphen bromide restores colistin efficacy against colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 63:107066. [PMID: 38135012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.107066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Today, colistin is considered a last-resort antibiotic for treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). However, the increased and improper use of colistin has led to the emergence of colistin-resistant (Col-R) GNB. Thus, it is urgent to develop new drugs and therapies in response to the ongoing emergence of colistin resistance. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of the quaternary ammonium compound domiphen bromide (DB) in combination with colistin against clinical Col-R GNB both in vitro and in vivo. Checkerboard assay and time-kill analysis demonstrated significant synergistic antibacterial effects of the colistin/DB combination. The synergistic antibiofilm activity was confirmed through crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the colistin/DB combination exhibited increased survival rates in infected larvae and reduced bacterial loads in a mouse thigh infection model. The cytotoxicity measurement and hemolysis test showed that the combination did not adversely affect cell viability at synergistic concentrations. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) leak test and propidium iodide (PI) staining analysis further revealed that the colistin/DB combination enhanced the therapeutic effect of colistin by altering bacterial membrane permeability. The ROS assays revealed that the combination induced the accumulation of bacterial ROS, leading to bacterial death. In conclusion, our study is the first to identify DB as a colistin potentiator, effectively restoring the sensitivity of bacteria to colistin. It provides a promising alternative approach for combating Col-R GNB infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanchang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Panjie Hu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haifeng Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sichen Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Luozhu Feng
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lijiang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Fan Y, Shen J, Liu X, Cui J, Liu J, Peng D, Jin Y. β-Sitosterol Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation and Lipogenesis Disorder in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14644. [PMID: 37834091 PMCID: PMC10572156 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
β-sitosterol, a natural plant steroid, has been shown to promote anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in the body. In this study, β-sitosterol was used to protect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cell damage in bovine mammary epithelial cells, which are commonly studied as a cell model of mammary inflammatory response and lipogenesis. Results showed that treatment with a combination of LPS and β-sitosterol significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, while increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and activating the hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1α)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) signaling pathway to inhibit apoptosis and improve lipid synthesis-related gene expression. Our finding suggests that β-sitosterol has the potential to alleviate inflammation in the mammary gland.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Dongqiao Peng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (Y.F.); (J.S.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.)
| | - Yongcheng Jin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (Y.F.); (J.S.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.)
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Zhang Y, Han Y, Wang L, Kong J, Pan W, Zhang X, Chen L, Yao Z, Zhou T, Cao J. Flufenamic Acid, a Promising Agent for the Sensitization of Colistin-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria to Colistin. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0405222. [PMID: 36971552 PMCID: PMC10100705 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04052-22] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria poses a serious risk to public health on a worldwide scale. Colistin is used as the last-line antibiotic for the treatment of MDR pathogens, and colistin-resistant (COL-R) bacterial emergence thus has the potential to have a severe adverse impact on patient outcomes. In this study, synergistic activity was observed when colistin and flufenamic acid (FFA) were combined and used for the in vitro treatment of clinical COL-R Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii strains, as shown by checkerboard and time-kill assays. Crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscopy revealed the synergistic action of colistin-FFA against biofilms. When used to treat murine RAW264.7 macrophages, this combination did not induce any adverse toxicity. Strikingly, the survival rates of bacterially infected Galleria mellonella larvae were improved by such combination treatment, which was also sufficient to reduce the measured bacterial loads in a murine thigh infection model. Mechanistic propidium iodide (PI) staining analysis further demonstrated the ability of these agents to alter bacterial permeability in a manner that enhanced the efficacy of colistin treatment. Together, these data thus demonstrate that colistin and FFA can be synergistically combined to combat the spread of COL-R Gram-negative bacteria, providing a promising therapeutic tool with the potential to protect against COL-R bacterial infections and improve patient outcomes. IMPORTANCE Colistin is a last-line antibiotic used for the treatment of MDR Gram-negative bacterial infections. However, increasing resistance to it has been observed during clinical treatment. In this work, we assessed the efficacy of the combination of colistin and FFA for the treatment of COL-R bacterial isolates, demonstrating that the combined treatment has effective antibacterial and antibiofilm activities. Due to its low cytotoxicity and good therapeutic effects in vitro, the colistin-FFA combination may be a potential candidate for research into a resistance-modifying agent to combat infections caused by COL-R Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yijia Han
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lingbo Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jingchun Kong
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei Pan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lijiang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhuocheng Yao
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jianming Cao
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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