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Sivakumar R, Floyd K, Erath J, Jacoby A, Kim Kim J, Bayguinov PO, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Goldfarb D, Jovanovic M, Tripathi A, Djuranovic S, Pavlovic-Djuranovic S. Poly-basic peptides and polymers as new drug candidates against Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2024; 23:227. [PMID: 39090669 PMCID: PMC11295857 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05056-0] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria-causing parasite, is a leading cause of infection-induced deaths worldwide. The preferred treatment approach is artemisinin-based combination therapy, which couples fast-acting artemisinin derivatives with longer-acting drugs, such as lumefantrine, mefloquine, and amodiaquine. However, the urgency for new treatments has risen due to the parasite's growing resistance to existing therapies. In this study, a common characteristic of the P. falciparum proteome-stretches of poly-lysine residues, such as those found in proteins related to adhesion and pathogenicity-is investigated for its potential to treat infected erythrocytes. METHODS This study utilizes in vitro culturing of intra-erythrocytic P. falciparum to assess the ability of poly-lysine peptides to inhibit the parasite's growth, measured via flow cytometry of acridine orange-stained infected erythrocytes. The inhibitory effect of many poly-lysine lengths and modifications were tested this way. Affinity pull-downs and mass spectrometry were performed to identify the proteins interacting with these poly-lysines. RESULTS A single dose of these poly-basic peptides can successfully diminish parasitemia in human erythrocytes in vitro with minimal toxicity. The effectiveness of the treatment correlates with the length of the poly-lysine peptide, with 30 lysine peptides supporting the eradication of erythrocytic parasites within 72 h. PEG-ylation of the poly-lysine peptides or utilizing poly-lysine dendrimers and polymers retains or increases parasite clearance efficiency and bolsters the stability of these potential new therapeutics. Lastly, affinity pull-downs and mass-spectrometry identify P. falciparum's outer membrane proteins as likely targets for polybasic peptide medications. CONCLUSION Since poly-lysine dendrimers are already FDA-approved for drug delivery and this study displays their potency against intraerythrocytic P. falciparum, their adaptation as anti-malarial drugs presents a promising new therapeutic strategy for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Sivakumar
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Katherine Floyd
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jessey Erath
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alex Jacoby
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jenny Kim Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter O Bayguinov
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - James A J Fitzpatrick
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, F. Hoffmann-LaRoche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dennis Goldfarb
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Marko Jovanovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Abhai Tripathi
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sergej Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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Lou J, Zhang D, Wu J, Zhu G, Zhang M, Tang J, Fang Y, He X, Cao J. Antimalarial activity of cecropin antimicrobial peptides derived from Anopheles mosquitoes. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0031124. [PMID: 38874346 PMCID: PMC11232398 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00311-24] [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: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of clinically drug-resistant malaria parasites requires the urgent development of new drugs. Mosquitoes are vectors of multiple pathogens and have developed resistance mechanisms against them, which often involve antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). An-cecB is an AMP of the malaria-transmitting mosquito genus Anopheles, and we herein report its antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7, the artemisinin-resistant strain 803, and the chloroquine-resistant strain Dd2 in vitro. We also demonstrate its anti-parasite activity in vivo, using the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei (ANKA). We show that An-cecB displays potent antimalarial activity and that its mechanism of action may occur through direct killing of the parasite or through interaction with infected red blood cell membranes. Unfortunately, An-cecB was found to be cytotoxic to mammalian cells and had poor antimalarial activity in vivo. However, its truncated peptide An-cecB-1 retained most of its antimalarial activity and avoided its cytotoxicity in vitro. An-cecB-1 also showed better antimalarial activity in vivo. Mosquito-derived AMPs may provide new ideas for the development of antimalarial drugs against drug-resistant parasites, and An-cecB has potential use as a template for antimalarial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junchao Lou
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Dongying Zhang
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Jingyao Wu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Guoding Zhu
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Meihua Zhang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Jianxia Tang
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Yaqun Fang
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaoqin He
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Jun Cao
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
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3
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Vieira APGC, de Souza AN, Lima WG, Brito JCM, Simião DC, Gonçalves LVR, Cordeiro LPB, de Oliveira Scoaris D, Fernandes SOA, Resende JM, Bechinger B, Verly RM, de Lima ME. The Synthetic Peptide LyeTx I mn∆K, Derived from Lycosa erythrognatha Spider Toxin, Is Active against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) In Vitro and In Vivo. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:248. [PMID: 38534683 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13030248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The urgent global health challenge posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections demands effective solutions. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent promising tools of research of new antibacterial agents and LyeTx I mn∆K, a short synthetic peptide based on the Lycosa erythrognatha spider venom, is a good representative. This study focused on analyzing the antimicrobial activities of LyeTx I mn∆K, including minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, synergy and resensitization assays, lysis activity, the effect on biofilm, and the bacterial death curve in MRSA. Additionally, its characterization was conducted through isothermal titration calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, calcein release, and finally, efficacy in a mice wound model. The peptide demonstrates remarkable efficacy against planktonic cells (MIC 8-16 µM) and biofilms (>30% of inhibition) of MRSA, and outperforms vancomycin in terms of rapid bactericidal action and anti-biofilm effects. The mechanism involves significant membrane damage. Interactions with bacterial model membranes, including those with lysylphosphatidylglycerol (LysylPOPG) modifications, highlight the versatility and selectivity of this compound. Also, the peptide has the ability to sensitize resistant bacteria to conventional antibiotics, showing potential for combinatory therapy. Furthermore, using an in vivo model, this study showed that a formulated gel containing the peptide proved superior to vancomycin in treating MRSA-induced wounds in mice. Together, the results highlight LyeTx I mnΔK as a promising prototype for the development of effective therapeutic strategies against superficial MRSA infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Gonçalves Coelho Vieira
- Faculdade de Saúde Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Medicina e Biomedicina, Belo Horizonte 30150-240, Brazil
| | - Amanda Neves de Souza
- Departamento de Química, FACET, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)-Campus JK, Diamantina 39100-000, Brazil
- Institut de Chimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7177, Université de Strasbourg, 67070 Strasbourg, France
| | - William Gustavo Lima
- Faculdade de Saúde Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Medicina e Biomedicina, Belo Horizonte 30150-240, Brazil
| | | | - Daniela Carolina Simião
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia-Campus Pampulha, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Lucas Vinícius Ribeiro Gonçalves
- Faculdade de Saúde Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Medicina e Biomedicina, Belo Horizonte 30150-240, Brazil
| | - Lídia Pereira Barbosa Cordeiro
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | | | - Simone Odília Antunes Fernandes
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia-Campus Pampulha, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Jarbas Magalhães Resende
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- Institut de Chimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7177, Université de Strasbourg, 67070 Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Rodrigo Moreira Verly
- Departamento de Química, FACET, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM)-Campus JK, Diamantina 39100-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Elena de Lima
- Faculdade de Saúde Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Medicina e Biomedicina, Belo Horizonte 30150-240, Brazil
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Collins JE, Lee JW, Rocamora F, Saggu GS, Wendt KL, Pasaje CFA, Smick S, Santos NM, Paes R, Jiang T, Mittal N, Luth MR, Chin T, Chang H, McLellan JL, Morales-Hernandez B, Hanson KK, Niles JC, Desai SA, Winzeler EA, Cichewicz RH, Chakrabarti D. Antiplasmodial peptaibols act through membrane directed mechanisms. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:312-325.e9. [PMID: 37995692 PMCID: PMC10923054 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.10.025] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Our previous study identified 52 antiplasmodial peptaibols isolated from fungi. To understand their antiplasmodial mechanism of action, we conducted phenotypic assays, assessed the in vitro evolution of resistance, and performed a transcriptome analysis of the most potent peptaibol, HZ NPDG-I. HZ NPDG-I and 2 additional peptaibols were compared for their killing action and stage dependency, each showing a loss of digestive vacuole (DV) content via ultrastructural analysis. HZ NPDG-I demonstrated a stepwise increase in DV pH, impaired DV membrane permeability, and the ability to form ion channels upon reconstitution in planar membranes. This compound showed no signs of cross resistance to targets of current clinical candidates, and 3 independent lines evolved to resist HZ NPDG-I acquired nonsynonymous changes in the P. falciparum multidrug resistance transporter, pfmdr1. Conditional knockdown of PfMDR1 showed varying effects to other peptaibol analogs, suggesting differing sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Collins
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA
| | - Jin Woo Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Natural Products Applications & Research Technologies, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK 73019, USA
| | - Frances Rocamora
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gagandeep S Saggu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Karen L Wendt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Natural Products Applications & Research Technologies, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK 73019, USA
| | - Charisse Flerida A Pasaje
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sebastian Smick
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Natalia Mojica Santos
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA
| | - Raphaella Paes
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA
| | - Tiantian Jiang
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nimisha Mittal
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Madeline R Luth
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Taylor Chin
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Howard Chang
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - James L McLellan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Beatriz Morales-Hernandez
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Kirsten K Hanson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sanjay A Desai
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Robert H Cichewicz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Natural Products Applications & Research Technologies, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK 73019, USA.
| | - Debopam Chakrabarti
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA.
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Hagemann CL, Macedo AJ, Tasca T. Therapeutic potential of antimicrobial peptides against pathogenic protozoa. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:122. [PMID: 38311672 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08133-0] [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: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Protozoal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and animals. The use of several antiprotozoal drugs is associated with serious adverse effects and resistance development, and drugs that are more effective are urgently needed. Microorganisms, mammalian cells and fluids, insects, and reptiles are sources of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that act against pathogenic microorganisms; these AMPs have been widely studied as a promising alternative therapeutic option to conventional antibiotics, aiming to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. One advantage of AMP molecules is their adaptability, as they can be easily fine-tuned for broad-spectrum or targeted activity by changing the amino acid residues in their sequence. Consequently, these variations in structural and physicochemical properties can alter the antimicrobial activities of AMPs and decrease resistance development. This article presents an overview of peptide activities against amebiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, malaria, and toxoplasmosis. AMPs and their analogs demonstrate great potential as therapeutics, with potent and selective activity, when compared with commercially available drugs, and hold the potential to act as new scaffolds for the development of novel anti-protozoal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina Lobato Hagemann
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 2752, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil
| | - Alexandre José Macedo
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 2752, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil
| | - Tiana Tasca
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 2752, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil.
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Purohit K, Reddy N, Sunna A. Exploring the Potential of Bioactive Peptides: From Natural Sources to Therapeutics. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1391. [PMID: 38338676 PMCID: PMC10855437 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031391] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioactive peptides, specific protein fragments with positive health effects, are gaining traction in drug development for advantages like enhanced penetration, low toxicity, and rapid clearance. This comprehensive review navigates the intricate landscape of peptide science, covering discovery to functional characterization. Beginning with a peptidomic exploration of natural sources, the review emphasizes the search for novel peptides. Extraction approaches, including enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, and specialized methods for disulfide-linked peptides, are extensively covered. Mass spectrometric analysis techniques for data acquisition and identification, such as liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, untargeted peptide analysis, and bioinformatics, are thoroughly outlined. The exploration of peptide bioactivity incorporates various methodologies, from in vitro assays to in silico techniques, including advanced approaches like phage display and cell-based assays. The review also discusses the structure-activity relationship in the context of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), ACE-inhibitory peptides (ACEs), and antioxidative peptides (AOPs). Concluding with key findings and future research directions, this interdisciplinary review serves as a comprehensive reference, offering a holistic understanding of peptides and their potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kruttika Purohit
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
- Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB), Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Narsimha Reddy
- Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB), Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
- School of Science, Parramatta Campus, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Anwar Sunna
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
- Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB), Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
- Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
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Guo L, Tang M, Luo S, Zhou X. Screening and Functional Analyses of Novel Cecropins from Insect Transcriptome. INSECTS 2023; 14:794. [PMID: 37887806 PMCID: PMC10607850 DOI: 10.3390/insects14100794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a significant and growing threat to global public health. However, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have shown promise as they exhibit a broad spectrum of antibacterial activities with low potential for resistance development. Insects, which inhabit a wide range of environments and are incredibly diverse, remain largely unexplored as a source of novel AMPs. To address this, we conducted a screening of the representative transcriptomes from the 1000 Insect Transcriptome Evolution (1KITE) dataset, focusing on the homologous reference genes of Cecropins, the first identified AMPs in insects known for its high efficiency. Our analysis identified 108 Cecropin genes from 105 insect transcriptomes, covering all major hexapod lineages. We validated the gene sequences and synthesized mature peptides for three identified Cecropin genes. Through minimal inhibition concentration and agar diffusion assays, we confirmed that these peptides exhibited antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative bacteria. Similar to the known Cecropin, the three Cecropins adopted an alpha-helical conformation in membrane-like environments, efficiently disrupting bacterial membranes through permeabilization. Importantly, none of the three Cecropins demonstrated cytotoxicity in erythrocyte hemolysis tests, suggesting their safety in real-world applications. Overall, this newly developed methodology provides a high-throughput bioinformatic pipeline for the discovery of AMP, taking advantage of the expanding genomic resources available for diverse organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhen Guo
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (L.G.); (M.T.)
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (L.G.); (M.T.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Shiqi Luo
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (L.G.); (M.T.)
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (L.G.); (M.T.)
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572000, China
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Sivakumar R, Floyd K, Jessey E, Kim JK, Bayguinov PO, Fitzpatrick JA, Goldfrab D, Jovanovic M, Tripathi A, Djuranovic S, Pavlovic-Djuranovic S. Poly-basic peptides and polymers as new drug candidate against Plasmodium falciparum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.16.558069. [PMID: 37745508 PMCID: PMC10516022 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.16.558069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria-causing parasite, is a leading cause of infection-induced deaths worldwide. The preferred treatment approach is artemisinin-combination therapy, which couples fast-acting artemisinin derivatives with longer-acting drugs like lumefantrine, mefloquine, and amodiaquine. However, the urgency for new treatments has risen due to the parasite's growing resistance to existing therapies. Our study shows that a common characteristic of the P. falciparum proteome - stretches of poly-lysine residues such as those found in proteins related to adhesion and pathogenicity - can serve as an effective peptide treatment for infected erythrocytes. A single dose of these poly-basic peptides can successfully diminish parasitemia in human erythrocytes in vitro with minimal toxicity. The effectiveness of the treatment correlates with the length of the poly-lysine peptide, with 30 lysine peptides supporting the eradication of erythrocytic parasites within 72 hours. PEG-ylation of the poly-lysine peptides or utilizing poly-lysine dendrimers and polymers further increases parasite clearance efficiency and bolsters the stability of these potential new therapeutics. Lastly, our affinity pull-downs and mass-spectrometry identify P. falciparum's outer membrane proteins as likely targets for polybasic peptide medications. Since poly-lysine dendrimers are already FDA-approved for drug delivery, their adaptation as antimalarial drugs presents a promising new therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Sivakumar
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
| | - Katherine Floyd
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
| | - Erath Jessey
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
| | - Jenny Kim Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University; New York, New York, USA
| | - Peter O. Bayguinov
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
| | - James A.J. Fitzpatrick
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
| | - Dennis Goldfrab
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
| | - Marko Jovanovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University; New York, New York, USA
| | - Abhai Tripathi
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sergej Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Missouri, USA
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Lyu Z, Yang P, Lei J, Zhao J. Biological Function of Antimicrobial Peptides on Suppressing Pathogens and Improving Host Immunity. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1037. [PMID: 37370356 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12061037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant genes and concerns about food safety caused by the overuse of antibiotics are becoming increasingly prominent. There is an urgent need for effective alternatives to antibiotics in the fields of livestock production and human medicine. Antimicrobial peptides can effectively replace antibiotics to kill pathogens and enhance the immune functions of the host, and pathogens cannot easily produce genes that are resistant to them. The ability of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to kill pathogens is associated with their structure and physicochemical properties, such as their conformation, electrical charges, hydrophilicity, and hydrophobicity. AMPs regulate the activity of immunological cells and stimulate the secretion of inflammatory cytokines via the activation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. However, there are still some limitations to the application of AMPs in the fields of livestock production and human medicine, including a restricted source base, high costs of purification and expression, and the instability of the intestines of animals and humans. This review summarizes the information on AMPs as effective antibiotic substitutes to improve the immunological functions of the host through suppressing pathogens and regulating inflammatory responses. Potential challenges for the commercial application of AMPs in animal husbandry and human medicine are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqian Lyu
- Guangdong Haid Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511400, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Pan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jian Lei
- Guangdong Haid Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511400, China
- Qingyuan Haibei BIO-TECH Co., Ltd., Qingyuan 511853, China
| | - Jinbiao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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10
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Rojas-Pirela M, Kemmerling U, Quiñones W, Michels PAM, Rojas V. Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs): Potential Therapeutic Strategy against Trypanosomiases? Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040599. [PMID: 37189347 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomiases are a group of tropical diseases that have devastating health and socio-economic effects worldwide. In humans, these diseases are caused by the pathogenic kinetoplastids Trypanosoma brucei, causing African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, and Trypanosoma cruzi, causing American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease. Currently, these diseases lack effective treatment. This is attributed to the high toxicity and limited trypanocidal activity of registered drugs, as well as resistance development and difficulties in their administration. All this has prompted the search for new compounds that can serve as the basis for the development of treatment of these diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small peptides synthesized by both prokaryotes and (unicellular and multicellular) eukaryotes, where they fulfill functions related to competition strategy with other organisms and immune defense. These AMPs can bind and induce perturbation in cell membranes, leading to permeation of molecules, alteration of morphology, disruption of cellular homeostasis, and activation of cell death. These peptides have activity against various pathogenic microorganisms, including parasitic protists. Therefore, they are being considered for new therapeutic strategies to treat some parasitic diseases. In this review, we analyze AMPs as therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of trypanosomiases, emphasizing their possible application as possible candidates for the development of future natural anti-trypanosome drugs.
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11
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Carballo GM, Vázquez KG, García-González LA, Rio GD, Brizuela CA. Embedded-AMP: A Multi-Thread Computational Method for the Systematic Identification of Antimicrobial Peptides Embedded in Proteome Sequences. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12010139. [PMID: 36671338 PMCID: PMC9854971 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12010139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained the attention of the research community for being an alternative to conventional antimicrobials to fight antibiotic resistance and for displaying other pharmacologically relevant activities, such as cell penetration, autophagy induction, immunomodulation, among others. The identification of AMPs had been accomplished by combining computational and experimental approaches and have been mostly restricted to self-contained peptides despite accumulated evidence indicating AMPs may be found embedded within proteins, the functions of which are not necessarily associated with antimicrobials. To address this limitation, we propose a machine-learning (ML)-based pipeline to identify AMPs that are embedded in proteomes. Our method performs an in-silico digestion of every protein in the proteome to generate unique k-mers of different lengths, computes a set of molecular descriptors for each k-mer, and performs an antimicrobial activity prediction. To show the efficiency of the method we used the shrimp proteome, and the pipeline analyzed all k-mers between 10 and 60 amino acids in length to predict all AMPs in less than 20 min. As an application example we predicted AMPs in different rodents (common cuy, common rat, and naked mole rat) with different reported longevities and found a relation between species longevity and the number of predicted AMPs. The analysis shows as the longevity of the species is higher, the number of predicted AMPs is also higher. The pipeline is available as a web service.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Guerrero Vázquez
- Computer Science Department, CICESE Research Center, Ensenada 22860, Mexico
- School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | | | - Gabriel Del Rio
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Instituto de Fisiologia Celular, UNAM, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Correspondence: (G.D.R.); (C.A.B.)
| | - Carlos A. Brizuela
- Computer Science Department, CICESE Research Center, Ensenada 22860, Mexico
- Correspondence: (G.D.R.); (C.A.B.)
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12
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Ramirez JL, Hampton KJ, Rosales AM, Muturi EJ. Multiple mosquito AMPs are needed to potentiate their antifungal effect against entomopathogenic fungi. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1062383. [PMID: 36687607 PMCID: PMC9852974 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1062383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito resistance to microbial infections, including fungal entomopathogens that are selected for mosquito control, depend on a range of antimicrobial effectors, among them antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These short peptides, along the antimicrobial effector lysozyme, act by disrupting the microbial cell membrane or by interfering with microbial physiological processes. While the induction of AMPs and lysozyme during fungal entomopathogenic infections have been reported, their contribution to the mosquito antifungal response has not been evaluated. In this study, we assessed the induction of Ae. aegypti AMPs and lysozyme genes at two points of infection and against distinct entomopathogenic fungi. Our results indicate that fungal infection elicits the expression of cecropin, defensin, diptericin, holotricin, and lysozyme, but do not affect those of attacin or gambicin. We further evaluated the role of these antimicrobial effectors via RNAi-based depletion of select AMPs during challenges with two entomopathogenic fungi. Our results reveal that AMPs and lysozyme are critical to the antifungal response, acting in concert, rather than individually, to potentiate their antimicrobial effect against entomopathogenic fungi. This study further contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms that confer resistance to entomopathogenic fungi in an important mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L. Ramirez
- Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL, United States,*Correspondence: José L. Ramirez, ,
| | - Kylie J. Hampton
- Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL, United States
| | | | - Ephantus J. Muturi
- Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL, United States
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13
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Ayala-Ruano S, Marrero-Ponce Y, Aguilera-Mendoza L, Pérez N, Agüero-Chapin G, Antunes A, Aguilar AC. Network Science and Group Fusion Similarity-Based Searching to Explore the Chemical Space of Antiparasitic Peptides. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:46012-46036. [PMID: 36570318 PMCID: PMC9773354 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c03398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have appeared as promising compounds to treat a wide range of diseases. Their clinical potentialities reside in the wide range of mechanisms they can use for both killing microbes and modulating immune responses. However, the hugeness of the AMPs' chemical space (AMPCS), represented by more than 1065 unique sequences, has represented a big challenge for the discovery of new promising therapeutic peptides and for the identification of common structural motifs. Here, we introduce network science and a similarity searching approach to discover new promising AMPs, specifically antiparasitic peptides (APPs). We exploited the network-based representation of APPs' chemical space (APPCS) to retrieve valuable information by using three network types: chemical space (CSN), half-space proximal (HSPN), and metadata (METN). Some centrality measures were applied to identify in each network the most important and nonredundant peptides. Then, these central peptides were considered as queries (Qs) in group fusion similarity-based searches against a comprehensive collection of known AMPs, stored in the graph database StarPepDB, to propose new potential APPs. The performance of the resulting multiquery similarity-based search models (mQSSMs) was evaluated in five benchmarking data sets of APP/non-APPs. The predictions performed by the best mQSSM showed a strong-to-very-strong performance since their external Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) values ranged from 0.834 to 0.965. Outstanding MCC values (>0.85) were attained by the mQSSM with 219 Qs from both networks CSN and HSPN with 0.5 as similarity threshold in external data sets. Then, the performance of our best mQSSM was compared with the APPs prediction servers AMPDiscover and AMPFun. The proposed model showed its relevance by outperforming state-of-the-art machine learning models to predict APPs. After applying the best mQSSM and additional filters on the non-APP space from StarPepDB, 95 AMPs were repurposed as potential APP hits. Due to the high sequence diversity of these peptides, different computational approaches were applied to identify relevant motifs for searching and designing new APPs. Lastly, we identified 11 promising APP lead candidates by using our best mQSSMs together with diversity-based network analyses, and 24 web servers for activity/toxicity and drug-like properties. These results support that network-based similarity searches can be an effective and reliable strategy to identify APPs. The proposed models and pipeline are freely available through the StarPep toolbox software at http://mobiosd-hub.com/starpep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Ayala-Ruano
- Grupo
de Medicina Molecular y Traslacional (MeM&T), Escuela de Medicina,
Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud (COCSA), Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Av. Interoceánica Km 12 1/2 y Av. Florencia, Quito 17-1200-841, Ecuador
- Colegio
de Ciencias e Ingenierías “El Politécnico”, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, Ecuador
| | - Yovani Marrero-Ponce
- Grupo
de Medicina Molecular y Traslacional (MeM&T), Escuela de Medicina,
Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud (COCSA), Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Av. Interoceánica Km 12 1/2 y Av. Florencia, Quito 17-1200-841, Ecuador
- Computer-Aided
Molecular “Biosilico” Discovery and Bioinformatics Research
International Network (CAMD-BIR IN), Cumbayá, Quito 170901, Ecuador
- Universidad
San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Instituto
de Simulación Computacional (ISC-USFQ), Diego de Robles y vía Interoceánica, Quito 170157, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Departamento
de Ciencias de la Computación, Centro
de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior
de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California 22860, Mexico
- or . Phone: +593-2-297-1700 (ext. 4021). http://www.uv.es/yoma/ or http://ymponce.googlepages.com/home
| | - Longendri Aguilera-Mendoza
- Departamento
de Ciencias de la Computación, Centro
de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior
de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - Noel Pérez
- Colegio
de Ciencias e Ingenierías “El Politécnico”, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, Ecuador
| | - Guillermin Agüero-Chapin
- CIIMAR/CIMAR,
Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton
de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal
- Department
of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University
of Porto, Rua do Campo
Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR,
Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton
de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal
- Department
of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University
of Porto, Rua do Campo
Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina Aguilar
- Grupo
de Medicina Molecular y Traslacional (MeM&T), Escuela de Medicina,
Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud (COCSA), Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Av. Interoceánica Km 12 1/2 y Av. Florencia, Quito 17-1200-841, Ecuador
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14
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Hoermann A, Habtewold T, Selvaraj P, Del Corsano G, Capriotti P, Inghilterra MG, Kebede TM, Christophides GK, Windbichler N. Gene drive mosquitoes can aid malaria elimination by retarding Plasmodium sporogonic development. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo1733. [PMID: 36129981 PMCID: PMC9491717 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo1733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development of vector population modification strategies hinges on the availability of effector mechanisms impeding parasite development in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae to secrete two exogenous antimicrobial peptides, magainin 2 and melittin. This small genetic modification, capable of efficient nonautonomous gene drive, hampers oocyst development in both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei. It delays the release of infectious sporozoites, while it simultaneously reduces the life span of homozygous female transgenic mosquitoes. Modeling the spread of this modification using a large-scale agent-based model of malaria epidemiology reveals that it can break the cycle of disease transmission across a range of transmission intensities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Hoermann
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Tibebu Habtewold
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Prashanth Selvaraj
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Paolo Capriotti
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Temesgen M. Kebede
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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15
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Nogrado K, Adisakwattana P, Reamtong O. Antimicrobial peptides: On future antiprotozoal and anthelminthic applications. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106665. [PMID: 36030045 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Control and elimination of parasitic diseases are nowadays further complicated by emergence of drug resistance. Drug resistance is a serious threat as there are not many effective antiparasitic drugs available. Aside from drug resistance, it is also favorable to look for alternative therapeutics that have lesser adverse effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were found to address these issues. Some of its desirable traits are they are fast-acting, it has broad action that the pathogen will have difficulty developing resistance to, it has high specificity, and most importantly there are extensive sources such as bacteria; invertebrate and vertebrate animals as well as plants. Aside from this, AMPs are also found to modulate the immune response. This review would like to describe AMPs that have been studied for their antiparasitic activities especially on parasitic diseases that causes high mortality and exhibits drug resistance like malaria and leishmaniasis and to discuss the mechanism of action of these AMPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathyleen Nogrado
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Poom Adisakwattana
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Onrapak Reamtong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
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16
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Synthesis and study of organometallic PGM complexes containing 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole as antiplasmodial agents. Inorganica Chim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ica.2022.121039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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17
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Rational design of bioactive chimeric construct by exploring archaeal antimicrobial peptides: an in silico approach. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01071-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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18
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Jin L, Dong H, Sun D, Wang L, Qu L, Lin S, Yang Q, Zhang X. Biological Functions and Applications of Antimicrobial Peptides. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2022; 23:226-247. [DOI: 10.2174/1389203723666220519155942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:
Despite antimicrobial resistance, which is attributed to the misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics,
antibiotics can indiscriminately kill pathogenic and beneficial microorganisms. These events
disrupt the delicate microbial balance in both humans and animals, leading to secondary infections
and other negative effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are functional natural biopolymers in
plants and animals. Due to their excellent antimicrobial activities and absence of microbial resistance,
AMPs have attracted enormous research attention. We reviewed the antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral,
antiparasitic, as well as antitumor properties of AMPs and research progress on AMPs. In addition,
we highlighted various recommendations and potential research areas for their progress and
challenges in practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Jin
- Institute of Life Sciences & Biomedical Collaborative Innovation Center of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou University,
Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Hao Dong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118,
China
| | - Da Sun
- Institute of Life Sciences & Biomedical Collaborative Innovation Center of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou University,
Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Institute of Life Sciences & Biomedical Collaborative Innovation Center of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou University,
Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Linkai Qu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118,
China
| | - Sue Lin
- Institute of Life Sciences & Biomedical Collaborative Innovation Center of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou University,
Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Qinsi Yang
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Xingxing Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology
and Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
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19
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Thompson C, Williams ML. Review of the physiological effects of Phyllomedusa bicolor skin secretion peptides on humans receiving Kambô. TOXICOLOGY RESEARCH AND APPLICATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/23978473221085746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Kambô is an Amazonian ritual which includes the application of the defensive secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog to superficial burns made on the skin of human participants. The secretion, which contains a range of biologically active linear peptides, induces a short purgative experience that is extensively reported by participants to leave them with positive physical, emotional and spiritual after-effects. Various peptides identified in the secretion exert analgesic, vascular, and gastric effects in vivo, and antimicrobial and anti-cancer effects, among others, in vitro. While there has been some investigation into the physiological effects of various individual peptides isolated from the P. bicolor secretion, very little is known about the putative synergistic effects of concurrent administration of the complete substance through the transdermal methods used traditionally in the Kambô ritual. In this review and commentary, the authors summarize the existing biological information from animal research on peptides from the P. bicolor secretion, then consider the evidence in the context of Kambô administration to humans. The presented information suggests that specific peptides are likely to contribute to analogous physiological effects of Kambô in humans. The possibility that beyond their physiological action, the experiential or phenomenological component of these effects may have therapeutic applications is discussed, concluding with a consideration of the feasibility of human clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin L Williams
- Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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20
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El Chamy Maluf S, Hayashi MAF, Campeiro JD, Oliveira EB, Gazarini ML, Carmona AK. South American rattlesnake cationic polypeptide crotamine trafficking dynamic in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes: Pharmacological inhibitors, parasite cycle and incubation time influences in uptake. Toxicon 2022; 208:47-52. [PMID: 35074306 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease caused by Plasmodium sp, which was responsible for about 409 thousand deaths only in 2019. The clinical manifestations in patients with malaria, which may include fever and anemia and that can occasionally lead to the death of the host, are mainly associated to the asexual blood stage of parasite. The discovery of novel compounds active against stages of the intraerythrocytic cell cycle has been the focus of many researches seeking for alternatives to the control of malaria. The antimalarial effect of a native cationic polypeptide from the venom of a South American rattlesnake named crotamine, with ability of targeting and disrupting the acidic compartments of Plasmodium falciparum parasite, was previously described by us. Herein, we extended our previous studies by investigating the internalization and trafficking of crotamine in P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes at different blood-stages of parasites and periods of incubation. In addition, the effects of several pharmacological inhibitors in the uptake of this snake polypeptide with cell-penetrating properties were also assessed, showing that crotamine internalization was dependent on ATP generated via glycolytic pathway. We show here that crotamine uptake is blocked by the glycolysis inhibitor 2- deoxy-D-glucose, and the most efficient internalization is observed at trophozoite stage of parasite after at least 30 min of incubation. The present data provide important insights into biochemical pathway and cellular features determined by the parasite cycle, which may be underlying the internalization and effects of cationic antimalarials as crotamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- S El Chamy Maluf
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M A F Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - J D Campeiro
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - E B Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-RP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - M L Gazarini
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - A K Carmona
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
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21
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Somsri S, Mungthin M, Klubthawee N, Adisakwattana P, Hanpithakpong W, Aunpad R. A Mitochondria-Penetrating Peptide Exerts Potent Anti-Plasmodium Activity and Localizes at Parasites' Mitochondria. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10121560. [PMID: 34943772 PMCID: PMC8698686 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10121560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are considered a novel drug target as they play a key role in energy production and programmed cell death of eukaryotic cells. The mitochondria of malaria parasites differ from those of their vertebrate hosts, contributing to the drug selectivity and the development of antimalarial drugs. (Fxr)3, a mitochondria-penetrating peptide or MPP, entered malaria-infected red cells without disrupting the membrane and subsequently killed the blood stage of P. falciparum parasites. The effects were more potent on the late stages than on the younger stages. Confocal microscopy showed that the (Fxr)3 intensely localized at the parasite mitochondria. (Fxr)3 highly affected both the lab-strain, chloroquine-resistant K1, and freshly isolated malaria parasites. (Fxr)3 (1 ng/mL to 10 μg/mL) was rarely toxic towards various mammalian cells, i.e., mouse fibroblasts (L929), human leukocytes and erythrocytes. At a thousand times higher concentration (100 μg/mL) than that of the antimalarial activity, cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity of (Fxr)3 were observed. Compared with the known antimalarial drug, atovaquone, (Fxr)3 exhibited more rapid killing activity. This is the first report on antimalarial activity of (Fxr)3, showing localization at parasites’ mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangdao Somsri
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (S.S.); (N.K.)
| | - Mathirut Mungthin
- Department of Parasitology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Natthaporn Klubthawee
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (S.S.); (N.K.)
| | - Poom Adisakwattana
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Warunee Hanpithakpong
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Ratchaneewan Aunpad
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (S.S.); (N.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +662-986-9213-9 (ext. 7210)
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Geng T, Lu F, Zhu F, Wang S. Lineage-specific gene evolution of innate immunity in Bombyx mori to adapt to challenge by pathogens, especially entomopathogenic fungi. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 123:104171. [PMID: 34118279 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bombyx mori is a model species of Lepidoptera, in which 21 gene families and 220 genes have been identified as involved in immunity. However, only 45 B. mori - Drosophila melanogaster - Anopheles gambiae - Apis mellifera - Tribolium castaneum 1:1:1:1:1 orthologous genes were identified. B. mori has unique immune factors not found in D. melanogaster - A. gambiae - A. mellifera - T. castaneum. Pattern recognition receptors, signal transducers and effector genes for antifungal immune responses in B. mori have evolved through expansion and modification of existing genes. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the antifungal immune responses of B. mori and focuses on the lineage-specific gene evolution used by Lepidoptera to adapt to the challenge by pathogens, especially entomopathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Geng
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Sericulture Research Center, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China.
| | - Fuping Lu
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Sericulture Research Center, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China.
| | - Feng Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, 277160, China.
| | - Shuchang Wang
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Sericulture Research Center, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China.
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Mills M, Holley SL, Coly P, DeJoy S. Malaria in Pregnancy: Considerations for Health Care Providers in Nonendemic Countries. J Midwifery Womens Health 2021; 66:343-350. [PMID: 34166575 DOI: 10.1111/jmwh.13258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a common infection world-wide, which carries significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Health care providers in the United States may lack experience in recognizing and treating this disease. The pathophysiology of malaria differs during pregnancy, resulting in increased risk for serious morbidity and mortality for the woman and her fetus. Screening for risk factors, especially immigration from and travel to endemic countries, is critical. Symptoms of malaria can mimic influenza-type illnesses, causing delay in diagnosis. Consultation with an infectious disease specialist and hospitalization may be required for appropriate testing and treatment. Chemoprophylaxis and counseling regarding methods to reduce risk are important components of prevention. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have established protocols for treatment and are helpful resources for clinicians. A team approach to care based on the woman's stage of illness and recovery, can involve midwives, physicians, specialists and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Mills
- Department of Midwifery, Baystate OB/GYN Group, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts
| | - Sharon L Holley
- Program Director, Nurse-Midwifery Specialty Master's Program, University of Alabama School of Nursing, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Paul Coly
- Division of Developmental Services, Department of Human Services, Windsor, Connecticut
| | - Susan DeJoy
- Division of Midwifery and Community Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
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24
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Noh M, Zhang H, Kim H, Park S, Kim YM, Kwon YG. Primaquine Diphosphate, a Known Antimalarial Drug, Blocks Vascular Leakage Acting Through Junction Stabilization. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:695009. [PMID: 34149436 PMCID: PMC8211987 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.695009] [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: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Endothelial barrier integrity is important for vascular homeostasis, and hyperpermeability participates in the progression of many pathological states, such as diabetic retinopathy, ischemic stroke, chronic bowel disease, and inflammatory disease. Here, using drug repositioning, we discovered that primaquine diphosphate (PD), previously known as an antimalarial drug, was a potential blocker of vascular leakage. PD inhibited the linear pattern of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF)-induced disruption at the cell boundaries, blocked the formation of VEGF-induced actin stress fibers, and stabilized the cortactin actin rings in endothelial cells. PD significantly reduced leakage in the Miles assay and mouse model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic retinopathy. Targeted prediction programs and deubiquitinating enzyme activity assays identified a potential mechanism of action for PD and demonstrated that this operates via ubiquitin specific protease 1 (USP1). USP1 inhibition demonstrated a conserved barrier function by inhibiting VEGF-induced leakage in endothelial permeability assays. Taken together, these findings suggest that PD could be used as a novel drug for vascular leakage by maintaining endothelial integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyoung Noh
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Haiying Zhang
- R&D Department, Curacle Co. Ltd., Seongnam-si, South Korea
| | - Hyejeong Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Songyi Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young-Myeong Kim
- Vascular System Research Center and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Young-Guen Kwon
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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25
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Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Anti-Tubercular Leads: A Concise Review. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14040323. [PMID: 33918182 PMCID: PMC8065624 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being considered a public health emergency for the last 25 years, tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the deadliest infectious diseases, responsible for over a million deaths every year. The length and toxicity of available treatments and the increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis renders standard regimens increasingly inefficient and emphasizes the urgency to develop new approaches that are not only cost- and time-effective but also less toxic. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are small cationic and amphipathic molecules that play a vital role in the host immune system by acting as a first barrier against invading pathogens. The broad spectrum of properties that peptides possess make them one of the best possible alternatives for a new “post-antibiotic” era. In this context, research into AMP as potential anti-tubercular agents has been driven by the increasing danger revolving around the emergence of extremely-resistant strains, the innate resistance that mycobacteria possess and the low compliance of patients towards the toxic anti-TB treatments. In this review, we will focus on AMP from various sources, such as animal, non-animal and synthetic, with reported inhibitory activity towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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26
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Pedron CN, Silva AF, Torres MDT, Oliveira CSD, Andrade GP, Cerchiaro G, Pinhal MAS, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Oliveira Junior VX. Net charge tuning modulates the antiplasmodial and anticancer properties of peptides derived from scorpion venom. J Pept Sci 2021; 27:e3296. [PMID: 33442881 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
VmCT1, a linear helical antimicrobial peptide isolated from the venom of the scorpion Vaejovis mexicanus, displays broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Analogs derived from this peptide containing single Arg-substitutions have been shown to increase antimicrobial and antiparasitic activities against Trypanossoma cruzi. Here, we tested these analogs against malaria, an infectious disease caused by Plasmodium protozoa, and assessed their antitumoral properties. Specifically, we tested VmCT1 synthetic variants [Arg]3 -VmCT1-NH2 , [Arg]7 -VmCT1-NH2 , and [Arg]11 -VmCT1-NH2 , against Plasmodium gallinaceum sporozoites and MCF-7 mammary cancer cells. Our screen identified peptides [Arg]3 -VmCT1-NH2 and [Arg]7 -VmCT1-NH2 as potent antiplasmodial agents (IC50 of 0.57 and 0.51 μmol L-1 , respectively), whereas [Arg]11 -VmCT1-NH2 did not show activity against P. gallinaceum sporozoites. Interestingly, all peptides presented activity against MCF-7 and displayed lower cytotoxicity toward healthy cells. We demonstrate that increasing the net positive charge of VmCT1, through arginine substitutions, modulates the biological properties of this peptide family yielding novel antiplasmodial and antitumoral molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cibele Nicolaski Pedron
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil.,Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil
| | - Adriana Farias Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil.,Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Der Torossian Torres
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.,Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.,Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | | | - Gislaine Patricia Andrade
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil
| | - Giselle Cerchiaro
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil
| | | | - 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, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.,Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.,Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Vani Xavier Oliveira Junior
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, 09210580, Brazil.,Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 04044020, Brazil
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27
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Onoabedje EA, Ibezim A, Okoro UC, Batra S. Synthesis, molecular docking, antiplasmodial and antioxidant activities of new sulfonamido-pepetide derivatives. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04958. [PMID: 33005786 PMCID: PMC7519377 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Twenty-three new series of toluene-sulfonamide dipeptide derivatives were synthesized and screened for antiplasmodial and antioxidant potencies. Many of the derivatives were active against Plasmodium falciparum with IC50 ranging from 3.20 - 9.10 μM. The ability of compounds 7h, 7m and 7n (IC50 of 7.53, 7.21 and 6.01 μg/mL respectively) to scavenge DPPH free radicals were comparable to that of ascorbic acid. Additionally, molecular docking disclosed that four compounds exhibited theoretical inhibition constant at submicromolar concentrations (K i = 0.72, 0.75, 0.57, and 0.53 μM respectively) compare to the reference ligand (a pyrazole sulfonamide; K i = 0.01 μM). Overall, some of the derivatives possess antimalarial property as well as the ability to inhibit oxidative stress in malaria pathophysiology; and hence, are good candidates for further antimalarial drug research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efeturi A. Onoabedje
- Department of Pure & Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
- Division of Medicinal & Process Chemistry, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, UP, India
| | - Akachukwu Ibezim
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Uchechukwu C. Okoro
- Department of Pure & Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Sanjay Batra
- Division of Medicinal & Process Chemistry, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, UP, India
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28
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Chaianantakul N, Sungkapong T, Supatip J, Kingsang P, Kamlaithong S, Suwanakitti N. Antimalarial effect of cell penetrating peptides derived from the junctional region of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase. Peptides 2020; 131:170372. [PMID: 32673701 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase of Plasmodium falciparum (PfDHFR-TS) is an important target of antifolate antimalarial drugs. However, drug resistant parasites are widespread in malaria endemic regions. The unique bifunctional property of PfDHFR-TS could be exploited for the design of allosteric inhibitors that interfere with the active dimer conformation. In this study, peptides were derived from the junctional region (JR) of PfDHFR-TS amino acid sequence in the αj1 helix (JR-helix) and the DHFR domain that is necessary for interaction with αj1 helix (JR21). Five peptides were synthesized and tested for inhibition of PfDHFR-TS enzyme by Bacterial inhibition assay (BIA) based on the growth of an E. coli DHFR and TS knockout complemented with a recombinant plasmid expressing PfDHFR-TS enzyme. Significant inhibition was observed for JR21 and JR21 conjugated to cell-penetrating octa-arginine peptide (rR8-JR21) with 50 % inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 3.87 and 1.53 μM, respectively. The JR-helix and rR8-JR-helix peptides were inactive. JR21 and rR8-JR21 peptides showed similar growth inhibitory effects on P. falciparum NF54 parasites cultured in vitro. Treatment with rR8-JR21 delayed parasite development, in which an accumulation of ring stage parasites was observed after 12 h of culture. Minimal red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis was observed at the highest dose of peptide tested. The most potent peptide rR8-JR21 not only compromised the development of the P. falciparum, but also inhibited the parasite growth and has low hemolytic effect on human RBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natpasit Chaianantakul
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand.
| | - Tippawan Sungkapong
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand
| | - Jaturayut Supatip
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand
| | - Pitchayanin Kingsang
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand
| | - Sarayut Kamlaithong
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand
| | - Nattida Suwanakitti
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
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29
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Bioinformatic Analysis of 1000 Amphibian Antimicrobial Peptides Uncovers Multiple Length-Dependent Correlations for Peptide Design and Prediction. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9080491. [PMID: 32784626 PMCID: PMC7459754 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9080491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians are widely distributed on different continents, except for the polar regions. They are important sources for the isolation, purification and characterization of natural compounds, including peptides with various functions. Innate immune antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a critical role in warding off invading pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. They may also have other biological functions such as endotoxin neutralization, chemotaxis, anti-inflammation, and wound healing. This article documents a bioinformatic analysis of over 1000 amphibian antimicrobial peptides registered in the Antimicrobial Peptide Database (APD) in the past 18 years. These anuran peptides were discovered in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and America from 1985 to 2019. Genomic and peptidomic studies accelerated the discovery pace and underscored the necessity in establishing criteria for peptide entry into the APD. A total of 99.9% of the anuran antimicrobial peptides are less than 50 amino acids with an average length of 24 and a net charge of +2.5. Interestingly, the various amphibian peptide families (e.g., temporins, brevinins, esculentins) can be connected through multiple length-dependent relationships. With an increase in length, peptide net charge increases, while the hydrophobic content decreases. In addition, glycine, leucine, lysine, and proline all show linear correlations with peptide length. These correlations improve our understanding of amphibian peptides and may be useful for prediction and design of new linear peptides with potential applications in treating infectious diseases, cancer and diabetes.
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30
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Secrieru A, Costa ICC, O’Neill PM, Cristiano MLS. Antimalarial Agents as Therapeutic Tools Against Toxoplasmosis-A Short Bridge between Two Distant Illnesses. Molecules 2020; 25:E1574. [PMID: 32235463 PMCID: PMC7181032 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25071574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease with paramount impact worldwide, affecting many vulnerable populations and representing a significant matter of concern. Current therapies used against toxoplasmosis are based essentially on old chemotypes, which fail in providing a definitive cure for the disease, placing the most sensitive populations at risk for irreversible damage in vital organs, culminating in death in the most serious cases. Antimalarial drugs have been shown to possess key features for drug repurposing, finding application in the treatment of other parasite-borne illnesses, including toxoplasmosis. Antimalarials provide the most effective therapeutic solutions against toxoplasmosis and make up for the majority of currently available antitoxoplasmic drugs. Additionally, other antiplasmodial drugs have been scrutinized and many promising candidates have emanated in recent developments. Available data demonstrate that it is worthwhile to explore the activity of classical and most recent antimalarial chemotypes, such as quinolines, endoperoxides, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines, and nature-derived peptide-based parasiticidal agents, in the context of toxoplasmosis chemotherapy, in the quest for encountering more effective and safer tools for toxoplasmosis control or eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Secrieru
- Center of Marine Sciences, CCMAR, Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, UAlg, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.S.); (I.C.C.C.)
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, FCT, Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, UAlg, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, UK;
| | - Inês C. C. Costa
- Center of Marine Sciences, CCMAR, Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, UAlg, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.S.); (I.C.C.C.)
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, FCT, Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, UAlg, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Paul M. O’Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, UK;
| | - Maria L. S. Cristiano
- Center of Marine Sciences, CCMAR, Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, UAlg, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.S.); (I.C.C.C.)
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, FCT, Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, UAlg, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
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31
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Makowski M, Silva ÍC, Pais do Amaral C, Gonçalves S, Santos NC. Advances in Lipid and Metal Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2019; 11:E588. [PMID: 31717337 PMCID: PMC6920925 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11110588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been described as excellent candidates to overcome antibiotic resistance. Frequently, AMPs exhibit a wide therapeutic window, with low cytotoxicity and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against a variety of pathogens. In addition, some AMPs are also able to modulate the immune response, decreasing potential harmful effects such as sepsis. Despite these benefits, only a few formulations have successfully reached clinics. A common flaw in the druggability of AMPs is their poor pharmacokinetics, common to several peptide drugs, as they may be degraded by a myriad of proteases inside the organism. The combination of AMPs with carrier nanoparticles to improve delivery may enhance their half-life, decreasing the dosage and thus, reducing production costs and eventual toxicity. Here, we present the most recent advances in lipid and metal nanodevices for AMP delivery, with a special focus on metal nanoparticles and liposome formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sónia Gonçalves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (M.M.); (Í.C.S.); (C.P.d.A.)
| | - Nuno C. Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (M.M.); (Í.C.S.); (C.P.d.A.)
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32
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Sabiá Júnior EF, Menezes LFS, de Araújo IFS, Schwartz EF. Natural Occurrence in Venomous Arthropods of Antimicrobial Peptides Active against Protozoan Parasites. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E563. [PMID: 31557900 PMCID: PMC6832604 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Arthropoda is a phylum of invertebrates that has undergone remarkable evolutionary radiation, with a wide range of venomous animals. Arthropod venom is a complex mixture of molecules and a source of new compounds, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Most AMPs affect membrane integrity and produce lethal pores in microorganisms, including protozoan pathogens, whereas others act on internal targets or by modulation of the host immune system. Protozoan parasites cause some serious life-threatening diseases among millions of people worldwide, mostly affecting the poorest in developing tropical regions. Humans can be infected with protozoan parasites belonging to the genera Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Plasmodium, and Toxoplasma, responsible for Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, and toxoplasmosis. There is not yet any cure or vaccine for these illnesses, and the current antiprotozoal chemotherapeutic compounds are inefficient and toxic and have been in clinical use for decades, which increases drug resistance. In this review, we will present an overview of AMPs, the diverse modes of action of AMPs on protozoan targets, and the prospection of novel AMPs isolated from venomous arthropods with the potential to become novel clinical agents to treat protozoan-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Ferreira Sabiá Júnior
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
| | - Luis Felipe Santos Menezes
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
| | - Israel Flor Silva de Araújo
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
| | - Elisabeth Ferroni Schwartz
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
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33
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The effect of lysine substitutions in the biological activities of the scorpion venom peptide VmCT1. Eur J Pharm Sci 2019; 136:104952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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34
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Aedes aegypti HPX8C modulates immune responses against viral infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007287. [PMID: 30986216 PMCID: PMC6464178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes act as vectors of numerous pathogens that cause human diseases. Dengue virus (DENV) transmitted by mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is responsible for dengue fever epidemics worldwide with a serious impact on human health. Currently, disease control mainly relies on vector targeted intervention strategies. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the innate immune response of mosquitoes against pathogens. In the present study, the expression profiles of immunity-related genes in the midgut responding to DENV infection by feeding were analyzed by transcriptome and quantitative real-time PCR. The level of Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) increased seven days post-infection (d.p.i.), which could be induced by the Toll immune pathway. The expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) genes, including antioxidant genes, such as HPX7, HPX8A, HPX8B, HPX8C were induced at one d.p.i. and peaked again at ten d.p.i. in the midgut. Interestingly, down-regulation of the antioxidant gene HPX8C by RNA interference led to reduction in the virus titer in the mosquito, probably due to the elevated levels of ROS. Application of a ROS inhibitor and scavenger molecules further established the role of oxygen free radicals in the modulation of the immune response to DENV infection. Overall, our comparative transcriptome analyses provide valuable information about the regulation of immunity related genes in the transmission vector in response to DENV infection. It further allows us to identify novel molecular mechanisms underlying the host-virus interaction, which might aid in the development of novel strategies to control mosquito-borne diseases. HPX8C is a heme-containing peroxidase, which can move reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage to the organism by reducing H2O2 to H2O. Previously, the peroxidase gene has been shown to modulate midgut immunity and regulate anti-malarial response in mosquitoes. In this study, the classical immune signaling pathways, Toll and IMD genes might be late responses against the viruses. HPX8C was demonstrated here to play a role in antiviral immunity against DENV infection in Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes. HPX8C expression was induced by DENV infection and continued to increase with an elevated virus titer. In HPX8C-depleted mosquitoes, the ROS level was found to be increased with a corresponding decrease in the DENV and ZIKV virus titer. Therefore, it was speculated that HPX8C mediated immune responses against the DENV in the mosquito in the late stage of viral infection, which could be controlled by Toll pathway.
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Yamamoto K, Takahashi K, Ato M, Iwanaga S, Ohta N. Antimalarial activity of vitamin D3 (VD3) does not result from VD3-induced antimicrobial agents including nitric oxide or cathelicidin. Exp Parasitol 2019; 201:67-77. [PMID: 30904694 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3), the active form of vitamin D, inhibits microbial proliferation. Previously, we used in vivo murine models to investigate the antimalarial activity of VD3 and confirmed potent antimalarial activity in the acute phase. This study aimed to clarify the mechanisms underlying the antimalarial activity of VD3 in vivo, particularly extensive inhibition of parasitemia in the acute phase, focusing on nitric oxide (NO), a potent antimalarial molecule. VD3 is a good NO inducer. When most Plasmodium chabaudi AS (PcAS)-infected mice treated with VD3 survived, NO was present in blood samples obtained from VD3-treated mice at a significantly higher rate at 2 and/or 3 days post-infection than that in vehicle-treated control mice. To verify the involvement of NO in the antimalarial activity of VD3, we used aminoguanidine (AG), an inducible NO synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, to abrogate the antimalarial activity of VD3. However, despite AG-induced reductions in NO levels, parasitemia remained inhibited during the acute phase, even in the presence of AG, and the antiplasmodial faculty of VD3 was not ablated. VD3-mediated antimalarial activity irrelevant of NO compelled us to consider another candidate. In a pilot experiment, we used cathelicidin (CAMP), an antimicrobial peptide, since it is known that VD3 induces CAMP synthesis. Serum CAMP levels increased on days 4 or 5 post-infection with or without VD3 administration, but experiments using exogenous CAMP did not display curative effects in PcAS-infected mice. The present study using VD3 to target the malarial parasite thus suggests a potential novel approach to treat malarial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiichi Yamamoto
- Section of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
| | - Kentaro Takahashi
- Department of Bio-informational Pharmacology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
| | - Manabu Ato
- Department of Mycobacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Section of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
| | - Nobuo Ohta
- Section of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan; Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Japan
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Biochemical and Biological Profile of Parotoid Secretion of the Amazonian Rhinella marina (Anura: Bufonidae). BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:2492315. [PMID: 31214612 PMCID: PMC6535847 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2492315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Skin secretions of frogs have a high chemical complexity. They have diverse types of biomolecules, such as proteins, peptides, biogenic amines, and alkaloids. These compounds protect amphibians' skin against growth of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa and participate in defense system against attack from predators. Therewith, this work performed biochemical and biological profile of macroglands parotoid secretion from cane toad. For poison analysis, we performed molecular exclusion and reverse phase chromatography, electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, leishmanicidal, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and inflammatory activity of crude and/or fractions of R. marina secretion were also evaluated. Fractionation prior to filtration from poison showed separation of low mass content (steroids and alkaloids) and high molecular mass (protein). Material below 10 kDa two steroids, marinobufagin and desacetylcinobufagin, was detected. Crude extract and fractions were active against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania guyanensis, and Leishmania braziliensis. Crude extract was also active against cancer cells although it was not cytotoxic for normal cells. This extract did not show significant DNA damage but it showed an important inflammatory effect in vivo. The information obtained in this work contributes to the understanding of the constituents of R. marina secretion as well as the bioactive potential of these molecules.
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Habtewold T, Tapanelli S, Masters EKG, Hoermann A, Windbichler N, Christophides GK. Streamlined SMFA and mosquito dark-feeding regime significantly improve malaria transmission-blocking assay robustness and sensitivity. Malar J 2019; 18:24. [PMID: 30683107 PMCID: PMC6347765 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2663-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The development of malaria transmission-blocking strategies including the generation of malaria refractory mosquitoes to replace the wild populations through means of gene drives hold great promise. The standard membrane feeding assay (SMFA) that involves mosquito feeding on parasitized blood through an artificial membrane system is a vital tool for evaluating the efficacy of transmission-blocking interventions. However, despite the availability of several published protocols, the SMFA remains highly variable and broadly insensitive. Methods The SMFA protocol was optimized through coordinated culturing of Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes and Plasmodium falciparum parasite coupled with placing mosquitoes under a strict dark regime before, during, and after the gametocyte feed. Results A detailed description of essential steps is provided toward synchronized generation of highly fit An. coluzzii mosquitoes and P. falciparum gametocytes in preparation for an SMFA. A dark-infection regime that emulates the natural vector-parasite interaction system is described, which results in a significant increase in the infection intensity and prevalence. Using this optimal SMFA pipeline, a series of putative transmission-blocking antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were screened, confirming that melittin and magainin can interfere with P. falciparum development in the vector. Conclusion A robust SMFA protocol that enhances the evaluation of interventions targeting human malaria transmission in laboratory setting is reported. Melittin and magainin are identified as highly potent antiparasitic AMPs that can be used for the generation of refractory Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibebu Habtewold
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Sofia Tapanelli
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Astrid Hoermann
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Thery T, Shwaiki LN, O'Callaghan YC, O'Brien NM, Arendt EK. Antifungal activity of a de novo synthetic peptide and derivatives against fungal food contaminants. J Pept Sci 2018; 25:e3137. [PMID: 30488526 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of novel solutions to fight microbial food contaminants rests upon two pillars, which are the development of resistant strains and consumers' desire for a reduced consumption of synthetic drugs. Natural antimicrobial peptides possess the qualities to overcome these issues. De novo synthesis of novel antifungal compounds is a major progress that has been facilitated by the identification of parameters involved in the antimicrobial activity. A 14-residue peptide named KK14, with the sequence KKFFRAWWAPRFLK-NH2 , was designed and inhibited conidial germination and fungal growth of food contaminants within the range 6.25 to 50 μg/ml and 6.25 to 100 μg/ml, respectively. The study of three analogues of the peptide highlighted the role of some residues in the structural conformation of the peptide and its antifungal activity. The substitution of a Pro residue with Arg increased the helical content of the peptide not only its antifungal activity but also its cytotoxicity. The insertion of an unnatural bulky residue β-diphenylalanine or a full d-enantiomerization overall increased the antifungal potency. The four peptides showed similar behaviour towards salt increase, heat treatment, and pH decrease. Interestingly, the denantiomer remained the most active at high pH and after proteolytic digestion. The four peptides did not present haemolytic activity up to 200 μg/ml but had different behaviours of cytotoxicity. These differences could be crucial for potential application as pharmaceutical or food preservatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Thery
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Laila N Shwaiki
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Nora M O'Brien
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Elke K Arendt
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Li S, Xu X, Shakeel M, Xu J, Zheng Z, Zheng J, Yu X, Zhao Q, Jin F. Bacillus thuringiensis Suppresses the Humoral Immune System to Overcome Defense Mechanism of Plutella xylostella. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1478. [PMID: 30498450 PMCID: PMC6249373 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Plutella xylostella has become a notorious pest of cruciferous crops all over the world. Delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis are widely used insecticidal proteins for controlling P. xylostella. However, the interaction mechanism of B. thuringiensis with the immune system of P. xylostella, at the genomic level, is still unclear. This study explored the immune response of P. xylostella to B. thuringiensis, at different time intervals, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, and 36 h, by using RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) and RT-qPCR. Results: In total, 167 immunity-related genes were identified and placed into different families, including pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), signal modulators, immune pathways (Toll, IMD, and JAK/STAT), and immune effectors. It is worth mentioning that the analyses of the differentially expressed immunity-related genes revealed that most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (87, 56, 76, 67, and 73 genes) were downregulated in P. xylostella following B. thuringiensis oral infection at 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, and 36 h. Interestingly, our RNA-Seq analysis also revealed reduced expression of antimicrobial peptides, that play a vital role in the humoral immune system of P. xylostella. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that B. thuringiensis plays a novel role in controlling P. xylostella, by suppressing the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhong Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxia Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Shakeel
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhihua Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinlong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Yu
- Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Beijing Genomics Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fengliang Jin
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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Faya M, Kalhapure RS, Dhumal D, Agrawal N, Omolo C, Akamanchi KG, Govender T. Antimicrobial cell penetrating peptides with bacterial cell specificity: pharmacophore modelling, quantitative structure activity relationship and molecular dynamics simulation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2018; 37:2370-2380. [PMID: 30047310 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2018.1484814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Current research has shown cell-penetrating peptides and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as probable vectors for use in drug delivery and as novel antibiotics. It has been reported that the higher the therapeutic index (TI) the higher would be the bacterial cell penetrating ability. To the best of our knowledge, no in-silico study has been performed to determine bacterial cell specificity of the antimicrobial cell penetrating peptides (aCPP's) based on their TI. The aim of this study was to develop a quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) model, which can estimate antimicrobial potential and cell-penetrating ability of aCPPs against S. aureus, to confirm the relationship between the TI and aCPPs and to identify specific descriptors responsible for aCPPs penetrating ability. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was also performed to confirm the membrane insertion of the most active aCPPs obtained from the QSAR study. The most appropriate pharmacophore was identified to predict the aCPP's activity. The statistical results confirmed the validity of the model. The QSAR model was successful in identifying the optimal aCPP with high activity prediction and provided insights into the structural requirements to correlate their TI to cell penetrating ability. MD simulation of the best aCPP with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayer confirmed its interaction with the membrane and the C-terminal residues of the aCPP played a key role in membrane penetration. The strategy of combining QSAR and molecular dynamics, allowed for optimal estimation of ligand-target interaction and confirmed the importance of Trp and Lys in interacting with the POPC bilayer. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mbuso Faya
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Private Bag , Durban , South Africa
| | - Rahul S Kalhapure
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Private Bag , Durban , South Africa
| | - Dinesh Dhumal
- b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology , Institute of Chemical Technology , Mumbai , India
| | - Nikhil Agrawal
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Private Bag , Durban , South Africa
| | - Calvin Omolo
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Private Bag , Durban , South Africa
| | - Krishnacharya G Akamanchi
- b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology , Institute of Chemical Technology , Mumbai , India
| | - Thirumala Govender
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Private Bag , Durban , South Africa
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Lawrence N, Dennis ASM, Lehane AM, Ehmann A, Harvey PJ, Benfield AH, Cheneval O, Henriques ST, Craik DJ, McMorran BJ. Defense Peptides Engineered from Human Platelet Factor 4 Kill Plasmodium by Selective Membrane Disruption. Cell Chem Biol 2018; 25:1140-1150.e5. [PMID: 30033131 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a serious threat to human health and additional classes of antimalarial drugs are greatly needed. The human defense protein, platelet factor 4 (PF4), has intrinsic antiplasmodial activity but also undesirable chemokine properties. We engineered a peptide containing the isolated PF4 antiplasmodial domain, which through cyclization, retained the critical structure of the parent protein. The peptide, cPF4PD, killed cultured blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum with low micromolar potency by specific disruption of the parasite digestive vacuole. Its mechanism of action involved selective penetration and accumulation inside the intraerythrocytic parasite without damaging the host cell or parasite membranes; it did not accumulate in uninfected cells. This selective activity was accounted for by observations of the peptide's specific binding and penetration of membranes with exposed negatively charged phospholipid headgroups. Our findings highlight the tremendous potential of the cPF4PD scaffold for developing antimalarial peptide drugs with a distinct and selective mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Adelaide S M Dennis
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Adele M Lehane
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Anna Ehmann
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Peta J Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Aurélie H Benfield
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Olivier Cheneval
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Brendan J McMorran
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
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Gabere MN, Noble WS. Empirical comparison of web-based antimicrobial peptide prediction tools. Bioinformatics 2018; 33:1921-1929. [PMID: 28203715 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btx081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are innate immune molecules that exhibit activities against a range of microbes, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa. Recent increases in microbial resistance against current drugs has led to a concomitant increase in the need for novel antimicrobial agents. Over the last decade, a number of AMP prediction tools have been designed and made freely available online. These AMP prediction tools show potential to discriminate AMPs from non-AMPs, but the relative quality of the predictions produced by the various tools is difficult to quantify. Results We compiled two sets of AMP and non-AMP peptides, separated into three categories-antimicrobial, antibacterial and bacteriocins. Using these benchmark data sets, we carried out a systematic evaluation of ten publicly available AMP prediction methods. Among the six general AMP prediction tools-ADAM, CAMPR3(RF), CAMPR3(SVM), MLAMP, DBAASP and MLAMP-we find that CAMPR3(RF) provides a statistically significant improvement in performance, as measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, relative to the other five methods. Surprisingly, for antibacterial prediction, the original AntiBP method significantly outperforms its successor, AntiBP2 based on one benchmark dataset. The two bacteriocin prediction tools, BAGEL3 and BACTIBASE, both provide very good performance and BAGEL3 outperforms its predecessor, BACTIBASE, on the larger of the two benchmarks. Contact gaberemu@ngha.med.sa or william-noble@uw.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musa Nur Gabere
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center/King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - William Stafford Noble
- Department of Genome Sciences, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Badshah SL, Ullah A, Ahmad N, Almarhoon ZM, Mabkhot Y. Increasing the Strength and Production of Artemisinin and Its Derivatives. Molecules 2018; 23:E100. [PMID: 29301383 PMCID: PMC6017432 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23010100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin is a natural sesquiterpene lactone obtained from the Artemisia annua herb. It is widely used for the treatment of malaria. In this article, we have reviewed the role of artemisinin in controlling malaria, spread of resistance to artemisinin and the different methods used for its large scale production. The highest amount of artemisinin gene expression in tobacco leaf chloroplast leads to the production of 0.8 mg/g of the dry weight of the plant. This will revolutionize the treatment and control of malaria in third world countries. Furthermore, the generations of novel derivatives of artemisinin- and trioxane ring structure-inspired compounds are important for the treatment of malaria caused by resistant plasmodial species. Synthetic endoperoxide-like artefenomel and its derivatives are crucial for the control of malaria and such synthetic compounds should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Lal Badshah
- Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan.
| | - Asad Ullah
- Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan.
| | - Nasir Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan.
| | - Zainab M Almarhoon
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Yahia Mabkhot
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
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Mylonakis E, Podsiadlowski L, Muhammed M, Vilcinskas A. Diversity, evolution and medical applications of insect antimicrobial peptides. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0290. [PMID: 27160593 PMCID: PMC4874388 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short proteins with antimicrobial activity. A large portion of known AMPs originate from insects, and the number and diversity of these molecules in different species varies considerably. Insect AMPs represent a potential source of alternative antibiotics to address the limitation of current antibiotics, which has been caused by the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens. To get more insight into AMPs, we investigated the diversity and evolution of insect AMPs by mapping their phylogenetic distribution, allowing us to predict the evolutionary origins of selected AMP families and to identify evolutionarily conserved and taxon-specific families. Furthermore, we highlight the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole-animal model in high-throughput screening methods to identify AMPs with efficacy against human pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumanii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. We also discuss the potential medical applications of AMPs, including their use as alternatives for conventional antibiotics in ectopic therapies, their combined use with antibiotics to restore the susceptibility of multidrug-resistant pathogens, and their use as templates for the rational design of peptidomimetic drugs that overcome the disadvantages of therapeutic peptides. The article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolutionary ecology of arthropod antimicrobial peptides’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleftherios Mylonakis
- Division of Infectious Disease, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lars Podsiadlowski
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Zooecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maged Muhammed
- Division of Infectious Disease, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
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Das D, Pal SK. Liquid Crystal Unveiled Interactions between Melittin and Phospholipids at Aqueous-Liquid Crystal Interface. ChemistrySelect 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201700604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dibyendu Das
- Department of Chemical Sciences; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISERM), Sector-81, SAS Nagar, Knowledge City; Manauli- 140306 India
| | - Santanu Kumar Pal
- Department of Chemical Sciences; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISERM), Sector-81, SAS Nagar, Knowledge City; Manauli- 140306 India
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Roussilhon C, Bang G, Bastaert F, Solhonne B, Garcia-Verdugo I, Peronet R, Druilhe P, Sakuntabhai A, Mecheri S, Sallenave JM. The antimicrobial molecule trappin-2/elafin has anti-parasitic properties and is protective in vivo in a murine model of cerebral malaria. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42243. [PMID: 28181563 PMCID: PMC5299836 DOI: 10.1038/srep42243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the WHO, and despite reduction in mortality rates, there were an estimated 438 000 malaria deaths in 2015. Therefore new antimalarials capable of limiting organ damage are still required. We show that systemic and lung adenovirus (Ad)-mediated over-expression of trappin-2 (T-2) an antibacterial molecule with anti-inflammatory activity, increased mice survival following infection with the cerebral malaria-inducing Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbANKA) strain. Systemically, T-2 reduced PbANKA sequestration in spleen, lung, liver and brain, associated with a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines (eg TNF-α in spleen and lung) and an increase in IL-10 production in the lung. Similarly, local lung instillation of Ad-T-2 resulted in a reduced organ parasite sequestration and a shift towards an anti-inflammatory/repair response, potentially implicating monocytes in the protective phenotype. Relatedly, we demonstrated in vitro that human monocytes incubated with Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (Pf-iRBCs) and IgGs from hyper-immune African human sera produced T-2 and that the latter colocalized with merozoites and inhibited Pf multiplication. This array of data argues for the first time for the potential therapeutic usefulness of this host defense peptide in human malaria patients, with the aim to limit acute lung injury and respiratory distress syndrom often observed during malaria episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Roussilhon
- Unité de génétique fonctionnelle des maladies infectieuses and CNRS Unité de recherche associée 3012; Paris, 75015, France
| | - Gilles Bang
- Unité de génétique fonctionnelle des maladies infectieuses and CNRS Unité de recherche associée 3012; Paris, 75015, France
| | - Fabien Bastaert
- Unité de Défense Innée et Inflammation, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, Paris, 75015, France
- INSERM U874, Institut Pasteur
- INSERM U1152, Faculté de Médicine site Bichat, Université Paris Diderot, Université Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 16, rue Henri Huchard, Paris, 75018, France
| | - Brigitte Solhonne
- Unité de Défense Innée et Inflammation, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, Paris, 75015, France
- INSERM U874, Institut Pasteur
- INSERM U1152, Faculté de Médicine site Bichat, Université Paris Diderot, Université Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 16, rue Henri Huchard, Paris, 75018, France
| | - Ignacio Garcia-Verdugo
- Unité de Défense Innée et Inflammation, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, Paris, 75015, France
- INSERM U874, Institut Pasteur
- INSERM U1152, Faculté de Médicine site Bichat, Université Paris Diderot, Université Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 16, rue Henri Huchard, Paris, 75018, France
| | - Roger Peronet
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte Parasites, CNRS ERL9195 and INSERM U1201, Paris F-75015, France
- CNRS ERL9195 and INSERM U1201, Paris F-75015, France
- INSERM U1201, Paris F-75015, France
| | | | - Anavaj Sakuntabhai
- Unité de génétique fonctionnelle des maladies infectieuses and CNRS Unité de recherche associée 3012; Paris, 75015, France
| | - Salaheddine Mecheri
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte Parasites, CNRS ERL9195 and INSERM U1201, Paris F-75015, France
- CNRS ERL9195 and INSERM U1201, Paris F-75015, France
- INSERM U1201, Paris F-75015, France
| | - Jean-Michel Sallenave
- Unité de Défense Innée et Inflammation, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, Paris, 75015, France
- INSERM U874, Institut Pasteur
- INSERM U1152, Faculté de Médicine site Bichat, Université Paris Diderot, Université Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 16, rue Henri Huchard, Paris, 75018, France
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Luo XM, Xie CJ, Wang D, Wei YM, Cai J, Cheng SS, Yang XY, Sui AP. Psc-AFP from Psoralea corylifolia L. overexpressed in Pichia pastoris increases antimicrobial activity and enhances disease resistance of transgenic tobacco. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101:1073-1084. [PMID: 27587300 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7768-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Psc-AFP, isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L., is an antimicrobial protein with trypsin inhibitor activity. Its encoding gene was cloned by 3'- rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) combined with Y-shaped adaptor-dependent extension (YADE) method. The gene Psc-AFP encodes a protein of 203 amino acids with a deduced signal peptide of 24 residues. The growth inhibition effect exerted by the heterologously expressed Psc-AFP in Pichia pastoris revealed that the recombinant Psc-AFP inhibited mycelium growth of Aspergillus niger, Rhizoctonia solani, and Alternaria brassicae and conidial germination of Alternaria alternata. The recombinant Psc-AFP also showed protease inhibitor activity manifested by the inhibition of trypsin. The transgenic tobacco bioassays confirmed that overexpressing Psc-AFP significantly enhanced the disease resistance of tobacco and that some of the transgenic lines were almost fully tolerant to Ralstonia solanacearum and A. alternata, whereas no apparent alteration in plant growth and development was observed. Collectively, these results indicate that the recombinant Psc-AFP is an active antimicrobial protein, with protease inhibitor activity that can be successfully produced in the yeast and tobacco and, therefore, maybe a potential antimicrobial candidate for practical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Mei Luo
- The School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
- The College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Cheng-Jian Xie
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
- The College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - De Wang
- The School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yun-Min Wei
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
- The College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Jie Cai
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
- The College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Shan-Shan Cheng
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
- The College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Xing -Yong Yang
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
- The College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - An -Ping Sui
- The School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
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Ghosh C, Chaubey S, Tatu U, Haldar J. Aryl-alkyl-lysines: small molecular membrane-active antiplasmodial agents. MEDCHEMCOMM 2016; 8:434-439. [PMID: 30108761 DOI: 10.1039/c6md00589f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Due to emerging resistance there is a steady need for new antimalarial drugs. Here, we report a new class of water soluble, non-toxic compounds, aryl-alkyl-lysines, with promising activity against the ring stage of Plasmodium falciparum. The optimal compound perturbed the plasma membrane potential and the digestive vacuole of parasites. In the murine model of malaria (Plasmodium berghei ANKA) the compound was able to increase the survival of mice by at least 5 days by an intra-peritoneal route. Further, the compounds showed no apparent toxicity to mice at the concentration tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandradhish Ghosh
- Chemical biology and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory , New Chemistry Unit , Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) , Jakkur , Bengaluru 560064 , Karnataka , India .
| | - Shweta Chaubey
- Department of Biochemistry , Indian Institute of Science , Bengaluru , India
| | - Utpal Tatu
- Department of Biochemistry , Indian Institute of Science , Bengaluru , India
| | - Jayanta Haldar
- Chemical biology and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory , New Chemistry Unit , Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) , Jakkur , Bengaluru 560064 , Karnataka , India .
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Martinez OF, Agbale CM, Nomiyama F, Franco OL. Deciphering bioactive peptides and their action mechanisms through proteomics. Expert Rev Proteomics 2016; 13:1007-1016. [PMID: 27650042 DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2016.1238305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bioactive peptides such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), ribosomally synthesized and post translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) and the non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) have emerged with promising applications in medicine, agriculture and industry. However, their development has been limited by several difficulties making it necessary to search for novel discovery methods. In this context, proteomics has been considered a reliable tool. Areas covered: This review highlights recent developments in proteomic tools that facilitate the discovery of AMPs, RiPPs and NRPs as well as the elucidation of action mechanisms of AMPs and resistance mechanisms of pathogens to them. Expert commentary: Proteomic approaches have emerged as useful tools for the study of bioactive peptides, especially mass spectrometry-based peptidomics profiling, a promising strategy for AMP discovery. Furthermore, the rapidly expanding fields of genome mining and genome sequencing techniques, as well as mass spectrometry, have revolutionized the discovery of novel RiPPs and NRPs from complex biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osmel Fleitas Martinez
- a Pos-Graduação em Patologia olecular , Universidade de Brasilia , Brasilia-DF Brazil.,b Centro de Analises Proteomicas e Bioquimicas, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Genomicas e Biotecnologia , Universidade Catolica de Brasilia , Brasília , Brazil
| | - Caleb Mawuli Agbale
- c S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Biotecnologia , Universidade Catolica Dom Bosco , Campo Grande , Brazil.,d Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences , University of Cape Coast , Cape Coast , Ghana
| | - Fernanda Nomiyama
- b Centro de Analises Proteomicas e Bioquimicas, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Genomicas e Biotecnologia , Universidade Catolica de Brasilia , Brasília , Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- a Pos-Graduação em Patologia olecular , Universidade de Brasilia , Brasilia-DF Brazil.,b Centro de Analises Proteomicas e Bioquimicas, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Genomicas e Biotecnologia , Universidade Catolica de Brasilia , Brasília , Brazil.,c S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Biotecnologia , Universidade Catolica Dom Bosco , Campo Grande , Brazil
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50
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Khurshid Z, Naseem M, Sheikh Z, Najeeb S, Shahab S, Zafar MS. Oral antimicrobial peptides: Types and role in the oral cavity. Saudi Pharm J 2016. [PMID: 27752223 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2015.02.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a wide-ranging class of host-defense molecules that act early to contest against microbial invasion and challenge. These are small cationic peptides that play an important in the development of innate immunity. In the oral cavity, the AMPs are produced by the salivary glands and the oral epithelium and serve defensive purposes. The aim of this review was to discuss the types and functions of oral AMPs and their role in combating microorganisms and infections in the oral cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohaib Khurshid
- School of Materials and Metallurgy, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Mustafa Naseem
- Department of Community Dentistry and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Ziauddin University, Pakistan
| | - Zeeshan Sheikh
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shariq Najeeb
- School of Dentistry, Al-Farabi Dental College, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sana Shahab
- Department of Dental Materials Science, Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences for Girls, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sohail Zafar
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
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