1
|
An Y, Guo X, Yan T, Jia Y, Jiao R, Cai X, Deng B, Bao G, Li Y, Yang W, Wang R, Sun W, Xie J. Enhancing the stability and therapeutic potential of the antimicrobial peptide Feleucin-K3 against Multidrug-Resistant a. Baumannii through rational utilization of a D-amino acid substitution strategy. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 225:116269. [PMID: 38723723 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116269] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which have a low probability of developing resistance, are considered the most promising antimicrobial agents for combating antibiotic resistance. Feleucin-K3 is an amphiphilic cationic AMP that exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In our previous research, the first phenylalanine residue was identified as the critical position affecting its biological activity. Here, a series of Feleucin-K3 analogs containing hydrophobic D-amino acids were developed, leveraging the low sensitivity of proteases to unnatural amino acids and the regulatory effect of hydrophobicity on antimicrobial activity. Among them, K-1dF, which replaced the phenylalanine of Feleucin-K3 with its enantiomer (D-phenylalanine), exhibited potent antimicrobial activity with a therapeutic index of 46.97 and MICs between 4 to 8 μg/ml against both sensitive and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. The introduction of D-phenylalanine increased the salt tolerance and serum stability of Feleucin-K3. Moreover, K-1dF displayed a rapid bactericidal effect, a low propensity to develop resistance, and a synergistic effect when combined with antibiotics. More importantly, it exhibited considerable or superior efficacy to imipenem against pneumonia and skin abscess infection. In brief, the K-1dF obtained by simple and effective modification strategy has emerged as a promising candidate antimicrobial agent for tackling multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingying An
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaomin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tiantian Yan
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yue Jia
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ruoyan Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xinyu Cai
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Bochuan Deng
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guangjun Bao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yiping Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenle Yang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Wangsheng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Junqiu Xie
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen J, Yu CG, Zhou MM, Zhang GJ, Su HL, Ding GH, Wei L, Lin ZH, Ma L. An esculentin-1 homolog from a dark-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) possesses antibacterial and immunoregulatory properties. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:164. [PMID: 38678277 PMCID: PMC11055230 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04013-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Esculentin-1, initially discovered in the skin secretions of pool frogs (Pelophylax lessonae), has demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity; however, its immunomodulatory properties have received little attention. RESULTS In the present study, esculentin-1 cDNA was identified by analysing the skin transcriptome of the dark-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus). Esculentin-1 from this species (esculentin-1PN) encompasses a signal peptide, an acidic spacer peptide, and a mature peptide. Sequence alignments with other amphibian esculentins-1 demonstrated conservation of the peptide, and phylogenetic tree analysis revealed its closest genetic affinity to esculentin-1P, derived from the Fukien gold-striped pond frog (Pelophylax fukienensis). Esculentin-1PN transcripts were observed in various tissues, with the skin exhibiting the highest mRNA levels. Synthetic esculentin-1PN demonstrated antibacterial activity against various pathogens, and esculentin-1PN exhibited bactericidal activity by disrupting cell membrane integrity and hydrolyzing genomic DNA. Esculentin-1PN did not stimulate chemotaxis in RAW264.7, a murine leukemic monocyte/macrophage cell line. However, it amplified the respiratory burst and augmented the pro-inflammatory cytokine gene (TNF-α and IL-1β) expression in RAW264.7 cells. CONCLUSIONS This novel finding highlights the immunomodulatory activity of esculentin-1PN on immune cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Ci-Gang Yu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Min-Min Zhou
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Gao-Jian Zhang
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Hai-Long Su
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Guo-Hua Ding
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Li Wei
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Lin
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Li Ma
- College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Scotti R, Casciaro B, Stringaro A, Maggi F, Colone M, Gabbianelli R. Fighting Microbial Infections from Escherichia coli O157:H7: The Combined Use of Three Essential Oils of the Cymbopogon Genus and a Derivative of Esculentin-1a Peptide. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:86. [PMID: 38247645 PMCID: PMC10812396 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The absence of effective therapy against Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections has led to the need to develop new antimicrobial agents. As the use of synergistic combinations of natural antimicrobial compounds is growing as a new weapon in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria, here, we have tested new synergistic combinations of natural agents. Notably, we investigated a possible synergistic effect of combinations of essential oils and natural peptides to counteract the formation of biofilm. We chose three essential oils (i.e., Cymbopogon citratus, C. flexuosus and C. martinii) and one peptide already studied in our previous works. We determined the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) by analyzing the combination of the peptide derived from esculentin-1a, Esc(1-21), with the three essential oils. We also studied the effects of combinations by time-kill curves, scanning electron microscopy on biofilm and Sytox Green on cell membrane permeability. Finally, we analyzed the expression of different genes implicated in motility, biofilm formation and stress responses. The results showed a different pattern of gene expression in bacteria treated with the mixtures compared to those treated with the peptide or the single C. citratus essential oil. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the three essential oils used in combination with the peptide showed synergy against the E. coli O157:H7, proving attractive as an alternative strategy against E. coli pathogen infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Scotti
- Biological Service, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Annarita Stringaro
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy; (A.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Filippo Maggi
- Chemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP) Research Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Marisa Colone
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy; (A.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Roberta Gabbianelli
- Biological Service, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| |
Collapse
|