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Guryanova SV, Balandin SV, Belogurova-Ovchinnikova OY, Ovchinnikova TV. Marine Invertebrate Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Potential as Novel Peptide Antibiotics. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:503. [PMID: 37888438 PMCID: PMC10608444 DOI: 10.3390/md21100503] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine invertebrates constantly interact with a wide range of microorganisms in their aquatic environment and possess an effective defense system that has enabled their existence for millions of years. Their lack of acquired immunity sets marine invertebrates apart from other marine animals. Invertebrates could rely on their innate immunity, providing the first line of defense, survival, and thriving. The innate immune system of marine invertebrates includes various biologically active compounds, and specifically, antimicrobial peptides. Nowadays, there is a revive of interest in these peptides due to the urgent need to discover novel drugs against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, a pressing global concern in modern healthcare. Modern technologies offer extensive possibilities for the development of innovative drugs based on these compounds, which can act against bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. This review focuses on structural peculiarities, biological functions, gene expression, biosynthesis, mechanisms of antimicrobial action, regulatory activities, and prospects for the therapeutic use of antimicrobial peptides derived from marine invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana V. Guryanova
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.V.G.); (S.V.B.)
- Medical Institute, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, 117198 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey V. Balandin
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.V.G.); (S.V.B.)
| | | | - Tatiana V. Ovchinnikova
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.V.G.); (S.V.B.)
- Phystech School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia;
- Department of Biotechnology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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Gualandi N, Fracarossi D, Riommi D, Sollitto M, Greco S, Mardirossian M, Pacor S, Hori T, Pallavicini A, Gerdol M. Unveiling the Impact of Gene Presence/Absence Variation in Driving Inter-Individual Sequence Diversity within the CRP-I Gene Family in Mytilus spp. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14040787. [PMID: 37107545 PMCID: PMC10138031 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mussels (Mytilus spp.) tolerate infections much better than other species living in the same marine coastal environment thanks to a highly efficient innate immune system, which exploits a remarkable diversification of effector molecules involved in mucosal and humoral responses. Among these, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are subjected to massive gene presence/absence variation (PAV), endowing each individual with a potentially unique repertoire of defense molecules. The unavailability of a chromosome-scale assembly has so far prevented a comprehensive evaluation of the genomic arrangement of AMP-encoding loci, preventing an accurate ascertainment of the orthology/paralogy relationships among sequence variants. Here, we characterized the CRP-I gene cluster in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis, which includes about 50 paralogous genes and pseudogenes, mostly packed in a small genomic region within chromosome 5. We further reported the occurrence of widespread PAV within this family in the Mytilus species complex and provided evidence that CRP-I peptides likely adopt a knottin fold. We functionally characterized the synthetic peptide sCRP-I H1, assessing the presence of biological activities consistent with other knottins, revealing that mussel CRP-I peptides are unlikely to act as antimicrobial agents or protease inhibitors, even though they may be used as defense molecules against infections from eukaryotic parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Gualandi
- Area of Neuroscience, International School for Advanced Studies, 34136 Trieste, Italy;
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Davide Fracarossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Damiano Riommi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Marco Sollitto
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
| | - Samuele Greco
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Mario Mardirossian
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Sabrina Pacor
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Tiago Hori
- Atlantic Aqua Farms Ltd., Vernon Bridge, PE C0A 2E0, Canada;
| | - Alberto Pallavicini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
- Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
- Correspondence:
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Watson A, Agius J, Ackerly D, Beddoe T, Helbig K. The Role of Anti-Viral Effector Molecules in Mollusc Hemolymph. Biomolecules 2022; 12:345. [PMID: 35327536 PMCID: PMC8945852 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Molluscs are major contributors to the international and Australian aquaculture industries, however, their immune systems remain poorly understood due to limited access to draft genomes and evidence of divergences from model organisms. As invertebrates, molluscs lack adaptive immune systems or 'memory', and rely solely on innate immunity for antimicrobial defence. Hemolymph, the circulatory fluid of invertebrates, contains hemocytes which secrete effector molecules with immune regulatory functions. Interactions between mollusc effector molecules and bacterial and fungal pathogens have been well documented, however, there is limited knowledge of their roles against viruses, which cause high mortality and significant production losses in these species. Of the major effector molecules, only the direct acting protein dicer-2 and the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hemocyanin and myticin-C have shown antiviral activity. A better understanding of these effector molecules may allow for the manipulation of mollusc proteomes to enhance antiviral and overall antimicrobial defence to prevent future outbreaks and minimize economic outbreaks. Moreover, effector molecule research may yield the description and production of novel antimicrobial treatments for a broad host range of animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus Watson
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (A.W.); (J.A.)
| | - Jacinta Agius
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (A.W.); (J.A.)
| | - Danielle Ackerly
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia;
| | - Travis Beddoe
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia;
| | - Karla Helbig
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (A.W.); (J.A.)
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Hernández-Aristizábal I, Ocampo-Ibáñez ID. Antimicrobial Peptides with Antibacterial Activity against Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains: Classification, Structures, and Mechanisms of Action. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7927. [PMID: 34360692 PMCID: PMC8347216 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotics is of great concern in modern medicine because it renders ineffectiveness of the current empirical antibiotic therapies. Infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) and vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strains represent a serious threat to global health due to their considerable morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, there is an urgent need of research and development of new antimicrobial alternatives against these bacteria. In this context, the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is considered a promising alternative therapeutic strategy to control resistant strains. Therefore, a wide number of natural, artificial, and synthetic AMPs have been evaluated against VRSA and VISA strains, with great potential for clinical application. In this regard, we aimed to present a comprehensive and systematic review of research findings on AMPs that have shown antibacterial activity against vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-intermediate resistant strains and clinical isolates of S. aureus, discussing their classification and origin, physicochemical and structural characteristics, and possible action mechanisms. This is the first review that includes all peptides that have shown antibacterial activity against VRSA and VISA strains exclusively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Iván Darío Ocampo-Ibáñez
- Research Group of Microbiology, Industry and Environment, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Cali 760035, Colombia;
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Comparative Genomics Reveals 13 Different Isoforms of Mytimycins (A-M) in Mytilus galloprovincialis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22063235. [PMID: 33810127 PMCID: PMC8004829 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mytimycins are cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides that show antifungal properties. These peptides are part of the immune network that constitutes the defense system of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The immune system of mussels has been increasingly studied in the last decade due to its great efficiency, since these molluscs, particularly resistant to adverse conditions and pathogens, are present all over the world, being considered as an invasive species. The recent sequencing of the mussel genome has greatly simplified the genetic study of some of its immune genes. In the present work, we describe a total of 106 different mytimycin variants in 16 individual mussel genomes. The 13 highly supported mytimycin clusters (A–M) identified with phylogenetic inference were found to be subject to the presence/absence variation, a widespread phenomenon in mussels. We also identified a block of conserved residues evolving under purifying selection, which may indicate the “functional core” of the mature peptide, and a conserved set of 10 invariable plus 6 accessory cysteines which constitute a plastic disulfide array. Finally, we extended the taxonomic range of distribution of mytimycins among Mytilida, identifying novel sequences in M. coruscus, M. californianus, P. viridis, L. fortunei, M. philippinarum, M. modiolus, and P. purpuratus.
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Comparative Genomics Reveals a Significant Sequence Variability of Myticin Genes in Mytilus galloprovincialis. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10060943. [PMID: 32580501 PMCID: PMC7356231 DOI: 10.3390/biom10060943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Myticins are cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides highly expressed in hemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Along with other antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), myticins are potent effectors in the mussel immune response to pathogenic infections. As intertidal filter-feeders, mussels are constantly exposed to mutable environmental conditions, as well as to the presence of many pathogens, and myticins may be key players in the great ability of these organisms to withstand these conditions. These AMPs are known to be characterized by a remarkable sequence diversity, which was further explored in this work, thanks to the analysis of the recently released genome sequencing data from 16 specimens. Altogether, we collected 120 different sequence variants, evidencing the important impact of presence/absence variation and positive selection in shaping the repertoire of myticin genes of each individual. From a functional point of view, both the isoelectric point (pI) and the predicted charge of the mature peptide show unusually low values compared with other cysteine-rich AMPs, reinforcing previous observations that myticins may have accessory functions not directly linked with microbe killing. Finally, we report the presence of highly conserved regulatory elements in the promoter region of myticin genes, which might explain their strong hemocyte-specific expression.
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