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Di YP, Kuhn JM, Mangoni ML. Lung antimicrobial proteins and peptides: from host defense to therapeutic strategies. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:1643-1677. [PMID: 39052018 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00039.2023] [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: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Representing severe morbidity and mortality globally, respiratory infections associated with chronic respiratory diseases, including complicated pneumonia, asthma, interstitial lung disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are a major public health concern. Lung health and the prevention of pulmonary disease rely on the mechanisms of airway surface fluid secretion, mucociliary clearance, and adequate immune response to eradicate inhaled pathogens and particulate matter from the environment. The antimicrobial proteins and peptides contribute to maintaining an antimicrobial milieu in human lungs to eliminate pathogens and prevent them from causing pulmonary diseases. The predominant antimicrobial molecules of the lung environment include human α- and β-defensins and cathelicidins, among numerous other host defense molecules with antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity such as PLUNC (palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone) family proteins, elafin, collectins, lactoferrin, lysozymes, mucins, secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor, surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-D, and RNases. It has been demonstrated that changes in antimicrobial molecule expression levels are associated with regulating inflammation, potentiating exacerbations, pathological changes, and modifications in chronic lung disease severity. Antimicrobial molecules also display roles in both anticancer and tumorigenic effects. Lung antimicrobial proteins and peptides are promising alternative therapeutics for treating and preventing multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanpu Peter Di
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Jenna Marie Kuhn
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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2
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Chiramba C, Möller DS, Lorenz CD, Chirombo RR, Mason AJ, Bester MJ, Gaspar ARM. Tryptophan End-Tagging Confers Antifungal Activity on a Tick-Derived Peptide by Triggering Reactive Oxygen Species Production. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:15556-15572. [PMID: 38585074 PMCID: PMC10993377 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
WHO has identified several Candida species including Candida albicans as critical priority fungal pathogens due to greater infection prevalence and formation of recalcitrant biofilms. Novel antifungal agents are urgently needed, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are being considered as potential alternatives, but inactivity in physiological salt environments, serum, and plasma often limits further therapeutic development. Tryptophan end-tagging is a strategy to overcome these limitations and is thought to selectively enhance membrane permeabilization in both fungal and bacterial plasma membranes. Here, we show that C-terminal tryptophan end-tagging of the tick-derived peptide Os-C transforms an inactive peptide into Os-C(W5), an antifungal peptide capable of preventing the formation of C. albicans biofilms. Mechanistic insight is provided by circular dichroism spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, which demonstrate that tryptophan end-tagging alters the secondary structure of Os-C, while the latter reveals that end-tagging reduces interactions with, and insertion into, a model C. albicans membrane but promotes peptide aggregation on its surface. Interestingly, this leads to the induction of reactive oxygen species production rather than membrane permeabilization, and consequently, oxidative stress leads to cell wall damage. Os-C(W5) does not induce the hemolysis of human erythrocytes. Reduced cell adhesion and viability contribute to decreased biofilm extracellular matrix formation which, although reduced, is retained in the serum-containing medium. In this study, tryptophan end-tagging was identified as a promising strategy for enhancing the antifungal activity, including the biofilm inhibitory activity of Os-C against C. albicans in physiological salt environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Court
K. Chiramba
- Department
of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Dalton S. Möller
- Department
of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | | | - Rumbidzai R. Chirombo
- Department
of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - A. James Mason
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, U.K.
| | - Megan J. Bester
- Department
of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Anabella R. M. Gaspar
- Department
of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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3
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Efremenko E, Aslanli A, Stepanov N, Senko O, Maslova O. Various Biomimetics, Including Peptides as Antifungals. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:513. [PMID: 37999154 PMCID: PMC10669293 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8070513] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomimetics, which are similar to natural compounds that play an important role in the metabolism, manifestation of functional activity and reproduction of various fungi, have a pronounced attraction in the current search for new effective antifungals. Actual trends in the development of this area of research indicate that unnatural amino acids can be used as such biomimetics, including those containing halogen atoms; compounds similar to nitrogenous bases embedded in the nucleic acids synthesized by fungi; peptides imitating fungal analogs; molecules similar to natural substrates of numerous fungal enzymes and quorum-sensing signaling molecules of fungi and yeast, etc. Most parts of this review are devoted to the analysis of semi-synthetic and synthetic antifungal peptides and their targets of action. This review is aimed at combining and systematizing the current scientific information accumulating in this area of research, developing various antifungals with an assessment of the effectiveness of the created biomimetics and the possibility of combining them with other antimicrobial substances to reduce cell resistance and improve antifungal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Efremenko
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Lenin Hills 1/3, Moscow 119991, Russia
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Temporins: Multifunctional Peptides from Frog Skin. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065426. [PMID: 36982501 PMCID: PMC10049141 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporins are short peptides secreted by frogs from all over the world. They exert antimicrobial activity, mainly against Gram-positive bacteria, including resistant pathogens; recent studies highlight other possible applications of these peptides as anticancer or antiviral agents. This review is meant to describe the main features of temporins produced by different ranid genera. Due to the abundance of published papers, we focus on the most widely investigated peptides. We report studies on their mechanism of action and three-dimensional structure in model systems mimicking bacterial membranes or in the presence of cells. The design and the antimicrobial activity of peptide analogues is also described, with the aim of highlighting elements that are crucial to improve the bioactivity of peptides while reducing their toxicity. Finally, a short section is dedicated to the studies aimed at applying these peptides as drugs, to produce new antimicrobial materials or in other technological uses.
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Rivera-Yañez CR, Ruiz-Hurtado PA, Reyes-Reali J, Mendoza-Ramos MI, Vargas-Díaz ME, Hernández-Sánchez KM, Pozo-Molina G, Méndez-Catalá CF, García-Romo GS, Pedroza-González A, Méndez-Cruz AR, Nieto-Yañez O, Rivera-Yañez N. Antifungal Activity of Mexican Propolis on Clinical Isolates of Candida Species. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175651. [PMID: 36080417 PMCID: PMC9457601 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by micro-organisms of the genus Candida are becoming a growing health problem worldwide. These fungi are opportunistic commensals that can produce infections—clinically known as candidiasis—in immunocompromised individuals. The indiscriminate use of different anti-fungal treatments has triggered the resistance of Candida species to currently used therapies. In this sense, propolis has been shown to have potent antimicrobial properties and thus can be used as an approach for the inhibition of Candida species. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate the anti-Candida effects of a propolis extract obtained from the north of Mexico on clinical isolates of Candida species. Candida species were specifically identified from oral lesions, and both the qualitative and quantitative anti-Candida effects of the Mexican propolis were evaluated, as well as its inhibitory effect on C. albicans isolate’s germ tube growth and chemical composition. Three Candida species were identified, and our results indicated that the inhibition halos of the propolis ranged from 7.6 to 21.43 mm, while that of the MFC and FC50 ranged from 0.312 to 1.25 and 0.014 to 0.244 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the propolis was found to inhibit germ tube formation (IC50 ranging from 0.030 to 1.291 mg/mL). Chemical composition analysis indicated the presence of flavonoids, including pinocembrin, baicalein, pinobanksin chalcone, rhamnetin, and biochanin A, in the Mexican propolis extract. In summary, our work shows that Mexican propolis presents significant anti-Candida effects related to its chemical composition, and also inhibits germ tube growth. Other Candida species virulence factors should be investigated in future research in order to determine the mechanisms associated with antifungal effects against them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rebeca Rivera-Yañez
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Unidad de Morfofisiología y Función, Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Porfirio Alonso Ruiz-Hurtado
- Laboratorio de Toxicología de Productos Naturales, Departamento de Farmacia, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Av. Wilfrido Massieu, Gustavo A. Madero 07738, Mexico
| | - Julia Reyes-Reali
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Unidad de Morfofisiología y Función, Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - María Isabel Mendoza-Ramos
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Unidad de Morfofisiología y Función, Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - María Elena Vargas-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Prol. de Carpio y Plan de Ayala, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico
| | - Karla Mariela Hernández-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Prol. de Carpio y Plan de Ayala, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico
| | - Glustein Pozo-Molina
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Genética y Oncología Molecular, Laboratorio 5, Edificio A4, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Claudia Fabiola Méndez-Catalá
- Laboratorio de Genética y Oncología Molecular, Laboratorio 5, Edificio A4, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- División de Investigación y Posgrado, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Gina Stella García-Romo
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Unidad de Morfofisiología y Función, Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Alexander Pedroza-González
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Unidad de Morfofisiología y Función, Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Adolfo René Méndez-Cruz
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Unidad de Morfofisiología y Función, Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Oscar Nieto-Yañez
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Correspondence: (O.N.-Y.); (N.R.-Y.); Tel.: +52-5522-476-721 (N.R.-Y.)
| | - Nelly Rivera-Yañez
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- División de Investigación y Posgrado, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
- Correspondence: (O.N.-Y.); (N.R.-Y.); Tel.: +52-5522-476-721 (N.R.-Y.)
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Fioriti S, Cirioni O, Simonetti O, Franca L, Candelaresi B, Pallotta F, Neubauer D, Kamysz E, Kamysz W, Canovari B, Brescini L, Morroni G, Barchiesi F. In Vitro Activity of Novel Lipopeptides against Triazole-Resistant Aspergillus fumigatus. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080872. [PMID: 36012859 PMCID: PMC9409728 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillosis, which is mainly sustained by Aspergillus fumigatus, includes a broad spectrum of diseases. They are usually severe in patients with co-morbidities. The first-line therapy includes triazoles, for which an increasing incidence of drug resistance has been lately described. As a consequence of this, the need for new and alternative antifungal molecules is absolutely necessary. As peptides represent promising antimicrobial molecules, two lipopeptides (C14-NleRR-NH2, C14-WRR-NH2) were tested to assess the antifungal activity against azole-resistant A. fumigatus. Antifungal activity was evaluated by determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), time–kill curves, XTT assay, optical microscopy, and checkerboard combination with isavuconazole. Both lipopeptides showed antifungal activity, with MICs ranging from 8 mg/L to 16 mg/L, and a dose-dependent effect was confirmed by both time–kill curves and XTT assays. Microscopy showed that hyphae growth was hampered at concentrations equal to or higher than MICs. The rising antifungal resistance highlights the usefulness of novel compounds to treat severe fungal infections. Although further studies assessing the activity of lipopeptides are necessary, these molecules could be effective antifungal alternatives that overcome the current resistances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Fioriti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Oscar Cirioni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Infectious Disease Clinic, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria “Ospedali Riuniti”, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Oriana Simonetti
- Dermatological Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Lucia Franca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, 61122 Pesaro, Italy
| | - Bianca Candelaresi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Infectious Disease Clinic, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria “Ospedali Riuniti”, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Francesco Pallotta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Infectious Disease Clinic, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria “Ospedali Riuniti”, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Damian Neubauer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Kamysz
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biological Macromolecules, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Benedetta Canovari
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, 61122 Pesaro, Italy
| | - Lucia Brescini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Infectious Disease Clinic, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria “Ospedali Riuniti”, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Gianluca Morroni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0712206298; Fax: +39-0712206297
| | - Francesco Barchiesi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, 61122 Pesaro, Italy
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