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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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2
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Romano G, Almeida M, Varela Coelho A, Cutignano A, Gonçalves LG, Hansen E, Khnykin D, Mass T, Ramšak A, Rocha MS, Silva TH, Sugni M, Ballarin L, Genevière AM. Biomaterials and Bioactive Natural Products from Marine Invertebrates: From Basic Research to Innovative Applications. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20040219. [PMID: 35447892 PMCID: PMC9027906 DOI: 10.3390/md20040219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic invertebrates are a major source of biomaterials and bioactive natural products that can find applications as pharmaceutics, nutraceutics, cosmetics, antibiotics, antifouling products and biomaterials. Symbiotic microorganisms are often the real producers of many secondary metabolites initially isolated from marine invertebrates; however, a certain number of them are actually synthesized by the macro-organisms. In this review, we analysed the literature of the years 2010–2019 on natural products (bioactive molecules and biomaterials) from the main phyla of marine invertebrates explored so far, including sponges, cnidarians, molluscs, echinoderms and ascidians, and present relevant examples of natural products of interest to public and private stakeholders. We also describe omics tools that have been more relevant in identifying and understanding mechanisms and processes underlying the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in marine invertebrates. Since there is increasing attention on finding new solutions for a sustainable large-scale supply of bioactive compounds, we propose that a possible improvement in the biodiscovery pipeline might also come from the study and utilization of aquatic invertebrate stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Romano
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
- Correspondence: (G.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Mariana Almeida
- 3B’s Research Group, I3B’s—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics of University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark—Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal; (M.A.); (M.S.R.); (T.H.S.)
- ICVS/3B´s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Varela Coelho
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.V.C.); (L.G.G.)
| | - Adele Cutignano
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
- CNR-Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Luis G Gonçalves
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.V.C.); (L.G.G.)
| | - Espen Hansen
- Marbio, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromso, Norway;
| | - Denis Khnykin
- Laboratory for Immunohistochemistry and Immunopathology (LIIPAT), Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital-Rikshospitalet, 0450 Oslo, Norway;
| | - Tali Mass
- Faculty of Natural Science, Department of Marine Biology, Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
| | - Andreja Ramšak
- National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia;
| | - Miguel S. Rocha
- 3B’s Research Group, I3B’s—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics of University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark—Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal; (M.A.); (M.S.R.); (T.H.S.)
- ICVS/3B´s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Tiago H. Silva
- 3B’s Research Group, I3B’s—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics of University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark—Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal; (M.A.); (M.S.R.); (T.H.S.)
- ICVS/3B´s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Loriano Ballarin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35100 Padova, Italy
- Correspondence: (G.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Anne-Marie Genevière
- Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 1 Avenue Pierre Fabre, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France;
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Dettleff P, Villagra M, González J, Fuentes M, Estrada JM, Valenzuela C, Molina A, Valdés JA. Effect of bacterial LPS, poly I:C and temperature on the immune response of coelomocytes in short term cultures of red sea urchin (Loxechinus albus). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 107:187-193. [PMID: 32971271 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2020.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In echinoderms, the immune system plays a relevant role in defense against infection by pathogens. Particularly, in sea urchins, the immune system has been shown to be complex, especially in terms of the variety of immune genes and molecules described. A key component of the response to external pathogens are the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are a well-characterized class of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that participate in the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Despite the fact that TLRs have been described in several sea urchin species, for the red sea urchin (Loxechinus albus), which is one of the most important sea urchins across the world in terms of fisheries, limited information on the TLR-mediated immune response exists. In the present study, for the first time, we evaluated the effect of thermal stress, LPS and poly I:C treatment on the coelomocyte immune response of Loxechinus albus to determine how these factors modulate TLR and strongylocin (antimicrobial peptides of echinoderms) responses. We show that the tlr3-like, tlr4-like, tlr6-like and tlr8-like transcripts are modulated by poly I:C, while LPS only modulates the tlr4-like response; there was no effect of temperature on TLR expression, as evaluated by RT-qPCR. Additionally, we showed that strongylocin-1 and strongylocin-2 are modulated in response to simulated viral infection with poly I:C, providing the first evidence of strongylocin expression in L. albus. Finally, we determined that temperature and LPS modify the viability of coelomocytes, while poly I:C treatment did not affect the viability of these cells. This study contributes to the knowledge of immune responses in sea urchins to improve the understanding of the role of TLRs and strongylocins in echinoderms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Dettleff
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Víctor Lamas 1290, PO Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Maximiliano Villagra
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Víctor Lamas 1290, PO Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Joaquín González
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Víctor Lamas 1290, PO Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Marcia Fuentes
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Víctor Lamas 1290, PO Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Juan Manuel Estrada
- Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Universidad Andrés Bello, Quintay, Chile
| | - Cristian Valenzuela
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Grupo de Marcadores Inmunológicos, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Alfredo Molina
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Víctor Lamas 1290, PO Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Juan Antonio Valdés
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Víctor Lamas 1290, PO Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
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Chiaramonte M, Arizza V, La Rosa S, Queiroz V, Mauro M, Vazzana M, Inguglia L. Allograft Inflammatory Factor AIF-1: early immune response in the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. ZOOLOGY 2020; 142:125815. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Inguglia L, Chiaramonte M, Di Stefano V, Schillaci D, Cammilleri G, Pantano L, Mauro M, Vazzana M, Ferrantelli V, Nicolosi R, Arizza V. Salmo salar fish waste oil: Fatty acids composition and antibacterial activity. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9299. [PMID: 32596043 PMCID: PMC7307567 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Fish by-products are generally used to produce fishmeal or fertilizers, with fish oil as a by-product. Despite their importance, fish wastes are still poorly explored and characterized and more studies are needed to reveal their potentiality. The goal of the present study was to qualitatively characterize and investigate the antimicrobial effects of the fish oil extracted from Salmo salar waste samples and to evaluate the potential use of these compounds for treating pathogen infections. METHODS Salmo salar waste samples were divided in two groups: heads and soft tissues. Fatty acids composition, and in particular the content in saturated (SAFAs), mono-unsaturated (MUFAs) and Polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids, was characterized through GC/MS Thermo Focus GC-DSQ II equipped with a ZB-5 fused silica capillary tubes column. The antimicrobial activity of the salmon waste oils was evaluated through the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration assay and the antibiotics contamination was determined by Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. All experiments were done at least in triplicate. RESULTS GC/MS analysis has shown the specific fatty acid composition of the salmon waste oils and their enrichment in MUFAs and PUFAs, with special reference to omega-3, -6, -7, -9 fatty acids. Furthermore, our study has highlighted the antimicrobial activity of the fish waste oil samples against two Gram+ and Gram- bacterial strains. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm that the fish waste is still quantitatively and qualitatively an important source of available biological properties that could be extracted and utilized representing an important strategy to counteract infective diseases in the context of the circular economy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Licia Pantano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Sicilia “A.Mirri”, Palermo, Italy, Italy
| | - Manuela Mauro
- STEBICEF, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, Italy
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Cell-Free Coelomic Fluid Extracts of the Sea Urchin Arbacia lixula Impair Mitochondrial Potential and Cell Cycle Distribution and Stimulate Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Autophagic Activity in Triple-Negative MDA-MB231 Breast Cancer Cells. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse8040261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly malignant tumor histotype which lacks effective targeted therapies, thereby being considered as the most aggressive form of breast carcinoma. To identify novel compounds which could counteract TNBC cell growth, we explored the in vitro effects of crude extracts and <10 kDa-filtered fractions of the coelomic fluid obtained from the sea urchin Arbacia lixula on TNBC MDA-MB231 cells. We examined cell viability, cycle distribution, apoptotic/autophagic activity, and mitochondrial polarization/cell redox status. Here, we report the first data demonstrating an anti-TNBC effect by A. lixula-derived coelomic fluid extracts. Thus, identification of the water-soluble bioactive component(s) contained in the extracts deserve(s) further investigation aimed to devise novel promising prevention and/or treatment agents effective against highly malignant breast tumors.
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7
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Changes in the proteome of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus coelomocytes in response to LPS injection into the body cavity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228893. [PMID: 32074628 PMCID: PMC7030939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The immune system of echinoderm sea urchins is characterised by a high degree of complexity that is not completely understood. The Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus coelomocytes mediate immune responses through phagocytosis, encapsulation of non-self particles, and production of diffusible factors including antimicrobial molecules. Details of these processes, and molecular pathways driving these mechanisms, are still to be fully elucidated. Principal findings In the present study we treated the sea urchin P. lividus with the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and collected coelomocytes at different time-points (1, 3, 6 and 24 hours). We have shown, using label-free quantitative mass spectrometry, how LPS is able to modulate the coelomocyte proteome and to effect cellular pathways, such as endocytosis and phagocytosis, as soon as the immunomodulating agent is injected. The present study has also shown that treatment can modulate various cellular processes such as cytoskeleton reorganisation, and stress and energetic homeostasis. Conclusions Our data demonstrates, through mass spectrometry and the following functional annotation bioinformatics analysis, how the bacterial wall constituent is sufficient to set off an immune response inducing cytoskeleton reorganisation, the appearance of clusters of heat shock proteins (Hsp) and histone proteins and the activation of the endocytic and phagocytic pathways. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD008439.
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8
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Zhang L, Cui W, Chen Q, Ren Q, Zhu Y, Zhang Y. Thymosin-β12 characteristics and function in Urechis unicinctus. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 239:110366. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2019.110366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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9
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Lazzara V, Arizza V, Luparello C, Mauro M, Vazzana M. Bright Spots in The Darkness of Cancer: A Review of Starfishes-Derived Compounds and Their Anti-Tumor Action. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:E617. [PMID: 31671922 PMCID: PMC6891385 DOI: 10.3390/md17110617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The fight against cancer represents a great challenge for researchers and, for this reason, the search for new promising drugs to improve cancer treatments has become inevitable. Oceans, due to their wide diversity of marine species and environmental conditions have proven to be precious sources of potential natural drugs with active properties. As an example, in this context several studies performed on sponges, tunicates, mollusks, and soft corals have brought evidence of the interesting biological activities of the molecules derived from these species. Also, echinoderms constitute an important phylum, whose members produce a huge number of compounds with diverse biological activities. In particular, this review is the first attempt to summarize the knowledge about starfishes and their secondary metabolites that exhibited a significant anticancer effect against different human tumor cell lines. For each species of starfish, the extracted molecules, their effects, and mechanisms of action are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lazzara
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Claudio Luparello
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
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10
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Chiaramonte M, Inguglia L, Vazzana M, Deidun A, Arizza V. Stress and immune response to bacterial LPS in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 92:384-394. [PMID: 31220574 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The immune system of the sea urchin species Paracentrotus lividus is highly complex and, as yet, poorly understood. P. lividus coelomocytes mediate immune response through phagocytosis and encapsulation of non-self particles, in addition to the production of antimicrobial molecules. Despite this understanding, details of exactly how these processes occur and the mechanisms which drive them are still in need of clarification. In this study, we show how the bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) is able to induce a stress response which increases the levels of the heat shock proteins HSP70 and HSP90 only a few hours after treatment. This study also shows that LPS treatment increases the expression of the β-thymosin-derivated protein paracentrin, the precursor of antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Chiaramonte
- Dept. STEBICEF, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Luigi Inguglia
- Dept. STEBICEF, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Dept. STEBICEF, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alan Deidun
- Dept. of Geosciences, University of Malta, Msida, MSD, 2080, Malta
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dept. STEBICEF, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
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Zou SS, Wang J, Li BX, Yang GW, Sun JJ, Yang HT. Thymosin participates in antimicrobial immunity in zebrafish. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 87:371-378. [PMID: 30703548 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Thymosin hormones, which were shown to be involved in immune system development and differentiation in previous studies, have antimicrobial functions in different animals. Zebrafish are a useful model for immunology research. Although thymosin has been reported to be involved in the embryonic development of zebrafish, it is necessary to uncover the antimicrobial function of thymosin in zebrafish. In this study, we expressed thymosin β (Tβ) in zebrafish in vitro and studied its antimicrobial function. The Tβ protein consists of 45 amino acids and is conserved among its family members, especially the actin-binding motif (LKKTET). Tβ was expressed in all tested tissues and was highly expressed in the brain, liver and hindgut. After Aeromonas hydrophila challenge, the Tβ transcript level increased in the skin, liver, kidney, spleen, thymus, foregut, gills and midgut. Purified recombinant thymosin β (rTβ) protein was used to study the antimicrobial mechanism. rTβ could inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Vibrio anguillarum, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. rTβ also binds to and agglutinates certain bacteria. Further study showed that rTβ could combine with the polysaccharides from gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial walls. All results suggested that the Tβ of zebrafish plays a significant role in innate antibacterial immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Song Zou
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Bao-Xia Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Gui-Wen Yang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Jie-Jie Sun
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China.
| | - Hui-Ting Yang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
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12
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Cusimano MG, Spinello A, Barone G, Schillaci D, Cascioferro S, Magistrato A, Parrino B, Arizza V, Vitale M. A Synthetic Derivative of Antimicrobial Peptide Holothuroidin 2 from Mediterranean Sea Cucumber ( Holothuria tubulosa) in the Control of Listeria monocytogenes. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17030159. [PMID: 30857142 PMCID: PMC6471310 DOI: 10.3390/md17030159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the limited number of available antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered antimicrobial candidates to fight difficult-to-treat infections such as those associated with biofilms. Marine environments are precious sources of AMPs, as shown by the recent discovery of antibiofilm properties of Holothuroidin 2 (H2), an AMP produced by the Mediterranean sea cucumber Holothuria tubulosa. In this study, we considered the properties of a new H2 derivative, named H2d, and we tested it against seven strains of the dangerous foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. This peptide was more active than H2 in inhibiting the growth of planktonic L. monocytogenes and was able to interfere with biofilm formation at sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Atomic-level molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed insights related to the enhanced inhibitory activity of H2d, showing that the peptide is characterized by a more defined tertiary structure with respect to its ancestor. This allows the peptide to better exhibit an amphipathic character, which is an essential requirement for the interaction with cell membranes, similarly to other AMPs. Altogether, these results support the potential use of our synthetic peptide, H2d, as a template for the development of novel AMP-based drugs able to fight foodborne that are resistant to conventional antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Cusimano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Angelo Spinello
- CNR-IOM-Democritos c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Domenico Schillaci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Stella Cascioferro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- CNR-IOM-Democritos c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Barbara Parrino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Maria Vitale
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi, 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
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