|
1
|
Liu X, Shi D, Cheng S, Chen X, Ma C, Jiang Y, Wang T, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L, Zhou M. Modification and Synergistic Studies of a Novel Frog Antimicrobial Peptide against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:574. [PMID: 39061256 PMCID: PMC11274128 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13070574] [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: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The overuse of traditional antibiotics has resulted in bacterial resistance and seriously compromised the therapeutic efficacy of traditional antibiotics, making the exploration of new antimicrobials particularly important. Several studies have shown that bioactive peptides have become an important source of new antimicrobial drugs due to their broad-spectrum antibacterial action and lack of susceptibility to resistance. In this study, a novel bioactive peptide Nigrosin-6VL was characterised from the skin secretion of the golden cross band frog, Odorrana andersonii, by using the 'shotgun' cloning strategy. Modifications on the Rana Box of Nigrosin-6VL revealed its critical role in antimicrobial functions. The peptide analogue, 2170-2R, designed to preserve the Rana Box structure while enhancing cationicity, exhibited improved therapeutic efficacy, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria, with a therapeutic value of 45.27. Synergistic studies demonstrated that 2170-2R inherits the synergistic antimicrobial activities of the parent peptides and effectively enhances the antimicrobial capacity of cefepime and gentamicin against both planktonic cells and biofilms. Specifically, 2170-2R can synergise effectively with cefepime and gentamicin against different strains of P. aeruginosa biofilms. Consequently, 2170-2R holds promise as a potent antimicrobial agent developed to combat infections induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinze Liu
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Daning Shi
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Shiya Cheng
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Yangyang Jiang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Tao Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Yao A, Liu T, Cai Y, Zhou S, Chen X, Zhou M, Ma C, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L. Progressive Design of a Ranatuerin-2 Peptide from Amolops wuyiensis: Enhancement of Bioactivity and In Vivo Efficacy. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 13:5. [PMID: 38275314 PMCID: PMC10812557 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010005] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert multiple functions are considered promising candidates to combat the bacterial drug resistance crisis. Nowadays, targeted peptide modification has been widely recognised to improve biological activity and make up for deficiencies in clinical applications such as toxicity. In this study, a helix-loop peptide was isolated and identified from the skin secretion of the Wuyi torrent frog Amolops wuyiensis, namely, ranatuerin-2-AW (R2AW) (GFMDTAKNVAKNVAATLLDKLKCKITGGC). Target modifications were made to R2AW to study the structure-activity relationships and to optimise its bioactivities. Five analogues were progressively designed via residue substitution and truncation and the antibacterial and anticancer activities were evaluated. We found that the serine-substitution and cyclic-domain-deletion products showed similar antibacterial activity to the natural peptide R2AW, implying that the disulphide bridge and Rana box were dispensable for the antibacterial activity of ranatuerin-2 peptides. Notably, the cationicity- and hydrophobicity-enhanced variant, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2, exhibited significantly optimised antibacterial and anticancer activities. Additionally, it killed bacteria by membrane disruption at a highly efficient rate. Moreover, [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 exerted potential in vivo efficacy in a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected waxworm model. Overall, this study demonstrated some rational design ideas for optimising the dual antibacterial and anticancer activities of ranatuerin-2 peptides and it proposes [Lys4,19, Leu20]R2AW(1-22)-NH2 as an appealing candidate for therapeutic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aifang Yao
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Tianxing Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Yuhai Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Siqi Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (T.L.); (Y.C.); (S.Z.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
|
3
|
Yao A, Ma Y, Sun R, Zou W, Chen X, Zhou M, Ma C, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L. A Designed Analog of an Antimicrobial Peptide, Crabrolin, Exhibits Enhanced Anti-Proliferative and In Vivo Antimicrobial Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14472. [PMID: 37833918 PMCID: PMC10572522 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides have gradually attracted interest as promising alternatives to conventional agents to control the worldwide health threats posed by antibiotic resistance and cancer. Crabrolin is a tridecapeptide extracted from the venom of the European hornet (Vespa crabro). Its antibacterial and anticancer potentials have been underrated compared to other peptides discovered from natural resources. Herein, a series of analogs were designed based on the template sequence of crabrolin to study its structure-activity relationship and enhance the drug's potential by changing the number, type, and distribution of charged residues. The cationicity-enhanced derivatives were shown to have improved antibacterial and anticancer activities with a lower toxicity. Notably, the double-arginine-modified product, crabrolin-TR, possessed a potent capacity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 4 μM), which was around thirty times stronger than the parent peptide (MIC = 128 μM). Furthermore, crabrolin-TR showed an in vivo treatment efficacy in a Klebsiella-pneumoniae-infected waxworm model and was non-toxic under its maximum MBC value (MIC = 8 μM), indicating its therapeutic potency and better selectivity. Overall, we rationally designed functional peptides by progressively increasing the number and distribution of charged residues, demonstrating new insights for developing therapeutic molecules from natural resources with enhanced properties, and proposed crabrolin-TR as an appealing antibacterial and anticancer agent candidate for development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aifang Yao
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Yingxue Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Ruize Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Wanchen Zou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.M.); (R.S.); (X.C.); (M.Z.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
|
4
|
Chen Q, Wu J, Li X, Ye Z, Yang H, Mu L. Amphibian-Derived Natural Anticancer Peptides and Proteins: Mechanism of Action, Application Strategies, and Prospects. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13985. [PMID: 37762285 PMCID: PMC10530844 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813985] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the major diseases that seriously threaten human life. Traditional anticancer therapies have achieved remarkable efficacy but have also some unavoidable side effects. Therefore, more and more research focuses on highly effective and less-toxic anticancer substances of natural origin. Amphibian skin is rich in active substances such as biogenic amines, alkaloids, alcohols, esters, peptides, and proteins, which play a role in various aspects such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anticancer functions, and are one of the critical sources of anticancer substances. Currently, a range of natural anticancer substances are known from various amphibians. This paper aims to review the physicochemical properties, anticancer mechanisms, and potential applications of these peptides and proteins to advance the identification and therapeutic use of natural anticancer agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hailong Yang
- Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Lixian Mu
- Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
| |
Collapse
|
|
5
|
Lin Y, Jiang Y, Zhao Z, Lu Y, Xi X, Ma C, Chen X, Zhou M, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L. Discovery of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide, Temporin-PKE, from the Skin Secretion of Pelophylax kl. esculentus, and Evaluation of Its Structure-Activity Relationships. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12060759. [PMID: 35740884 PMCID: PMC9221509 DOI: 10.3390/biom12060759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance against antibiotics has led to increasing numbers of treatment failures, and AMPs are widely accepted as becoming potential alternatives due to their advantages. Temporin-PKE is a novel peptide extracted from the skin secretion of Pelophylax kl. esculentus and it displays a strong activity against Gram-positive bacteria, with an extreme cytotoxicity. Incorporating positively charged residues and introducing D-amino acids were the two main strategies adopted for the modifications. The transformation of the chirality of Ile could reduce haemolytic activity, and an analogue with appropriate D-isoforms could maintain antimicrobial activity and stability. The substitution of hydrophobic residues could bring about more potent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. The analogues with Lys were less harmful to the normal cells and their stabilities remained at similarly high levels compared to temporin-PKE. The optimal number of charges was three, and the replacement on the polar face was a better choice. Temporin-PKE-3K exerted dually efficient functions includingstrong antimicrobial and anticancer activity. This analogue showed a reduced possibility for inducing resistance in MRSA and Klebsiella pneumoniae, a rather strong antimicrobial activity in vivo, and it exhibited the highest therapeutic index such that temporin-PKE-3K has the potential to be developed as a clinical drug.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaxian Lin
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Yangyang Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Ziwei Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yueyang Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Xinping Xi
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
- Correspondence: (X.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (Z.Z.); (Y.L.); (X.X.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (T.C.); (C.S.)
- Correspondence: (X.C.); (L.W.)
| |
Collapse
|