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Mihailescu M, Sorci M, Seckute J, Silin VI, Hammer J, Perrin BS, Hernandez JI, Smajic N, Shrestha A, Bogardus KA, Greenwood AI, Fu R, Blazyk J, Pastor RW, Nicholson LK, Belfort G, Cotten ML. Structure and Function in Antimicrobial Piscidins: Histidine Position, Directionality of Membrane Insertion, and pH-Dependent Permeabilization. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:9837-9853. [PMID: 31144503 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Piscidins are histidine-enriched antimicrobial peptides that interact with lipid bilayers as amphipathic α-helices. Their activity at acidic and basic pH in vivo makes them promising templates for biomedical applications. This study focuses on p1 and p3, both 22-residue-long piscidins with 68% sequence identity. They share three histidines (H3, H4, and H11), but p1, which is significantly more permeabilizing, has a fourth histidine (H17). This study investigates how variations in amphipathic character associated with histidines affect the permeabilization properties of p1 and p3. First, we show that the permeabilization ability of p3, but not p1, is strongly inhibited at pH 6.0 when the conserved histidines are partially charged and H17 is predominantly neutral. Second, our neutron diffraction measurements performed at low water content and neutral pH indicate that the average conformation of p1 is highly tilted, with its C-terminus extending into the opposite leaflet. In contrast, p3 is surface bound with its N-terminal end tilted toward the bilayer interior. The deeper membrane insertion of p1 correlates with its behavior at full hydration: an enhanced ability to tilt, bury its histidines and C-terminus, induce membrane thinning and defects, and alter membrane conductance and viscoelastic properties. Furthermore, its pH-resiliency relates to the neutral state favored by H17. Overall, these results provide mechanistic insights into how differences in the histidine content and amphipathicity of peptides can elicit different directionality of membrane insertion and pH-dependent permeabilization. This work features complementary methods, including dye leakage assays, NMR-monitored titrations, X-ray and neutron diffraction, oriented CD, molecular dynamics, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Mihailescu
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , University of Maryland , Rockville , Maryland 20850 , United States
| | - Mirco Sorci
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy , New York 12180 , United States
| | - Jolita Seckute
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
| | - Vitalii I Silin
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , University of Maryland , Rockville , Maryland 20850 , United States
| | - Janet Hammer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences , Ohio University , Athens , Ohio 45701 , United States
| | - B Scott Perrin
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
| | - Jorge I Hernandez
- Department of Bioengineering , Clemson University , Clemson , South Carolina 29634 , United States
| | - Nedzada Smajic
- Department of Chemistry , Hamilton College , Clinton , New York 13323 , United States
| | - Akritee Shrestha
- Department of Chemistry , Hamilton College , Clinton , New York 13323 , United States
| | - Kimberly A Bogardus
- Department of Chemistry , Hamilton College , Clinton , New York 13323 , United States
| | - Alexander I Greenwood
- Department of Applied Science , College of William and Mary , Williamsburg , Virginia 23185 , United States
| | - Riqiang Fu
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory , Tallahassee , Florida 32310 , United States
| | - Jack Blazyk
- Department of Biomedical Sciences , Ohio University , Athens , Ohio 45701 , United States
| | - Richard W Pastor
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
| | - Linda K Nicholson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
| | - Georges Belfort
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy , New York 12180 , United States
| | - Myriam L Cotten
- Department of Applied Science , College of William and Mary , Williamsburg , Virginia 23185 , United States
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Abstract
Histiocytic medullary reticulosis (HMR) was originally defined as a neoplastic disorder. Some cases reported as HMR have been characterized by a systemic proliferation of mature histiocytes showing hemophagocytosis, bone marrow necrosis, pancytopenia, hepatitis, and coagulopathy. Clinically, these patients have fever and constitutional symptoms and often have hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy. Although there is a high mortality rate, this process appears to be reactive and has been associated with active viral infection. Similar cases have been briefly described that were associated with other agents or disease processes, but concomitant viral infections were not excluded. Three characteristic examples of this hemophagocytic syndrome that were associated with bacterial sepsis are described. Active infection by those viruses that have previously been associated with the syndrome was excluded. It appears that the hemophagocytic syndrome may be associated with various types of active disseminated infections.
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