Gene Expression Profiling: Identification of Novel Pathways and Potential Biomarkers in Severe Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Determining the risk of developing severe acute pancreatitis (AP) on presentation to hospital is difficult but vital to enable early management decisions that reduce morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine global gene expression profiles of patients with different acute pancreatitis severity to identify genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of severe AP.

STUDY DESIGN

AP patients (n = 87) were recruited within 24 hours of admission to the Emergency Department and were confirmed to exhibit at least 2 of the following features: (1) abdominal pain characteristic of AP, (2) serum amylase and/or lipase more than 3-fold the upper laboratory limit considered normal, and/or (3) radiographically demonstrated AP on CT scan. Severity was defined according to the Revised Atlanta classification. Thirty-two healthy volunteers were also recruited and peripheral venous blood was collected for performing RNA-Seq.

RESULTS

In severe AP, 422 genes (185 upregulated, 237 downregulated) were significantly differentially expressed when compared with moderately severe and mild cases. Pathway analysis revealed changes in specific innate and adaptive immune, sepsis-related, and surface modification pathways in severe AP. Data-driven approaches revealed distinct gene expression groups (endotypes), which were not entirely overlapping with the clinical Atlanta classification. Importantly, severe and moderately severe AP patients clustered away from healthy controls, whereas mild AP patients did not exhibit any clear separation, suggesting distinct underlying mechanisms that may influence severity of AP.

CONCLUSION

There were significant differences in gene expression affecting the severity of AP, revealing a central role of specific immunological pathways. Despite the existence of patient endotypes, a 4-gene transcriptomic signature (S100A8, S100A9, MMP25, and MT-ND4L) was determined that can predict severe AP with an accuracy of 64%.

Aberrant cell migration contributes to defective airway epithelial repair in childhood wheeze

Abnormal wound repair has been observed in the airway epithelium of patients with chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma. Therapies focusing on repairing vulnerable airways, particularly in early life, present a potentially novel treatment strategy. We report defective lower airway epithelial cell repair to strongly associate with common pre-school-aged and school-aged wheezing phenotypes, characterized by aberrant migration patterns and reduced integrin α5β1 expression. Next generation sequencing identified the PI3K/Akt pathway as the top upstream transcriptional regulator of integrin α5β1, where Akt activation enhanced repair and integrin α5β1 expression in primary cultures from children with wheeze. Conversely, inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling in primary cultures from children without wheeze reduced α5β1 expression and attenuated repair. Importantly, the FDA-approved drug celecoxib - and its non-COX2-inhibiting analogue, dimethyl-celecoxib - stimulated the PI3K/Akt-integrin α5β1 axis and restored airway epithelial repair in cells from children with wheeze. When compared with published clinical data sets, the identified transcriptomic signature was also associated with viral-induced wheeze exacerbations highlighting the clinical potential of such therapy. Collectively, these results identify airway epithelial restitution via targeting the PI3K-integrin α5β1 axis as a potentially novel therapeutic avenue for childhood wheeze and asthma. We propose that the next step in the therapeutic development process should be a proof-of-concept clinical trial, since relevant animal models to test the crucial underlying premise are unavailable.

Anti-biofilm peptides as a new weapon in antimicrobial warfare

Microorganisms growing in a biofilm state are very resilient in the face of treatment by many antimicrobial agents. Biofilm infections are a significant problem in chronic and long-term infections, including those colonizing medical devices and implants. Anti-biofilm peptides represent a very promising approach to treat biofilm-related infections and have an extraordinary ability to interfere with various stages of the biofilm growth mode. Anti-biofilm peptides possess promising broad-spectrum activity in killing both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in biofilms, show strong synergy with conventional antibiotics, and act by targeting a universal stringent stress response. Understanding downstream processes at the molecular level will help to develop and design peptides with increased activity. Anti-biofilm peptides represent a novel, exciting approach to treating recalcitrant bacterial infections.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane permeability barrier and how to overcome it

The intrinsic resistance of P. aeruginosa to most hydrophilic antibiotics can be explained, in part, on the basis of its low outer membrane permeability. Protein F which constitutes the major outer membrane porin protein for the uptake of hydrophilic compounds, is poorly functional. We have demonstrated that less than 1% of the 200,000 or so copies of protein F per cell can form active functional channels. Our working hypothesis is that the species of LPS associated with individual protein F trimers determines whether these trimers adopt a functional conformation. Since low outer membrane permeability constitutes a major problem for the penetration of antibiotics into P. aeruginosa, we have started to search for compounds which permeabilize outer membranes ('permeabilizers') and thus would be potentially synergistic with antibiotics. Eighteen permeabilizer compounds have been discovered and fall into defined chemical groupings including polycations, organic cations and divalent cation chelators.

Skin electroporation of a plasmid encoding hCAP-18/LL-37 host defense peptide promotes wound healing

Host defense peptides, in particular LL-37, are emerging as potential therapeutics for promoting wound healing and inhibiting bacterial growth. However, effective delivery of the LL-37 peptide remains limiting. We hypothesized that skin-targeted electroporation of a plasmid encoding hCAP-18/LL-37 would promote the healing of wounds. The plasmid was efficiently delivered to full-thickness skin wounds by electroporation and it induced expression of LL-37 in the epithelium. It significantly accelerated reepithelialization of nondiabetic and diabetic wounds and caused a significant VEGFa and interleukin (IL)-6 induction. IL-6 was involved in LL-37-mediated keratinocyte migration in vitro and IL-6 neutralizing antibodies delivered to mice were able to suppress the wound healing activity of the hCAP-18/LL-37 plasmid. In a hindlimb ischemia model, electroporation of the hCAP-18/LL-37 plasmid increased blood perfusion, reduced muscular atrophy, and upregulated the angiogenic chemokines VEGFa and SDF-1a, and their receptors VEGF-R and CXCR-4. These findings demonstrate that a localized gene therapy with LL-37 is a promising approach for the treatment of wounds.

Antibacterial peptides for therapeutic use: obstacles and realistic outlook

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are produced by almost all species of life as a component of their immediate non-specific defense against infections. The assets of these peptides in clinical application include their potential for broad-spectrum activity, rapid bactericidal activity and low propensity for resistance development, whereas possible disadvantages include their high cost, limited stability (especially when composed of L-amino acids), and unknown toxicology and pharmacokinetics. Initial barriers to their success are being increasingly overcome with the development of stable, more cost-effective and potent broad-spectrum synthetic peptides. Thus, there is hope that they will spawn a new generation of antimicrobials with a broad range of topical and systemic applications against infections.

The therapeutic potential of cationic peptides

Novel classes of antibiotics that are useful against resistant bacteria are a major need in human medicine. Cationic antimicrobial peptides are utilised as nature's antibiotics, being produced constitutively or in response to infection in virtually every type of organism from plants and insects to man. Thus, these peptides are now being considered as potential antibiotics for infections. They have the following assets: structural diversity, rapid bactericidal action, a broad spectrum of activity that includes most of the clinically important resistant pathogens, and several ancillary activities which can include antifungal, antiviral, anti-endotoxin activities, and promotion of wound healing. Cationic peptides and proteins are now proceeding through clinical trials as topical antibiotics and anti-endotoxins.

Mechanisms of action of newer antibiotics for Gram-positive pathogens

Certain Gram-positive bacteria, including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and quinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae have achieved the status of "superbugs", in that there are few or no antibiotics available for therapy against these pathogens. Only a few classes of novel antibiotics have been introduced in the past 40 years, and all since 1999, including the streptogramin combination quinupristin/dalfopristin (Synercid), the oxazolidinone linezolid, and the lipopeptide daptomycin. This review discusses the mechanisms of antibiotic action against Gram-positive pathogens, and resistance counter-mechanisms developed by Gram-positive bacteria, with emphasis on the newer agents.

Characterization of, and immune responses of mice to, the purified OmpA-equivalent outer membrane protein of Pasteurella multocida serotype A:3 (Omp28)

Pasteurella multocida A:3 is a major cause of bovine pneumonia. A major antigenic heat-modifiable 28kDa outer membrane protein (Omp28) was previously identified. The purpose of this study was to purify and characterize Omp28 immunologically and structurally. Omp28 was extracted from N-lauroylsarcosine-insoluble protein preparations by a combination of detergent fractionation with Zwittergent 3-14 and chromatography. Partial N-terminal amino acid sequence confirmed Omp28 as a member of the OmpA-porin family. However, porin activity could not be demonstrated in a lipid-bilayer assay. Heat modifiability of purified Omp28 was demonstrated, and Omp28 was found in outer membrane fraction of P. multocida. Surface exposure of Omp28 was demonstrated by partial protease digestion of intact bacteria, by binding of anti-Omp28 polyclonal ascites fluid to the bacterial surface, and by partial inhibition of anti-outer membrane antiserum binding by previous incubation of the bacteria with anti-Omp28 serum. CD-1 mice vaccinated with purified Omp28 developed a significant antibody titer (P<0.05) compared to the control treatment group but were not protected from a homologous intraperitoneal bacterial challenge. By contrast, treatment groups vaccinated with P. multocida outer membrane, formalin-killed P. multocida or a commercial vaccine were significantly protected from challenge. In vitro complement-mediated killing of P. multocida was observed in post-vaccination sera of outer membrane, formalin-killed P. multocida, and commercial vaccine-treatment groups, but not with sera from the Omp28-treatment group. In conclusion, although Omp28 is surface exposed and antigenic, it may not be a desirable immunogen for stimulating immunity to P. multocida.

In vitro aerosol delivery and regional airway surface liquid concentration of a liposomal cationic peptide

A liposome encapsulation was optimized for the entrapment and aerosol delivery of an alpha-helical cationic peptide, CM3, which had shown good antimicrobial and antiendotoxin activity in vitro. The encapsulation procedure and the phospholipids used were selected to maximize both the encapsulation and nebulization efficiencies, without compromising liposomal integrity during nebulization. The best compromise was found with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine and dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (3:1 molar ratio), which allowed for peptide encapsulation levels of 730 microg/mL using 30 mM lipid concentration. The aerosol produced with the selected liposomal formulation was subsequently analyzed for determination of size distribution and nebulizer efficiencies. These quantities were used as input for a mathematical lung deposition model, which predicted local lung depositions of the liposomal peptides for three models of lung geometry and breathing patterns: an adult, an 8-year-old child, and a 4-year-old child. The deposition results were then applied to a novel model of airway surface liquid in the lung to assess the concentration of the deposited peptide. The resulting concentration estimates indicate that the minimum inhibitory levels of CM3 can be reached over most part of the tracheobronchial region in the adult model, and can be exceeded throughout the same region in both pediatric model subjects, using a valved jet nebulizer with a 2.5mL volume fill.

Cationic peptides: effectors in innate immunity and novel antimicrobials

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are produced by all organisms, from plants and insects to human beings, as a major part of their immediately effective, non-specific defences against infections. With the increasing development of antibiotic resistance among key bacterial pathogens, there is an urgent need to discover novel classes of antibiotics. Therefore, cationic peptides are being developed through clinical trials as anti-infective agents. In addition to their ability to kill microbes, these peptides seem to have effector functions in innate immunity and can upregulate the expression of multiple genes in eukaryotic cells. One such function might involve the dampening of signalling by bacterial molecules such as lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid.

Interaction of cationic antimicrobial peptides with model membranes

A series of natural and synthetic cationic antimicrobial peptides from various structural classes, including alpha-helical, beta-sheet, extended, and cyclic, were examined for their ability to interact with model membranes, assessing penetration of phospholipid monolayers and induction of lipid flip-flop, membrane leakiness, and peptide translocation across the bilayer of large unilamellar liposomes, at a range of peptide/lipid ratios. All peptides were able to penetrate into monolayers made with negatively charged phospholipids, but only two interacted weakly with neutral lipids. Peptide-mediated lipid flip-flop generally occurred at peptide concentrations that were 3- to 5-fold lower than those causing leakage of calcein across the membrane, regardless of peptide structure. With the exception of two alpha-helical peptides V681(n) and V25(p,) the extent of peptide-induced calcein release from large unilamellar liposomes was generally low at peptide/lipid molar ratios below 1:50. Peptide translocation across bilayers was found to be higher for the beta-sheet peptide polyphemusin, intermediate for alpha-helical peptides, and low for extended peptides. Overall, whereas all studied cationic antimicrobial peptides interacted with membranes, they were quite heterogeneous in their impact on these membranes.

Morphology of fast-tumbling bicelles: a small angle neutron scattering and NMR study

Bilayered micelles, or bicelles, which consist of a mixture of long- and short-chain phospholipids, are a popular model membrane system. Depending on composition, concentration, and temperature, bicelle mixtures may adopt an isotropic phase or form an aligned phase in magnetic fields. Well-resolved (1)H NMR spectra are observed in the isotropic or so-called fast-tumbling bicelle phase, over the range of temperatures investigated (10-40 degrees C), for molar ratios of long-chain lipid to short-chain lipid between 0.20 and 1.0. Small angle neutron scattering data of this phase are consistent with the model in which bicelles were proposed to be disk-shaped. The experimentally determined dimensions are roughly consistent with the predictions of R.R. Vold and R.S. Prosser (J. Magn. Reson. B 113 (1996)). Differential paramagnetic shifts of head group resonances of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine (DHPC), induced by the addition of Eu(3+), are also consistent with the bicelle model in which DHPC is believed to be primarily sequestered to bicelle rims. Selective irradiation of the DHPC aliphatic methyl resonances results in no detectable magnetization transfer to the corresponding DMPC methyl resonances (and vice versa) in bicelles, which also suggests that DHPC and DMPC are largely sequestered in the bicelle. Finally, (1)H spectra of the antibacterial peptide indolicidin (ILPWKWPWWPWRR-NH(2)) are compared, in a DPC micellar phase and the above fast-tumbling bicellar phases for a variety of compositions. The spectra exhibit adequate resolution and improved dispersion of amide and aromatic resonances in certain bicelle mixtures.

Evolutionary relationships among virulence-associated histidine kinases

A strong relationship between virulence-associated sensor histidine kinases of fungi and those in Streptomyces coelicolor was observed, and phylogenetic analysis suggested that bacterium-to-eukaryote horizontal gene transfer had occurred between ancestors of these organisms. Phylogenetic analysis also identified a group of histidine kinases orthologous to the Streptomyces proteins that includes Pseudomonas aeruginosa GacS. We provide evidence that GacS is important for swarming motility, lipase production, and virulence in mice and had evolved to have partial functional overlaps with PhoQ, a less-related virulence-associated histidine kinase.

Structure and mechanism of action of an indolicidin peptide derivative with improved activity against gram-positive bacteria

Indolicidin, an antimicrobial peptide with a unique amino acid sequence (ILPWKWPWWPWRR-NH(2)) is found in bovine neutrophils. A derivative of indolicidin, CP10A, has alanine residues substituted for proline residues and has improved activity against Gram-positive organisms. Transmission electron microscopy of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis treated with CP10A showed mesosome-like structures in the cytoplasm. The peptide at 2-fold the minimal inhibitory concentration did not show significant killing of S. aureus ISP67 (a histidine, uridine, and thymidine auxotroph) but did show an early effect on histidine and uridine incorporation and, later, an effect on thymidine incorporation. Upon interaction with liposomes, detergents, and lipoteichoic acid, CP10A was shown by circular dichroism spectroscopy to undergo a change in secondary structure. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that the tryptophan residues were located at the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface of liposomes and detergent micelles and were inaccessible to the aqueous quencher KI. The three-dimensional structure of CP10A in the lipid mimetic dodecylphosphocholine was determined using two-dimensional NMR methods and was characterized as a short, amphipathic helical structure, whereas indolicidin was previously shown to have an extended structure. These studies have introduced a cationic peptide with a unique structure and an ability to interact with membranes and to affect intracellular synthesis of proteins, RNA, and DNA.

Synergistic interactions between mammalian antimicrobial defense peptides

A single animal can express several cationic antimicrobial peptides with different sequences and structures. We demonstrate that mammalian peptides from different structural classes frequently show synergy with each other and selectively show synergy with human lysozyme.

Synergy of histone-derived peptides of coho salmon with lysozyme and flounder pleurocidin

Recent research has identified endogenous cationic antimicrobial peptides as important factors in the innate immunity of many organisms, including fish. It is known that antimicrobial activity, as well as lysozyme activity, can be induced in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) mucus after exposure of the fish to infectious agents. Since lysozyme alone does not have antimicrobial activity against Vibrio anguillarum and Aeromonas salmonicida, a four-step protein purification protocol was used to isolate and identify antibacterial fractions from bacterially challenged coho salmon mucus and blood. The purification consisted of extraction with hot acetic acid, extraction and concentration on a C(18) cartridge, gel filtration, and reverse-phase chromatography on a C(18) column. N-terminal amino acid sequence analyses revealed that both the blood and the mucus antimicrobial fractions demonstrated identity with the N terminus of trout H1 histone. Mass spectroscopic analysis indicated the presence of the entire histone, as well as fragments thereof, including a 26-amino-acid N-terminal segment. These fractions inhibited the growth of antibiotic-supersuscptible Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, as well as A. salmonicida and V. anguillarum. Synthetic peptides identical to the N-terminally acetylated or C-terminally amidated 26-amino-acid fragment were inactive in antimicrobial assays, but they potentiated the antimicrobial activities of the flounder peptide pleurocidin, lysozyme, and crude lysozyme-containing extracts from coho salmon. The peptides bound specifically to anionic lipid monolayers. However, synergy with pleurocidin did not appear to occur at the cell membrane level. The synergistic activities of inducible histone peptides indicate that they play an important role in the first line of salmon defenses against infectious pathogens and that while some histone fragments may have direct antimicrobial effects, others improve existing defenses.

PhyloBLAST: facilitating phylogenetic analysis of BLAST results

PhyloBLAST is an internet-accessed application based on CGI/Perl programming that compares a users protein sequence to a SwissProt/TREMBL database using BLAST2 and then allows phylogenetic analyses to be performed on selected sequences from the BLAST output. Flexible features such as ability to input your own multiple sequence alignment and use PHYLIP program options provide additional web-based phylogenetic analysis functionality beyond the analysis of a BLAST result.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides and their multifunctional role in the immune system

Many species of life contain cationic antimicrobial peptides as components of their immune systems. The antimicrobial activity of these peptides has been studied extensively, and many peptides have a broad spectrum of activity not only against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria but also against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Such cationic antimicrobial peptides can also act in synergy with host molecules, such as other cationic peptides and proteins, lysozyme, and also conventional antibiotics, to kill microbes. It has been found that certain peptides are produced in large quantities at sites of infection/inflammation, and their expression can be induced by bacterial products such as endotoxic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). These peptides often have a high affinity for bacterial products, such as LPS, allowing them to modulate the host response and reduce the inflammatory response in sepsis. More recently, they have been found to interact directly with host cells to modulate the inflammatory process and innate defenses.

Determination of membrane immersion depth with O(2): a high-pressure (19)F NMR study

Oxygen is known to partition with an increasing concentration gradient toward the hydrophobic membrane interior. At partial pressures (P(O2)) of 100 Atm or more, this concentration gradient is sufficient to induce paramagnetic effects that depend sensitively on membrane immersion depth. This effect is demonstrated for the fluorine nucleus by depth-dependent paramagnetic shifts and spin-lattice relaxation rates, using a fluorinated detergent, CF3(CF(2))(5)C(2)H(4)-O-maltose (TFOM), reconstituted into a lipid bilayer model membrane system. To interpret the spin-lattice relaxation rates (R) in terms of a precise immersion depth, two specifically fluorinated cholesterol species (6-fluorocholesterol and 25-fluorocholesterol), whose membrane immersion depths were independently estimated, were studied by (19)F NMR. The paramagnetic relaxation rates, R, of the cholesterol species were then used to parameterize a Gaussian profile that directly relates R to immersion depth z. This same Gaussian curve could then be used to determine the membrane immersion depth of all six fluorinated chain positions of TFOM and of two adjacent residues of specifically fluorinated analogs of the antibacterial peptide indolicidin. The potential of this method for determination of immersion depth and topology of membrane proteins is discussed.

Evaluation of a structural model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane protein OprM, an efflux component involved in intrinsic antibiotic resistance

The outer membrane protein OprM of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is involved in intrinsic and mutational multiple-antibiotic resistance as part of two resistance-nodulation-division efflux systems. The crystal structure of TolC, a homologous protein in Escherichia coli, was recently published (V. Koronakis, A. Sharff, E. Koronakis, B. Luisl, and C. Hughes, Nature 405:914-919, 2000), demonstrating a distinctive architecture comprising outer membrane beta-barrel and periplasmic helical-barrel structures, which assemble differently from the common beta-barrel-only conformation of porins. Based on their sequence similarity, a similar content of alpha-helical and beta-sheet structure determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy, and our observation that OprM, like TolC, reconstitutes channels in planar bilayer membranes, OprM and TolC were considered to be structurally homologous, and a model of OprM was constructed by threading its sequence to the TolC crystal structure. Residues thought to be important for the TolC structure were conserved in space in this OprM model. Analyses of deletion mutants and previously isolated insertion mutants of OprM in the context of this model allowed us to propose roles for different protein domains. Our data indicate that the helical barrel of the protein is critical for both the function and the integrity of the protein, while a C-terminal domain localized around the equatorial plane of this helical barrel is dispensable. Extracellular loops appear to play a lesser role in substrate specificity for this efflux protein compared to classical porins, and there appears to be a correlation between the change in antimicrobial activity for OprM mutants and the pore size. Our model and channel formation studies support the "iris" mechanism of action for TolC and permit us now to form more focused hypotheses about the functional domains of OprM and its related family of efflux proteins.

Structure of the bovine antimicrobial peptide indolicidin bound to dodecylphosphocholine and sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles

Indolicidin is a cationic, 13-residue antimicrobial peptide (ILPWKWPWWPWRR-NH(2)) which is unusually rich in tryptophan and proline. Its antimicrobial action involves the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. Fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra demonstrated the structural similarity of indolicidin in complexes with large unilamellar phospolipid vesicles and with detergent micelles. The structure of indolicidin bound to zwitterionic dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles was determined using NMR methods and shown to represent a unique membrane-associated peptide structure. The backbone structure in DPC, well defined between residues 3 and 11, was extended, with two half-turns at residues Lys-5 and Trp-8. The backbone structure in SDS, well defined between residues 5 and 11, was also extended, but lacked the bend in the C-terminal half. Indolicidin in complexes with DPC had a central hydrophobic core composed of proline and tryptophan, which was bracketed by positively charged regions near the peptide termini. The tryptophan side chains, with one exception, folded flat against the peptide backbone, thus giving the molecule a wedge shape. Indolicidin in complexes with SDS had an arrangement of hydrophobic and cationic regions similar to that found in the presence of DPC. The tryptophan side chains were less well defined than for indolicidin in DPC and extended away from the peptide backbone. The preferred location of indolicidin in DPC micelles and lipid bilayers, analyzed using spin-label probes, was at the membrane interface.

Interactions of bacterial cationic peptide antibiotics with outer and cytoplasmic membranes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Polymyxins B and E1 and gramicidin S are bacterium-derived cationic antimicrobial peptides. The polymyxins were more potent than gramicidin S against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with MICs of 0.125 to 0. 25 and 8 microg/ml, respectively. These peptides differed in their affinities for binding to lipopolysaccharide, but all were able to permeabilize the outer membrane of wild-type P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain H103, suggesting differences in their mechanisms of self-promoted uptake. Gramicidin S caused rapid depolarization of the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane at concentrations at which no killing was observed within 30 min, whereas, conversely, the concentrations of the polymyxins that resulted in rapid killing resulted in minimal depolarization. These data indicate that the depolarization of the cytoplasmic membrane by these peptides did not correlate with bacterial cell lethality.

Interaction of polyphemusin I and structural analogs with bacterial membranes, lipopolysaccharide, and lipid monolayers

Three structural variants (PV5, PV7, and PV8) of the horseshoe crab cationic antimicrobial peptide polyphemusin I were designed with improved amphipathic profiles. Circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis indicated that in phosphate buffer polyphemusin I, PV7, and PV8 displayed the spectrum of a type II beta-turn-rich structure, but, like polyphemusin I, all three variants adopted a typical beta-sheet structure in an anionic lipid environment. Both polyphemusin I and variants were potent broad spectrum antimicrobials that were clearly bactericidal at their minimal inhibitory concentrations. The variants were moderately less active in vitro but more effective in animal models. Moreover, these variants exhibited delayed bacterial killing, whereas polyphemusin I killed Escherichia coli UB1005 within 5 min at 2.5 microg/mL. All the peptides showed similar abilities to bind to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and permeabilize bacterial outer membranes. Consistent with this was the observation that all peptides significantly inhibited cytokine production by LPS-stimulated macrophages and penetrated polyanionic LPS monolayers to similar extents. None of the peptides had affinity for neutral lipids as evident from both tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy and Langmuir monolayer analysis. As compared to polyphemusin I, all variants showed reduced ability to interact with anionic lipids, and the hemolytic activity of the variants was decreased by 2-4-fold. In contrast, polyphemusin I efficiently depolarized the cytoplasmic membrane of E. coli, as assessed using a membrane potential sensitive fluorescent dye 3,3-dipropylthiacarbocyanine (diSC(3)5) assay, but the variants showed a substantially delayed and decreased depolarizing ability. The coincident assessment of cell viability indicated that depolarization of the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane potential by polyphemusin I occurred prior to lethal damage to cells. Our data suggest that increase of amphipathicity of beta-sheet polyphemusin I generally resulted in variants with decreased activity for membranes. Interestingly, all variants showed an improved ability to protect mice both against infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and from endotoxaemia.

Transgenic plants expressing cationic peptide chimeras exhibit broad-spectrum resistance to phytopathogens

Here we describe a strategy for engineering transgenic plants with broad-spectrum resistance to bacterial and fungal phytopathogens. We expressed a synthetic gene encoding a N terminus-modified, cecropin-melittin cationic peptide chimera (MsrA1), with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The synthetic gene was introduced into two potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars, Desiree and Russet Burbank, stable incorporation was confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing, and expression confirmed by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and recovery of the biologically active peptide. The morphology and yield of transgenic Desiree plants and tubers was unaffected. Highly stringent challenges with bacterial or fungal phytopathogens demonstrated powerful resistance. Tubers retained their resistance to infectious challenge for more than a year, and did not appear to be harmful when fed to mice. Expression of msrA1 in the cultivar Russet Burbank caused a striking lesion-mimic phenotype during leaf and tuber development, indicating its utility may be cultivar specific. Given the ubiquity of antimicrobial cationic peptides as well as their inherent capacity for recombinant and combinatorial variants, this approach may potentially be used to engineer a range of disease-resistant plants.

An alpha-helical cationic antimicrobial peptide selectively modulates macrophage responses to lipopolysaccharide and directly alters macrophage gene expression

Certain cationic antimicrobial peptides block the binding of LPS to LPS-binding protein and reduce the ability of LPS to induce the production of inflammatory mediators by macrophages. To gain a more complete understanding of how LPS activates macrophages and how cationic peptides influence this process, we have used gene array technology to profile gene expression patterns in macrophages treated with LPS in the presence or the absence of the insect-derived cationic antimicrobial peptide CEMA (cecropin-melittin hybrid). We found that CEMA selectively blocked LPS-induced gene expression in the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. The ability of LPS to induce the expression of >40 genes was strongly inhibited by CEMA, while LPS-induced expression of another 16 genes was relatively unaffected. In addition, CEMA itself induced the expression of a distinct set of 35 genes, including genes involved in cell adhesion and apoptosis. Thus, CEMA, a synthetic alpha-helical peptide, selectively modulates the transcriptional response of macrophages to LPS and can alter gene expression in macrophages.

Action of lysozyme and nisin mixtures against lactic acid bacteria

Lysozyme was formulated together with nisin for usage against food spoilage lactobacilli. The mixtures demonstrated improved minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC), compared to the parent compounds, for many of the bacteria and media tested, including high salt media in which lysozyme lost virtually all of its activity. Synergy was also observed through measurement of the kinetics of bacterial killing of L. curvatus 845, in which strain synergy had been observed in MIC assays. The combination of lysozyme and nisin caused more severe cell damage as viewed by scanning electron microscopy, and a consequent change in optical density at 600 nm, compared to the parent compounds, effects that were presumed to reflect the action of lysozyme. In addition, the combination caused more rapid permeabilization (depolarization) of the cytoplasmic membranes of Staphylococcus aureus, an effect that reflected the mechanism of action of nisin. Thus, nisin and lysozyme appear to demonstrate synergy against gram-positive bacteria because they reinforce each others mechanisms of bacterial killing.

The role of cationic antimicrobial peptides in innate host defences

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are found in all living species. A single animal can contain >24 different antimicrobial peptides, which fall into four structural classes. These peptides are produced in large quantities at sites of infection and/or inflammation and can have broad-spectrum antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiprotozoan and antisepsis properties. In addition, they interact directly with host cells to modulate the inflammatory process and innate defences.

The amino terminus of Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane protein OprF forms channels in lipid bilayer membranes: correlation with a three-dimensional model

Pseudomonas aeruginosa OprF forms 0.36-nS channels and, rarely, 2- to 5-nS channels in lipid bilayer membranes. We show that a protein comprising only the N-terminal 162-amino-acid domain of OprF formed the smaller, but not the larger, channels in lipid bilayers. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that this protein folds into a beta-sheet-rich structure, and three-dimensional comparative modeling revealed that it shares significant structural similarity with the amino terminus of the orthologous protein Escherichia coli OmpA, which has been shown to form a beta-barrel. OprF and OmpA share only 15% identity in this domain, yet these results support the utility of modeling such widely divergent beta-barrel domains in three dimensions in order to reveal similarities not readily apparent through primary sequence comparisons. The model is used to further hypothesize why porin activity differs for the N-terminal domains of OprF and OmpA.

Complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, an opportunistic pathogen

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that is one of the top three causes of opportunistic human infections. A major factor in its prominence as a pathogen is its intrinsic resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants. Here we report the complete sequence of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1. At 6.3 million base pairs, this is the largest bacterial genome sequenced, and the sequence provides insights into the basis of the versatility and intrinsic drug resistance of P. aeruginosa. Consistent with its larger genome size and environmental adaptability, P. aeruginosa contains the highest proportion of regulatory genes observed for a bacterial genome and a large number of genes involved in the catabolism, transport and efflux of organic compounds as well as four potential chemotaxis systems. We propose that the size and complexity of the P. aeruginosa genome reflect an evolutionary adaptation permitting it to thrive in diverse environments and resist the effects of a variety of antimicrobial substances.

Diastereoisomeric analogues of gramicidin S: structure, biologicalactivity and interaction with lipid bilayers

Analogues of a structurally equivalent version of theantimicrobial decameric cyclic peptide gramicidin S, GS10 [cyclo-(Val-Lys-Leu-d-Tyr-Pro)(2)], were designed to study theeffect of distortion in the beta-sheet/beta-turn structure of thecyclic peptide on its biological activity. In one approach, thehydrophobic nature of GS10 was conserved, and single amino acids in itsbackbone were replaced systematically with their correspondingenantiomers to give five diastereoisomeric analogues. In a relatedapproach, a more basic and hydrophilic analogue of GS10 [cyclo-(Lys-Val-Lys-d-Tyr-Pro(5)-Lys-Leu-Lys-d-Tyr-Pro(10))], together with two of itsmonosubstituted diastereoisomeric analogues (featuring d-Lys(1) or d-Val(2) respectively), weresynthesized. CD spectra were measured in a variety of environments,i.e. aqueous, aqueous trifluoroethanol and those containing SDSmicelles or phospholipid vesicles. In comparison with GS10 spectra, CDspectra of both groups of analogues in these environments exhibitedstructural distortion. Moreover, compared with GS10, antimicrobial andhaemolytic activities of the analogues were drastically decreased, implying the existence of a threshold minimum amphipathicity foreffective biological activity. However, in both groups of analogues,there was a correlation between amphipathicity and antimicrobial andhaemolytic activities. In the second group of analogues, bothelectrostatic and hydrophobic factors were related to theirantimicrobial and haemolytic activities. In order to gain an insightinto the nature of the biological activity of the two classes of cyclicpeptides, the relationship of their structure to interaction with lipidmembranes, and the implied mechanisms, were analysed in some detail inthe present study.

Antibacterial action of structurally diverse cationic peptides on gram-positive bacteria

Antimicrobial cationic peptides are ubiquitous in nature and are thought to be a component of the first line of defense against infectious agents. It is widely believed that the killing mechanism of these peptides on bacteria involves an interaction with the cytoplasmic membrane. Cationic peptides from different structural classes were used in experiments with Staphylococcus aureus and other medically important gram-positive bacteria to gain insight into the mechanism of action. The membrane potential-sensitive fluorophore dipropylthiacarbocyanine was used to assess the interactions of selected antimicrobial peptides with the cytoplasmic membrane of S. aureus. Study of the kinetics of killing and membrane depolarization showed that, at early time points, membrane depolarization was incomplete, even when 90% or more of the bacteria had been killed. CP26, a 26-amino-acid alpha-helical peptide with a high MIC against S. aureus, still had the ability to permeabilize the membrane. Cytoplasmic-membrane permeabilization was a widespread ability and an action that may be necessary for reaching an intracellular target but in itself did not appear to be the killing mechanism. Transmission electron microscopy of S. aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis treated with CP29 (a 26-amino-acid alpha-helical peptide), CP11CN (a 13-amino-acid, proline- and tryptophan-rich peptide), and Bac2A-NH(2) (a linearized version of the 12-amino-acid loop peptide bactenecin) showed variability in effects on bacterial structure. Mesosome-like structures were seen to develop in S. aureus, whereas cell wall effects and mesosomes were seen with S. epidermidis. Nuclear condensation and abherrent septation were occasionally seen in S. epidermidis. Our experiments indicated that these peptides vary in their mechanisms of action and that the mechanism of action likely does not solely involve cytoplasmic-membrane permeabilization.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides: towards clinical applications

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are important components of the innate immune defences of all species of life. Variants of these natural molecules have a broad range of antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral and anti-endotoxic activity. Two of these cationic peptides have shown signs of efficacy in early clinical trials of oral mucositis and the sterilisation of central venous catheters, respectively and are currently proceeding through Phase III clinical trials. Thus, cationic antimicrobial peptides are currently being investigated as topical agents. In addition, the cationic protein rBPI 21 has recently completed Phase III clinical trials of parenteral use for meningococcaemia.

The role of antimicrobial peptides in animal defenses

It is becoming clear that the cationic antimicrobial peptides are an important component of the innate defenses of all species of life. Such peptides can be constitutively expressed or induced by bacteria or their products. The best peptides have good activities vs. a broad range of bacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant isolates. They kill very rapidly, do not easily select resistant mutants, are synergistic with conventional antibiotics, other peptides, and lysozyme, and are able to kill bacteria in animal models. It is known that bacterial infections, especially when treated with antibiotics, can lead to the release of bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid, resulting in potentially lethal sepsis. In contrast to antibiotics, the peptides actually prevent cytokine induction by bacterial products in tissue culture and human blood, and they block the onset of sepsis in mouse models of endotoxemia. Consistent with this, transcriptional gene array experiments using a macrophage cell line demonstrated that a model peptide, CEMA, blocks the expression of many genes whose transcription was induced by LPS. The peptides do this in part by blocking LPS interaction with the serum protein LBP. In addition, CEMA itself has a direct effect on macrophage gene expression. Because cationic antimicrobial peptides are induced by LPS and are able to dampen the septic response of animal cells to LPS, we propose that, in addition to their role in direct and lysozyme-assisted killing of microbes, they have a role in feedback regulation of cytokine responses. We are currently developing variant peptides as therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant infections.

Comparative genomics of Helicobacter pylori: analysis of the outer membrane protein families

The two complete genomic sequences of Helicobacter pylori J99 and 26695 were used to compare the paralogous families (related genes within one genome, likely to have related function) of genes predicted to encode outer membrane proteins which were present in each strain. We identified five paralogous gene families ranging in size from 3 to 33 members; two of these families contained members specific for either H. pylori J99 or H. pylori 26695. Most orthologous protein pairs (equivalent genes between two genomes, same function) shared considerable identity between the two strains. The unusual set of outer membrane proteins and the specialized outer membrane may be a reflection of the adaptation of H. pylori to the unique gastric environment where it is found. One subfamily of proteins, which contains both channel-forming and adhesin molecules, is extremely highly related at the sequence level and has likely arisen due to ancestral gene duplication. In addition, the largest paralogous family contained two essentially identical pairs of genes in both strains. The presence and genomic organization of these two pairs of duplicated genes were analyzed in a panel of independent H. pylori isolates. While one pair was present in every strain examined, one allele of the other pair appeared partially deleted in several isolates.

Role of putative loops 2 and 3 in imipenem passage through the specific porin OprD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Mutant proteins with eight amino acid deletions in putative surface loops 2 and 3 of the imipenem-specific porin OprD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa failed to reconstitute imipenem susceptibility in an oprD-deficient background. The loop 3 deletion prevented the ability of imipenem to inhibit KCl conductance through the OprD channel, as previously shown for a loop 2 deletion. This suggests that both loops 2 and 3 have a role in imipenem binding to the OprD channel.

Salmonella typhimurium infection and lipopolysaccharide stimulation induce similar changes in macrophage gene expression

Changes in macrophage phenotype induced during infection result from the recognition of bacterial products as well as the action of bacterial virulence factors. We used the unprecedented opportunity provided by gene arrays to simultaneously study the expression of hundreds of genes during Salmonella typhimurium infection of macrophages and to assess the contribution of the bacterial virulence factor, LPS, in initiating the host responses to Salmonella. We found that S. typhimurium infection caused significant changes in the expression of numerous genes encoding chemokines, cell surface receptors, signaling molecules, and transcriptional activators at 4 h postinfection of the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. Our results revealed changes in the expression of several genes that had not been previously implicated in the host responses to S. typhimurium infection, as well as changes in the expression of several genes previously shown to be regulated by S. typhimurium infection. An overlapping spectrum of genes was expressed in response to virulent S. typhimurium and purified S. typhimurium LPS, reinforcing the major role of this surface molecule in stimulating the early response of macrophages to bacterial infection. The macrophage gene expression profile was further altered by activation with IFN-gamma, indicating that host cell responses depend on the activation state of the cell.

Functional expression in Escherichia coli and membrane topology of porin HopE, a member of a large family of conserved proteins in Helicobacter pylori

HopE is one of the smallest members of a family of 31 outer membrane proteins in Helicobacter pylori and has been shown to function as a porin. In this study it was cloned into Escherichia coli where it was expressed in the outer membrane, as confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence using HopE-specific antibodies. HopE purified from E. coli reconstituted channels in planar bilayer membranes that were the same size as those formed by HopE purified from H. pylori. A model of the membrane topology of HopE was constructed and indicated that this protein formed a beta-barrel with 16 transmembrane amphipathic beta-strands. The accuracy of this model was tested by linker insertion mutagenesis, assuming that, like other porins, amino acid insertions were not tolerated in the transmembrane beta-strands but were tolerated in the adjoining loop regions. Generally, the results obtained with a series of 12 insertions of the sequence RSKDV and two substitutions were consistent with the topological model. The preponderance of amino acids that were conserved in the extended family of HopE paralogs were predicted to be within the membrane and comprised 45% of all residues in the membrane.

Insertion mutagenesis and membrane topology model of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane protein OprM

Pseudomonas aeruginosa OprM is a protein involved in multiple-antibiotic resistance as the outer membrane component for the MexA-MexB-OprM efflux system. Planar lipid bilayer experiments showed that OprM had channel-forming activity with an average single-channel conductance of only about 80 pS in 1 M KCl. The gene encoding OprM was subjected to insertion mutagenesis by cloning of a foreign epitope from the circumsporozoite form of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum into 11 sites. In Escherichia coli, 8 of the 11 insertion mutant genes expressed proteins at levels comparable to those obtained with the wild-type gene and the inserted malarial epitopes were surface accessible as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. When moved to a P. aeruginosa OprM-deficient strain, seven of the insertion mutant genes expressed proteins at variable levels comparable to that of wild-type OprM and three of these reconstituted MIC profiles resembling those of the wild-type protein, while the other mutant forms showed variable MIC results. Utilizing the data from these experiments, in conjunction with multiple sequence alignments and structure predictions, an OprM topology model with 16 beta strands was proposed.

Antimicrobial peptides protect coho salmon from Vibrio anguillarum infections

Fish losses from infectious diseases are a significant problem in aquaculture worldwide. Therefore, we investigated the ability of cationic antimicrobial peptides to protect against infection caused by the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. To identify effective peptides for fish, the MICs of certain antimicrobial peptides against fish pathogens were determined in vitro. Two of the most effective antimicrobial peptides, CEME, a cecropin-melittin hybrid peptide, and pleurocidin amide, a C-terminally amidated form of the natural flounder peptide, were selected for in vivo studies. A single intraperitoneal injection of CEME did not affect mortality rates in juvenile coho salmon infected with V. anguillarum, the causative agent of vibriosis. Therefore, the peptides were delivered continuously using miniosmotic pumps placed in the peritoneal cavity. Twelve days after pump implantation, the fish received intraperitoneal injections of V. anguillarum at a dose that would kill 50 to 90% of the population. Fish receiving 200 microg of CEME per day survived longer and had significantly lower accumulated mortalities (13%) than the control groups (50 to 58%). Fish receiving pleurocidin amide at 250 microg per day also survived longer and had significantly lower accumulated mortalities (5%) than the control groups (67 to 75%). This clearly shows the potential for antimicrobial peptides to protect fish against infections and indicates that the strategy of overexpressing the peptides in transgenic fish may provide a method of decreasing bacterial disease problems.

In vitro characterization of the anticancer activity of membrane-active cationic peptides. I. Peptide-mediated cytotoxicity and peptide-enhanced cytotoxic activity of doxorubicin against wild-type and p-glycoprotein over-expressing tumor cell lines

Cationic amphipathic peptides, such as the defensins and cecropins, induce cell death in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells by increasing membrane permeability. Increased permeability may lead to cell lysis or, alternatively, may produce subtle changes in the membrane's barrier function that promote cell death. The in vitro cytotoxic and lytic activity of short mammalian-derived extended-helical cationic peptides and insect-derived alpha-helical peptides was measured in this study with the objective of establishing the anticancer potential of these agents. Two specific aims were addressed: (i) to assess the activity of peptides against non-malignant cells (sheep erythrocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells) versus tumor cells; and (ii) to characterize the cytotoxic activity using multidrug-resistant tumor cell lines in the presence and absence of the anthracycline doxorubicin. Cell lysis assays demonstrated that the lytic activity of the peptides tested was 2->50 times more cytotoxic to tumor cells than to non-malignant cells. Further, the cytotoxic activity of these peptides was equivalent when tested against sensitive and multidrug-resistant cell lines. In addition to their inherent cytotoxic activity, these membrane-active peptides can also augment the in vitro cytotoxic activity of doxorubicin against multidrug-resistant tumor cells.

Helicobacter pylori uptake and efflux: basis for intrinsic susceptibility to antibiotics in vitro

We previously demonstrated (M. M. Exner, P. Doig, T. J. Trust, and R. E. W. Hancock, Infect. Immun. 63:1567-1572, 1995) that Helicobacter pylori has at least one nonspecific porin, HopE, which has a low abundance in the outer membrane but forms large channels. H. pylori is relatively susceptible to most antimicrobial agents but less susceptible to the polycationic antibiotic polymyxin B. We demonstrate here that H. pylori is able to take up higher basal levels of the hydrophobic fluorescent probe 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine (NPN) than Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Escherichia coli, consistent with its enhanced susceptibility to hydrophobic agents. Addition of polymyxin B led to a further increase in NPN uptake, indicative of a self-promoted uptake pathway, but it required a much higher amount of polymyxin B to yield a 50% increase in NPN uptake in H. pylori (6 to 8 microg/ml) than in P. aeruginosa or E. coli (0.3 to 0.5 microg/ml), suggesting that H. pylori has a less efficient self-promoted uptake pathway. Since intrinsic resistance involves the collaboration of restricted outer membrane permeability and secondary defense mechanisms, such as periplasmic beta-lactamase (which H. pylori lacks) or efflux, we examined the possible role of efflux in antibiotic susceptibility. We had previously identified in H. pylori 11637 the presence of portions of three genes with homology to potential restriction-nodulation-division (RND) efflux systems. It was confirmed that H. pylori contained only these three putative RND efflux systems, named here hefABC, hefDEF, and hefGHI, and that the hefGHI system was expressed only in vivo while the two other RND systems were expressed both in vivo and in vitro. In uptake studies, there was no observable energy-dependent tetracycline, chloramphenicol, or NPN efflux activity in H. pylori. Independent mutagenesis of the three putative RND efflux operons in the chromosome of H. pylori had no effect on the in vitro susceptibility of H. pylori to 19 antibiotics. These results, in contrast to what is observed in E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and other clinically important gram-negative bacteria, suggest that active efflux does not play a role in the intrinsic resistance of H. pylori to antibiotics.

Cutting edge: cationic antimicrobial peptides block the binding of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to LPS binding protein

We investigated the mechanism by which cationic antimicrobial peptides block the activation of macrophages by LPS. The initial step in LPS signaling is the transfer of LPS to CD14 by LPS binding protein (LBP). Because many cationic antimicrobial peptides bind LPS, we asked whether these peptides block the binding of LPS to LBP. Using an assay that measures the binding of LPS to immobilized LBP, we show for the first time that a variety of structurally diverse cationic antimicrobial peptides block the interaction of LPS with LBP. The relative ability of different cationic peptides to block the binding of LPS to LBP correlated with their ability to block LPS-induced TNF-alpha production by the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line.

Interaction of cationic peptides with lipoteichoic acid and gram-positive bacteria

Compounds with antiendotoxin properties have been extensively studied for their potential as therapeutic agents for sepsis attributable to gram-negative bacteria. However, with the increasing incidence of gram-positive sepsis, there is interest in identifying compounds with a broad spectrum of action against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. A series of synthetic alpha-helical cationic peptides related to bee melittin and silk moth cecropin have previously been shown to bind lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with high affinity, inhibit LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production in vitro and in vivo, and kill gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we analyzed whether these peptides were active against gram-positive bacteria; whether they could bind to lipoteichoic acid (LTA), the major proinflammatory structure on gram-positive bacteria; and whether they could block the ability of LTA to promote the release of cytokines by the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. We found that the cationic peptides demonstrated moderate growth-inhibitory activity toward gram-positive bacteria. In addition, the peptides bound LTA with high affinity. This correlated with the ability of the peptides to block LTA-induced production of TNF and interleukin-6 by RAW 264.7 cells but did not correlate with their ability to kill the bacteria. The peptides also effectively inhibited LTA-induced TNF production in a whole human blood assay. The peptides were also able to partly block the ability of heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus, as well as soluble products of live S. aureus, to stimulate cytokine production by macrophages. Our results indicate that these cationic peptides may be useful to prevent sepsis and inflammation caused by both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.

PhoP-PhoQ homologues in Pseudomonas aeruginosa regulate expression of the outer-membrane protein OprH and polymyxin B resistance

Rapid adaptation to environmental challenge is essential for the survival of many bacterial species, and is often effectively mediated by two-component regulatory systems. Part of the adaptive response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Mg2+ starvation is overexpression of the outer-membrane protein OprH and increased resistance to the polycationic antibiotic polymyxin B. Two overlapping open reading frames that encoded proteins with high similarities to the PhoP-PhoQ two-component regulatory system of Salmonella typhimurium were identified downstream of the oprH gene. A P. aeruginosa PhoP-null mutant, H851, was constructed by means of a phoP:xylE-GmR transcriptional fusion, and shown to be deficient in OprH expression. In contrast, an analogous PhoQ-null mutant, H854 (phoQ:xylE-GmR), exhibited constitutive overexpression of OprH. Normal Mg2+-regulated OprH expression could be restored in both mutants by complementation with a plasmid carrying the phoP and phoQ genes. Measurement of the catechol-2,3-dioxygenase activity, expressed from the xylE transcriptional fusion in strains H851 and H854, indicated that PhoP-PhoQ is involved in the regulation of phoP-phoQ as well as oprH. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction experiments and Northern blot analysis revealed linkage of oprH, phoP and phoQ into an operon that was demonstrated to be under the joint control of PhoP-PhoQ and Mg2+ ion concentration. In addition, studies of the polymyxin B resistance of the two mutant strains, H851 and H854, indicated that PhoP-PhoQ is involved in regulating P. aeruginosa polymyxin resistance in response to external Mg2+ concentrations.