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Groß R, Bauer R, Krüger F, Rücker-Braun E, Olari LR, Ständker L, Preising N, Rodríguez AA, Conzelmann C, Gerbl F, Sauter D, Kirchhoff F, Hagemann B, Gačanin J, Weil T, Ruiz-Blanco YB, Sanchez-Garcia E, Forssmann WG, Mankertz A, Santibanez S, Stenger S, Walther P, Wiese S, Spellerberg B, Münch J. A Placenta Derived C-Terminal Fragment of β-Hemoglobin With Combined Antibacterial and Antiviral Activity. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:508. [PMID: 32328038 PMCID: PMC7153485 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta acts as physical and immunological barrier against the transmission of viruses and bacteria from mother to fetus. However, the specific mechanisms by which the placenta protects the developing fetus from viral and bacterial pathogens are poorly understood. To identify placental peptides and small proteins protecting from viral and bacterial infections, we generated a peptide library from 10 kg placenta by chromatographic means. Screening the resulting 250 fractions against Herpes-Simplex-Virus 2 (HSV-2), which is rarely transmitted through the placenta, in a cell-based system identified two adjacent fractions with significant antiviral activity. Further rounds of chromatographic purification and anti-HSV-2 testing allowed to purify the bioactive peptide. Mass spectrometry revealed the presence of a 36-mer derived from the C-terminal region of the hemoglobin β subunit. The purified and corresponding chemically synthesized peptide, termed HBB(112–147), inhibited HSV-2 infection in a dose-dependent manner, with a mean IC50 in the median μg/ml range. Full-length hemoglobin tetramer had no antiviral activity. HBB(112–147) did not impair infectivity by direct targeting of the virions but prevented HSV-2 infection at the cell entry level. The peptide was inactive against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1, Rubella and Zika virus infection, suggesting a specific anti-HSV-2 mechanism. Notably, HBB(112–147) has previously been identified as broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. It is abundant in placenta, reaching concentrations between 280 and 740 μg/ml, that are well sufficient to inhibit HSV-2 and prototype Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. We here additionally show, that HBB(112–147) also acts potently against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (including a multi-drug resistant strain) in a dose dependent manner, while full-length hemoglobin is inactive. Interestingly, the antibacterial activity of HBB(112–147) was increased under acidic conditions, a hallmark of infection and inflammatory conditions. Indeed, we found that HBB(112–147) is released from the hemoglobin precursor by Cathepsin D and Napsin A, acidic proteases highly expressed in placental and other tissues. We propose that upon viral or bacterial infection, the abundant hemoglobin precursor is proteolytically processed to release HBB(112–147), a broadly active antimicrobial innate immune defense peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rüdiger Groß
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Richard Bauer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Franziska Krüger
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Elke Rücker-Braun
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lia-Raluca Olari
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nico Preising
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Armando A Rodríguez
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.,Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carina Conzelmann
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fabian Gerbl
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Sauter
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Hagemann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jasmina Gačanin
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Inorganic Chemistry I, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanja Weil
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Inorganic Chemistry I, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Yasser B Ruiz-Blanco
- Computational Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Elsa Sanchez-Garcia
- Computational Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Annette Mankertz
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Santibanez
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Steffen Stenger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Paul Walther
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wiese
- Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Barbara Spellerberg
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.,Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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