scholarly journals The Continuing Story of Class IIa Bacteriocins

2006 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 564-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Djamel Drider ◽  
Gunnar Fimland ◽  
Yann Héchard ◽  
Lynn M. McMullen ◽  
Hervé Prévost

SUMMARY Many bacteria produce antimicrobial peptides, which are also referred to as peptide bacteriocins. The class IIa bacteriocins, often designated pediocin-like bacteriocins, constitute the most dominant group of antimicrobial peptides produced by lactic acid bacteria. The bacteriocins that belong to this class are structurally related and kill target cells by membrane permeabilization. Despite their structural similarity, class IIa bacteriocins display different target cell specificities. In the search for new antibiotic substances, the class IIa bacteriocins have been identified as promising new candidates and have thus received much attention. They kill some pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Listeria) with high efficiency, and they constitute a good model system for structure-function analyses of antimicrobial peptides in general. This review focuses on class IIa bacteriocins, especially on their structure, function, mode of action, biosynthesis, bacteriocin immunity, and current food applications. The genetics and biosynthesis of class IIa bacteriocins are well understood. The bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized with an N-terminal leader sequence, which is cleaved off upon secretion. After externalization, the class IIa bacteriocins attach to potential target cells and, through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, subsequently permeabilize the cell membrane of sensitive cells. Recent observations suggest that a chiral interaction and possibly the presence of a mannose permease protein on the target cell surface are required for a bacteria to be sensitive to class IIa bacteriocins. There is also substantial evidence that the C-terminal half penetrates into the target cell membrane, and it plays an important role in determining the target cell specificity of these bacteriocins. Immunity proteins protect the bacteriocin producer from the bacteriocin it secretes. The three-dimensional structures of two class IIa immunity proteins have been determined, and it has been shown that the C-terminal halves of these cytosolic four-helix bundle proteins specify which class IIa bacteriocin they protect against.

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1461
Author(s):  
Nuno Mariz-Ponte ◽  
Laura Regalado ◽  
Emil Gimranov ◽  
Natália Tassi ◽  
Luísa Moura ◽  
...  

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is the pathogenic agent responsible for the bacterial canker of kiwifruit (BCK) leading to major losses in kiwifruit productions. No effective treatments and measures have yet been found to control this disease. Despite antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) having been successfully used for the control of several pathogenic bacteria, few studies have focused on the use of AMPs against Psa. In this study, the potential of six AMPs (BP100, RW-BP100, CA-M, 3.1, D4E1, and Dhvar-5) to control Psa was investigated. The minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) were determined and membrane damaging capacity was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis. Among the tested AMPs, the higher inhibitory and bactericidal capacity was observed for BP100 and CA-M with MIC of 3.4 and 3.4–6.2 µM, respectively and MBC 3.4–10 µM for both. Flow cytometry assays suggested a faster membrane permeation for peptide 3.1, in comparison with the other AMPs studied. Peptide mixtures were also tested, disclosing the high efficiency of BP100:3.1 at low concentration to reduce Psa viability. These results highlight the potential interest of AMP mixtures against Psa, and 3.1 as an antimicrobial molecule that can improve other treatments in synergic action.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Maeki ◽  
Yasuko Mori

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is a T lymphotropic herpesvirus belonging to theBetaherpesvirinaesubfamily. HHV-6 was long classified into variants A and B (HHV-6A and HHV-6B); however, recently, HHV-6A and HHV-6B were reclassified as different species. The process of herpesvirus entry into target cells is complicated, and in the case of HHV-6A and HHV-6B, the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated, although both viruses are known to enter cells via endocytosis. In this paper, (1) findings about the cellular receptor and its ligand for HHV-6A and HHV-6B are summarized, and (2) a schematic model of HHV-6A’s replication cycle, including its entry, is presented. In addition, (3) reports showing the importance of lipids in both the HHV-6A envelope and target-cell membrane for viral entry are reviewed, and (4) glycoproteins involved in cell fusion are discussed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 2412-2420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inna S. Radzishevsky ◽  
Shahar Rotem ◽  
Fadia Zaknoon ◽  
Leonid Gaidukov ◽  
Arie Dagan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT To investigate the importance of increased hydrophobicity at the amino end of antimicrobial peptides, a dermaseptin derivative was used as a template for a systematic acylation study. Through a gradual increase of the acyl moiety chain length, hydrophobicity was monitored and further modulated by acyl conversion to aminoacyl. The chain lengths of the acyl derivatives correlated with a gradual increase in the peptide's global hydrophobicity and stabilization of its helical structure. The effect on cytolytic properties, however, fluctuated for different cells. Whereas acylation gradually enhanced hemolysis of human red blood cells and antiprotozoan activity against Leishmania major, bacteria displayed a more complex behavior. The gram-positive organism Staphylococcus aureus was most sensitive to intermediate acyl chains, while longer acyls gradually led to a total loss of activity. All acyl derivatives were detrimental to activity against Escherichia coli, namely, but not solely, because of peptide aggregation. Although aminoacyl derivatives behaved essentially similarly to the nonaminated acyls, they displayed reduced hydrophobicity, and consequently, the long-chain acyls enhanced activity against all microorganisms (e.g., by up to 12-fold for the aminolauryl derivative) but were significantly less hemolytic than their acyl counterparts. Acylation also enhanced bactericidal kinetics and peptide resistance to plasma proteases. The similarities and differences upon acylation of MSI-78 and LL37 are presented and discussed. Overall, the data suggest an approach that can be used to enhance the potencies of acylated short antimicrobial peptides by preventing hydrophobic interactions that lead to self-assembly in solution and, thus, to inefficacy against cell wall-containing target cells.


2016 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. N. Figueira ◽  
L. M. Palermo ◽  
A. S. Veiga ◽  
D. Huey ◽  
C. A. Alabi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Measles virus (MV) infection is undergoing resurgence and remains one of the leading causes of death among young children worldwide despite the availability of an effective measles vaccine. MV infects its target cells by coordinated action of the MV hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F) envelope glycoproteins; upon receptor engagement by H, the prefusion F undergoes a structural transition, extending and inserting into the target cell membrane and then refolding into a postfusion structure that fuses the viral and cell membranes. By interfering with this structural transition of F, peptides derived from the heptad repeat (HR) regions of F can inhibit MV infection at the entry stage. In previous work, we have generated potent MV fusion inhibitors by dimerizing the F-derived peptides and conjugating them to cholesterol. We have shown that prophylactic intranasal administration of our lead fusion inhibitor efficiently protects from MV infection in vivo. We show here that peptides tagged with lipophilic moieties self-assemble into nanoparticles until they reach the target cells, where they are integrated into cell membranes. The self-assembly feature enhances biodistribution and the half-life of the peptides, while integration into the target cell membrane increases fusion inhibitor potency. These factors together modulate in vivo efficacy. The results suggest a new framework for developing effective fusion inhibitory peptides. IMPORTANCE Measles virus (MV) infection causes an acute illness that may be associated with infection of the central nervous system (CNS) and severe neurological disease. No specific treatment is available. We have shown that fusion-inhibitory peptides delivered intranasally provide effective prophylaxis against MV infection. We show here that specific biophysical properties regulate the in vivo efficacy of MV F-derived peptides.


Author(s):  
K. E. Muse ◽  
D. G. Fischer ◽  
H. S. Koren

Mononuclear phagocytes, a pluripotential cell line, manifest an array of basic extracellular functions. Among these physiological regulatory functions is the expression of spontaneous cytolytic potential against tumor cell targets.The limited observations on human cells, almost exclusively blood monocytes, initially reported limited or a lack of tumoricidal activity in the absence of antibody. More recently, freshly obtained monocytes have been reported to spontaneously impair the biability of tumor target cells in vitro (Harowitz et al., 1979; Montavani et al., 1979; Hammerstrom, 1979). Although the mechanism by which effector cells express cytotoxicity is poorly understood, discrete steps can be distinguished in the process of cell mediated cytotoxicity: recognition and binding of effector to target cells,a lethal-hit stage, and subsequent lysis of the target cell. Other important parameters in monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity include, activated state of the monocyte, effector cell concentrations, and target cell suseptibility. However, limited information is available with regard to the ultrastructural changes accompanying monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (32) ◽  
pp. 2970-2983
Author(s):  
Samuel J.S. Rubin ◽  
Nir Qvit

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of peptides found across a wide array of organisms that play key roles in host defense. AMPs induce selective death in target cells and orchestrate specific or nonspecific immune responses. Many AMPs exhibit native anticancer activity in addition to antibacterial activity, and others have been engineered as antineoplastic agents. We discuss the use of AMPs in the detection and treatment of cancer as well as mechanisms of AMP-induced cell death. We present key examples of cathelicidins and transferrins, which are major AMP families. Further, we discuss the critical roles of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in cancer and how AMPs are well-suited to target PPIs based on their unique drug-like properties not exhibited by small molecules or antibodies. While peptides, including AMPs, can have limited stability and bioavailability, these issues can be overcome by peptide backbone modification or cyclization (e.g., stapling) and by the use of delivery systems such as cellpenetrating peptides (CPPs), respectively. We discuss approaches for optimizing drug properties of peptide and peptidomimetic leads (modified peptides), providing examples of promising techniques that may be applied to AMPs. These molecules represent an exciting resource as anticancer agents with unique therapeutic advantages that can target challenging mechanisms involving PPIs. Indeed, AMPs are suitable drug leads for further development of cancer therapeutics, and many studies to this end are underway.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-274
Author(s):  
Wei-hong Chen ◽  
Zhen Luo ◽  
Zi-Wan Ning ◽  
Jiao Peng ◽  
Xiao-peng Hu ◽  
...  

AbstractExtracts of Cyclocarya paliurus (CP) leaves, a popular sweet tea, inhibit pancreatic β cell apoptosis and have potent hypoglycemic effects, but the identities of the anti-apoptotic bioactive components are still unknown. In the present study, a method using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based on serum pharmacochemistry combined with target cell extraction was established to rapidly identify direct-acting pancreatic protectants from CP. After orally administering a set amount of CP extract to rats, blood samples were collected to characterize the components that can be absorbed into the blood using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Also, target cells (pancreatic β NIT-1 cells) were incubated with CP extract for 24 hours, and cells were collected to identify the components that can bind to the cells using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Finally, to evaluate the protective effect of the bioactive components of CP, MTT and TUNEL assays were performed on treated NIT-1 cell induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Three potential direct-acting pancreatic protectants -- kaempferol, quercetin, quadranoside IV -- were identified, and anti-apoptotic effects of kaempferol and quercetin were confirmed in STZ-induced NIT-1 cells. The findings indicate that this combined approach is a feasible, rapid, and expedient tool for capturing potential direct-acting components from natural products such as those from CP leaves.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2771
Author(s):  
Tobias Wieland ◽  
Julia Assmann ◽  
Astrid Bethe ◽  
Christian Fidelak ◽  
Helena Gmoser ◽  
...  

The increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogenic bacteria is a global threat to human and veterinary medicine. Beyond antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) might be an alternative to inhibit the growth of bacteria, including AMR pathogens, on different surfaces. Biofilm formation, which starts out as bacterial adhesion, poses additional challenges for antibiotics targeting bacterial cells. The objective of this study was to establish a real-time method for the monitoring of the inhibition of (a) bacterial adhesion to a defined substrate and (b) biofilm formation by AMPs using an innovative thermal sensor. We provide evidence that the thermal sensor enables continuous monitoring of the effect of two potent AMPs, protamine and OH-CATH-30, on surface colonization of bovine mastitis-associated Escherichia (E.) coli and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus. The bacteria were grown under static conditions on the surface of the sensor membrane, on which temperature oscillations generated by a heater structure were detected by an amorphous germanium thermistor. Bacterial adhesion, which was confirmed by white light interferometry, caused a detectable amplitude change and phase shift. To our knowledge, the thermal measurement system has never been used to assess the effect of AMPs on bacterial adhesion in real time before. The system could be used to screen and evaluate bacterial adhesion inhibition of both known and novel AMPs.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2747
Author(s):  
Jiaman Liu ◽  
Yuqing Liu ◽  
Xiaofeng He ◽  
Bo Teng ◽  
Jacqui M. McRae

Valonea tannin is a natural product readily extracted from acorn shells that has been suggested to have potential skin whitening properties. This study investigated the tyrosinase inhibition activity of extracted valonea tannin and the associated structure–function activity. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular weight analysis with gel permeation chromatography revealed that valonea tannin could be characterized as a hydrolysable tannin with galloyl, hexahydroxydiphenoyl and open formed-glucose moieties and an average molecular weight of 3042 ± 15 Da. Tyrosinase inhibition assays demonstrated that valonea tannin was 334 times more effective than gallic acid and 3.4 times more effective than tannic acid, which may relate to the larger molecular size. Kinetic studies of the inhibition reactions indicated that valonea tannin provided tyrosinase inhibition through mixed competitive–uncompetitive way. Stern–Volmer fitted fluorescence quenching analysis, isothermal titration calorimetry analysis and in silico molecule docking showed valonea tannin non-selectively bound to the surface of tyrosinase via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and free radical scavenging assays indicated the valonea tannin had copper ion chelating and antioxidant ability, which may also contribute to inhibition activity. These results demonstrated the structure–function activity of valonea tannin as a highly effective natural tyrosinase inhibitor that may have commercial application in dermatological medicines or cosmetic products.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Christin Bendix ◽  
Michael Stephan ◽  
Mariel Nöhre ◽  
Wally Wünsch-Leiteritz ◽  
Hagen Schmidt ◽  
...  

AbstractClinical observations show that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) are surprisingly free from infectious diseases. There is evidence from studies in Drosophila melanogaster that starvation leads to an increased expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are part of the innate immune system and protect human surfaces from colonization with pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi. We compared the expression of AMPs between patients with AN and healthy controls (HC) and investigated the influence of weight gain. Using a standardized skin rinsing method, quantitative determination of the AMPs psoriasin and RNase 7 was carried out by ELISA. Even though non-significant, effect sizes revealed slightly higher AMP concentrations in HC. After a mean weight gain of 2.0 body mass index points, the concentration of psoriasin on the forehead of patients with AN increased significantly. We could not confirm our hypotheses of higher AMP concentrations in patients with AN that decrease after weight gain. On the contrary, weight gain seems to be associated with increasing AMP concentrations.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document