scholarly journals Multimodal Role of Amino Acids in Microbial Control and Drug Development

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 330
Author(s):  
Muhammad Idrees ◽  
Afzal R. Mohammad ◽  
Nazira Karodia ◽  
Ayesha Rahman

Amino acids are ubiquitous vital biomolecules found in all kinds of living organisms including those in the microbial world. They are utilised as nutrients and control many biological functions in microorganisms such as cell division, cell wall formation, cell growth and metabolism, intermicrobial communication (quorum sensing), and microbial-host interactions. Amino acids in the form of enzymes also play a key role in enabling microbes to resist antimicrobial drugs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and microbial biofilms are posing a great threat to the world’s human and animal population and are of prime concern to scientists and medical professionals. Although amino acids play an important role in the development of microbial resistance, they also offer a solution to the very same problem i.e., amino acids have been used to develop antimicrobial peptides as they are highly effective and less prone to microbial resistance. Other important applications of amino acids include their role as anti-biofilm agents, drug excipients, drug solubility enhancers, and drug adjuvants. This review aims to explore the emerging paradigm of amino acids as potential therapeutic moieties.

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 727-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Wu ◽  
Zhibin Cheng ◽  
Yueyu Bai ◽  
Xi Ma

Nutrients can regulate metabolic activities of living organisms through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA regulation. Since the nutrients required for early embryos and postpartum lactation are derived in whole or in part from maternal and lactating nutrition, the maternal nutritional level affects the growth and development of fetus and creates a profound relationship between disease development and early environmental exposure in the offspring’s later life. Protein is one of the most important biological macromolecules, involved in almost every process of life, such as information transmission, energy processing and material metabolism. Maternal protein intake levels may affect the integrity of the fetal genome and alter DNA methylation and gene expression. Most amino acids are supplied to the fetus from the maternal circulation through active transport of placenta. Some amino acids, such as methionine, as dietary methyl donor, play an important role in DNA methylation and body’s one-carbon metabolism. The purpose of this review is to describe effects of maternal dietary protein and amino acid intake on fetal and neonatal growth and development through epigenetic mechanisms, with examples in humans and animals.


Author(s):  
Y. V. Horiuk ◽  
M. D. Kukhtyn ◽  
V. V. Horiuk ◽  
S. P. Kernychnyi

During the development of mastitis in cows, the formation of a biofilm pathogen is an effective way to preserve it in the microenvironment of mammary gland. Biofilm infections are difficult to treat with antimicrobials, and bacterial resistance to antibiotics increases to 1000-fold level, compared with what is observed when grown in planktonic conditions. The aim of study – to determine and compare the effect of antimicrobial drugs and bacteriophage Phage SAvB14 in the destruction of biofilms formed by S. aureus var. bovis. Isolation and species identification of staphylococci were performed according to conventional methods using BD Baird-Parker Agar medium (HiMedia, India). Determination of ability of staphylococci to form biofilms and the number of viable bacteria was determined by the Stepanovic method. The study of sensitivity of microorganisms in biofilm form was performed on daily microbial biofilms grown in plastic Petri dishes. After 24 hours of incubation of cultures, the dishes were washed three times from planktonic (unattached) microorganisms with sterile phosphate buffer and introduced the studied antibacterial agents. After exposure, the dishes were washed three times with sterile phosphate buffer, introduced 5 cm3 of sterile 0.9% sodium chloride solution and washed the biofilm, took 1.0 cm3 of suspension, prepared a series of ten-fold dilutions, inoculated 1.0 cm3 of each dilution in Petri dishes, poured MPA and incubated at temperature of 370C for 24–48 hours to determine the number of bacteria. In determining the effect of antibiotics on bacterial biofilms, it was found that of the studied antibiotics, enrofloxacin worked best probably due to its low molecular weight and ability to penetrate the pores and channels of the biofilm to microbial cells. After the action of enrofloxacin on biofilms, staphylococcal bacteria were completely inactivated. Also, the antibiotics ceftriaxone and doxycycline were effective against bacteria in biofilms. After the action of ceftriaxone, the number of surviving bacteria was lg 1.9 ± 1.1 CFU/cm2 of biofilm area, and doxycycline lg 2.5 ± 1.2 CFU/cm2. At the same time, under the action of antibiotics penicillins, aminoglycosides and macrolides, the number of surviving microbial cells was about lg 5.3 CFU/cm2 of biofilm area. In studies on the effect of bacteriophage Phage SAvB14 on biofilms formed by S. aureus var. bovis, there was their degradation. At this, viable microbial cells from the biofilm were not isolated. In this case, we can say that the phages penetrated and reached the staphylococcal cells throughout the thickness of biofilm and bacteria were susceptible to this phage. That is, there was a passive treatment of biofilm with phages, in which lysis depended on the rate of virus uptake. Therefore, the obtained results of laboratory studies indicate the prospects of effective use of our selected specific staphylococcal bacteriophage Phage SAvB14 for the destruction of biofilm formed by S. aureus var. bovis – in mastitis of cows.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacco J.A.J. Bastings ◽  
Hans M. van Eijk ◽  
Steven W. Olde Damink ◽  
Sander S. Rensen

d-amino acids, the enantiomeric counterparts of l-amino acids, were long considered to be non-functional or not even present in living organisms. Nowadays, d-amino acids are acknowledged to play important roles in numerous physiological processes in the human body. The most commonly studied link between d-amino acids and human physiology concerns the contribution of d-serine and d-aspartate to neurotransmission. These d-amino acids and several others have also been implicated in regulating innate immunity and gut barrier function. Importantly, the presence of certain d-amino acids in the human body has been linked to several diseases including schizophrenia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and age-related disorders such as cataract and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, increasing evidence supports a role for d-amino acids in the development, pathophysiology, and treatment of cancer. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the various sources of d-amino acids, their metabolism, as well as their contribution to physiological processes and diseases in man, with a focus on cancer.


Author(s):  
Sanaa K. Bardaweel ◽  
Muhammed Alzweiri ◽  
Aman A. Ishaqat

Homochirality is fundamental for life. L-Amino acids are exclusively used as substrates for the polymerization and formation of peptides and proteins in living systems. However, D- amino acids were recently detected in various living organisms, including mammals. Of these D-amino acids, D-serine has been most extensively studied. D-Serine was found to play an important role as a neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system (CNS) by binding to the N-methyl- D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr). D-Serine binds with high affinity to a co-agonist site at the NMDAr and, along with glutamate, mediates several vital physiological and pathological processes, including NMDAr transmission, synaptic plasticity and neurotoxicity. Therefore, a key role for D-serine as a determinant of NMDAr mediated neurotransmission in mammalian CNS has been suggested. In this context, we review the known functions of D-serine in human physiology, such as CNS development, and pathology, such as neuro-psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases related to NMDAr dysfunction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 649-651
Author(s):  
M. S. Stepanov ◽  
A. P. Godovalov ◽  
E. E. Kobzarenko ◽  
M. V. Fadeeva ◽  
E. A. Gyr

Microbial biofilms are heterogeneous, moving and constantly changing communities of microorganisms, often of various taxons. Approaches to study and assessment anti-biofilm drugs widely available today do not adequately assess their effects, while the results of studying the interaction of drugs with components of the film composition can provide them the right choice. The aim of investigation was to test a new method of morphological evaluation of biofilms. To form biofilms, we used an approach when the slide was placed at an angle of 30o-45o relatively to the Petri dish, and a suspension of test strains S. epidermidis in peptone broth was poured into the space between the Petri dish and the slide. A sterile cotton swab moistened with distilled water was placed next to the glass slide to create optimal humidity. The system was placed in a thermostat for 24 hours. The formed films were examined under a microscope using the DCM 310 video eyepiece and the Scope photo x86,3.1.312 program that allowed to conduct a complete morphometric study of the film: select layers, channels, cavities and make measurements, and then save the results on electronic media in jpg file format. Microscopy of the stained slides revealed that the biofilm has a layered structure. In each image obtained using a video eyepiece, it was possible to differentiate 4 layers. From the border of the two media to the inside: the fragmentation layer, the dense layer, the matrix substance layer, and the last one - the persistence layer. Channels of different diameters (from 10 to 24 microns) are observed across the entire thickness of the biofilm. Thus, used approach allows us to visualize and evaluate the structure of microbial biofilm, measure the thickness of layers and channel diameters. In addition, this method can be used to study the effect of antimicrobial drugs on bacterial films.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (22) ◽  
pp. 6961-6966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Xiao ◽  
Fariborz Nasertorabi ◽  
Sei-hyun Choi ◽  
Gye Won Han ◽  
Sean A. Reed ◽  
...  

With few exceptions, all living organisms encode the same 20 canonical amino acids; however, it remains an open question whether organisms with additional amino acids beyond the common 20 might have an evolutionary advantage. Here, we begin to test that notion by making a large library of mutant enzymes in which 10 structurally distinct noncanonical amino acids were substituted at single sites randomly throughout TEM-1 β-lactamase. A screen for growth on the β-lactam antibiotic cephalexin afforded a unique p-acrylamido-phenylalanine (AcrF) mutation at Val-216 that leads to an increase in catalytic efficiency by increasing kcat, but not significantly affecting KM. To understand the structural basis for this enhanced activity, we solved the X-ray crystal structures of the ligand-free mutant enzyme and of the deacylation-defective wild-type and mutant cephalexin acyl-enzyme intermediates. These structures show that the Val-216–AcrF mutation leads to conformational changes in key active site residues—both in the free enzyme and upon formation of the acyl-enzyme intermediate—that lower the free energy of activation of the substrate transacylation reaction. The functional changes induced by this mutation could not be reproduced by substitution of any of the 20 canonical amino acids for Val-216, indicating that an expanded genetic code may offer novel solutions to proteins as they evolve new activities.


2011 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hieronim Jakubowski

All living organisms conduct protein synthesis with a high degree of accuracy maintained in the transmission and flow of information from a gene to protein product. One crucial 'quality control' point in maintaining a high level of accuracy is the selectivity by which aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases furnish correctly activated amino acids, attached to tRNA species, as the building blocks for growing protein chains. When differences in binding energies of amino acids to an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase are inadequate, editing is used as a major determinant of enzyme selectivity. Some incorrect amino acids are edited at the active site before the transfer to tRNA (pre-transfer editing), while others are edited after transfer to tRNA at a separate editing site (post-transfer editing). Access of natural non-protein amino acids, such as homocysteine, homoserine, or ornithine to the genetic code is prevented by the editing function of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Disabling editing function leads to tRNA mischarging errors and incorporation of incorrect amino acids into protein, which is detrimental to cell homeostasis and inhibits growth. Continuous homocysteine editing by methionyl-tRNA synthetase, resulting in the synthesis of homocysteine thiolactone, is part of the process of tRNA aminoacylation in living organisms, from bacteria to man. Excessive homocysteine thiolactone synthesis in hyperhomocysteinemia caused by genetic or nutritional deficiencies is linked to human vascular and neurological diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 12159
Author(s):  
Bassam A. Elgamoudi ◽  
Victoria Korolik

Microbial biofilms occur naturally in many environmental niches and can be a significant reservoir of infectious microbes in zoonotically transmitted diseases such as that caused by Campylobacter jejuni, the leading cause of acute human bacterial gastroenteritis world-wide. The greatest challenge in reducing the disease caused by this organism is reducing transmission of C. jejuni to humans from poultry via the food chain. Biofilms enhance the stress tolerance and antimicrobial resistance of the microorganisms they harbor and are considered to play a crucial role for Campylobacter spp. survival and transmission to humans. Unconventional approaches to control biofilms and to improve the efficacy of currently used antibiotics are urgently needed. This review summarizes the use plant- and microorganism-derived antimicrobial and antibiofilm compounds such as essential oils, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), polyphenolic extracts, algae extracts, probiotic-derived factors, d-amino acids (DAs) and glycolipid biosurfactants with potential to control biofilms formed by Campylobacter, and the suggested mechanisms of their action. Further investigation and use of such natural compounds could improve preventative and remedial strategies aimed to limit the transmission of campylobacters and other human pathogens via the food chain.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po-Yi Huang ◽  
Fanny Wang ◽  
Kamesh Narasimhan ◽  
Kelly Chatman ◽  
John Aach ◽  
...  

To maintain stereospecific biochemistry in cells, living organisms have evolved mechanisms to exclude D-amino acids (DAA) in their protein synthesis machinery, which also limits our exploration of the realm of mirror-image molecules. Here, we show that high affinity between EF-Tu and aminoacyl-tRNA promotes D-amino acid incorporation. More strikingly, Elongation Factor P efficiently resolves peptidyl transferase stalling between two consecutive D-amino acids, and hence enables the translation of D-peptides.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (23) ◽  
pp. 7401
Author(s):  
Mario Mardirossian ◽  
Marina Rubini ◽  
Mauro F. A. Adamo ◽  
Marco Scocchi ◽  
Michele Saviano ◽  
...  

The 3D structure and surface characteristics of proteins and peptides are crucial for interactions with receptors or ligands and can be modified to some extent to modulate their biological roles and pharmacological activities. The introduction of halogen atoms on the side-chains of amino acids is a powerful tool for effecting this type of tuning, influencing both the physico-chemical and structural properties of the modified polypeptides, helping to first dissect and then rationally modify features that affect their mode of action. This review provides examples of the influence of different types of halogenation in amino acids that replace native residues in proteins and peptides. Examples of synthetic strategies for obtaining halogenated amino acids are also provided, focusing on some representative compounds and their biological effects. The role of halogenation in native and designed antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their mimetics is then discussed. These are in the spotlight for the development of new antimicrobial drugs to counter the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. AMPs represent an interesting model to study the role that natural halogenation has on their mode of action and also to understand how artificially halogenated residues can be used to rationally modify and optimize AMPs for pharmaceutical purposes.


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