scholarly journals Is It Possible to Create Antimicrobial Peptides Based on the Amyloidogenic Sequence of Ribosomal S1 Protein of P. aeruginosa?

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 9776
Author(s):  
Sergei Y. Grishin ◽  
Pavel A. Domnin ◽  
Sergey V. Kravchenko ◽  
Viacheslav N. Azev ◽  
Leila G. Mustaeva ◽  
...  

The development and testing of new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent an important milestone toward the development of new antimicrobial drugs that can inhibit the growth of pathogens and multidrug-resistant microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Gram-negative bacteria. Most AMPs achieve these goals through mechanisms that disrupt the normal permeability of the cell membrane, which ultimately leads to the death of the pathogenic cell. Here, we developed a unique combination of a membrane penetrating peptide and peptides prone to amyloidogenesis to create hybrid peptide: “cell penetrating peptide + linker + amyloidogenic peptide”. We evaluated the antimicrobial effects of two peptides that were developed from sequences with different propensities for amyloid formation. Among the two hybrid peptides, one was found with antibacterial activity comparable to antibiotic gentamicin sulfate. Our peptides showed no toxicity to eukaryotic cells. In addition, we evaluated the effect on the antimicrobial properties of amino acid substitutions in the non-amyloidogenic region of peptides. We compared the results with data on the predicted secondary structure, hydrophobicity, and antimicrobial properties of the original and modified peptides. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the promise of hybrid peptides based on amyloidogenic regions of the ribosomal S1 protein for the development of new antimicrobial drugs against P. aeruginosa.

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 524
Author(s):  
Sergey V. Kravchenko ◽  
Pavel A. Domnin ◽  
Sergei Y. Grishin ◽  
Alexander V. Panfilov ◽  
Viacheslav N. Azev ◽  
...  

The need to develop new antimicrobial peptides is due to the high resistance of pathogenic bacteria to traditional antibiotics now and in the future. The creation of synthetic peptide constructs is a common and successful approach to the development of new antimicrobial peptides. In this work, we use a simple, flexible, and scalable technique to create hybrid antimicrobial peptides containing amyloidogenic regions of the ribosomal S1 protein from Staphylococcus aureus. While the cell-penetrating peptide allows the peptide to enter the bacterial cell, the amyloidogenic site provides an antimicrobial effect by coaggregating with functional bacterial proteins. We have demonstrated the antimicrobial effects of the R23F, R23DI, and R23EI hybrid peptides against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus. R23F, R23DI, and R23EI can be used as antimicrobial peptides against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria resistant to traditional antibiotics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Hirsch ◽  
Jochen Wiesner ◽  
Armin Bauer ◽  
Alexander Marker ◽  
Heiko Vogel ◽  
...  

The spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria is an increasing threat to human health, because novel compound classes for the development of antibiotics have not been discovered for decades. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may provide a much-needed breakthrough because these immunity-related defense molecules protect many eukaryotes against Gram-negative pathogens. Recent concepts in evolutionary immunology predict the presence of potent AMPs in insects that have adapted to survive in habitats with extreme microbial contamination. For example, the saprophagous and coprophagous maggots of the drone fly Eristalis tenax (Diptera) can flourish in polluted aquatic habitats, such as sewage tanks and farmyard liquid manure storage pits. We used next-generation sequencing to screen the E. tenax immunity-related transcriptome for AMPs that are synthesized in response to the injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. We identified 22 AMPs and selected nine for larger-scale synthesis to test their activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens, including multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Two cecropin-like peptides (EtCec1-a and EtCec2-a) and a diptericin-like peptide (EtDip) displayed strong activity against the pathogens, even under simulated physiological conditions, and also achieved a good therapeutic window. Therefore, these AMPs could be used as leads for the development of novel antibiotics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Artur Adamczak ◽  
Marcin Ożarowski ◽  
Tomasz M. Karpiński

Curcumin, a principal bioactive substance of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), is reported as a strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agent. However, its antimicrobial properties require further detailed investigations into clinical and multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. In this work, we tested curcumin’s efficacy against over 100 strains of pathogens belonging to 19 species. This activity was determined by the broth microdilution method and by calculating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Our findings confirmed a much greater sensitivity of Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria. This study exhibited a significantly larger variation in the curcumin activity than previous works and suggested that numerous clinical strains of widespread pathogens have a poor sensitivity to curcumin. Similarly, the MICs of the MDR types of Staphylococcus aureus, S. haemolyticus, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis were high (≥2000 µg/mL). However, curcumin was effective against some species and strains: Streptococcus pyogenes (median MIC = 31.25 µg/mL), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (250 µg/mL), Acinetobacter lwoffii (250 µg/mL), and individual strains of Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (62.5 µg/mL). The sensitivity of species was not associated with its affiliation to the genus, and it could differ a lot (e.g., S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae and A. lwoffii, A. baumannii). Hence, curcumin can be considered as a promising antibacterial agent, but with a very selective activity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-271
Author(s):  
V.G. Paliy ◽  
I.G. Paliy ◽  
A.O. Dudar ◽  
D.V. Paliy ◽  
A. V. Kulyk

Successful research by scientists of new synthetic substances of various chemical groups contributes to the broadening of the arsenal of antimicrobial drugs for the prevention and treatment of purulent-inflammatory diseases. Antimicrobial drugs, as a rule, suppress pathogenic, invasive, adhesive properties and reduce the resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics in pathogens of supportive inflammatory diseases; significantly increase the effectiveness of treatment of diseases of infectious origin. The purpose of the study was to study the physicochemical, antimicrobial properties of derivatives of menthol, phenol and quinoline. The results of the study of physicochemical, antimicrobial properties of six chemical compounds of menthol, quinoline, and phenol derivatives using the principle of complex research, in which physicochemical, microbiological methods were used, are presented. There was shown that quaternary ammonium compounds of the menthol derivatives were alike white powders with a molecular weight of 581–693, a melting point of 990 to 1850° C. The chemicals are soluble in water, ethanol. Quinoline preparations have a molecular weight of 687; 756, melting point 178–2000°C; dissolved in ethanol. Compounds of phenol had a molecular weight of 111, 112, a melting point of 1020, 1100°C was soluble in ethanol. It has been established that synthesized substances possess a wide spectrum of antimicrobial action on Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, Candida albicans. In antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococci no markers of resistance to drugs containing in the molecule menthol, phenol, quinoline were found. In complex physical and chemical systems, it was important to study the coefficient of surface tension of solutions of drugs, which was an important objective physical indicator of the molecular state of various drugs. Distilled water was used as a control. Experiments were performed according to a well-known technique. According to the results of the study, in the control the surface tension of water was it was found to be 55,70 dn/cm2. In an experiment with 0,1% solution of decamethoxin; the drug number 2 was 40,80 dn/cm2 and 38,20 dn/cm2. In derivatives of quinoline (DN, drug № 4), was 39,60 dn/cm2 and 34,50 dn/cm2. Solutions of phenol (preparations №5; №6) were characterized by surface tension 32,40–43,50 dn/cm2. Surface tension of solutions of preparations depended on their chemical structure. The antimicrobial properties of the preparations were determined on the museum and clinical strains of microorganisms, which had typical tynctorial, morphological, and cultural characteristics. For a complete biological characterization in strains of Staphylococci, the formation of coagulase enzymes, lecithovitellase, hemolysins, and mannitol fermentation in anaerobic conditions were studied. At 12 museum and clinical strains of bacteria, bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of six drugs, which are derivatives of menthol (DK, №2), quinoline (DN, №4), phenol (preparations №5, №6), have been detected. Derivatives of menthol acted bactericidal to Staphylococci at doses of 0,48-3,9 μg/ml; Quinoline derivatives in the range of 7,8–15,6 μg/ml; derivatives of phenol 31,25–62,5 μg/ml, respectively. Staphylococci were highly resistant to phenol derivatives (31,25–62,5 μg/ml). Gram-negative bacteria exhibited high resistance to quinoline and phenol derivatives (250–500 μg/ml). Summing up the results of determining the antimicrobial action of antiseptics derivatives of menthol, quinoline, it should be emphasized that the drugs have high activity in relation to Staphylococci (0,24–7,8 μg/ml). Phenol derivatives have low bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects on Gram-negative bacteria (125–500 μg/ml), which limits their use in medicine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhanyi Yang ◽  
Shiqi He ◽  
Hua Wu ◽  
Ting Yin ◽  
Lili Wang ◽  
...  

The security issue of human health is faced with dispiriting threats from multidrug-resistant bacteria infections induced by the abuse and misuse of antibiotics. Over decades, the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold great promise as a viable alternative to treatment with antibiotics due to their peculiar antimicrobial mechanisms of action, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, lower drug residue, and ease of synthesis and modification. However, they universally express a series of disadvantages that hinder their potential application in the biomedical field (e.g., low bioavailability, poor protease resistance, and high cytotoxicity) and extremely waste the abundant resources of AMP database discovered over the decades. For all these reasons, the nanostructured antimicrobial peptides (Ns-AMPs), based on a variety of nanosystem modification, have made up for the deficiencies and pushed the development of novel AMP-based antimicrobial therapies. In this review, we provide an overview of the advantages of Ns-AMPs in improving therapeutic efficacy and biological stability, reducing side effects, and gaining the effect of organic targeting and drug controlled release. Then the different material categories of Ns-AMPs are described, including inorganic material nanosystems containing AMPs, organic material nanosystems containing AMPs, and self-assembled AMPs. Additionally, this review focuses on the Ns-AMPs for the effect of biological activities, with emphasis on antimicrobial activity, biosecurity, and biological stability. The “state-of-the-art” antimicrobial modes of Ns-AMPs, including controlled release of AMPs under a specific environment or intrinsic antimicrobial properties of Ns-AMPs, are also explicated. Finally, the perspectives and conclusions of the current research in this field are also summarized.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Teixeira ◽  
Claudia Carbone ◽  
Maria C. Sousa ◽  
Marta Espina ◽  
Maria L. Garcia ◽  
...  

Microbial infections are still among the major public health concerns since several yeasts and fungi, and other pathogenic microorganisms, are responsible for continuous growth of infections and drug resistance against bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance rate is fostering the need to develop new strategies against drug-resistant superbugs. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small peptide-based molecules of 5–100 amino acids in length, with potent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. They are part of the innate immune system, which can represent a minimal risk of resistance development. These characteristics contribute to the description of these molecules as promising new molecules in the development of new antimicrobial drugs. However, efforts in developing new medicines have not resulted in any decrease of drug resistance yet. Thus, a technological approach on improving existing drugs is gaining special interest. Nanomedicine provides easy access to innovative carriers, which ultimately enable the design and development of targeted delivery systems of the most efficient drugs with increased efficacy and reduced toxicity. Based on performance, successful experiments, and considerable market prospects, nanotechnology will undoubtedly lead a breakthrough in biomedical field also for infectious diseases, as there are several nanotechnological approaches that exhibit important roles in restoring antibiotic activity against resistant bacteria.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuemin Liu ◽  
Xuwen Cao ◽  
Su Wang ◽  
Guangdong Ji ◽  
Shicui Zhang ◽  
...  

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microbes caused by overuse of antibiotics leads to urgent demands for novel antibiotics exploration. Our recent data showed that Ly2.1–3 (a novel lymphocyte antigen 6 (Ly6) gene cluster) were proteins with cationic nature and rich in cysteine content, that are characteristic of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their expression were all significantly up-regulated after challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These strongly suggested that Ly2.1–3 are potential AMPs, but firm evidence are lacking. Here, we clearly showed that the recombinant proteins of Ly2.1–3 were capable of killing Gram-negative bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila and Escherichia coli, while they had little bactericidal activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. We also showed that recombinant proteins Ly2.1–3 (rLy2.1–3) were able to bind to the Gram-negative bacteria A. hydrophila, E. coli and the microbial signature molecule LPS, but not to the Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and B. subtilis as well as the microbial signature molecule LTA. Moreover, the Scatchard analysis revealed that rLy2.1–3 could specifically bind to LPS. Finally, we found that Ly2.1–3 were not cytotoxic to mammalian cells. All these together indicate that Ly2.1–3 can function as AMPs.


Author(s):  
Caiyun Li ◽  
Khorshed Alam ◽  
Yiming Zhao ◽  
Jinfang Hao ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
...  

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious public health issues in the worldwide and only a few new antimicrobial drugs have been discovered in recent decades. To overcome the ever-increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, discovery of new natural products (NPs) against MDR pathogens with new technologies is in great demands. Lanthipeptides which are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) display high diversity in their chemical structures and mechanisms of action. Genome mining and biosynthetic engineering have also yielded new lanthipeptides, which are a valuable source of drug candidates. In this review we cover the recent advances in the field of microbial derived lanthipeptide discovery and development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8919
Author(s):  
Miray Tonk ◽  
James J. Valdés ◽  
Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz ◽  
Andreas Vilcinskas

Arthropod antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising source of new leads to address the declining number of novel antibiotics and the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. AMPs with potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria and distinct modes of action have been identified in insects and scorpions, allowing the discovery of AMP combinations with additive and/or synergistic effects. Here, we tested the synergistic activity of two AMPs, from the dung beetle Copris tripartitus (CopA3) and the scorpion Heterometrus petersii (Hp1090), against two strains of Escherichia coli. We also tested the antibacterial activity of two hybrid peptides generated by joining CopA3 and Hp1090 with linkers comprising two (InSco2) or six (InSco6) glycine residues. We found that CopA3 and Hp1090 acted synergistically against both bacterial strains, and the hybrid peptide InSco2 showed more potent bactericidal activity than the parental AMPs or InSco6. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the short linker stabilizes an N-terminal 310-helix in the hybrid peptide InSco2. This secondary structure forms from a coil region that interacts with phosphatidylethanolamine in the membrane bilayer model. The highest concentration of the hybrid peptides used in this study was associated with stronger hemolytic activity than equivalent concentrations of the parental AMPs. As observed for CopA3, the increasing concentration of InSco2 was also cytotoxic to BHK-21 cells. We conclude that AMP hybrids linked by glycine spacers display potent antibacterial activity and that the cytotoxic activity can be modulated by adjusting the nature of the linker peptide, thus offering a strategy to produce hybrid peptides as safe replacements or adjuncts for conventional antibiotic therapy.


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