Synergistic combination of alkylphosphocholines with peptaibols in targeting Leishmania infantum in vitro.

Anti-leishmanial treatment increasingly encounters therapeutic limitations due to drug toxicity and development of resistance. The effort for new therapeutic strategies led us to work on combinations of chemically different compounds that could yield enhanced leishmanicidal effect. Peptaibols are a special type of antimicrobial peptides that are able to form ion channels in cell membranes and potentially affect cell viability. We assayed the antileishmanial activity of two well studied helical peptaibols, the 16-residue antiamoebin and the 20-residue alamethicin-analogue suzukacillin, and we evaluated the biological effect of their combination with the alkylphosphocholine miltefosine and its synthetic analogue TC52. The peptaibols tested exhibited only moderate antileishmanial activity, however their combination with miltefosine had a super-additive effect against the intracellular parasite (combination index 0.83 and 0.43 for antiamoebin and suzukacillin respectively). Drug combinations altered the redox stage of promastigotes, rapidly dissipated mitochondrial membrane potential and induced concatenation of mitochondrial network promoting spheroidal morphology. These results evidenced a potent and specific antileishmanial effect of the peptaibols/miltefosine combinations, achieved with significantly lower concentrations of the compounds compared to monotherapy. Furthermore, they revealed the importance of exploring novel classes of bioactive compounds such as peptaibols and demonstrated for the first time that they can act in synergy with currently used antileishmanial drugs to improve the therapeutic outcome.

The crystal structure of the lipoaminopeptaibol helioferin, an antibiotic peptide from Mycogone rosea.

The crystal structure of the natural nonapeptide antibiotic helioferin has been determined and refined to 0.9 Šresolution. Helioferin consists of helioferin A and B, which contain 2-(2'-aminopropyl)aminoethanol (Apae) and 2-[(2'-aminopropyl)methylamino]ethanol (Amae) at their respective alkanolamine termini. In addition, helioferin contains the unusual amino-acid residues α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) and (2S,4S,6S)-2-amino-6-hydroxy-4-methyl-8-oxodecanoic acid (Ahmod). The amino-terminus is capped with 2-methyl-n-1-octanoic acid (M8a). The peptide crystallizes with a 1:1 molar ratio of helioferin A and B in the monoclinic space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 34.711, b = 10.886, c = 17.150 Å, ß = 93.05°. The peptide backbone folds in a regular right-handed α-helical conformation, with eight intramolecular hydrogen bonds, all but one forming 5→1 interactions. The two aliphatic chains of the fatty-acyl (M8a) and the second residue (Ahmod) extend out of the α-helical structure in opposite directions and lead to a corkscrew-like shape of the peptide molecule. Halogen anions (Cl- and F-) have been co-crystallized with the peptide molecules, implying a positive charge at the aminoalcohol end of the peptide. In the tightly packed crystal the helices are linked head to tail via the anions by electrostatic, hydrogen-bond and van der Waals interactions, forming continuous helical rods. Two nonparallel rods (forming an angle of 118°) interact directly via hydrogen bonds and via the anions, forming a double layer. Successive double layers are held together only via van der Waals contacts. The helical axes of successive double layers are also related by an angle of 118°. The structure of helioferin reported here and the previously determined structure of the homologous leucinostatin A have a total straight length of about 21 Å, indicating a different membrane-modifying bioactivity from that of long-chain, amphiphilic peptaibols.

A natural, single-residue substitution yields a less active peptaibiotic: the structure of bergofungin A at atomic resolution.

Bergofungin is a peptide antibiotic that is produced by the ascomycetous fungus Emericellopsis donezkii HKI 0059 and belongs to peptaibol subfamily 2. The crystal structure of bergofungin A has been determined and refined to 0.84 Šresolution. This is the second crystal structure of a natural 15-residue peptaibol, after that of samarosporin I. The amino-terminal phenylalanine residue in samarosporin I is exchanged to a valine residue in bergofungin A. According to agar diffusion tests, this results in a nearly inactive antibiotic peptide compared with the moderately active samarosporin I. Crystals were obtained from methanol solutions of purified bergofungin mixed with water. Although there are differences in the intramolecular hydrogen-bonding scheme of samarosporin I, the overall folding is very similar for both peptaibols, namely 310-helical at the termini and α-helical in the middle of the molecules. Bergofungin A and samarosporin I molecules are arranged in a similar way in both lattices. However, the packing of bergofungin A exhibits a second solvent channel along the twofold axis. This latter channel occurs in the vicinity of the N-terminus, where the natural substitution resides.

Sequences of stilboflavin C: towards the peptaibiome of the filamentous fungus Stilbella (= Trichoderma) flavipes.

Filamentous fungi of the genus Stilbella are recognized as an abundant source of naturally occurring α-aminoisobutyric acid-containing peptides. The culture broth of Stilbella (Trichoderma) flavipes CBS 146.81 yielded a mixture of peptides named stilboflavins (SF), and these were isolated and separated by preparative TLC into groups named SF-A, SF-B, and SF-C. Although all three of these groups resolved as single spots on thin-layer chromatograms, HPLC analysis revealed that each of the groups represents very microheterogeneous mixtures of closely related peptides. Here, we report on the sequence analysis of SF-C peptides, formerly isolated by preparative TLC. HPLC coupled to QqTOF-ESI-HRMS provided the sequences of 10 16-residue peptides and five 19-residue peptides, all of which were N-terminally acetylated. In contrast to the previously described SF-A and SF-B peptaibols, SF-C peptaibols contain Ser-Alaol or Ser-Leuol, which are rarely found as C-termini, and repetitive Leu-Aib-Gly sequences, which have not been detected in peptaibols before. Taking the previously determined sequences of SF-A and SF-B into account, the entirety of peptides produced by S. flavipes (the 'peptaibiome') approaches or exceeds 100 non-ribosomally biosynthesized peptaibiotics. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gas chromatographic separation of stereoisomers of non-protein amino acids on modified γ-cyclodextrin stationary phase.

Stereoisomers (enantiomers and diastereoisomers) of synthetic, non-protein amino acids comprising α-, ß-, and γ-amino acids, including α,α-dialkyl amino acids, were converted into the respective N-trifluoroacetyl-O-methyl esters and analyzed and resolved by gas chromatography (GC) on a commercial fused silica capillary column coated with the chiral stationary phase octakis(3-O-butyryl-2,6-di-O-pentyl)-γ-cyclodextrin. This column is marketed under the trade name Lipodex(®) E. Chromatograms, retention times, and a chart displaying the retention times of approximately 40 stereoisomers of amino acids are presented. With few exceptions, baseline or almost baseline resolution was achieved for enantiomers and diastereoisomers. The chromatographic method presented is considered to be highly suitable for the elucidation of the stereochemistry of non-protein amino acids, for example in natural products, and for evaluating the enantiopurity of genetically non-coded amino acids used for the synthesis and design of conformationally tailored peptides. The method is applicable to extraterrestrial materials or can be used in experimental work related to abiotic syntheses or enantioselective destruction and amplification of amino acids.

The peptaibiotics database--a comprehensive online resource.

In this work, we present the 'Peptaibiotics Database' (PDB), a comprehensive online resource, which intends to cover all Aib-containing non-ribosomal fungal peptides currently described in scientific literature. This database shall extend and update the recently published 'Comprehensive Peptaibiotics Database' and currently consists of 1,297 peptaibiotic sequences. In a literature survey, a total of 235 peptaibiotic sequences published between January 2013 and June 2014 have been compiled, and added to the list of 1,062 peptides in the recently published 'Comprehensive Peptaibiotics Database'. The presented database is intended as a public resource freely accessible to the scientific community at peptaibiotics-database.boku.ac.at. The search options of the previously published repository and the presentation of sequence motif searches have been extended significantly. All of the available search options can be combined to create complex database queries. As a public repository, the presented database enables the easy upload of new peptaibiotic sequences or the correction of existing informations. In addition, an administrative interface for maintenance of the content of the database has been implemented, and the design of the database can be easily extended to store additional information to accommodate future needs of the 'peptaibiomics community'.

Peptaibol, secondary-metabolite, and hydrophobin pattern of commercial biocontrol agents formulated with species of the Trichoderma harzianum complex.

The production of bioactive polypeptides (peptaibiotics) in vivo is a sophisticated adaptation strategy of both mycoparasitic and saprotrophic Trichoderma species for colonizing and defending their natural habitats. This feature is of major practical importance, as the detection of peptaibiotics in plant-protective Trichoderma species, which are successfully used against economically relevant bacterial and fungal plant pathogens, certainly contributes to a better understanding of these complex antagonistic interactions. We analyzed five commercial biocontrol agents (BCAs), namely Canna(®) , Trichosan(®) , Vitalin(®) , Promot(®) WP, and TrichoMax(®) , formulated with recently described species of the Trichoderma harzianum complex, viz. T. afroharzianum, T. simmonsii, and T. guizhouense. By using the well-established, HPLC/MS-based peptaibiomics approach, it could unequivocally be demonstrated that all of these formulations contained new and recurrent peptaibols, i.e., peptaibiotics carrying an acetylated N-terminus, the C-terminus of which is reduced to a 1,2-amino alcohol. Their chain lengths, including the amino alcohol, were 11, 14, and 18 residues, respectively. Peptaibols were also to be the dominating secondary metabolites in plate cultures of the four strains obtained from four of the Trichoderma- based BCAs, contributing 95% of the UHPLC-UV/VIS peak areas and 99% of the total ion count MS peak area from solid media. Furthermore, species-specific hydrophobins, as well as non-peptaibiotic secondary metabolites, were detected, the latter being known for their antifungal, siderophore, or plant-growth-promoting activities. Notably, none of the isolates produced low-molecular weight mycotoxins.

The crystal structure of Z-Gly-Aib-Gly-Aib-OtBu.

The synthetic peptide Z-Gly-Aib-Gly-Aib-OtBu was dissolved in methanol and crystallized in a mixture of ethyl acetate and petroleum ether. The crystals belong to the centrosymmetric space group P4/n that is observed less than 0.3% in the Cambridge Structural Database. The first Gly residue assumes a semi-extended conformation (φ ±62°, ψ ∓131°). The right-handed peptide folds in two consecutive ß-turns of type II' and type I or an incipient 310 -helix, and the left-handed counterpart folds accordingly in the opposite configuration. In the crystal lattice, one molecule is linked to four neighbors in the ab-plane via hydrogen bonds. These bonds form a continuous network of left- and right-handed molecules. The successive ab-planes stack via apolar contacts in the c-direction. An ethyl acetate molecule is situated on and close to the fourfold axis.

The peptide Z-Aib-Aib-Aib-L-Ala-OtBu.

The title peptide, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-α-aminoisobutyryl-α-aminoisobutyryl-α-aminoisobutyryl-L-alanine tert-butyl ester or Z-Aib-Aib-Aib-L-Ala-OtBu (Aib is α-aminoisobutyric acid, Z is benzyloxycarbonyl and OtBu indicates the tert-butyl ester), C27H42N4O7, is a left-handed helix with a right-handed conformation in the fourth residue, which is the only chiral residue. There are two 4→1 intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the structure. In the lattice, molecules are hydrogen bonded to form columns along the c axis.

The comprehensive peptaibiotics database.

Peptaibiotics are nonribosomally biosynthesized peptides, which - according to definition - contain the marker amino acid α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) and possess antibiotic properties. Being known since 1958, a constantly increasing number of peptaibiotics have been described and investigated with a particular emphasis on hypocrealean fungi. Starting from the existing online 'Peptaibol Database', first published in 1997, an exhaustive literature survey of all known peptaibiotics was carried out and resulted in a list of 1043 peptaibiotics. The gathered information was compiled and used to create the new 'The Comprehensive Peptaibiotics Database', which is presented here. The database was devised as a software tool based on Microsoft (MS) Access. It is freely available from the internet at http://peptaibiotics-database.boku.ac.at and can easily be installed and operated on any computer offering a Windows XP/7 environment. It provides useful information on characteristic properties of the peptaibiotics included such as peptide category, group name of the microheterogeneous mixture to which the peptide belongs, amino acid sequence, sequence length, producing fungus, peptide subfamily, molecular formula, and monoisotopic mass. All these characteristics can be used and combined for automated search within the database, which makes The Comprehensive Peptaibiotics Database a versatile tool for the retrieval of valuable information about peptaibiotics. Sequence data have been considered as to December 14, 2012.

Screening the biosphere: the fungicolous fungus Trichoderma phellinicola, a prolific source of hypophellins, new 17-, 18-, 19-, and 20-residue peptaibiotics.

To investigate the significance of antibiotics for the producing organism(s) in the natural habitat, we screened a specimen of the fungicolous fungus Trichoderma phellinicola (syn. Hypocrea phellinicola) growing on its natural host Phellinus ferruginosus. Results revealed that a particular group of non-ribosomal antibiotic polypeptides, peptaibiotics, which contain the non-proteinogenic marker amino acid, α-aminoisobutyric acid, was biosynthesized in the natural habitat by the fungicolous producer and, consequently, released into the host. By means of liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we detected ten 20-residue peptaibols in the specimen. Sequences of peptaibiotics found in vivo were independently confirmed by analyzing the peptaibiome of an agar plate culture of T. phellinicola CBS 119283 (ex-type) grown under laboratory conditions. Notably, this strain could be identified as a potent producer of 39 new 17-, 18-, and 19-residue peptaibiotics, which display the same building scheme as the 20-residue peptaibols found in the specimen. Two of the 19-residue peptaibols are tentatively assigned to carry tyrosinol, a novel C-terminal residue, as deduced from high-resolution tandem mass-spectrometry data. For the new peptaibiotics produced by T. phellinicola, the name 'hypophellin(s)', based on the teleomorph name, is introduced.

The sequences of the eleven-residue peptaibiotics: suzukacillins-B.

The filamentous fungus designated 'Trichoderma viride' strain 63 C-1 simultaneously produces suzukacillins (SZs), two microheterogeneous groups of peptaibols, under submerged culture conditions. Both groups are readily distinguishable by TLC: the major group is designated SZ-A, whereas the minor group with a higher Rf value is named SZ-B. The peptide mixture was obtained from a MeOH extract of the mycelium. SZ-B was separated from SZ-A by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Although it provided one single spot on silica-gel TLC plates, 15 individual peptides could be separated by C8 reversed-phase (RP) HPLC, and their sequences were determined by HPLC/QqTOF-ESI-HRMS. Fourteen peptides exhibit the C-terminal sequence Pro(6) -Lxx-Lxx-Aib-Pro-Vxxol/Lxxol(11) , which is common for eleven-residue peptaibols. The remaining peptide is tentatively assigned as a ten-residue sequence, in which the C-terminal 1,2-amino alcohol is deleted, thus terminating in free proline. Nine of the peptides carry an Ac-Aib residue at the N-terminus, very frequently found in eleven-residue peptaibols. Four peptides comprise the rare Ac-Ala N-terminus, and for two peptides, N-terminal Ac-D-Iva residues were identified. One peptide contains a C-terminal residue of yet undetermined structure. Comparison with previously reported eleven-residue peptaibol sequences reveals that eight of the peptides represent new sequence analogs.

Hypopulvins, novel peptaibiotics from the polyporicolous fungus Hypocrea pulvinata, are produced during infection of its natural hosts.

In order to investigate the significance of antibiotics for the producing organism(s) in the natural habitat, we screened specimens of the polyporicolous fungus Hypocrea pulvinata growing on its natural hosts Piptoporus betulinus and Fomitopsis pinicola. Results showed that a particular group of nonribosomally biosynthesised antibiotic polypeptides, the peptaibiotics, which contain the nonproteinogenic marker amino acid α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), was produced in the natural habitat by the fungicolous producer and, consequently, released into the host. Using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray high-resolution mass spectrometry we detected especially 19-, but also 11-, 18-, and 20-residue peptaibiotics in the five infected specimens analysed. Structures of peptaibiotics found were confirmed by analysing the peptaibiome of pure agar cultures obtained by single-ascospore isolation from the specimens. The 19-residue peptaibols were determined as deletion sequences of the trichosporins B lacking the Aib residue in position 6. Notably, 26 of the 28 peptaibiotics sequenced were novel; therefore the name 'hypopulvins' was introduced. Considering not only the ubiquity of both the two host species but also the highly specific association between H. pulvinata and P. betulinus/F. pinicola, and the abundance of this fungicolous species in north temperate regions of the world, a decisive role for the peptaibiotics detected in this study is predicted, which may act as mediators of the complex interactions between the basidiomycetous host and its fungicolous ascomycete 'partner'. Structural analogies of the hypopulvins, particularly with other 18-, 19-, and 20-residue peptaibiotics, suggest that the hypopulvins are forming transmembrane ion channels and could thus support the hypothesis of a parasitic lifestyle of the fungicolous producer.

The crystal structure of samarosporin I at atomic resolution.

The atomic resolution structures of samarosporin I have been determined at 100 and 293 K. This is the first crystal structure of a natural 15-residue peptaibol. The amino acid sequence in samarosporin I is identical to emerimicin IV and stilbellin I. Samarosporin is a peptide antibiotic produced by the ascomycetous fungus Samarospora rostrup and belongs to peptaibol subfamily 2. The structures at both temperatures are very similar to each other adopting mainly a 310-helical and a minor fraction of α-helical conformation. The helices are significantly bent and packed in an antiparallel fashion in the centered monoclinic lattice leaving among them an approximately 10-Å channel extending along the crystallographic twofold axis. Only two ordered water molecules per peptide molecule were located in the channel. Comparisons have been carried out with crystal structures of subfamily 2 16-residue peptaibols antiamoebin and cephaibols. The repercussion of the structural analysis of samarosporin on membrane function is discussed.

Four complete turns of a curved 310-helix at atomic resolution: the crystal structure of the peptaibol trichovirin I-4A in a polar environment suggests a transition to α-helix for membrane function.

The first crystal structure of a member of peptaibol antibiotic subfamily 4, trichovirin I-4A (14 residues), has been determined by direct methods and refined at atomic resolution. The monoclinic unit cell has two molecules in the asymmetric unit. Both molecules assume a 310 right-handed helical conformation and are significantly bent. The molecules pack loosely along the crystallographic twofold axis, forming two large tunnels between symmetry-related molecules in which no ordered solvent could be located. Carbonyl O atoms which are not involved in intramolecular hydrogen bonding participate in close van der Waals interactions with apolar groups. The necessary amphipathicity for biological activity of peptaibols is not realised in the crystal structure. Hence, a structural change of trichovirin to an α-helical conformation is proposed for membrane integration and efficient water/ion transportation across the lipid bilayer.

Isovaline in naturally occurring peptides: A nondestructive methodology for configurational assignment.

The nonproteinogenic, C(α)-tetrasubstituted, helicogenic, chiral α-amino acid isovaline (Iva) is remarkably spread in the biosphere. Together with its achiral, lower homolog α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), it represents a characteristic marker of a class of naturally occurring peptide antibiotics, for which the acronym "peptaibiotics" became established. In these peptides, Iva occurs as the (S)-(= L) or the (R)-(= D) enantiomer, but peptide sequences containing both Iva enantiomers are also common. Here, we applied our recently developed (1)H-NMR method, which enables the nondestructive assignment of the configuration of each Iva residue in a peptide of known helical screw sense, to natural and synthetic peptaibiotics. Our method proved to be generally applicable and provided evidence that, in the peptaibiotic bergofungin A, the Iva(12) configuration is (R) and not (S) as reported previously. Moreover, we extended our NMR method by including a (13)C-NMR parameter. A statistical analysis of the preferred main- and side-chain conformations of the Iva residues in peptides, performed based on their published X-ray diffraction structures, allowed us to provide a sound rationale to the NMR criteria exploited to establish the configuration of this amino acid.

Total synthesis, characterization, and conformational analysis of the naturally occurring hexadecapeptide integramide A and a diastereomer.

Integramide A is a 16-amino acid peptide inhibitor of the enzyme HIV-1 integrase. We have recently reported that the absolute stereochemistries of the dipeptide sequence near the C terminus are L-Iva(14)-D-Iva(15). Herein, we describe the syntheses of the natural compound and its D-Iva(14)-L-Iva(15) diastereomer, and the results of their chromatographic/mass spectrometric analyses. We present the conformational analysis of the two compounds and some of their synthetic intermediates of different main-chain length in the crystal state (by X-ray diffraction) and in solvents of different polarities (using circular dichroism, FTIR absorption, and 2D NMR techniques). These data shed light on the mechanism of inhibition of HIV-1 integrase, which is an important target for anti-HIV therapy.

Gas chromatographic determination of amino acid enantiomers in bottled and aged wines.

Free L- and D-amino acids were determined by chiral GC-MS in 26 wines, comprising white wines, red wines, ice wines and sparkling wines. The aim of the work was to investigate whether quantities and pattern of D-amino acids, in particular D-proline, correlate with the storage time of bottled wines. The relative quantities with respect to the corresponding L-enantiomer ranged in white wines from 0.4 to 3.9% D-Ala, 0.9-8.3% D-Asx, and 0.5-8.9% D-Glx, in red wines from 2.9 to 10.6% D-Ala, 2.2-10.9% D-Asx, and 3.9-7.4% D-Glx, and in sparkling wines from 2.2 to 9.8% D-Ala, 2.1-4.4% D-Asx and 1.3-6.1% D-Glx. Low relative quantities of 0.3-0.7% D-Pro were detected in three white wines stored for more than 20 years and did not exceed 0.2% D-Pro in two red wines stored for 10 and 20 years, respectively. An ice wine stored for 24 years contained 0.9% D-Pro, 6.4% D-Glx, 3.0% D-Asp and 1.5% D-Ala. The data confirm the presence of D-amino acids in wines. They do not provide evidence for a correlation between the storage time of bottled wines and quantities of D-amino acids.