The zeamine antibiotics affect the integrity of bacterial membranes.

The zeamines (zeamine, zeamine I, and zeamine II) constitute an unusual class of cationic polyamine-polyketide-nonribosomal peptide antibiotics produced by Serratia plymuthica RVH1. They exhibit potent bactericidal activity, killing a broad range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug-resistant pathogens. Examination of their specific mode of action and molecular target revealed that the zeamines affect the integrity of cell membranes. The zeamines provoke rapid release of carboxyfluorescein from unilamellar vesicles with different phospholipid compositions, demonstrating that they can interact directly with the lipid bilayer in the absence of a specific target. DNA, RNA, fatty acid, and protein biosynthetic processes ceased simultaneously at subinhibitory levels of the antibiotics, presumably as a direct consequence of membrane disruption. The zeamine antibiotics also facilitated the uptake of small molecules, such as 1-N-phenylnaphtylamine, indicating their ability to permeabilize the Gram-negative outer membrane (OM). The valine-linked polyketide moiety present in zeamine and zeamine I was found to increase the efficiency of this process. In contrast, translocation of the large hydrophilic fluorescent peptidoglycan binding protein PBDKZ-GFP was not facilitated, suggesting that the zeamines cause subtle perturbation of the OM rather than drastic alterations or defined pore formation. At zeamine concentrations above those required for growth inhibition, membrane lysis occurred as indicated by time-lapse microscopy. Together, these findings show that the bactericidal activity of the zeamines derives from generalized membrane permeabilization, which likely is initiated by electrostatic interactions with negatively charged membrane components.

Alpha-helical destabilization of the Bcl-2-BH4-domain peptide abolishes its ability to inhibit the IP3 receptor.

The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein is the founding member and namesake of the Bcl-2-protein family. It has recently been demonstrated that Bcl-2, apart from its anti-apoptotic role at mitochondrial membranes, can also directly interact with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), the primary Ca(2+)-release channel in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Bcl-2 can thereby reduce pro-apoptotic IP3R-mediated Ca(2+) release from the ER. Moreover, the Bcl-2 homology domain 4 (Bcl-2-BH4) has been identified as essential and sufficient for this IP3R-mediated anti-apoptotic activity. In the present study, we investigated whether the reported inhibitory effect of a Bcl-2-BH4 peptide on the IP 3R1 was related to the distinctive α-helical conformation of the BH4 domain peptide. We therefore designed a peptide with two glycine "hinges" replacing residues I14 and V15, of the wild-type Bcl-2-BH4 domain (Bcl-2-BH4-IV/GG). By comparing the structural and functional properties of the Bcl-2-BH4-IV/GG peptide with its native counterpart, we found that the variant contained reduced α-helicity, neither bound nor inhibited the IP 3R1 channel, and in turn lost its anti-apoptotic effect. Similar results were obtained with other substitutions in Bcl-2-BH4 that destabilized the α-helix with concomitant loss of IP3R inhibition. These results provide new insights for the further development of Bcl-2-BH4-derived peptides as specific inhibitors of the IP3R with significant pharmacological implications.

Total synthesis of Septocylindrin B and C-terminus modified analogues.

The total synthesis is reported of the peptaibol Septocylindrin B which is related to the well documented channel forming peptaibol antibiotic Alamethicin. Several analogues were synthesized with a modified C-terminus, to investigate the SAR of the terminal residue Phaol. All these peptides were tested for their membrane perturbation properties by fluorescent dye leakage assay and for their antibacterial activity.

The C terminus of Bax inhibitor-1 forms a Ca2+-permeable channel pore.

Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) is a multitransmembrane domain-spanning endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-located protein that is evolutionarily conserved and protects against apoptosis and ER stress. Furthermore, BI-1 is proposed to modulate ER Ca(2+) homeostasis by acting as a Ca(2+)-leak channel. Based on experimental determination of the BI-1 topology, we propose that its C terminus forms a Ca(2+) pore responsible for its Ca(2+)-leak properties. We utilized a set of C-terminal peptides to screen for Ca(2+) leak activity in unidirectional (45)Ca(2+)-flux experiments and identified an α-helical 20-amino acid peptide causing Ca(2+) leak from the ER. The Ca(2+) leak was independent of endogenous ER Ca(2+)-release channels or other Ca(2+)-leak mechanisms, namely translocons and presenilins. The Ca(2+)-permeating property of the peptide was confirmed in lipid-bilayer experiments. Using mutant peptides, we identified critical residues responsible for the Ca(2+)-leak properties of this BI-1 peptide, including a series of critical negatively charged aspartate residues. Using peptides corresponding to the equivalent BI-1 domain from various organisms, we found that the Ca(2+)-leak properties were conserved among animal, but not plant and yeast orthologs. By mutating one of the critical aspartate residues in the proposed Ca(2+)-channel pore in full-length BI-1, we found that Asp-213 was essential for BI-1-dependent ER Ca(2+) leak. Thus, we elucidated residues critically important for BI-1-mediated Ca(2+) leak and its potential channel pore. Remarkably, one of these residues was not conserved among plant and yeast BI-1 orthologs, indicating that the ER Ca(2+)-leak properties of BI-1 are an added function during evolution.

Synthesis of the orthogonally protected amino alcohol Phaol and analogs.

The development of a multigram synthesis of the orthogonally protected amino acid-derived Phaol [2-{[(2S)-2-amino-3-phenylpropyl]amino}ethanol] is described. The goal of this work is to synthesize an orthogonally protected Phaol in a multigram scale up to 10 g (Cbz-Phaol), so it can be used in solution-based peptide synthesis of peptaibols. Two synthetic schemes were proposed and examined. Between the reduction-coupling and the coupling-reduction scheme, the latter gave the best results. A two-step synthesis affords easily purifiable products. Several analogs were synthesized using this methodology. All the molecules were orthogonally protected, so that they can be used in peptide synthesis. Deprotection posed no problems.