Interactions of "de novo" designed peptides with bacterial membranes: Implications in the antimicrobial activity.

Antimicrobial peptides are small molecules that display antimicrobial activity against a wide range of pathogens. In a previous work, by using model membranes we studied P6, a peptide that shows no antimicrobial activity, and P6.2, which exhibits antibacterial activity. In the present work we aimed to unravel the mode of action of these peptides by studying their interaction in vivo with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In this sense, to study the interactions with bacterial cells and their effect on the bacterial surface, zeta potential, spectroscopic, and microscopic methodologies were applied. P6.2 exhibits a higher affinity toward both bacterial envelopes. The ability of both peptides to disrupt afterwards the bacterial membrane was also studied. Both peptides were able to induce bacterial membrane damage, but higher concentrations of P6 were needed to obtain results comparable to those obtained for P6.2. Additionally, P6.2 exhibited faster damage kinetics. Altogether, these data allow postulating, in a physiologic model, that the lower affinity of P6 for bacterial envelope results in a minor final concentration of the peptide in the bacterial membrane unable to trigger the antimicrobial activity. Finally, the fact that the active P6.2 has the same MIC value for the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria tested, but not the same profile in the permeabilization assays, reinforces the question of whether cell wall components act as electrostatic barriers preventing or minimizing membrane-active AMPs lethal action at the membrane level.

Antibacterial Activity of the Non-Cytotoxic Peptide (p-BthTX-I)2 and Its Serum Degradation Product against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Antimicrobial peptides can be used systemically, however, their susceptibility to proteases is a major obstacle in peptide-based therapeutic development. In the present study, the serum stability of p-BthTX-I (KKYRYHLKPFCKK) and (p-BthTX-I)2, a p-BthTX-I disulfide-linked dimer, were analyzed by mass spectrometry and analytical high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antimicrobial activities were assessed by determining their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) using cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth. Furthermore, biofilm eradication and time-kill kinetics were performed. Our results showed that p-BthTX-I and (p-BthTX-I)2 were completely degraded after 25 min. Mass spectrometry showed that the primary degradation product was a peptide that had lost four lysine residues on its C-terminus region (des-Lys12/Lys13-(p-BthTX-I)2), which was stable after 24 h of incubation. The antibacterial activities of the peptides p-BthTX-I, (p-BthTX-I)2, and des-Lys12/Lys13-(p-BthTX-I)2 were evaluated against a variety of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains. Des-Lys12/Lys13-(p-BthTX-I)2 and (p-BthTX-I)2 degraded Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms. Additionally, both the peptides exhibited bactericidal activities against planktonic S. epidermidis in time-kill assays. The emergence of bacterial resistance to a variety of antibiotics used in clinics is the ultimate challenge for microbial infection control. Therefore, our results demonstrated that both peptides analyzed and the product of proteolysis obtained from (p-BthTX-I)2 are promising prototypes as novel drugs to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial peptides: an evolving phenomenon.

Bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics is currently a real problem all over the world, making novel antimicrobial compounds a real research priority. Some of the most promising compounds found to date are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The benefits of these drugs include their broad spectrum of activity that affects several microbial processes, making the emergence of resistance less likely. However, bacterial resistance to AMPs is an evolving phenomenon that compromises the therapeutic potential of these compounds. Therefore, it is mandatory to understand bacterial mechanisms of resistance to AMPs in depth, in order to develop more powerful AMPs that overcome the bacterial resistance response.

Inhibitory effect of short cationic homopeptides against Gram-negative bacteria.

Previous work demonstrated that Lys homopeptides with an odd number of residues (9, 11 and 13) were capable of inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive bacteria in a broader spectrum and more efficiently than those with an even number of Lys residues or Arg homopeptides of the same size. Indeed, all Gram-positive bacteria tested were totally inhibited by 11-residue Lys homopeptides. In the present work, a wide variety of Gram-negative bacteria were used to evaluate the inhibitory activity of chemically synthesized homopeptides of L-Lys and L-Arg ranging from 7 to 14 residues. Gram-negative bacteria were comparatively more resistant than Gram-positive bacteria to Lys homopeptides with an odd number of residues, but exhibited a similar inhibition pattern than on Gram-positive bacteria. CD spectra for the odd-numbered Lys homopeptides in anionic lipid dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol, and Escherichia coli membrane extract increased polyproline II content, as compared to those measured in phosphate buffer solution. Lys and Arg homopeptides were covalently linked to rhodamine to visualize the peptide interactions with E. coli cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Analysis of Z-stack images showed that Arg homopeptides indeed appear to be localized intracellularly, while the Lys homopeptide is localized exclusively on the plasma membrane. Moreover, these Lys homopeptides induced membrane disruption since the Sytox fluorophore was able to bind to the DNA in E. coli cultures.

Therapeutic use of a cationic antimicrobial peptide from the spider Acanthoscurria gomesiana in the control of experimental candidiasis.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial peptides are present in animals, plants and microorganisms and play a fundamental role in the innate immune response. Gomesin is a cationic antimicrobial peptide purified from haemocytes of the spider Acanthoscurria gomesiana. It has a broad-spectrum of activity against bacteria, fungi, protozoa and tumour cells. Candida albicans is a commensal yeast that is part of the human microbiota. However, in immunocompromised patients, this fungus may cause skin, mucosal or systemic infections. The typical treatment for this mycosis comprises three major categories of antifungal drugs: polyenes, azoles and echinocandins; however cases of resistance to these drugs are frequently reported. With the emergence of microorganisms that are resistant to conventional antibiotics, the development of alternative treatments for candidiasis is important. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of gomesin treatment on disseminated and vaginal candidiasis as well as its toxicity and biodistribution. RESULTS: Treatment with gomesin effectively reduced Candida albicans in the kidneys, spleen, liver and vagina of infected mice. The biodistribution of gomesin labelled with technetium-99 m showed that the peptide is captured in the kidneys, spleen and liver. Enhanced production of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-6 was detected in infected mice treated with gomesin, suggesting an immunomodulatory activity. Moreover, immunosuppressed and C. albicans-infected mice showed an increase in survival after treatment with gomesin and fluconazole. Systemic administration of gomesin was also not toxic to the mice. CONCLUSIONS: Gomesin proved to be effective against experimental Candida albicans infection. It can be used as an alternative therapy for candidiasis, either alone or in combination with fluconazole. Gomesin's mechanism is not fully understood, but we hypothesise that the peptide acts through the permeabilisation of the yeast membrane leading to death and/or releasing the yeast antigens that trigger the host immune response against infection. Therefore, data presented in this study reinforces the potential of gomesin as a therapeutic antifungal agent in both humans and animals.

Dermaseptin 01 as antimicrobial peptide with rich biotechnological potential: study of peptide interaction with membranes containing Leishmania amazonensis lipid-rich extract and membrane models.

This article addresses the interactions of the synthetic antimicrobial peptide dermaseptin 01 (GLWSTIKQKGKEAAIAAA- KAAGQAALGAL-NH(2) , DS 01) with phospholipid (PL) monolayers comprising (i) a lipid-rich extract of Leishmania amazonensis (LRE-La), (ii) zwitterionic PL (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, DPPC), and (iii) negatively charged PL (dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol, DPPG). The degree of interaction of DS 01 with the different biomembrane models was quantified from equilibrium and dynamic liquid-air interface parameters. At low peptide concentrations, interactions between DS 01 and zwitterionic PL, as well as with the LRE-La monolayers were very weak, whereas with negatively charged PLs the interactions were stronger. For peptide concentrations above 1 µg/ml, a considerable expansion of negatively charged monolayers occurred. In the case of DPPC, it was possible to return to the original lipid area in the condensed phase, suggesting that the peptide was expelled from the monolayer. However, in the case of DPPG, the average area per lipid molecule in the presence of DS 01 was higher than pure PLs even at high surface pressures, suggesting that at least part of DS 01 remained incorporated in the monolayer. For the LRE-La monolayers, DS 01 also remained in the monolayer. This is the first report on the antiparasitic activity of AMPs using Langmuir monolayers of a natural lipid extract from L. amazonensis.

99mTc-UBI 29-41: biodistribución y autoradiografía digital en ratones con S.a. viables, S.a. no viables obtenidos por irradiación gamma y S.a. muertos por calor / 99mTc-UBI 29-41: biodistribution and digital autoradiography in mices with viable S.a., non viable S.a. obtained from gamma irradiation and heat killed S.a

El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar la capacidad del 99mTc-UBI 29-41 marcado por un método directo en la localización de sitios de infección experimental con Staphilococcus aureus (S.a.). En segundo lugar comparar los valores PI/PN (Pata Infectada / Pata Normal) de las biodistribuciones en ratones portadores de S.a. viables, S.a. no viables obtenidos por irradiación gamma y por calentamiento y en sitios de inflamación estéril y cuantificar las relaciones sitio infectado / sitio normal (SI / SN) através de autorradiografía digital. El UBI 29-41 es un fragmento sintético de la ubiquicidina y el scrambled (Sc) UBI 29-41 es el péptido control. 99mTc-IgG fue el control positivo para inflamaciones estériles. Cuando el 99mTc-UBI 29-41 fue obtenido por este método rápido y reproducible, se visualizaron sitios de infección a 2h p.i.. Las biodistribuciones mostraron mayor acumulación en sitios con S.a. viables que con S.a. irradiados y no hubo acumulación en inflamaciones estériles.