Chemical synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and properties of shepherin I: a fungicidal peptide enriched in glycine-glycine-histidine motifs.

Although glycine-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in animals and plants, very little has been reported on their chemistry, structure activity-relationship, and properties. We investigated those topics for Shepherin I (Shep I), a glycine-rich AMP with the unique amino acid sequence G(1)YGGHGGHGGHGGHGGHGGHGHGGGGHG(28). Shep I and analogues were synthesized by the solid-phase method at 60 °C using conventional heating. Purification followed by chemical characterization confirmed the products' identities and high purity. Amino acid analysis provided their peptide contents. All peptides were active against the clinically important Candida species, but ineffective against bacteria and mycelia fungi. Truncation of the N- or C-terminal portion reduced Shep I antifungal activity, the latter being more pronounced. Carboxyamidation of Shep I did not affect the activity against C. albicans or C. tropicalis, but increased activity against S. cerevisiae. Carboxyamidated analogues Shep I (3-28)a and Shep I (6-28)a were equipotent to Shep I and Shep Ia against Candida species. As with most cationic AMPs, all peptides had their activity significantly reduced in high-salt concentrations, a disadvantage that is defeated if 10 µM ZnCl2 is present. At 100 µM, the peptides were practically not hemolytic. Shep Ia also killed C. albicans MDM8 and ATCC 90028 cells. Fluo-Shep Ia, an analogue labeled with 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein, was rapidly internalized by C. albicans MDM8 cells, a salt-sensitive process dependent on metabolic energy and temperature. Altogether, such results shed light on the chemistry, structural requirements for activity, and other properties of candidacidal glycine-rich peptides. Furthermore, they show that Shep Ia may have strong potential for use in topical application.

Amphipatic molecules affect the kinetic profile of Pseudomonas putida chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase.

Dioxygenases are nonheme iron enzymes that biodegrade recalcitrant compounds, such as catechol and derivatives, released into the environment by modern industry. Intradiol dioxygenases have attracted much attention due to the interest in their use for bioremediation, which has demanded efforts towards understanding their action mechanism and also how to control it. The role of unexpected amphipatic molecules, observed in crystal structures of intradiol dioxygenases, during catalysis has been poorly explored. We report results obtained with the intradiol enzyme chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase (1,2-CCD) from Pseudomonas putida subjected to delipidation. The delipidated enzyme is more stable and shows more cooperative thermal denaturation. The kinetics changes from Michaelis-Menten to a cooperative scheme, indicating that conformational changes propagate between monomers in the absence of amphipatic molecules. Furthermore, these molecules inhibit catalysis, yielding lower v(max) values. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the effects of amphipatic molecules on 1,2-CCD function.

Ferricytochrome (c) directly oxidizes aminoacetone to methylglyoxal, a catabolite accumulated in carbonyl stress.

Age-related diseases are associated with increased production of reactive oxygen and carbonyl species such as methylglyoxal. Aminoacetone, a putative threonine catabolite, is reportedly known to undergo metal-catalyzed oxidation to methylglyoxal, NH4(+) ion, and H2O2 coupled with (i) permeabilization of rat liver mitochondria, and (ii) apoptosis of insulin-producing cells. Oxidation of aminoacetone to methylglyoxal is now shown to be accelerated by ferricytochrome c, a reaction initiated by one-electron reduction of ferricytochrome c by aminoacetone without amino acid modifications. The participation of O2(•-) and HO (•) radical intermediates is demonstrated by the inhibitory effect of added superoxide dismutase and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spin-trapping experiments with 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide. We hypothesize that two consecutive one-electron transfers from aminoacetone (E0 values = -0.51 and -1.0 V) to ferricytochrome c (E0 = 0.26 V) may lead to aminoacetone enoyl radical and, subsequently, imine aminoacetone, whose hydrolysis yields methylglyoxal and NH4(+) ion. In the presence of oxygen, aminoacetone enoyl and O2(•-) radicals propagate aminoacetone oxidation to methylglyoxal and H2O2. These data endorse the hypothesis that aminoacetone, putatively accumulated in diabetes, may directly reduce ferricyt c yielding methylglyoxal and free radicals, thereby triggering redox imbalance and adverse mitochondrial responses.

Mechanism of heparin acceleration of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases-1 (TIMP-1) degradation by the human neutrophil elastase.

Heparin has been shown to regulate human neutrophil elastase (HNE) activity. We have assessed the regulatory effect of heparin on Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteases-1 [TIMP-1] hydrolysis by HNE employing the recombinant form of TIMP-1 and correlated FRET-peptides comprising the TIMP-1 cleavage site. Heparin accelerates 2.5-fold TIMP-1 hydrolysis by HNE. The kinetic parameters of this reaction were monitored with the aid of a FRET-peptide substrate that mimics the TIMP-1 cleavage site in pre-steady-state conditionsby using a stopped-flow fluorescence system. The hydrolysis of the FRET-peptide substrate by HNE exhibits a pre-steady-state burst phase followed by a linear, steady-state pseudo-first-order reaction. The HNE acylation step (k2 = 21±1 s⁻¹) was much higher than the HNE deacylation step (k3 = 0.57±0.05 s⁻¹). The presence of heparin induces a dramatic effect in the pre-steady-state behavior of HNE. Heparin induces transient lag phase kinetics in HNE cleavage of the FRET-peptide substrate. The pre-steady-state analysis revealed that heparin affects all steps of the reaction through enhancing the ES complex concentration, increasing k1 2.4-fold and reducing k₋1 3.1-fold. Heparin also promotes a 7.8-fold decrease in the k2 value, whereas the k3 value in the presence of heparin was increased 58-fold. These results clearly show that heparin binding accelerates deacylation and slows down acylation. Heparin shifts the HNE pH activity profile to the right, allowing HNE to be active at alkaline pH. Molecular docking and kinetic analysis suggest that heparin induces conformational changes in HNE structure. Here, we are showing for the first time that heparin is able to accelerate the hydrolysis of TIMP-1 by HNE. The degradation of TIMP-1is associated to important physiopathological states involving excessive activation of MMPs.

Structure and mode of action of microplusin, a copper II-chelating antimicrobial peptide from the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.

Microplusin, a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus antimicrobial peptide (AMP) is the first fully characterized member of a new family of cysteine-rich AMPs with histidine-rich regions at the N and C termini. In the tick, microplusin belongs to the arsenal of innate defense molecules active against bacteria and fungi. Here we describe the NMR solution structure of microplusin and demonstrate that the protein binds copper II and iron II. Structured as a single alpha-helical globular domain, microplusin consists of five alpha-helices: alpha1 (residues Gly-9 to Arg-21), alpha2 (residues Glu-27 to Asn-40), alpha3 (residues Arg-44 to Thr-54), alpha4 (residues Leu-57 to Tyr-64), and alpha5 (residues Asn-67 to Cys-80). The N and C termini are disordered. This structure is unlike any other AMP structures described to date. We also used NMR spectroscopy to map the copper binding region on microplusin. Finally, using the Gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus luteus as a model, we studied of mode of action of microplusin. Microplusin has a bacteriostatic effect and does not permeabilize the bacterial membrane. Because microplusin binds metals, we tested whether this was related to its antimicrobial activity. We found that the bacteriostatic effect of microplusin was fully reversed by supplementation of culture media with copper II but not iron II. We also demonstrated that microplusin affects M. luteus respiration, a copper-dependent process. Thus, we conclude that the antibacterial effect of microplusin is due to its ability to bind and sequester copper II.

Superoxide radical protects liposome-contained cytochrome c against oxidative damage promoted by peroxynitrite and free radicals.

The effects of nitrosative species on cyt c structure and peroxidase activity were investigated here in the presence of O(2)(*-) and anionic and zwitterionic vesicles. Nitrosative species were generated by 3-morpholinesydnonymine (SIN1) decomposition, using cyt c heme iron and/or molecular oxygen as electron acceptor. Far- and near-UV CD spectra of SIN1-treated cyt c revealed respectively a slight decrease of alpha-helix content (from 39 to 34%) and changes in the tryptophan structure accompanied by increased fluorescence. The Soret CD spectra displayed a significant decrease of the positive signal at 403 nm. EPR spectra revealed the presence of a low-spin cyt c form (S=1/2) with g(1)=2.736, g(2)=2.465, and g(3)=2.058 after incubation with SIN1. These data suggest that the concomitant presence of NO(*) and O(2)(*-) generated from dissolved oxygen, in a system containing cyt c and liposomes, promotes chemical and conformational modifications in cyt c, resulting in a hypothetical bis-histidine hexacoordinated heme iron. We also show that, paradoxically, O(2)(*-) prevents not only membrane lipoperoxidation by peroxide-derived radicals but also oxidation of cyt c itself due to the ability of O(2)(*-) to reduce heme iron. Finally, lipoperoxidation measurements showed that, although it is a more efficient peroxidase, SIN1-treated cyt c is not more effective than native cyt c in promoting damage to anionic liposomes in the presence of tert-ButylOOH, probably due to loss of affinity with negatively charged lipids.

Sticholysins I and II interaction with cationic micelles promotes toxins' conformational changes and enhanced hemolytic activity.

The effect of three cationic surfactants bearing the same polar head group and different chain length (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB); tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB); dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB)) on the conformation and function of the sea anemone pore-forming toxins sticholysins I and II (St I and St II) was studied by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy and evaluation of hemolytic activity (HA). Preincubation of the toxins with the longer chain surfactants CTAB and TTAB at concentrations slightly above their critical micelle concentration (CMC) leads to an enhancement of their HA. Significant increases in the fluorescence intensity with a slightly red shift in lambda(max) were observed at concentrations close to the surfactants' CMC, suggesting changes in the environment of the tryptophan residues. The changes in the fluorescence intensity are more noticeable and take place at lower surfactant concentrations for St I, irrespective of the surfactant alkyl chain length, although the differences between St I and St II increase as the surfactant alkyl chain length increases. This is evinced not only by the higher fluorescence intensity values and the lower surfactant concentrations required to reach them, but also by the higher acrylamide-quenching constant values (Ksv) for St I. However, the surfactant's effects on the toxins' HA were not found to be directly related to the observed changes in fluorescence intensity, as well as near- and far-UV-CD spectra. In particular, the latter spectra indicate that changes in HA and in fluorescence behavior take place without noticeable modifications in St I and St II secondary and tertiary structures. The results suggest that the interaction with the surfactants induces only subtle conformational changes in the toxins that favor the formation of lytic competent structures.

Protonation of two adjacent tyrosine residues influences the reduction of cytochrome c by diphenylacetaldehyde: a possible mechanism to select the reducer agent of heme iron.

We have shown that diphenlacetaldehyde (DPAA) is able to promote mitochondrial DeltaPsi disruption accompanied by damage in mitochondrial DNA, lipids, and proteins [Almeida, A. M.; Bechara, E. J. H.; Vercesi, A. E.; Nantes, I. L. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 27:744-747; 1999]. In this work, DPAA was used as a model of carbonyl reagent for cytochrome c. The results suggest that DPAA is a redox cytochrome c modifier. Conversion of Fe(III) to Fe(II) cytochrome c promoted by DPAA is pH dependent. The second-order rate determined for heme iron reduction (k2) is 698 M(-1) s(-1) and this process occurs with an activation energy of 8.5 +/- 0.8 kcal/mol. Analysis of the pH profile suggests the presence of two ionizable cytochrome c groups (pKa1 = 8.9 and pKa2 = 11.4) related to the electron transfer from DPAA to heme iron. The heats of ionization of the two prototropic groups, pKa1 (DeltaH(ion) = 6.5 kcal/mol, DeltaS(ion) = -29.0 cal/mol.K), and pKa2 (DeltaH(ion) = 5.0 kcal/mol, DeltaS(ion) = -24.0 cal/mol.K), suggest involvement of two tyrosine residues, probably Y67 and Y74, related to DPAA-promoted heme iron reduction. The cytochrome c chemical modification by iodination of tyrosine groups significantly decreased the reduction rate promoted by DPAA, and shifted the pH(opt) value from 10.0 to 9.25. The cytochrome c-promoted DPAA electron abstraction quickly produces the expected enol-derived radical, as indicated by 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzenesulfonate (DBNBS) spin trapping EPR measurements. This radical reacts with molecular oxygen, producing a peroxyl intermediate radical that, via a putative dioxetane intermediate, promotes formation of benzophenone as the main final product of this reaction, detected by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.