Drug and dye binding induced folding of the intrinsically disordered antimicrobial peptide CM15

The rapid increase of antimicrobial resistance against conventional antibiotics has resulted in a significant focus on the use of peptides as antimicrobial agents. Understanding the structure and function relationships of these compounds is thus highly important, however, their in vivo actions are a complex issue, including interactions with small molecule agents. Here we report the folding inducing capability of some pharmaceutical substances and synthetic dyes on the intrinsically disordered (ID) cationic antimicrobial peptide CM15 (KWKLFKKIGAVLKVL). By employing circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, it is shown that some therapeutic drugs (suramin, pamoic acid, cromolyn) and polysulfonated dyes (Congo red, trypan blue) trigger the disorder-to-order conformational transition of CM15. The cooperative binding of 2-4 acidic molecules per peptide chain provokes its folding in a concentration dependent manner. Secondary structure analysis indicated the sharp and moderate rise of the [small alpha]-helical and [small beta]-sheet content, respectively. According to semi-empirical quantum chemical calculations, these organic molecules may induce folding by forming multiple salt-bridges with lysine residues from both N- and C-terminals as well as from the middle of the CM15 sequence. Due to the mutual neutralization of the positive and negative charges, the water solubility of the resulting complexes decreases which favours their aggregation as detected by dynamic light scattering measurements. Our findings suggest that small molecules can dramatically affect the structure of antimicrobial peptides, which may potentially alter, either enhancing or attenuating, their efficiency. It is proposed that CM15 or similar ID peptides could be useful for preliminary screening of folding inducer effect of anionic drugs and biomolecules. The data presented herein may stimulate further studies on the structural and functional impacts of related compounds on ID peptides

Membrane affinity and fluorescent labelling: comparative study of monolayer interaction, cellular uptake and cytotoxicity profile of carboxyfluorescein-conjugated cationic peptides

Fluorescent labelling is a common approach to reveal the molecular details of cellular uptake, internalisation, transport, distribution processes in biological systems. The conjugation with a fluorescent moiety might affect relevant physico-chemical and in vitro transport properties of the bioactive component. A representative set of seven cationic peptides-including cell-penetrating peptides as well as antimicrobial peptides and synthetic derivatives-was selected for our comparative study. Membrane affinity of the peptides and their 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (Cf) derivatives was determined quantitatively and compared applying Langmuir monolayer of zwitterionic (DPPC) and negatively charged (DPPC + DPPG) lipids as cell membrane models. The interaction with neutral lipid layer is mainly governed by the overall hydrophobicity of the molecule which is remarkably increased by Cf-conjugation for the most hydrophobic Magainin, Melittin and Transportan. A significantly enhanced membrane affinity was detected in negatively charged lipid model monolayer for all of the peptides since the combination of electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction is active in that case. The Cf-conjugation improved the penetration ability of Penetratin and Dhvar4 suggesting that both the highly charged character (Z/n) and the increased hydrophobicity by Cf-conjugation present important contribution to membrane interaction. This effect might also responsible for the observed high in vitro internalisation rate of Penetratin and Dhvar4, while according to in vitro studies they did not cause damage of cell membrane. From the experiments with the given seven cationic peptides, it can be concluded that the Cf-conjugation alters the degree of membrane interaction of such peptides which are moderately hydrophobic and highly charged

Drug conjugation induced modulation of structural and membrane interaction features of cationic cell-permeable peptides

Cell-penetrating peptides might have great potential for enhancing the therapeutic effect of drug molecules against such dangerous pathogens as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which causes a major health problem worldwide. A set of cationic cell-penetration peptides with various hydrophobicity were selected and synthesized as drug carrier of isoniazid (INH), a first-line antibacterial agent against tuberculosis. Molecular interactions between the peptides and their INH-conjugates with cell-membrane-forming lipid layers composed of DPPC and mycolic acid (a characteristic component of Mtb cell wall) were evaluated, using the Langmuir balance technique. Secondary structure of the INH conjugates was analyzed and compared to that of the native peptides by circular dichroism spectroscopic experiments performed in aqueous and membrane mimetic environment. A correlation was found between the conjugation induced conformational and membrane affinity changes of the INH–peptide conjugates. The degree and mode of interaction were also characterized by AFM imaging of penetrated lipid layers. In vitro biological evaluation was performed with Penetratin and Transportan conjugates. Results showed similar internalization rate into EBC-1 human squamous cell carcinoma, but markedly different subcellular localization and activity on intracellular Mtb

Autoimmun betegségekben szerepet játszó új, diagnosztikus epitópok, valamint Fc receptorhoz kötődő és effektor funkciót kiváltó IgG Fc peptidkimérák azonosítása, szintézise és funkcionális jellemzése = Identification, synthesis and functional characterisation of new, diagnostic epitopes in autoimmune diseases, and of IgG Fc peptide chimeras binding to Fc receptor and triggering effector function

Autoimmun hólyagos bőrbetegségekre jellemző B- és T-sejt epitóppeptideket szintetizáltunk szilárdfázisú peptidszintézissel, Fmoc/tBu stratégiával. A peptideket tisztítottuk, azonosítottuk. Autoantigén B-sejt epitópok azonosítására módosított ELISA módszerrel tűhegyen korábban szintetizált átlapoló desmoglein 1 és 3 peptideken hat pemphigus foliaceusban (PF), egy pemphigus vulgarisban (PV) szenvedő beteg és egészséges donor szérumát vizsgáltuk. Megállapítottuk, hogy az egészséges kontrollhoz képest a betegszérumok desmoglein specifikus autoellenanyag-tartalma általában kicsit magasabb, ezen belül öt olyan epitóprégiót találtunk, amelyeket hét beteg közül legalább öt szérum-ellenanyagai szignifikánsan erősebben ismertek fel. Megkezdtük ezen epitóprégiók szintézisét egyedi peptidek formájában, Cys-nel meghosszabbítva, későbbi, makromolekulás hordozóhoz vagy funkcionalizált ELISA lemezhez való konjugálás céljából. Desmoglein 3 autoantigén T-sejt epitóp vizsgálata pemphigus vulgarisban Két PV-ben szenvedő és két egészséges donor perifériás vér monomorfonukleáris sejtjeit (PBMC) izoláltuk, majd egy desmoglein 3 T-sejt epitóppeptid rövidített, átlapoló változataival inkubáltuk. A sejtek felülúszóiból szendvics ELISÁ-val mutattuk ki a termelődött interferon-gammát. A betegek PBMC-i szignifikánsan nagyobb mértékben termeltek IFN-gamma citokint, mint az egészséges donorok sejtjei. Leghatékonyabban a T-sejt epitóppeptid középső szakasza stimulálta a sejteket. | B- and T-cell epitope peptides characteristic for autoimmune bullous skin diseases were prepared by solid phase synthesis, Fmoc/tBu strategy. The peptides were purified and characterised. To determine autoantigenic B-cell epitopes, modified ELISA was performed on formerly synthesised pin-bound desmoglein 1 and 3 peptides with the sera of six pemphigus foliaceus (PF), a pemphigus vulgaris (PV) patients and healthy donor. The serum autoantibody binding to the peptides was generally somewhat higher in case of the patients, and we could identify five epitope regions which were recognised by at least 5 out of 7 patients significantly more strongly by patients’ sera than by those of the control. We have started the synthesis of the selected regions as individual peptides, elongated by Cys, to facilitate future conjugation to ELISA plates or macromolecular carriers. To study a desmoglein 3 autoantigen T-cell epitope in PV, we have isolated the PBMC of two PV patients and two healthy donors. The cells were incubated with truncated overlapping derivatives of T-cell epitope peptide. Interferon gamma cytokine produced by the cells was determined from the supernatants by sandwich ELISA. PBMC of patients produce

Surface Layer Modification of Poly(d,l-lactic- co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles with TargetingPeptide: A Convenient Synthetic Route for Pluronic F127-Tuftsin Conjugate

Nanoparticles consisting of biodegradable poly(d,l-lactic- co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) are promising carriers for drug molecules to improve the treatment of tuberculosis. Surface modifiers, such as Pluronic F127, are essential for biocompatibility and for the protection against particle aggregation. This study demonstrates a successful approach to conjugate Pluronic F127 coated PLGA nanoparticles with Tuftsin, which has been reported as a macrophage-targeting peptide. Transformation of Pluronic F127 hydroxyl groups-which have limited reactivity-into aldehyde groups provide a convenient way to bind aminooxy-peptide derivatives in a one-step reaction. We have also investigated that this change has no effect on the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles. Our data showed that coating nanoparticles with Pluronic-Tuftsin conjugate markedly increased the internalization rate and the intracellular activity of the encapsulated drug candidate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By employing this approach, a large variety of peptide targeted PLGA nanoparticles can be designed for drug delivery

Comparative analysis of new peptide conjugates of antitubercular drug candidates – model membrane and in vitro studies

Novel peptide conjugates of two antitubercular drug candidates were synthesised and characterised using new tuftsin peptide derivatives (OT14) as carrier moiety. As antitubercular drug candidates two pyridopyrimidine derivatives, TB803 (2-allylamino-4-oxopyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidine-3-carbaldehyde) and TB820 (4-oxo-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-3-carbaldehyde) inhibiting vital enzyme of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were applied. Membrane affinity of the compounds TB803 and TB820 and their peptide conjugates was evaluated using experimental lipid mono- and bilayer models. Penetration ability was assessed tensiometrically from Langmuir monolayer study and applying quartz crystal microbalance for the supported lipid bilayer (SLB) system. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values remained in a similar micromolar range for both of the conjugates while their cellular uptake rate was improved significantly compared to the drug candidates. A correlation was found between membrane affinity properties and results of in vitro biological investigations. Analysis of physical/structural properties of SLB in contact with bioactive components and visualization of the structural change by atomic-force microscopy (AFM) provided information on the type and route of molecular interaction of drug construction with lipid layers. The possible role of electrostatic interactions between lipid layer and drug candidates was tested in Langmuir-balance experiments using negatively charged lipid mixture (DPPC+DPPG). Especially the peptide conjugates presented increased membrane affinity due to cationic character of the peptide sequence selected for the conjugate formation. That is supposed to be one reason for the enhanced cellular uptake observed in vitro for MonoMac6 cell line. The conjugation of antitubercular agents to a peptidic carrier is a promising approach to enhance membrane affinity, cellular uptake rate and in vitro selectivity

Tuneable surface modification of PLGA nanoparticles carrying new antitubercular drug candidate

Biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA 50:50) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared and characterized in terms of size, composition, zeta potential and colloidal stability. Surface modification of PLGA NPs where primary amino groups were introduced to the Pluronic surface layer was developed. This method allows modulation of the charge character of the nanoparticle surface and provides functional groups for chemical reactions useful for targeting while retaining the aggregation stability of the system. The nanoparticles showed significant interaction with model membrane system (DPPC and DPPC+DPPG lipid layers) depending on the amount and type of Pluronic applied for stabilization of NPs. A new antitubercular drug candidate was encapsulated into the PLGA NPs. The cellular uptake and the intracellular efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) of the drug and the drug loaded nanoparticulate systems were investigated. These formulations were successfully taken up by MonoMac6 human monocyte cells and highly enhanced the availability and efficacy of the drug against Mtb which was demonstrated in comparative in vitro experiments

Index of Stimulation and TNFα Measurements Used for laboratory Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis as a New Principle

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Chemical structure and in vitro cellular uptake of luminescent carbon quantum dots prepared by solvothermal and microwave assisted techniques

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are a novel family of fluorescent materials that could be employed as non-toxic alternatives to molecular fluorescent dyes in biological research and also in medicine. Four different preparation approaches, including microwave assisted heating and solvent refluxing, were explored. In addition to the widely used microwave assisted methods, a simple convenient new procedure is presented here for the particle synthesis. A detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis was employed to characterize the composition, and more importantly, the chemical structure of the CQD samples and the interrelation of the characteristic surface chemical groups with the fluorescence properties and with surface polarity was unambiguously established. In vitro cellular internalization experiments documented their applicability as fluorescence labels while non-toxic properties were also approved. It was demonstrated that the adequate water-dispersibility of the particles plays a crucial role in their biological application. The synthetized CQD samples turned to be promising for cellular imaging applications both in laser illuminated flow cytometric measurements and in fluorescence microscopy