Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tao Gong, Juan Du, Shang-Wei Li, Hai Huang, Xiao-Lang Qi
Summary: A defensin peptide, CcDef2, from Coridius chinensis has been characterized in this study. It has been found to have antibacterial and immune activities, and shows potential as an alternative to antibiotics. Gene expression analysis reveals that CcDef2 is widely expressed during the developmental stages of C. chinensis, with higher expression levels in adult tissues. Recombinant CcDef2 exhibits significant antibacterial effects against Gram-positive bacteria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Entomology
German Alberto Tellez Ramirez, Juan Felipe Osorio-Mendez, Diana Carolina Henao Arias, Lily Johanna S. Toro, Juliana Franco Castrillon, Maribel Rojas-Montoya, Jhon Carlos Castano Osorio
Summary: The study identified 155 novel HDP sequences from nine transcriptomes of seven species of Coleoptera, enriching the diversity of antimicrobial peptides within this insect family. These sequences were identified based on their similarity to known HDP insect families, including defensins, cecropins, attancins, and coleoptericins.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Emamifar, Shamsozoha Abolmaali, Seyyed Mohsen Sohrabi, Mohsen Mohammadi, Maasume Shahmohammadi
Summary: In this study, an antibacterial plant defensin peptide, AsDef1, was successfully identified and characterized from oat. AsDef1 exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, with the highest expression in developing seeds of the plant. The findings suggest AsDef1 could be used for producing pathogen-resistant transgenic plants and potential antibacterial agents in the future.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Bin Dong, Yanjun Lin, Jun Wang, Wen Du, Chunlong Sun, Shijun Fu, Tao Wu
Summary: A novel biopreservative, gcDefb1, was developed and shown to possess broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against various bacteria. It effectively improved the physicochemical and sensory qualities of pork.
FOOD SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Jiahui Wu, Xia Zhou, Qiaoqiao Chen, Zhiqiang Chen, Jinyu Zhang, Lele Yang, Yuxuan Sun, Guohui Wang, Jianfeng Dai, Tingting Feng
Summary: This review provides an overview of tick defensins, including their structural classification and antimicrobial function. Tick defensins exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against various pathogens and are considered novel candidates or targets for controlling infectious diseases.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF POVERTY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Stephan Neumann, Stephan Siegert, Anneke Fischer
Summary: This study investigated the correlation between defensin concentration and clinical expression and course of mastitis in cows. The results showed that cows with acute clinical mastitis had the highest defensin concentration, while cows with subclinical mastitis and healthy cows had lower concentrations.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Pei Song, Li Zhao, Li Zhu, Gan Sha, Wubei Dong
Summary: This study addresses the critical need for new antibacterial drugs in the face of bacterial multidrug resistance resulting from antibiotic overuse. It highlights the significance of antimicrobial peptides as essential components of innate immunity in animals and plants, which have been proven effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria and are difficult to develop resistance against. This study successfully synthesizes a broad-spectrum antibacterial peptide, BsR1, with strong inhibitory activities against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. BsR1 demonstrates favorable stability and a mode of action that damages bacterial cell membranes, leading to cell death. It also exhibits biological safety and shows potential in enhancing disease resistance in rice. This research offers a novel approach and potential medication for antibacterial drug development, presenting a valuable tool in combating pathogenic microorganisms, particularly in plants.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Kyungjae Andrew Yoon, Do Eun Lee, Si Hyeock Lee, Ju Hyeon Kim
Summary: The body and head lice of humans are conspecific, but only the body louse functions as a vector to transmit bacterial pathogens such as Bartonella quintana. Differences in the molecular and functional properties of the two louse subspecies may contribute to the differential vector competence between them.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jung-Kil Seo, Dong-Gyun Kim, Ji-Eun Lee, Kwon-Sam Park, In-Ah Lee, Ki-Young Lee, Young-Ok Kim, Bo-Hye Nam
Summary: Five arginine-rich analogs were designed based on American oyster defensin (AOD), with A3 and A4 showing potent antimicrobial activity against various organisms without cell toxicity. These analogs possibly interact with DNA or DNA amplification reactions instead of directly acting on bacterial membranes, suggesting potential for novel antimicrobial agents.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Noemie De San Nicolas, Aromal Asokan, Rafael D. Rosa, Sebastien N. Voisin, Marie-Agnes Travers, Gustavo Rocha, Luc Dantan, Yann Dorant, Guillaume Mitta, Bruno Petton, Guillaume M. Charriere, Jean-Michel Escoubas, Viviane Boulo, Juliette Pouzadoux, Herve Meudal, Karine Loth, Vincent Aucagne, Agnes F. Delmas, Philippe Bulet, Caroline Montagnani, Delphine Destoumieux-Garzon
Summary: The study found that Cg-BigDefs peptides play an important role in controlling the oyster-associated microbial communities. They have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and show specificity and synergy against bacteria associated with oyster pathologies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Celine Landon, Yanyu Zhu, Mainak Mustafi, Jean-Baptiste Madinier, Dominique Lelievre, Vincent Aucagne, Agnes F. Delmas, James C. Weisshaar
Summary: This study used single-cell fluorescence imaging to investigate the effects of the β-defensin AvBD103b on living E. coli at physiological salt concentrations. The results provide key parameters for understanding the mechanism of action. The study found that AvBD103b interacts non-specifically with various polyanionic targets after penetrating the cell membranes, leading to cell death.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Marilucia C. Ribeiro, Rodrigo S. Gebara, Gabriel B. Taveira, Andre de O. Carvalho, Rosana Rodrigues, Erica O. Mello, Celso S. Nagano, Renata P. Chaves, Valdirene M. Gomes
Summary: This study purified and evaluated the antifungal peptides present in the fruits of Capsicum chinense Jacq. The results showed that the D2 fraction of these fruits significantly inhibited the growth of Candida albicans and C. tropicalis yeasts. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the 6 kDa peptide band of the HI9 fraction showed similarity with antimicrobial peptides belonging to the plant defensin family.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Chengju Mao, Yue Wang, Yifan Yang, Lu Li, Kexin Yuan, Huijun Cao, Zhilang Qiu, Guo Guo, Jianwei Wu, Jian Peng
Summary: The derived peptide C9 showed rapid bactericidal and antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, avoiding the development of resistance by targeting multiple nonspecific targets of the cell membrane or cell components. It also exhibited therapeutic potential against S. epidermidis infection in vivo.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Angus Watson, Jacinta Agius, Danielle Ackerly, Travis Beddoe, Karla Helbig
Summary: Molluscs have limited understanding of their immune systems due to lack of access to draft genomes and divergence from model organisms. They rely on innate immunity and have limited knowledge of their antiviral capabilities. Only a few major effector molecules have shown antiviral activity. Further research on these molecules may enhance molluscs' antiviral defense and result in novel antimicrobial treatments for a broad range of animal species.
Article
Immunology
Xuanxuan Ma, Na Yang, Ruoyu Mao, Ya Hao, Xue Yan, Da Teng, Jianhua Wang
Summary: The study investigated the efficacy and mechanism of action of insect defensin DLP4 against Staphylococcus hyicus, as well as its in vivo therapeutic effect in a mouse abscess model, demonstrating that DLP4 may be a promising therapeutic agent against S. hyicus ACCC 61734 infection.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Piyush Baindara, Sonali Agrawal, O. L. Franco
Summary: This article provides a detailed overview of the major infection strategies used by malaria and tuberculosis, and describes selected host-directed drugs that can be repurposed to treat these diseases and co-infections. The study suggests that these common infection strategies could be potential host targets for developing host-directed therapies.
EXPERT REVIEW OF ANTI-INFECTIVE THERAPY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Camila Maurmann de Souza, Allan Pires da Silva, Nelson Gomes Oliveira Junior, Osmel Fleitas Martinez, Octavio Luiz Franco
Summary: Increasing levels of resistance to antibiotics have led to the search for new therapeutic options. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have shown potential against Klebsiella pneumoniae, a highly resistant bacterium. This article provides an overview of recent developments in AMPs against K. pneumoniae, including their different designs and mechanisms, as well as their potential in combination with conventional antibiotics and against biofilms. The challenges and perspectives for applying AMPs in clinical practice are also discussed.
TRENDS IN PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eliane Santana Fernandes Alves, Bruno de Paula Oliveira de Santos, Leticia Valvassori Rodrigues, Carlos Daniel Pereira Freitas, Lucianna Helene Silva dos Santos, Simoni Campos Dias, Octavio Luiz Franco, Luciano Morais Liao, Mariana Torquato Quezado de Magalhaes
Summary: Synoeca-MP, a 14-residue peptide, exhibits antibacterial and antifungal activity. This study investigated the peptide's behavior and structure in membrane-like environments using CD spectroscopy, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, and molecular dynamics simulations. The peptide was found to adopt a partially α-helical conformation when bound to SDS micelles. These findings improve our understanding of the peptide's mode of action and provide insights for future clinical applications.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristiane dos Santos, Octavio Luiz Franco
Summary: Plants can synthesize peptides with antimicrobial properties, making them potential biofactories for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, obtaining large-scale, diverse AMPs derived from plants is a significant challenge. This review summarizes the main findings from the past 5 years on plants used as biofactories for AMPs and provides insights into the prospects of using plant-based systems for recombinant AMP production for drug development and the availability of products in the market.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Samilla B. Rezende, Lucas R. Lima, Maria L. R. Macedo, Octavio L. Franco, Marlon H. Cardoso
Summary: Peptides and proteins play crucial roles in biological processes. Determining their three-dimensional structures using experimental and computational methods has greatly advanced structure prediction. Machine learning and deep learning approaches have further improved the accuracy of structure prediction. These methods have greatly assisted in answering key biological questions.
CURRENT BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ramar Perumal Samy, Stephen P. P. Mackessy, Alagarmalai Jeyasankar, Mano Ranjana Ponraj, Octavio Luiz Franco, Matthew A. A. Cooper, Matheswaran Kandasamy, Tapan Kumar Mohanta, Jebasingh Bhagavathsingh, Sakthivel Vaiyapuri
Summary: PaTx-II, an active component from the venom of the Mulga Snake, showed potent antimicrobial activity and promoted wound healing.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thuany Alencar-Silva, Ruben D. Diaz-Martin, Alessandra Zonari, Daniel Foyt, Mylieneth Guiang, Robert Pogue, Felipe Saldanha-Araujo, Simoni Campos Dias, Octavio Luiz Franco, Juliana Lott Carvalho
Summary: In this study, the IDR-1018 peptide was found to attenuate the cytotoxicity of synoeca-MP and promote skin cell proliferation and wound repair. The combination of these peptides exhibited good antimicrobial and pro-regenerative activity, suggesting the potential for new strategies in the treatment of skin lesions.
Review
Plant Sciences
Cristiane dos Santos, Octavio Luiz Franco
Summary: Throughout evolution, plants have developed a complex defense system against phytopathogens, which involves constitutive and induced factors combined as defense mechanisms. Plant defense relies on a signaling network connecting structural and biochemical defense and includes the accumulation of antimicrobial and pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. These PR proteins play a key role in early defense events, reducing damage and mortality caused by pathogens. This review discusses defense response proteins, specifically PR proteins with enzymatic action, and the technological advancements in studying these enzymes for plant defense against phytopathogens.
Article
Plant Sciences
Daiane Gonzaga Ribeiro, Ana Carolina Mendes Bezerra, Ivonaldo Reis Santos, Priscila Grynberg, Wagner Fontes, Mariana de Souza Castro, Marcelo Valle de Sousa, Maria Eugenia Lisei-de-Sa, Maria Fatima Grossi-de-Sa, Octavio Luiz Franco, Angela Mehta
Summary: The co-occurrence of biotic and abiotic stresses severely affects crop performance and productivity in agricultural areas. The present study aimed to identify proteins involved in the resistance of cowpea to nematode and drought stresses. Proteomic analysis revealed key processes, such as hormonal signaling regulation, pathogenesis-related proteins production, and downregulation of photosynthetic activity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hadar Cohen, Naiem Ahmad Wani, Daniel Ben Hur, Ludovico Migliolo, Marlon H. Cardoso, Ziv Porat, Eyal Shimoni, Octavio Luiz Franco, Yechiel Shai
Summary: Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections have increased sepsis and septic shock mortality worldwide and are now a global concern. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) show great potential for developing new antimicrobial agents and therapies for host response modulation. A new series of AMPs derived from pexiganan (MSI-78) have been synthesized, with positively charged amino acids at the ends and a hydrophobic core surrounded by positive charges simulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These peptides have been investigated for their antimicrobial activity and inhibition of LPS-induced cytokine release using various biochemical and biophysical methods. Two new AMPs, MSI-Seg-F2F and MSI-N7K, have shown promising results with neutralizing endotoxin activity while reducing toxicity and hemolytic activity. These designed peptides have the potential to eradicate bacterial infection and detoxify LPS, making them potentially useful for sepsis treatment.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Larissa R. Carvalho, Rhewter Nunes, Mariane B. Sobreiro, Renata O. Dias, Leonardo C. J. Corvalan, Ramilla S. Braga-Ferreira, Cintia P. Targueta, Mariana P. C. Telles
Summary: This study assembled and annotated the chloroplast genome of Eugenia klotzschiana O. Berg and compared it with other 13 species from the Myrteae tribe. The E. klotzschiana plastome showed a conserved structure and gene composition. Mutational hotspots, repetitive sequences, SSR repeats, and RNA editing sites were identified. Furthermore, the study reconstructed a plastome-based Myrtales phylogenetic tree, including E. klotzschiana, and revealed its sister relationship with other Eugenia species.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ellynes Amancio Correia Nunes, Maria Claudia da Silva, Marlon Henrique Cardoso, Sergio Leandro Espindola Preza, Lucas Silva de Oliveira, Breno Emanuel Farias Frihling, Sebastien Olivier Charneau, Philippe Grellier, Octavio Luiz Franco, Ludovico Migliolo
Summary: This study found that synthetic polyalanine peptides Pa-MAP1.9 and Pa-MAP2 derived from polar fish can inhibit the growth of sleeping sickness pathogens, suggesting their potential as a treatment for sleeping sickness.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucas Jose de Sousa, Ana Carolina Mendes Bezerra, Mariana Rocha Maximiano, Fabiano T. P. K. Tavora, Natalia Faustino Cury, Osmundo Brilhante de Oliveira Neto, Laurence Veronique Bindschedler, Octavio Luiz Franco, Luiz Eduardo Bassay Blum, Angela Mehta
Summary: This study compares the behavior of S-genes during the interaction of tomato with Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans (Xep). It reveals that several putative host S-genes are positively modulated during bacterial infection. Additionally, using ASOs targeting the SlTFIIA γ gene significantly improves plant resistance against bacterial attack.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Ana Laura Pereira Lourenco, Thuanny Borba Rios, Allan Pires da Silva, Octavio Luiz Franco, Marcelo Henrique Soller Ramada
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising therapeutic approach against multi-drug resistant microorganisms, but their proteolytic susceptibility limits their market competitiveness. All-hydrocarbon stapling is an effective helix stabilization technique, but its toxicity poses limitations. This review explores recent studies on stapled AMPs for antimicrobial usage.
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Mariana Rocha Maximiano, Octavio Luiz Franco
Summary: Modern agriculture faces challenges due to increasing food demand, climate change, and dietary pattern changes. Biotechnological advances, especially the CRISPR/Cas technology, have significant applications in editing the genomes of plant crops. This technology offers an alternative approach to developing plants resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, contributing to more sustainable agricultural production.
ACS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giovanni Pacini, Bo Ahren
Summary: Tirzepatide stimulates both insulin secretion and glucose effectiveness, with stimulation of glucose effectiveness being the prominent process to reduce glucose.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Si -yu Wang, Yu-zhe Zhang, Xiao-han Liu, Xue-ci Guo, Xiao-fang Wang, Feng-tong Han, Yao Zhang, Chang -lin Wang
Summary: In the formalin pain test, the EM-2 analogs EM-2-Me, EM-2-Et, and EM-2-Bu showed significant analgesic effects with reduced tolerance and gastrointestinal side effects. These effects were mediated through central opioid mechanisms, with EM-2-Me possibly involving dynorphin A release and EM-2-Bu directly activating multiple opioid receptors.
