Antibiotics GE23077, novel inhibitors of bacterial RNA polymerase. Part 3: Chemical derivatization

GE23077 is a novel RNA polymerase inhibitor that is isolated from the fermentation broth of an Actinomadura sp. It is a cyclic heptapeptide complex made up of four factors, differing in the structure of acyl group connected to the side chain of an alpha,beta-diaminopropanoic acid moiety and in the configuration of the stereocenter of an alpha-amino-malonic acid residue. Although GE23077 shows strong inhibitory activity on both Rifampicin-sensitive and -resistant polymerases, it exhibits poor antimicrobial activity. The most reasonable explanation for this property has been based on the lack of penetration of the molecule across the bacterial membrane, owing to its strong hydrophilic character. To improve penetration, several parts of the molecule were accordingly modified with the aim of altering the physico-chemical properties of GE23077. The current SAR study has identified moieties important for RNA polymerase activity.     

Distinct functions of regions 1.1 and 1.2 of RNA polymerase σ subunits from Escherichia coli and Thermus aquaticus in transcription initiation

RNA polymerase (RNAP) from thermophilic Thermus aquaticus is characterized by higher temperature of promoter opening, lower promoter complex stability, and higher promoter escape efficiency than RNAP from mesophilic Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that these differences are in part explained by differences in the structures of the N-terminal regions 1.1 and 1.2 of the E. coli σ(70) and T. aquaticus σ(A) subunits. In particular, region 1.1 and, to a lesser extent, region 1.2 of the E. coli σ(70) subunit determine higher promoter complex stability of E. coli RNAP. On the other hand, nonconserved amino acid substitutions in region 1.2, but not region 1.1, contribute to the differences in promoter opening between E. coli and T. aquaticus RNAPs, likely through affecting the σ subunit contacts with DNA nucleotides downstream of the -10 element. At the same time, substitutions in σ regions 1.1 and 1.2 do not affect promoter escape by E. coli and T. aquaticus RNAPs. Thus, evolutionary substitutions in various regions of the σ subunit modulate different steps of the open promoter complex formation pathway, with regions 1.1 and 1.2 affecting promoter complex stability and region 1.2 involved in DNA melting during initiation.     

Molecular Evolution of Multisubunit RNA Polymerases: Structural Analysis

Comprehensive multiple sequence alignments of the multisubunit DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP) large subunits, including the bacterial β and β′ subunits and their homologs from archaebacterial RNAPs, eukaryotic RNAPs I-III, nuclear-cytoplasmic large double-stranded DNA virus RNAPs, and plant plastid RNAPs, were created [Lane, W. J. and Darst, S. A. (2009). Molecular evolution of multisubunit RNA polymerases: sequence analysis. In press]. The alignments were used to delineate sequence regions shared among all classes of multisubunit RNAPs, defining common, fundamental RNAP features as well as identifying highly conserved positions. Here, we present a systematic, detailed structural analysis of these shared regions and highly conserved positions in terms of the RNAP structure, as well as the RNAP structure/function relationship, when known.     

Antimicrobial activity of short arginine- and tryptophan-rich peptides.

Highly antimicrobial active arginine- and tryptophan-rich peptides were synthesized ranging in size from 11 to five amino acid residues in order to elucidate the main structural requirement for such short antimicrobial peptides. The amino acid sequences of the peptides were based on previous studies of longer bovine and murine lactoferricin derivatives. Most of the peptides showed strong inhibitory action against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. For the most active derivatives, the minimal inhibitory concentration values observed for the Gram-negative bacteria were 5 microg/ml (3.5 microM), whereas it was 2.5 microg/ml (1.5 microM) for the Gram-positive bacterium. It was essential for the antimicrobial activity that the peptides contained a minimum of three tryptophan and three arginine residues, and carried a free N-terminal amino group and an amidated C-terminal end. Furthermore, a minimum sequence size of seven amino acid residues was required for a high antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The insertion of additional arginine and tryptophan residues into the peptides resulted only in small variations in the antimicrobial activity, whereas replacement of a tryptophan residue with tyrosine in the hepta- and hexapeptides resulted in reduced antimicrobial activity, especially against the Gram-negative bacteria. The peptides were non-haemolytic, making them highly potent as prospective antibiotic agents.     

鲑点石斑鱼皮肤抗菌活性蛋白的纯化及抗菌活性(英文）

近年来在多种生物体中都发现有抗菌活性蛋白和多肽。由于其具有生物化学多样性,抗病毒、微生物、真菌、原生动物、肿瘤,促进伤口愈合等生物学活性,而引起研究者的极大兴趣。抗菌活性蛋白和多肽在动物的先天免疫中具有重要作用,它们直接作用于细菌,并将其杀死。鲑点石斑鱼(Epinephelusfario)是中国南方水产养殖中重要的海水鱼。近年来,由于细菌和病毒引发的病害造成鲑点石斑鱼大量死亡,但其抗菌活性蛋白及多肽目前还未见报道。本研究发现鲑点石斑鱼皮肤具有抗菌活性成分,鲑点石斑鱼皮肤匀浆物经胰蛋白酶水解后抗菌活性丧失,说明该活性是由蛋白质引起的。经离子交换层析及凝胶过滤层析,从鲑点石斑鱼皮肤中分离纯化到抗菌活性蛋白(Efap)。SDS-PAGE显示,Efap为单链蛋白,分子量约41kD。该成分能同时抑制革兰氏阳性菌,如金黄色葡萄球菌、滕黄微球菌、枯草牙胞杆菌和革兰氏阴性菌,如溶藻弧菌、副溶血弧菌、河流弧菌、多杀性巴氏杆菌、嗜水气单胞菌、大肠杆菌和铜绿假单胞菌。革兰氏阴性菌中,溶藻弧菌、副溶血弧菌、河流弧菌和多杀性巴氏杆菌对Efap较敏感,MIC<20mol/L,其他3种菌敏感性较差,MIC>20mol/L。另外,Efap显示出较强的抗金黄色葡萄球菌的活性,MIC为5—10mol/L。Efap的广谱抗菌性,说明其在鲑点石斑鱼免疫防御中具有一定的作用。     

Human defensin 5 disulfide array mutants: disulfide bond deletion attenuates antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus

Human α-defensin 5 (HD5, HD5(ox) to specify the oxidized and disulfide linked form) is a 32-residue cysteine-rich host-defense peptide, expressed and released by small intestinal Paneth cells, that exhibits antibacterial activity against a number of Gram-negative and -positive bacterial strains. To ascertain the contributions of its disulfide array to structure, antimicrobial activity, and proteolytic stability, a series of HD5 double mutant peptides where pairs of cysteine residues corresponding to native disulfide linkages (Cys(3)-Cys(31), Cys(5)-Cys(20), Cys(10)-Cys(30)) were mutated to Ser or Ala residues, overexpressed in E. coli, purified, and characterized. A hexa mutant peptide, HD5[Ser(hexa)], where all six native Cys residues are replaced by Ser residues, was also evaluated. Removal of a single native S-S linkage influences oxidative folding and regioisomerization, antibacterial activity, Gram-negative bacterial membrane permeabilization, and proteolytic stability. Whereas the majority of the HD5 mutant peptides show low micromolar activity against Gram-negative E. coli ATCC 25922 in colony counting assays, the wild-type disulfide array is essential for low micromolar activity against Gram-positive S. aureus ATCC 25923. Removal of a single disulfide bond attenuates the activity observed for HD5(ox) against this Gram-positive bacterial strain. This observation supports the notion that the HD5(ox) mechanism of antibacterial action differs for Gram-negative and Gram-positive species [Wei et al. (2009) J. Biol. Chem. 284, 29180-29192] and that the native disulfide array is a requirement for its activity against S. aureus.     

Antibiotic resistance of hemolytic bacteria, depending on iron content in bacterial cells

The study of sensitivity to antibiotic substances of different chemical structure and the mechanism of the antimicrobial action of hemolytic bacteria Bacillus sp., Corynebacterium sp. and Escherichia coli under the condition of high iron content in bacterial cells was carried out. An increase in antimicrobial resistance of iron-loaded Gram-positive bacteria, in contrast to Gram-negative ones, was shown.     

Antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Acacia aroma Gill. ex Hook et Arn

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of seven ethanolic extracts and three aqueous extracts from various parts (leaves, stems and flowers) of A. aroma against 163 strains of antibiotic multi-resistant bacteria. The disc diffusion assay was performed to evaluate antibacterial activity of the A. aroma crude extracts, against several Gram-positive bacteria (E. faecalis, S. aureus, coagulase-negative stahylococci, S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae, S. aureus ATCC 29213, E. faecalis ATCC 29212) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli., K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, E. cloacae, S. marcescens, M morganii, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, S. maltophilia, E. coli ATCC 35218, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, E. coli ATCC 25922). All ethanolic extracts showed activity against gram-positive bacteria. Among all obtained extracts, only leaf and flower fluid extracts showed activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Based on this bioassay, leaf fluid extracts tended to be the most potent, followed by flower fluid extracts. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of extracts and antibiotics were comparatively determined by agar and broth dilution methods. Both extracts were active against S. aureus, coagulase-negative stahylococci, E. faecalis and E. faecium and all tested Gram-negative bacteria with MIC values from 0.067 to 0.308 mg/ml. In this study the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were identical or twice as high than the corresponding MIC for leaf extracts and four or eight times higher than MIC values for flower extracts. This may indicate a bactericidal effect. Stored extracts have similar antibacterial activity as recently obtained extracts. The A. aroma extracts of leaves and flowers may be useful as antibacterial agents against Gram- negative and Gram-positive antibiotic multi-resistant microorganisms.     

The antimicrobial activity of the appetite peptide hormone ghrelin

The present study examined the antimicrobial activity of the peptide ghrelin. Both major forms of ghrelin, acylated ghrelin (AG) and desacylated ghrelin (DAG), demonstrated the same degree of bactericidal activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), while bactericidal effects against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) were minimal or absent, respectively. To elucidate the bactericidal mechanism of AG and DAG against bacteria, we monitored the effect of the cationic peptides on the zeta potential of E. coli. Our results show that AG and DAG similarly quenched the negative surface charge of E. coli, suggesting that ghrelin-mediated bactericidal effects are influenced by charge-dependent binding and not by acyl modification. Like most cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs), we also found that the antibacterial activity of AG was attenuated in physiological NaCl concentration (150mM). Nonetheless, these findings indicate that both AG and DAG can act as CAMPs against Gram-negative bacteria.     

The introduction of l-phenylalanine into antimicrobial peptide protonectin enhances the selective antibacterial activity of its derivative phe-Prt against Gram-positive bacteria

Protonectin was a typical amphiphilic antimicrobial peptide with potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In the present study, when its eleventh amino acid in the sequence was substituted by phenylalanine, the analog named phe-Prt showed potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, but no antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, indicating a significant selectivity between Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria. However, when Gram-negative bacteria were incubated with EDTA, the bacteria were susceptible to phe-Prt. Next, the binding effect of phe-Prt with LPS was determined. Our result showed that LPS could hamper the bactericidal activity of phe-Prt against Gram-positive bacteria. The result of zeta potential assay further confirmed the binding effect of phe-Prt with LPS for it could neutralize the surface charge of E. coli and LPS. Then, the effect of phe-Prt on the integrity of outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria was determined. Our results showed that phe-Prt had a much weaker disturbance to the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria than the parent peptide protonectin. In summary, the introduction of l-phenylalanine into the sequence of antimicrobial peptide protonectin made phe-Prt show significant selectivity against Gram-positive bacteria, which could partly be attributed to the delay effect of LPS for phe-Prt to access to cell membrane. Although further study is still needed to clarify the exact mechanism of selectivity, the present study provided a strategy to develop antimicrobial peptides with selectivity toward Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

     

Draft Genome Sequence of Paenibacillus polymyxa OSY-DF, Which Coproduces a Lantibiotic, Paenibacillin, and Polymyxin E1

Paenibacillus polymyxa OSY-DF is a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium isolated from a fermented vegetable food. This bacterial strain displays potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, attributed to the production of the lantibiotic paenibacillin and the colistin peptide polymyxin E1. Here we report the draft genome sequence of Paenibacillus polymyxa OSY-DF.