Sequence analysis and membrane partitioning energies of alpha-helical antimicrobial peptides

Sequences of 221 alpha-helical antimicrobial peptides (alphaAMPs) were compared and 63-166 of them were selected and analyzed using Perl programs. The results showed that aliphatic amino acids Gly, Leu, Ala, Ile and two positively charged amino acids Lys and Arg were composed of more than 63% of the first 20 residues of alphaAMPs. The weighed mean membrane partitioning energies at positions from 1 to 25 of alphaAMPs were calculated. Profile of the partitioning energies suggests oblique membrane insertion and an amphipathic alpha-helical structure of the N-terminus of alphaAMP (residues from 1 to 13), a bend structure at positions 13 and 14, and a less structured C-terminus that parallels the surface of the membrane. These structural features are in good agreement with the experimentally determined membrane structure of hemagglutinin fusion peptide from influenza virus. We hypothesize that this (N-terminal oblique alpha-helix)-central bend-(C-terminus) could be a common structural motif of membrane-disruptive peptides.     

Synthetic peptides as probes for conformational preferences of domains of membrane receptors

Peptide models have been widely used to investigate conformational aspects of domains of proteins since the early 1950s. A pioneer in this field was Dr. Murray Goodman, who applied a battery of methodologies to study the onset of structure in homooligopeptides. This article reviews some of Dr. Goodman's contributions, and reports recent studies using linear and constrained peptides corresponding to the first extracellular loop and linear peptides corresponding to the sixth transmembrane domain of a G-protein coupled receptor from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Peptides containing 30-40 residues were synthesized using solid-phase methods and purified to near homogeneity by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. CD and NMR analyses indicated that the first extracellular loop peptides were mostly flexible in water, and assumed some helical structure near the N-terminus in trifluoroethanol and in the presence of micelles. Comparison of oligolysines with native loop residues revealed that three lysines at each terminus of a peptide corresponding to the sixth transmembrane domain of the alpha-factor receptor resulted in better aqueous solubility and greater helicity than the native loop residues.     

Channel-forming activity of the perforin N-terminus and a putative alpha-helical region homologous with complement C9.

Cytolytic lymphocytes are endowed with a pore-forming protein called perforin. Recently, a cytolytic domain was located in the first 34 residues of the perforin N-terminus. It has been proposed that the first 19 residues are composed of a 3-domain structure including a putative amphipathic beta-sheet and that the 19 residues are sufficient for cytolytic activity. This model has now been tested by synthesizing peptides covering different portions of the N-terminus, and testing their ability to lyse lipid vesicles or increase the conductance of lipid bilayers or plasma membranes. It was found that the putative beta-sheet is indispensable for lytic activity and that the first 19 residues of the N-terminus are required for optimal lytic activity but that shorter peptides, containing only 16 residues, can form pores in lipid bilayers and cell membranes. A putative amphipathic alpha-helix from the central portion of perforin, homologous to complement C9, is nonlytic to lipid vesicles, but it can form pores in lipid bilayers. Taken together, these results support the model that the perforin N-terminus is important in initial pore formation and that the putative alpha-helical domain may be involved in subsequent perforin polymerization into large pores.     

Synthesis of complex phosphopeptides as mimics of p53 functional domains.

A complete set of mono-, di- and triphosphorylated peptides comprising amino acids 10-27, the Mdm2 and p300 binding site(s) of p53, with and without a fluorescein label at the N-terminus, was synthesized by step-by-step solid phase synthesis. Fluorescence polarization analysis revealed that phosphorylation at Thr18 decreased binding to recombinant Mdm2 protein compared with the unphosphorylated and the two other single phosphorylated analogues. Unlabelled multiply phosphorylated peptides corresponding to this amino-terminal transactivation domain proved to be powerful tools in analysing the phosphate specificity of existing anti-p53 monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies using direct ELISA. The tetramerization domain of human p53 protein was modelled with a 53 residue-long unlabelled unphosphorylated and Ser315-phosphorylated peptide pair. CD analysis showed similar alpha-helical structures for both peptides and no major difference in the secondary structure could be observed upon phosphorylation. Size-exclusion HPLC indicated that these synthetic oligomerization domain mimics underwent a pH-dependent tetramerization process, but the presence of a phosphate group at Ser315 did not modify the oligomeric state of the 308-360 p53 fragments. Nevertheless, the fluorescein-labelled Ser315 phosphorylated peptide bound to the downstream signalling ligand DNA topoisomerase I protein with slightly higher affinity than did the unphosphorylated analogue.     

Conformation of magainin-2 and related peptides in aqueous solution and membrane environments probed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

The conformational properties of the magainin family of antimicrobial peptides in aqueous solution and in model membranes have been probed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The magainins were found to be structureless in aqueous solution at neutral pD, confirming other studies by Raman and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Increasing the pD to 10 induced the formation of predominantly alpha-helical secondary structures, with some beta-sheet. In the presence of negatively charged liposomes (dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol), the peptides folded into alpha-helical secondary structures with some beta-sheet structure evident. On the other hand, in the presence of zwitterionic phospholipids (dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine), the spectra were identical to those in aqueous solution. For some magainins, the interaction with charged liposomes was modulated by the presence of cholesterol; cholesterol was found to promote the formation of beta-sheet structures, as evidenced by the appearance of amide I bands at 1614 and 1637 cm-1. Differences in structure were observed between the amidated and nonamidated forms of some peptides. From the data, a mechanism of antimicrobial action of the magainin family of peptides is proposed.     

Biophysical and biological studies of end-group-modified derivatives of Pep-1

Pep-1 is a tryptophane-rich cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) that has been previously proposed to bind protein cargoes by hydrophobic assembly and translocate them across cellular membranes. To date, however, the molecular mechanisms responsible for cargo binding and translocation have not been clearly identified. This study was conducted to gain insight into the interaction between Pep-1 with its cargo and the biological membrane to identify the thereby involved structural elements crucial for translocation. We studied three peptides differing in their N- and C-termini: (i) Pep-1, carrying an acetylated N-terminus and a C-terminal cysteamine elongation, (ii) AcPepWAmide, with an acetylated N-terminus and an amidated C-terminus, and (iii) PepW, with two free termini. Thioredoxin (TRX) and beta-galactosidase were used as protein cargoes. To study CPP-membrane interactions, we performed biophysical as well as biological assays. To mimic biological membranes, we used phospholipid liposomes in a dye leakage assay and surfactant micelles for high-resolution NMR studies. In addition, membrane integrity, cell viability, and translocation efficiency were analyzed in HeLa cells. An alpha-helical structure was found for all peptides in the hydrophobic N-terminal region encompassing residues 4-13, whereas the hydrophilic region remained unstructured in the presence of micelles. Our results show that the investigated peptides interacted with the micelles as well as with the protein cargo via their tryptophan-rich domain. All peptides displayed an orientation parallel to the micelle surface. The C-terminal cysteamine group formed an additional membrane anchor, leading to more efficient translocation properties in cells. No membrane permeabilization was observed, and our data were largely compatible with an endocytic pathway for cellular uptake.     

The chimeric peptide [Lys(-2)-Arg(-1)]-sarafotoxin-S6b, composed of the endothelin pro-sequence and sarafotoxin, retains the salt-bridge staple between Arg(-1) and Asp8 previously observed in [Lys(-2)-Arg(-1)]-endothelin. Implications of this salt-bridge in the contractile activity and the oxidative folding reaction.

The chimeric peptide [Lys(-2)-Arg(-1)]-sarafotoxin-S6b (KR-SRTb) designed from the Lys-2-Arg-1 dipeptide of the endothelin pro-sequence and the sarafotoxin-S6b sequence was synthesized. Its contractile activity was found to be decreased markedly when compared with that of the parent SRTb. In contrast, the extension by the Lys-Arg dipeptide was found to increase the formation of the native disulfide isomer (82/18 versus 96/4) when the reaction was carried out in the presence of redox reagents. The solution structure of KR-SRTb was determined by NMR as a function of pH. In the carboxylic acid state, the structure consists of the cystine-stabilized alpha-helical motif, with the alpha-helical part spanning residues 9-15, and of an unstructured C-terminal tail. In the carboxylate state, the structure is characterized by a salt-bridge between Arg(-1) and Asp8, which we identified previously in the [Lys(-2)-Arg(-1)]-endothelin-1 peptide (KR-ET-1). The fact that this salt-bridge is commonly observed in KR-SRTb and KR-ET-1, despite the 33% sequence difference between the corresponding parental peptides, highlights the remarkable adaptability of the Lys-Arg extension for the formation of a special salt-bridge. As a consequence, this salt-bridge, which does not depend on either the 4-7 sequence of the loop or the C-terminal sequence, appears to be particularly well suited to improve the stability of the cystine-stabilized alpha-helical motif. Therefore, because of its high yield in the native disulfide arrangement and its high permissiveness for sequence mutation in the 4-7 loop, such a stabilized cystine-stabilized alpha-helical motif could be a valuable scaffold for the presentation of a library of constrained short peptides.     

Modification of the N-terminus of membrane fusion-active peptides blocks the fusion activity

The amphiphilic anionic peptides E5 and E5L can mimic the fusogenic activity of influenza hemagglutinin(HA). These peptides induced fusion of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine small or large unilamellar vesicles only at acidic pH in a similar manner to viral HA. Acetylation or acetimidylation of the N-terminus of the peptides drastically reduced the fusion activity of the intact peptides, while C-terminal amidation left the activity unchanged. The binding assay suggested that the interaction of the modified peptides with lipid membranes was almost unchanged in comparison with those of the parent peptides, and the CD spectra showed that these peptides were alpha-helical. The results showed the importance of the N-terminus of the peptides on the membrane fusion activity, although why the N-terminal modifications affect the activity is still unclear.     

Solution structure and cell selectivity of piscidin 1 and its analogues

Piscidin 1 (Pis-1) is a novel cytotoxic peptide with a cationic alpha-helical structure that was isolated from the mast cells of hybrid striped bass [Silphaduang, U., and Noga, E. J. (2001) Nature 414, 268-269]. Pis-1 is not selective for bacterial versus mammalian cells. In the present study, to develop novel antibiotic peptides with selectivity for bacterial cells, we examined the effect of substituting two glycine residues, Gly8 and Gly13, with Ala or Pro on this peptide's structure and biological activities. The bacterial cell selectivity of the peptides decreased in the following order: Gly-->Pro analogues > Gly-->Pro/Ala analogues > Pis-1 > Gly-->Ala analogues. The antimicrobial and hemolytic activities and abilities to permeabilize the model phospholipid membranes were higher for Pis-1 with Gly or Pro at position 8 than for its counterparts with either Gly or Pro at position 13. We determined the tertiary structure of Pis-1 and its analogues in the presence of SDS micelles by NMR spectroscopy. We found that Pis-1 has an alpha-helical structure from Phe2 to Thr21. Also, Pis-1 AA (Gly8, Gly13-->Ala8, Ala13) with higher antibacterial and hemolytic activity than Pis-1 has a stable alpha-helical structure from Phe2 to Thr21. Pis-1 PG (Gly-->Pro8) with bacterial cell selectivity has a hinge structure at Pro8, which provides flexibility in piscidin, followed by a three-turn helix from Val10 to Gly22 in the C-terminal region. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the conformational flexibility provided by introduction of a Pro at position 8, coupled with the primary anchoring of phenylalanines and histidines in the N-terminus to the cell membrane and the optimal length of the C-terminal amphipathic alpha-helix, are the critical factors that confer antibacterial activity and bacterial cell selectivity to Pis-1 PG. Pis-1 PG may be a good candidate for the development of a new drug with potent antibacterial activity but without cytotoxicity.     

Peptide alpha-helicity in aqueous trifluoroethanol: correlations with predicted alpha-helicity and the secondary structure of the corresponding regions of bovine growth hormone

The relationship between trifluoroethanol (TFE) enhancement of peptide alpha-helicity and protein secondary structure has been studied for a series of 11 peptides which span the complete primary sequence of bovine growth hormone (bGH). Ten of these peptides become increasingly alpha-helical as the solution concentration of TFE is increased. The amount of alpha-helicity developed by these peptides plateaus above 10 mol % TFE and ranges from 0 to 71%. The increased alpha-helicity, as determined by CD, closely correlates with the amount of alpha-helix predicted for eight of the eleven peptides analyzed (r = 0.9). Therefore, for this group of peptides, it appears that this technique can be used as a measure of alpha-helical propensity. Inclusion of the remaining three peptides in this analysis significantly lowers the correlation (r = 0.6). The reduced correspondence between TFE-enhanced and predicted alpha-helicity in this latter subset of peptides may be due to their relatively high hydrophobicity. In addition, the relevance of TFE-enhanced peptide alpha-helicity and the secondary structure of the corresponding protein regions was explored. Although the three peptides which form the largest amount of alpha-helicity in the presence of 10 mol % TFE correspond to alpha-helical regions of the protein, the overall correlation is significantly lower than is observed for the TFE-enhanced and predicted alpha-helicity. These findings suggest that the propensity of specific amino acid sequences for alpha-helix formation influences the amount of alpha-helicity which forms in corresponding protein sequences, but that other factors can modify this structure.     

Structure of coronavirus main proteinase reveals combination of a chymotrypsin fold with an extra alpha-helical domain

The key enzyme in coronavirus polyprotein processing is the viral main proteinase, M(pro), a protein with extremely low sequence similarity to other viral and cellular proteinases. Here, the crystal structure of the 33.1 kDa transmissible gastroenteritis (corona)virus M(pro) is reported. The structure was refined to 1.96 A resolution and revealed three dimers in the asymmetric unit. The mutual arrangement of the protomers in each of the dimers suggests that M(pro) self-processing occurs in trans. The active site, comprised of Cys144 and His41, is part of a chymotrypsin-like fold that is connected by a 16 residue loop to an extra domain featuring a novel alpha-helical fold. Molecular modelling and mutagenesis data implicate the loop in substrate binding and elucidate S1 and S2 subsites suitable to accommodate the side chains of the P1 glutamine and P2 leucine residues of M(pro) substrates. Interactions involving the N-terminus and the alpha-helical domain stabilize the loop in the orientation required for trans-cleavage activity. The study illustrates that RNA viruses have evolved unprecedented variations of the classical chymotrypsin fold.     

Small peptides patterned after the N-terminus domain of SNAP25 inhibit SNARE complex assembly and regulated exocytosis

Synthetic peptides patterned after the C-terminus of synaptosomal associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP25) efficiently abrogate regulated exocytosis. In contrast, the use of SNAP25 N-terminal-derived peptides to modulate SNAP receptors (SNARE) complex assembly and neurosecretion has not been explored. Here, we show that the N-terminus of SNAP25, specially the segment that encompasses 22Ala-44Ile, is essential for the formation of the SNARE complex. Peptides patterned after this protein domain are potent inhibitors of SNARE complex formation. The inhibitory activity correlated with their propensity to adopt an alpha-helical secondary structure. These peptides abrogated SNARE complex formation only when added previous to the onset of aggregate assembly. Analysis of the mechanism of action revealed that these peptides disrupted the binary complex formed by SNAP25 and syntaxin. The identified peptides inhibited Ca2+-dependent exocytosis from detergent-permeabilized excitable cells. Noteworthy, these amino acid sequences markedly protected intact hippocampal neurones against hypoglycaemia-induced, glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity with a potency that rivalled that displayed by botulinum neurotoxins. Our findings indicate that peptides patterned after the N-terminus of SNAP25 are potent inhibitors of SNARE complex formation and neuronal exocytosis. Because of their activity in intact neurones, these cell permeable peptides may be hits for antispasmodic and analgesic drug development.     

Folding profiles of antimicrobial scorpion venom-derived peptides on hydrophobic surfaces: a molecular dynamics study

Abstract

Most helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are usually unfolded in aqueous solution; however they acquire their secondary structure in the presence of a hydrophobic environment such as lipid membranes. Being the biological membranes the main target of many AMPs it is necessary to understand their way of action. Pandinin 2 (Pin2) is an alpha-helical AMP isolated from the venom of the African scorpion Pandinus imperator which shows high antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and it is less active against Gram-negative bacteria, nevertheless, it has strong hemolytic activity. Its chemically synthesized Pin2GVG analog has low hemolytic activity while keeping its antimicrobial activity. With the aim of exploring the partition and subsequent folding of these peptides, in this work we report the results of extensive molecular dynamics simulations of Pin2 and Pin2GVG peptides in the presence of 2 hydrophobic environments such as dodecyl-phosphocholine (DPC) micelle and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocoline (POPC) membrane. Our results indicate that Pin2 folds in DPC with a 79% of alpha-helical content, which is in agreement with the experimental results, while in POPC it has 62.5% of alpha-helical content. On the other hand, Pin2GVG presents a higher percentage of alpha-helical structure in POPC and a smaller content in DPC when compared with Pin2. These results can help to better choose the starting structures in future molecular dynamics simulations of AMPs, because these peptides can adopt slightly different conformations depending on the hydrophobic environment.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

Probing the self-assembly and the accompanying structural changes of hydrophobin SC3 on a hydrophobic surface by mass spectrometry

The fungal class I hydrophobin SC3 self-assembles into an amphipathic membrane at hydrophilic-hydrophobic interfaces such as the water-air and water-Teflon interface. During self-assembly, the water-soluble state of SC3 proceeds via the intermediate alpha-helical state to the stable end form called the beta-sheet state. Self-assembly of the hydrophobin at the Teflon surface is arrested in the alpha-helical state. The beta-sheet state can be induced at elevated temperature in the presence of detergent. The structural changes of SC3 were monitored by various mass spectrometry techniques. We show that the so-called second loop of SC3 (C39-S72) has a high affinity for Teflon. Binding of this part of SC3 to Teflon was accompanied by the formation of alpha-helical structure and resulted in low solvent accessibility. The solvent-protected region of the second loop extended upon conversion to the beta-sheet state. In contrast, the C-terminal part of SC3 became more exposed to the solvent. The results indicate that the second loop of class I hydrophobins plays a pivotal role in self-assembly at the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interface. Of interest, this loop is much smaller in case of class II hydrophobins, which may explain the differences in their assembly.     

NMR structure of a human homologous methuselah gene receptor peptide

Human APG1 gene is homologous to Drosophila methuselah gene associated with extended life span. A peptide (APG1: RNGKRSNRTLREE) corresponding to a predicted region of the intracellular third loop of G protein-coupled receptor coded in human APG1 gene could activate Gi protein alpha subunit directly. The three-dimensional molecular structure of the peptide in SDS-d25 micelles was determined by 2D 1H NMR spectroscopy. APG1 formed an alpha-helical structure at the C-terminal site and a positive charge cluster at the N-terminal site. The cluster was also found in several other Gi protein-coupled receptor peptides. Therefore, the positive charge cluster on the helical structure might be engaged in G protein activation.     

Peptide mimics of SNARE transmembrane segments drive membrane fusion depending on their conformational plasticity

SNARE proteins are essential for different types of intracellular membrane fusion. Whereas interaction between their cytoplasmic domains is held responsible for establishing membrane proximity, the role of the transmembrane segments in the fusion process is currently not clear. Here, we used an in vitro approach based on lipid mixing and electron microscopy to examine a potential fusogenic activity of the transmembrane segments. We show that the presence of synthetic peptides representing the transmembrane segments of the presynaptic soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) synaptobrevin II (also referred to as VAMP II) or syntaxin 1A, but not of an unrelated control peptide, in liposomal membranes drives their fusion. Liposome aggregation by millimolar Ca(2+) concentrations strongly potentiated the effect of the peptides; this indicates that juxtaposition of the bilayers favours their fusion in the absence of the cytoplasmic SNARE domains. Peptide-driven fusion is reminiscent of natural membrane fusion, since it was suppressed by lysolipid and involved both bilayer leaflets. This suggests transient presence of a hemifusion intermediate followed by complete membrane merger. Structural studies of the peptides in lipid bilayers performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated mixtures of alpha-helical and beta-sheet conformations. In isotropic solution, circular dichroism spectroscopy showed the peptides to exist in a concentration-dependent equilibrium of alpha-helical and beta-sheet structures. Interestingly, the fusogenic activity decreased with increasing stability of the alpha-helical solution structure for a panel of variant peptides. Thus, structural plasticity of transmembrane segments may be important for SNARE protein function at a late step in membrane fusion.     

Presentation of epitopes on genetically engineered peptides and selection of lymphoma-targeting moieties based on epitope biorecognition

A His-tagged coiled coil stem loop peptide with stable secondary structure was designed and biosynthesized. A series of oligopeptides related to the EBV envelope glycoprotein 350/220 N-terminal nonapeptide as potential CD21 receptor-binding epitopes were engineered into the loop region of the peptide scaffold. It was shown that these peptides had a stable alpha-helical coiled coil structure and assumed a monomeric form in PBS. Biorecognition of the epitopes was studied by immobilizing the epitope-containing peptides on complexed Ni2+-containing surfaces through His-Ni2+ chelation and incubating with purified soluble CD21 receptor or CD21+ cells. The results showed that the potential epitopes bound to CD21 and CD21+ cells at different affinities depending on oligopeptide structures. This approach allows for the evaluation of epitope biorecognizabilities and the selection of optimal oligopeptides among sequences for use as targeting moieties in the design of new lymphoma-targeting polymeric drug carriers.     

Involvement of electrostatic interactions in the mechanism of peptide folding induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate binding

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has consistently been shown to induce secondary structure, particularly alpha-helices, in polypeptides, and is commonly used to model membrane and other hydrophobic environments. However, the precise mechanism by which SDS induces these conformational changes remains unclear. To examine the role of electrostatic interactions in this mechanism, we have designed two hydrophilic, charged amphipathic alpha-helical peptides, one basic (QAPAYKKAAKKLAES) and the other acidic (QAPAYEEAAEELAKS), and their structures were studied by CD and NMR. The design of the peptides is based on the sequence of the segment of residues 56-70 of human platelet factor 4 [PF4(56-70), QAPLYKKIIKKLLES]. Both peptides were unstructured in water, and in the presence of neutral, zwitterionic, or cationic detergents. However, in SDS at neutral pH, the basic peptide folded into an alpha-helix. By contrast, the pH needed to be lowered to 1.8 before alpha-helix formation was observed for the acidic peptide. Strong, attractive electrostatic interactions, between the anionic groups of SDS and the cationic groups of the lysines, appeared to be necessary to initiate the folding of the basic peptide. NMR analysis showed that the basic peptide was fully embedded in SDS-peptide micelles, and that its three-dimensional alpha-helical structure could be superimposed on that of the native structure of PF4(56-70). These results enabled us to propose a working model of the basic peptide-SDS complex, and a mechanism for SDS-induced alpha-helical folding. This study demonstrates that, while the folding of peptides is mostly driven by hydrophobic effects, electrostatic interactions play a significant role in the formation and the stabilization of SDS-induced structure.     

Topology and secondary structure of the N-terminal domain of diacylglycerol kinase

Prokaryotic diacylglycerol kinase (DAGK) functions as a homotrimer of 13 kDa subunits, each of which has three transmembrane segments. This enzyme is conditionally essential to some bacteria and serves as a model system for studies of membrane protein biocatalysis, stability, folding, and misfolding. In this work, the detailed topology and secondary structure of DAGK's N-terminus up through the loop following the first transmembrane domain were probed by NMR spectroscopy. Secondary structure was mapped by measuring 13C NMR chemical shifts. Residue-to-residue topology was probed by measuring 19F NMR relaxation rates for site-specifically labeled samples in the presence and absence of polar and hydrophobic paramagnetic probes. Most of DAGK's N-terminal cytoplasmic and first transmembrane segments are alpha-helical. The first and second transmembrane helices are separated by a short loop from residues 48 to 52. The first transmembrane segment extends from residues 32 to 48. Most of the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain lies near the interface but does not extend deeply into the membrane. Finally, catalytic activities measured for the single cysteine mutants before and after chemical labeling suggest that the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain likely contains a number of critical active site residues. The results, therefore, suggest that DAGK's active site lies very near to the water/bilayer interface.     

Diversity of antimicrobial peptides and their mechanisms of action

Antimicrobial peptides encompass a wide variety of structural motifs. Many peptides have alpha-helical structures. The majority of these peptides are cationic and amphipathic but there are also hydrophobic alpha-helical peptides which possess antimicrobial activity. In addition, some beta-sheet peptides have antimicrobial activity and even antimicrobial alpha-helical peptides which have been modified to possess a beta-structure retain part of their antimicrobial activity. There are also antimicrobial peptides which are rich in a certain specific amino acid such as Trp or His. In addition, antimicrobial peptides exist with thio-ether rings, which are lipopeptides or which have macrocyclic Cys knots. In spite of the structural diversity, a common feature of the cationic antimicrobial peptides is that they all have an amphipathic structure which allows them to bind to the membrane interface. Indeed, most antimicrobial peptides interact with membranes and may be cytotoxic as a result of disturbance of the bacterial inner or outer membranes. Alternatively, a necessary but not sufficient property of these peptides may be to be able to pass through the membrane to reach a target inside the cell. The interaction of these peptides with biological membranes is not just a function of the peptide but is also modulated by the lipid components of the membrane. It is not likely that this diverse group of peptides has a single mechanism of action, but interaction of the peptides with membranes is an important requirement for most, if not all, antimicrobial peptides.