CRAMP analogues having potent antibiotic activity against bacterial, fungal, and tumor cells without hemolytic activity.
CRAMP-18 (GEKLKKIGQKIKNFFQKL) is the antibacterial sequence derived from CRMAP, a member of cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptides. To develop the novel antibiotic peptides useful as therapeutic drugs requires strong antibiotic activity against bacterial and fungal cells without hemolytic effect. To this goal, the analogues were designed to increase only net positively charge by Lys-substitution of positions 2, 9, 13, or 16 at the hydrophilic helix face of CRAMP-18 without any change at the hydrophobic helix face. In particular, Lys-substitution (K(2)-CRAMP-18) of position 2 in CRAMP-18 induced the enhanced antibiotic activity without any increase in hemolysis. Thus, this peptide may provide a useful template for the design novel antibiotic peptides for the treatment of infectious diseases. Additional CD spectra studies suggested that the alpha-helical structure of the peptides plays an important role in killing bacterial and fungal cells, but the increase of alpha-helical content is less connected with the enhanced antibiotic activity.
Shin
S Y
SY
Department of Life Science, Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Kwangju, 500-712, Korea.
Kang
S W
SW
Lee
D G
DG
Eom
S H
SH
Song
W K
WK
Kim
J I
JI
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D054804:Cathelicidins; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015195:Drug Design; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008823:Micelles; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D054804:Cathelicidins; D008823:Micelles; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; D008239:Lysine