Peptides from the scorpion Vaejovis punctatus with broad antimicrobial activity.
The antimicrobial potential of two new non-disulfide bound peptides, named VpAmp1.0 (LPFFLLSLIPSAISAIKKI, amidated) and VpAmp2.0 (FWGFLGKLAMKAVPSLIGGNKSSSK) is here reported. These are 19- and 25-aminoacid-long peptides with +2 and +4 net charges, respectively. Their sequences correspond to the predicted mature regions from longer precursors, putatively encoded by cDNAs derived from the venom glands of the Mexican scorpion Vaejovis punctatus. Both peptides were chemically synthesized and assayed against a variety of microorganisms, including pathogenic strains from clinical isolates and strains resistant to conventional antibiotics. Two shorter variants, named VpAmp1.1 (FFLLSLIPSAISAIKKI, amidated) and VpAmp2.1 (FWGFLGKLAMKAVPSLIGGNKK), were also synthesized and tested. The antimicrobial assays revealed that the four synthetic peptides effectively inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiaea) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria, with MICs in the range of 2.5-24.0 μM; yeasts (Candida albicans and Candida glabrata) with MICs of 3.1-50.0 μM; and two clinically isolated strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-including a multi-drug resistant one- with MICs in the range of 4.8-30.5 μM. A comparison between the activities of the original peptides and their derivatives gives insight into the structural/functional role of their distinctive residues.
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico. Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
Santos
S
Ramírez-Carreto
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico. Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
Juana María
JM
Jiménez-Vargas
Medical Research Unit-Zacatecas, Mexican Institute of Social Security IMSS, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Bruno
B
Rivas-Santiago
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico. Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
Gerardo
G
Corzo
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico. Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
Lourival D
LD
Possani
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico. Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
Baltazar
B
Becerril
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico. Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico. Electronic address: erne@ibt.unam.mx.
Ernesto
E
Ortiz
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012605:Scorpions / Q000737:chemistry*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D012604:Scorpion Venoms
Antimicrobial peptides; Hemolysis; Non-disulfide bound peptides; Scorpion; Therapeutic index; cDNA library