Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (Dec 2024)

Discovery, development and optimisation of a novel frog antimicrobial peptide with combined mode of action against drug-resistant bacteria

  • Jingkai Wang,
  • Jibo Hu,
  • Wenyuan Pu,
  • Xiaoling Chen,
  • Chengbang Ma,
  • Yangyang Jiang,
  • Tao Wang,
  • Tianbao Chen,
  • Chris Shaw,
  • Mei Zhou,
  • Lei Wang

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23
pp. 3391 – 3406

Abstract

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Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have emerged as promising candidates for addressing the clinical challenges posed by the rapid evolution of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Brevinins, a representative frog-derived AMP family, exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, attacking great attentions in previous studies. However, their strong haemolytic activity and cytotoxicity, greatly limit their further development. In this work, we identified and characterised a novel brevinin-1 peptide, brevinin-1pl, from the skin secretions of the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens. Like many brevinins, brevinin-1pl also displayed strong haemolytic activity, resulting in a lower therapeutic index. We employed several bioinformatics tools to analyse the structure and potential membrane interactions of brevinin-1pl, leading to a series of modifications. Among these analogues, des-Ala16-[Lys4]brevinin-1pl exhibited great enhanced therapeutic efficacy in both in vitro and in vivo tests, particularly against some antibiotics-resistant Escherichia coli strains. Mechanistic studies suggest that des-Ala16-[Lys4]brevinin-1pl may exert bactericidal effects through multiple mechanisms, including membrane disruption and DNA binding. Consequently, des-Ala16-[Lys4]brevinin-1pl holds promise as a candidate for the treatment of drug-resistant Escherichia coli infections.

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