Molecular mechanisms of the binding, insertion, and orientation of antimicrobial peptides in model membranes

• Grant number: 18/19546-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal Investigator: Jose Luiz de Souza Lopes
• Grantee: Jose Luiz de Souza Lopes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural compounds widespread throughout the evolutionary scale, capable of causing the growth inhibition on pathogenic microorganisms, with potential to act controlling infections caused by multiresistant bacteria and act as natural food preservatives. The mechanism of action of many AMPs seems to depend on the balance between the physico-chemical properties of the peptide and the membrane composition of the target cell. In this project, the study of the mechanism of action of PAMs from the groups of Temporins, analogs of Plantaricin149, and peptides isolated from the skin of amphibians belonging to the family Hylidae, is proposed by means of performing multiple biophysical assays (surface tension measurements, conventional, oriented, and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopies, and optical microscopy), employing several membrane models (micelles, lipid mono- and bilayers, large and giant vesicles) to investigate the binding, insertion, and orientation of these AMPs in these systems. Such analyses will be correlated with their respective inhibitory action in ESKAPE bacterial strains that easily escape from the action of conventional antibiotics. (AU)

Scientific publications

(10)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

OLIVEIRA, C. L. P.; LOPES, J. L. S.; SANT'ANNA, O. A.; BOTOSSO, V. F.; BORDALLO, H. N.; FANTINI, M. C. A.. The development of new oral vaccines using porous silica. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER, v. 34, n. 26, p. 10-pg., 2022-06-29. (17/17844-8, 18/19546-7)

LIMA, PATRICIA G.; SOUZA, PEDRO F. N.; FREITAS, CLEVERSON D. T.; OLIVEIRA, JOSE T. A.; DIAS, LUCAS P.; NETO, JOAO X. S.; VASCONCELOS, ILKA M.; LOPES, JOSE L. S.; SOUSA, DANIELE O. B.. Anticandidal activity of synthetic peptides: Mechanism of action revealed by scanning electron and fluorescence microscopies and synergism effect with nystatin. JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, v. 26, n. 6, MAR 2020. (18/19546-7)

RASMUSSEN, MARTIN KJAERULF; BORDALLO, HELOISA N.; BORDENALLI, MARCELA APARECIDA; AKAMATSU, MILENA APETITO; TREZENA, ARYENE GOES; TINO-DE-FRANCO, MILENE; SANT'ANNA, OSVALDO A.; MARTINS, TEREZA DA SILVA; DE SOUZA LOPES, JOSE LUIZ; DE ABREU FANTINI, MARCIA CARVALHO; et al. Assessing the efficiency of SBA-15 as a nanocarrier for diphtheria anatoxin. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, v. 312, JAN 2021. (17/17844-8, 18/19546-7)

SOUZA, PEDRO F. N.; MARQUES, LIDYANE S. M.; OLIVEIRA, JOSE T. A.; LIMA, PATRICIA G.; DIAS, LUCAS P.; NETO, NILTON A. S.; LOPES, FRANCISCO E. S.; SOUSA, JEANLEX S.; SILVA, AYRLES F. B.; CANEIRO, ROMULO F.; et al. Synthetic antimicrobial peptides: From choice of the best sequences to action mechanisms. Biochimie, v. 175, p. 132-145, AUG 2020. (18/19546-7)

LOPES, JOSE L. S.; ARAUJO, CAIO C. F.; NEVES, ROGERIO C.; BURCK, JOCHEN; COUTO, SHEILA G.. Structural analysis of the peptides temporin-Ra and temporin-Rb and interactions with model membranes. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS, v. 51, n. 6, p. 10-pg., 2022-08-17. (18/19546-7)

DE ABREU FANTINI, MARCIA CARVALHO; PINTO OLIVEIRA, CRISTIANO LUIS; DE SOUZA LOPES, JOSE LUIZ; MARTINS, TEREZA DA SILVA; AKAMATSU, MILENA APETITO; TREZENA, ARYENE GOES; TINO-DE-FRANCO, MILENE; BOTOSSO, VIVIANE FONGARO; BRAZIL ESTEVES SANT'ANNA, OSVALDO AUGUSTO; KARDJILOV, NIKOLAY; et al. sing crystallography tools to improve vaccine formulation. IUCRJ, v. 9, n. 1, p. 11+, JAN 2022. (17/17844-8, 18/19546-7)

LOPES, J. L. S.; OLIVEIRA, D. C. A.; UTESCHER, C. L. A.; QUINTILIO, W.; TENORIO, E. C. N.; OLIVEIRA, C. L. P.; FANTINI, M. C. A.; RASMUSSEN, M. K.; BORDALLO, H. N.; SANT'ANNA, O. A.; et al. Antigenic and physicochemical characterization of Hepatitis B surface protein under extreme temperature and pH conditions. Vaccine, v. 37, n. 43, p. 6415-6425, OCT 8 2019. (17/17844-8, 18/19546-7)

KUMAGAI, PATRICIA S.; SOUSA, VICTOR K.; DONATO, MARESSA; ITRI, ROSANGELA; BELTRAMINI, LEILA M.; ARAUJO, ANA P. U.; BUERCK, JOCHEN; WALLACE, B. A.; LOPES, JOSE L. S.. Unveiling the binding and orientation of the antimicrobial peptide Plantaricin 149 in zwitterionic and negatively charged membranes. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS, v. 48, n. 7, p. 621-633, OCT 2019. (18/19546-7, 13/07600-3, 15/50347-2)

DIAS, LUCAS P.; SOUZA, PEDRO F. N.; OLIVEIR, JOSE T. A.; VASCONCELOS, ILKA M.; ARAUJO, NADINE M. S.; TILBURG, MAURICIO F. V.; GUEDES, MARIA I. F.; CARNEIRO, ROMULO F.; LOPES, JOSE L. S.; SOUSA, DANIELE O. B.. RcAlb-PepII, a synthetic small peptide bioinspired in the 2S albumin from the seed cake of Ricinus communis, is a potent antimicrobial agent against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida parapsilosis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES, v. 1862, n. 2, FEB 1 2020. (18/19546-7)

FELIZATTI, ANA P.; ZERAIK, ANA E.; BASSO, LUIS G. M.; KUMAGAI, PATRICIA S.; LOPES, JOSE L. S.; WALLACE, B. A.; ARAUJO, ANA P. U.; DEMARCO, RICARDO. Interactions of amphipathic alpha-helical MEG proteins from Schistosoma mansoni with membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES, v. 1862, n. 3, MAR 1 2020. (14/09361-9, 14/00206-0, 18/19546-7, 15/50347-2)