Antimicrobial Peptides as a Promising Alternative for Plant Disease Protection

2012 ◽  
pp. 263-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. López-García ◽  
B. San Segundo ◽  
M. Coca
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Plant Disease ◽  
Promising Alternative

scholarly journals Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Immune Responses with Different Feeding Regimes Following Infection by the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Cabral ◽  
Adriano de Paula ◽  
Richard Samuels ◽  
Rodrigo da Fonseca ◽  
Simone Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Fungal Infection ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Toll Pathway ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Imd Pathway ◽  
Feeding Regimes

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the most notorious vector of illness-causing viruses. The use of entomopathogenic fungi as bioinsecticides is a promising alternative for the development of novel mosquito control strategies. We investigate whether differences in immune responses could be responsible for modifications in survival rates of insects following different feeding regimes. Sucrose and blood-fed adult A. aegypti females were sprayed with M. anisopliae 1 × 106 conidia mL−1, and after 48 h, the midgut and fat body were dissected. We used RT-qPCR to monitor the expression of Cactus and REL1 (Toll pathway), IMD, REL2, and Caspar (IMD pathway), STAT and PIAS (JAK-STAT pathway), as well as the expression of antimicrobial peptides (Defensin A, Attacin and Cecropin G). REL1 and REL2 expression in both the midgut and fat body were higher in blood-fed fungus-challenged A. aegypti than in sucrose-fed counterparts. Interestingly, infection of sucrose-fed insects induced Cactus expression in the fat body, a negative regulator of the Toll pathway. The IMD gene was upregulated in the fat body in response to fungal infection after a blood meal. Additionally, we observed the induction of antimicrobial peptides in the blood-fed fungus-challenged insects. This study suggests that blood-fed A. aegypti are less susceptible to fungal infection due to the rapid induction of Toll and IMD immune pathways.

Antimicrobial Peptides for Plant Disease Control. From Discovery to Application

2012 ◽  
pp. 235-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Montesinos ◽  
Esther Badosa ◽  
Jordi Cabrefiga ◽  
Marta Planas ◽  
Lidia Feliu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Plant Disease ◽  
Plant Disease Control

scholarly journals Activity of Antimicrobial Peptides Decreases with Increased Cell Membrane Crossing Free Energy Cost

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongfeng Zou ◽  
Xiaomin Zhu ◽  
Yaoquan Tu ◽  
Junchen Wu ◽  
Markita P. Landry
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Intermolecular Interactions ◽  
Energy Cost ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Free Energy Calculations ◽  
Intramolecular Interactions ◽  
Promising Alternative

ABSTRACTAntimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising alternative to mitigating bacterial infections in light of increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. However, predicting, understanding, and controlling the antibacterial activity of AMPs remains a significant challenge. While peptide intramolecular interactions are known to modulate AMP antimi-crobial activity, peptide intermolecular interactions remain elusive in their impact on peptide bioactivity. Herein, we test the relationship between AMP intermolecular interactions and antibacterial efficacy by controlling AMP intermolecular hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations and Gibbs free energy calculations in concert with experimental assays show that increasing intermolecular interactions via inter-peptide aggregation increases the energy cost for the peptide to cross the bacterial cell membrane, which in turn decreases the AMP antibacterial activity. Our findings provide a route for predicting and controlling the antibacterial activity of AMPs against Gramnegative bacteria via reductions of intermolecular AMP interactions.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial Peptides with Antibacterial Activity against Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains: Classification, Structures, and Mechanisms of Action

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7927
Author(s):  
Isabella Hernández-Aristizábal ◽  
Iván Darío Ocampo-Ibáñez
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Resistant Strains ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Considerable Morbidity ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics

The emergence of bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotics is of great concern in modern medicine because it renders ineffectiveness of the current empirical antibiotic therapies. Infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) and vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strains represent a serious threat to global health due to their considerable morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, there is an urgent need of research and development of new antimicrobial alternatives against these bacteria. In this context, the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is considered a promising alternative therapeutic strategy to control resistant strains. Therefore, a wide number of natural, artificial, and synthetic AMPs have been evaluated against VRSA and VISA strains, with great potential for clinical application. In this regard, we aimed to present a comprehensive and systematic review of research findings on AMPs that have shown antibacterial activity against vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-intermediate resistant strains and clinical isolates of S. aureus, discussing their classification and origin, physicochemical and structural characteristics, and possible action mechanisms. This is the first review that includes all peptides that have shown antibacterial activity against VRSA and VISA strains exclusively.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial efficacy and toxicity of novel CAMPs against P. aeruginosa infection in a murine skin wound infection model

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Yang ◽  
Chunye Zhang ◽  
Sarah A. Hansen ◽  
William J. Mitchell ◽  
Michael Z. Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Wound Infection ◽  
Topical Application ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Bacterial Burden ◽  
Dose Equivalent ◽  
Promising Alternative

Abstract Background Treatment of P. aeruginosa wound infection is challenging due to its inherent and acquired resistance to many conventional antibiotics. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) with distinct modes of antimicrobial action have been considered as the next-generation therapeutic agents. In the present study, a murine skin surgical wound infection model was used to evaluate the in vivo toxicity and efficacy of two newly designed antimicrobial peptides (CAMP-A and CAMP-B), as chemotherapeutic agents to combat P. aeruginosa infection. Results In the first trial, topical application of CAMPs on the wounds at a dose equivalent to 4 × MIC for 7 consecutive days did not cause any significant changes in the physical activities, hematologic and plasma biochemical parameters, or histology of systemic organs of the treated mice. Daily treatment of infected wounds with CAMP-A and CAMP-B for 5 days at a dose equivalent to 2× MIC resulted in a significant reduction in wound bacterial burden (CAMP-A: 4.3 log10CFU/g of tissue and CAMP-B: 5.8 log10CFU/g of tissue), compared to that of the mock-treated group (8.1 log10CFU/g of tissue). Treatment with CAMPs significantly promoted wound closure and induced epidermal cell proliferation. Topical application of CAMP-A on wounds completely prevented systemic dissemination of P. aeruginosa while CAMP-B blocked systemic infection in 67% of mice and delayed the onset of systemic infection by at least 2 days in the rest of the mice (33%). In a second trial, daily application of CAMP-A at higher doses (5× MIC and 50× MIC) didn’t show any significant toxic effect on mice and the treatments with CAMP-A further reduced wound bacterial burden (5× MIC: 4.5 log10CFU/g of tissue and 50× MIC: 3.8 log10CFU/g of tissue). Conclusions The data collectively indicated that CAMPs significantly reduced wound bacterial load, promoted wound healing, and prevented hepatic dissemination. CAMP-A is a promising alternative to commonly used antibiotics to treat P. aeruginosa skin infection.

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