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Mol. Cells 2011; 31(1): 49-54

Published online November 23, 2010

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10059-011-0005-y

© The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology

Activity Optimization of an Undecapeptide Analogue Derived from a Frog-Skin Antimicrobial Peptide

Hyung-Sik Won1,2,6, Su-Jin Kang3,6, Wahn-Soo Choi4, and Bong-Jin Lee1,3,5,*

1Structural Research Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea, 2Department of Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju 380-701, Korea, 3Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea, 4Department of Immunology, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju 380-701, Korea, 5Promeditech Inc., Seoul 151-011, Korea, 6These authors contributed equally to this work.

Correspondence to : *Correspondence: lbj@nmr.snu.ac.kr

Received: August 10, 2010; Revised: September 26, 2010; Accepted: October 14, 2010

Abstract

While natural antimicrobial peptides are potential thera-peutic agents, their physicochemical properties and bioactivity generally need to be enhanced for clinical and commercial development. We have previously developed a cationic, amphipathic α-helical, 11-residue peptide (named herein GA-W2: FLGWLFKWASK-NH2) with potent antimicrobial and hemolytic activity, which was derived from a 24-residue, natural antimicrobial peptide isolated from frog skin. Here, we attempted to optimize peptide bioactivity by a rational approach to sequence modification. Seven analogues were generated from GA-W2, and their activities were compared with that of a 12-residue peptide, omiganan, which is being developed for clinical and commercial applications. Most of the modifications reported here improved antimicrobial activity. Among them, the GA-K4AL (FAKWAFKWLKK-NH2) peptide displayed the most potent antimicrobial activity with negligible hemolytic activity, superior to that of omiganan. The therapeutic index of GA-K4AL was improved more than 53- and more than 31-fold against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively, compared to that of the starting peptide, GA-W2. Given its relatively shorter length and simpler amino acid composition, our sequence-optimized GA-K4AL peptide may thus be a potentially useful antimicrobial peptide agent.

Keywords activity optimization, amphipathic helix, antimicrobial activity, antimicrobial peptide, hemolytic activity, sequence modification

Article

Research Article

Mol. Cells 2011; 31(1): 49-54

Published online January 31, 2011 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10059-011-0005-y

Copyright © The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Activity Optimization of an Undecapeptide Analogue Derived from a Frog-Skin Antimicrobial Peptide

Hyung-Sik Won1,2,6, Su-Jin Kang3,6, Wahn-Soo Choi4, and Bong-Jin Lee1,3,5,*

1Structural Research Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea, 2Department of Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju 380-701, Korea, 3Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea, 4Department of Immunology, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju 380-701, Korea, 5Promeditech Inc., Seoul 151-011, Korea, 6These authors contributed equally to this work.

Correspondence to:*Correspondence: lbj@nmr.snu.ac.kr

Received: August 10, 2010; Revised: September 26, 2010; Accepted: October 14, 2010

Abstract

While natural antimicrobial peptides are potential thera-peutic agents, their physicochemical properties and bioactivity generally need to be enhanced for clinical and commercial development. We have previously developed a cationic, amphipathic α-helical, 11-residue peptide (named herein GA-W2: FLGWLFKWASK-NH2) with potent antimicrobial and hemolytic activity, which was derived from a 24-residue, natural antimicrobial peptide isolated from frog skin. Here, we attempted to optimize peptide bioactivity by a rational approach to sequence modification. Seven analogues were generated from GA-W2, and their activities were compared with that of a 12-residue peptide, omiganan, which is being developed for clinical and commercial applications. Most of the modifications reported here improved antimicrobial activity. Among them, the GA-K4AL (FAKWAFKWLKK-NH2) peptide displayed the most potent antimicrobial activity with negligible hemolytic activity, superior to that of omiganan. The therapeutic index of GA-K4AL was improved more than 53- and more than 31-fold against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively, compared to that of the starting peptide, GA-W2. Given its relatively shorter length and simpler amino acid composition, our sequence-optimized GA-K4AL peptide may thus be a potentially useful antimicrobial peptide agent.

Keywords: activity optimization, amphipathic helix, antimicrobial activity, antimicrobial peptide, hemolytic activity, sequence modification

Mol. Cells
Sep 30, 2023 Vol.46 No.9, pp. 527~572
COVER PICTURE
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is marked by airspace enlargement (emphysema) and small airway fibrosis, leading to airflow obstruction and eventual respiratory failure. Shown is a microphotograph of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histological sections of the enlarged alveoli as an indicator of emphysema. Piao et al. (pp. 558-572) demonstrate that recombinant human hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 1 (rhHAPLN1) significantly reduces the extended airspaces of the emphysematous alveoli by increasing the levels of TGF-β receptor I and SIRT1/6, as a previously unrecognized mechanism in human alveolar epithelial cells, and consequently mitigates COPD.

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