A dye-release method for investigating the effect of a competitive lipid environment on the activity of two membrane-disrupting antimicrobial peptides (AMP), maculatin 1.1 and aurein 1.2, is presented. The results support the general conclusion that AMP have greater affinity for negatively charged membranes, for example bacterial membranes, than for the neutral membrane surface found in eukaryotic cells, but only within a competitive lipid environment. Indeed, in a single-model membrane environment, both peptides were more potent against neutral vesicles than against charged vesicles. The approach was also used to investigate the effect of pre-incubating the peptides in a neutral lipid environment then introducing charged lipid vesicles. Maculatin was shown to migrate from the neutral lipid bilayers, where pores had already formed, to the charged membrane bilayers. This result was also observed for charged-to-charged bilayers but, interestingly, not for neutral-to-neutral lipid interfaces. Aurein was able to migrate from either lipid environment, indicating weaker binding to lipid membranes, and a different molecular mechanism for lysis of lipid bilayers. Competitive lipid environments could be used to assess other critical conditions that modulate the activity of membrane peptides or proteins.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00249-014-0970-0 | DOI Listing |
Appl Environ Microbiol
December 2024
Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Västra Götaland County, Sweden.
Unlabelled: Bioprospecting can uncover new yeast strains and species with interesting ecological characteristics and valuable biotechnological traits, such as the capacity to convert different carbon sources from industrial side and waste streams into bioproducts. In this study, we conducted untargeted yeast bioprospecting in tropical West Africa, collecting 1,996 isolates and determining their growth in 70 different environments. While the collection contains numerous isolates with the potential to assimilate several cost-effective and sustainable carbon and nitrogen sources, we focused on characterizing the 203 strains capable of growing on lactose, the main carbon source in the abundant side stream cheese whey from dairy industries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFmSphere
December 2024
Antibiotics Research and Re-evaluation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China.
is a prominent Gram-negative and encapsulated opportunistic pathogen that causes a multitude of infections such as severe respiratory and healthcare-associated infections. Despite the widespread anti-microbial resistance and the high mortality rate, currently, no clinically vaccine is approved for battling . To date, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine is one of the most advancing technologies and are extensively investigated for viral infection, while infrequently applied for prevention of bacterial infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Chem Phys
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
The computational spectroscopy of water has proven to be a powerful tool for probing the structure and dynamics of chemical systems and for providing atomistic insight into experimental vibrational spectroscopic results. However, such calculations have been limited for biochemical systems due to the lack of empirical vibrational frequency maps for the TIP3P water model, which is used in many popular biomolecular force fields. Here, we develop an empirical map for the TIP3P model and evaluate its efficacy for reproducing the experimental vibrational spectroscopy of water.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Chem Chem Phys
January 2025
Department of Physics, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, NH91, Tehsil Dadri, G. B. Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India.
Graphene and its derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), have propelled advancements in biosensor research owing to their unique physicochemical and electronic characteristics. To ensure their safe and effective utilization in biological environments, it is crucial to understand how these graphene-based nanomaterials (GNMs) interact with a biological milieu. The present study depicts GNM-induced structural changes in a self-assembled phospholipid monolayer formed at an air-water interface that can be considered to represent one of the leaflets of a cellular membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTheranostics
January 2025
The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen & Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518172, China.
Chemotherapy is essential for treating tumors, including head and neck cancer (HNC). However, the toxic side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs limit their widespread use. Therefore, a targeted delivery system that can transport the drug to the pathological site while minimizing damage to healthy tissues is urgently needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!