Anti-tuberculosis activity of α-helical antimicrobial peptides: de novo designed L- and D-enantiomers versus L- and D-LL-37

Protein Pept Lett. 2011 Mar;18(3):241-52. doi: 10.2174/092986611794578288.

Abstract

With the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a new class of antimycobacterial agents with very different modes of action compared to classical antibiotics, are urgently needed. In this study, a series of 26-residue, amphipathic, α-helical antimicrobial peptides consisting of all D-amino acid residues and synthetic human L-LL37 (L-enantiomer) and D-LL37 (D-enantiomer) were investigated against M. tuberculosis susceptible strain (H37Rv) and a clinical multi-drug resistant strain (Vertulo). Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined through a peptide killing assay. D5, the most active analog against M. tuberculosis had a MIC value of 11.2 μM (35.2 μg/ml) against H37Rv strain and 15.6 μM (49 μg/ml) against the MDR strain. Peptide D1 had similar activity as D5 against the MDR strain (57 μg/mL), a 9-fold improvement in hemolytic activity and a 7.4-fold better therapeutic index compared to D5. Surprisingly, LL37 enantiomers showed little to no activity compared to the de-novo designed α-helical antimicrobial peptides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Antitubercular Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antitubercular Agents / chemistry*
  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cathelicidins / chemical synthesis
  • Cathelicidins / chemistry*
  • Cathelicidins / genetics
  • Cathelicidins / pharmacology*
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple
  • Hemolysis / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Cathelicidins