In silico optimization of a guava antimicrobial peptide enables combinatorial exploration for peptide design

Nat Commun. 2018 Apr 16;9(1):1490. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03746-3.

Abstract

Plants are extensively used in traditional medicine, and several plant antimicrobial peptides have been described as potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics. However, after more than four decades of research no plant antimicrobial peptide is currently used for treating bacterial infections, due to their length, post-translational modifications or high dose requirement for a therapeutic effect . Here we report the design of antimicrobial peptides derived from a guava glycine-rich peptide using a genetic algorithm. This approach yields guavanin peptides, arginine-rich α-helical peptides that possess an unusual hydrophobic counterpart mainly composed of tyrosine residues. Guavanin 2 is characterized as a prototype peptide in terms of structure and activity. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis indicates that the peptide adopts an α-helical structure in hydrophobic environments. Guavanin 2 is bactericidal at low concentrations, causing membrane disruption and triggering hyperpolarization. This computational approach for the exploration of natural products could be used to design effective peptide antibiotics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / biosynthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / biosynthesis
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemistry*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / genetics
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology
  • Cell Membrane / chemistry
  • Cell Membrane / drug effects
  • Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques
  • Drug Design
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / growth & development
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Plant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / pharmacology
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Pseudomonas Infections / drug therapy*
  • Pseudomonas Infections / microbiology
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / chemistry
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / growth & development
  • Psidium / chemistry*
  • Psidium / metabolism
  • Skin / drug effects
  • Skin / microbiology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Plant Proteins