Structure and membrane interactions of the homodimeric antibiotic peptide homotarsinin

Sci Rep. 2017 Jan 19:7:40854. doi: 10.1038/srep40854.

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from amphibian skin are valuable template structures to find new treatments against bacterial infections. This work describes for the first time the structure and membrane interactions of a homodimeric AMP. Homotarsinin, which was found in Phyllomedusa tarsius anurans, consists of two identical cystine-linked polypeptide chains each of 24 amino acid residues. The high-resolution structures of the monomeric and dimeric peptides were determined in aqueous buffers. The dimer exhibits a tightly packed coiled coil three-dimensional structure, keeping the hydrophobic residues screened from the aqueous environment. An overall cationic surface of the dimer assures enhanced interactions with negatively charged membranes. An extensive set of biophysical data allowed us to establish structure-function correlations with antimicrobial assays against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Although both peptides present considerable antimicrobial activity, the dimer is significantly more effective in both antibacterial and membrane biophysical assays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemistry
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / metabolism*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology
  • Anura / metabolism
  • Calorimetry
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Dimerization
  • Dynamic Light Scattering
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / drug effects
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / drug effects
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry
  • Lipid Bilayers / metabolism*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • homotarsinin