Effects of Dimerization, Dendrimerization, and Chirality in p-BthTX-I Peptide Analogs on the Antibacterial Activity and Enzymatic Inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 PL[sup.pro] Protein

Recent studies have shown that the peptide [des-Cys[sup.11] ,Lys[sup.12] ,Lys[sup.13] -(p-BthTX-I)[sub.2] K] (p-Bth) is a p-BthTX-I analog that shows enhanced antimicrobial activity, stability and hemolytic activity, and is easy to obtain compared to the wild-type sequence. This molecule also inhibi...

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Published inPharmaceutics Vol. 15; no. 2
Main Authors Bitencourt, Natália Vitória, Righetto, Gabriela Marinho, Camargo, Ilana Lopes Baratella Cunha, de Godoy, Mariana O, Guido, Rafael Victorio Carvalho, Oliva, Glaucius, Santos-Filho, Norival Alves, Cilli, Eduardo Maffud
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published MDPI AG 01.01.2023
Subjects
Antibacterial agents
Chemical properties
Control
Peptides
Structure
Testing
Viral proteins
Brazil
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Summary:Recent studies have shown that the peptide [des-Cys[sup.11] ,Lys[sup.12] ,Lys[sup.13] -(p-BthTX-I)[sub.2] K] (p-Bth) is a p-BthTX-I analog that shows enhanced antimicrobial activity, stability and hemolytic activity, and is easy to obtain compared to the wild-type sequence. This molecule also inhibits SARS-CoV-2 viral infection in Vero cells, acting on SARS-CoV-2 PL[sup.pro] enzymatic activity. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the effects of structural modifications to p-Bth, such as dimerization, dendrimerization and chirality, on the antibacterial activity and inhibitory properties of PL[sup.pro] . The results showed that the dimerization or dendrimerization of p-Bth was essential for antibacterial activity, as the monomeric structure led to a total loss of, or significant reduction in, bacterial activities. The dimers and tetramers obtained using branched lysine proved to be prominent compounds with antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, hemolysis rates were below 10% at the corresponding concentrations. Conversely, the inhibitory activity of the PL[sup.pro] of SARS-CoV-2 was similar in the monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric forms of p-Bth. Our findings indicate the importance of the dimerization and dendrimerization of this important class of antimicrobial peptides, which shows great potential for antimicrobial and antiviral drug-discovery campaigns.
ISSN:1999-4923
1999-4923
DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics15020436