1. Hairpin structure stability plays a role in the activity of two antimicrobial peptides.
- Author
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Sivanesam K, Kier BL, Whedon SD, Chatterjee C, and Andersen NH
- Subjects
- Amino Acid Sequence, Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides chemical synthesis, Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides pharmacology, Corynebacterium glutamicum drug effects, Corynebacterium glutamicum growth & development, DNA-Binding Proteins chemical synthesis, DNA-Binding Proteins pharmacology, Escherichia coli drug effects, Escherichia coli growth & development, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Peptides, Cyclic chemical synthesis, Peptides, Cyclic pharmacology, Protein Stability, Protein Structure, Secondary, Structure-Activity Relationship, Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides chemistry, DNA-Binding Proteins chemistry, Disulfides chemistry, Peptides, Cyclic chemistry
- Abstract
Many naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are amphipathic with a β-hairpin conformation stabilized by cross-strand disulfides across the associated β-strands. Here, we show that the disulfides are not essential. Other structuring means such as better β-turns and noncovalent cross-strand interactions can, with proper design, replace the disulfides with no loss in antimicrobial activity. Our results also demonstrate that the hairpin turn region may play a role in membrane recognition for at least one member of this class, since a homodimeric turnless β-sheet analog showed no antimicrobial activity. We also examined the effects of N-terminal fatty acid adducts on AMPs. Surprisingly, the large hydrophobic carboxylic moieties examined completely eliminated the antimicrobial activity of previously active β-hairpin peptides., (© 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)
- Published
- 2016
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