A rigidity-enhanced antimicrobial activity: a case for linear cationic α-helical peptide HP(2-20) and its four analogues.
Linear cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides are referred to as one of the most likely substitutes for common antibiotics, due to their relatively simple structures (≤ 40 residues) and various antimicrobial activities against a wide range of pathogens. Of those, HP(2-20) was isolated from Helico...
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/2928db0ebce849559df626d52b76acf7 |
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| Sumario: | Linear cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides are referred to as one of the most likely substitutes for common antibiotics, due to their relatively simple structures (≤ 40 residues) and various antimicrobial activities against a wide range of pathogens. Of those, HP(2-20) was isolated from Helicobacter pylori ribosomal protein. To reveal a mechanical determinant that may mediate the antimicrobial activities, we examined the mechanical properties and structural stabilities of HP(2-20) and its four analogues of same chain length by steered molecular dynamics simulation. The results indicated the following: the resistance of H-bonds to the tensile extension mediated the early extensive stage; with the loss of H-bonds, the tensile force was dispensed to prompt the conformational phase transition; and Young's moduli (N/m(2)) of the peptides were about 4 ∼ 8 × 10(9). These mechanical features were sensitive to the variation of the residue compositions. Furthermore, we found that the antimicrobial activity is rigidity-enhanced, that is, a harder peptide has stronger antimicrobial activity. It suggests that the molecular spring constant may be used to seek a new structure-activity relationship for different α-helical peptide groups. This exciting result was reasonably explained by a possible mechanical mechanism that regulates both the membrane pore formation and the peptide insertion. |
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