molecules-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Development, Bioactivity, and Application of New Antimicrobial Peptides

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 3847

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: antimicrobial

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial peptides, also known as host defense peptides, are small-molecule active peptides that are important components of the natural immunity. They are widely present in biological organisms such as insects, animals, and microorganisms and exhibit strong, rapid, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against a range of pathogens, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Most antimicrobial peptides have both positive charge and hydrophobicity. They typically utilize electrostatic interactions between positive charge and anionic bacterial cell membranes to attract each other and use hydrophobicity to insert into the interior of bacterial cell membranes, disrupting their integrity and exerting antibacterial effects. Compared to antibiotics that act on a single and specific molecular target, antimicrobial peptides have multiple mechanisms of action, including membrane action, which can effectively combat drug-resistant bacteria without obvious resistance. In addition, the surface of bacterial cell membranes contains a large number of substances such as phospholipids and lipopolysaccharides, which are negatively charged, while mammalian cell membranes contain a large number of cholesterols and sphingolipids, which are electrically neutral. Therefore, the cationic antimicrobial peptides are more inclined to interact with bacteria. In addition, antimicrobial peptides have conformational characteristics and are prone to undergo conformational changes on bacterial cell membranes, but they are less likely to undergo conformational changes on host cell membranes, and thus, they are less likely to be toxic to host cells. Thus, antimicrobial peptides have laid a solid foundation for the development of new generation antimicrobial drugs.

Dr. Chao Zhong
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antimicrobial peptides
  • antimicrobial activity
  • bacterial resistance
  • antimicrobial drugs
  • bioactivity

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

29 pages, 3776 KiB  
Article
Antibacterial Properties of Peptide and Protein Fractions from Cornu aspersum Mucus
by Lyudmila Velkova, Aleksandar Dolashki, Ventsislava Petrova, Emiliya Pisareva, Dimitar Kaynarov, Momchil Kermedchiev, Maria Todorova and Pavlina Dolashka
Molecules 2024, 29(12), 2886; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29122886 - 18 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1408
Abstract
The discovery and investigation of new natural compounds with antimicrobial activity are new potential strategies to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The presented study reveals, for the first time, the promising antibacterial potential of two fractions from Cornu aspersum mucus with an [...] Read more.
The discovery and investigation of new natural compounds with antimicrobial activity are new potential strategies to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The presented study reveals, for the first time, the promising antibacterial potential of two fractions from Cornu aspersum mucus with an MW < 20 kDa and an MW > 20 kDa against five bacterial pathogens—Bacillus cereus 1085, Propionibacterium acnes 1897, Salmonella enterica 8691, Enterococcus faecalis 3915, and Enterococcus faecium 8754. Using de novo sequencing, 16 novel peptides with potential antibacterial activity were identified in a fraction with an MW < 20 kDa. Some bioactive compounds in a mucus fraction with an MW > 20 kDa were determined via a proteomic analysis on 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and bioinformatics. High homology with proteins and glycoproteins was found, with potential antibacterial activity in mucus proteins named aspernin, hemocyanins, H-lectins, and L-amino acid oxidase-like protein, as well as mucins (mucin-5AC, mucin-5B, mucin-2, and mucin-17). We hypothesize that the synergy between the bioactive components determined in the composition of the fraction > 20 kDa are responsible for the high antibacterial activity against the tested pathogens in concentrations between 32 and 128 µg/mL, which is comparable to vancomycin, but without cytotoxic effects on model eukaryotic cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Additionally, a positive effect, by reducing the levels of intracellular oxidative damage and increasing antioxidant capacity, on S. cerevisiae cells was found for both mucus extract fractions of C. aspersum. These findings may serve as a basis for further studies to develop a new antibacterial agent preventing the development of antibiotic resistance. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

18 pages, 1027 KiB  
Review
Antimicrobial Potential of Scorpion-Venom-Derived Peptides
by Zhiqiang Xia, Lixia Xie, Bing Li, Xiangyun Lv, Hongzhou Zhang and Zhijian Cao
Molecules 2024, 29(21), 5080; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29215080 - 27 Oct 2024
Viewed by 802
Abstract
The frequent and irrational use of antibiotics by humans has led to the escalating rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with a high rate of morbidity-mortality worldwide, which poses a challenge to the development of effective treatments. A large number of host defense peptides [...] Read more.
The frequent and irrational use of antibiotics by humans has led to the escalating rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with a high rate of morbidity-mortality worldwide, which poses a challenge to the development of effective treatments. A large number of host defense peptides from different organisms have gained interest due to their broad antibacterial spectrum, rapid action, and low target resistance, implying that these natural sources might be a new alternative to antimicrobial drugs. As important effectors of prey capture, defense against other animal attacks, and competitor deterrence, scorpion venoms have been developed as important candidate sources for modern drug development. With the rapid progress of bioanalytical and high throughput sequencing techniques, more and more scorpion-venom-derived peptides, including disulfide-bridged peptides (DBPs) and non-disulfide-bridged peptides (NDBPs), have been recently identified as having massive pharmacological activities in channelopathies, pathogen infections, and cancer treatments. In this review, we summarize the molecular diversity and corresponding structural classification of scorpion venom peptides with antibacterial, antifungal, and/or antiparasitic activity. We also aim to improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which scorpion-venom-derived peptides exert these antimicrobial functions, and finally highlight their key aspects and prospects for antimicrobial therapeutic or pharmaceutical application. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1603 KiB  
Review
Colistin: Lights and Shadows of an Older Antibiotic
by Erica Diani, Gabriele Bianco, Milo Gatti, Davide Gibellini and Paolo Gaibani
Molecules 2024, 29(13), 2969; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29132969 - 21 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1277
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance represents a serious threat to public health and for infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms, representing one of the most important causes of death worldwide. The renewal of old antimicrobials, such as colistin, has been proposed as a [...] Read more.
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance represents a serious threat to public health and for infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms, representing one of the most important causes of death worldwide. The renewal of old antimicrobials, such as colistin, has been proposed as a valuable therapeutic alternative to the emergence of the MDR microorganisms. Although colistin is well known to present several adverse toxic effects, its usage in clinical practice has been reconsidered due to its broad spectrum of activity against Gram-negative (GN) bacteria and its important role of “last resort” agent against MDR-GN. Despite the revolutionary perspective of treatment with this old antimicrobial molecule, many questions remain open regarding the emergence of novel phenotypic traits of resistance and the optimal usage of the colistin in clinical practice. In last years, several forward steps have been made in the understanding of the resistance determinants, clinical usage, and pharmacological dosage of this molecule; however, different points regarding the role of colistin in clinical practice and the optimal pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic targets are not yet well defined. In this review, we summarize the mode of action, the emerging resistance determinants, and its optimal administration in the treatment of infections that are difficult to treat due to MDR Gram-negative bacteria. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop