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Antifungal Peptides
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Antifungal Peptides

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2017)

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mira Edgerton

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Oral Biology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Interests: antifungal peptides; molecular mycology; oral candidiasis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungal pathogens are a worldwide threat to human health. Candida albicans, which is normally a commensal resident of the oral cavity, can cause oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) in an individual whose immune system is compromised. Although our understanding of factors that tip the balance from commensalism to virulence is incomplete, disruption of the microbiota and host epithelial barriers or alterations in host innate immmunity including anitmicrobial peptides are predisposing factors for development of mucosal candidiasis by C. albicans and other related Candida species.

C. albicans resides not only in the oral cavity, but also in the GI tract where its colonization may serve as a niche for systemic dissemination upon alteration of host defenses. Antimicrobial peptides, such as defensins, serve, not only to limit C. albicans, but also serve as an important link between the innate and adaptive immune system and have a role in immunomodulation.

When drug-resistant infections of Candida species develop, few alternative treatment options are available since there are a limited number of fungal pathways targeted by clinically available antifungal drugs. Antimicrobial peptides are attractive as an alternative treatment since their mechanism of action is distinct from most antifungal drugs. Several human salivary or tissue-derived peptides, including histatins, lactoferrins, defensins, cathelicidins, and calprotectins, may serve as novel antimicrobial agents.

Dr. Mira  Edgerton
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. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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/Antifungal peptides

  • Oral and mucosal candidiasis

  • Candida albicans and Candida species

  • Fungal pathogens

  • Histatins

  • Defensins

  • Cathelicidins

  • Calprotectins

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1457 KiB  
Article
Antifungal Potential of Host Defense Peptide Mimetics in a Mouse Model of Disseminated Candidiasis
by Mobaswar Hossain Chowdhury, Lisa Kathleen Ryan, Kartikeya Cherabuddi, Katie B. Freeman, Damian G. Weaver, Jeffry C. Pelletier, Richard W. Scott and Gill Diamond
J. Fungi 2018, 4(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof4010030 - 27 Feb 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4316
Abstract
Invasive candidiasis caused by Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida (NAC) present a serious disease threat. Although the echinocandins are recommended as the first line of antifungal drug class, resistance to these agents is beginning to emerge, demonstrating the need for new antifungal [...] Read more.
Invasive candidiasis caused by Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida (NAC) present a serious disease threat. Although the echinocandins are recommended as the first line of antifungal drug class, resistance to these agents is beginning to emerge, demonstrating the need for new antifungal agents. Host defense peptides (HDP) exhibit potent antifungal activity, but as drugs they are difficult to manufacture efficiently, and they are often inactivated by serum proteins. HDP mimetics are low molecular weight non-peptide compounds that can alleviate these problems and were shown to be membrane-active against C. albicans and NAC. Here, we expand upon our previous works to describe the in vitro and in vivo activity of 11 new HDP mimetics that are active against C. albicans and NAC that are both sensitive and resistant to standard antifungal drugs. These compounds exhibit minimum inhibitory/fungicidal concentration (MIC/MFC) in the µg/mL range in the presence of serum and are inhibited by divalent cations. Rapid propidium iodide influx into the yeast cells following in vitro exposure suggested that these HDP mimetics were also membrane active. The lead compounds were able to kill C. albicans in an invasive candidiasis CD-1 mouse model with some mimetic candidates decreasing kidney burden by 3–4 logs after 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. The data encouraged further development of this new anti-fungal drug class for invasive candidiasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antifungal Peptides)
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15 pages, 2980 KiB  
Article
The Plant Defensin NaD1 Enters the Cytoplasm of Candida albicans via Endocytosis
by Brigitte M. E. Hayes, Mark R. Bleackley, Marilyn A. Anderson and Nicole L. Van der Weerden
J. Fungi 2018, 4(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof4010020 - 6 Feb 2018
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 5758
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are widespread in nature and are produced by many organisms as a first line of defence against pathogens. These peptides have a broad range of biological activities, such as antibacterial or antifungal activities and act with varied mechanisms of action. A [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial peptides are widespread in nature and are produced by many organisms as a first line of defence against pathogens. These peptides have a broad range of biological activities, such as antibacterial or antifungal activities and act with varied mechanisms of action. A large number of the peptides are amphipathic α-helices which act by disrupting plasma membranes and allowing leakage of intracellular contents. However, some peptides have more complex mechanisms of action that require internalisation into the target organisms’ cytoplasm. The method by which these peptides enter the cytoplasm varies, with some requiring the energy dependent processes of endocytosis or polyamine transport and others entering via passive transport. Here we describe the mechanism that the antimicrobial peptide, the plant defensin NaD1, uses to transverse the fungal membrane and gain access to the fungal cytoplasm. By inhibiting ATP synthesis and using an inhibitor of actin polymerisation, we show that NaD1 is internalised into C. albicans yeast cells by the energy-dependent process of endocytosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antifungal Peptides)
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Review

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1356 KiB  
Review
Natural Antimicrobial Peptides as Inspiration for Design of a New Generation Antifungal Compounds
by Małgorzata Bondaryk, Monika Staniszewska, Paulina Zielińska and Zofia Urbańczyk-Lipkowska
J. Fungi 2017, 3(3), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof3030046 - 26 Aug 2017
Cited by 108 | Viewed by 9807
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections are associated with high mortality rates, despite appropriate antifungal therapy. Limited therapeutic options, resistance development and the high mortality of invasive fungal infections brought about more concern triggering the search for new compounds capable of interfering with fungal viability and [...] Read more.
Invasive fungal infections are associated with high mortality rates, despite appropriate antifungal therapy. Limited therapeutic options, resistance development and the high mortality of invasive fungal infections brought about more concern triggering the search for new compounds capable of interfering with fungal viability and virulence. In this context, peptides gained attention as promising candidates for the antimycotics development. Variety of structural and functional characteristics identified for various natural antifungal peptides makes them excellent starting points for design novel drug candidates. Current review provides a brief overview of natural and synthetic antifungal peptides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antifungal Peptides)
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