Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic Drugs
Venoms from ants comprise a rich source of bioactive peptides, including antimicrobial peptides. From the proteome and peptidome of the giant ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> venom, members of five known classes of antimicrobial peptides were disclosed (e.g., dermaseptin-, defensin-, ICK...
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Antibiotics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/9/6/354 |
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| author | Hilania Valéria Dodou Lima Carolina Sidrim de Paula Cavalcante Gandhi Rádis-Baptista |
| author_facet | Hilania Valéria Dodou Lima Carolina Sidrim de Paula Cavalcante Gandhi Rádis-Baptista |
| author_sort | Hilania Valéria Dodou Lima |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Venoms from ants comprise a rich source of bioactive peptides, including antimicrobial peptides. From the proteome and peptidome of the giant ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> venom, members of five known classes of antimicrobial peptides were disclosed (e.g., dermaseptin-, defensin-, ICK-, pilosulin- and ponericin-like types). Based on comparative analysis, these family members have structural determinants that indicate they could display antimicrobial activities. In previous works, pilosulin- and ponericin-like peptides were demonstrated to be active against bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Herein, the antifungal activity of ponericin- and pilosulin-like peptides were assessed, aiming at the expansion of the knowledge about AMPs in predatory ants and the development of new microbicide strategies to deal with difficult-to-treat fungal infections. Synthetic pilosulin- (Dq-2562, Dq-1503, and Dq-1319) and ponericin-like (Dq-3162) peptides were evaluated for their fungicide and fungistatic activities against different species of <i>Candida</i>, including a drug-resistant clinical strain. The MICs and MLCs were determined for all peptides individually and in combination with general antifungal drugs by the microdilution method. The time-kill kinetic curves were set up by means of a luminescent reagent, of which the light signal is proportional to the number of viable cells. The candicidal synergism observed by the combination of subinhibitory concentrations of peptides and general antimycotic drugs were quantified by the checkerboard test and fluorescent dye permeation assay. The influence of ergosterol on the antifungal activity was verified by supplementation of culture medium. The pilosulin- (Dq-2562 and Dq-1503) and ponericin-like (Dq-3162) were the most active peptides, displaying a broad spectrum of antifungal activity in vitro, with MICs in the range of 0.625 to 10 µM. The combination of peptides and conventional antimycotic drugs displayed a synergistic reduction in the MIC values of individual peptides and drugs, while soluble ergosterol in the culture medium increased the MICs. The fungicide and fungistatic activity of the individual peptides and peptides in combination with antimycotics were time-dependent with a rapid onset of action and long-lasting effect, which involved membrane disruption as an underlying mechanism of their action. Altogether, pilosulin- and ponericin-like peptides from the giant ant <i>D. quadriceps</i> venom display a broad-spectrum of candicidal activity, what allows their inclusion in the row of the antifungal peptides and gives support for further studies on the development of strategies to fight candidiasis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:57:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a4a08c183bd4f598119f2c28cd0abb8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:57:00Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj.art-1a4a08c183bd4f598119f2c28cd0abb82023-11-20T04:41:12ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822020-06-019635410.3390/antibiotics9060354Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic DrugsHilania Valéria Dodou Lima0Carolina Sidrim de Paula Cavalcante1Gandhi Rádis-Baptista2Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60416-030, BrazilCenter for Science and Technology, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60714-903, BrazilPostgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60416-030, BrazilVenoms from ants comprise a rich source of bioactive peptides, including antimicrobial peptides. From the proteome and peptidome of the giant ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> venom, members of five known classes of antimicrobial peptides were disclosed (e.g., dermaseptin-, defensin-, ICK-, pilosulin- and ponericin-like types). Based on comparative analysis, these family members have structural determinants that indicate they could display antimicrobial activities. In previous works, pilosulin- and ponericin-like peptides were demonstrated to be active against bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Herein, the antifungal activity of ponericin- and pilosulin-like peptides were assessed, aiming at the expansion of the knowledge about AMPs in predatory ants and the development of new microbicide strategies to deal with difficult-to-treat fungal infections. Synthetic pilosulin- (Dq-2562, Dq-1503, and Dq-1319) and ponericin-like (Dq-3162) peptides were evaluated for their fungicide and fungistatic activities against different species of <i>Candida</i>, including a drug-resistant clinical strain. The MICs and MLCs were determined for all peptides individually and in combination with general antifungal drugs by the microdilution method. The time-kill kinetic curves were set up by means of a luminescent reagent, of which the light signal is proportional to the number of viable cells. The candicidal synergism observed by the combination of subinhibitory concentrations of peptides and general antimycotic drugs were quantified by the checkerboard test and fluorescent dye permeation assay. The influence of ergosterol on the antifungal activity was verified by supplementation of culture medium. The pilosulin- (Dq-2562 and Dq-1503) and ponericin-like (Dq-3162) were the most active peptides, displaying a broad spectrum of antifungal activity in vitro, with MICs in the range of 0.625 to 10 µM. The combination of peptides and conventional antimycotic drugs displayed a synergistic reduction in the MIC values of individual peptides and drugs, while soluble ergosterol in the culture medium increased the MICs. The fungicide and fungistatic activity of the individual peptides and peptides in combination with antimycotics were time-dependent with a rapid onset of action and long-lasting effect, which involved membrane disruption as an underlying mechanism of their action. Altogether, pilosulin- and ponericin-like peptides from the giant ant <i>D. quadriceps</i> venom display a broad-spectrum of candicidal activity, what allows their inclusion in the row of the antifungal peptides and gives support for further studies on the development of strategies to fight candidiasis.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/9/6/354<i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i>giant ant venom-peptidesantimicrobial peptidesantifungal peptidespilosulin-like peptidesponericin-like peptides |
| spellingShingle | Hilania Valéria Dodou Lima Carolina Sidrim de Paula Cavalcante Gandhi Rádis-Baptista Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic Drugs Antibiotics <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> giant ant venom-peptides antimicrobial peptides antifungal peptides pilosulin-like peptides ponericin-like peptides |
| title | Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic Drugs |
| title_full | Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic Drugs |
| title_fullStr | Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic Drugs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic Drugs |
| title_short | Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Pilosulin- and Ponericin-Like Peptides from the Giant Ant <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> and Synergistic Effects with Antimycotic Drugs |
| title_sort | antifungal in vitro activity of pilosulin and ponericin like peptides from the giant ant i dinoponera quadriceps i and synergistic effects with antimycotic drugs |
| topic | <i>Dinoponera quadriceps</i> giant ant venom-peptides antimicrobial peptides antifungal peptides pilosulin-like peptides ponericin-like peptides |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/9/6/354 |
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