Li J
Design and evaluation of tadpole-like conformational antimicrobial peptides
Antimicrobial peptides are promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Herein, we report a class of “tadpole-like” peptides consisting of an amphipathic α-helical head and an aromatic tail.
ReadNature-inspired synthetic oligourea foldamer channels allow water transport with high salt rejection
Biomimetic membranes incorporating artificial water channels (AWCs) are being developed for industrial water purification. Designing AWCs to achieve high water permeation with salt rejection is a challenge. We designed and synthesized oligourea foldamers, which form predictable helical structures that can be used to create biomimetic porin-like architectures. Two of these foldamers (H2OC1 and H2OC2) allow superior water permeability and almost total salt rejection across lipid membranes. Solid-state NMR, cryo-EM, and molecular dynamics analyses suggest proper insertion of foldamers into lipid vesicles. The H2OC1 crystal structure shows hydrophilic pores of diameters 4.8 and 6.4 Å. The oligourea helices pack together by hydrophobic and salt bridge interactions to build two channel-like assemblies. Besides their proteolytic stability and microbial resistance, the sequence of foldamers can be tailored to regulate selectivity. The ease of designing, synthesizing, and purifying oligourea foldamers is an added advantage. Our findings can help to develop novel AWCs for water purification applications.
ReadA five-safes approach to a secure and scalable genomics data repository
Genomics, Data encryption, Data storage representation
ReadDesigner co-beta-peptide copolymer selectively targets resistant and biofilm Gram-negative bacteria. Biomaterials
New antimicrobials are urgently needed to combat Gram-negative bacteria, particularly multi-drug resistant (MDR) and phenotypically resistant biofilm species. At present, only sequence-defined alpha-peptides (e.g. polymyxin B) can selectively target Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharides. We show that a copolymer, without a defined sequence, shows good potency against MDR Gram-negative bacteria including its biofilm form.
ReadProfiling Microbial Communities in Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis
Keywords: idiopathic granulomatous mastitis; metagenomic sequencing; microbiota; 16S rRNA; Corynebacterium; MaAsLin 2
ReadMolecular descriptors suggest stapling as a strategy for optimizing membrane permeability of cyclic peptides
Cyclic peptides represent a promising class of drug candidates. A significant obstacle limiting their development as therapeutics is the lack of an ability to predict their membrane permeability.
ReadMolecular descriptors suggest stapling as a strategy for optimizing membrane permeability of cyclic peptides
Cyclic peptides represent a promising class of drug candidates. A significant obstacle limiting their development as therapeutics is the lack of an ability to predict their membrane permeability.
ReadEvaluation of Host Defense Peptide (CaD23)-Antibiotic Interaction and Mechanism of Action: Insights From Experimental and Molecular Dynamics Simulations Studies
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently one of the major global health threats. (Prestinaci et al., 2015; Ventola, 2015) By 2050, it is estimated to cause 10 million deaths and cost the global economy up to 100 trillion USD if the issue remains untackled. (O’Neill, 2016) In addition, non-systemic infections, including ocular and skin infections, are being increasingly affected by drug-resistant pathogens, which usually result in poor prognosis (Ventola, 2015; Pulido-Cejudo et al., 2017; Ting et al., 2021a). In view of the colossal impact on global health and economy, various initiatives and strategies have been proposed and implemented to tackle AMR. These include establishment of antimicrobial stewardship to monitor the use of antimicrobial agents and the rise of AMR, development of new drugs and vaccines, drug repurposing, and incentivising pharmaceutical companies for investing in antimicrobial drug development. (Ventola, 2015)
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