Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure
The emergence and development of pathogenic bacterial resistance to antibiotics pose significant challenges to human health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Lactoferricin (Lfcin), a cationic AMP located in the N-terminal region of lact...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1508895/full |
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| author | Jie Pei Jie Pei Lin Xiong Lin Xiong Xiaoyun Wu Xiaoyun Wu Min Chu Min Chu Pengjia Bao Pengjia Bao Qianyun Ge Qianyun Ge Xian Guo Xian Guo |
| author_facet | Jie Pei Jie Pei Lin Xiong Lin Xiong Xiaoyun Wu Xiaoyun Wu Min Chu Min Chu Pengjia Bao Pengjia Bao Qianyun Ge Qianyun Ge Xian Guo Xian Guo |
| author_sort | Jie Pei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence and development of pathogenic bacterial resistance to antibiotics pose significant challenges to human health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Lactoferricin (Lfcin), a cationic AMP located in the N-terminal region of lactoferrin, serves as the antimicrobial active center of the intact protein. The presence of two cysteines in Lfcin allows for the formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond, which may influence its molecular structure and antibacterial function. To investigate this hypothesis, we synthesized, purified, and identified bovine Lfcin along with two derivatives: Lfcin with a disulfide bond (Lfcin DB) and a mutated form that cannot form the disulfide bond (Lfcin C36G). We analyzed the circular dichroism spectra of these peptides under varying ionic and hydrophobic conditions, while their tertiary structures were predicted using AlphaFold3. Results indicated that increased ionic strength reduced the random coil ratios across all peptides. The secondary structure of Lfcin showed similar percentages with Lfcin C36G in the H2O and similar ratios with Lfcin DB under hydrophobic conditions. AlphaFold3-predicted models revealed two distinct structures: one predominantly adopting α-helix conformations and the other characterized by β-sheet topology. Furthermore, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of the peptides against four Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella gallinarum. The synthetic peptides demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, with Lfcin exhibiting superior efficacy compared to its derivatives. Our findings suggest that Lfcin can reversibly interconvert between two distinct molecular states under varying ionic strengths and hydrophobic effects, with the resulting structural transformations enhancing its antibacterial function. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c6217afaf49f4d8f97f45afae0e145ec |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2235-2988 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c6217afaf49f4d8f97f45afae0e145ec2025-08-20T02:31:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882025-05-011510.3389/fcimb.2025.15088951508895Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structureJie Pei0Jie Pei1Lin Xiong2Lin Xiong3Xiaoyun Wu4Xiaoyun Wu5Min Chu6Min Chu7Pengjia Bao8Pengjia Bao9Qianyun Ge10Qianyun Ge11Xian Guo12Xian Guo13Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaThe emergence and development of pathogenic bacterial resistance to antibiotics pose significant challenges to human health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Lactoferricin (Lfcin), a cationic AMP located in the N-terminal region of lactoferrin, serves as the antimicrobial active center of the intact protein. The presence of two cysteines in Lfcin allows for the formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond, which may influence its molecular structure and antibacterial function. To investigate this hypothesis, we synthesized, purified, and identified bovine Lfcin along with two derivatives: Lfcin with a disulfide bond (Lfcin DB) and a mutated form that cannot form the disulfide bond (Lfcin C36G). We analyzed the circular dichroism spectra of these peptides under varying ionic and hydrophobic conditions, while their tertiary structures were predicted using AlphaFold3. Results indicated that increased ionic strength reduced the random coil ratios across all peptides. The secondary structure of Lfcin showed similar percentages with Lfcin C36G in the H2O and similar ratios with Lfcin DB under hydrophobic conditions. AlphaFold3-predicted models revealed two distinct structures: one predominantly adopting α-helix conformations and the other characterized by β-sheet topology. Furthermore, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of the peptides against four Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella gallinarum. The synthetic peptides demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, with Lfcin exhibiting superior efficacy compared to its derivatives. Our findings suggest that Lfcin can reversibly interconvert between two distinct molecular states under varying ionic strengths and hydrophobic effects, with the resulting structural transformations enhancing its antibacterial function.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1508895/fulllactoferricinantimicrobial peptidedisulfide bondsecondary structureconformational transformationantibacterial activity |
| spellingShingle | Jie Pei Jie Pei Lin Xiong Lin Xiong Xiaoyun Wu Xiaoyun Wu Min Chu Min Chu Pengjia Bao Pengjia Bao Qianyun Ge Qianyun Ge Xian Guo Xian Guo Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology lactoferricin antimicrobial peptide disulfide bond secondary structure conformational transformation antibacterial activity |
| title | Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure |
| title_full | Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure |
| title_fullStr | Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure |
| title_short | Bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure |
| title_sort | bovine lactoferricin exerts antibacterial activity against four gram negative pathogenic bacteria by transforming its molecular structure |
| topic | lactoferricin antimicrobial peptide disulfide bond secondary structure conformational transformation antibacterial activity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1508895/full |
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