Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 45363, Indonesia.
Research Center for Molecular Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 45363, Indonesia.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Nov 2;23(21):13413. doi: 10.3390/ijms232113413.
LL-37 is a membrane-active antimicrobial peptide (AMP) that could disrupt the integrity of bacterial membranes due to its inherent cationic and amphipathic nature. Developing a shorter derivative of a long peptide such as LL-37 is of great interest, as it can reduce production costs and cytotoxicity. However, more detailed information about the residual interaction between LL-37 and the membrane is required for further optimization. Previously, molecular dynamics simulation using mixed all-atom and united-atom force fields showed that LL-37 could penetrate the bilayer membrane. This study aimed to perform all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, highlighting the residual interaction of LL-37 with the simplest model of the bacterial membrane, POPE:POPG (2:1), and compare its interaction with the POPC, which represents the eukaryotic membrane. The result showed leucine-leucine as the leading residues of LL-37 that first contact the membrane surface. Then, the cationic peptide of LL-37 started to penetrate the membrane by developing salt bridges between positively charged amino acids, Lys-Arg, and the exposed phosphate group of POPE:POPG, which is shielded in POPC. Residues 18 to 29 are suggested as the core region of LL-37, as they actively interact with the POPE:POPG membrane, not POPC. These results could provide a basis for modifying the amino acid sequence of LL-37 and developing a more efficient design for LL-37 derivatives.
LL-37 是一种膜活性抗菌肽 (AMP),由于其固有阳离子和两亲性,能够破坏细菌膜的完整性。开发 LL-37 等长肽的更短衍生物非常有趣,因为它可以降低生产成本和细胞毒性。然而,需要更多关于 LL-37 与膜之间残留相互作用的详细信息,以进行进一步优化。以前,使用混合全原子和统一原子力场的分子动力学模拟表明,LL-37 可以穿透双层膜。本研究旨在进行全原子分子动力学模拟,突出 LL-37 与最简单的细菌膜模型 POPE:POPG(2:1)的残留相互作用,并将其与代表真核膜的 POPC 进行比较。结果表明,亮氨酸-亮氨酸是 LL-37 首先与膜表面接触的先导残基。然后,LL-37 的阳离子肽通过在带正电荷的氨基酸 Lys-Arg 与 POPE:POPG 的暴露磷酸基团之间形成盐桥开始穿透膜,而 POPC 则屏蔽了磷酸基团。18 到 29 位残基被认为是 LL-37 的核心区域,因为它们与 POPE:POPG 膜而不是 POPC 积极相互作用。这些结果可为修饰 LL-37 的氨基酸序列和开发更有效的 LL-37 衍生物设计提供依据。