Antibacterial and antifungal activity of defensins from the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus

Cabezas-Cruz, Alejandro; Tonk, Miray; Bleackley, Mark R.; Valdés, James J.; Barrero, Roberto A.; Hernández-Jarguín, Angélica; Moutailler, Sara; Vilcinskas, Andreas; Richard‐Forget, Florence; Anderson, Marilyn A.; Rodriguez-Valle, M.

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101269

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…ricinus, and I . holocyclus [ 23 , 26 , 41 ]. Relevant genome and transcriptome datasets have provided abundant and valuable resources for expanding novel defensin families and offered a glimpse of defensin diversity [ 42 – 45 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defensins as a promising class of tick antimicrobial peptides: a scoping review

Zhou

Chen

et al. 2022

Infect Dis Poverty

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Background Ticks are hematophagous parasites that transmit an extensive range of pathogens to their vertebrate hosts. Ticks can destroy invading microorganisms or alleviate infection via their rudimentary but orchestrated innate immune system. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important components of tick innate immunity. Among these humoral effector molecules, defensins are well-studied and widely identified in various species of Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks). This review was aimed at presenting the characterization of tick defensins from structure-based taxonomic status to antimicrobial function. Main text All published papers written in English from 2001 to May 2022 were searched through PubMed and Web of Science databases with the combination of relevant terms on tick defensins. Reports on identification and characterization of tick defensins were included. Of the 329 entries retrieved, 57 articles were finally eligible for our scoping review. Tick defensins mainly belong to the antibacterial ancient invertebrate-type defensins of the cis-defensins superfamily. They are generally small, cationic, and amphipathic, with six cysteine residues forming three intra-molecular disulfide bonds. Tick defensins primarily target membranes of a variety of pathogens, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Since tick defensins have a high degree of variability, we summarize their common biological properties and enumerate representative peptides. Along with the various and potent antimicrobial activities, the role of tick defensins in determining vector competence is discussed. Conclusions Due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, tick defensins are considered novel candidates or targets for controlling infectious diseases. Graphical Abstract

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defensins as a promising class of tick antimicrobial peptides: a scoping review

Zhou

Chen

et al. 2022

Infect Dis Poverty

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“…Indeed, available knowledge on defensin bioactivity against phytopathogenic fungi is mainly restricted to their antifungal effect and to defensins from plant origin. As previously published [ 111 , 113 , 127 ], defensins could also exhibit highly promising antimycotoxin efficiency and defensins of invertebrate origin could be an additional source of bioactive peptides. The expansion of peptide libraries and defensin databases, together with the development of bioinformatics and proteomics tools, will certainly contribute to broaden the field of defensin investigation [ 225 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Use of Defensins to Develop Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Synthetic Fungicides to Control Phytopathogenic Fungi and Their Mycotoxins

Leannec-Rialland

Atanasova‐Pénichon

Chéreau

et al. 2022

JoF

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Crops are threatened by numerous fungal diseases that can adversely affect the availability and quality of agricultural commodities. In addition, some of these fungal phytopathogens have the capacity to produce mycotoxins that pose a serious health threat to humans and livestock. To facilitate the transition towards sustainable environmentally friendly agriculture, there is an urgent need to develop innovative methods allowing a reduced use of synthetic fungicides while guaranteeing optimal yields and the safety of the harvests. Several defensins have been reported to display antifungal and even—despite being under-studied—antimycotoxin activities and could be promising natural molecules for the development of control strategies. This review analyses pioneering and recent work addressing the bioactivity of defensins towards fungal phytopathogens; the details of approximately 100 active defensins and defensin-like peptides occurring in plants, mammals, fungi and invertebrates are listed. Moreover, the multi-faceted mechanism of action employed by defensins, the opportunity to optimize large-scale production procedures such as their solubility, stability and toxicity to plants and mammals are discussed. Overall, the knowledge gathered within the present review strongly supports the bright future held by defensin-based plant protection solutions while pointing out the obstacles that still need to be overcome to translate defensin-based in vitro research findings into commercial products.

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“…In vertebrates, β-Defensin genes are induced at the mucosal sites (skin, gills, and gut), spleen, and liver and are regulated by not only microbial but also developmental and neuroendocrine signals in a tissue-specific manner (Ganz 2003;Guo et al 2012;Marel et al 2012). The transcriptome of the Australian paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus identified five members of the Defensin family designated as holosins 1-5, wherein holosins 2 and 3 are active against the Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and fungus C. albicans (Cabezas-Cruz et al 2019). Previous studies have suggested the potent anti-Gram-positive bacterial activity of insect Defensins distributed in almost all insect orders (Gomes Pde & Fernandes 2010;Hoffmann & Hetru 1992;Li et al 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The transcriptome of the Australian paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus identified five members of the Defensin family designated as holosins 1–5, wherein holosins 2 and 3 are active against the Gram‐positive bacteria S. aureus and fungus C. albicans (Cabezas‐Cruz et al . 2019). Previous studies have suggested the potent anti‐Gram‐positive bacterial activity of insect Defensins distributed in almost all insect orders (Gomes Pde & Fernandes 2010; Hoffmann & Hetru 1992; Li et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In silico identification and expression analyses of Defensin genes in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor

Jang

Park

Kim

et al. 2020

Entomological Research

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Defensins are a major family of antimicrobial peptides that serve as the innate immune defense of both vertebrates and invertebrates. Due to their antimicrobial, chemotactic, and regulatory activities, Defensins have been exploited for their therapeutic potential. Insect Defensins are cysteine-rich and contain an N-terminal loop, α-helix, and antiparallel β-sheet, forming a "cysteine-stabilized alpha beta (CSαβ)" or "loop-helix-sheet" structure. In this study, we identified the full-length open reading frame (ORF) sequences of Defensin (TmDef) and Defensin-like (TmDef-like) genes from the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor using in silico methods. TmDef and TmDef-like genes encode the peptides of 72 and 71 amino acid residues, respectively. TmDefensin is comprised of a Defensin domain and the TmDefensin-like is comprised of a signal peptide of 21 amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close similarities of TmDefensin with the Defensin of Acalolepta luxuriosa of the longhorn beetle family. The expression of TmDef mRNA was found to be greater than that of TmDef-like mRNA and was mostly expressed in the pupal and adult stages. Tissue distribution showed high expression of TmDef-like mRNA in larval hemocytes, gut, integument, and fat body, while in adults, the expression was high in gut and hemocytes. Following bacterial and fungal stimulation in vivo, TmDef was upregulated at 24 h post-infection in whole body, fat body, and hemocytes of the larvae. Even TmDef-like mRNA was upregulated in the gut and hemocytes at 12 and 9 h post-infection respectively. These results suggest that TmDef and TmDef-like genes play important roles in protecting T. molitor from microbial contact.

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Antibacterial and antifungal activity of defensins from the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus

Cited by 12 publications

References 65 publications

Defensins as a promising class of tick antimicrobial peptides: a scoping review

Defensins as a promising class of tick antimicrobial peptides: a scoping review

Use of Defensins to Develop Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Synthetic Fungicides to Control Phytopathogenic Fungi and Their Mycotoxins

In silico identification and expression analyses of Defensin genes in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor

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