Blapstin, a Diapause-Specific Peptide-Like Peptide from the Chinese Medicinal Beetle
            <i>Blaps rhynchopetera</i>
            , Has Antifungal Function

Zhang, Lamei; Yang, Min; Zhou, Sheng-Wen; Zhang, Hao; Feng, Ying; Shi, Lei; Li, Dongsheng; Lu, Qiumin; Zhang, Zhonghe; Zhao, Min

doi:10.1128/spectrum.03089-22

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 71 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Since the discovery of the first animal AMP in silkworms, insect AMPs, particularly those fromD. melanogaster , have drawn considerable attention [66] . However, research on AMPs in B.rhynchopetera remains in its early stages, with the discovery of a solitary antifungal peptide designated as "blapstin" to date [67] .…”

Section: Go and Kegg Enrichment Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the medicinal insect Blaps rhynchopetera (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) using Nanopore and Hi-C technologies

wei,

Yue,

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Blaps rhynchopetera Fairmaire is a significant medicinal resource in southwestern China. We utilized Nanopore and Hi-C technologies in combination to generate a high-quality, chromosome-level assembly of the B. rhynchopetera genome and described its genetic features. Gene surveys revealed that B. rhynchopetera is a highly heterozygous species. The assembled genome was 379.24 Mb in size, of which 96.03% was assigned to 20 pseudochromosomes. A total of 212.93 Mb of repeat sequences were annotated and 26,824 protein-coding genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the divergence of the ancestors of B. rhynchopetera and its closely related species Tenebrio molitor at about 85.6 mya. The co-linearity analysis showed that some chromosomes of B. rhynchopetera may have happen fission events and it has a good synteny relationship with Tribolium castaneum. Furthermore, in GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, the gene families related to detoxification and immunity of B. rhynchopetera facilitated the understanding its environmental adaptations, which will provide research references for the prevention of some pests and the protection of beneficial insects. This high-quality reference genome will also contribute to the conservation of insect species diversity and genetic resources.

show abstract

Section: Go and Kegg Enrichment Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the medicinal insect Blaps rhynchopetera (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) using Nanopore and Hi-C technologies

wei,

Yue,

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Antimicrobial peptide-based therapy, suggested by and developed from the multitude of insects, plants, and other organisms that make daily use of them for survival [50][51][52][53], showed a minor insurgence of antibiotic resistance due to the intrinsic multi-modal, multitarget action derived from the more complex structure of these compounds, and a plethora of co-adjuvant properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-healing effects [54,55]. However, their application in therapy is restricted because of their side effects, caused by off-target reactions with human epitopes and by the high concentration (derived from their conspicuous molecular weight) at which they need to be administered to exert their properties.…”

Section: Polymixinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Phospholipid Carriers: A Viable Strategy to Counteract Antimicrobial Resistance

Nicolosi,

Petronio Petronio,

Russo

et al. 2023

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) bacteria strains, usually associated with poorer patient outcomes and higher costs. In order to preserve the usefulness of these life-saving drugs, it is crucial to use them appropriately, as also recommended by the WHO. Moreover, innovative, safe, and more effective approaches are being investigated, aiming to revise drug treatments to improve their pharmacokinetics and distribution and to reduce the onset of drug resistance. Globally, to reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), guidelines and indications have been developed over time, aimed at narrowing the use and diminishing the environmental spread of these life-saving molecules by optimizing prescriptions, dosage, and times of use, as well as investing resources into obtaining innovative formulations with better pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutic results. This has led to the development of new nano-formulations as drug delivery vehicles, characterized by unique structural properties, biocompatible natures, and targeted activities such as state-of-the-art phospholipid particles generally grouped as liposomes, virosomes, and functionalized exosomes, which represent an attractive and innovative delivery approach. Liposomes and virosomes are chemically synthesized carriers that utilize phospholipids whose nature is predetermined based on their use, with a long track record as drug delivery systems. Exosomes are vesicles naturally released by cells, which utilize the lipids present in their cellular membranes only, and therefore, are highly biocompatible, with investigations as a delivery system having a more recent origin. This review will summarize the state of the art on microvesicle research, liposomes, virosomes, and exosomes, as useful and effective tools to tackle the threat of antibiotic resistance.

show abstract

“…Although B. rhynchopetera has great potential for use in medicine, research on its active ingredients and efficacy verification is very limited, resulting in a limited understanding of its effective medicinal substances and active mechanisms [32]. In recent research, B. rhynchopetera was shown to contain blapstin, a new anti-fungi peptide that is effective against Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum [33]. Based on this, we identified a novel peptide called blap-6 from the hemolymph transcriptome of B. rhynchopetera, which is effective against bacteria and fungi, especially C. neoformans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blap-6, a Novel Antifungal Peptide from the Chinese Medicinal Beetle Blaps rhynchopetera against Cryptococcus neoformans

Zhang,

Zhou,

Huang

et al. 2024

IJMS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans) is a pathogenic fungus that can cause life-threatening meningitis, particularly in individuals with compromised immune systems. The current standard treatment involves the combination of amphotericin B and azole drugs, but this regimen often leads to inevitable toxicity in patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new antifungal drugs with improved safety profiles. We screened antimicrobial peptides from the hemolymph transcriptome of Blaps rhynchopetera (B. rhynchopetera), a folk Chinese medicine. We found an antimicrobial peptide named blap-6 that exhibited potent activity against bacteria and fungi. Blap-6 is composed of 17 amino acids (KRCRFRIYRWGFPRRRF), and it has excellent antifungal activity against C. neoformans, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.81 μM. Blap-6 exhibits strong antifungal kinetic characteristics. Mechanistic studies revealed that blap-6 exerts its antifungal activity by penetrating and disrupting the integrity of the fungal cell membrane. In addition to its direct antifungal effect, blap-6 showed strong biofilm inhibition and scavenging activity. Notably, the peptide exhibited low hemolytic and cytotoxicity to human cells and may be a potential candidate antimicrobial drug for fungal infection caused by C. neoformans.

show abstract

Blapstin, a Diapause-Specific Peptide-Like Peptide from the Chinese Medicinal Beetle Blaps rhynchopetera , Has Antifungal Function

Cited by 5 publications

References 71 publications

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the medicinal insect Blaps rhynchopetera (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) using Nanopore and Hi-C technologies

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the medicinal insect Blaps rhynchopetera (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) using Nanopore and Hi-C technologies

Innovative Phospholipid Carriers: A Viable Strategy to Counteract Antimicrobial Resistance

Blap-6, a Novel Antifungal Peptide from the Chinese Medicinal Beetle Blaps rhynchopetera against Cryptococcus neoformans

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About