Estudo da atividade antifúngica e dos mecanismos de ação do peptídeo Ctn[15-34], um fragmento C-terminal da crotalicidina, derivado de uma catelicidina expressa nas glândulas de veneno de cascavéis

Abstract

Crotalicidin (Ctn), a 34-residue cathelicidin from a South American rattlesnake, and its fragment (Ctn[15–34]) have shown anti-infective and cytotoxic activities against Gramnegative bacteria and certain tumor lines, respectively. The extent of such effects has been related to physicochemical characteristics such as helicity and hydrophobicity. We now report the anti-fungal activity of Ctn and its fragments (Ctn[1–14]) and (Ctn[15–34]) And characterize the possible mechanisms of action of peptides against Candida albicans.MIC determination and luminescent cell viability assays were used to evaluate the anti-infective activity of Ctn and its fragments (Ctn[1–14]) and (Ctn[15–34]) as anti-fungal agents against opportunistic yeast and dermatophytes. Cytotoxicity towards healthy eukaryotic cells was assessed in vitro with healthy human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells and erythrocytes. Fragments Ctn[1–14] and Ctn[15–34] lost activity against dermatophytes, but became more active against pathogenic yeasts, including several Candida species and Cryptococcus laurentii, with MICs as low as 5 μM. Interestingly, the two peptide fragments were less cytotoxic to healthy HK-2 cells and less hemolytic to human erythrocytes than the standard-of-care amphotericin B (AMB).The checkerboard technique was performed to estimate the effects of combining either one of the peptides with AMB against C. albicans strains, and it was the synergy between Ctn peptides and AMB, with consequent reduction in MICs of both drug and peptides. In general, the Ctn[15-34] presented the smallest MICs against the different Candida species, and low cytotoxicity against eukaryotic cells. To characterize the anti- Candida activity of Ctn[15-34] were performed the phospholipase activity assay, time killing assay, and flow cytometry techniques.The plasmatic membrane damage was roughly estimated based on the amount of product generated by phospholipase activity after treatment of 4N3OBA lipid (substrate) with Ctn[15-34]; At 10 μM a big increase in phospholipase activity could be noticed compared to non-treated and treated lipids at 5μM. Analysis of the time killing assays of cells treated with Ctn [15-34] and AMB, showed that they did not reduce the number of CFUs in the same fashion, which suggested that Ctn[15-34] and AMB could have different mechanisms of action against C.albicans. Ctn[15-34] alone promoted cell membrane disruption, like other AMPs, in yeasts. Moreover, the C. albicans cell death pathway detected after the peptide treatment was necrosis, which further confirmed cell membrane damage capacity by Ctn[15-34].Together, Ctn and its fragments are promising for the treatment of fungal diseases, and the Ctn [15-34] is a most valuable candidate for further 12 development as an antifungal therapeutic peptide lead, particularly against yeast infections where it could be usedfully applied either alone or in combination with a standard antibiotic such as AMB.