• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제21권2호
• /
• pp.229-236
• /
• 2006

Gaegurin 4 (GGN4), a novel peptide isolated from the skin of a Korean frog, Rana rugosa, has broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. A number of amphipathic peptides closely related to GGN4 undergo a coil to helix transition with concomitant oligomerization in lipid membranes or membrane-mimicking environments. Despite intensive study of their secondary structures, the oligomeric states of the peptides before and after the transition are not well understood. To clarify the structural basis of its antibiotic action, we used analytical ultracentrifugation to define the aggregation state of GGN4 in water, ethyl alcohol, and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP). The maximum size of GGN4 in 15% HFIP corresponded to a decamer, whereas it was monomeric in buffer. The oligomeric transition is accompanied by a cooperative 9 nm blue-shift of maximum fluorescence emission and a large secondary structure change from an almost random coil to an ${\alpha}$-helical structure. GGN4 induces pores in lipid membranes and, using electrophysiological methods, we estimated the diameter of the pores to be exceed $7.3{\AA}$, which suggests that the minimal oligomer structure responsible is a pentamer.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• 제13권1호
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2009

Gaegurin 4(GGN 4), an antimicrobial peptide isolated from a Korean frog, is five times more potent against Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria, but has little hemolytic activity. To understand the mechanism of such cell selectivity, we examined GGN4-induced $K^+$ efflux from target cells, and membrane conductances in planar lipid bilayers. The $K^+$ efflux from Gram-positive M. luteus(2.5 ${\mu}g/ml$) was faster and larger than that from Gram-negative E. coli(75 ${\mu}g/ml$), while that from RBC was negligible even at higher concentration(100 ${\mu}g/ml$). GGN4 induced larger conductances in the planar bilayers which were formed with lipids extracted from Gram-positive B. subtilis than in those from E. coli(p<0.01), however, the effects of GGN4 were not selective in the bilayers formed with lipids from E. coli and red blood cells. Addition of an acidic phospholipid, phosphatidylserine to planar bilayers increased the GGN4-induced membrane conductance(p<0.05), but addition of phosphatidylcholine or cholesterol reduced it(p<0.05). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that GGN4 induced pore-like damages in M. luteus and dis-layering damages on the outer wall of E. coli. Taken together, the present results indicate that the selectivity of GGN4 toward Gram-positive over Gram-negative bacteria is due to negative surface charges, and interaction of GGN4 with outer walls. The selectivity toward bacteria over RBC is due to the presence of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, and the trans-bilayer lipid asymmetry in RBC. The results suggest that design of selective antimicrobial peptides should be based on the composition and topology of membrane lipids in the target cells.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제32권1호
• /
• pp.12-19
• /
• 1999

Gaegurin 4 (GGN4), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, is a 37-amino acid peptide isolated from the Korean frog, Rana rugosa. In this study, we have chemically synthesized and purified GGN4 analogues where the C-terminal portion is truncated and/or substituted with tryptophan. These peptides show significantly different biological activities depending on the location of tryptophan and the number of amino acids truncated from the C-terminal end. While deletion of 9 amino acids from the C-terminal seems to be marginally tolerable in maintaining the antimicrobial activity, further deletion of up to 14 amino acid residues decreases the potency by more than 60-fold towards Gram-positive, and 10-fold towards Gram-negative, bacteria. Surprisingly, the reduced activity of the shorter peptide can be completely restored by a single substitution of aspartic acid 16 to tryptophan 16 (D16W). Also, the truncation seems to decrease the specificity of antibiotic activity more towards Gram-positive than towards Gram-negative bacteria studied. These data suggest a partial role of the C-terminal region in determining the binding specificity and the activity of peptides upon binding to their target cell membranes.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제40권2호
• /
• pp.261-269
• /
• 2007

The structure and dynamics of a 37-residue antimicrobial peptide gaegurin 4 (GGN4) isolated from the skin of the native Korean frog, Rana rugosa, was determined in SDS micelles by NMR spectroscopy. The solution structure of the peptide in SDS micelles was determined from 352 NOE-derived distance constraints and 22 backbone torsion angle constraints. Dynamic properties for the amide backbone were characterized by $^1H-^{15}N $heteronuclear NOE experiments. The structural study revealed two amphipathic helices spanning residues 2-10 and 16-32 and that the helices were connected by a flexible loop. An intraresidue disulfide bridge was formed between residues Cys31 and Cys37 near the C-terminus. The loop region (11-15) connecting the two helices are were slightly more flexible than these helices themselves. From the fact that since there is no contact NOEs between two helices, it is implied that the GGN4 peptide shows an independent motion of both helices which has an angle of about $ 60^{\circ}-120^{\circ}$ from each other.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
• /
• 제40권2호
• /
• pp.92-97
• /
• 2012

항균 펩타이드(Antimicrobial peptides(AMPs)는 그람 양성, 그람 음성 세균과 진균병원체에 대항하는 생명체에서 중요한 역할을 하는 물질이다. 인간의 Cathelicidin 항균 펩타이드는 임상학적으로 사용할 수 있는 여러 가지의 생물학적 활성을 가진다. 항균 펩타이드의 생산 비용은 재조합 방법으로 낮출 수가 있다. 대장균은 저렴하며 손쉬운 조작이 가능하기 때문에 다른 재조합 단백질처럼 항균 펩타이드의 발현에 훌륭한 숙주가 될 수 있다. 그러나 대장균에서의 항균 펩타이드의 과발현은 항균 펩타이드가 과발현 되었을 때 대장균에 독성을 보일 수 있으므로 어려움이 보고가 되어있다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 문제점을 극복하고자 항균 펩타이드를 Glutathione S-transferase(GST) 결합 단백질에 융합하여 항균펩타이드의 독성을 감소시키도록 설계하여 발현을 시도하였다. 이 때 발현한 항균 펩티드는 LL37과, gaegurin4과 LL37의 잡종 펩타이드 GGN4-LL37(GL32로 명명)를 GST에 융합되도록 벡터를 구축하고 설계하여 대장균에서 GST 융합단백질로 발현시켰다. 융합 단백질은 친화력 컬럼을 사용하여 분리하고 GST를 절단하여 항균펩타이드 만을 분리하였고 분리한 펩타이드는 웨스턴 블롯팅으로 확인하였고 그람 양성, 그람 음성 세균에 대하여 항균 활성을 나타내는 것을 확인하였다.