Antifungal effects of synthetic human β-defensin 3-C15 peptide

Abstract

ObjectivesThe purpose of this ex vivo study was to compare the antifungal activity of a synthetic peptide consisting of 15 amino acids at the C-terminus of human β-defensin 3 (HBD3-C15) with calcium hydroxide (CH) and Nystatin (Nys) against Candida albicans (C. albicans) biofilm.Materials and MethodsC. albicans were grown on cover glass bottom dishes or human dentin disks for 48 hr, and then treated with HBD3-C15 (0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 300 µg/mL), CH (100 µg/mL), and Nys (20 µg/mL) for 7 days at 37℃. On cover glass, live and dead cells in the biomass were measured by the FilmTracer Biofilm viability assay, and observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). On dentin, normal, diminished and ruptured cells were observed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The results were subjected to a two-tailed t-test, a one way analysis variance and a post hoc test at a significance level of p = 0.05.ResultsC. albicans survival on dentin was inhibited by HBD3-C15 in a dose-dependent manner. There were fewer aggregations of C. albicans in the groups of Nys and HBD3-C15 (≥ 100 µg/mL). CLSM showed C. albicans survival was reduced by HBD3-C15 in a dose dependent manner. Nys and HBD3-C15 (≥ 100 µg/mL) showed significant fungicidal activity compared to CH group (p < 0.05).ConclusionsSynthetic HBD3-C15 peptide (≥ 100 µg/mL) and Nys exhibited significantly higher antifungal activity than CH against C. albicans by inhibiting cell survival and biofilm.

Candida Infections and Therapeutic Strategies: Mechanisms of Action for Traditional and Alternative Agents

“…In addition, combination dose (4.6 μM of HsLin06_18 + 0.01 μM caspofungin) was fungicidal against planktonic cells of tested strains, killing until 80% of yeast population. Lim et al (2016) demonstrated the antifungal and antibiofilm activities of a synthetic peptide consisting of 15 amino acids at the C-terminus of human β-defensin 3 (HBD3-C15, Table 3 ). They observed that the biofilm of C. albicans on dentin disks was inhibited by HBD3-C15 in a dose-dependent manner.…”

Candida albicans Virulence Factors and Pathogenicity for Endodontic Infections

“…Synthetic HBD3-C15 has fungicidal effects that may involve multifarious mechanisms. Like CHX, the antimicrobial action of HBD3 derivatives involves membrane permeabilization [69,[92][93][94][95][96][97][98].…”

“…Synthetic HBD3-C15 has fungicidal effects that may involve multifarious mechanisms. Like CHX, the antimicrobial action of HBD3 derivatives involves membrane permeabilization [ 69 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 ]. Their cationic amino acid residues and capacity to form dimers contribute to the depolarization and disruption of negatively charged microbial cell membrane lipopolysaccharides and lipoteichoic acid.…”

Innate Inspiration: Antifungal Peptides and Other Immunotherapeutics From the Host Immune Response

“…hBD-2 and hBD-9 gene expression was induced by A. fumigatus and hBD-2 peptide co-localised with A. fumigatus conidia that had been phagocytosed by A549 cells (human alveolar basal epithelial adenocarcinoma cells), but not hyphae ( 117 ). Antifungal properties of hBD-1, hBD-2 and hBD-3 have been demonstrated against C. albicans ( 113 ), including antibiofilm properties of a 15 amino acid fragment from the C-terminus of hBD-3 ( 118 ). hBD-1 and hBD-3 were active against Cryptococcus neoformans planktonic cells and biofilms, albeit less effective against biofilms ( 110 ).…”