Antimicrobial Peptide-Driven Colloidal Transformations in Liquid-Crystalline Nanocarriers

J Phys Chem Lett. 2016 Sep 1;7(17):3482-6. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b01622. Epub 2016 Aug 24.

Abstract

Designing efficient colloidal systems for the delivery of membrane active antimicrobial peptides requires in-depth understanding of their structural and morphological characteristics. Using dispersions of inverted type bicontinuous cubic phase (cubosomes), we examine the effect of integrating the amphiphilic peptide LL-37 at different concentrations on the self-assembled structure and evaluate its bactericidal ability against Escherichia coli. Small-angle X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy show that LL-37 integrates into the bicontinuous cubic structure, inducing colloidal transformations to sponge and lamellar phases and micelles in a concentration-dependent manner. These investigations, together with in vitro evaluation studies using a clinically relevant bacterial strain, established the composition-nanostructure-activity relationship that can guide the design of new nanocarriers for antimicrobial peptides and may provide essential knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the bacterial membrane disruption with peptide-loaded nanostructures.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Liquid Crystals / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Peptides / chemistry*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Peptides