Refining the Eosinophil Cationic Protein Antibacterial Pharmacophore by Rational Structure Minimization

Sequence analysis of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), a ribonuclease of broad antimicrobial activity, allowed identification of residues 1-45 as the antimicrobial domain. We have further dissected ECP(1 45) with a view to defining the minimal requirements for antimicrobial activity. Structure-based downsizing has focused on both a-helices of ECP(1-45) and yielded analogues with substantial potency against Gram-negative and -positive strains. Analogues ECP(8 36) and ECP(6-17)-Ahx-(23-36) (Ahx, 6-aminohexanoic acid) involve 36% and 40% size reduction relative to (1-45), respectively, and display a remarkably ECP-like antimicrobial profile. Both retain segments required for self-aggregation and lipolysaccharide binding, as well as the bacterial agglutination ability of parent ECP. Analogue (6-17)-Ahx-(23 36), in particular, is shown by NMR to preserve the helical traits of the native 8-16 (alpha 1) and 33-36 (alpha 2) regions and can be proposed as the minimal structure capable of reproducing the activity of the entire protein.