Temporin B (TB) is a short, positively charged peptide secreted by the granular glands of the European frog Rana temporaria. While the antibacterial and antiviral efficacy of TB and some of its improved analogs are well documented, nothing is known about their antifungal potency so far. We dedicated this study to characterize the antifungal potential of the TB analog TB_KKG6K and the newly designed D-Lys_TB_KKG6K, the latter having the L-lysines replaced by the chiral counterpart D-lysines to improve its proteolytic stability. Both peptides inhibited the growth of opportunistic human pathogenic yeasts and killed planktonic and sessile cells of the most prevalent human pathogen, Candida albicans. The anti-yeast efficacy of the peptides coincided with the induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Their thermal, cation, pH and serum tolerance were similar, while the proteolytic stability of D-Lys_TB_KKG6K was superior to that of its template peptide. Importantly, both peptides lacked hemolytic activity and showed minimal in vitro cytotoxicity in primary human keratinocytes. The tolerance of both peptides in a reconstructed human epidermis model further supports their potential for topical application. Our results open up an exciting field of research for new anti-Candida therapeutic options based on amphibian TB analogs.
Keywords: Candida albicans; IL-1α; Temporin B peptide analogs; antifungal; fungicidal activity; keratinocytes; reconstructed epidermis model; skin irritation.