Semenogelins Armed in Zn(II) and Cu(II): May Bioinorganic Chemistry Help Nature to Cope with Enterococcus faecalis?

Inorg Chem. 2023 Aug 28;62(34):14103-14115. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02390. Epub 2023 Aug 15.

Abstract

Proteolytic degradation of semenogelins, the most abundant proteins from human semen, results in the formation of 26- and 29-amino acid peptides (SgIIA and SgI-29, respectively), which share a common 15 amino acid fragment (Sg-15). All three ligands are effective Zn(II) and Cu(II) binders; in solution, a variety of differently metalated species exist in equilibrium, with the [NH2, 3Nim] donor set prevailing at physiological pH in the case of both metals. For the first time, the Cu(II)-induced antimicrobial activity of Sg-15 against Enterococcus faecalis is shown. In the case of the two native semenogelin fragment metal complexes, the strong local positive charge in the metal-bound HH motif correlates well with their antimicrobial activity. A careful analysis of semenogelins' metal coordination behavior reveals two facts: (i) The histamine-like Cu(II) binding mode of SgI-29 strongly increases the stability of such a complex below pH 6 (with respect to the non-histamine-like binding of SgIIA), while in the case of the SgI-29 Zn(II)-histamine-like species, the stability enhancement is less pronounced. (ii) The HH sequence is a more tempting site for Cu(II) ions than the HXH one.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents*
  • Chemistry, Bioinorganic
  • Copper / chemistry
  • Enterococcus faecalis*
  • Humans
  • Zinc / chemistry

Substances

  • Copper
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Zinc