The Contribution of the N-Terminal Structure of Polymyxin B Peptides to Antimicrobial and Lipopolysaccharide Binding Activity

To elucidate the N-terminal structure–activity relationships of polymyxin B peptides, seven polymyxin B component peptides, the structures of which having been elucidated, and seven N-terminal fatty acid and/or amino acid deletion analogs were synthesized, and their antimicrobial activities determined. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding activities of synthetic peptides were evaluated using [Dab(Dansyl-Gly)1]-polymyxin B3 (Dab; l-α,γ-diaminobutyric acid) as a fluorescent probe. The results indicated that the fatty acyl moiety was not indispensable for LPS binding, but the C9 fatty acyl groups of polymyxin B peptides contributed to the binding affinity to a slightly greater extent than C8 or C7. The fatty acyl moieties of polymyxin B contributed greatly to the antimicrobial activity, while the distinct N-terminal structures of polymyxin B1–B6, bearing normal-, iso-, or anteiso-fatty acids, or 3-hydroxy-fatty acid with chain lengths between C7 and C9, did not affect bactericidal potency.