scholarly journals Sequence Permutation Generates Peptides with Different Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 271
Author(s):  
Biswajit Mishra ◽  
Jayaram Lakshmaiah Narayana ◽  
Tamara Lushnikova ◽  
Yingxia Zhang ◽  
Radha M. Golla ◽  
...  

Antibiotic resistance poses a threat to our society, and 10 million people could die by 2050. To design potent antimicrobials, we made use of the antimicrobial peptide database (APD). Using the database filtering technology, we identified a useful template and converted it into an effective peptide WW291 against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Here, we compared the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of a family of peptides obtained from sequence permutation of WW291. The resulting eight WW peptides (WW291-WW298) gained different activities against a panel of bacteria. While WW295 inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli, WW298 was highly active against S. aureus USA300 LAC. Consistently with this, WW298 was more effective in permeating or depolarizing the S. aureus membranes, whereas WW295 potently permeated the E. coli membranes. In addition, WW298, but not WW295, inhibited the MRSA attachment and could disrupt its preformed biofilms more effectively than daptomycin. WW298 also protected wax moths Galleria mellonella from MRSA infection causing death. Thus, sequence permutation provides one useful avenue to generating antimicrobial peptides with varying activity spectra. Taken together with amino acid composition modulation, these methods may lead to narrow-spectrum peptides that are more promising to selectively eliminate invading pathogens without damaging commensal microbiota.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1869
Author(s):  
Joanna Kaczorowska ◽  
Eoghan Casey ◽  
Gabriele A. Lugli ◽  
Marco Ventura ◽  
David J. Clarke ◽  
...  

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and Shigella ssp. infections are associated with high rates of mortality, especially in infants in developing countries. Due to increasing levels of global antibiotic resistance exhibited by many pathogenic organisms, alternative strategies to combat such infections are urgently required. In this study, we evaluated the stability of five coliphages (four Myoviridae and one Siphoviridae phage) over a range of pH conditions and in simulated gastric conditions. The Myoviridae phages were stable across the range of pH 2 to 7, while the Siphoviridae phage, JK16, exhibited higher sensitivity to low pH. A composite mixture of these five phages was tested in vivo in a Galleria mellonella model. The obtained data clearly shows potential in treating E. coli infections prophylactically.



2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (22) ◽  
pp. 8654
Author(s):  
Yanath Belguesmia ◽  
Noura Hazime ◽  
Isabelle Kempf ◽  
Rabah Boukherroub ◽  
Djamel Drider

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei CNCM I-5369, formerly Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-5369, produces bacteriocins that are remarkably active against Gram-negative bacteria, among which is the Escherichia coli-carrying mcr-1 gene that is involved in resistance to colistin. These bacteriocins present in the culture supernatant of the producing strain were extracted and semi-purified. The fraction containing these active bacteriocins was designated as E20. Further, E20 was loaded onto alginate nanoparticles (Alg NPs), leading to a highly active nano-antibiotics formulation named hereafter Alg NPs/E20. The amount of E20 adsorbed on the alginate nanoparticles was 12 wt.%, according to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values obtained with E20 ranged from 250 to 2000 μg/mL, whilst those recorded for Alg NPs/E20 were comprised between 2 and 4 μg/mL, which allowed them to gain up to 500-fold in the anti-E. coli activity. The damages caused by E20 and/or Alg NPs/E20 on the cytology of the target bacteria were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and the quantification of intracellular proteins released following treatment of the target bacteria with these antimicrobials. Thus, loading these bacteriocins on Alg NPs appeared to improve their activity, and the resulting nano-antibiotics stand as a promising drug delivery system.



2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Heitmueller ◽  
André Billion ◽  
Ulrich Dobrindt ◽  
Andreas Vilcinskas ◽  
Krishnendu Mukherjee

ABSTRACT Innate-immunity-related genes in humans are activated during urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli but are suppressed by commensals. Epigenetic mechanisms play a pivotal role in the regulation of gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. To determine whether epigenetic mechanisms can explain the different behaviors of pathogenic and commensal bacteria, we infected larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, a widely used model insect host, with a uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strain that causes symptomatic UTIs in humans or a commensal-like strain that causes asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU). Infection with the UPEC strain (CFT073) was more lethal to larvae than infection with the attenuated ABU strain (83972) due to the recognition of each strain by different Toll-like receptors, ultimately leading to differential DNA/RNA methylation and histone acetylation. We used next-generation sequencing and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR to correlate epigenetic changes with the induction of innate-immunity-related genes. Transcriptomic analysis of G. mellonella larvae infected with E. coli strains CFT073 and 83972 revealed strain-specific variations in the class and expression levels of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and enzymes controlling DNA methylation and histone acetylation. Our results provide evidence for the differential epigenetic regulation of transcriptional reprogramming by UPEC and ABU strains of E. coli in G. mellonella larvae, which may be relevant to understanding the different behaviors of these bacterial strains in the human urinary tract.



2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Snesrud ◽  
Ana C. Ong ◽  
Brendan Corey ◽  
Yoon I. Kwak ◽  
Robert Clifford ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The emergence of a transferable colistin resistance gene (mcr-1) is of global concern. The insertion sequence ISApl1 is a key component in the mobilization of this gene, but its role remains poorly understood. Six Escherichia coli isolates were cultured from the same patient over the course of 1 month in Germany and the United States after a brief hospitalization in Bahrain for an unconnected illness. Four carried mcr-1 as determined by real-time PCR, but two were negative. Two additional mcr-1-negative E. coli isolates were collected during follow-up surveillance 9 months later. All isolates were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). WGS revealed that the six initial isolates were composed of two distinct strains: an initial ST-617 E. coli strain harboring mcr-1 and a second, unrelated, mcr-1-negative ST-32 E. coli strain that emerged 2 weeks after hospitalization. Follow-up swabs taken 9 months later were negative for the ST-617 strain, but the mcr-1-negative ST-32 strain was still present. mcr-1 was associated with a single copy of ISApl1, located on a 64.5-kb IncI2 plasmid that shared >95% homology with other mcr-1 IncI2 plasmids. ISApl1 copy numbers ranged from 2 for the first isolate to 6 for the final isolate, but ISApl1 movement was independent of mcr-1. Some movement was accompanied by gene disruption, including the loss of genes encoding proteins involved in stress responses, arginine catabolism, and l-arabinose utilization. These data represent the first comprehensive analysis of ISApl1 movement in serial clinical isolates and reveal that, under certain conditions, ISApl1 is a highly active IS element whose movement may be detrimental to the host cell.



2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 1221-1224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Fritsche ◽  
Douglas J. Biedenbach ◽  
Ronald N. Jones

ABSTRACT Prulifloxacin, the prodrug of ulifloxacin (active component), is a newer fluoroquinolone with broad activity against enteric and nonenteric gram-negative bacilli. Ulifloxacin and other oral comparator agents were tested for activity against 582 gastroenteritis strains from global surveillance studies. Ulifloxacin was highly active against Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Yersinia spp., Vibrio spp., Aeromonas spp., and Plesiomonas spp. (MIC50s and MIC90s, ≤0.03 μg/ml and ≤0.06 μg/ml, respectively). Only rare Aeromonas spp., Campylobacter spp., and E. coli displayed elevated MIC results (≥4 μg/ml). Ciprofloxacin exhibited similar activity but was two- to fourfold less potent. Presently approved for clinical use in certain European countries and Japan, ulifloxacin was the most active of the antimicrobial agents tested against these gastroenteritis-causing pathogens.



Biomédica ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica Tatiana Herrera ◽  
Jhon Jhamilton Artunduaga ◽  
Claudia Cristina Ortiz ◽  
Rodrigo Gonzalo Torres

Introducción. Las nanopartículas poliméricas constituyen una herramienta nanotecnológica que podría ayudar a combatir los microorganismos patógenos que han desarrollado resistencia a los antibióticos convencionales.Objetivo. Sintetizar nanopartículas de ácido poliláctico cargadas con ofloxacina y vancomicina, y determinar su actividad antibacteriana frente a Escherichia coli O157:H7 y Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina (SARM).Materiales y métodos. Las nanopartículas de ácido poliláctico cargadas con ofloxacina y vancomicina se sintetizaron utilizando el método de emulsión y evaporación de solvente. Se caracterizaron mediante dispersión de luz en modo dinámico, electroforesis Doppler con láser y microscopía electrónica de barrido (S-TEM). Se evaluó la actividad antibacteriana in vitro de las nanopartículas de ácido poliláctico con ofloxacina contra E. coli O157:H7 y nanopartículas de ácido poliláctico con vancomicina contra SARM, mediante el método de microdilución en caldo.Resultados. Se obtuvieron nanopartículas poliméricas con tamaños inferiores a 379 nm y carga superficial positiva de hasta 21 mV. Las nanopartículas cargadas con ofloxacina presentaron una concentración inhibitoria mínima (CIM50) de 0,001 μg/ml frente a E. coli O157:H7, valor 40 veces menor que la concentración de antibiótico libre necesaria para lograr el mismo efecto (CIM50=0,04 μg/ml). Para SARM, las nanopartículas mejoraron la potencia farmacológica in vitro de la vancomicina alexhibir una MIC50 de 0,005 μg/ml, comparada con la de 0,5 μg/ml del antibiótico libre.Conclusiones. Se mejoró el efecto antibacteriano de la ofloxacina y la vancomicina incorporadas en la matriz polimérica de ácido poliláctico. Las nanopartículas poliméricas constituirían una alternativa para el control de cepas bacterianas de interés en salud pública.



2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Carolina M. Santos ◽  
Rosa M. Silva ◽  
Tiago B. Valiatti ◽  
Fernanda F. Santos ◽  
José F. Santos-Neto ◽  
...  

Escherichia coli EC121 is a multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain isolated from a bloodstream infection of an inpatient with persistent gastroenteritis and T-zone lymphoma that died due to septic shock. Despite causing an extraintestinal infection, previous studies showed that it did not have the usual characteristics of an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. Instead, it belonged to phylogenetic group B1 and harbored few known virulence genes. To evaluate the pathogenic potential of strain EC121, an extensive genome sequencing and in vitro characterization of various pathogenicity-associated properties were performed. The genomic analysis showed that strain EC121 harbors more than 50 complete virulence genetic clusters. It also displays the capacity to adhere to a variety of epithelial cell lineages and invade T24 bladder cells, as well as the ability to form biofilms on abiotic surfaces, and survive the bactericidal serum complement activity. Additionally, EC121 was shown to be virulent in the Galleria mellonella model. Furthermore, EC121 is an MDR strain harboring 14 antimicrobial resistance genes, including blaCTX-M-2. Completing the scenario, it belongs to serotype O154:H25 and to sequence type 101-B1, which has been epidemiologically linked to extraintestinal infections as well as to antimicrobial resistance spread. This study with E. coli strain EC121 shows that clinical isolates considered opportunistic might be true pathogens that go underestimated.



1981 ◽  
Vol 193 (3) ◽  
pp. 861-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
R H Jackson ◽  
A Cornish-Bowden ◽  
J A Cole

A substantially improved purification of Escherichia coli NADH-dependent nitrite reductase was obtained by purifying it in presence of 1 mM-NO2- and 10 microM-FAD. The enzyme was obtained in 20% yield with a maximum specific activity of 1.04 kat . kg-1: more than 95% of this sample subjected to sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis migrated as a single band of protein. This highly active enzyme contained one non-covalently bound FAD molecule, and, probably, 5 Fe atoms and 4 acid-labile S atoms per subunit. No FMN, covalently bound flavin or Mo was detected. The spectrum of the enzyme shows absorption maxima at 386, 455, 530 and about 575 nm with a shoulder at 480–490 nm. The Soret-band/alpha-band absorbance ratio is about 4:1. These spectral features are characteristic of sirohaem, apart from the maximum at 455nm, which is attributed to flavin. The enzyme also catalyses the NADH-dependent reduction of horse heart cytochrome c, 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol and K3Fe(CN)6. The presence of sirohaem in E. coli nitrite reductase explains the apparent identity of the cysG and nirB gene of E. coli and inability of hemA mutants to reduce nitrite.



2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (24) ◽  
pp. 7060-7066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Dautin ◽  
Gouzel Karimova ◽  
Agnes Ullmann ◽  
Daniel Ladant

ABSTRACT We describe a genetic system that allows in vivo screening or selection of site-specific proteases and of their cognate-specific inhibitors in Escherichia coli. This genetic test is based on the specific proteolysis of a signaling enzyme, the adenylate cyclase (AC) of Bordetella pertussis. As a model system we used the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease. When an HIV protease processing site, p5, was inserted in frame into the AC polypeptide, the resulting ACp5 protein retained enzymatic activity and, when expressed in an E. coli cya strain, restored the Cya+ phenotype. The HIV protease coexpressed in the same cells resulted in cleavage and inactivation of ACp5; the cells became Cya−. When the entire HIV protease, including its adjacent processing sites, was inserted into the AC polypeptide, the resulting AC-HIV-Pr fusion protein, expressed in E. coli cya, was autoproteolysed and inactivated: the cells displayed Cya−phenotype. In the presence of the protease inhibitor indinavir or saquinavir, AC-HIV-Pr autoproteolysis was inhibited and the AC activity of the fusion protein was preserved; the cells were Cya+. Protease variants resistant to particular inhibitors could be easily distinguished from the wild type, as the cells displayed a Cya− phenotype in the presence of these inhibitors. This genetic test could represent a powerful approach to screen for new proteolytic activities and for novel protease inhibitors. It could also be used to detect in patients undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy the emergence of HIV variants harboring antiprotease-resistant proteases.



2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 2753-2755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa D'Lima ◽  
Lisa Friedman ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Ping Xu ◽  
Mark Anderson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTwenty-five serial passages ofEscherichia coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, andStaphylococcus aureusand 50 passages of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusresulted in no significant increase in NVC-422 MICs, while ciprofloxacin MICs increased 256-fold forE. coliand 32-fold forP. aeruginosaandS. aureus. Mupirocin, fusidic acid, and retapamulin MICs for MRSA increased 64-, 256-, and 16-fold, respectively. No cross-resistance to NVC-422 was observed with mupirocin-, fusidic acid-, and retapamulin-resistant strains.



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