Conventional wound infection treatments neither actively promote wound healing nor address the growing problem of antibacterial resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural defense ...molecules, released from host cells, which may be rapidly bactericidal, modulate host-immune responses, and/or act as endogenous mediators for wound healing. However, their routine clinical use has hitherto been hindered due to their instability in the wound environment. Here we describe an electrospun carrier system for topical application of pleurocidin, demonstrating sufficient AMP release from matrices to kill wound-associated pathogens including Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pleurocidin can be incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber matrices, using coaxial electrospinning, without major drug loss with a peptide content of 0.7% w/w predicted sufficient to kill most wound associated species. Pleurocidin retains its activity on release from the electrospun fiber matrix and completely inhibits growth of two strains of A. baumannii (AYE; ATCC 17978) and other ESKAPE pathogens. Inhibition of P. aeruginosa strains (PAO1; NCTC 13437) is, however, matrix weight per volume dependent, with only larger/thicker matrices maintaining complete inhibition. The resulting estimation of pleurocidin release from the matrix reveals high efficiency, facilitating a greater AMP potency. Wound matrices are often applied in parallel or sequentially with the use of standard wound care with biocides, therefore the presence and effect of biocides on pleurocidin potency was tested. It was revealed that combinations displayed additive or modestly synergistic effects depending on the biocide and pathogens which should be considered during the therapy. Taken together, we show that electrospun, pleurocidin-loaded wound matrices have potential to be investigated for wound infection treatment.
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It is urgent to find new antibiotic classes with activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens as the pipeline of antibiotics is essentially empty. Modified ...pyrrolobenzodiazepines with a C8-linked aliphatic heterocycle provide a new class of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents with activity against MDR Gram-negative bacteria, including WHO priority pathogens. The structure–activity relationship established that the third ring was particularly important for Gram-negative activity. Minimum inhibitory concentrations for the lead compounds ranged from 0.125 to 2 mg/L for MDR Gram-negative, excluding Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and between 0.03 and 1 mg/L for MDR Gram-positive species. The lead compounds were rapidly bactericidal with >5 log reduction in viable count within 4 h for Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The lead compound inhibited DNA gyrase in gel-based assays, with an IC50 of 3.16 ± 1.36 mg/L. This study provides a new chemical scaffold for developing novel broad-spectrum antibiotics which can help replenish the pipeline of antibiotics.
Highlights • Challenged multiple Klebsiella and Pseudomonas isolates with antibiotics in Galleria. • Compared resistance/susceptibility in Galleria with in vitro profiles. • Established intermediate ...read-outs to look at antibiotic efficacy. • Established biofilm implant model in Galleria. • Compared antibiotic efficacy against biofilm and planktonic infections in Galleria.
We determine the efficacy for three known structurally related, membrane active detergents against multidrug resistant and wild type strains of
. Accessible solution state NMR experiments are used to ...quantify phospholipid headgroup composition of the microbial membranes and to gain molecular level insight into antimicrobial mode of action.
The pharmacodynamic profile of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their in vivo synergy are two factors that are thought to restrict resistance evolution and ensure their conservation. The frog Rana ...temporaria secretes a family of closely related AMPs, temporins A–L, as an effective chemical dermal defense. The antibacterial potency of temporin L has been shown to increase synergistically in combination with both temporins B and A, but this is modest. Here we show that the less potent temporin B enhances the cooperativity of the in vitro antibacterial activity of the more potent temporin L against EMRSA-15 and that this may be associated with an altered interaction with the bacterial plasma membrane, a feature critical for the antibacterial activity of most AMPs. Addition of buforin II, a histone H2A fragment, can further increase the cooperativity. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate temporins B and L readily form hetero-oligomers in models of Gram-positive bacterial plasma membranes. Patch-clamp studies show transmembrane ion conductance is triggered with lower amounts of both peptides and more quickly when used in combination, but conductance is of a lower amplitude and pores are smaller. Temporin B may therefore act by forming temporin L/B hetero-oligomers that are more effective than temporin L homo-oligomers at bacterial killing and/or by reducing the probability of the latter forming until a threshold concentration is reached. Exploration of the mechanism of synergy between AMPs isolated from the same organism may therefore yield antibiotic combinations with advantageous pharmacodynamic properties.
The Prestwick library was screened for antibacterial activity or "antibiotic resistance breaker" (ARB) potential against four species of Gram-negative pathogens. Discounting known antibacterials, the ...screen identified very few ARB hits, which were strain/drug specific. These ARB hits included antimetabolites (zidovudine, floxuridine, didanosine, and gemcitabine), anthracyclines (daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, and epirubicin), and psychoactive drugs (gabapentin, fluspirilene, and oxethazaine). These findings suggest that there are few approved drugs that could be directly repositioned as adjunct antibacterials, and these will need robust testing to validate efficacy.
Frogs such as Rana temporaria and Litoria aurea secrete numerous closely related antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as an effective chemical dermal defence. Damage or penetration of the bacterial plasma ...membrane is considered essential for AMP activity and such properties are commonly ascribed to their ability to form secondary amphipathic, α-helix conformations in membrane mimicking milieu. Nevertheless, despite the high similarity in physical properties and preference for adopting such conformations, the spectrum of activity and potency of AMPs often varies considerably. Hence distinguishing apparently similar AMPs according to their behaviour in, and effects on, model membranes will inform understanding of primary-sequence-specific antimicrobial mechanisms. Here we use a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, circular dichroism and patch-clamp to investigate the basis for differing anti-bacterial activities in representative AMPs from each species; temporin L and aurein 2.5. Despite adopting near identical, α-helix conformations in the steady-state in a variety of membrane models, these two AMPs can be distinguished both in vitro and in silico based on their dynamic interactions with model membranes, notably their differing conformational flexibility at the N-terminus, ability to form higher order aggregates and the characteristics of induced ion conductance. Taken together, these differences provide an explanation of the greater potency and broader antibacterial spectrum of activity of temporin L over aurein 2.5. Consequently, while the secondary amphipathic, α-helix conformation is a key determinant of the ability of a cationic AMP to penetrate and disrupt the bacterial plasma membrane, the exact mechanism, potency and spectrum of activity is determined by precise structural and dynamic contributions from specific residues in each AMP sequence.
Herein, we report a series of di-anionic supramolecular self-associating amphiphiles (SSAs). We elucidate the antimicrobial properties of these SSAs against both methicillin resistant
and
. In ...addition, we show this class of compound to form both intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonded macrocyclic structures in the solid state.
Proteus mirabilis forms extensive crystalline biofilms on indwelling urethral catheters that block urine flow and lead to serious clinical complications. The Bcr/CflA efflux system has previously ...been identified as important for development of P. mirabilis crystalline biofilms, highlighting the potential for efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) to control catheter blockage. Here we evaluate the potential for drugs already used in human medicine (fluoxetine and thioridazine) to act as EPIs in P. mirabilis, and control crystalline biofilm formation. Both fluoxetine and thioridazine inhibited efflux in P. mirabilis, and molecular modelling predicted both drugs interact strongly with the biofilm-associated Bcr/CflA efflux system. Both EPIs were also found to significantly reduce the rate of P. mirabilis crystalline biofilm formation on catheters, and increase the time taken for catheters to block. Swimming and swarming motilies in P. mirabilis were also significantly reduced by both EPIs. The impact of these drugs on catheter biofilm formation by other uropathogens (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was also explored, and thioridazine was shown to also inhibit biofilm formation in these species. Therefore, repurposing of existing drugs with EPI activity could be a promising approach to control catheter blockage, or biofilm formation on other medical devices.
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