Experimental Induction of Bacterial Resistance to the Antimicrobial Peptide Tachyplesin I and Investigation of the Resistance Mechanisms

Tachyplesin I is a 17-amino-acid cationic antimicrobial peptide (AMP) with a typical cyclic antiparallel beta-sheet structure that is a promising therapeutic for infections, tumors, and viruses. To date, no bacterial resistance to tachyplesin I has been reported. To explore the safety of tachyplesin I as an antibacterial drug for wide clinical application, we experimentally induced bacterial resistance to tachyplesin I by using two selection procedures and studied the preliminary resistance mechanisms. Aeromonas hydrophila XS91-4-1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa CGMCC1.2620, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and F41 showed resistance to tachyplesin I under long-term selection pressure with continuously increasing concentrations of tachyplesin I. In addition, P. aeruginosa and E. coli exhibited resistance to tachyplesin I under UV mutagenesis selection conditions. Cell growth and colony morphology were slightly different between control strains and strains with induced resistance. Cross-resistance to tachyplesin I and antimicrobial agents (cefoperazone and amikacin) or other AMPs (pexiganan, tachyplesin III, and polyphemusin I) was observed in some resistant mutants. Previous studies showed that extracellular protease-mediated degradation of AMPs induced bacterial resistance to AMPs. Our results indicated that the resistance mechanism of P. aeruginosa was not entirely dependent on extracellular proteolytic degradation of tachyplesin I; however, tachyplesin I could induce increased proteolytic activity in P. aeruginosa. Most importantly, our findings raise serious concerns about the long-term risks associated with the development and clinical use of tachyplesin I.