Journal
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
Volume 211, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112308
Keywords
Lanthipeptides; Zeta-potential; Atomic force microscopy; Leakage assays; Lipid II; Lichenicidin
Funding
- Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia -Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES, Portugal)
- Programa Operacional Potencial Humano (POPH, Portugal)
- European Union [SFRH/BD/97099/2013, PD/BD/128290/2017, PD/BD/136880/2018, SFRH/BPD/77900/2011]
- national funds (OE) through FCT -Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I.P. [CEECIND/01463/2017]
- Cluster of Excellence Unifying Systems in Catalysis (Germany)
- Coli4Lan Project (Portugal) [FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027569]
- FCT-MCTES (Programa de Investimento e Despesas de Desenvolvimento da Administrcao Central - PIDDAC, Portugal)
- Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER, Portugal), through the COMPETE - Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade (POFC)
- CESAM (Aveiro, Portugal) [UIDP/50017/2020, UIDB/50017/2020]
- FCT-MCTES
- FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/97099/2013, PD/BD/128290/2017, PD/BD/136880/2018] Funding Source: FCT
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Lantibiotics are a promising solution to antibiotic resistance, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria like MRSA and VRE. Work on lichenicidin has shown that the interaction between the two peptides, Blia and Blip, is necessary for full activity against target bacteria. The mechanism of action involves an increase in net surface charge and observed cell surface perturbations that result in leakage of internal contents.
Lantibiotics are promising candidates to address the worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance. They belong to a class of natural compounds exhibiting strong activity against clinically relevant Gram-positive bacterial strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). Lichenicidin is a class II two-peptide lantibiotic. The presence of the two mature peptides, Blia and Blip, is necessary for full activity against target bacteria. This work aims at clarifying the synergistic activity of both peptides in their interaction with the target membranes. The effect of lichenicidin was tested against S. aureus cells and large unilamellar vesicles. Lichenicidin increases the net surface charge of S. aureus, as shown by zeta-potential measurements, without reaching electroneutralization. In addition, lichenicidin causes cell surface perturbations that culminate in the leakage of its internal contents, as observed by atomic force microscopy. Blia seems to have low affinity for S. aureus, however, it contributes to increase the affinity of Blip, because together they present higher affinity than separately. In contrast, Blia seems to provide an anchoring site for lichenicidin in lipid II-containing membranes. Interestingly, Blip alone can induce high levels of membrane leakage, but this effect appears to be faster in the presence of Blia. Based on this information, we propose a mechanism of action of lichenicidin.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available