Strategic Single-Residue Substitution in the Antimicrobial Peptide Esc(1-21) Confers Activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Including Drug-Resistant and Biofilm Phenotype.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium resistant to multiple drugs, is a significant cause of illness and death worldwide. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) provide an excellent potential strategy to cope with this threat. Recently, we characterized a derivative of the frog-skin AMP esculentin-1a, Esc(1-21) (1) that is endowed with potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria but poor efficacy against Gram-positive strains. In this study, three analogues of peptide 1 were designed by replacing Gly⁸ with α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), Pro, and dPro (2-4, respectively). The single substitution Gly⁸ → Aib⁸ in peptide 2 makes it active against the planktonic form of Gram-positive bacterial strains, especially Staphylococcus

SUBMITTER: Loffredo MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11250030 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature