Antimicrobial Peptide with a Bent Helix Motif Identified in Parasitic Flatworm Mesocestoides corti.

ABSTRACT: The urgent need for antibiotic alternatives has driven the search for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from many different sources, yet parasite-derived AMPs remain underexplored. In this study, three novel potential AMP precursors (mesco-1, -2 and -3) were identified in the parasitic flatworm Mesocestoides corti, via a genome-wide mining approach, and the most promising one, mesco-2, was synthesized and comprehensively characterized. It showed potent broad-spectrum antibacterial activity at submicromolar range against E. coli and K. pneumoniae and low micromolar activity against A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Mechanistic studies indicated a membrane-related mechanism of action, and circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed that mesco-2 is

SUBMITTER: Roncevic T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11546468 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature