Improved efficacy of fosmidomycin against Plasmodium and Mycobacterium species by combination with the cell-penetrating peptide octaarginine.

ABSTRACT: Cellular drug delivery can improve efficacy and render intracellular pathogens susceptible to compounds that cannot permeate cells. The transport of physiologically active compounds across membranes into target cells can be facilitated by cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), such as oligoarginines. Here, we investigated whether intracellular delivery of the drug fosmidomycin can be improved by combination with the CPP octaarginine. Fosmidomycin is an antibiotic that inhibits the second reaction in the nonmevalonate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis, an essential pathway for many obligate intracellular pathogens, including mycobacteria and apicomplexan parasites. We observed a strict correlation between octaarginine host cell permeability and its ability to improve the efficacy of fosmidomyci

SUBMITTER: Sparr C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3811453 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature