Genomics of experimental adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to a natural combination of insect antimicrobial peptides.

ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are highly conserved immune effectors across the tree of life and are employed as combinations. In the beetle Tenebrio molitor, a defensin and a coleoptericin are highly expressed in vivo after inoculation with S. aureus. The defensin displays strong in vitro activity but no survival benefit in vivo. The coleoptericin provides a survival benefit in vivo, but no activity in vitro. This suggests a potentiating effect in vivo, and here we wanted to investigate the effects of this combination on resistance evolution using a bottom-approach in vitro starting with a combination of two abundant AMPs only. We experimentally evolved S. aureus in the presence of the defensin and a combination of the defensin and coleoptericin. Genome re-sequencing showed that resistance

SUBMITTER: Makarova O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6193990 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature