Usnic acid modifies MRSA drug resistance through down-regulation of proteins involved in peptidoglycan and fatty acid biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT: Multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections place a huge burden on the healthcare sector and the wider community. An increasing rate of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has necessitated the development of alternative agents. We previously reported that usnic acid (UA) has activity against MRSA; here, we report the effect of UA in combination with norfloxacin on the drug resistance of MRSA clinical isolates. We observed that the combination of UA-norfloxacin significantly reduces the bacterial burden in mouse models infected with S. aureus, without causing any detectable associated toxicity. Proteomic analysis indicated that UA-norfloxacin induces oxidative stress within cells, which leads to membrane damage and inhibits metabolic activity and

SUBMITTER: Sinha S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6886298 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature