Human antimicrobial peptide, LL-37, induces non-inheritable reduced susceptibility to vancomycin in Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are central components of the innate immune system providing protection against pathogens. Yet, serum and tissue concentrations vary between individuals and with disease conditions. We demonstrate that the human AMP LL-37 lowers the susceptibility to vancomycin in the community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) strain FPR3757 (USA300). Vancomycin is used to treat serious MRSA infections, but treatment failures occur despite MRSA strains being tested susceptible according to standard susceptibility methods. Exposure to physiologically relevant concentrations of LL-37 increased the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of S. aureus towards vancomycin by 75%, and resulted in shortened lag-phase and increased colony formation at sub-inhibitory

SUBMITTER: Friberg C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7403302 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature