Synthetic antimicrobial peptides as enhancers of the bacteriolytic action of staphylococcal phage endolysins.

ABSTRACT: Bacteriophage endolysins degrade the bacterial cell wall and are therefore considered promising antimicrobial alternatives to fight pathogens resistant to conventional antibiotics. Gram-positive bacteria are usually considered easy targets to exogenously added endolysins, since their cell walls are not shielded by an outer membrane. However, in nutrient rich environments these bacteria can also tolerate endolysin attack if they keep an energized cytoplasmic membrane. Hence, we have hypothesized that the membrane depolarizing action of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), another attractive class of alternative antibacterials, could be explored to overcome bacterial tolerance to endolysins and consequently improve their antibacterial potential. Accordingly, we show that under conditions supportin

SUBMITTER: Gouveia A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8786859 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature