Real-Time Fluorescence Microscopy on Living E. coli Sheds New Light on the Antibacterial Effects of the King Penguin β-Defensin AvBD103b.

ABSTRACT: (1) Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics. Among AMPs, the disulfide-rich β-defensin AvBD103b, whose antibacterial activities are not inhibited by salts contrary to most other β-defensins, is particularly appealing. Information about the mechanisms of action is mandatory for the development and approval of new drugs. However, data for non-membrane-disruptive AMPs such as β-defensins are scarce, thus they still remain poorly understood. (2) We used single-cell fluorescence imaging to monitor the effects of a β-defensin (namely AvBD103b) in real time, on living E. coli, and at the physiological concentration of salts. (3) We obtained key parameters to dissect the mechanism of action. The cascade of events, inferred from our precise timin

SUBMITTER: Landon C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8880245 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature