Microbial Metabolite Inspired β-Peptide Polymers Displaying Potent and Selective Antifungal Activity.

ABSTRACT: Potent and selective antifungal agents are urgently needed due to the quick increase of serious invasive fungal infections and the limited antifungal drugs available. Microbial metabolites have been a rich source of antimicrobial agents and have inspired the authors to design and obtain potent and selective antifungal agents, poly(DL-diaminopropionic acid) (PDAP) from the ring-opening polymerization of β-amino acid N-thiocarboxyanhydrides, by mimicking ε-poly-lysine. PDAP kills fungal cells by penetrating the fungal cytoplasm, generating reactive oxygen, and inducing fungal apoptosis. The optimal PDAP displays potent antifungal activity with minimum inhibitory concentration as low as 0.4 µg mL^-1 against Candida albicans, negligible hemolysis and cytotoxicity, and no susceptibili

SUBMITTER: Zhang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9108603 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature