Protease-Resistant, Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Peptides with High Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a diverse group of small, naturally occurring molecules that orchestrate the innate immune response of various organisms, from microorganisms to humans. Characterized by their broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, fungi and viruses, AMPs are increasingly recognized for their potential as novel therapeutic agents in the face of rising antibiotic resistance. Here, we present several newly designed AMPs, one of which, DTN6, exerts significant activity against several organisms with MIC values as low as 0.5 µg/mL. The D-TN6 peptide influences both bacteria and yeasts. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy results showed that the bacterial membrane is affected by D-TN6, which is resistant to proteases and is effective against antibiotic-resistant pathogens with hemolytic activity and low toxicity. The D-TN6 peptide is effective in vivo against standard <i>S. aureus</i> strains in wounds. Thus, D-TN6 is a potent antibiotic candidate with a broad spectrum of activity. Overall, AMPs are a promising tool for the development of next-generation antimicrobial agents that could mitigate global health threats posed by multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Authors
- Rimantas Daugelavičius (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9721-6200)
- Serap Arbak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6279-9602)
- Sandra Sakalauskaitė (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9261-4805)
- Nihan Ünübol (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4644-112X)
- Tanıl Kocagöz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7211-2026)
- Sümeyye Çilingir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0506-2871)
- Merve Açıkel Elmas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5992-8191)
- Yiğit Erdemgil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7732-5960)
- Ozge Can (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2063-2502)
- Mustafa Serteser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7868-7613)
- Betül Zehra Temur
- Zeynep Kanlıdere (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1363-9105)
- A. Emin Atik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6871-6740)
- Neval Yurttutan Uyar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6198-3296)
- Erkan Mozioğlu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3027-5166)
- Tarık Eren (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3886-9038)
- Güldal Güleç Süyen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0863-1547)
- Seray Sahsuvar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5482-5217)
- Esma Aybakan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4742-4914)
- Z. Yıldırım (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1803-9766)
- Dilan Acar
- Tugba Arzu Ozal Ildeniz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1833-8603)
- Aslihan Ozcan Yoner
- Deniz Demirhan
- Gizem Boskan
- Sumeyye Akcelik Deveci
Institutions
- Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LT)
- Vytautas Magnus University (LT)
- Yıldız Technical University (TR)
- Kent Hastanesi (TR)
- Acıbadem Adana Hospital (TR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Life
- Published
- 2025-02-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/life15020242
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.73