Patil PD, Zheng H, Burns FN, Ibanez ACS, Jin Y, Luk YY. Chimeric Ligands of Pili and Lectin A Inhibit Tolerance, Persistence, and Virulence Factors of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa over a Wide Range of Phenotypes.
ACS Infect Dis 2022;
8:1582-1593. [PMID:
35658414 PMCID:
PMC9379910 DOI:
10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00201]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Bacteria readily
form resilient phenotypes to counter environmental
and antibiotic stresses. Here, we demonstrate a class of small molecules
that inhibit a wide range of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phenotypes and enable antibiotics to kill previously tolerant bacteria,
preventing the transition of tolerant bacteria into a persistent population.
We identified two proteins, type IV pili and lectin LecA, as receptors
for our molecules by methods including a new label-free assay based
on bacterial motility sensing the chemicals in the environment, the
chemical inhibition of bacteriophage adsorption on pili appendages
of bacteria, and fluorescence polarization. Structure–activity
relationship studies reveal a molecule that inhibits only pili appendage
and a class of chimeric ligands that inhibit both LecA and pili. Important
structural elements of the ligand are identified for each protein.
This selective ligand binding identifies the phenotypes each protein
receptor controls. Inhibiting LecA results in reducing biofilm formation,
eliminating small colony variants, and is correlated with killing
previously tolerant bacteria. Inhibiting pili appendages impedes swarming
and twitching motilities and pyocyanin and elastase production. Because
these phenotypes are controlled by a broad range of signaling pathways,
this approach simultaneously controls the multiple signaling mechanisms
preventing bacteria to elude antibiotic treatments.
Collapse