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Graspeuntner S, Koethke K, Scholz C, Semmler L, Lupatsii M, Kirchhoff L, Herrmann J, Rox K, Wittstein K, Käding N, Hanker LC, Stadler M, Brönstrup M, Müller R, Shima K, Rupp J. Sorangicin A Is Active against Chlamydia in Cell Culture, Explanted Fallopian Tubes, and Topical In Vivo Treatment. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050795. [PMID: 37237698 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Current treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis using doxycycline and azithromycin introduces detrimental side effects on the host's microbiota. As a potential alternative treatment, the myxobacterial natural product sorangicin A (SorA) blocks the bacterial RNA polymerase. In this study we analyzed the effectiveness of SorA against C. trachomatis in cell culture, and explanted fallopian tubes and systemic and local treatment in mice, providing also pharmacokinetic data on SorA. Potential side effects of SorA on the vaginal and gut microbiome were assessed in mice and against human-derived Lactobacillus species. SorA showed minimal inhibitory concentrations of 80 ng/mL (normoxia) to 120 ng/mL (hypoxia) against C. trachomatis in vitro and was eradicating C. trachomatis at a concentration of 1 µg/mL from fallopian tubes. In vivo, SorA reduced chlamydial shedding by more than 100-fold within the first days of infection by topical application corresponding with vaginal detection of SorA only upon topical treatment, but not after systemic application. SorA changed gut microbial composition during intraperitoneal application only and did neither alter the vaginal microbiota in mice nor affect growth of human-derived lactobacilli. Additional dose escalations and/or pharmaceutical modifications will be needed to optimize application of SorA and to reach sufficient anti-chlamydial activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Graspeuntner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katharina Koethke
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Celeste Scholz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Lea Semmler
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Mariia Lupatsii
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Laura Kirchhoff
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Jennifer Herrmann
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), and Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Katharina Rox
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kathrin Wittstein
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Microbial Drugs, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nadja Käding
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Lars C Hanker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Schleswig Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Marc Stadler
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Microbial Drugs, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mark Brönstrup
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rolf Müller
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), and Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kensuke Shima
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Jan Rupp
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
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Meir O, Zaknoon F, Mor A. An efflux-susceptible antibiotic-adjuvant with systemic efficacy against mouse infections. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17673. [PMID: 36271103 PMCID: PMC9586926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21526-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Scarcity of effective treatments against sepsis is daunting, especially under the contemporary standpoints on antibiotics resistance, entailing the development of alternative treatment strategies. Here, we describe the design and antibiotic adjuvant properties of a new lipopeptide-like pentamer, decanoyl-bis.diaminobutyrate-aminododecanoyl-diaminobutyrate-amide (C10BBc12B), whose sub-maximal tolerated doses combinations with inefficient antibiotics demonstrated systemic efficacies in murine models of peritonitis-sepsis and urinary-tract infections. Attempts to shed light into the mechanism of action using membrane-active fluorescent probes, suggest outer-membrane interactions to dominate the pentamer's adjuvant properties, which were not associated with typical inner-membrane damages or with delayed bacterial growth. Yet, checkerboard titrations with low micromolar concentrations of C10BBc12B exhibited unprecedented capacities in potentiation of hydrophobic antibiotics towards Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens, with an apparent low propensity for prompting resistance to the antibiotics. Assessment of the pentamer's potentiating activities upon efflux inhibition incites submission of a hitherto unreported, probable action mechanism implicating the pentamer's de-facto capacity to hijack bacterial efflux pumps for boosting its adjuvant activity through repetitive steps including outer-membrane adhesion, translocation and subsequent expulsion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Meir
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Fadia Zaknoon
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Amram Mor
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
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Zaknoon F, Meir O, Mor A. Mechanistic Studies of Antibiotic Adjuvants Reducing Kidney's Bacterial Loads upon Systemic Monotherapy. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13111947. [PMID: 34834362 PMCID: PMC8621570 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe the design and attributes of a linear pentapeptide-like derivative (C14(ω5)OOc10O) screened for its ability to elicit bactericidal competences of plasma constituents against Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). In simpler culture media, the lipopeptide revealed high aptitudes to sensitize resilient GNB to hydrophobic and/or efflux-substrate antibiotics, whereas in their absence, C14(ω5)OOc10O only briefly delayed bacterial proliferation. Instead, at low micromolar concentrations, the lipopeptide has rapidly lowered bacterial proton and ATP levels, although significantly less than upon treatment with its bactericidal analog. Mechanistic studies support a two-step scenario providing a plausible explanation for the lipopeptide’s biological outcomes against GNB: initially, C14(ω5)OOc10O permeabilizes the outer membrane similarly to polymyxin B, albeit in a manner not necessitating as much LPS-binding affinity. Subsequently, C14(ω5)OOc10O would interact with the inner membrane gently yet intensively enough to restrain membrane-protein functions such as drug efflux and/or ATP generation, while averting the harsher inner membrane perturbations that mediate the fatal outcome associated with bactericidal peers. Preliminary in vivo studies where skin wound infections were introduced in mice, revealed a significant efficacy in affecting bacterial viability upon topical treatment with creams containing C14(ω5)OOc10O, whereas synergistic combination therapies were able to secure the pathogen’s eradication. Further, capitalizing on the finding that C14(ω5)OOc10O plasma-potentiating concentrations were attainable in mice blood at sub-maximal tolerated doses, we used a urinary tract infection model to acquire evidence for the lipopeptide’s systemic capacity to reduce the kidney’s bacterial loads. Collectively, the data establish the role of C14(ω5)OOc10O as a compelling antibacterial potentiator and suggest its drug-like potential.
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Hershkovits AS, Pozdnyakov I, Meir O, Mor A. Sub-inhibitory membrane damage undermines Staphylococcus aureus virulence. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:1172-1179. [PMID: 30974095 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We investigated antibacterial properties of a recently described membrane-active lipopeptide, C10OOc12O (decanoyl-ornithyl-ornithyl-dodecanoyl-ornithyl-amide) against Gram-positive bacteria (GPB). Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and kinetics were compared in culture media and plasma. Chemo-sensitization to antibiotics was determined using the checkerboard assay. Membrane damages were estimated using diverse membrane potential sensitive dyes. ATP levels and relevant enzymes activities were measured using commercial bioassay kits. While relatively weakly active in simple culture media, sub-MIC levels (~ten-fold) of C10OOc12O have significantly improved the antibacterial function of Human plasma. Mechanistic studies indicated that C10OOc12O-treated bacteria have sustained mild membrane damage(s) in association with rapid (within 2 min) but low (<10%) dissipation of the trans-membrane potential; Intracellular ATP levels were transiently reduced (~20%) whereas extracellular ATP increased only at MIC values; Sub-inhibitory concentrations were sufficient for inhibiting major agr-regulated virulence factors (lipase and α-toxin) and for sensitizing MRSA USA300 to the antibiotic oxacillin to the point of reverting the bacteria status from oxacillin-resistant to oxacillin-sensitive (i.e., oxacillin MIC was reduced from 32 to 0.1 mg/l). These findings argue that by means of mild depolarization, C10OOc12O affects the quorum sensing regulator in a manner that transiently weakens bacterial defenses, thereby enforcing studies that support the potential usefulness of fighting S. aureus (and possibly other GPB) infections, by targeting its virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Sarah Hershkovits
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Igor Pozdnyakov
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ohad Meir
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amram Mor
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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