Peptidomimetic antibiotics disrupt the lipopolysaccharide transport bridge of drug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023;
9:eadg3683. [PMID:
37224246 DOI:
10.1126/sciadv.adg3683]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistance poses a substantial threat to our health system, and, hence, development of drugs against novel targets is urgently needed. The natural peptide thanatin kills Gram-negative bacteria by targeting proteins of the lipopolysaccharide transport (Lpt) machinery. Using the thanatin scaffold together with phenotypic medicinal chemistry, structural data, and a target-focused approach, we developed antimicrobial peptides with drug-like properties. They exhibit potent activity against Enterobacteriaceae both in vitro and in vivo while eliciting low frequencies of resistance. We show that the peptides bind LptA of both wild-type and thanatin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains with low-nanomolar affinities. Mode of action studies revealed that the antimicrobial activity involves the specific disruption of the Lpt periplasmic protein bridge.
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