Disarming the enemy: targeting bacterial toxins with small molecules

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39
Author(s):  
Alejandro Huerta-Uribe ◽  
Andrew J. Roe
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Bacterial Toxin ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia Coli ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics

The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains has prompted efforts to find new and more efficacious treatment strategies. Targeting virulence factors produced by pathogenic bacteria has gained particular attention in the last few years. One of the inherent advantages of this approach is that it provides less selective pressure for the development of resistance mechanisms. In addition, antivirulence drugs could potentially be the answer for diseases in which the use of conventional antibiotics is counterproductive. That is the case for bacterial toxin-mediated diseases, in which the severity of the symptoms is a consequence of the exotoxins produced by the pathogen. Examples of these are haemolytic-uraemic syndrome produced by Shiga toxins, the profuse and dangerous dehydration caused by Cholera toxin or the life-threatening colitis occasioned by clostridial toxins. This review focuses on the recent advances on the development of small molecules with antitoxin activity against Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae and Clostridium difficile given their epidemiological importance. The present work includes studies of small molecules with antitoxin properties that act directly on the toxin (direct inhibitors) or that act by preventing expression of the toxin (indirect inhibitors).

scholarly journals Sorting out the Superbugs: Potential of Sortase A Inhibitors among Other Antimicrobial Strategies to Tackle the Problem of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita Zrelovs ◽  
Viktorija Kurbatska ◽  
Zhanna Rudevica ◽  
Ainars Leonchiks ◽  
Davids Fridmanis
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Sortase A ◽  
Inhibitory Compounds ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics

Rapid spread of antibiotic resistance throughout the kingdom bacteria is inevitably bringing humanity towards the “post-antibiotic” era. The emergence of so-called “superbugs”—pathogen strains that develop resistance to multiple conventional antibiotics—is urging researchers around the globe to work on the development or perfecting of alternative means of tackling the pathogenic bacteria infections. Although various conceptually different approaches are being considered, each comes with its advantages and drawbacks. While drug-resistant pathogens are undoubtedly represented by both Gram(+) and Gram(−) bacteria, possible target spectrum across the proposed alternative approaches of tackling them is variable. Numerous anti-virulence strategies aimed at reducing the pathogenicity of target bacteria rather than eliminating them are being considered among such alternative approaches. Sortase A (SrtA) is a membrane-associated cysteine protease that catalyzes a cell wall sorting reaction by which surface proteins, including virulence factors, are anchored to the bacterial cell wall of Gram(+) bacteria. Although SrtA inhibition seems perspective among the Gram-positive pathogen-targeted antivirulence strategies, it still remains less popular than other alternatives. A decrease in virulence due to inactivation of SrtA activity has been extensively studied in Staphylococcus aureus, but it has also been demonstrated in other Gram(+) species. In this manuscript, results of past studies on the discovery of novel SrtA inhibitory compounds and evaluation of their potency were summarized and commented on. Here, we discussed the rationale behind the inhibition of SrtA, raised some concerns on the comparability of the results from different studies, and touched upon the possible resistance mechanisms as a response to implementation of such therapy in practice. The goal of this article is to encourage further studies of SrtA inhibitory compounds.

scholarly journals Silver (I) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: A Winning and Broad Spectrum of Antimicrobial Properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2497
Author(s):  
Filippo Prencipe ◽  
Anna Zanfardino ◽  
Michela Di Napoli ◽  
Filomena Rossi ◽  
Stefano D’Errico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Antimicrobial Properties ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Heterocyclic Carbenes ◽  
Significant Activity ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Catalytic Chemistry

The evolution of antibacterial resistance has arisen as the main downside in fighting bacterial infections pushing researchers to develop novel, more potent and multimodal alternative drugs.Silver and its complexes have long been used as antimicrobial agents in medicine due to the lack of silver resistance and the effectiveness at low concentration as well as to their low toxicities compared to the most commonly used antibiotics. N-Heterocyclic Carbenes (NHCs) have been extensively employed to coordinate transition metals mainly for catalytic chemistry. However, more recently, NHC ligands have been applied as carrier molecules for metals in anticancer applications. In the present study we selected from literature two NHC-carbene based on acridinescaffoldand detailed nonclassicalpyrazole derived mono NHC-Ag neutral and bis NHC-Ag cationic complexes. Their inhibitor effect on bacterial strains Gram-negative and positivewas evaluated. Imidazolium NHC silver complex containing the acridine chromophore showed effectiveness at extremely low MIC values. Although pyrazole NHC silver complexes are less active than the acridine NHC-silver, they represent the first example of this class of compounds with antimicrobial properties. Moreover all complexesare not toxic and they show not significant activity againstmammalian cells (Hek lines) after 4 and 24 h. Based on our experimental evidence, we are confident that this promising class of complexes could represent a valuable starting point for developing candidates for the treatment of bacterial infections, delivering great effectiveness and avoiding the development of resistance mechanisms.

scholarly journals Antibacterial Compounds from Mushrooms: A Lead to Fight ESKAPEE Pathogenic Bacteria?

Planta Medica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violette Hamers ◽  
Clément Huguet ◽  
Mélanie Bourjot ◽  
Aurélie Urbain
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Pathogenic Microorganisms ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Antibacterial Compounds ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Hospital Stays ◽  
Antibacterial Potential

AbstractInfectious diseases are among the greatest threats to global health in the 21st century, and one critical concern is due to antibiotic resistance developed by an increasing number of bacterial strains. New resistance mechanisms are emerging with many infections becoming more and more difficult if not impossible to treat. This growing phenomenon not only is associated with increased mortality but also with longer hospital stays and higher medical costs. For these reasons, there is an urgent need to find new antibiotics targeting pathogenic microorganisms such as ESKAPEE bacteria. Most of currently approved antibiotics are derived from microorganisms, but higher fungi could constitute an alternative and remarkable reservoir of anti-infectious compounds. For instance, pleuromutilins constitute the first class of antibiotics derived from mushrooms. However, macromycetes still represent a largely unexplored source. Publications reporting the antibacterial potential of mushroom extracts are emerging, but few purified compounds have been evaluated for their bioactivity on pathogenic bacterial strains. Therefore, the aim of this review is to compile up-to-date data about natural products isolated from fruiting body fungi, which significantly inhibit the growth of ESKAPEE pathogenic bacteria. When available, data regarding modes of action and cytotoxicity, mandatory when considering a possible drug development, have been discussed in order to highlight the most promising compounds.

scholarly journals Autotransporter secretion exploits the bacterial actin-homologue

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud M. Ashawesh ◽  
Robert Markus ◽  
Christopher N. Penfold ◽  
Kim R. Hardie
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infection ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Dynamic Interaction ◽  
Bacterial Toxins ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Bacterial Cytoskeleton ◽  
Development Of Resistance

AbstractBacterial infection of humans, animals and plants relies heavily on secreted proteases that degrade host defences or activate bacterial toxins. The largest family of proteins secreted by Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, the Autotransporters (ATs), includes key proteolytic virulence factors. There remains uncertainty about the mechanistic steps of the pathway ATs share to exit bacteria, and how it is energetically driven. This study set out to shed light on the AT secretion pathway with the ultimate aim of uncovering novel antimicrobial targets that would be unlikely to trigger the development of resistance mechanisms in bacteria. To do this, two AT virulence factors with distinct proteolytic functions, EspC (secreted from EnteropathogenicEscherichia coli) and AaaA (tethered to the extracellular surface ofPseudomonas aeruginosa) were chosen. EspC and AaaA were fluorescently labelled using two separate methods to establish the localization patterns of ATs as they are secreted from a bacterial cell. Super resolution microscopy revealed that localization of ATs occurs via a helical route along the bacterial cytoskeleton. In addition to requiring the conserved C-terminal β-barrel translocator domain of the AT, we present the first evidence that secretion is dependent on a dynamic interaction with a structure reliant upon the actin homologue MreB and the Sec translocon. These findings provide a step forward in the mechanistic understanding of the secretion of this widely distributed family of proteins that have pivotal roles in bacterial pathogenesis and conserved structural properties that could serve as novel broad-range antimicrobial targets.SignificanceSecreted bacterial proteases facilitate the infection of human, animal and plant hosts by degrading host defences or activating bacterial toxins. The autotransporter family is the largest family of proteins secreted from Gram-negative bacteria, and includes proteolytic virulence factors crucial to bacterial infection. Precisely how autotransporters migrate from the inside to the outside of the cell, and how this movement is energetically driven is a mystery. We demonstrate a spiral pathway of autotransporter secretion, presenting evidence that it involves a dynamic interaction with the actin homologue MreB that comprises the bacterial cytoskeleton. Our findings open the way to unravelling the mechanism of autotransporter secretion and offer the possibility to identify novel antimicrobial targets unlikely to trigger the development of antimicrobial resistance.

Combating bacterial resistance by combination of antibiotics with antimicrobial peptides

2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean E. Sheard ◽  
Neil M. O’Brien-Simpson ◽  
John D. Wade ◽  
Frances Separovic
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
Agricultural Industries ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics

Abstract The overuse of antibiotics in the healthcare and agricultural industries has led to the worldwide spread of bacterial resistance. The recent emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria has resulted in a call for the development of novel strategies to address this global issue. Research on a diverse range of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has shown promising activity against several resistant strains. Increased understanding of the mode of action of AMPs has shown similarity and complementarity to conventional antibiotics and the combination of both has led to synergistic effects in some cases. Combination therapy has been widely used to combat MDR bacterial infections and the recent focus on their application with AMPs may allow antibiotics to be effective against resistant bacterial strains. By conjugation of an antibiotic onto an AMP, a compound may be produced with possibly greater activity and with reduced side-effects and toxicity. The AMP in these conjugates may also act as a unique adjuvant for the antibiotic by disrupting the resistance mechanisms used by bacteria thus allowing the antibiotic to once again be effective. This mini-review outlines some of the current and past work in combining AMPs with conventional antibiotics as strategies to address bacterial resistance.

scholarly journals A Large Tn7-like Transposon Confers Hyper-Resistance to Copper in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Aprile ◽  
Zaira Heredia-Ponce ◽  
Francisco M. Cazorla ◽  
Antonio de Vicente ◽  
José A. Gutiérrez-Barranquero
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Chromosomal Location ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Copper Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Resistance Determinants ◽  
Resistant Phenotype ◽  
Geographical Regions

Copper resistance mechanisms provide an important adaptive advantage to plant pathogenic bacteria under exposure to copper treatments. Copper resistance determinants have been described in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) strains isolated from mango intimately associated with 62 kb plasmids belonging to the pPT23A family (PFP). It has been previously described that the indiscriminate use of copper-based compounds promotes the selection of copper resistant bacterial strains and constitutes a selective pressure in the evolution of copper resistance determinants. Hence, we have explored in this study the copper resistance evolution and the distribution of specific genetic determinants in two different Pss mango populations isolated from the same geographical regions, mainly from southern Spain with an average of 20 years of difference. The total content of plasmids, in particular the 62 kb plasmids, and the number of copper resistant Pss strains were maintained at similar levels over the time. Interestingly, the phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of a phylogenetic subgroup (PSG) in the Pss mango phylotype, mostly composed of the recent Pss population analyzed in this study that was strongly associated with a hyper-resistant phenotype to copper. Genome sequencing of two selected Pss strains from this PSG revealed the presence of a large Tn7-like transposon of chromosomal location, which harbored putative copper and arsenic resistance genes (COARS Tn7-like). Transformation of the copper sensitive Pss UMAF0158 strain with some putative copper resistance genes and RT-qPCR experiments brought into light the role of COARS Tn7-like transposon in the hyper-resistant phenotype to copper in Pss. IMPORTANCE Copper compounds have traditionally been used as standard bactericides in agriculture in the past few decades. However, the extensive use of copper has fostered the evolution of bacterial copper resistance mechanisms. Pseudomonas syringae is a plant pathogenic bacterium used worldwide as a model to study plant-pathogen interactions. The adaption of P. syringae to plant surface environment is the most important step prior to an infection. In this scenario, copper resistance mechanisms could play a key role in improving its epiphytic survival. In this work, a novel Tn7-like transposon of chromosomal location was detected in P. syringae pv. syringae strains isolated from mango. This transposon conferred the highest resistance to copper sulfate described to date for this bacterial phytopathogen. Understanding in depth the copper resistance mechanisms and their evolution are important steps to the agricultural industry to get a better improvement of disease management strategies.

scholarly journals Conserved collateral susceptibility networks in diverse clinical strains of Escherichia coli

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole L. Podnecky ◽  
Elizabeth G. A. Fredheim ◽  
Julia Kloos ◽  
Vidar Sørum ◽  
Raul Primicerio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Relative Fitness ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Mutant Selection ◽  
Clinical Strains ◽  
Collateral Sensitivity ◽  
Novel Treatment Strategies

AbstractThere is urgent need to develop novel treatment strategies to reduce antimicrobial resistance. Collateral sensitivity (CS), where resistance to one antimicrobial increases susceptibility to other drugs, is a uniquely promising strategy that enables selection against resistance during treatment. However, using CS-informed therapy depends on conserved CS networks across genetically diverse bacterial strains. We examined CS conservation in 10 clinical strains of E. coli resistant to four clinically relevant antibiotics. Collateral susceptibilities of these 40 resistant mutants were then determined against a panel of 16 antibiotics. Multivariate statistical analyses demonstrate that resistance mechanisms, in particular efflux-related mutations, as well as relative fitness were principal contributors to collateral changes. Moreover, collateral responses shifted the mutant selection window suggesting that CS-informed therapies could affect evolutionary trajectories of antimicrobial resistance. Our data allow optimism for CS-informed therapy and further suggest that early detection of resistance mechanisms is important to accurately predict collateral antimicrobial responses.

scholarly journals Colorectal cancer treatment using bacteria: focus on molecular mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Ebrahimzadeh ◽  
Hossein Ahangari ◽  
Alireza Soleimanian ◽  
Kamran Hosseini ◽  
Vida Ebrahimi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Cancer Etiology ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer which is related to genetic and environmental risk factors, is among the most prevalent life-threatening cancers. Although several pathogenic bacteria are associated with colorectal cancer etiology, some others are considered as highly selective therapeutic agents in colorectal cancer. Nowadays, researchers are concentrating on bacteriotherapy as a novel effective therapeutic method with fewer or no side effects to pay the way of cancer therapy. The introduction of advanced and successful strategies in bacterial colorectal cancer therapy could be useful to identify new promising treatment strategies for colorectal cancer patients. Main text In this article, we scrutinized the beneficial effects of bacterial therapy in colorectal cancer amelioration focusing on different strategies to use a complete bacterial cell or bacterial-related biotherapeutics including toxins, bacteriocins, and other bacterial peptides and proteins. In addition, the utilization of bacteria as carriers for gene delivery or other known active ingredients in colorectal cancer therapy are reviewed and ultimately, the molecular mechanisms targeted by the bacterial treatment in the colorectal cancer tumors are detailed. Conclusions Application of the bacterial instrument in cancer treatment is on its way through becoming a promising method of colorectal cancer targeted therapy with numerous successful studies and may someday be a practical strategy for cancer treatment, particularly colorectal cancer.

scholarly journals Photo-Disassembly of Membrane Microdomains Revives Conventional Antibiotics against MRSA

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Hui ◽  
Pu-Ting Dong ◽  
Lijia Liang ◽  
Taraknath Mandal ◽  
Junjie Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Pulsed Laser ◽  
Membrane Microdomains ◽  
Carotenoid Pigment ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
Functional Membrane ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics

AbstractConfronted with the rapid evolution and dissemination of antibiotic resistance, there is an urgent need to develop alternative treatment strategies for drug-resistant pathogens. Here, we present an unconventional approach to restore the susceptibility of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) to a broad spectrum of conventional antibiotics via photo-disassembly of functional membrane microdomains. The photo-disassembly of microdomains is based on effective photolysis of staphyloxanthin, the golden carotenoid pigment that gives its name. Upon pulsed laser treatment, cell membranes are found severely disorganized and malfunctioned to defense antibiotics, as unveiled by membrane permeabilization, membrane fluidification, and detachment of membrane protein, PBP2a. Consequently, our photolysis approach increases susceptibility and inhibits development of resistance to a broad spectrum of antibiotics including penicillins, quinolones, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, lipopeptides, and oxazolidinones.One Sentence SummaryUsing photons to crash S. aureus cell membrane and its formidable defense against a broad spectrum of antibiotics.

Preliminary in Vitro Investigations on The Inhibitory Activity of The Original Dietary Supplement Oxidal® on Pathogenic Bacterial Strains

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 37-43
Author(s):  
Prof. Teodora P. Popova ◽  
Toshka Petrova ◽  
Ignat Ignatov ◽  
Stoil Karadzhov
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Supplement ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Diffusion Method ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Microbial Strains

The antimicrobial action of the dietary supplement Oxidal® was tested using the classic Bauer and Kirby agar-gel diffusion method. Clinical and reference strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were used in the studies. The tested dietary supplement showed a well-pronounced inhibitory effect against the microbial strains commensurable with that of the broad-spectrum chemotherapeutic agent Enrofloxacin and showed even higher activity than the broad spectrum antibiotic Thiamphenicol. The proven inhibitory effect of the tested dietary supplement against the examined pathogenic bacteria is in accordance with the established clinical effectiveness standards for antimicrobial agents.

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