Isolation,purification and partial characterization of antibacterial activities produced by a newly isolated Streptomyces sp. US24 strain

A new actinomycete strain designated US24 producing antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was isolated from Tunisian soil. Culture characteristic studies strongly suggested that the US24 strain belonged to the genus Streptomyces. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of the Streptomyces sp. US24 strain showed high similarity (98%) with the 16S rRNA gene of Streptomyces caelestis which produces two antibiotics, niddamycin and celesticetin. Study of the influence of different nutritional compounds on antibiotic biosynthesis showed that the highest antibacterial activities were obtained when starch at 1% (w/v) was used as sole carbon source in the presence of traces of mineral oligoelements. Application to the supernatant culture of the Streptomyces sp. US24 strain of various separation steps led to isolation of two pure active molecules having a retention time of 34 and 37.26 min, respectively. P(34 min) possessed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, whereas P(37.26 min) inhibited only Gram-positive bacteria. Partial characterization of the P(34 min) molecule using spectroscopic studies showed that this active molecule is different from the two antibiotics produced by the S. caelestis strain.     

A hepatopancreas-specific C-type lectin from the Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis exhibits antimicrobial activity

Lectins play important roles in animal innate immune responses by serving as pattern recognition receptors, opsonins, or effector molecules. Here, we report a novel hepatopancreas-specific C-type lectin, designated Fc-hsL, from the hepatopancreas of the Chinese shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The cDNA of Fc-hsL is 571 bp long with a 480 bp open reading frame that encodes a 159-residue protein. Fc-hsL contains a signal peptide and a single C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD) or carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). It has an EPN(Glu-Pro-Asn) motif with a predicted ligand-binding site specific for mannose. Fc-hsL was constitutively expressed in the hepatopancreas of normal shrimp, and its expression was up-regulated following challenge of shrimp with bacteria or virus. Fc-hsL was not detected in other tissues but was induced in the stomach of immune-challenged shrimp. Fc-hsL protein was detected in both hemolymph and the hepatopancreas of bacteria- and virus-challenged shrimp. Recombinant mature Fc-hsL has no hemagglutinating activity, but calcium-dependent agglutinating activity against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was detected. The rFc-hsL also has binding activity to some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and high antimicrobial activity against some bacteria and fungi. These in vitro functions of recombinant Fc-hsL were calcium-independent. Fc-hsL may act as a pattern recognition receptor in antibacterial defense and as an effector in innate immunity of Chinese shrimp.     

Comparative antibacterial activity of hexachlorophane in different formulations used for skin disinfection

Two formulations of hexachlorophane have been compared for their antibacterial effects in respect of skin disinfection. It was found that the activity of hexachlorophane is dependent upon its vehicle of formulation. A 2.5% soap gel possesses broad-spectrum bactericidal activity with remarkable speed of kill, whereas a 3% detergent formulation has no bactericidal action against Gram-negative bacteria and only a very slow action against Gram-positive bacteria.In practice the rapid action of the 2.5% soap gel against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive transient skin bacteria can be achieved by correctly applying the preparation directly to the dry hands.It appears that the 2.5% soap gel does not need to rely on mechanical removal of transient organisms as does the 3% detergent.The 2.5% soap gel is more dependable in its action on the resident bacteria than the 3% detergent. It controlled the resident flora in the skin of all subjects tested whereas the latter appeared to be potentiated on the skin of certain individuals only.It has been possible to distinguish between the antibacterial effect on the resident organisms and the mere removal of transient bacteria by mechanical action of the 3% detergent as opposed to antibacterial effect on residents and rapid antibacterial effect on transients by the 2.5% soap gel.     

Comparative study on characteristics of lysozymes from the hemolymph of three lepidopteran larvae,Galleria mellonella,Bombyx mori,Agrius convolvuli

Lysozymes were purified from the hemolymph of three immunized Lepidopteran larvae, Galleria mellonella, Bombyx mori, Agrius convolvuli to compare their physico-chemical properties and antibacterial activities with those of chicken lysozyme. Four lysozymes including the one from chicken had similar molecular masses and chromatographic behavior on reverse phase-high pressure liquid chromatography. Western blotting analysis using an antibody raised against G. mellonella revealed that lysozyme cross-reacted with two other insect lysozymes but not with commercial chicken lysozyme. Antibacterial activities of lysozymes were measured in two types of tests: radial diffusion assay and colony count assay. Our antibacterial tests revealed that all lysozymes have strong activities against Gram-positive bacteria and three insect lysozymes still retain a little potency against Gram-negative bacteria, while chicken lysozyme has no activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Taken together, we conclude three Lepidopteran lysozymes have a common distinct structure and have an antibacterial activity, which is absent in chicken lysozyme, against Gram-negative bacteria.     

Recombinant expression and anti-microbial activity of anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALF) from the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon

Anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs), originally characterized from horseshoe crabs, have been recently identified from hemocytes of the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, by a genomic approach. In order to characterize the properties and biological activities of this immune effector in shrimp, ALFPm3, the most abundant isoform found in P. monodon, was expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Large-scale production in fermentor provided 262 mg/l of recombinant ALFPm3 which was purified to homogeneity by single chromatography step on expanded-bed Streamline SP6XL. The rALFPm3 was further characterized in terms of N-terminal sequencing and mass spectrometry. Anti-microbial assays demonstrated that rALFPm3 has a broad spectrum of anti-fungal properties against filamentous fungi, and anti-bacterial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, associated with a bactericidal effect. Interestingly, rALFPm3 is highly efficient against various Vibrio species including strains pathogenic for shrimp. Finally, a synthetic peptide corresponding to a part of the putative LPS-binding site of ALFPm3 was shown to display activities mainly directed against Gram-positive bacteria indicating the involvement of the full molecule to the anti-microbial activity for Gram-negative bacteria.     

Modification of a synthetic LPS-binding domain of anti-lipopolysaccharide factor from shrimp reveals strong structure-activity relationship in their antimicrobial characteristics

Anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALF) is a small protein with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities and certain antiviral property. Its putative lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding domain was deduced to be important for its activities. However, there is still no report revealing how the structure of the LPS-binding domain affects its biological function until now. In the present study, we designed and synthesized a peptide corresponding to the LPS-binding domain of ALF from the Chinese shrimp (designated as FcALF-LBDc) and its structure-modified isoforms in order to analyze the relationship between its structure and antimicrobial activities. Results showed that FcALF-LBDc exhibited apparent antibacterial activities against both Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Vibrio anguillarum and Gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus luteus and Micrococcus lysodeikticus with MIC ranges of 32–64, 2–4, 1–2, and 32–64 μM, respectively. The disulfide loop and the basic amino acids in the LPS-binding domain (LBD) of ALF played key roles in its antibacterial activities. In addition, FcALF-LBDc could reduce the propagation of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in vivo, and its lysine residue is indispensable for its antiviral property. This is the first attempt to testify the effects of the sequence features of the LPS-binding domain on its antimicrobial activities.     

Cloning of a crustin-like, single whey-acidic-domain, antibacterial peptide from the haemocytes of the European lobster, Homarus gammarus, and its response to infection with bacteria

Degenerate PCR was used to isolate a 221-base pair nucleotide sequence of a new crustin-like antibacterial peptide from the haemocytes of the European lobster, Homarus gammarus. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends was used to extend the sequence to determine the complete open reading frame and un-translated regions. The inferred amino acid sequence of this peptide was found to be similar to crustin-like peptides isolated for several species of shrimp as well as the shore crab, Carcinus maenas. The sequence also contains a single-whey-acidic protein (WAP) domain, similar to novel antibacterial single-whey-acidic domain (SWD) peptides that have been recently described in the tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, and the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Real-time PCR was used to analyse the expression of the gene coding for this peptide. The gene is up regulated after inoculation with the Gram-positive lobster pathogen Aerococcus viridans var. homari but down regulated after inoculation with the Gram-negative bacteria Listonella anguillarum. Phylogenetic analysis of this new peptide shows that it is most related to other antimicrobial crustin peptides and that the crustins are only distantly related to the antibacterial SWD peptides recently described.     

Localization of anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALFPm3) in tissues of the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, and characterization of its binding properties

Anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALF) is an antimicrobial peptide originally identified from horseshoe crabs and recently found in several shrimp species. ALFPm3, the most abundant isoform in the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, has been shown to possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and filamentous fungi. In this study, a potential role for ALFPm3 in the shrimp innate immunity was revealed by examining the distribution of the protein in shrimp tissues in response to Vibrio harveyi challenge. Immunohistochemistry using anti-ALFPm3 antibody showed that the ALFPm3 protein is primarily localized in hemocytes and the positive cells observed at the injection site and in the cephalothorax are infiltrating hemocytes that migrate into shrimp tissues after bacterial injection. A rapid increase in the number of hemocytes producing ALFPm3 observed in V. harveyi-injected shrimp suggests a likely important function of the protein in defense against invading pathogens. ALFPm3 was shown to be able to bind to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial cells and their major cell wall components, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA), respectively. The results suggested that ALFPm3 performs its antibacterial activity by binding to component(s) of the bacterial cell wall.     

The effect of systematic structural modifications on the antibacterial activity of novel oxazolidinones

A novel series of tetraethylene glycol (TEG) triazolyl and squaramide containing oxazolidinones were synthesized and tested for their antibacterial activity against a selected panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The 4-TEG-triazolyl derivatives were prepared by 'click reaction'. The introduction of the TEG and squaramide groups did not favor antibacterial activity. The three nucleoside-containing oxazolidinones were also prepared by 'click' methodology resulted in weak antibacterial activity.     

In vitro activity of isepamicin and other aminoglycosides against clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria causing nosocomial bloodstream infections.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Isepamicin is a newly introduced aminoglycoside in Taiwan. Since in vitro data for isepamicin against nosocomial Gram-negative bloodstream infection from Taiwan are limited, we compared the activity of isepamicin, amikacin, gentamicin and tobramycin against nosocomial Gram-negative blood isolates. METHODS: A total of 247 non-duplicate nosocomial blood isolates of Gram-negative bacteria collected between January 2003 and December 2003 in a major teaching hospital in Taiwan were tested for their in vitro susceptibilities to gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, and isepamicin using the agar dilution method. The isolates included Escherichia coli (31 isolates), Klebsiella pneumoniae (31), Enterobacter cloacae (30), Serratia marcescens (31), Morganella morganii (21), Citrobacter freundii (10), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (31), Acinetobacter baumannii (31), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (31). RESULTS: Overall, isepamicin had high antibacterial activity against the tested Gram-negative bacteria. For the 154 Enterobacteriaceae isolates, isepamicin had the lowest minimum concentration inhibiting 90% of isolates (MIC90) among the tested drugs, while its resistance rate (3.9%) was equal to that of amikacin (3.9%) and lower than those of tobramycin (18.2%) and gentamicin (21.4%). For the 93 of non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli isolates, isepamicin had the lowest MIC90, and a resistance rate (23.7%) lower than those of amikacin (27.9%), tobramycin (38.7%) and gentamicin (40.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro activity of isepamicin against Gram-negative bacteria isolates was equal or similar to amikacin and superior to other tested aminoglycosides. In view of its potential for less nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity than other aminoglycosides, isepamicin is a drug of choice for the empirical treatment of nosocomial infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria.     

Antilipopolysaccharide factor (ALF) of mud crab Scylla paramamosain: molecular cloning, genomic organization and the antimicrobial activity of its synthetic LPS binding domain

Antilipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs) are small basic proteins that can bind and neutralize lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and have broad spectrum antimicrobial activities. In this study, we describe the isolation of the full-length cDNA encoding for ALF peptide (ALFSp) of mud crab, Scylla paramamosain by sequencing a hemocyte cDNA library and using the rapid amplification cDNA end (RACE) method. A full-length ALFSp cDNA of 614 bp contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 372 bp, encoding 123 amino acid protein with 26 residues signal sequence. The calculated molecular mass of the mature protein is 11.18 kDa. The highly two conserve cysteine residues and putative LPS binding domain were observed in ALFSp peptide. Comparison of amino acid sequences revealed that ALFSp shared high identity with other known ALFs and had an overall similarity of 65, 64, 63, 61 and 59% to those of Fenneropenaeus chinensis, Litopenaeus vannamei, Marsupenaeus japonicus, Limulus polyphemus, and Tachypleus tridentatus, respectively. A neighbour-joining tree showed a clear differentiation of each species and also indicated that ALF from S. paramamosain, Carcinus maenas and Callinectes sapidus are closely related phylogenetically. The genomic DNA sequence of ALFSp gene consists of 1075 bp containing three exons and two introns. Tissue distribution analysis revealed that ALFSp was abundantly expressed in hemocytes, intestine, and muscle but not in eyestalk. The synthetic ALFSp peptide containing putative LPS binding domain revealed a strong antimicrobial activity against several bacteria especially on the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, Micrococcus luteus and Gram-negative bacteria, Vibrio harveyi suggested that ALFSp could play an essential role in defense mechanism in S. paramamosain.     

Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide from Alligator mississippiensis has antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumanii and Klebsiella pneumoniae

Alligator mississippiensis (American alligator), a member of order Crocodilia, lives in bacteria-laden environments but is not often known to succumb to bacterial infections. Their serum has been shown to have antibacterial activity beyond that of human serum, and it is believed that this activity is partially due to cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). CAMPs are produced by many organisms as part of the innate immune system. CAMPs are attractive possible therapies against multi-drug resistant bacteria, such as those found in biofilm-infected war wounds, because they seldom cause genetic resistance in bacteria and are effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria. In this work, we identified, synthesized, and characterized a cathelicidin and two shorter fragments from the American alligator. We discovered the cathelicidin using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) alignment and by comparing A. mississippiensis expressed sequence tags (ESTs) with propeptide cathelicidins of other reptiles. We analyzed the structure using bioinformatics tools and circular dichroism and predicted that the full-length cathelicidin peptide has a mixed structure, with an N-terminal α-helix and a center Pro hinge. In minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays, it was determined that the cathelicidin and the two shorter fragments have strong activity against multiple Gram-negative bacteria, including clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Using the ethidium bromide uptake assay, it was found that these peptides permeabilize the bacterial membrane and are less sensitive to salt inhibition than many other known CAMPs. The alligator cathelicidin peptides were not hemolytic against sheep red blood cells at 300 μg/ml and were not significantly cytotoxic against A549 human lung epithelial cells after 24 h exposure in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. These alligator cathelicidin peptides have activity similar to other CAMPs from reptiles such as NA-CATH. It is possible that the alligator cathelicidins play an important role in the innate immune response of A. mississippiensis, similar to LL-37 in humans. In addition, due to their activities against MDR bacteria and lack of cytotoxicity, the AM-CATH peptides could be an attractive platform for further development as a potential therapeutic.     

Antibacterial effects of human group IIA and group XIIA phospholipase A2 against Helicobacter pylori in vitro

Group IIA phospholipase A2 (PLA2-IIA) is an enzyme which has important roles in inflammation and infection. Recently, a novel human secretory PLA2 called group XIIA PLA2 (PLA2-XIIA) has been identified. Both PLA2-IIA and PLA2-XIIA are bactericidal against Gram-positive bacteria like many other secretory PLA2s. However, PLA2-XIIA is the only known PLA2 displaying significant bactericidal activity against the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. We examined the antibacterial properties of recombinant human PLA2-IIA and PLA2-XIIA against Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium, in vitro. PLA2-IIA was not bactericidal against H. pylori, whereas PLA2-XIIA effectively killed H. pylori at a concentration of 50 microg/ml but was not bactericidal at concentrations of 0.5 microg/ml and 5 microg/ml.     

Enhanced antibacterial activity in Hydra polyps lacking nerve cells

The nervous system evolved within cnidarians. When assessing antibacterial activity in the freshwater polyp Hydra, we observed a strong correlation between the number of neurons present and the antibacterial activity. Tissue lacking neurons had a drastically enhanced antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria compared to control tissue. The results indicate direct and strong neural influences on immunity in the phylogenetically oldest animals having a nervous system.