Evaluation of the antibacterial spectrum of drosocin analogues.
Drosocin is a 19-mer, cationic antimicrobial peptide from Drosophila melanogaster. The aim of the study was to examine the antibacterial spectrum of unglycosylated drosocin analogues. Furthermore, the amino acid sequence of DnaK, drosocin's intracellular target, from susceptible species was aligned and studied for sequence homology. From this a panel of 31 bacterial strains, including Salmonella strains with truncated lipopolysaccharide structures, was tested for susceptibility towards three drosocin analogues. Available bacterial DnaK amino acid sequences were retrieved from the ExPASy proteomics server of the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics studied for sequence homology. Seventeen of the 31 strains tested were susceptible for the drosocin analogues. Minimal inhibitory concentration values against mainly Gram-negative bacteria ranged from 3.1 to 100 microm. With the exception of Micrococcus luteus and Xanthomonas campestris all drosocin analogue-susceptible strains were Enterobacteriaceae showing a high DnaK amino acid sequence homology.
Bikker
Floris J
FJ
TNO Defence, Security and Safety, PO Box 45, 2280 AA Rijswijk, the Netherlands. floris.bikker@tno.nl
Kaman-van Zanten
Wendy E
WE
de Vries-van de Ruit
Anne-Marij B C
AM
Voskamp-Visser
Ingrid
I
van Hooft
Peter A V
PA
Mars-Groenendijk
Roos H
RH
de Visser
Peter C
PC
Noort
Daan
D
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006020:Glycopeptides; C082117:drosocin