Lactoferrin-derived peptides and Lactoferricin chimera inhibit virulence factor production and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the bactericidal activity of lactoferrin-derived peptides and a new LF-derived peptides chimera (LFchimera) against P. aeruginosa and the influence on virulence factors of P. aeruginosa.


RESULTS
Lactoferricin (LFcin) and lactoferrampin (LFampin) are highly bioactive peptides isolated from the N-terminal region of lactoferrin (LF) by pepsin digestion. In this study, we designed LFchimera containing LFcin amino acids 17-30 and LFampin amino acids 268-284. Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells were incubated in medium with peptides at different concentrations, and then the assays of viability, pyocyanin, elastase activity and biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa were performed. We found that the concentration-dependent antibactericidal activity and down-regulating pyocyanin, elastase and biofilm formation of LFchimera were significantly stronger than those of LF, LFcin, LFampin or LFcin plus LFampin.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicated that LF, LFcin, LFampin and LFchimera were potential candidates to combat P. aeruginosa, and LFchimera was the most effective in them.


CONCLUSIONS
The new LFchimera has better activity against P. aeruginosa than LF, LFcin and LFampin and may be a promising new compound for treatment of P. aeruginosa infection.
Xu
G
G
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Xiong
W
W
Hu
Q
Q
Zuo
P
P
Shao
B
B
Lan
F
F
Lu
X
X
Xu
Y
Y
Xiong
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D011710:Pyocyanine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C557489:LFchimera peptide; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D037521:Virulence Factors; C557491:lactoferrampin (268-284); C557490:lactoferricin (17-30); D011710:Pyocyanine; D007781:Lactoferrin