title: Peptide conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers increase survival of mice challenged with Ames Bacillus anthracis.
abstract: Targeting bacterial essential genes using antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) represents an important strategy in the development of novel antibacterial therapeutics. PMOs are neutral DNA analogues that inhibit gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. In this study, several cationic, membrane-penetrating peptides were conjugated to PMOs (PPMOs) that target 2 bacterial essential genes: acyl carrier protein (acpP) and gyrase A (gyrA). These were tested for their ability to inhibit growth of Bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium and causative agent of anthrax. PPMOs targeted upstream of both target gene start codons and conjugated with the bacterium-permeating peptide (RFF)(3)R were found to be most effective in inhibiting bacterial growth in vitro. Both of the gene-targeted PPMOs protected macrophages from B. anthracis induced cell death. Subsequent, in vivo testing of the PPMOs resulted in increased survival of mice challenged with the virulent Ames strain of B. anthracis. Together, these studies suggest that PPMOs targeting essential genes have the potential of being used as antisense antibiotics to treat B. anthracis infections.
authors.affiliation: United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA. rekha.panchal@amedd.army.mil
authors.forename: Rekha G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Panchal
authors.forename: Bruce L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mellbye
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bavari
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D060172:Morpholinos / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides; D060172:Morpholinos; D002939:Ciprofloxacin