title: Antimicrobial activity of cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes and oligomers against Saccharomyces cerevisiae vegetative cells and ascospores.
abstract: The antifungal activities of poly(phenylene ethynylene) (PPE)-based cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) and oligo-phenylene ethynylenes (OPEs) were investigated using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) as a model pathogen. The effect of the CPE and OPE materials on the vegetative cells and ascospores were tested in the dark or with UV-irradiation. A number of the tested polymers and oligomers significantly reduced the viability of the vegetative yeast cells in the dark, with activities exceeding the commonly used antibiotic Amphotericin B. With UV-irradiation, all of the tested CPEs and OPEs exhibited potent antifungal activities and completely inactivated the yeast cells. In particular, the oligomeric EO-OPE-1(Th, C2) strongly inactivates ascospores with UV-light at a dose level lower than sporicidal agents reported in the literature. Under conditions that promote spore germination, the CPEs and OPEs show efficient activities against the germinated spores. The protein-enriched outer envelope of yeast cells and germinated ascospores appears to serve as a main target for the CPE and OPE antimicrobial materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-1341, United States.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Eva Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Donald O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Natvig
authors.forename: Kirk S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Schanze
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Whitten
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011108:Polymers; C473966:poly(phenylene ethynylene)