title: In vitro bactericidal and bacteriolytic activity of ceragenin CSA-13 against planktonic cultures and biofilms of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other pathogenic streptococci.
abstract: Ceragenin CSA-13, a cationic steroid, is here reported to show a concentration-dependent bactericidal/bacteriolytic activity against pathogenic streptococci, including multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. The autolysis promoted by CSA-13 in pneumococcal cultures appears to be due to the triggering of the major S. pneumoniae autolysin LytA, an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase. CSA-13 also disintegrated pneumococcal biofilms in a very efficient manner, although at concentrations slightly higher than those required for bactericidal activity on planktonic bacteria. CSA-13 has little hemolytic activity which should allow testing its antibacterial efficacy in animal models.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moscoso
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esteban-Torres
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química-Física Biológica, Instituto Química-Física Rocasolano, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menéndez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D010933:Plankton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013256:Steroids; C521528:ceragenin CSA-13