Paracentrin 1, a synthetic antimicrobial peptide from the sea-urchin Paracentrotus lividus, interferes with staphylococcal and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation.
The rise of antibiotic-resistance as well as the reduction of investments by pharmaceutical companies in the development of new antibiotics have stimulated the investigation for alternative strategies to conventional antibiotics. Many antimicrobial peptides show a high specificity for prokaryotes and a low toxicity for eukaryotic cells and, due to their mode of action the development of resistance is considered unlikely. We recently characterized an antimicrobial peptide that was called Paracentrin 1 from the 5-kDa peptide fraction from the coelomocyte cytosol of the Paracentrotus lividus. In this study, the chemically synthesized Paracentrin 1, was tested for its antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties against reference strains of Gram positive and Gram negative. The Paracentrin 1 was active against planktonic form of staphylococcal strains (reference and isolates) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 at concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 6.2 mg/ml. The Paracentrin 1 was able to inhibit biofilm formation of staphylococcal and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains at concentrations ranging from 3.1 to 0.75 mg/ml. We consider the tested peptide as a good starting molecule for novel synthetic derivatives with improved pharmaceutical potential.
Dip. STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, Palermo, 32-90123, Italy.
Domenico
D
Schillaci
Dip. STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, Palermo, 32-90123, Italy.
Maria Grazia
MG
Cusimano
Dip. STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, Palermo, 32-90123, Italy ; IEMEST, Istituto Euromediterraneo di Scienza e Tecnologia, Via Emerico Amari, Palermo, 123-90139, Italy.
Angelo
A
Spinello
Dip. STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, Palermo, 32-90123, Italy ; IEMEST, Istituto Euromediterraneo di Scienza e Tecnologia, Via Emerico Amari, Palermo, 123-90139, Italy.
Giampaolo
G
Barone
Dip. STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, Palermo, 32-90123, Italy ; IEMEST, Istituto Euromediterraneo di Scienza e Tecnologia, Via Emerico Amari, Palermo, 123-90139, Italy.
Debora
D
Russo
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via G. Marinuzzi, Palermo, 3-90129, Italy.
Maria
M
Vitale
Dip. STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, Palermo, 32-90123, Italy.
Daniela
D
Parrinello
Dip. STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, Palermo, 32-90123, Italy ; IEMEST, Istituto Euromediterraneo di Scienza e Tecnologia, Via Emerico Amari, Palermo, 123-90139, Italy.
Vincenzo
V
Arizza
AMP (Antimicrobial peptides); Biofilm; Paracentrotus lividus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococci