title: Calcium and Magnesium Ions Are Membrane-Active against Stationary-Phase Staphylococcus aureus with High Specificity.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is notorious for its ability to acquire antibiotic-resistance, and antibiotic-resistant S. aureus has become a wide-spread cause of high mortality rate. Novel antimicrobials capable of eradicating S. aureus cells including antibiotic-resistant ones are thus highly desired. Membrane-active bactericides and species-specific antimicrobials are two promising sources of novel anti-infective agents for fighting against bacterial antibiotic-resistance. We herein show that Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), two alkaline-earth-metal ions physiologically essential for diverse living organisms, both disrupt model S. aureus membranes and kill stationary-phase S. aureus cells, indicative of membrane-activity. In contrast to S. aureus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis exhibit unaffected survival after similar treatment with these two cations, indicative of species-specific activity against S. aureus. Moreover, neither Ca(2+) nor Mg(2+) lyses mouse red blood cells, indicative of hemo-compatibility. This works suggests that Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) may have implications in targeted eradication of S. aureus pathogen including the antibiotic-resistant ones.
authors: CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 China.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 China.
authors: Yuntao
authors: Y
authors: Xie
authors: CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 China.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 China.|Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 China.
authors: Lihua
authors: L
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000737:chemistry; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000737:chemistry; D015636:Magnesium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols / Q000737:chemistry; D013045:Species Specificity; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C519576:1,1',2,2'-tetraoleoylcardiolipin; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002308:Cardiolipins; D005452:Fluoresceins; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes; C097499:fluorescein carboxylate; D015636:Magnesium Chloride; C051388:1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol; D002122:Calcium Chloride