title: Antimycobacterial Activity of a New Peptide Polydim-I Isolated from Neotropical Social Wasp Polybia dimorpha.
abstract: Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. massiliense, a rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) that is becoming increasingly important among human infectious diseases, is virulent and pathogenic and presents intrinsic resistance to several antimicrobial drugs that might hamper their elimination. Therefore, the identification of new drugs to improve the current treatment or lower the risk of inducing resistance is urgently needed. Wasp venom primarily comprises peptides that are responsible for most of the biological activities in this poison. Here, a novel peptide Polydim-I, from Polybia dimorpha Neotropical wasp, was explored as an antimycobacterial agent. Polydim-I provoked cell wall disruption and exhibited non-cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells. Polydim-I treatment of macrophages infected with different M. abscessus subsp. massiliense strains reduced 40 to 50% of the bacterial load. Additionally, the Polydim-I treatment of highly susceptible mice intravenously infected with M. abscessus subsp. massiliense induced 0.8 to 1 log reduction of the bacterial load in the lungs, spleen, and liver. In conclusion, this is the first study to show the therapeutic potential of a peptide derived from wasp venom in treating mycobacteria infections. Polydim-I acts on the M. abscessus subsp. massiliense cell wall and reduce 40-90% of the bacterial load both in vitro and in vivo. The presented results encourage further studies on the use of Polydim-I as one of the components for M. abscessus subsp. massiliense treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology and Pathology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogerio Coutinho
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: das Neves
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology and Pathology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Monalisa Martins
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Trentini
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxinologia. Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Castro e Silva
authors.affiliation: Depto Biologia Celular. Instituto de Biologia. Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karina Smidt
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Depto Biologia Celular. Instituto de Biologia. Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anamelia Lorenzetti
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bocca
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxinologia. Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciano Paulino
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxinologia. Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia Renata
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mortari
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology and Pathology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kipnis
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology and Pathology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Junqueira-Kipnis
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014862:Wasp Venoms / Q000378:metabolism; D014863:Wasps / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D014862:Wasp Venoms; D007371:Interferon-gamma