title: Antimicrobial activity of prodigiosin is attributable to plasma-membrane damage.
abstract: The bacterial pigment prodigiosin has various biological activities; it is, for instance, an effective antimicrobial. Here, we investigate the primary site targeted by prodigiosin, using the cells of microbial pathogens of humans as model systems: Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus. Inhibitory concentrations of prodigiosin; leakage of intracellular K+ions, amino acids, proteins and sugars; impacts on activities of proteases, catalases and oxidases; and changes in surface appearance of pathogen cells were determined. Prodigiosin was highly inhibitory (30% growth rate reduction of C. albicans, E. coli, S. aureus at 0.3, 100 and 0.18 μg ml-1, respectively); caused leakage of intracellular substances (most severe in S. aureus); was highly inhibitory to each enzyme; and caused changes to S. aureus indicative of cell-surface damage. Collectively, these findings suggest that prodigiosin, log Poctanol-water5.16, is not a toxin but is a hydrophobic stressor able to disrupt the plasma membrane via a chaotropicity-mediated mode-of-action.
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, North Maharashtra University , Jalgaon , India.
authors.forename: Rahul K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Suryawanshi
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, North Maharashtra University , Jalgaon , India.
authors.forename: Chandrashekhar D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, North Maharashtra University , Jalgaon , India.
authors.forename: Sunil H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Koli
authors.affiliation: b Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre , Belfast , UK.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hallsworth
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, North Maharashtra University , Jalgaon , India.
authors.forename: Satish V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Patil
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D011353:Prodigiosin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011353:Prodigiosin
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Serratia marcescens; Staphylococcus aureus; competitive interactions; membrane leakage; microbial pigment prodigiosin; mode-of-action