Functional gold nanoparticle-based antibacterial agents for nosocomial and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
OBJECTIVE
Medical treatments for bacterial-infections have become challenging because of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Thus, new therapeutics and antibiotics must be developed.


METHODS
Arginine and tryptophan can target negatively-charged bacteria and penetrate bacterial cell membrane, respectively. Synthetic-peptides containing arginine, tryptophan and cysteine termini, in other words, (DVFLG)2REEW4C and (DVFLG)2REEW2C, as starting materials were mixed with aqueous tetrachloroauric acid to generate peptide-immobilized gold nanoparticles (i.e., [DVFLG]2REEW4C-AuNPs and [DVFLG]2REEW2C-AuNPs) through one-pot reactions.


CONCLUSIONS
The peptide immobilized AuNPs exhibit targeting capacity and antibacterial activity. Furthermore, (DVFLG)2REEW4C-AuNPs immobilized with a higher number of tryptophan molecules possess more effective antibacterial capacity than (DVFLG)2REEW2C-AuNPs. Nevertheless, they are not harmful for animal cells. The feasibility of using the peptide-AuNPs to inhibit the cell growth of bacterium-infected macrophages was demonstrated.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that the proposed antibacterial AuNPs are effective antibacterial agents for Staphylococci, Enterococci and antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. [Formula: see text].
Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
Yen-Ling
YL
Kuo
Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
Sin-Ge
SG
Wang
Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
Ching-Yi
CY
Wu
Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
Kai-Chieh
KC
Lee
Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
Chan-Jung
CJ
Jao
Department of Life Science, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242, Taiwan.
Shiu-Huey
SH
Chou
Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
Yu-Chie
YC
Chen
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001120:Arginine / Q000737:chemistry; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010316:Particle Size; D000067996:RAW 264.7 Cells; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D013499:Surface Properties; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; D006046:Gold; D014364:Tryptophan; D001120:Arginine
Au NPs; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; MRSA; Staphylococcus aureus; VRE; antibacterial peptides; antibiotic-resistant bacteria; antibiotics; macrophages