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. 2015 Jul 13:6:711.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00711. eCollection 2015.

MRJP1-containing glycoproteins isolated from honey, a novel antibacterial drug candidate with broad spectrum activity against multi-drug resistant clinical isolates

Affiliations

MRJP1-containing glycoproteins isolated from honey, a novel antibacterial drug candidate with broad spectrum activity against multi-drug resistant clinical isolates

Katrina Brudzynski et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

The emergence of extended- spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) is the underlying cause of growing antibiotic resistance among Gram-negative bacteria to β-lactam antibiotics. We recently reported the discovery of honey glycoproteins (glps) that exhibited a rapid, concentration-dependent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Escherichia coli that resembled action of cell wall-active β-lactam drugs. Glps showed sequence identity with the Major Royal Jelly Protein 1 (MRJP1) precursor that harbors three antimicrobial peptides: Jelleins 1, 2, and 4. Here, we used semi-quantitative radial diffusion assay and broth microdilution assay to evaluate susceptibility of a number of multi-drug resistant (MDR) clinical isolates to the MRJP1-contaning honey glycoproteins. The MDR bacterial strains comprised three methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), four Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two Klebsiella pneumoniae, two vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), and five ESBL identified as one Proteus mirabilis, three E. coli, and one E. coli NDM. Their resistance to different classes of antibiotics was confirmed using automated system Vitek 2. MDR isolates differed in their susceptibility to glps with MIC90 values ranging from 4.8 μg/ml against B. subtilis to 14.4 μg/ml against ESBL K. pneumoniae, Klebsiella spp. ESBL and E. coli and up to 33 μg/ml against highly resistant strains of P. aeruginosa. Glps isolated from different honeys showed a similar ability to overcome bacterial resistance to β-lactams suggesting that (a) their mode of action is distinct from other classes of β-lactams and that (b) the common glps structure was the lead structure responsible for the activity. The results of the current study together with our previous evidence of a rapid bactericidal activity of glps demonstrate that glps possess suitable characteristics to be considered a novel antibacterial drug candidate.

Keywords: ESBL; Major Royal Jelly Protein; clinical isolates; honey glycoproteins; multi-drug resistant; novel antibacterials.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
1D and 2D gel electrophoresis of glycoprotein G208. Lane “i” – protein molecular weight standards, “ii” – buckwheat honey H208, “iii” – glycoprotein G208, “iv” – glycoprotein G217, “v” – 2D gel electrophoresis of G208. The arrows indicate location of 61 and 29 kDa bands. The line over 2D represents pH gradient from pH 3 (left) to pH 10 (right).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Linear relationship between ampicillin and glycoprotein concentrations and the diameter of the zone of inhibition. (A) Amp against E. coli, (B) Amp against B. subtilis, (C) relationship between the diameter of inhibition zone and ampicillin concentration and (D). glp G208 against E. coli, (E) glp G208 against B. subtilis, and (F) relationship between the diameter of inhibition zone and glp concentrations. Columns represent means and standard errors.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Susceptibility of multidrug resistant clinical isolates to honey glycoproteins. (A) Susceptibility of K. pneumonia (# 1and #19), P. aeruginosa (#34, and #35), E. coli NDM (#4) and E. coli. ESBL (# 7) to G208 and G217. Ampicillin-sensitive E. coli (ATCC14948) served as a control. (B) Susceptibility of MRSA 1 (#5) and ampicillin-sensitive B. subtilis (ATCC 6633) to G208, G207, G217 and G125 isolated from different honeys.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Concentration-dependent growth inhibition of multi-drug resistant clinical isolates by honey glycoproteins in well-diffusion assay.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Concentration-dependent growth inhibition of clinical isolates by honey glycoproteins evaluated using broth microdilution assay.

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