Discovery of antimicrobial peptides clostrisin and cellulosin from Clostridium: insights into their structures, co-localized biosynthetic gene clusters, and antibiotic activity.

Antimicrobial resistance presents a substantial threat to global public health, demanding urgent attention and action. This study focuses on lanthipeptides, ribosomally encoded peptides that display significant structural diversity and hold promising potential as antibiotics. Genome mining was employed to locate biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) containing class II lanthipeptide synthetases encoded by genes.

Programming the Cellular Uptake of Protein-Based Viromimetic Nanoparticles for Enhanced Delivery.

Viral mimetics is a noteworthy strategy to design efficient delivery systems without the safety drawbacks and engineering difficulties of modifying viral vectors. The triblock polypeptide CSB was previously designed to self-assemble with DNA into nanocomplexes called artificial virus-like particles (AVLPs) due to their similarities to viral particles. Here, we show how we can incorporate new blocks into the CSB polypeptide to enhance its transfection without altering its self-assembly capabilities and the stability and morphology of the AVLPs.

An artificial virus-like triblock protein shows low in vivo humoral immune response and high stability.

The use of viral vectors for in vivo gene therapy can be severely limited by their immunogenicity. Non-viral vectors may represent an alternative, however, reports analyzing their immunogenicity are still lacking. Here, we studied the humoral immune response in a murine model triggered by artificial virus-like particles (AVLPs) carrying plasmid or antisense DNA.

Delivery of Antisense DNA into Pathogenic Parasite Using Virus-Like Protein-Based Nanoparticles.

, which causes Chagas disease, is one of the most lacerating parasites in terms of health and social impacts. New approaches for its study and treatment are urgently needed since in more than 50 years only two drugs have been approved. Genetic approaches based on antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) are promising; however, to harness their full potential the development of effective carriers is paramount.