Discovery of Novel Thanatin-like Antimicrobial Peptides from Bean Bug .

Endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are evolutionarily ancient molecular factors of innate immunity that play a key role in host defense. The study of the diversity of animal defense peptides has important applications in the context of the growing global antimicrobial resistance. In this study using a transcriptome mining approach, we found three novel thanatin-like β-hairpin AMPs in the bean bug , named Rip-2, Rip-3, and Rip-4.

Rumicidins are a family of mammalian host-defense peptides plugging the 70S ribosome exit tunnel.

The antimicrobial resistance crisis along with challenges of antimicrobial discovery revealed the vital necessity to develop new antibiotics. Many of the animal proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) inhibit the process of bacterial translation. Genome projects allowed to identify immune-related genes encoding animal host defense peptides.

Novel BRICHOS-Related Antimicrobial Peptides from the Marine Worm : Transcriptome Mining, Synthesis, Biological Activities, and Therapeutic Potential.

Marine polychaetes represent an extremely rich and underexplored source of novel families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The rapid development of next generation sequencing technologies and modern bioinformatics approaches allows us to apply them for characterization of AMP-derived genes and the identification of encoded immune-related peptides with the aid of genome and transcriptome mining. Here, we describe a universal bioinformatic approach based on the conserved BRICHOS domain as a search query for the identification of novel structurally unique AMP families in annelids.

Design of Protegrin-1 Analogs with Improved Antibacterial Selectivity.

Protegrin-1 (PG-1) is a cationic β-hairpin pore-forming antimicrobial peptide having a membranolytic mechanism of action. It possesses in vitro a potent antimicrobial activity against a panel of clinically relevant MDR ESKAPE pathogens. However, its extremely high hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells prevent the further development of the protegrin-based antibiotic for systemic administration.

Hetero-Pathogenic O181:H4 EAHEC Strain of Sequence Type ST678 Associated with Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome in Schoolchildren in Russia.

Background: In the last decade, the importance of hetero-pathogenic enteroaggregative Shiga-toxin-producing for public health has increased. Recently, we described the genetic background of the EAHEC O181:H4 strain of ST678 carrying the gene in prophage and five plasmids, including the plasmid-carrying and genes. Here, we present the morphological and enzymatic characteristics of this strain, as well as susceptibility to antimicrobials, biofilm formation, etc.

Novel β-Hairpin Peptide from Marine Polychaeta with a High Efficacy against Gram-Negative Pathogens.

In recent years, new antibiotics targeting multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria have become urgently needed. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides are considered to be a novel perspective class of antibacterial agents. In this study, a panel of novel BRICHOS-related β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides were identified in transcriptomes of marine polychaeta species.

Comparative analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated in 2012-2016 that differ by antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes profiles.

The antibacterial resistance and virulence genotypes and phenotypes of 148 non-duplicate Klebsiella pneumoniae strains collected from 112 patients in Moscow hospitals in 2012-2016 including isolates from the respiratory system (57%), urine (30%), wounds (5%), cerebrospinal fluid (4%), blood (3%), and rectal swab (1%) were determined. The majority (98%) were multidrug resistant (MDR) strains carrying bla (91%), bla (74%), bla (51%), bla (38%), and bla (1%) beta-lactamase genes, class 1 integrons (38%), and the porin protein gene ompK36 (96%). The beta-lactamase genes bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, and bla were detected; class 1 integron gene cassette arrays (aadA1), (dfrA7), (dfrA1-orfC), (aadB-aadA1), (dfrA17-aadA5), and (dfrA12-orfF-aadA2) were identified.

Draft Genome Sequences of Eight Strains Isolated during Foodborne Outbreaks.

We report here the draft genome sequences of eight strains isolated during three large food poisoning outbreaks in the Russian Federation. The strains were collected from clinical specimens and various foodstuff samples.

Draft Genome Sequences of Exfoliative Toxin A-Producing Staphylococcus aureus Strains B-7772 and B-7777 (CC8/ST2993) and B-7774 (CC15/ST2126), Isolated in a Maternity Hospital in the Central Federal District of Russia.

Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex 8 (CC8) has not been associated with staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome (SSSS) in newborns and exfoliative toxin genes. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of exfoliative toxin A-producing B-7772, B-7777 (both CC8), and B-7774 (CC15) strains associated with SSSS in newborns.

Lytic activity of the staphylolytic Twort phage endolysin CHAP domain is enhanced by the SH3b cell wall binding domain.

Increases in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus have elicited efforts to develop novel antimicrobials to treat these drug-resistant pathogens. One potential treatment repurposes the lytic enzymes produced by bacteriophages as antimicrobials. The phage Twort endolysin (PlyTW) harbors three domains, a cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidase domain (CHAP), an amidase-2 domain and a SH3b-5 cell wall binding domain (CBD).

Staphylococcus haemolyticus prophage ΦSH2 endolysin relies on cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidases activity for lysis 'from without'.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen, with methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and multi-drug resistant strains becoming increasingly prevalent in both human and veterinary clinics. S. aureus causing bovine mastitis yields high annual losses to the dairy industry.

Staphylococcal phage 2638A endolysin is lytic for Staphylococcus aureus and harbors an inter-lytic-domain secondary translational start site.

Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious pathogen highly successful at developing resistance to virtually all antibiotics to which it is exposed. Staphylococcal phage 2638A endolysin is a peptidoglycan hydrolase that is lytic for S. aureus when exposed externally, making it a new candidate antimicrobial.