Inhibition of growth and gene expression in by anti- peptide nucleic acid.

Multidrug-resistant isolates have become a serious concern in clinical microbiology. Antisense strategy, which specifically targets essential genes, could be helpful. cultures were treated with peptide conjugate-peptide nucleic acid (PPNA) specific for the gene. In addition, antimicrobial synergy with ciprofloxacin was tested. The results indicated anti--PPNA dramatically inhibited the growth of isolates in Mueller Hinton Broth with complete elimination of bacteria observed on cell cultures. Specifically, PPNA reduced the transcripts up to 50%. With antisense interference, growth inhibition was augmented through combination with ciprofloxacin. This study suggested that anti-gyrA-PPNAs could be introduced as a novel candidate for developing antisense antibiotic to treat all infections.