Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide GK-19 and Its Application in Skin and Soft Tissue Infections Induced by <i>MRSA</i> or <i>Candida albicans</i>
Chenghua Song,
Ruichao Wen,
Jiaxuan Zhou,
Xiaoyan Zeng,
Zi Kou,
Jia Zhang,
Tao Wang,
Pengkang Chang,
Yi Lv,
Rongqian Wu
Affiliations
Chenghua Song
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Ruichao Wen
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Jiaxuan Zhou
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Xiaoyan Zeng
Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Zi Kou
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Jia Zhang
Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, China
Tao Wang
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Pengkang Chang
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Yi Lv
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Rongqian Wu
National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
The increasing resistance of human pathogens promotes the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Due to the physical bactericidal mechanism of membrane disruption, antimicrobial peptides are considered as potential therapeutic candidates without inducing microbial resistance. Scorpion venom-derived peptide, Androctonus amoreuxi Antimicrobial Peptide 1 (AamAP1), has been proved to have broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. However, AamAP1 can induce hemolysis and shows strong toxicity against mammalian cells. Herein, the antimicrobial activity and mechanism of a novel synthetic antimicrobial peptide, GK-19, derived from AamAP1 and its derivatives, was evaluated. Five bacteria and three fungi were used to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of GK-19 in vitro. Scalded mice models combined with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) were used to evaluate its applicability. The results indicated that GK-19 could not only inhibit Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial growth, but also kill fungi by disrupting the microbial cell membrane. Meanwhile, GK-19 showed negligible toxicity to mammalian cells, low hemolytic activity and high stability in plasma. Furthermore, in scalded mice models combined with SSTIs induced by either Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Candida albicans, GK-19 showed significant antimicrobial and healing effects. Overall, it was demonstrated that GK-19 might be a promising drug candidate in the battle against drug-resistant bacterial and fungal infections.
