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Activity of antibacterial protein from maggots against Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in vivo

Zhen Zhang1, Jiangning Wang, Bo Zhang

  • 1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, P.R. China.

International Journal of Molecular Medicine
|March 8, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Maggot antibacterial protein (MAMP) effectively kills antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by disrupting its cell membrane. This discovery shows MAMP

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Wound Healing Research

Background:

  • Maggots (Lucilia sericata) show therapeutic potential for infected wounds.
  • The antibacterial mechanisms of maggots remain largely unknown.
  • Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus necessitates novel therapeutic agents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate and characterize an antibacterial protein from maggots.
  • To investigate the antibacterial activity and mechanism of the purified protein against Staphylococcus aureus.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of the protein in a mouse model of skin infection.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and purification of antibacterial protein from Lucilia sericata.
  • In vitro antibacterial assays against standard and clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Scanning and transmission electron microscopy to observe bacterial cell structure changes.
  • Topical application in a Staphylococcus aureus mouse skin infection model.

Main Results:

  • A novel antibacterial protein, MAMP, was isolated from maggots.
  • MAMP exhibited potent in vitro activity against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.
  • Topical MAMP reduced bacterial viability and accelerated wound healing in vivo.
  • Electron microscopy revealed MAMP disrupts the bacterial cell membrane and surface.

Conclusions:

  • MAMP possesses significant bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus.
  • The mechanism involves direct disruption of the bacterial cell membrane.
  • MAMP shows promise as a topical therapeutic agent for bacterial skin infections.

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