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Lichen secondary metabolite evernic acid as potential quorum sensing inhibitor against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Barış Gökalsın1, Nüzhet Cenk Sesal2

  • 1Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marmara University, Göztepe Campus, 34722, Istanbul, Turkey.

World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology
|July 29, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Evernic acid from lichens can inhibit quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that causes severe infections in Cystic Fibrosis patients. This natural compound shows potential for developing new treatments against these dangerous pathogens.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients suffer high mortality due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilizes quorum sensing (QS) to regulate virulence gene expression.
  • Inhibiting QS can render bacteria vulnerable, necessitating natural QS inhibitors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of the lichen secondary metabolite, evernic acid, as a quorum sensing inhibitor.
  • To evaluate evernic acid's efficacy in reducing Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor expression.
  • To explore alternative therapeutic strategies for CF by targeting bacterial communication.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized fluorescent monitor strains for high-throughput screening of QS inhibitors.
  • Quantified gene expression changes using reverse-transcriptase PCR.
  • Assessed the impact of evernic acid on Pseudomonas aeruginosa QS systems.

Main Results:

  • Evernic acid demonstrated significant capability in inhibiting Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing.
  • The study confirmed the anti-quorum sensing activity of this lichen-derived compound.
  • Quantitative analyses supported the observed inhibition of QS pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Evernic acid is a promising natural compound for inhibiting Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing.
  • This finding supports the development of novel anti-virulence therapies derived from lichens.
  • Targeting bacterial communication pathways offers a viable strategy against CF-associated infections.
Keywords:
Evernic acidLichen secondary metabolitesPseudomonas aeruginosaQuorum sensing

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