Molecular mimicry between Larrea divaricata Cav. plant and a reference strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Florencia Fátima Ferramola1, Silvia Del Valle Dávila1, Corina Verónica Sasso2
1Immunology Laboratory, Microbiology and Immunology Area, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry Biochemistry and Pharmacy, National University of San Luis, Argentina.
Abstract:
Currently, the world health sector faces a big problem due to the increase of bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics. In 2017, the World Health Organization reported a list of resistant bacteria, among which Pseudomonas aeruginosa was present. This opportunistic pathogen is associated to nosocomial infections, and no effective vaccines against this bacterium have been found. Larrea divaricata Cav. (jarilla) is a shrub highly distributed in America and widely used in folk medicine. In our laboratory, cross-reactivity of antibodies obtained from the recognition of jarilla proteins against proteins from gram-negative bacteria has been demonstrated. The objective of this study was to study the cross-reactivity of anti-L. divaricata antibodies with P. aeruginosa extracellular proteins in order to find an innocuous prophylactic therapy against this nosocomial pathogen. We observed that antibodies generated by proteins from jarilla crude extract recognized antigenic determinants present in extracellular proteins of P. aeruginosa. However, further studies are needed to investigate the neutralizing capacity of these antibodies on the specific enzymatic proteins involved in the pathogenicity of this bacterium.
Insights
Antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis. Researchers found that antibodies from the jarilla plant (Larrea divaricata) cross-react with proteins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a dangerous nosocomial pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Pharmacognosy
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance poses a significant global health threat, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa identified as a key resistant bacterium.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen frequently causing nosocomial infections, and effective vaccines are lacking.
- Larrea divaricata (jarilla), a plant used in traditional medicine, has shown potential in prior studies for cross-reactivity with gram-negative bacteria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cross-reactivity of antibodies derived from Larrea divaricata with extracellular proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- To explore the potential of jarilla-derived antibodies as an innocuous prophylactic therapy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.
Main Methods:
- Generation of antibodies from crude extracts of Larrea divaricata.
- Testing the cross-reactivity of these antibodies against extracellular proteins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa using immunological methods.
- Analysis of antigenic determinant recognition between jarilla antibodies and P. aeruginosa proteins.
Main Results:
- Antibodies generated from jarilla crude extract successfully recognized antigenic determinants present in the extracellular proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Demonstrated cross-reactivity indicates a potential immunological link between jarilla components and P. aeruginosa.
Conclusions:
- Larrea divaricata antibodies show cross-reactivity with Pseudomonas aeruginosa extracellular proteins, suggesting a potential basis for novel therapeutic strategies.
- Further research is required to assess the neutralizing capacity of these antibodies against specific virulence factors of P. aeruginosa.
