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Mechanistic Insight into Royal Protein Inhibiting the Gram-Positive Bacteria

Mao Feng1, Yu Fang1, Chuan Ma1

  • 1Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.

Biomolecules
|January 9, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Royal jelly (RJ) and its protein N-MRJP2 exhibit potent antibacterial activity against Paenibacillus larvae, the cause of American foulbrood. N-MRJP2 disrupts bacterial cell walls, membranes, and respiration, offering potential as a natural antibiotic.

Area of Science:

  • Apiculture and Bee Health
  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Royal jelly (RJ), a honeybee secretion, possesses broad-spectrum antibacterial properties.
  • N-glycosylated major royal jelly protein 2 (N-MRJP2) isolated from RJ inhibits Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae), the pathogen responsible for American foulbrood disease in honeybees.
  • The precise mechanism by which N-MRJP2 exerts its antibacterial effects remains largely unelucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the antibacterial efficacy of RJ from various larval instars.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of N-MRJP2-mediated inhibition of P. larvae growth.
  • To explore the potential of RJ and N-MRJP2 as natural antibacterial agents.

Main Methods:

  • Antibacterial assays were performed using RJ from different honeybee larval instars.
  • Membrane proteomic analysis was conducted on P. larvae treated with purified N-MRJP2.
  • Comparative analysis of RJ efficacy across larval stages and detailed mechanistic studies of N-MRJP2 action.

Main Results:

  • RJ demonstrated consistent antibacterial efficiency across different larval instars, highlighting its role in larval adaptive immunity.
  • N-MRJP2 was found to inhibit P. larvae by disrupting cell wall biosynthesis, increasing cell membrane permeability, impairing aerobic respiration, and inhibiting cell division.
  • Treatment with N-MRJP2 induced cell death in P. larvae.

Conclusions:

  • Royal jelly is crucial for the passive immunity of immature honeybee larvae.
  • N-MRJP2 acts as a natural antibiotic by targeting multiple essential cellular processes in P. larvae.
  • Both RJ and N-MRJP2 show significant potential as novel antibacterial agents against P. larvae and other Gram-positive bacteria.
Keywords:
Paenibacillus larvaeantibacterialcell membranepermeabilityroyal jelly

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