Development of Lipo-γ-AA Peptides as Potent Antifungal Agents

The emergence of drug-resistant fungal pathogens poses great threats to an increasing number of vulnerable populations worldwide, and the need for novel antifungal agents is imperative. In this work, a series of lipo-γ-AA peptides were synthesized and evaluated for their biological activities. One lead, MW5, exhibited potent and broad-spectrum antifungal activity. In addition, MW5 potently boosted the efficacy of fluconazole against clinical azole-resistant Candida isolates. Mechanistic investigation showed that the lead compound disrupted the cell membrane, significantly boosted the production of reactive oxygen species, and undermined the function of the efflux pump, thus resensitizing drug-resistant Candida albicans to fluconazole. Notably, coadministration of MW5 and fluconazole exhibited potent in vivo antifungal activity in a murine model of mucocutaneous candidiasis. Our results demonstrated that lipo-γ-AA peptides have great promise for use alone or in combination to combat drug-resistant Candida infections.