A peptide selectively recognizes Gram-negative bacteria and forms a bacterial extracellular trap (BET) through...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Materials Science
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Gram-negative bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance pose a significant public health threat.
• Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to combat these pathogens.
• The innate immune system utilizes mechanisms like host-defense peptides for bacterial inhibition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel biomimetic peptide with antibacterial properties.
• To investigate the self-assembling and bacteria-trapping capabilities of the designed peptide.
• To evaluate the therapeutic potential of the peptide against Gram-negative bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Modular design of a defensin-like peptide ligand (BET peptide) with targeting, assembly, and hydrophobic motifs.
• Utilizing aggregation-induced emission for visualization and tracking.
• Testing antibacterial efficacy against *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* and evaluating *in vivo* bacterial aggregation in animal models.

Main Results:

• The BET peptide specifically targets Gram-negative bacteria by recognizing lipopolysaccharides (LPS).
• The peptide self-assembles from nanoparticles to nanofibrous networks, trapping and aggregating bacteria *in situ*.
• BET peptide demonstrated antibacterial effects comparable to neomycin against *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* and induced bacterial aggregation *in vivo*.

Conclusions:

• The biomimetic self-assembling BET peptide offers a novel strategy against pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria.
• This approach mimics natural host-defense mechanisms for bacterial inhibition.
• The BET peptide shows promise as a new therapeutic agent for infectious diseases.