Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Recombinant Lasioglossin-III Peptide: A Theoretical and Experimental Approach

Antimicrobial peptides are increasingly being recognized as a promising solution for antibiotic resistance owing to their membranolytic properties. The Lasioglossin-III (LL-III) peptide in this regard is known to be a highly potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial and has shown its potential for diversified applications. Hence, to support its cost-effective recombinant production, in this paper, we rationally evaluated the therapeutic potential of the latter through experimental and molecular simulation-based approaches. We first evaluated the structural and functional mechanisms of the peptide using computation-based approaches; thereafter, the safety and efficacy of the target peptide was confirmed through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our results indicated that the recombinant peptide rapidly and stably binds to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial membranes, leading to significant membrane perturbations whilst retaining its biocompatibility. Upon confirming the in vitro activity of the peptide under physiologically relevant conditions, the same was further tested upon local infection on mice. The peptide was found to exhibit remarkable healing effects, comparable to those of a commercially available antimicrobial product. Hence, overall, it can be said that the recombinant LL-III can be used as a potent antimicrobial molecule and can be further used for diversified therapeutic applications.