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La plectasina es un antibiótico péptido con potencial terapéutico de un hongo saprofítico
Per H Mygind1, Rikke L Fischer, Kirk M Schnorr
1Novozymes A/S, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark.
Nature
|October 14, 2005
Resumen
Los hongos producen un nuevo péptido antimicrobiano, la plectasina, eficaz contra las bacterias resistentes a los medicamentos. Esta defensina muestra potencial terapéutico con baja toxicidad, ofreciendo una nueva fuente de antibióticos.
Área de la Ciencia:
- La bioquímica es la bioquímica.
- Microbiología Microbiología.
- Farmacología Farmacología.
Sus antecedentes:
- Los animales y las plantas producen defensinas, que son antibióticos péptidos activos contra los microbios.
- Estas defensinas son pequeños péptidos ricos en cisteína con propiedades antimicrobianas.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para identificar y caracterizar nuevas defensinas de hongos.
- Para evaluar la actividad antimicrobiana y el potencial terapéutico de una defensina fúngica, la plectasina.
Principales métodos:
- Aislamiento y análisis estructural de la plectasina del hongo Pseudoplectania nigrella.
- Producción de plectasinas recombinantes.
- Pruebas antimicrobianas in vitro contra Streptococcus pneumoniae, incluidas las cepas resistentes.
- Estudios de eficacia y toxicidad in vivo en ratones.
Principales resultados:
- La plectasina, la primera defensina de los hongos, comparte similitudes estructurales con las defensinas de otras especies.
- La plectasina recombinante fue producida en alto rendimiento y pureza.
- La plectasina demostró una potente actividad contra Streptococcus pneumoniae, incluidas las cepas resistentes a los antibióticos.
- La plectasina exhibió una baja toxicidad en ratones y trató eficazmente la peritonitis y la neumonía inducidas por S. pneumoniae.
Conclusiones:
- Los hongos representan una nueva fuente de defensinas antimicrobianas.
- La plectasina posee un potencial terapéutico significativo como nuevo antibiótico.
- Los hallazgos sugieren un origen evolutivo común para las defensinas en diversas especies.
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