An antisense peptide-conjugated peptide nucleic acid (PPNA) for peptidoglycan recycling inhibition reduces AmpC hyperproduction and β–lactam resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosaShow others and affiliations
2025 (English)In: Microbiology Spectrum, E-ISSN 2165-0497, Vol. 13, no 9, article id e02622-24Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
We performed a proof-of-concept study to validate a peptide-conjugated peptide nucleic acid (PPNA) directed to inhibit peptidoglycan recycling as strategy to reduce AmpC hyperproduction and β-lactam resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our nagZ-targeting PPNA at 2 µM decreased mRNA levels of nagZ and ampC to about a quarter in the AmpC high-level hyperproducer mutant PAdacBΔD and a previously characterized clinical strain with similar features, causing low cytotoxicity on human A549 cells. Ceftazidime minimum inhibitory concentration decreased from 64 to 8 mg/L in both strains after combination with 2 µM PPNA (which showed significant synergy in checkerboard assays), suggesting that nagZ-targeting PPNAs can be explored as weapons to sensitize P. aeruginosa against β-lactams and return therapeutic value to these essential drugs.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Society for Microbiology, 2025. Vol. 13, no 9, article id e02622-24
Keywords [en]
AmpC β-lactamase, ceftazidime, NagZ, peptide-conjugated peptide nucleic acid (PPNA), peptidoglycan recycling, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
National Category
Microbiology in the Medical Area
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-244081DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02622-24ISI: 001539319500001PubMedID: 40736236Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105014962637OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-244081DiVA, id: diva2:2000275
2025-09-232025-09-232025-09-23Bibliographically approved