Bioengineering Nisin to overcome the Nisin Resistance Protein
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Molecular Microbiology - 2018 - ...
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Field D, Blake T, Mathur H, O' Connor PM, Cotter PD, Paul Ross R, Hill C. Bioengineering nisin to overcome the nisin resistance protein. Mol Microbiol. 2019 Mar;111(3):717-731. doi: 10.1111/mmi.14183. Epub 2019 Feb 12. PMID: 30537404.Abstract
The emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria is a major medical challenge. Lantibiotics are highly modified bacterially produced antimicrobial peptides that have attracted considerable interest as alternatives or adjuncts to existing antibiotics. Nisin, the most widely studied and commercially exploited lantibiotic, exhibits high efficacy against many pathogens. However, some clinically relevant bacteria express highly specific membraneassociated nisin resistance proteins. One notable example is the nisin resistance protein that acts by cleaving the peptide bond between ring E and the adjacent serine 29, resulting in a truncated peptide with significantly less activity. We utilised a complete bank of bioengineered nisin (nisin A) producers in which the serine 29 residue has been replaced with every alternative amino acid. The nisin A S29P derivative was found to be as active as nisin A against a variety of bacterial targets but, crucially, exhibited a 20-fold increase in specific activity against a strain expressing the nisin resistance protein. Another derivative, nisin PV, exhibited similar properties but was much less prone to oxidation. This version of nisin with enhanced resistance to specific resistance mechanisms could prove useful in the fight against antibiotic resistant pathogens.Funder
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)Grant Number
TIDA 14/TIDA/2286; 10/IN.1/B3027; 11/PI/1137; SFI/12/RC/2273Scopus Count
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Simulated gastrointestinal digestion of nisin and interaction between nisin and bileNisin, an antimicrobial peptide showing activity against many Gram positive bacteria, is widely used as a food preservative. The simulated gastrointestinal digestion of nisin (variant A) was studied using the in vitro INFOGEST digestion method. Following oral, gastric and small intestinal digestion, there was no intact nisin in the system and the nisin was primarily digested by pancreatin. After digestion, six nisin fragments (1–11, 1–12, 1–20, 1–21, 1–29 and 1–32) were identified by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy and four of these nisin fragments (1–20, 1–21, 1–29 and 1–32) demonstrated low antibacterial activity against Lactococcus lactis HP in agar diffusion activity assays. Additionally, it was observed that bile salts form a complex with nisin. This was examined by atomic force microscopy, turbidity and dynamic light scattering, which showed that this interaction resulted in significantly larger bile salt micelles. The presence of bile salts at physiological levels significantly altered the relative amounts of the nisin fragments 1–12, 1–20 and 1–29 produced during an in vitro digestion. This study highlights the importance of including bile in simulated digestions of antimicrobial peptides in order to obtain a more accurate simulation of the in vivo digestion products and their activity.
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