2 research outputs found
Phage-Bacterium War on Polymeric Surfaces: Can Surface-Anchored Bacteriophages Eliminate Microbial Infections?
These studies illustrate synthetic
paths to covalently attach T1
and Φ11 bacteriophages (phages) to inert polymeric surfaces
while maintaining the bacteriophage’s biological activities
capable of killing deadly human pathogens. The first step involved
the formation of acid (COOH) groups on polyethylene (PE) and polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE) surfaces using microwave plasma reactions in the presence of
maleic anhydride, followed by covalent attachment of T1 and Φ11
species via primary amine groups. The phages effectively retain their
biological activity manifested by a rapid infection with their own
DNA and effective destruction of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus human pathogens.
These studies show that simultaneous covalent attachment of two biologically
active phages effectively destroy both bacterial colonies and eliminate
biofilm formation, thus offering an opportunity for an effective combat
against multibacterial colonies as well as surface detections of other
pathogens
Antimicrobial Peptide Mimicking Primary Amine and Guanidine Containing Methacrylamide Copolymers Prepared by Raft Polymerization
Naturally occurring antimicrobial
peptides (AMPs) display the ability
to eliminate a wide variety of bacteria, without toxicity to the host
eukaryotic cells. Synthetic polymers containing moieties mimicking
lysine and arginine components found in AMPs have been reported to
show effectiveness against specific bacteria, with the mechanism of
activity purported to depend on the nature of the amino acid mimic.
In an attempt to incorporate the antimicrobial activity of both amino
acids into a single water-soluble copolymer, a series of copolymers
containing lysine mimicking aminopropyl methacrylamide (APMA) and
arginine mimicking guanadinopropyl methacrylamide (GPMA) were prepared
via aqueous RAFT polymerization. Copolymers were prepared with varying
ratios of the comonomers, with degree of polymerization of 35–40
and narrow molecular weight distribution to simulate naturally occurring
AMPs. Antimicrobial activity was determined against Gram-negative
and Gram-positive bacteria under conditions with varying salt concentration.
Toxicity to mammalian cells was assessed by hemolysis of red blood
cells and MTT assays of MCF-7 cells. Antimicrobial activity was observed
for APMA homopolymer and copolymers with low concentrations of GPMA
against all bacteria tested, with low toxicity toward mammalian cells