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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Complex antibacterial action of enzymes acting on Staphylococcus aureus biofilms
1 Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sirius, Sochi, Russia
2 Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Maxim O. Nagornykh
Prospekt Nauki, 5, Pushchino, 142290, Russia; moc.liamg@rennabred
Funding: the study was supported by the program of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (agreement No. 075-10-2021-113, unique project ID: RF----193021X0001).
Author contribution: Zagoskin AA, Mirzoyan RA — creating genetic constructs, сhromatographic purification of recombinant proteins; Rezvykh LF — creating genetic constructs; Zakharova MV, Mubarakshina EK — selection of condition for recombinant protein production, experiments on production involving various E. coli strains; Nagornykh MO — study concept, genetic construct design, manuscript writing; Ivanov RA — general management.
The widespread use of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture has significantly accelerated the emergence rate of bacterial infections showing multiple antibiotic resistance. Since resistance to conventional antibiotics is developed rather quickly, designing alternative antimicrobial drugs with other mechanisms underlying their effects on bacteria is a promising. The enzymes possessing bactericidal activity may be one option for such antibacterial agents. The study aimed to produce the combination recombinant protein-based products active against bacteria and their biofilms. Soluble forms of five recombinant proteins were produced using the genetic engineering approaches. Two of these have a bacteriolytic effect (endolysins LysK and PM9 from the Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophages), the other are capable of disrupting extracellular DNA matrix in biofilms (two nonspecific nucleases NucA, as well as the DNA-specific deoxyribonuclease I). It has been shown that natural endolysin PM9 with the truncated catalytic domain shows 4 times lower bacteriolytic efficacy compared to the full-size LysK version. Comparative analysis revealed 1.5–2 timed higher efficacy of nonspecific nucleases in terms of bacterial biofilm disruption compared to the DNA-specific deoxyribonuclease I. It has been shown that simultaneous use of endolysins and nucleases has a synergistic antibacterial effect and disrupts biofilms of the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. The findings show the prospects of developing the recombinant protein-based antibacterial drugs.
Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, biofilms, endolysin, nuclease