Antimicrobial nodule-specific cysteine-rich peptides disturb the integrity of bacterial outer and inner membranes and cause loss of membrane potential

[摘要] BackgroundCertain legume plants produce a plethora of AMP-like peptides in their symbiotic cells. The cationic subgroup of the nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides has potent antimicrobial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria as well as unicellular and filamentous fungi.FindingsIt was shown by scanning and atomic force microscopies that the cationic peptides NCR335, NCR247 and Polymyxin B (PMB) affect differentially on the surfaces of Sinorhizobium meliloti bacteria. Similarly to PMB, both NCR peptides caused damages of the outer and inner membranes but at different extent and resulted in the loss of membrane potential that could be the primary reason of their antimicrobial activity.ConclusionsThe primary reason for bacterial cell death upon treatment with cationic NCR peptides is the loss of membrane potential.

[发布日期] 2016-07-28

[关键词] Antimicrobial activity;Membrane disruption;Atomic force and scanning electron microscopy