Peptides as a therapeutic strategy against Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Increasing levels of resistance to conventional antibiotics have led to a search for new therapeutic options against bacterial infections. Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered a world health problem due to high levels of mortality associated with resistance to multiple antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have showed activity against this bacterium, which makes them a promising alternative in tackling resistance. In this article, we carried out an overview of the recent development of AMPs against K. pneumoniae using different designs and acting by different mechanisms, such as a recently proposed one against capsulated strains. Moreover, we outline AMPs' therapeutic potential when tested in combination with conventional antibiotics and against biofilms. Furthermore, challenges and perspectives for applying AMPs in clinical practice are discussed here.

Deciphering ploidal levels of Lippia alba by using proteomics.

Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown (Verbenaceae), popularly known as "lemon balm" or "bushy matgrass", is widely used in folk medicine due to its anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, analgesic, and digestive properties. It was described as an autopolyploid complex with five cytotypes (2n = 30, 38, 45, 60 and 90). To enhance our understanding of the biological variation of the species, we investigated, comparatively, the proteomic profile of all ploidal levels (diploid, aneuploid, triploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid). Leaf proteins were extracted with subsequent separation by two-dimensional electrophoresis, spot analysis, and protein identification by mass spectrometry. By comparing the proteomic profile of diploid accession to the profile of the other ploidal levels we identified differential expression between the analysed spots. We identified 34 proteins with differential expression between the ploidal levels in comparison with the diploid. The identified proteins seem to play relevant roles in the primary metabolism of L. alba suggesting that a specific set of proteins was selected during the polyploidization process, being the triploid the most different one. Given that protein composition can substantially affect the desired therapeutic effect, we posit that further combination of proteomic and metabolomic studies may help to unravel genetic variations and phenotypic profiles in L. alba.