Antibacterial activity of a competence-stimulating peptide in experimental sepsis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother
; 48(12): 4725-32, 2004 Dec.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15561850
ABSTRACT
Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of human disease, produces a 17-mer autoinducer peptide pheromone (competence-stimulating peptide [CSP]) for the control of competence for genetic transformation. Due to previous work linking CSP to stress phenotypes, we set up an in vivo sepsis model to assay its effect on virulence. Our data demonstrate a significant increase in the rates of survival of mice, reductions of blood S. pneumoniae counts, and prolonged times to death for mice treated with CSP. In vitro the dose of CSP used in the animal model produced a transitory inhibition of growth. When a mutant with a mutation in the CSP sensor histidine kinase was assayed, no bacteriostatic phenotype was detected in vitro and no change in disease outcome was observed in vivo. The data demonstrate that CSP, which induces in vitro a temporary growth arrest through stimulation of its cognate histidine kinase receptor, is able to block systemic disease in mice. This therapeutic effect is novel, in that the drug-like effect is obtained by stimulation, rather than inhibition, of a bacterial drug target.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Infecciones Neumocócicas
/
Streptococcus pneumoniae
/
Proteínas Bacterianas
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Sepsis
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Proteínas de Unión al ADN
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Antibacterianos
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Antimicrob Agents Chemother
Año:
2004
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia