Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 微生物學研究所 === 105 === Antibiotics-resistant bacteria have emerged due to the widespread usage of antibiotics. Thus, development of new antimicrobial agents with different action mechanisms is acute and urgent. Recently, some antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in organisms have shown to have bactericidal abilities by disrupting the membrane integrity or by inhibiting important pathways inside the cell such as DNA replication and protein synthesis. In this project, we will identify the AMPs exhibiting efficient antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB). Among the tested AMPs, SMAP-29 and TP4 have a broad-spectrum bactericidal effect toward many kinds of bacteria, including MRSA and MDRAB. Other AMPs such as Nigrocin and OdP1a, have inhibitory effect on S. aureus biofilm formation. Interestingly, all the AMPs exhibit antimicrobial activities against MDRAB, which is a refractory issue in intensive care unit or nosocomial infection. These AMPs can not only inhibit the bacteria growth but also decrease the biofilm formation. We also established a mouse pneumonia model to evaluate the effect of these tested AMPs. The AMPs, which have the in vivo efficacy, will be anticipated to have the potential for the clinical application in the future.
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