A bacteriocin-based antimicrobial formulation to effectively disrupt the cell viability of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms

NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2020 Dec 2;6(1):58. doi: 10.1038/s41522-020-00166-4.

Abstract

Antibiotic-resistant and biofilm-associated infections brought about by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains is a pressing issue both inside as well as outside nosocomial environments worldwide. Here, we show that a combination of two bacteriocins with distinct structural and functional characteristics, garvicin KS, and micrococcin P1, showed a synergetic antibacterial activity against biofilms produced in vitro by S. aureus, including several MRSA strains. In addition, this bacteriocin-based antimicrobial combination showed the ability to restore the sensitivity of the highly resilient MRSA strain ATCC 33591 to the β-lactam antibiotic penicillin G. By using a combination of bacterial cell metabolic assays, confocal and scanning electron microscopy, we show that the combination between garvicin KS, micrococcin P1, and penicillin G potently inhibit cell viability within S. aureus biofilms by causing severe cell damage. Together these data indicate that bacteriocins can be valuable therapeutic tools in the fight against biofilm-associated MRSA infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacteriocins / pharmacology*
  • Biofilms / drug effects*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / physiology*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Microbial Viability / drug effects
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Penicillin G / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacteriocins
  • micrococcin
  • Penicillin G