Antimicrobial Activity of Bee Venom and Melittin against Borrelia burgdorferi

Socarras, Kayla M.; Theophilus, Priyanka A. S.; Torres, Jason P.; Gupta, Khusali; Sapi, Eva

doi:10.3390/antibiotics6040031

Cited by 60 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…The peptide was also capable of inhibiting five-strong biofilm-producer strains of MDR A. baumannii and inhibiting their biofilm formations, alone or in combination with colistin and imipenem [57]. Noticeably, melittin lessened both biofilm biomass and the viability of biofilm-embedded Borrelia burgdorferi strain B31 at different concentrations in comparison to PBS-treated biofilms, which was further confirmed by SYBR Green I/(PI) assay and atomic force microscopy [60]. Another study reported that melittin inhibited biofilm production and destroyed bacterial biofilms [53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Pan-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, but Not Other Strains, Are Resistant to the Bee Venom Peptide Melittin

et al. 2020

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Acinetobacter baumannii is a prevalent pathogen in hospital settings with increasing importance in infections associated with biofilm production. Due to a rapid increase in its drug resistance and the failure of commonly available antibiotics to treat A. baumannii infections, this bacterium has become a critical public health issue. For these multi-drug resistant A. baumannii, polymyxin antibiotics are considered the only option for the treatment of severe infections. Concerning, several polymyxin-resistant A. baumannii strains have been isolated over the last few years. This study utilized pan drug-resistant (PDR) strains of A. baumannii isolated in Brazil, along with susceptible (S) and extreme drug-resistant (XDR) strains in order to evaluate the in vitro activity of melittin, an antimicrobial peptide, in comparison to polymyxin and another antibiotic, imipenem. From a broth microdilution method, the determined minimum inhibitory concentration showed that S and XDR strains were susceptible to melittin. In contrast, PDR A. baumannii was resistant to all treatments. Treatment with the peptide was also observed to inhibit biofilm formation of a susceptible strain and appeared to cause permanent membrane damage. A subpopulation of PDR showed membrane damage, however, it was not sufficient to stop bacterial growth, suggesting that alterations involved with antibiotic resistance could also influence melittin resistance. Presumably, mutations in the PDR that have arisen to confer resistance to widely used therapeutics also confer resistance to melittin. Our results demonstrate the potential of melittin to be used in the control of bacterial infections and suggest that antimicrobial peptides can serve as the basis for the development of new treatments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Pan-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, but Not Other Strains, Are Resistant to the Bee Venom Peptide Melittin

et al. 2020

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“…Specific biofilm markers, such as characteristic protective layers containing alginate, extracellular DNA, and calcium channels and protrusions, can be found in Borrelia biofilm in vitro and in vivo [41][42][43]. We have also reported that B. burgdorferi biofilm formation dramatically increases the resistance to antibiotics [44][45][46]. Taken together, these observations strongly suggest that biofilm formation by B. burgdorferi could play a significant role in their survival in diverse environmental conditions by providing refuge for individual cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Biofilm infections are well known to be resistant to antibiotics [58]. We have previously shown that certain antibiotics, such as doxycycline, which are very effective against spirochetes, cannot eliminate the B. burgdorferi biofilm, which may even increase in size upon antibiotic exposure [44][45][46]. Our recent studies demonstrated that only certain antimicrobials and a combination of antibiotics are able to reduce the size of borrelial biofilms [45,46].…”

Section: Borrelia Antigens and Dna Are Associated With Biofilmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Long-Term Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi Antigens and DNA in the Tissues of a Patient with Lyme Disease

et al. 2019

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Whether Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, can persist for long periods in the human body has been a controversial question. The objective of this study was to see if we could find B. burgdorferi in a Lyme disease patient after a long clinical course and after long-term antibiotic treatment. Therefore, we investigated the potential presence of B. burgdorferi antigens and DNA in human autopsy tissues from a well-documented serum-, PCR-, and culture-positive Lyme disease patient, a 53-year-old female from northern Westchester County in the lower Hudson Valley Region of New York State, who had received extensive antibiotic treatments during extensive antibiotic treatments over the course of her 16-year-long illness. We also asked what form the organism might take, with special interest in the recently found antibiotic-resistant aggregate form, biofilm. We also examined the host tissues for the presence of inflammatory markers such as CD3+ T lymphocytes. Autopsy tissue sections of the brain, heart, kidney, and liver were analyzed by histological and immunohistochemical methods (IHC), confocal microscopy, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and whole-genome sequencing (WGS)/metagenomics. We found significant pathological changes, including borrelial spirochetal clusters, in all of the organs using IHC combined with confocal microscopy. The aggregates contained a well-established biofilm marker, alginate, on their surfaces, suggesting they are true biofilm. We found B. burgdorferi DNA by FISH, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and an independent verification by WGS/metagenomics, which resulted in the detection of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto specific DNA sequences. IHC analyses showed significant numbers of infiltrating CD3+ T lymphocytes present next to B. burgdorferi biofilms. In summary, we provide several lines of evidence that suggest that B. burgdorferi can persist in the human body, not only in the spirochetal but also in the antibiotic-resistant biofilm form, even after long-term antibiotic treatment. The presence of infiltrating lymphocytes in the vicinity of B. burgdorferi biofilms suggests that the organism in biofilm form might trigger chronic inflammation.

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“…New antimicrobial treatments are being sought to improve clinical outcomes and provide treatment options when recommended treatments are ineffective or contraindicated. Several, more 'natural', compounds have been tested, including essential oils [300], phytochemicals [301] and bee venom [302]; however, the financial input required to take these compounds to clinical trials makes it unlikely that these treatments will get the rigorous testing they would require to be clinically accepted. A number of studies have screened FDA-approved drugs for their potential as novel Bb antibiotic candidates [245,273], and have identified antibiotics previously untested on Bb that showed good efficacy.…”

Section: Alternative Anti-microbial Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lyme Disease Frontiers: Reconciling Borrelia Biology and Clinical Conundrums

Bamm

Mainprize

et al. 2019

Pathogens

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Lyme disease is a complex tick-borne zoonosis that poses an escalating public health threat in several parts of the world, despite sophisticated healthcare infrastructure and decades of effort to address the problem. Concepts like the true burden of the illness, from incidence rates to longstanding consequences of infection, and optimal case management, also remain shrouded in controversy. At the heart of this multidisciplinary issue are the causative spirochetal pathogens belonging to the Borrelia Lyme complex. Their unusual physiology and versatile lifestyle have challenged microbiologists, and may also hold the key to unlocking mysteries of the disease. The goal of this review is therefore to integrate established and emerging concepts of Borrelia biology and pathogenesis, and position them in the broader context of biomedical research and clinical practice. We begin by considering the conventions around diagnosing and characterizing Lyme disease that have served as a conceptual framework for the discipline. We then explore virulence from the perspective of both host (genetic and environmental predispositions) and pathogen (serotypes, dissemination, and immune modulation), as well as considering antimicrobial strategies (lab methodology, resistance, persistence, and clinical application), and borrelial adaptations of hypothesized medical significance (phenotypic plasticity or pleomorphy).

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Antimicrobial Activity of Bee Venom and Melittin against Borrelia burgdorferi

Cited by 60 publications

References 67 publications

Pan-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, but Not Other Strains, Are Resistant to the Bee Venom Peptide Melittin

Pan-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, but Not Other Strains, Are Resistant to the Bee Venom Peptide Melittin

The Long-Term Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi Antigens and DNA in the Tissues of a Patient with Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Frontiers: Reconciling Borrelia Biology and Clinical Conundrums

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