Multimodal Role of Amino Acids in Microbial Control and Drug Development

Abstract

Amino acids are ubiquitous vital biomolecules found in all kinds of living organisms including those in the microbial world. They are utilised as nutrients and control many biological functions in microorganisms such as cell division, cell wall formation, cell growth and metabolism, intermicrobial communication (quorum sensing), and microbial-host interactions. Amino acids in the form of enzymes also play a key role in enabling microbes to resist antimicrobial drugs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and microbial biofilms are posing a great threat to the world’s human and animal population and are of prime concern to scientists and medical professionals. Although amino acids play an important role in the development of microbial resistance, they also offer a solution to the very same problem i.e., amino acids have been used to develop antimicrobial peptides as they are highly effective and less prone to microbial resistance. Other important applications of amino acids include their role as anti-biofilm agents, drug excipients, drug solubility enhancers, and drug adjuvants. This review aims to explore the emerging paradigm of amino acids as potential therapeutic moieties.

On the Applicability of Chitosan Oligomers-Amino Acid Conjugate Complexes as Eco-Friendly Fungicides against Grapevine Trunk Pathogens

“…Regarding the precise function of amino acids in the response of plants to pathogens, it is not well established: on one hand, they are required for growth and metabolism in microorganisms, and on the other hand, careful optimization of composition and concentration can produce antimicrobial effects [56]. Besides this, changes in the contents of amino acids appear to be a common characteristic of plant response to GTDs.…”

Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm: Morphology, Genetics, Pathogenesis and Treatment Strategies

“… Depiction of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation on an abiotic surface. Basic concept has been adopted from Idrees et al (2020) and Paharik (2016) [ 7 , 26 ]. …”

“…Similar to any other bacterial biofilm, a Staphylococcus aureus biofilm also has two distinct components, i.e., water (about 97%) and the organic matter which includes EPS and microcolonies [ 5 ]. The EPS constitutes about 50 to 90% of the total organic matter of a biofilm and is a complex of different polymeric substances, such as extracellular DNA (eDNA), proteins and polysaccharides [ 6 , 7 ]. The remaining portion, 10–25%, consists of microcolonies [ 5 ].…”

“…Similarly, amyloid fibres act as a scaffold that keeps S. aureus cells anchored to the biofilm matrix and thus maintain the stability of the biofilm [ 7 , 14 ]. Alongside PIA and EPS proteins, the third important component of S. aureus biofilm EPS is eDNA.…”

Acidic amino acids as counterions of ciprofloxacin: Effect on growth and pigment production in Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8325 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

“…Amino acids (AA) are versatile molecules which have a multitude of functions and can be used as anti-biofilm agents, drug excipients, drug solubility enhancers, and drug adjuvants [ 1 ]. Previously, it has been shown that both D- and L-isoforms of acidic amino acids are able to exhibit anti-biofilm activity on their own and act synergistically with Ciprofloxacin (Cip) [ 2 ].…”