NH125 kills methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus persisters by lipid bilayer disruption

  • Wooseong Kim
  • , Nico Fricke
  • , Annie L. Conery
  • , Beth Burgwyn Fuchs
  • , Rajmohan Rajamuthiah
  • , Elamparithi Jayamani
  • , Petia M. Vlahovska
  • , Frederick M. Ausubel
  • , Eleftherios Mylonakis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: NH125, a known WalK inhibitor kills MRSA persisters. However, its precise mode of action is still unknown. Methods & results: The mode of action of NH125 was investigated by comparing its spectrum of antimicrobial activity and its effects on membrane permeability and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with walrycin B, a WalR inhibitor and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC), a cationic surfactant. NH125 killed persister cells of a variety of Staphylococcus aureus strains. Similar to 16-BAC, NH125 killed MRSA persisters by inducing rapid membrane permeabilization and caused the rupture of GUVs, whereas walrycin B did not kill MRSA persisters or induce membrane permeabilization and did not affect GUVs. Conclusion: NH125 kills MRSA persisters by interacting with and disrupting membranes in a detergent-like manner.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)257-269
Number of pages13
JournalFuture Medicinal Chemistry
Volume8
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Future Science Ltd.

Keywords

  • MRSA
  • NH125
  • antibiotics
  • giant unilamellar vesicle
  • two-component system

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