Screening of quorum sensing inhibitors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the traditional Chinese medicine Phellodendron amurense

Abstract

Abstract Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a significant challenge in the field of bacterial disease treatment. Finding new antibacterial pathways and targets to combat drug-resistant bacteria is crucial. The bacterial quorum sensing (QS) system regulates the expression of bacterial virulence factors. Inhibiting bacterial QS and reducing bacterial virulence can achieve antibacterial therapeutic effects, making QS inhibition an effective strategy to control bacterial pathogenicity. This article mainly focused on the PqsA protein in the QS system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. An affinity chromatography medium was developed using the SpyTag/SpyCatcher heteropeptide bond system. Berberine, which can interact with the PqsA target, was screened from Phellodendron amurense by affinity chromatography. We characterized its structure, verified its inhibitory activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and preliminarily analyzed its mechanism using molecular docking technology. This method can also be widely applied to the immobilization of various protein targets and effective screening of active substances.