Microcin PDI Inhibits Antibiotic-Resistant Strains of Escherichia coli and Shigella through a Mechanism of Membrane Disruption and Protection by Homotrimer Self-Immunity

Abstract

Microcins represent potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics for human and veterinary medicine. For them to be applied in this manner, however, we need to better understand their spectrum of activity, how these proteins interact with susceptible cells, and how producer cells are protected against the antimicrobial properties of the microcins. For microcin PDI (MccPDI), we report that the spectrum of activity likely includes most E. coli strains due to a conserved binding motif found on an outer membrane protein. Shigella has this motif as well and is susceptible to MccPDI killing via damage to the bacterial membrane. Receptor specificity suggests that these proteins could be used without causing large-scale disruptions to a microbiota, but this also increases the likelihood that resistance can evolve via random mutations. As with conventional antibiotics, good stewardship will be needed to preserve the efficacy of microcins should they be deployed for clinical use.