Affiliation:
1. Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Giessen, Germany
2. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Jena, Germany
3. Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The larvae of the common green bottle fly (
Lucilia sericata
) produce antibacterial secretions that have a therapeutic effect on chronic and nonhealing wounds. Recent developments in insect biotechnology have made it possible to use these larvae as a source of novel anti-infectives. Here, we report the application of next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to characterize the transcriptomes of the larval glands, crop, and gut, which contribute to the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and proteins secreted into wounds. Our data confirm that
L. sericata
larvae have adapted in order to colonize microbially contaminated habitats, such as carrion and necrotic wounds, and are protected against infection by a diverse spectrum of AMPs.
L. sericata
AMPs include not only lucifensin and lucimycin but also novel attacins, cecropins, diptericins, proline-rich peptides, and sarcotoxins. We identified 47 genes encoding putative AMPs and produced 23 as synthetic analogs, among which some displayed activities against a broad spectrum of microbial pathogens, including
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Proteus vulgaris
, and
Enterococcus faecalis
. Against
Escherichia coli
(Gram negative) and
Micrococcus luteus
(Gram positive), we found mostly additive effects but also synergistic activity when selected AMPs were tested in combination. The AMPs that are easy to synthesize are currently being produced in bulk to allow their evaluation as novel anti-infectives that can be formulated in hydrogels to produce therapeutic wound dressings and adhesive bandages.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Pharmacology (medical),Pharmacology
Cited by
100 articles.
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