In vitro inhibition of H. pylori in a preferential manner using bioengineered L. lactis releasing guided Antimicrobial peptides

Abstract

ObjectivesTargeted therapies seek to selectively eliminate a pathogen without disrupting the resident microbial community. This is even more important when a pathogen like H. pylori resides in stomach, a sensitive microbial ecosystem. Using a probiotic like Lactococcus lactis and bioengineering it to release a guided Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) targeted towards the pathogen offers a pathway to specifically knock-out the deleterious species and not disturbing the stomach microbiome. ResultsThree AMPs, Alyteserin, CRAMP and Laterosporulin, were genetically fused to a guiding peptide MM1, which selectively binds to Vacuolating Toxin A (VacA) of H. pylori and cloned into an excretory vector pTKR inside L. lactis. When cultured together in vitro, the L. lactis bioengineered with guided AMPs selectively killed H. pylori when compared to E. coli or Lactobacillus plantarum, as determined by qPCR. Chemically synthesized Alyteserin and MM1-Alyteserin showed similar preferential inhibition of H. pylori when compared against E. coli, with the MIC of MM1-Alyteserin becoming significantly higher for E. coli than Alytserin whereas no such effet was observed against H. pylori. ConclusionsProbiotics bioengineered to excrete guided AMPs can be a novel and useful approach for combating pathogens without endangering the natural microbial flora. Given the wealth of AMPs and guiding ligands, both natural and synthetic, this approach can be adapted to develop a diverse array of chimeric guided AMPs and can be cloned into probiotics to create a safe and effective alternative to conventional chemical antibiotics.