Download MendeleyRe-sensitization of mcr carrying multidrug resistant bacteria to colistin by silver.
Zhang, Q., Wang, R., Wang, M., Liu, C., Koohi-Moghadam, M., Wang, H., Ho, P.L., Li, H., Sun, H.(2022) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 119: e2119417119-e2119417119
- PubMed: 35263219
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2119417119
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
7WAA - PubMed Abstract:
Colistin is considered the last-line antimicrobial for the treatment of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections. The emergence and spread of superbugs carrying the mobile colistin resistance gene ( mcr ) have become the most serious and urgent threat to healthcare. Here, we discover that silver (Ag + ), including silver nanoparticles, could restore colistin efficacy against mcr -positive bacteria. We show that Ag + inhibits the activity of the MCR-1 enzyme via substitution of Zn 2+ in the active site. Unexpectedly, a tetra-silver center was found in the active-site pocket of MCR-1 as revealed by the X-ray structure of the Ag-bound MCR-1, resulting in the prevention of substrate binding. Moreover, Ag + effectively slows down the development of higher-level resistance and reduces mutation frequency. Importantly, the combined use of Ag + at a low concentration with colistin could relieve dermonecrotic lesions and reduce the bacterial load of mice infected with mcr -1–carrying pathogens. This study depicts a mechanism of Ag + inhibition of MCR enzymes and demonstrates the potentials of Ag + as broad-spectrum inhibitors for the treatment of mcr -positive bacterial infection in combination with colistin.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, and CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, People's Republic of China.
