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Biofilms

Targeting (p)ppGpp disrupts biofilms

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 12, page 461 (2014)Cite this article

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Biofilms are a major health concern worldwide, and no drugs are licensed to target them. Now, de la Fuente-Núñez et al. describe the identification of a new peptide that prevents the formation, and promotes the disruption, of biofilms that are formed by several pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multiple Enterobacteriaceae. Peptide 1018 functions by directly interacting with guanosine tetra- or pentaphosphate, (p)ppGpp — a second messenger that is known to regulate the stringent response — and marking it for degradation. These data establish (p)ppGpp as a new drug target in the fight against biofilms.

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References

  1. de la Fuente-Núñez, C. et al. Broad-spectrum anti-biofilm peptide that targets a cellular stress response. PLoS Pathog. 10, e1004152 (2014)

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  1. Cláudio Nunes-Alves
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Nunes-Alves, C. Targeting (p)ppGpp disrupts biofilms. Nat Rev Microbiol 12, 461 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3302

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