BAMP-28 Antimicrobial Peptide Against Different MALDI Biotype of Carbapenam Resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Worldwide emergence of Carbapenam resistance in Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are increasing globally and becoming a severe public health issue. Infections caused by CRE have limited treatment options and have been associated with high mortality rates. Due to their unique mode of action, antimicrobial peptides are novel alternatives to traditional antibiotics for tackling the issue of bacterial multidrug resistance. An easy, rapid and accurate detection of 72 clinically CRE isolates using a MALDI–TOF MS was additionally developed. The CRE isolates belonging to 33 Carbapenam-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, 17 Carbapenam-resistant Escherichia coli, 16 Carbapenam-resistant Enterobacter cloacae and 6 Carbapenam-resistant Citrobacter freundii carrying blaNDM-1 were definitely discriminated from reference genotype strain by MALDI–TOF MS. This rapid, accurate, and reproducible peptide signature profiling technology could have new implications in laboratory-based high-throughput differentiation of extensive libraries of Carbapenam resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Antibacterial activity of 9 short novel peptides against these CRE isolates were investigated. Although neither synthetic peptides induced significant hemolysis, or showed cytotoxic on Vero cell, only BAMP-28 peptide inhibited growth of K. pneumoniae, E. coli, C. freundii and E. cloacae with MIC₅₀ of 18–40, 20–40, 16–25 and 18–36 µM, respectively. In conclusion, MALDI–TOF MS can be used to screen for Carbapenam resistance in K. pneumoniae, E. coli, E. cloacae and C. freundii. Interestingly, BMAP-28 peptide had acceptable effect on Carbapenam resistant Enterobacteriaceae including K. pneumoniae, E. coli, C. freundii and E. Cloacae isolates with less toxicity.