Human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 induces MefE/Mel-mediated macrolide resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Zähner. Dorothea D; Zhou. Xiaoliu X; Chancey. Scott T ST; Pohl. Jan J; Shafer. William M WM; Stephens. David S DS
Key Findings
- LL-37 activates the mefE promoter in S. pneumoniae.
- Activation leads to increased resistance to erythromycin and to LL-37 itself.
- The induced resistance could reduce the effectiveness of host defenses and macrolide treatments.
Practical Outcomes
- For most biohackers, this study has limited direct application because LL-37 is not a common supplement or therapy. However, it warns that using LL-37‑based approaches could unintentionally promote antibiotic resistance in certain bacterial infections.
Summary
The human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 can trigger a gene in Streptococcus pneumoniae that makes the bacteria resistant to macrolide antibiotics like erythromycin. This means that LL-37, instead of helping, might actually protect the bacteria against some antibiotics.
Abstract
Macrolide resistance is a major concern in the treatment of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Inducible macrolide resistance in this pneumococcus is mediated by the efflux pump MefE/Mel. We show here that the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 induces the mefE promoter and confers resistance to erythromycin and LL-37. Such induction may impact the efficacy of host defenses and of macrolide-based treatment of pneumococcal disease.
Study Information
pubmed
2010
2010-05-24T00:00:00.000Z
10.1128/aac.01756-09