AsianScientist (Sep. 4, 2011) – The wallaby and platypus could contain an untapped source of antimicrobial peptides used to protect newborn mammals from infection, a team of Australian researchers has discovered.
In collaboration with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, and the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney researchers discovered molecules from wallaby and platypus young that are highly effective at killing a range of superbugs.
Antimicrobial resistance has become a significant problem globally as current antibiotics are in danger of becoming ineffective as bacteria evolve to resist them. Superbugs found in hospitals are particularly dangerous and life-threatening to patients with compromised immune systems.
“Australian mammals are a potential source of new antimicrobials. We have identified 14 antimicrobial genes from the tammar wallaby and eight in the platypus,” said Dr. Emily Wong, a co-author from the University of Sydney.
“These mammals give birth to immature young that don’t have a fully functioning immune system. To survive in their bacterial-rich environment, they rely on antimicrobials produced by the mother and delivered through the mother’s milk, as well as producing them themselves,” she explained.
The research, which was published in the journal PloS One this week, involved testing 19 multidrug-resistant microorganisms that are resistant to at least three antibiotics.
The team found one wallaby antimicrobial in particular to be very potent against multidrug-resistant bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii– superbugs found in hospitals.
In future work, senior author Professor Ben Cocks from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries is interested in the possibility of using computers and synthetic biology techniques to uncover new antimicrobial sequences including ancient marsupial antimicrobials.
The article can be found at: Hui J et al. (2011 Ancient Antimicrobial Peptides Kill Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens: Australian Mammals Provide New Options.
——
Source: University of Sydney.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
