Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growth

With antibiotic resistance increasing in the global population every year, efforts to discover new strategies against microbial diseases are urgently needed. One of the new therapeutic targets is the bacterial cell membrane since, in the event of a drastic alteration, it can cause cell death. We pro...

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Main Authors: Alejandra Gabriela Valdez-Lara, Ángela M. Jaramillo-Granada, Daniel Ortega-Zambrano, Eristeo García-Marquez, Jorge Alberto García-Fajardo, H. Mercado-Uribe, J. C. Ruiz-Suárez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1478519/full
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author Alejandra Gabriela Valdez-Lara
Ángela M. Jaramillo-Granada
Daniel Ortega-Zambrano
Eristeo García-Marquez
Jorge Alberto García-Fajardo
H. Mercado-Uribe
J. C. Ruiz-Suárez
author_facet Alejandra Gabriela Valdez-Lara
Ángela M. Jaramillo-Granada
Daniel Ortega-Zambrano
Eristeo García-Marquez
Jorge Alberto García-Fajardo
H. Mercado-Uribe
J. C. Ruiz-Suárez
author_sort Alejandra Gabriela Valdez-Lara
collection DOAJ
description With antibiotic resistance increasing in the global population every year, efforts to discover new strategies against microbial diseases are urgently needed. One of the new therapeutic targets is the bacterial cell membrane since, in the event of a drastic alteration, it can cause cell death. We propose the utilization of hydrophobic molecules, namely, propofol (PFL) and cannabidiol (CBD), dissolved in nanodroplets of oil, to effectively strike the membrane of two well-known pathogens: Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. First, we carried out calorimetric measurements to evaluate the effects of these drugs on model membranes formed by lipids from these bacteria. We found that the drugs modify their transition temperature, enthalpy of cohesion, and cooperativity, which indicates a strong alteration of the membranes. Then, inhibition of colony-forming units is studied in incubation experiments. Finally, we demonstrate, using atomic force and fluorescence microscopy, that the drugs, especially propofol, produce a visible disruption in real bacterial membranes, explaining the observed inhibition. These findings may have useful implications in the global effort to discover new ways to effectively combat the growing threat of drug-resistant pathogens, especially in skin infections.
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spelling doaj-art-1b78eb378d874757a511974cf7a6c8e32025-01-08T06:11:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-01-011510.3389/fmicb.2024.14785191478519Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growthAlejandra Gabriela Valdez-Lara0Ángela M. Jaramillo-Granada1Daniel Ortega-Zambrano2Eristeo García-Marquez3Jorge Alberto García-Fajardo4H. Mercado-Uribe5J. C. Ruiz-Suárez6Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo León, MexicoCentro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo León, MexicoCentro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo León, MexicoCentro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco Subsede Noreste, Apodaca, Nuevo León, MexicoCentro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco Subsede Noreste, Apodaca, Nuevo León, MexicoCentro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo León, MexicoCentro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo León, MexicoWith antibiotic resistance increasing in the global population every year, efforts to discover new strategies against microbial diseases are urgently needed. One of the new therapeutic targets is the bacterial cell membrane since, in the event of a drastic alteration, it can cause cell death. We propose the utilization of hydrophobic molecules, namely, propofol (PFL) and cannabidiol (CBD), dissolved in nanodroplets of oil, to effectively strike the membrane of two well-known pathogens: Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. First, we carried out calorimetric measurements to evaluate the effects of these drugs on model membranes formed by lipids from these bacteria. We found that the drugs modify their transition temperature, enthalpy of cohesion, and cooperativity, which indicates a strong alteration of the membranes. Then, inhibition of colony-forming units is studied in incubation experiments. Finally, we demonstrate, using atomic force and fluorescence microscopy, that the drugs, especially propofol, produce a visible disruption in real bacterial membranes, explaining the observed inhibition. These findings may have useful implications in the global effort to discover new ways to effectively combat the growing threat of drug-resistant pathogens, especially in skin infections.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1478519/fullE. coliS. aureusliposomespropofolCBD
spellingShingle Alejandra Gabriela Valdez-Lara
Ángela M. Jaramillo-Granada
Daniel Ortega-Zambrano
Eristeo García-Marquez
Jorge Alberto García-Fajardo
H. Mercado-Uribe
J. C. Ruiz-Suárez
Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growth
Frontiers in Microbiology
E. coli
S. aureus
liposomes
propofol
CBD
title Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growth
title_full Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growth
title_fullStr Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growth
title_full_unstemmed Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growth
title_short Disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules: a way to inhibit bacterial growth
title_sort disruption of biological membranes by hydrophobic molecules a way to inhibit bacterial growth
topic E. coli
S. aureus
liposomes
propofol
CBD
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1478519/full
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