Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth
ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common drug-resistant bacteria that cause community and hospital infections. As one of the most common “superbugs” and the pathogen with the highest global incidence of hospital-acquired infections, MRSA has developed res...
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| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Microbiology Spectrum |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.03273-24 |
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| author | Erxiong Liu Shunli Gu Weizhen Xi Wenting Wang Jinmei Xu Ning An Lingling Zhang Jiajia Xin Xingbin Hu Yaozhen Chen Qunxing An Wen Yin |
| author_facet | Erxiong Liu Shunli Gu Weizhen Xi Wenting Wang Jinmei Xu Ning An Lingling Zhang Jiajia Xin Xingbin Hu Yaozhen Chen Qunxing An Wen Yin |
| author_sort | Erxiong Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common drug-resistant bacteria that cause community and hospital infections. As one of the most common “superbugs” and the pathogen with the highest global incidence of hospital-acquired infections, MRSA has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, posing a serious threat to public health. The rapid emergence and spread of multidrug resistance have increased the urgent need for new antimicrobial strategies and agents to combat MRSA-associated infections. In recent years, platelets have been widely recognized to play an important role in human immune defense. We have previously reported that platelets inhibit MRSA by inducing hydroxyl radical (OH●)-mediated apoptosis-like cell death. To further explore the platelet antibacterial mechanism, supernatants from co-culture of platelets and MRSA in vitro were used for proteomic analysis. Based on our observations using confocal and immunoelectron microscopy, we found a previously unrecognized platelet antimicrobial peptide, dermcidin (DCD), in the alpha (α-) granules. Furthermore, after co-culturing with MRSA in vitro, activated platelets secreted large amounts of DCD. Additionally, we confirmed that DCD displayed anti-MRSA activity in a concentration-dependent manner and contributed to the inhibition of MRSA growth by platelets in vitro. Our findings provide important insights into the immune defense functions of platelets.IMPORTANCEThe emerging multidrug resistance in many pathogenic bacterial species poses a serious problem worldwide. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the most common gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, has also evolved strains with multidrug resistance. This calls for the urgent development of novel and effective treatments or bactericidal agents to mitigate this issue in clinical settings. In this study, we identified for the first time a previously unrecognized platelet antimicrobial peptide, DCD, which impedes the proliferation of MRSA and promotes the antibacterial effect of platelets on MRSA. Our findings enrich our understanding of platelet physiological function and antibacterial mechanisms and provide new insights into the development of novel natural antimicrobial agents for controlling infections. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2d11a8a791c34905adc6d2bc650defa0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2165-0497 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiology Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj-art-2d11a8a791c34905adc6d2bc650defa02025-08-20T03:14:57ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972025-07-0113710.1128/spectrum.03273-24Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growthErxiong Liu0Shunli Gu1Weizhen Xi2Wenting Wang3Jinmei Xu4Ning An5Lingling Zhang6Jiajia Xin7Xingbin Hu8Yaozhen Chen9Qunxing An10Wen Yin11Department of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Geriatrics, Xi 'an North Hospital, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi 'an, Shaanxi, ChinaABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common drug-resistant bacteria that cause community and hospital infections. As one of the most common “superbugs” and the pathogen with the highest global incidence of hospital-acquired infections, MRSA has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, posing a serious threat to public health. The rapid emergence and spread of multidrug resistance have increased the urgent need for new antimicrobial strategies and agents to combat MRSA-associated infections. In recent years, platelets have been widely recognized to play an important role in human immune defense. We have previously reported that platelets inhibit MRSA by inducing hydroxyl radical (OH●)-mediated apoptosis-like cell death. To further explore the platelet antibacterial mechanism, supernatants from co-culture of platelets and MRSA in vitro were used for proteomic analysis. Based on our observations using confocal and immunoelectron microscopy, we found a previously unrecognized platelet antimicrobial peptide, dermcidin (DCD), in the alpha (α-) granules. Furthermore, after co-culturing with MRSA in vitro, activated platelets secreted large amounts of DCD. Additionally, we confirmed that DCD displayed anti-MRSA activity in a concentration-dependent manner and contributed to the inhibition of MRSA growth by platelets in vitro. Our findings provide important insights into the immune defense functions of platelets.IMPORTANCEThe emerging multidrug resistance in many pathogenic bacterial species poses a serious problem worldwide. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the most common gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, has also evolved strains with multidrug resistance. This calls for the urgent development of novel and effective treatments or bactericidal agents to mitigate this issue in clinical settings. In this study, we identified for the first time a previously unrecognized platelet antimicrobial peptide, DCD, which impedes the proliferation of MRSA and promotes the antibacterial effect of platelets on MRSA. Our findings enrich our understanding of platelet physiological function and antibacterial mechanisms and provide new insights into the development of novel natural antimicrobial agents for controlling infections.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.03273-24MRSAplateletantimicrobial peptidedermcidinsuppression |
| spellingShingle | Erxiong Liu Shunli Gu Weizhen Xi Wenting Wang Jinmei Xu Ning An Lingling Zhang Jiajia Xin Xingbin Hu Yaozhen Chen Qunxing An Wen Yin Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth Microbiology Spectrum MRSA platelet antimicrobial peptide dermcidin suppression |
| title | Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth |
| title_full | Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth |
| title_fullStr | Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth |
| title_short | Anti-bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets: suppression of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth |
| title_sort | anti bacterial activity of dermcidin in human platelets suppression of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus growth |
| topic | MRSA platelet antimicrobial peptide dermcidin suppression |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.03273-24 |
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