Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)

<b>Background:</b> Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) is a major human opportunistic pathogen that causes a wide range of infections. The vast arsenal of virulence factors expressed remains the biggest challenge in treating MRSA with conventional antibi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nilakshi Barua, Ben Chung Lap Chan, Clara Bik-San Lau, Ping-Chung Leung, Kwok Pui Fung, Margaret Ip
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Biomedicines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/3/564
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850205549653655552
author Nilakshi Barua
Ben Chung Lap Chan
Clara Bik-San Lau
Ping-Chung Leung
Kwok Pui Fung
Margaret Ip
author_facet Nilakshi Barua
Ben Chung Lap Chan
Clara Bik-San Lau
Ping-Chung Leung
Kwok Pui Fung
Margaret Ip
author_sort Nilakshi Barua
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background:</b> Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) is a major human opportunistic pathogen that causes a wide range of infections. The vast arsenal of virulence factors expressed remains the biggest challenge in treating MRSA with conventional antibiotic therapy. <b>Methods:</b> We investigated the effects of Kuraridin at subinhibitory minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32 (concentrations that did not inhibit bacterial growth) on adhesion to fibrinogen, adhesion, internalization into HaCaT cells, and biofilm production in three MRSA strains representing the clonal types USA300, ST30, and ST239. <b>Results:</b> All three MRSA strains exhibited a significant decrease (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in adhesion to fibrinogen upon treatment with 1/8 and 1/16 MICs of Kuraridin. The adhesion and internalization of all the MRSA strains to HaCaT cells were decreased significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) upon treatment with the three subinhibitory concentrations of Kuraridin. The biofilm formation of USA300 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), ST30 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and ST239 (<i>p</i> < 0.01) was significantly reduced at a 1/8 MIC. A significant decrease in biofilm formation at a 1/16 MIC was observed for USA300 (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and ST30 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CSLM) analysis of the biofilms revealed a reduction in biofilm formation in the MRSA strain when treated with Kuraridin. In the in vivo <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> model, Kuraridin offered a sizable degree of protection against MRSA infection without being toxic to the nematode. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our findings reveal that Kuraridin has the potential to be an alternative antivirulence option for reducing MRSA pathogenicity.
format Article
id doaj-art-441ba691327a4da09de6b024f2d41eaf
institution OA Journals
issn 2227-9059
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Biomedicines
spelling doaj-art-441ba691327a4da09de6b024f2d41eaf2025-08-20T02:11:04ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-02-0113356410.3390/biomedicines13030564Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)Nilakshi Barua0Ben Chung Lap Chan1Clara Bik-San Lau2Ping-Chung Leung3Kwok Pui Fung4Margaret Ip5Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaInstitute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaInstitute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaInstitute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong 999077, China<b>Background:</b> Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) is a major human opportunistic pathogen that causes a wide range of infections. The vast arsenal of virulence factors expressed remains the biggest challenge in treating MRSA with conventional antibiotic therapy. <b>Methods:</b> We investigated the effects of Kuraridin at subinhibitory minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32 (concentrations that did not inhibit bacterial growth) on adhesion to fibrinogen, adhesion, internalization into HaCaT cells, and biofilm production in three MRSA strains representing the clonal types USA300, ST30, and ST239. <b>Results:</b> All three MRSA strains exhibited a significant decrease (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in adhesion to fibrinogen upon treatment with 1/8 and 1/16 MICs of Kuraridin. The adhesion and internalization of all the MRSA strains to HaCaT cells were decreased significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) upon treatment with the three subinhibitory concentrations of Kuraridin. The biofilm formation of USA300 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), ST30 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and ST239 (<i>p</i> < 0.01) was significantly reduced at a 1/8 MIC. A significant decrease in biofilm formation at a 1/16 MIC was observed for USA300 (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and ST30 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CSLM) analysis of the biofilms revealed a reduction in biofilm formation in the MRSA strain when treated with Kuraridin. In the in vivo <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> model, Kuraridin offered a sizable degree of protection against MRSA infection without being toxic to the nematode. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our findings reveal that Kuraridin has the potential to be an alternative antivirulence option for reducing MRSA pathogenicity.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/3/564methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>Kuraridin<i>C. elegans</i>Sortase Aantivirulenceantimicrobial
spellingShingle Nilakshi Barua
Ben Chung Lap Chan
Clara Bik-San Lau
Ping-Chung Leung
Kwok Pui Fung
Margaret Ip
Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)
Biomedicines
methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>
Kuraridin
<i>C. elegans</i>
Sortase A
antivirulence
antimicrobial
title Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)
title_full Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)
title_fullStr Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)
title_full_unstemmed Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)
title_short Antivirulence Properties of Kuraridin Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)
title_sort antivirulence properties of kuraridin against methicillin resistant i staphylococcus aureus i mrsa
topic methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>
Kuraridin
<i>C. elegans</i>
Sortase A
antivirulence
antimicrobial
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/3/564
work_keys_str_mv AT nilakshibarua antivirulencepropertiesofkuraridinagainstmethicillinresistantistaphylococcusaureusimrsa
AT benchunglapchan antivirulencepropertiesofkuraridinagainstmethicillinresistantistaphylococcusaureusimrsa
AT clarabiksanlau antivirulencepropertiesofkuraridinagainstmethicillinresistantistaphylococcusaureusimrsa
AT pingchungleung antivirulencepropertiesofkuraridinagainstmethicillinresistantistaphylococcusaureusimrsa
AT kwokpuifung antivirulencepropertiesofkuraridinagainstmethicillinresistantistaphylococcusaureusimrsa
AT margaretip antivirulencepropertiesofkuraridinagainstmethicillinresistantistaphylococcusaureusimrsa