Wash-free, peptide-based fluorogenic probes for microbial imaging
PEPTIDE SCIENCE, vol.113, no.1, 2021 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 113 Issue: 1
- Publication Date: 2021
- Doi Number: 10.1002/pep2.24167
- Journal Name: PEPTIDE SCIENCE
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Keywords: antimicrobial peptide, bacteria, fluorescent probe, fungi, optical imaging
- Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: No
Abstract
Peptides with pan-antimicrobial affinity were synthesized and decorated with environmentally sensitive fluorophores nitrobenzoxadiazole (green) and merocyanine (red). The labeling efficacies against a range of clinically relevant fungal and Gram-negative and positive bacterial species (Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus) were explored. The fluorogenic probes containing exclusively l or d-amino acids showed rapid and efficient labeling of all microbial species, whereas probes with a mixture of l or d-amino acids failed to label fungi or bacteria, highlighting the importance of the alpha-helical peptide structure for interaction with the microbial cell membrane. Importantly, the nature of the dye allowed fluorescence detection/labeling without the need for a wash step, paving the way for direct application of the probes.