Antimicrobial peptides are a promising complement to common antibiotics, development of resistance to which is a growing problem. Here we present a de novo-designed peptide, SP1-1 (RKKRLKLLKRLL-NH2), with antimicrobial activity against multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus (minimal inhibitory concentration: 6.25 μM). Elucidation of the mode of action of this peptide revealed a strong interaction with RsbW kinase (Kd: 6.01±2.73 nM), a serine kinase negatively regulating the activity of the transcription factor σB (SigB). SP1-1 binding and functional modulation of RsbW were shown in vitro by a combination of biochemical, molecular, and biophysical methods, which were further genetically evidenced in vivo by analysis of S. aureus ΔsigB deletion mutants. Intracellular localization of the peptide was demonstrated using nanometer-scaled secondary ion mass spectrometry. Moreover, microarray analysis revealed that transcription of numerous genes, involved in cell wall and amino acid metabolism, transport mechanisms, virulence, and pigmentation, is affected. Interestingly, several WalR binding motif containing genes are induced by SP1-1. In sum, the designed peptide SP1-1 seems to have multiple modes of action, including inhibition of a kinase, and therefore might contribute to the development of new antibacterial compounds, giving bacterial kinase inhibition a closer inspection.

Recombination-based cloning techniques have in recent times facilitated the establishment of genome-scale single-gene ORFeome repositories. Their further handling and downstream application in systematic fashion is, however, practically impeded because of logistical plus economic challenges. At this juncture, simultaneously transferring entire gene collections in compiled pool format could represent an advanced compromise between systematic ORFeome (an organism's entire set of protein-encoding open reading frames) projects and traditional random library approaches, but has not yet been considered in great detail. In our endeavor to merge the comprehensiveness of ORFeomes with a basically simple, streamlined, and easily executable single-tube design, we have here produced five different pooled screening-ready libraries for both Staphylococcus aureus and Homo sapiens. By evaluating the parallel transfer efficiencies of differentially sized genes from initial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product amplification to entry and final destination library construction via quantitative real-time PCR, we found that the complexity of the gene population is fairly stably maintained once an entry resource has been successfully established, and that no apparent size-selection bias loss of large inserts takes place. Recombinational transfer processes are hence robust enough for straightforwardly achieving such pooled screening libraries.

Culture and resistance testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are not regularly performed in Chad. Sputa were obtained from three different categories of hospitals (district, regional and national) in Chad. All examined sputa were smear-positive and were investigated by culture and drug resistance testing for first-line antituberculosis drugs. From 232 sputa positive for acid-fast bacilli, 135 isolates of M. tuberculosis from different patients (46 women, 89 men, mean age 34 years) were analyzed. All the patients except one corresponded to new cases of tuberculosis. In total, 27 out of 135 isolates (20%) were resistant to at least one major antituberculosis drug. Resistance to isoniazid was the most frequent resistance observed, with 18 isolates (13%) presenting at least this resistance. Three isolates (2.2%) were resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin (multidrug resistance MDR) including one isolate being concomitantly resistant to streptomycin and ethambutol. The resistance rate differed in relation to the category of the hospital; the most important resistance rate was observed in regional hospitals (33%), while it was 16% and 14% in the national and district hospitals, respectively. HIV serology was performed in 81 patients, among whom 20 (25%) were positive. This is the first study that shows that drug resistance of M. tuberculosis is present in Chad. Besides single drug-resistant isolates, multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis could also be identified. This result highlights the urgency of initiating actions to detect drug resistance and limit the spread of drug-resistant strains.