Chemerin-Derived Peptide Val66-Pro85 Is Effective in Limiting Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus Skin Infection

Abstract

Chemerin-derived peptide Val66-Pro85 (p4) restricts the growth of a variety of skin-associated bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). To better understand the antimicrobial potential of chemerin peptide, we compared p4 activity against MRSA in vitro to cathelicidin LL-37, one of the key endogenous peptides implicated in controlling the growth of S. aureus. The efficacy of p4 was also validated in relevant experimental models of skin pathology, such as topical skin infection with community-acquired MRSA, and in the context of skin inflammatory diseases commonly associated with colonization with S. aureus, such as atopic dermatitis (AD). We showed that p4 collaborates additively with LL-37 in inhibiting the growth of S. aureus, including MRSA, and that p4 was effective in vivo in reducing MRSA burden. p4 was also effective in reducing levels of skin-infiltrating leukocytes in S. aureus-infected AD-like skin. Taken together, our data suggest that p4 is effective in limiting S. aureus and, in particular, MRSA skin infection.

Plasma Chemerin Is Induced in Critically Ill Patients with Gram-Positive Infections

“…Staphylococcus epidermidis expresses a cysteine protease similar to staphopain B [46], but so far there is no experimental proof for the role of this protease in chemerin cleavage. Interestingly, the chemerin-derived peptide Val 66 -Pro 85 was found to restrict the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [47]. Our analysis showed that patients infected with the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and/or Staphylococcus epidermidis have higher plasma chemerin in comparison to non-infected patients, as well as in comparison to patients with Gram-negative bacteria.…”

The Role of Selected Adipocytokines in Ovarian Cancer and Endometrial Cancer

“…As a result, it is now known that chemerin, in addition to chemotactic induction in dendritic cells, macrophages and NK cells [ 216 ], plays an important role in angiogenesis [ 217 , 218 ], adipogenesis [ 219 , 220 ], osteoblastogenesis [ 221 ], myogenesis [ 222 ], or glucose homeostasis [ 223 ]. In addition, chemerin plays an important role in inhibiting bacterial growth [ 223 , 224 , 225 ]. Physiologically, chemerin is expressed by many tissues and organs, such as in the lungs, heart, ovaries, kidneys and pancreas but is mainly produced by the liver and white adipose tissue [ 226 , 227 , 228 , 229 ].…”