ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Antibiotic Resistance and New Antimicrobial drugs
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1552872
Studies on the Antibacterial Activity of the Antimicrobial Peptide Mastoparan X Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Provisionally accepted
Zhangping Lu
Xiaofang Liang
Wenbo DengQianqian LiuYulin WangMeng LiuFugui LinZhihong LiuYu ZhangWenjie Wang
Yingying Sun
Yaozhou WuLianhua Wei*- Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a serious threat to the public health system due to its multi-drug resistance and strong biofilm-forming ability. Here, we explored the possible inhibitory mechanism of an antimicrobial peptide, Mastoparan X, against MRSA Methods: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of Mastoparan X against MRSA USA300 were determined by microbroth dilution method. The antibacterial activity of Mastoparan X against USA300 was then evaluated by timegrowth curves, membrane fluidity, reactive oxygen species(ROS), flow cytometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). In addition, the inhibitory and scavenging effects of Mastoparan X on USA300 biofilm were evaluated using crystal violet staining. Finally, gene expression changes in USA300 after treatment with Mastoparan X were analyzed by transcriptomics and verified by RT-qPCR.The MIC and MBC of Mastoparan X on USA300 were 32 μg/mL and 64 μg/mL, respectively. SEM observation showed significant changes in cell morphology after Mastoparan X treatment. Flow cytometry confirmed that Mastoparan X promoted the apoptosis of MRSA cells. In addition, Mastoparan X inhibited the formation of MRSA biofilm while destroying the mature bioepithelia already formed. Transcriptomic analysis showed that 851 genes were significantly altered and ABC transport protein, amino acid biosynthesis, glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle were inhibited after 16μg/mL Mastoparan X treatment.Our study demonstrated that Mastoparan X has potent bactericidal activity against MRSA and is expected to provide new potential peptides for the clinical treatment of MRSA.
Keywords: mastoparan X, MRSA, USA 300, Antimicrobial peptide, Antimicrobial activity, Biofilm
Received: 29 Dec 2024; Accepted: 14 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lu, Liang, Deng, Liu, Wang, Liu, Lin, Liu, Zhang, Wang, Sun, Wu and Wei. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lianhua Wei, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.