Qualitative and Quantitative Changes to Escherichia coli during Treatment with Magainin 2 Observed in Native Conditions by Atomic Force Microscopy.

ABSTRACT: The bacterial membrane has been suggested as a good target for future antibiotics, so it is important to understand how naturally occurring antibiotics like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) disrupt those membranes. The interaction of the AMP magainin 2 (MAG2) with the bacterial cell membrane has been well characterized using supported lipid substrates, unilamellar vesicles, and spheroplasts created from bacterial cells. However, to fully understand how MAG2 kills bacteria, we must consider its effect on the outer membrane found in Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to directly investigate MAG2 interaction with the outer membrane of Escherichia coli and characterize the biophysical consequences of MAG2 treatment under native conditions. While propidium io

SUBMITTER: Overton K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7430157 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature