@article {747, title = {Broad-spectrum antibacterial activity by a novel abiogenic peptide mimic.}, journal = {Microbiology}, volume = {152}, year = {2006}, month = {2006 Jul}, pages = {1913-8}, abstract = {The human-mediated use and abuse of classical antibiotics has created a strong selective pressure for the rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance. As resistance levels rise, and the efficacy of classical antibiotics wanes, the intensity of the search for alternative antimicrobials has increased. One class of molecules that has attracted much attention is the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). They exhibit broad-spectrum activity, they are potent and they are widespread as part of the innate defence system of both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, peptides are complex molecules that suffer from proteolytic degradation. The ability to capture the essential properties of antimicrobial peptides in simple easy-to-prepare molecules that are abiotic in origin and non-proteolytic offers many advantages. Mechanistic and structural knowledge of existing AMPs was used to design a novel compound that mimics the biochemical activity of an AMP. This report describes the development and in vitro characterization of a small peptide mimic that exhibited quick-acting and selective antibacterial activity against a broad range of bacteria, including numerous clinically relevant strains, at low MIC values.}, keywords = {Anti-Bacterial Agents, Drug Design, Humans, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Peptides}, issn = {1350-0872}, doi = {10.1099/mic.0.28812-0}, author = {N{\"u}sslein, Klaus and Arnt, Lachelle and Rennie, Jason and Owens, Cullen and Tew, Gregory N} } @article {750, title = {Simple oligomers as antimicrobial peptide mimics.}, journal = {J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol}, volume = {32}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Jul}, pages = {296-300}, abstract = {New approaches to antibiotic design are desperately needed. The design of simple oligomers that capture the shape and biological function of natural antimicrobial peptides could prove to be versatile and highly successful. We discuss the use of aromatic backbones to design facially amphiphilic (FA) beta-sheet like structures which are potently antimicrobial. These oligomers capture the physiochemical properties of peptides like the Magainins and Defensins, which fold into specific conformations that are amphiphilic resulting in antimicrobial activity. However, natural peptides are expensive to prepare and difficult to produce on large scale. The design of polymers and oligomers that mimic the complex structures and remarkable biological properties of proteins is an important endeavor and provides attractive alternatives to the difficult synthesis of natural peptides. We therefore have designed a series of FA oligomers that are easy to prepare from inexpensive monomers. They adopt structures very reminiscent of amphiphilic beta-sheets and have significant activity with minimal inhibitory concentrations at 6 h in the low microgram per ml range (muM to nM). They are active against a broad spectrum of bacteria including gram-positive and gram-negative as well as antibiotic resistant strains.}, keywords = {Amides, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Gram-Negative Bacteria, Gram-Positive Bacteria, Inhibitory Concentration 50, Peptides, Protein Conformation}, issn = {1367-5435}, doi = {10.1007/s10295-005-0219-0}, author = {Rennie, Jason and Arnt, Lachelle and Tang, Haizhong and N{\"u}sslein, Klaus and Tew, Gregory N} }