"Skulachev ions" against bacteria
Scientists from Moscow State University have created a new antibiotic
Scientists of the Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology named after A.N. Belozersky (Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences) Lomonosov Moscow State University found out that the antioxidant SkQ1, created at Moscow State University, has a strong antibacterial effect. The study was carried out within the framework of the Noah's Ark project (with the support of the RNF), its results were published in the journal Scientific Reports (Nazarov et al., Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants as highly effective antibiotics – VM).
Mitochondrial-directed antioxidant SkQ1 is a synthetic compound obtained by MSU scientists. It consists of the Skulachev ion, or SkQ+, and the powerful plant antioxidant plastoquinone (Q), which are interconnected by a chain of carbon atoms. The compound is positively charged and penetrates into the mitochondria, where it neutralizes toxic reactive oxygen species. Studies have already been published that SkQ1 slows down the aging of mice, significantly accelerates the healing of diabetic wounds, and helps in the fight against autoimmune arthritis in rats.
"We investigated the effect of the mitochondrial-directed antioxidant SkQ1 on bacterial cells and found out that SkQ1 is a strong antibiotic. The target of this antibiotic is the bacterial membrane, the potential difference on which it reduces," says Pavel Nazarov, the first author of the article, candidate of Biological Sciences, senior researcher at the A.N. Belozersky Research Institute of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.
It turned out that SkQ1 exhibits strong antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium sp. and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as Gram-negative Photobacteriumphosphoreum and Rhodobacter sphaeroides. More resistant bacteria, such as E. coli (Escherichia coli), can be protected from SkQ1 only by the presence of special pumps of multidrug resistance, however, in their absence, E. coli is doomed to share the fate of less "lucky" bacteria.
Figure from an article in Scientific Reports – VM.
"Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious challenges for modern medicine. One of the important ideas of the article is that SkQ1 exhibits antibacterial activity against both groups of bacteria at once: both gram-positive and gram-negative. We have shown that SkQ1 can potentially be effective in protecting infected mammals, killing even resistant bacteria," says Pavel Nazarov.
The work is completely done by the staff and graduates of Moscow State University.
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14.07.2017