This research introduces a novel class of synthetic antibacterial complexes designed using melittin (Mel) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as building blocks. The flexibly linear complex PEG12k-1*Me demonstrated significantly enhanced antimicrobial efficiency (up to 500% improvement over Mel), excellent in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens (MICs of 2–32 µg mL⁻¹), and reduced in vivo cytotoxicity and acute toxicity. The mechanism involves lipid-specific membrane recognition and accelerated membrane perforation.
Publisher
NPG Asia Materials
Published On
Nov 16, 2021
Authors
Bing Yuan, Jiaojiao Liu, Zhixiang Deng, Lin Wei, Wenwen Li, Yujiang Dou, Zhonglan Chen, Che Zhang, Yu Xia, Jing Wang, Mengling Zhang, Kai Yang, Yuqiang Ma, Zhenhui Kang
