Tobacco Plant Protein Can Lead to Discovery of New Antibiotics

Protein found in tobacco plant can pave the way for the development of new antibiotics in treating life-threatening infectious diseases, according to a new study led by a team of researchers from Melbourne's La Trobe University.

The //scientific discovery, published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, could lead to the development of a new class of antibiotics and meet the challenge of rising antibiotic resistance.

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‘Tobacco plant such as Nicotiana alata can lead to the development of new antibiotics which can effectively treat life-threatening infectious diseases. The flowers of ornamental tobacco plant Nicotiana alata contains peptide NaD1 which has infection-busting qualities.’

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Dr. Mark Hulett and Dr. Marc Kvansakul from the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science said their team had demonstrated the peptide NaD1 found in the flowers of the ornamental tobacco plant Nicotiana alata has infection-busting qualities.

"Infectious diseases are a major global health problem, accounting for more than one in eight deaths and mortality rates are predicted to skyrocket over the next 30 years," Dr. Hulett said.

"Antibiotic resistance at the current rate will eventually lead to the exhaustion of effective long-term drug options. It's imperative we develop new antibiotic treatments."

Therapeutic Antibodies from Plants
Plants like tobacco are being used to produce biopharmaceuticals. The proteins that are produced in this manner are currently being tested with the objective that they be used in clinical studies.

Using the power of the Australian Synchrotron, the team led by Dr. Hulett and Dr. Kvansakul have shown in atomic detail how the tobacco plant peptide can target and destroy the micro-organism responsible for a dangerous fungal infection.

The peptide perforates the parachute-like outer layer of Candida albicans cells, ripping them apart and causing them to explode and die.

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"They act in a different way to existing antibiotics and allow us to explore new ways of fighting infections.

"It's an exciting discovery that could be harnessed to develop a new class of life-saving antimicrobial therapy to treat a range of infectious diseases, including multidrug-resistant golden staph, and viral infections such as HIV, Zika virus, Dengue and Murray River Encephalitis."

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In 2014, Dr. Hulett and Dr. Kvansakul found NaD1 could also be effective in killing cancer cells.

Candida albicans is responsible for life-threatening infections in immune-compromised patients, including those diagnosed with cancer and transplant recipients. There are limited effective antibiotics available to treat the infection.

Nicotiana alata flowers naturally produce potent antifungal molecules for protection against disease. The plant is related, but different, to tobacco plants grown for commercial use.

Source-Eurekalert