Experts discovered a natural product made by bacteria in the genus Pseudomonas. This material has antimicrobial properties, namely a substance called keanumycins.
A study showed that keanumycin is effective against fungi that cause disease in plants and humans. Rising antimicrobial resistance means there is an urgent need to find new ways to combat pathogenic microbes.
So far, we often hear about antibiotic resistance. But not many people know that yeast infections are also an increasing threat to human health. Beyond that, fungal pathogens are a major cause of crop loss in hundreds of plant species.
"We are experiencing an anti-infection crisis," explained study author Sebastian Götze, of the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, quoted from IFL Science, Thursday (9/2/2023).
"Many human pathogenic fungi are now resistant to antimycotics, in part because they are used in large quantities in agricultural fields," he continued.
The authors of a new study investigated Pseudomonas bacteria, because it was known that they are toxic to certain ameba (Dictyostelium discoideum). Researchers have now been able to isolate one group of natural products which is responsible for this toxicity.
This newly discovered lipopeptide is such an efficient killer that only one name seems to fit: keanumycins.
Does it have anything to do with Keanu Reeves? His name is indeed inspired by the Hollywood actor because of Keanu Reeves' iconic portrayal of the assassin in the John Wick movie.
Because amoebae and fungi share some characteristics, the researchers suspect that keanumycin might also be effective at killing the fungus.
This suspicion was confirmed when a liquid containing keanumycin from Pseudomonas bacteria was cultured (called the supernatant), was able to combat gray mold rot on hydrangea leaves.
"Theoretically, the keanumycin-containing supernatant from Pseudomonas cultures could be used directly for plants," says Götze.
This material is also biodegradable, so it has much better environmental credentials than chemical pesticides. What is clear, according to the researchers, is an encouraging start, which the authors would like to follow up with further research, but not just stop at plants.
"In addition, we tested the isolated substance against various fungi that infect humans. We found that this ingredient inhibited the fungal pathogen Candida albicans," continued Götze.
Even more promising, keanumycin appears to work at low concentrations without being highly toxic to human cells. C. albicans was recently added to the list of 'critical priority' fungal pathogens compiled by the World Health Organization.
C. albicans is a fungus that causes thrush, a common infection that often affects the mouth, throat, or genitals. In some patients, especially those with weakened immune systems, C. albicans can cause serious and sometimes fatal systemic infections.
To note, fungal infections cause around 1.7 million deaths every year which is referred to as 'the silent crisis'. With few drugs specifically targeting fungi available, keanumycin may be a good starting point for the development of a much-needed new treatment.