WEHI-LTU ECR seminar exchange program hosted by Dr Martin Brzozowski

Wenyi Li
Senior Lecturer and NHMRC Investigator EL1 Fellow – Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science – La Trobe University

How Proline-rich Antimicrobial Peptides Work in Salmonella

L7W Seminar Room

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Including Q&A session

Please note this presentation will not be recorded

Since the discovery of penicillin and the development of other antibiotics, the widespread and improper use of these powerful drugs has been a major factor in the rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) over the past two decades, as highlighted by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides, offer a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics due to their broad-spectrum activity. They primarily act by interacting with cell membranes, where electrostatic interactions and the formation of secondary structures disrupt membranes and increase permeability, ultimately damaging the target microorganism.

Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) constitute a unique class of antimicrobial peptides characterised by high proline/arginine content and predominantly non-lytic mechanisms of action. Unlike many other membrane-disrupting peptides, PrAMPs often enter bacterial cells through dedicated uptake pathways and primarily act on intracellular targets, most notably the 70S ribosome, and other pathways such as interactions with DnaK. However, bacterial resistance to PrAMPs can emerge through reduced peptide uptake and changes in membrane composition.

To gain a deeper understanding of their membrane uptake and mechanisms of action, we focus primarily on two main classes of PrAMPs, class I and class II, to track their action and provide valuable insights into their biological activity and mechanism. Our findings underscore the advantages of modern chemical biology techniques in developing novel AMPs, enhancing our understanding of antibacterial mechanisms, and advancing the clinical application of PrAMPs in antimicrobial therapy.

Dr Wenyi Li is a Senior Lecturer and NHMRC Investigator EL1 Fellow at the Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Trained as a peptide chemist in chemical biology, he obtained his PhD from the University of Melbourne. After two postdoctoral trainings at the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Germany and the University of Melbourne, he established his independent research group at LIMS in 2023. His research program focuses on developing antimicrobial peptides to combat bacterial and fungal infections.

All welcome!