Human Defensin-Inspired Discovery of Peptidomimetic Antibiotics

The purpose of the RNA-seq experiments was to uncover the transcriptomic alterations of E. coli ATCC25922 after treatment by peptidomimetic antibiotic 10 (also named compound 13 in our lab), human defensin 5 (HD5), and polymyxin B (PMB). Results showed that antibiotic 10 significantly altered the expression of genes related to outer membrane protein-associated pathway, LPS-associated pathway, and ribosome subunits. Besides, E. coli cells treated by antibiotic 10 exhibited a significantly different RNA-seq profile compared to that of HD5 and PMB, suggesting its distinct mechanisms of action.