Hospital-acquired bacterial infections, especially with Gram-negative pathogens, present a major threat due to the rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant strains. Targeting mechanisms of bacterial virulence has recently appeared as a promising new therapeutic paradigm. Biofilm formation is a bacterial lifestyle, which offers a survival advantage through its protective matrix against host immune defense and antibiotic treatment. Interfering with biogenesis of adhesive organelles, bacterial communication or carbohydrate-mediated adhesion as anti-biofilm strategies are reviewed.

The rise of resistances against antibiotics in bacteria is a major threat for public health and demands the development of novel antibacterial therapies. Infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa are a severe problem for hospitalized patients and for patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. These bacteria can form biofilms and thereby increase their resistance towards antibiotics. The bacterial lectin LecB was shown to be necessary for biofilm formation and the inhibition with its carbohydrate ligands resulted in reduced amounts of biofilm. The natural ligands for LecB are glycosides of d-mannose and l-fucose, the latter displaying an unusual strong affinity. Interestingly, although mannosides are much weaker ligands for LecB, they do form an additional hydrogen bond with the protein in the crystal structure. To analyze the individual contributions of the methyl group in fucosides and the hydroxymethyl group in mannosides to the binding, we designed and synthesized derivatives of these saccharides. We report glycomimetic inhibitors that dissect the individual interactions of their saccharide precursors with LecB and give insight into the biophysics of binding by LecB. Furthermore, theoretical calculations supported by experimental thermodynamic data suggest a perturbed hydrogen bonding network for mannose derivatives as molecular basis for the selectivity of LecB for fucosides. Knowledge gained on the mode of interaction of LecB with its ligands at ambient conditions will be useful for future drug design.

Effector proteins of innate immune systems recognize specific non-self epitopes. Tectonins are a family of β-propeller lectins conserved from bacteria to mammals that have been shown to bind bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We present experimental evidence that two Tectonins of fungal and animal origin have a specificity for O-methylated glycans. We show that Tectonin 2 of the mushroom Laccaria bicolor (Lb-Tec2) agglutinates Gram-negative bacteria and exerts toxicity toward the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting a role in fungal defense against bacteria and nematodes. Biochemical and genetic analysis of these interactions revealed that both bacterial agglutination and nematotoxicity of Lb-Tec2 depend on the recognition of methylated glycans, namely O-methylated mannose and fucose residues, as part of bacterial LPS and nematode cell-surface glycans. In addition, a C. elegans gene, termed samt-1, coding for a candidate membrane transport protein for the presumptive donor substrate of glycan methylation, S-adenosyl-methionine, from the cytoplasm to the Golgi was identified. Intriguingly, limulus lectin L6, a structurally related antibacterial protein of the Japanese horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus, showed properties identical to the mushroom lectin. These results suggest that O-methylated glycans constitute a conserved target of the fungal and animal innate immune system. The broad phylogenetic distribution of O-methylated glycans increases the spectrum of potential antagonists recognized by Tectonins, rendering this conserved protein family a universal defense armor.