The warm waters of Vesuvius offer a new enzyme with amazing properties!

An enzyme with amazing properties was found in the hot springs of Vesuvius, where the temperature is about 100 ° C.

In 2006, the General Direction of Army load researchers to study this enzyme with anti-neurotoxic properties, of interest in the fight against chemical attack. During their work, the researchers of URMITE / Research Unit on Infectious and Tropical Diseases,  of Medicine Timone Faculty in Marseille discovers her other qualities, which have just been published: the enzyme can destroy the molecules of communication between bacteria and prevent infection.

 

The enzyme, easy to produce, stable and durable, is particularly effective against gram-negative bacteria (including Pseudomonas) involved in 50% of nosocomial infections. According to Professor. Chabrière, "the enzyme restores the sensitivity to  antiobitiques. It is of great interest in the treatment of cystic fibrosis, whose deaths are mainly due to bacterial infection in the lung." Its scope can extend to chronic wounds affected by local treatment, such as in burns or "diabetic foot. "

Sulfolobus solfataricus contains thermostable enzymes contains and produce the proteine Pox Sso, which a variant is to the base of phosphotriesterase enzyme, allowing the degradation of toxic organophosphate and lactonases, inhibitors of bacterial virulence and limiter of  biofilm formation.

The in vitro efficacy was demonstrated and tested in vivo on rats inoculated with bacteria that cause pneumonia : a reduction in mortality by a factor of 4-8 was obtained.

A first application will be for the army with the development of antibacterial bandages for the wounded in operation, developed in partnership with Laboratoires Urgo ... an alternative to antibiotics to which bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant!

Other areas will be covered by a start-up "Gene & Greentech" : the remediation of farmland having absorbed too many pesticides, or the development of a coat for boats, to prevent algae growth on the hulls.

Sources :

- La Provence – Marseille : ils ont découvert comment dompter les bactéries / Des chercheurs marseillais ont élaboré une alternative aux antibiotiques. - link

- Gene & Greentech - link

-  PNAS - The complete genome of the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 - link