Recombinant AMP/Polypeptide Self-Assembled Monolayers with Synergistic Antimicrobial Properties for Bacterial Strains of Medical Relevance

Nosocomial infections are one of the most frequent causes of indwelling biomedical device failure. In this regard, the use of antibiofilm nanocoatings based on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a promising alternative to prevent multiresistant biofilm infections. However, the limitations of chemical production impede the large-scale development of advanced antimicrobial materials that improve the properties of AMPs. Herein, we present a multifunctional modular design for the recombinant coproduction of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on AMPs and elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs), which combine the antimicrobial properties of a designer AMP, GL13K, and low-fouling activity of an ELR in a synergistic manner. The inclusion of a grafting domain intended for oriented tethering onto surfaces allowed the recombinant polymers to be covalently immobilized onto model gold surfaces. The antibiofilm properties against two of the bacterial strains most frequently responsible for indwelling medical device-associated infections, namely Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, were then evaluated. GL13K peptide was found to provide antibiofilm properties to the surface, with these being synergistically enhanced by the antifouling effect of the ELR. This new design offers a promising tool for the development of advanced AMP-based nanocoatings for medical devices with powerful and enhanced features.