A biocompatible supramolecular hydrogel with multivalent galactose ligands inhibiting <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> virulence and growth

Abstract

In recent years, peptide self-assembly proved to be an efficient strategy to create complex structures or functional materials with nanoscale precision. In this work, we designed and synthesized a novel glycopeptide molecule with a galactose moiety through peptide galactosylation. Then relying on peptide self-assembling strategies, we created a supramolecular hydrogel with multivalent galactose ligands on the surface of self-assembled nanofibers for molecular recognition and interactions. Because of multivalent galactose-LecA interactions, the self-assemblies of glycopeptide could target <i>P. aeruginosa</i> specifically, and acted as anti-virulence and antibacterial agents to inhibit biofilm formation and bacterial growth of <i>P. aeruginosa</i>. Moreover, in association with polymyxin B, a common antibiotic, the glycopeptide hydrogel exhibited a synergistic growth inhibition effect on biofilm colonization of <i>P. aeruginosa</i>.