Bakteriális biofilmképződést gátló aptamerek előállítása és vizsgálata
Harkai Ákos
Molecular Medicine
Dr. Várnai Péter
Semmelweis egyetem, Elméleti és Orvostudományi Központ, Hevesy György előadóterem
2025-10-22 14:30:00
Pathobiochemistry
Dr. Ligeti Erzsébet
Dr. Mészáros Tamás
Dr. Hegyesi Hargita
Dr. Sveiczer Ákos
Dr. Szabó Dóra
Dr. Liliom Károly
Dr. Gergely Szilveszter
Microbial biofilms provide a protective environment for the daily survival of most prokaryotic and some unicellular eukaryotic species. Their complex structure and finely regulated function are the focus of much research nowadays, as biofilm formation by human pathogenic microorganisms has important health consequences. The scientific community is striving to get closer to understanding biofilm formation at the molecular level, and to apply their knowledge to the development of practical solutions to mitigate or even prevent the diseases caused.
Streptococcus mutans, a member of the human microbiome, is primarily responsible for the development of dental caries and recent research has found it to be involved in the progression of certain internal and neurological diseases. The recently deciphered crystal structure of the glucan-binding protein C, which plays a key role in S. mutans biofilm formation, has provided the researchers with an opportunity to develop targeted inhibitory molecules. In my PhD thesis, I presented the production and the functionality of DNA aptamers to selectively inhibit biofilm formation in S. mutans, which could be a new approach to mitigate the virulence of the bacterium. Our results show that the selected aptamers recognize the target GbpC molecule with reliable affinity and high selectivity, which is due to the well-considered design of SELEX and the choice of selection and characterization conditions close to physiology. The PBA-PCR developed in our group was an appropriate technique for efficient generation of aptamer candidates and contributed to our understanding of the importance of primer regions in the structure of functional aptamers. The applicability of the selected aptamers was demonstrated by our biofilm inhibition assays in complex culture medium.
In summary, our selected aptamers could be promising candidates for new developments aimed at reducing dental plaque. Furthermore, it is hoped that our presented aptamer selection strategy, complemented with the tools provided by modern bioinformatics, may prove to be of value to a broader community and contribute to the development of a number of medically relevant aptamer-based therapies.
