Essential Gene(s) Targeted by Peptide Nucleic Acids Kills <i>Mycobacterium smegmatis</i> in Culture and in Infected Macrophages

Background: Antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) exhibit growth inhibitory effects on bacteria by inhibiting the expression of essential genes and could be promising therapeutic agents for treating bacterial infections. A study was carried out to determine efficacy several antisense PNAs in extracellular intracellular Mycobacterium smegmatis. Methods: Six obtained from a commercial supplier were tested evaluate effect following genes: inhA (a fatty acid elongase), rpsL (ribosomal S12 protein), gyrA (DNA gyrase), pncA (pyrazinamidase), polA polymerase I) rpoC (RNA ? subunit) M. Each PNA at 20 ?M, 10 5 ?M 2.5 concentrations whether they caused dose dependent killing smegmatis cultured Middlebrook 7H9 broth or J774A.1 murine macrophage cell line. Results: In broth, strong against observed targeting all four concentrations. The pncA, found inhibition but only concentration. No seen pure culture when treated with mismatch dnaG primase). All six showed line that statistically significant (p Conclusion: It may concluded this potential therapeutics mycobacterial