Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been demonstrated to be a successful antiseptic for chronic and infected wounds. Although experimental work has focused on elucidation of the curative power of CAP for wound healing, the molecular mechanisms behind this ability are less understood. To date, the direct effect of CAP on the activity of microbial virulence factors has not been investigated. In the present study, we therefore examined whether CAP can modulate the detrimental activity of M1 protein, one of the most studied Streptococcus pyogenes virulence determinant. Our results show that CAP abolishes the ability of M1 protein to trigger inflammatory host responses. Subsequent mass spectrometric analysis revealed that this effect was caused by oxidation of Met81 and Trp128 located at the sub-N-terminal region of M1 protein provoking a conformational change. Notably, our results also show that CAP has an insignificant effect on the host immune system, supporting the benefits of using CAP to combat infections. Considering the growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, novel antimicrobial therapeutic approaches are urgently needed that do not bear the risk of inducing additional resistance. Our study therefore may open new research avenues for the development of novel approaches for the treatment of skin and wound infections caused by S. pyogenes.

中文翻译：

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冷大气等离子体解除 M1 蛋白的武装，这是一种重要的链球菌毒力因子。

冷大气等离子体 (CAP) 已被证明是一种成功的慢性和感染伤口的防腐剂。尽管实验工作的重点是阐明 CAP 对伤口愈合的疗效，但人们对这种能力背后的分子机制知之甚少。迄今为止，尚未研究 CAP 对微生物毒力因子活性的直接影响。因此，在本研究中，我们检查了 CAP 是否可以调节 M1 蛋白的有害活性，M1 蛋白是研究最多的化脓性链球菌毒力决定因素之一。我们的结果表明 CAP 消除了 M1 蛋白触发炎症宿主反应的能力。随后的质谱分析表明，这种效应是由位于 M1 蛋白亚 N 末端区域的 Met81 和 Trp128 氧化引起构象变化引起的。值得注意的是，我们的结果还表明 CAP 对宿主免疫系统的影响微不足道，支持使用 CAP 对抗感染的好处。考虑到越来越多的抗生素耐药细菌，迫切需要新的抗菌治疗方法，这些方法不会产生额外耐药性的风险。因此，我们的研究可能为开发治疗化脓性链球菌引起的皮肤和伤口感染的新方法开辟新的研究途径。考虑到越来越多的抗生素耐药细菌，迫切需要新的抗菌治疗方法，这些方法不会产生额外耐药性的风险。因此，我们的研究可能为开发治疗化脓性链球菌引起的皮肤和伤口感染的新方法开辟新的研究途径。考虑到越来越多的抗生素耐药细菌，迫切需要新的抗菌治疗方法，这些方法不会产生额外耐药性的风险。因此，我们的研究可能为开发治疗化脓性链球菌引起的皮肤和伤口感染的新方法开辟新的研究途径。