Proteins of platypus milk can protect against multidrug-resistant bacteria

Why does duckbill milk have antibacterial properties?

Already in 2010 it was found that milk from platypuses has antibacterial properties that can fight multi-resistant bacteria. Since then researchers have been working to decipher why this milk has such a powerful effect on bacteria.

• Platypus milk has strong antibacterial properties.
• Protein from milk from platypus could in the future fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
• Researchers were able to synthesize the protein and decode the structure.
• Experts warn of a post-antibiotic age.

Scientists at CSIRO and Deakin University have jointly identified why platelet milk has such strong antibacterial properties. This understanding could lead to the development of new drugs that protect humanity from so-called super-pathogens in the future. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Structural Biology Communications".

In the future, resistant bacteria could lead to a post-antibiotic age, in which previously treatable infections lead to the death of patients. Maybe a protein from the milk of platypuses can prevent this. (Image: jarun011 / fotolia.com)

Platypuses have many interesting features

Platypuses have many unique characteristics. For example, they have a duckbill, a beaver's tail, can lay eggs, and male animals have venomous spores, making the duckbill very interesting for evolutionary biology. Researchers also found that duckbill milk has unique antibacterial properties that could be used to fight multi-drug resistant bacteria in the future.

Protein was replicated in the laboratory

A special protein from platypus milk has been replicated by scientists in a laboratory setting. Thus, the unique antibacterial properties of this protein could be determined and examined more closely. "Platypuses are weird animals that have a peculiar biochemistry. The platypus belongs to the cloacal animals, a small group of mammals that lay eggs and produce milk to feed their young. By examining their milk more closely, we have characterized a new protein that has unique antibacterial properties that can save lives, "explains study author Dr. Janet Newman of CSIRO in a press release.

Why does the milk have antibacterial properties??

Since platypuses do not have teats, they put their milk on their bellies so the boys can pick them up there. This process exposes the mother's nutritious milk to the environment, making babies susceptible to the danger of bacteria. The researchers suspect that this is the reason why platelet milk contains a protein with rather unusual and protective antibacterial properties. Julie Sharp from Deakin University. "We were interested in studying the structure and properties of the protein to find out exactly which part of the protein is doing what," adds the expert in the press release.

Protein is specially folded

The research team has succeeded in successfully producing the protein. Then his structure was decrypted to better examine it. This enabled physicians to identify a never-before-seen 3D folding. The discovery of new protein folding is quite specific, Dr. Newman.

Knowledge improves knowledge about protein structures

Although this highly unusual protein occurs only in cloacal animals, this discovery enhances knowledge of protein structures in general and will further drug discovery efforts, the authors say.

Threatens humanity a post-antibiotic age?

In 2014, the World Health Organization published a report that highlighted the scale of the global threat posed by antibiotic resistance and called for urgent action to avoid a post-antibiotic age in which decades of treatable infections and minor injuries could be fatal. (As)