Coassembled Perylene-Carbohydrate Conjugates Exert Antibiotic-Free Antibacterial Effects and Enhance the Effects of Photothermal Therapy by Targeting LecA/LecB Lectins.

Pathogenic infections are a global threat to human health. In particular, the treatment of Psuedomonas aeruginosa infection remains particularly challenging. Interestingly, the LecA and LecB lectins of P. aeruginosa play crucial roles in bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation, virulence, and host cell invasion. Herein, two kinds of perylene-carbohydrate conjugates (PMI-3Gal and PMI-3Fuc) that simultaneously target LecA and LecB in P. aeruginosa are coassembled to prepare antibiotic-free antibacterial and antibiofilm agents. Owing to the strong multivalent carbohydrate-lectin interactions for both LecA and LecB lectins, the coassembled PMI-3Gal@PMI-3Fuc shows selective adhesion effects, inhibits biofilm formation, demonstrates potent photothermal antibacterial activities for P. aeruginosa and a clinically isolated P. aeruginosa strain, and accelerates wound healing in mice. These findings provide new insight into the development of multivalent glycoconjugates that have antibiotic-free antibacterial and antibiofilm effects.