Keanu Reeves inspired the name of these new fungus-destroying chemicals

() — It’s not every day that effective fungus-killing compounds are discovered, so a group of German researchers knew their recent find needed a special name. After identifying and testing three natural compounds lethal to fungi, they were so impressed that they named them after actor Keanu Reeves, a nod to his way of taking out villains in movies like “John Wick” and “The Matrix.”

This possible treatment against fungi comes at a time when these organisms are increasingly resistant to known antifungals, explained Sebastian Götze, co-author of the study and researcher at the Leibniz Institute Research Institute for Natural Products and Biology of Infections in Germany. The newly named microbes are not only effective against fungi in plants, but the researchers found that the compounds — molecules commonly found in bacteria called lipopeptides — are also an effective treatment against fungal infections in humans.

The study was recently published in the academic journal Journal of the American Chemical Society.

“Lipopeptides kill so effectively we named them after Keanu Reeves because he’s also extremely deadly in his roles.” Götze said in a statement.

“We have an anti-infective crisis. Many human pathogenic fungi are now resistant to antifungals (antifungals), in part because they are used in large numbers on agricultural fields,” he added.

The newly discovered antimicrobial compounds, which go by the name “keanumicins,” are a natural byproduct of bacteria pseudomonas It is usually found in soil and water. Researchers discovered these compounds by studying the efficacy of pseudomonas against predatory amoebas.

Scientists knew that “many of these bacterial species (pseudomonas) are highly toxic to amoebas, which feed on bacteria,” Pierre Stallforth, lead author of the study and head of the Leibniz Institute’s department of Paleobiotechnology, said in a statement. Stallforth and his colleagues wanted to explore the effectiveness of the bacteria against fungi. , which have a cell structure similar to that of amoebas, according to the study.

What can keanumicins do?

The researchers initially tested keanumicins A, B, and C on a hydrangea infected with Botrytis cinerea, a plant pest best known as a trigger for gray mold rot. This fungus commonly infects certain fruits and vegetables, causing collateral damage to crops.

The compounds are biodegradable, according to the study, and could represent a green alternative to pesticides in efforts to save the food supply.

Other tests have also shown that keanumicins are effective against Candida albicansa natural yeast that is usually found in the human microbiome, but can overgrow and become a serious infection.

Fungal infections have been a popular topic of late due to HBO’s “The Last of Us,” and as the series suggests, the conditions can be difficult to treat, but not impossible. (HBO, like , is a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.) Tests with keanumicins have shown that the compounds are not particularly harmful or toxic to human cells, a problem often seen in the development of antifungal treatments, since fungal cells share similar properties with animal cells.

“This study documents another interesting means by which microbes have evolved to compete with and fight other organisms,” says Dr. Matt Nelsen, a researcher at the Field Museum of Chicago.

“Previous efforts have tried to exploit such natural products for human use to combat animal and plant pathogens,” Nelsen added. “However, over time, many pathogenic organisms, including fungi, have developed resistance to the chemicals we use to combat them. Consequently, we have to find a new way to outsmart or outmaneuver them.”

The keanumicins are “good backbone candidates for antifungal drug development,” according to the study, and could be a new treatment option in an area where they are “desperately needed.”

The researchers say they will do more testing with the compounds.

“One of the means by which organisms wage this battle (competition with other organisms) is the synthesis of chemicals that can inhibit the growth of other organisms or kill them,” Nelsen explained.

Nelsen added that if further research is carried out, it will be interesting to know how widespread the keanumicins are and how many other species in the genus pseudomonas can produce these compounds.