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Cited by 1Microbial Natural Products and BiosynthesisAntimicrobial agents and applicationsCancer, Lipids, and Metabolism

Multifunctionality of statins as antimicrobials

Open access
Balbina J Plotkin, Alexis Borrelli, Matthew Erbst, Victoria Zheng, Monika I Konaklieva, Nicholas Schileru, Ira M Sigar·2022·World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences
DOI 10.30574/wjbphs.2022.11.3.0114
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Abstract

The potential of statins as antimicrobials has been recognized for more than a decade; unfortunately, minimal progress in exploring this promise. This mini review highlights the structure of statins and their relevance as antimicrobial co-drug. The current information on the inhibition mechanism of statins on bacterial, fungal, viral, and biofilms is also described.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.30574/wjbphs.2022.11.3.0114

Cites

85 of 85 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Statin-induced reduction of mevalonate and farnesyl pyrophosphate inhibits isoprenylation in fungal cells, affecting translation of proteins related to cell growth, specialization, and programmed cell death.

    “This includes the inhibition of isoprenylation, which affects the translation of proteins related to the regulation of cell growth, specialization, and programmed cell death, as well as negatively impacting the activation of essential cellular proteins, such as those involved in respiration and iron metabolism [116, 117].”

    From Statins as Antifungal Agents: A Review on Drug Repurposing and Nanotechnology-Driven Delivery Strategies (2025) · cites this paper as [117]

    Section 4.3 (page not available) describes statin-associated disruption of protein isoprenylation in yeast, with effects on cytochrome c function and respiration, and discusses a potential role in fungal apoptosis. Section 4.1 identifies farnesyl pyrophosphate as a sterol precursor. The copy does not establish the claimed reduction of both mevalonate and farnesyl pyrophosphate as the cause, or say that isoprenylation inhibition affects translation of proteins regulating growth, specialization, and programmed cell death. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Statins negatively impact activation of essential fungal cellular proteins involved in respiration and iron metabolism.

    “as well as negatively impacting the activation of essential cellular proteins, such as those involved in respiration and iron metabolism [116, 117].”

    From Statins as Antifungal Agents: A Review on Drug Repurposing and Nanotechnology-Driven Delivery Strategies (2025) · cites this paper as [117]

    Section 4.3 (Antifungal activity; page not provided) reports that atorvastatin disrupts protein isoprenylation in yeast, affecting cytochrome c function and respiration. It does not report an effect on proteins involved in iron metabolism, so that part of the attributed claim is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Statins reduce mevalonate and farnesyl pyrophosphate levels in fungal cells by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase.

    “By inhibiting HMG‐CoA reductase, statins lead to a reduction in the levels of mevalonate and farnesyl pyrophosphate in fungal cells, thereby influencing various processes regulated by these compounds.”

    From Statins as Antifungal Agents: A Review on Drug Repurposing and Nanotechnology-Driven Delivery Strategies (2025) · cites this paper as [117]

    Section 2 says statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and halt mevalonate production; §4.1 says fungi use that enzyme for the same step. Section 4.1 identifies farnesyl pyrophosphate as a precursor in fungal sterol synthesis, but does not say statins reduce its levels in fungal cells. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 15

  1. Lohans CT, van Groesen E, Kumar K, Tooke CL, Spencer J, Paton RS, et al. A New Mechanism for β-Lactamases: Class D Enzymes Degrade 1β-Methyl Carbapenems through Lactone Formation. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2018;57:1282-5.
  2. Westermeyer C, Macreadie IG. Simvastatin reduces ergosterol levels, inhibits growth and causes loss of mtDNA in Candida glabrata. FEMS yeast research. 2007;7:436-41.
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  5. Sirtori CR. The pharmacology of statins. Pharmacol Res. 2014;88:3-11.
  6. Catron D, Lange Y, Borensztajn J, Sylvester M, Jones B, Haldar K. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium requires nonsterol precursors of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway for intracellular proliferation. Infect Immun. 2004;72:1036-42.
  7. Lee JW, Bae SH, Jeong JW, Kim SH, Kim KW. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1)alpha: its protein stability and biological functions. Exp Mol Med. 2004;36:1-12.
  8. Wilding EI, Kim D-Y, Bryant AP, Gwynn MN, Lunsford RD, McDevitt D, et al. Essentiality, Expression, and Characterization of the Class II 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase ofStaphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 2000;182:5147-52.
  9. Plotkin B, Konaklieva M. Possible role of sarA in dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) -mediated increase in Staphylococcus aureus resistance to vancomycin. Chemother. 2007;53:181-4.
  10. McKenney JM, Ganz P, Wiggins BS, Saseen JS. Statins. Clinical lipidology: Elsevier; 2009. p. 253-80.
  11. Lundgren A, Trollmo C, Edebo A, Svennerholm AM, Lundin BS. Helicobacter pylori-specific CD4+ T cells home to and accumulate in the human Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa. Infect Immun. 2005;73:5612-9.
  12. Shimokata K, Katayama Y, Murayama H, Suematsu M, Tsukihara T, Muramoto K, et al. The proton pumping pathway of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007;104:4200-5.
  13. Bellanger A-P, Tatara AM, Shirazi F, Gebremariam T, Albert ND, Lewis RE, et al. Statin Concentrations Below the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Attenuate the Virulence of Rhizopus oryzae. J Infect Dis. 2016;214:114-21.
  14. Samji T. Influenza A: understanding the viral life cycle. Yale J Biol Med. 2009;82:153-9.
  15. Liu X, Ma L, Chen F, Liu J, Yang H, Lu Z. Synergistic antibacterial mechanism of Bi(2)Te(3) nanoparticles combined with the ineffective β-lactam antibiotic cefotaxime against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Inorg Biochem. 2019;196:110687.

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Authors
Plotkin, B. J., Borrelli, A., Erbst, M., Zheng, V., Konaklieva, M. I., Schileru, N., & Sigar, I. M.
Affiliations
  • Midwestern University (US)
  • American University (US)
Corresponding author
Balbina J Plotkin
ORCID
Venue
World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Publisher
GSC Online Press
Published
2022-09-30
Volume
11
Issue
3
Pages
001-012
ISSN
2582-5542 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.30574/wjbphs.2022.11.3.0114
OpenAlex
W4297961378
Cited by
1
References
85
Citations by year
2025: 1
FWCI
0.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Midwestern University
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Antimicrobial agents and applications
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism
Keywords
statins, antimicrobial activity, structure-activity relationship, bacterial infection, antifungal activity, antiviral activity, biofilm

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