Dermaseptins from Phyllomedusa oreades and Phyllomedusa distincta: Secondary structure, antimicrobial activity, and mammalian cell toxicity

José Roberto S A Leite; Guilherme D Brand; Luciano P Silva; Selma A S Kückelhaus; Wilian R C Bento; Antonio L T Araújo; Graciella R Martins; Andréia M Lazzari; Carlos Bloch Jr

doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.03.016

Dermaseptins from Phyllomedusa oreades and Phyllomedusa distincta: Secondary structure, antimicrobial activity, and mammalian cell toxicity

Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2008 Nov;151(3):336-343. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.03.016. Epub 2007 Mar 20.

Authors

José Roberto S A Leite¹, Guilherme D Brand², Luciano P Silva³, Selma A S Kückelhaus⁴, Wilian R C Bento⁵, Antonio L T Araújo⁶, Graciella R Martins⁶, Andréia M Lazzari⁷, Carlos Bloch Jr⁸

Affiliations

¹ Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil; Campus Ministro Reis Velloso, Universidade Federal do Piauí - UFPI, Parnaíba, Piauí, 64202-020, PI, Brazil. Electronic address: jrleite@ufpi.br.
² Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
³ Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil.
⁴ Área de Morfologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil.
⁵ Laboratório Nacional Luz Síncrotón - LNLS, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
⁶ Laboratório SABIN de Análises Clínicas, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
⁷ Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UPIS, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
⁸ Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil. Electronic address: cbloch@cenargen.embrapa.br.

PMID: 17442605
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.03.016

Abstract

The present study reports the structural characteristics, the biological activities, and preliminary clinical investigations of three synthetic members of the dermaseptin family of antimicrobial peptides. The three peptides showed similar tendencies to form alpha-helical structures in non-polar media. The antimicrobial activity towards bacteria and fungi was determined in the micromolar concentration and the peptides did not influenced peritoneal cells viability. One of the peptides was intravenously administered in mice at concentrations similar to those of antibiotics employed in bacterial/fungal infections and it did not cause any detectable changes in cells and tissues.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Amphibian Proteins / chemistry*
Amphibian Proteins / metabolism
Amphibian Proteins / toxicity*
Animals
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemistry*
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / metabolism
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / toxicity*
Anura
Candida albicans / drug effects*
Candida tropicalis / drug effects
Cell Survival / drug effects
Circular Dichroism
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Leukocyte Count
Mice
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Molecular Sequence Data
Nocardia / drug effects
Peritoneum / cytology*
Protein Structure, Secondary
Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
Streptococcus / drug effects*

Substances

Amphibian Proteins
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
dermadistinctin K, Phyllomedusa distincta
dermaseptin