Anti-microbial peptide

Bulet, P, Stocklin, R., and Menin, L. (2004) Anti-microbial peptides from invertebrates to vertebrates. Immunol. Rev. 198,169-184. 

Dorschner, R.A., Pestonjamasp, V.K., Tamakuwala, S et al. (2001) Cutaneous injury induces the release of cathelicidin anti-microbial peptides active against group A streptococcus. J. Invest. Dermatol. 117, 91-97. 

P NMR has been used to investigate the effects of three anti-microbial peptides isolated from Australian tree frogs Litoria caerulea and L. genimacu-lata on the cell membranes of Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The wide-spectrum antibiotic peptides caerin 1.1 and maculatin 1.1 disrupted cell membranes causing an increase in the isotropic P NMR signal. However, caerin 4.1, a narrow-spectrum antibiotic, did not affect the P spectra of these bacteria. ... 

Two distinct classes of anti-microbial peptides have recently been reported to be produced in Solarium tuberosum (potato). The snakin proteins (StSNl and 2) are cys-teine-rich basic proteins which weigh 7 kDa and show activity against a variety of plant bacterial pathogens including Cla-... 

Cho, J.-H., Homma, K.-I., Kanegasaki, S. and Natori, S. (1999) Activation of human neutrophils by a synthetic anti-microbial peptide, KLKLLLLLKLK-Nh2, via cell surface calreticu-lin. Fur. J. Chem. 266, 878-885. 

Another line of work aimed to improve disease resistance through the use of short proteins known as anti-microbial peptides (AMPs). Several such AMPs were transferred into Chardonnay, and their effects on disease resistance were studied (Vidal et al., 2006 Roseniield et al 2010). The level of resistance to crown gaU disease was markedly improved, but again commercialization was not pursued. 

The interaction between melittin (a 26 a.a. peptide that exhibits potent anti-microbial activity)90 92 and lipopolysaccharides (the major constituent of the outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacteria) has been studied by NMR. It was demonstrated that the C-terminus of melittin adopts a helical structure in the complex with LPS, while the Y-terminus appears in an extended conformation. STD experiments permitted to identify those residues of melittin in close proximity with LPS, which appeared to be located at the C-terminus and thus, engaged in the formation of helical structure. 

L. Jacob, M. Zasloff (1994). Potential therapeutic applications of magninins and other anti-microbial agents of animal origin. In J. Marsh, J.A. Goods, (Eds), Antimicrobial peptides (Vol. 186, pp. 197-223). Ciba Foundation Symposium, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK,... 

The generation of bioactive peptides during microbial fermentation of milk and soybean is now well documented. Such peptides have been shown to exert several bioactivities that have been demonstrated in animal and human studies. Potential health benefits associated with bioactive peptides have been subject of growing commercial interest, especially in the context of functional foods. Milk proteins are the best-known source of bioactive peptides, but peptides with similar properties have also been identified in soybean. Anti-hypertensive peptides derived from milk proteins have already found commercial applications both in Japan and in Europe. This trend is likely to continue, although controversial results in cUnical trials and global differences in health claim regulations call for further scientific and clinical research. 

Metabolites from cyanobacteria are generally of amino acid or polyketide origin and frequently show potent biological activity. The series of dolastatin metabolites, exemplified by dolastatin-10 (Structure 2.18), are linear peptides which show potent cytotoxic activity and are of clinical interest as anti-tumour agents. Originally isolated in very low yield from the Indian Ocean sea hare Dolabella auricularia, dolastatins are now known to be cyanobacterial products.43,44 The discovery of a microbial source for these pharmaceutically important compounds will facilitate study of their biosynthesis and could potentially lead to the production of structural analogues by provision of modified biosynthetic precursors to the cultivar. As discussed below and in Section VI, toxic secondary metabolites from cyanobacteria have often been implicated in the chemical defenses of sea hares.45"17... 

---