The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
BACKGROUND: Canadian First Nation populations have experienced endemic and epidemic tuberculosis (TB) for decades. Vitamin D-mediated induction of the host defence peptide LL-37 is known to enhance control of pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculo…
Cationic antimicrobial peptides (cAMPs) serve as effective components of the innate host defense against microbial infections. cAMPs often show broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, but narrow-band activity is also observed. Despite their great pote…
BlaI is a repressor of BlaZ, the beta-lactamase responsible for penicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Through screening a transposon library in S. aureus Newman for susceptibility to cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, we discovered BlaI as…
RATIONALE: The PR-39 porcine cathelicidin occurs naturally in animal neutrophils. Its main function is antimicrobial activity, which potentially can be used in antibiotic treatments in veterinary medicine. Investigations concerning such a use require…
PURPOSE: Functions of antimicrobial peptidoglycan recognition proteins (Pglyrp1-4) at the ocular surface are poorly understood. Earlier, we reported an antibacterial role for Pglyrp-1 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis. Here we investigated function…
In silico dissection of crotalicidin (Ctn), a cathelicidin from a South American pit viper, yielded fragments Ctn[1-14] and Ctn[15-34], which were tested to ascertain to what extent they reproduced the structure and activity of the parent peptide. NM…
The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is generated upon proteolytic cleavage of cathelicidin and limits invading pathogens by directly targeting microbial membranes as well as stimulating innate immune cell function. However, some microbes evade LL-37-medi…
Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has recently emerged as an important pathogen in nosocomial infection; thus, effective antimicrobial regimens are urgently needed. Human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit multiple functions and antimicr…
Cell wall anchored virulence factors are critical for infection and colonization of the host by Gram-positive bacteria. Such proteins have an N-terminal leader sequence and a C-terminal sorting signal, composed of an LPXTG motif, a hydrophobic stretc…
PURPOSE: Vitamin D is recognized to be an important modulator of the immune system. In the eye, studies have shown that deficiencies and genetic differences in vitamin D-related genes have a significant impact on the development of various ocular dis…
Mechanical ventilation (MV) of patients can cause damage to bronchoalveolar epithelium, leading to a sterile inflammatory response, infection and in severe cases sepsis. Limited knowledge is available on the effects of MV on the innate immune defense…
The objective of this study was to construct an improved thioredoxin fusion protein expression system, and express the cathelicidin-derived peptide, Lf-CATH2. The improved fusion vector Lf-CATH2-pET32α(-TS) was successfully constructed by firstly del…
This article highlights new members, novel mechanisms of action, new functions, and interesting applications of antimicrobial peptides reported in 2014. As of December 2014, over 100 new peptides were registered into the Antimicrobial Peptide Databas…
The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is the sole member of the human cathelicidin family with immune system-modulating properties and roles in autoimmune disease development. Small molecules able to interact with LL-37 and to modulate its functions have n…
According to the World Health Organisation South Africa has the third highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence in the world, with an estimated 60 % incident cases having both TB and HIV. The South African National Tuberculosis Association (SANTA) recogniz…
The human cathelicidin LL-37 has been shown to play a role in host defense against influenza A viruses (IAV) through direct antiviral effects and through modulating inflammatory responses to infection. We recently showed that LL-37 increases neutroph…
The term "microbiota" means genetic inheritance associated with microbiota, which is about 100 times larger than the guest. The tolerance of the resident bacterial flora is an important key element of immune cell function. A key role in the interacti…
BACKGROUND: Oral biofilms are the causative agents of the highly prevalent oral diseases periodontitis and caries. Additionally, the host immune response is thought to play a critical role in disease onset. Neutrophils are known to be a key host resp…
INTRODUCTION: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease caused by unresolved inflammation and tissue repair pathologies triggered by repeated organic dust exposure. The aim of the study was to investigate changes in levels of…
Here we found that levels of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide, were increased in colon cancer tissues compared to noncancerous tissues. Importantly, cathelicidin was mainly expressed in immune cells. Contact with tumor cells caused macrophages…