The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
We detected LL-37/hCAP-18 expression in the peripheral blood smears of 50 healthy donors and 143 patients with various hematological diseases. Compared with that in the healthy donors, expression of the protein in the neutrophils was significantly lo…
The oral cavity is a unique environment in which antimicrobial peptides play a key role in maintaining health and may have future therapeutic applications. Present evidence suggests that alpha-defensins, beta-defensins, LL-37, histatin, and other ant…
Immaturity of innate immunity contributes to the increased susceptibility of human neonates to infection. The lung is a major portal of entry for potential pathogens in the neonate, and human beta-defensins (HBDs) and LL-37 participate in pulmonary i…
Mucosal secretions contain a range of defense effector molecules including antimicrobial peptides and proteinase inhibitors. These molecules play a central role in host defense against infection, and in a variety of immune and inflammatory reactions.…
We report the cloning of a novel antimicrobial peptide gene, termed rtCATH_1, found in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. The predicted 216-residue rtCATH_1 prepropeptide consists of three domains: a 22-residue signal peptide, a 128-residue cath…
Defensins and cathelicidins (LL-37) are major antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of the innate immune system of the human skin. In normal non-inflamed skin these peptides are negligible, but their expression can be markedly increased in inflammatory skin…
Antimicrobial peptides play an important role in innate immunity of the lung by acting as effector molecules in host defence against inhaled pathogens. Various families of antimicrobial peptides have been identified, including the cathelicidins. Cath…
Natural killer (NK) cells, innate lymphocyte effectors, kill virus-infected host and tumor cells in non-MHC, non-TCR restricted fashion, unlike T cells. The role of NK cells in recognition and killing of pathogens remains unknown. Expression of the t…
Prophenin-2 (PF-2) is a cathelicidin, 97-amino-acid antimicrobial protein stored in neutrophil secondary granules. PF-2 is expressed specifically in porcine immature myeloid cells; however, little is known about its regulation. In this study, we char…
Human cathelicidin antimicrobial protein hCAP18/LL-37 is an effector molecule of the nonspecific innate immune system. hCAP18/LL-37 is present in leukocytes and is expressed in skin and other epithelia, where it is upregulated in association with inf…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are expressed in the respiratory tract and act as effector substances of the innate immune system. A variety of cells synthesize and secrete AMPs including epithelial and professional host defense cells such as neutrophi…
The brain is protected against invading pathogens by the blood-brain barrier, and also by its own innate defence system consisting of microglia and neurons in a coordinated network. Antimicrobial peptides are a part of the innate immune system at epi…
Cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (mCRAMP), the sole murine cathelicidin, is encoded by the gene Cnlp. We show that mCRAMP expression in the intestinal tract is largely restricted to surface epithelial cells in the colon. Synthetic mCRAMP ha…
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was visualization and localization of the human antimicrobials human beta defensins 1, 2, and 3, neutrophil defensin alpha (human neutrophil peptide), and the cathelicidin LL-37 in normal and burned skin, and determin…
The closure of skin wounds is essential for resistance against microbial pathogens, and keratinocyte migration is an important step in skin wound healing. Cathelicidin hCAP18/LL-37 is an innate antimicrobial peptide that is expressed in the skin and…
Immune defense at an interface with the external environment reflects the functions of physical and chemical barriers provided by epithelial and immune cells. Resident epithelial cells, such as keratinocytes, produce numerous peptides with direct ant…
OBJECTIVE: Mammalian myeloid and epithelial cells express various peptide antibiotics (such as defensins and cathelicidins) that contribute to the innate host defense against invading micro-organisms. Among these, human cathelicidin CAP18/LL-37 (L1-S…
The effects of antimicrobial peptides on artificial membranes have been well-documented; however, reports on the ultrastructural effects on the membranes of micro-organisms are relatively scarce. We compared the effects of histatin 5 and LL-37, two a…
Saliva is essential for a lifelong conservation of the dentition. Various functions of saliva are implicated in the maintenance of oral health and the protection of our teeth: (i) The tooth surface is continuously protected against wear by a film of…
Cathelicidin LL-37 is one of the few human bactericidal peptides with potent antistaphylococcal activity. In this study we examined the susceptibility of LL-37 to proteolytic degradation by two major proteinases produced by Staphylococcus aureus, a m…