The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
Cathelicidins are a class of small cationic peptide antibiotics that are expressed in skin and in other epithelial cells and are an active component of mammalian innate immunity. Human cathelicidin (hCAP18/LL-37) consists of a conserved prosequence c…
The human cathelicidin anti-microbial protein, hCAP18 is a component of the innate immune system and has broad anti-microbial activity conferred by its C-terminal fragment LL-37. hCAP18 is constitutively produced in leukocytes and is induced in barri…
Some isolates of the significant human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, including virulent strains of the M1 serotype, secrete protein SIC. This molecule, secreted in large quantities, interferes with complement function. As a result of natural selec…
BACKGROUND & AIMS: LL-37/human cationic antimicrobial peptide 18 (hCAP18) is a human cathelicidin with broad-spectrum antimicrobial, lipopolysaccharide binding, and chemotactic activities. This study examined the role of LL-37/hCAP18 in gastric innat…
LL-37 displays potent broad-spectrum activity against a number of pathogenic bacteria and is the only cathelicidin thus far identified in humans. In this study, we examined the capacity of human LL-37 and the similar CAP-18-derived peptide from rabbi…
The two-component regulatory system PhoP-PhoQ of Pseudomonas aeruginosa regulates resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides, polymyxin B and aminoglycosides in response to low Mg2+ conditions. We have identified a second two-component regulatory…
A database search identified a rat cDNA clone which phylogenetic analysis revealed to encode a cathelicidin most similar to mouse cathelicidin CRAMP. The analysis also showed that the evolutionary pattern of the cathelicidin family is lineage specifi…
In addition to acting as a physical barrier against microorganisms, the skin produces antimicrobial peptides and proteins. After wounding, growth factors are produced to stimulate the regeneration of tissue. The growth factor response ceases after re…
Antibacterial peptides function as effectors for defense in innate immunity. In mammals, they are implicated in the barrier protection of epithelia where their expression can be induced during infection and inflammation. Over a dozen of antibacterial…
Antimicrobial peptides are components of the innate immune systems of a wide variety of eukaryotic organisms and are being developed as antibiotics in the fight against bacterial and fungal infections. We explored the potential activities of antimicr…
One component of host defence at mucosal surfaces are epithelial-derived antimicrobial peptides. Cathelicidins are one family of antimicrobial peptides characterized by conserved pro-peptide sequences that have been identified in several mammalian sp…
Cathelicidins are a gene family of antimicrobial peptides produced as inactive precursors. Signal peptidase removes the N-terminal signal sequence, while peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase often amidates and cleaves the C-terminal region.…
Antimicrobial peptides are part of the innate host defense system, and inactivation of these peptides is implicated in airway infections in cystic fibrosis (CF). The sputum of patients with CF contains anionic polyelectrolytes, including F-actin and…
BACKGROUND: Salivary secretions play a critical role in maintaining oral health via innate host defense mechanisms and secretion of secretory IgA. One of the antimicrobial peptides, LL-37, is the only cathelicidin protein that has yet been identified…
BACKGROUND: Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), released by Gram-negative bacteria, cause vascular expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) leading to nitric oxide (NO) production and septic shock. Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (LL-37)…
Antimicrobial peptides/proteins are widespread in nature and play a critical role in host defense. To investigate whether these components contribute to surface protection of newborns at birth, we have characterized antimicrobial polypeptides in vern…
OBJECTIVE: LL-37 is one of the antimicrobial peptides and the only member of the cathelicidin family identified so far in humans. We attempted to find a correlation between LL-37 peptide and inflammation of the nasal mucosa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nas…
Antimicrobial peptides are effector molecules of the innate immune system and contribute to host defense and regulation of inflammation. The human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37/hCAP-18 is expressed in leukocytes and epithelial cells and se…
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) exert profound effects on the colonic mucosa. In particular, SCFA modulate mucosal immune functions. The antimicrobial cathelicidin LL-37 is expressed by colon epithelial cells. In the present study…
OBJECTIVES: The cathelicidin-derived peptide SMAP-29 exerts rapid and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against aerobic bacteria and fungi. In this study, the effects of the peptide against the Bacteroides fragilis group, including antibiotic-res…