The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
BACKGROUND: The innate immune system of human skin contains antimicrobial peptides known as cathelicidins (LL-37) and beta-defensins. In normal skin these peptides are negligible, but they accumulate in skin affected by inflammatory diseases such as…
The killing of Borrelia burgdorferi by intact human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) and by individual PMNL components was compared. Intact PMNL killed B. burgdorferi 6.5-fold more efficiently and 5-fold more completely when spirochetes were opson…
Antimicrobial peptides are highly conserved evolutionarily and are thought to play an important role in innate immunity at intestinal mucosal surfaces. To better understand the role of the antimicrobial peptide human cathelicidin LL-37/human cationic…
BMAP-28, a bovine antimicrobial peptide of the cathelicidin family, induces membrane permeabilization and death in human tumor cell lines and in activated, but not resting, human lymphocytes. In addition, we found that BMAP-28 causes depolarization o…
Leukocytes accumulate at sites of inflammation and immunological reaction in response to locally existing chemotactic mediators. N-formyl peptides, such as fMet-Leu-Phe (fMLF), are some of the first identified and most potent chemoattractants for pha…
The mast cell is one of the major effector cells in inflammatory reactions and can be found in most tissues throughout the body. During inflammation, an increase in the number of mast cells in the local milieu occurs, and such accumulation requires d…
Cathelicidin peptides are a numerous group of mammalian cationic antimicrobial peptides. Despite a common evolutionary origin of their genes, peptides display a remarkable variety of sizes, sequences and structures. Their spectra of antimicrobial act…
Neutrophil granulocytes carry storage organelles, e.g., azurophil and specific granules. Poorly understood are the mechanisms for retrieval from constitutive secretion followed by sorting for storage. Therefore, we asked whether the specific granule…
Within the last decade, several peptides have been discovered on the basis of their ability to inhibit the growth of potential microbial pathogens. These so-called antimicrobial peptides participate in the innate immune response by providing a rapid…
Tritrpticin, a Trp-rich cationic antimicrobial peptide with a unique amino acid sequence (VRRFPWWWPFLRR), is found in porcine cathelicidin cDNA. Tritrpticin has a broad spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal activities and hemolytic activity compar…
Hagfish intestinal antimicrobial peptides (HFIAPs) are a family of polycationic peptides exhibiting potent, broad-spectrum bactericidal activity. In an attempt to unravel the mechanism of action of HFIAPs, we have studied their interaction with model…
Mammalian myeloid and epithelial cells express various peptide antibiotics (such as defensins and cathelicidins) that contribute to the innate host defense against invading microorganisms. Among these peptides, human cathelicidin CAP18/LL-37 (L(1) to…
The eccrine gland is one of the major cutaneous appendages and secretes sweat. Its principal function is thermoregulation during exposure to a hot environment or physical exercise. In addition to this function, we show that LL-37, a member of catheli…
Effectors of the innate immune system, the anti-bacterial peptides, have pivotal roles in preventing infection at epithelial surfaces. Here we show that proteinases of the significant human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Pro…
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the antibacterial properties of cultured composite keratinocyte grafts can be enhanced by cytokines that stimulate the innate immune response. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Use of composite grafts of cultured keratinocytes…
Cathelicidins are a family of antimicrobial proteins isolated from leucocytes and epithelia cells that contribute to the innate host defense mechanisms in mammalians. Located in the C-terminal part of the holoprotein, the cathelicidin-derived antimic…
The cytoplasmic granules of mammalian neutrophils contain several antimicrobial peptides. Some, like defensins, are fully processed before storage, whereas others are stored as precursors that require additional processing. Cathelicidins are bipartit…
Members of the cathelicidin family are present in all mammals studied. Generally, these proteins contain a conserved N-terminal domain and a structurally and functionally divergent C-terminal region that expresses antibacterial or other activities wh…
The comparative analysis of two cationic antibacterial peptides of the cathelicidin family-indolicidin and tritrypticin-enabled addressing the structural features critical for the mechanism of indolicidin activity. Functional behavior of retro-indoli…
BACKGROUND: Cathelicidins are a group of antibiotic peptides with broad antimicrobial activity. They are considered to be an essential part of the innate immune system. The only known human cathelicidin is the human cationic antimicrobial protein (hC…