The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
Two mammalian antimicrobial peptides, FA-LL-37 and cecropin P1, were tested for activity against six uropathogens and five Lactobacillus strains by broth microdilution assay. Both peptides inhibited Escherichia coli at 25 microM (FA-LL-39), and 1.56…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, endogenous, polycationic molecules that constitute a ubiquitous and significant component of innate immunity. These natural antibiotics have broad microbicidal activity against various bacteria, fungi, and env…
The bactericidal activity of synthetic LL-37, a cathelicidin, was assessed against Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (three strains) and Capnocytophaga spp. (three strains). All strains were sensitive to LL-37, and exhibited 99% effective dose of…
We have previously shown that antimicrobial peptides like defensins have the capacity to mobilize leukocytes in host defense. LL-37 is the cleaved antimicrobial 37-residue, COOH-terminal peptide of hCAP18 (human cationic antimicrobial protein with a…
A number of pathogens of the upper respiratory tract express an unusual prokaryotic structure, phosphorylcholine (ChoP), on their cell surface. We tested the hypothesis that ChoP, also found on host membrane lipids in the form of phosphatidylcholine,…
OBJECTIVE: Activated neutrophils extracellularly release antibacterial defensins and cathelicidins from the granules. In this study, to elucidate the interactions between defensins and cathelicidins in the extracellular environment, we evaluated the…
Antimicrobial peptides are naturally occurring antibiotics. As part of the innate immune system of vertebrates they have direct antimicrobial function. Further, they can act as mediators of inflammation. Their antimicrobial spectrum covers gram-posit…
We identified antibacterial components in human T and natural killer (NK) cells by using freshly isolated lymphocytes enriched for T and NK cells as starting material. After growing these lymphocytes for 5 days in the presence of interleukin (IL)-2,…
Cathelicidins are a family of antimicrobial peptides prominent in the host defense mechanisms of several mammalian species. In addition to their antimicrobial activities, these peptides have been implicated in wound healing, angiogenesis, and other i…
Airway surface liquid contains multiple factors thought to provide a first line of defense against bacteria deposited in the airways. Although the antimicrobial action of individual factors has been studied, less is known about how they work in combi…
Antimicrobial peptides are effector molecules of innate immunity that provide a first line of defense against pathogens. In mammals, they are stored in granules of leukocytes and are present in those sites that are exposed to microbial invasion, such…
Cathelicidins are a numerous group of mammalian proteins that carry diverse antimicrobial peptides at the C-terminus of a highly conserved preproregion. These peptides, which become active when released from the proregion, display a remarkable variet…
This paper discusses the following ten subtitles with the contents indicated. 1. To meet a microbe: discusses the four alternatives in host-microbe interactions. 2. Receptors and signal transduction giving gene activation: discusses the lipopolysacch…
CRAMP-18 (GEKLKKIGQKIKNFFQKL) is the antibacterial sequence derived from CRMAP, a member of cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptides. To develop the novel antibiotic peptides useful as therapeutic drugs requires strong antibiotic activity against…
The in vivo mRNA levels for 16 granule proteins during neutrophil differentiation were determined to address the question of whether the synthesis of granule proteins is regulated individually or blockwise. RNA was extracted from peripheral blood gra…
Surfactant preparations obtained from porcine lungs by extraction with chloroform/methanol followed by chromatography over Lipidex-5000 are used for treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants. These preparations contain about 98% p…
Cathelicidins are precursors of defense peptides of the innate immunity and are widespread in mammals. Their structure comprises a conserved prepropiece and an antimicrobial domain that is structurally varied both intra- and inter-species. We investi…
Recent studies suggest that the gene defect in cystic fibrosis (CF) leads to a breach in innate immunity. We describe a novel genetic strategy for reversing the CF-specific defect of antimicrobial activity by transferring a gene encoding a secreted c…
Cathelicidins are a family of antibacterial and lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins. hCAP-18, the only human cathelicidin, is a major protein of the specific granules of human neutrophils. The plasma level of hCAP-18 is >20-fold higher than that of o…
Antibacterial peptides and proteins are an integral part of the epithelial defense barrier that provides immediate protection against bacterial invasion. In humans, alpha-defensins are mainly bactericidal effectors in circulating granulocytes, beta-d…