15038 studies
Burkholderia thailandensis is a Gram-negative soil bacterium used as a model organism for B. pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis and an organism classified category B priority pathogen and a Tier 1 select agent for its potential use as a…
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…
Naja atra cathelicidin (NA-CATH) is a 34-amino acid highly cationic peptide identified in Chinese cobras to possess potent toxicity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and low toxicity against host cells. Here, we report the NMR solution…
OP-145, a synthetic antimicrobial peptide developed from a screen of the human cathelicidin LL-37, displays strong antibacterial activities and is--at considerably higher concentrations--lytic to human cells. To obtain more insight into its actions,…
The emergence of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains has led to the development of new antituberculous agents. In this context, antimicrobial targeting proteins to the cell membrane are interesting due to the avoidance of the plasm…
LL-37 is a human antimicrobial peptide (AMP) of the cathelicidin family with multiple activities including a mediator of vitamin D-induced autophagy in human macrophages, resulting in intracellular killing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In a pr…
BACKGROUND: Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are known to release from almost all Gram-negative bacteria during normal growth. OMVs carry different biologically active toxins and enzymes into the surrounding environment. We suggest that OMVs may theref…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the immune system in a wide range of organisms. They generally carry positive charges under physiological conditions, allowing them to accumulate on the negatively charged bacterial membrane as the first step…
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a frequent gynecological condition caused by Candida albicans and a few non-albicans Candida spp. It has a significant impact on the quality of life of the affected women also due to a considerable incidence of recur…
The defining hallmark of the newly described species, Staphylococcus argenteus, in comparison to its sister species, S. aureus and S. schweitzeri, is the absence of production of the carotenoid pigment, staphyloxanthin. Staphylococcus argenteus lacks…
Ceragenins constitute a novel family of cationic antibiotics characterized by a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, which have mostly been assessed in vitro. Using a polarized human lung epithelial cell culture system, we evaluated the antiba…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) expressed by epithelial and immune cells are largely described for the defense against invading microorganisms. Recently, their immunomodulatory functions have been highlighted in various contexts. However how AMPs expre…
Experimental models of bacterial and viral infections in cattle have suggested vitamin D has a role in innate immunity of cattle. The intracrine vitamin D pathway of bovine macrophages, however, has only been shown to activate a nitric oxide-mediated…
The human cathelicidin LL-37 peptide is overexpressed in psoriasis and has been demonstrated to be a multifunctional modulator of innate immune response elements, including monocytes. Monocytes, categorized into three populations based on the cell su…
Antibiotic resistance poses an increasingly grave threat to the public health. Of pressing concern, rapid spread of carbapenem-resistance among multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative rods (GNR) is associated with few treatment options and high morta…
The common causes of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are cardiovascular events and infectious disease. These patients are also predisposed to the development of vitamin D deficiency, which leads to an increased risk of immune dysfuncti…
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…