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Leishmania donovani: thionins, plant antimicrobial peptides with leishmanicidal activity.
Berrocal-Lobo, Marta; Molina, Antonio; Rodríguez-Palenzuela, Pablo; García-Olmedo, Francisco; Rivas, Luis.
Affiliation
  • Berrocal-Lobo M; Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid, Spain. m.berrocal@upm.es
Exp Parasitol ; 122(3): 247-9, 2009 Jul.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19361504
ABSTRACT
The leishmanicidal activity of plant antibiotic peptides (PAPs) from the principal families, such wheat thionins, a barley lipid transfer protein and potato defensins and snakins were tested in vitro against Leishmania donovani. Only thionins and defensins were active against this human pathogen at a low micromolar range of concentrations. Thionins resulted as the most active peptides tested until now. They collapsed ionic and pH gradients across the parasite plasma membrane together with a rapid depletion of intracellular ATP without affecting mitochondrial potential. Hence the lethal effect of thionins was mostly associated to permeabilization of the plasma membrane leading to an immediate death of the parasite. The present work is the first evidence for leishmanicidal activity in plant peptides. Future prospects for their development as new antiparasite agents on human diseases are considered.
Subject(s)

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Leishmania donovani / Thionins Limits: Animals Language: En Journal: Exp Parasitol Year: 2009 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Spain

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Leishmania donovani / Thionins Limits: Animals Language: En Journal: Exp Parasitol Year: 2009 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Spain