Helminth Defense Molecules as Design Templates for Membrane Active Antibiotics.
ACS Infect Dis
; 5(8): 1471-1479, 2019 08 09.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31117348
A design template for membrane active antibiotics against microbial and tumor cells is described. The template is an amino acid sequence that combines the properties of helminth defense molecules, which are not cytolytic, with the properties of host-defense peptides, which disrupt microbial membranes. Like helminth defense molecules, the template folds into an amphipathic helix in both mammalian host and microbial phospholipid membranes. Unlike these molecules, the template exhibits antimicrobial and anticancer properties that are comparable to those of antimicrobial and anticancer antibiotics. The selective antibiotic activity of the template builds upon a functional synergy between three distinctive faces of the helix, which is in contrast to two faces of membrane-disrupting amphipathic structures. This synergy enables the template to adapt pore formation mechanisms according to the nature of the target membrane, inducing the lysis of microbial and tumor cells.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Bacteria
/
Drug Design
/
Cell Membrane
/
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
/
Helminths
/
Anti-Bacterial Agents
/
Antineoplastic Agents
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
ACS Infect Dis
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United kingdom
Country of publication:
United States