Article
Infectious Diseases
Jacqueline Barrios Palacios, Jorge Barrios-Payan, Dulce Mata-Espinosa, Jacqueline V. Lara-Espinosa, Juan Carlos Leon-Contreras, Gerald H. Lushington, Tonatiuh Melgarejo, Rogelio Hernandez-Pando
Summary: The water buffalo-derived cathelicidin, WBCATH, exhibits antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, induces mycobacterial damage, enhances the production of protective cytokines, and reduces bacterial loads in a mouse model of pulmonary tuberculosis. The combination of WBCATH with first-line antibiotics also shows a synergistic therapeutic effect. These findings suggest that WBCATH could be a promising adjunct therapy for tuberculosis by enhancing the immune response and potentially shortening the duration of antibiotic treatment.
Article
Immunology
Ana Laura Grossi de Oliveira, Ana Thereza Chaves, Mariana Santos Cardoso, Guilherme Rafael Gomide Pinheiro, Douglas Eulalio Antunes, Maria Aparecida de Faria Grossi, Sandra Lyon, Lilian Lacerda Bueno, Manoel Otavio da Costa Rocha, Cristiane Alves da Silva Menezes, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
Summary: This study focuses on the effects of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and Cath-elicidin Antimicrobial Peptide (CAMP) gene expressions on cytokine levels in leprosy patients. The results indicate that the expressions of these genes are strongly correlated with inflammatory responses and persist even after treatment. Vitamin D supplementation is recommended to improve gene expressions in leprosy patients.
MICROBES AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Munjeong Choi, Hye-Sun Cho, Byeongyong Ahn, Somasundaram Prathap, Soundrarajan Nagasundarapandian, Chankyu Park
Summary: This study analyzed the genetic variations and biological characteristics of bat cathelicidins and identified 19 cathelicidin-like sequences in seven bat species. The number of functional cathelicidin genes differed among bat species. Three cathelicidins with clear antimicrobial signatures were chemically synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. ML-CATH and PD-CATH showed potent antibacterial and antifungal activities with minimal cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. ML-CATH and PD-CATH can be potential candidates for the development of antimicrobial therapeutics.
Article
Fisheries
Carolina Munoz-Flores, Ivan Gonzalez-Chavarria, Felipe Sandoval, Francisco J. Roa, Paulo Palacios, Allisson Astuya, Khaterina Fernandez, Claudia Altamirano, Alex Romero, Jannel Acosta, Jorge R. Toledo
Summary: Intensive salmon farming has led to outbreaks of infections, and the use of antibiotics for prevention and control has negative impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as an alternative. However, the main challenges for their large-scale clinical application are high production costs and complex chemical synthesis. Recombinant DNA technology offers a more sustainable and scalable option, and the designed chimeric peptide demonstrated immunomodulatory activity.
FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Fatima A. H. Al-Jaberi, Cornelia Geisler Crone, Thomas Lindenstrom, Nicolai Skovbjerg Arildsen, Emilia Saederup Lindelov, Louise Aagaard, Eva Gravesen, Rasmus Mortensen, Aase Bengaard Andersen, Klaus Olgaard, Jessica Xin Hjaltelin, Soren Brunak, Charlotte Menne Bonefeld, Martin Kongsbak-Wismann, Carsten Geisler
Summary: Tuberculosis is a serious health issue affecting a significant portion of the global population, with a quarter being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the immune response against M. tuberculosis, but research is hindered by a lack of suitable experimental models. Studying families with hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) provides unique insights into the immunoregulatory effects of vitamin D. A case study of an HVDRR patient with impaired cathelicidin production highlights the importance of vitamin D in combating M. tuberculosis pathophysiology.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Guixi Wang, Zhizhi Chen, Pan Tian, Qinqin Han, Jinyang Zhang, A-Mei Zhang, Yuzhu Song
Summary: Cathelicidin-DM promotes cell proliferation and migration by activating the MAPK signaling pathway, facilitating wound healing. In animal experiments, it accelerates skin wound healing and early debridement, suggesting a new approach for treating infected chronic wounds.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ilia A. Bolosov, Pavel V. Panteleev, Sergei V. Sychev, Veronika A. Khokhlova, Victoria N. Safronova, Ilia Yu. Toropygin, Tatiana I. Kombarova, Olga V. Korobova, Eugenia S. Pereskokova, Alexander I. Borzilov, Tatiana V. Ovchinnikova, Sergey V. Balandin
Summary: In this study, PG-1 analogs with reduced toxicity towards mammalian cells were designed by modifying the charge and hydrophobicity of PG-1. These analogs showed high antimicrobial activity against a range of clinically relevant pathogens and a significant decrease in hemolytic activity. One particularly promising analog, [V16R], demonstrated improved therapeutic efficacy in a mouse model of septicemia and could be a potential candidate for further drug development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Min-Kyeung Choi, Minh Thong Le, Hye-Sun Cho, Juyoung Lee, Hyoim Jeon, Se-Yeoun Cha, Manheum Na, Taehoon Chun, Jin-Hoi Kim, Hyuk Song, Chankyu Park
Summary: The study on PG1 transgenic mice showed positive effects in resisting Staphylococcus aureus infection, with reduced lung injury, improved bacteria clearance, and lower inflammation. However, some individuals developed eye problems, indicating the importance of AMP expression regulation and localization to prevent adverse effects.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ilia A. Bolosov, Pavel Panteleev, Sergei Sychev, Stanislav Sukhanov, Pavel A. Mironov, Mikhail Yu Myshkin, Zakhar O. Shenkarev, Tatiana Ovchinnikova
Summary: This study revealed the widespread presence of dodecapeptide cathelicidins among the Cetruminantia clade, with distinct differences in structure and activity observed between the dodecapeptides from sperm whale and domestic goat. The peptides formed unique structures in membranes and demonstrated interactions with phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. Additionally, a significant synergistic effect was observed when combining the goat cathelicidin peptides, potentially increasing bacterial membrane permeability and enhancing antibacterial activity.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Li-Long Pan, Ming Zhang, Zhengying Li, Binbin Li, Xiaohua Pan, Xiaopei Chen, Bo Yang, Hao Zhang, Wei Chen, Le Zhang, Jia Sun
Summary: In this study, engineered probiotics encoding CRAMP were shown to increase colonic CRAMP production, reduce colon shortening and weight loss, and suppress inflammatory responses in experimental colitis. These findings suggest that CRAMP-encoding L. plantarum may have therapeutic potential for colitis through modulation of colonic CRAMP production.
Article
Fisheries
Jinhai Wang, Baofeng Su, Jacob Al-Armanazi, Allison L. Wise, Mei Shang, Logan Bern, Shangjia Li, De Xing, Andrew Johnson, Wenwen Wang, Darshika U. Hettiarachchi, Michael Coogan, Timothy J. Bruce, Rex A. Dunham
Summary: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in of the alligator cathelicidin gene into the luteinizing hormone locus in transgenic blue catfish improved disease resistance and showed high integration efficiency. The on-target knock-in efficiency of the double-cut plasmid strategy was higher than that of the linear dsDNA strategy. The As-Cath transgenic blue catfish had significantly higher survival rates during Flavobacterium covae infection compared to wild-type controls.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nisachon Jangpromma, Monruedee Konkchaiyaphum, Arpaporn Punpad, Sirinthip Sosiangdi, Sakda Daduang, Sompong Klaynongsruang, Anupong Tankrathok
Summary: In this study, we improved the RN15 antibacterial peptide and identified RN15m4 peptide as a potential derivative antimicrobial peptide through structure modeling and physicochemical designation. RN15m4 peptide exhibits high antimicrobial activity against most bacteria and fungi, with low cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity.
APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Taichiro Ishige, Hiromi Hara, Takashi Hirano, Tomohiro Kono, Kei Hanzawa
Summary: The study aimed to clarify the polymorphisms in CATHs in Japanese quail, providing guidance for improving innate immune response in poultry; amino acid substitutions accompanied by changes in antibacterial activity were found in avian CATHs.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jie Yu, Yue Dai, Yuxuan Fu, Kezhen Wang, Yang Yang, Min Li, Wei Xu, Lin Wei
Summary: LL-37 and CRAMP exhibit antiviral potential against non-enveloped Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection by regulating antiviral immune response and inhibiting viral binding, providing promising candidates for peptide drug development against EV71.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ye Zhang, Chunya Wang, Li Zhang, Jie Yu, Wenjie Yuan, Lei Li
Summary: The study demonstrates that oral administration of Vitamin D-3 reduces H. pylori colonization rate and increases VDR and CAMP expression in gastric mucosa, suggesting a potential role for Vitamin D-3 in eradicating H. pylori.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)