In:
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 47, No. 2 ( 2003-02), p. 607-613
Abstract:
Antimicrobial peptides are widespread in nature and have been evolutionarily conserved as essential tools for combating a variety of pathogens. Among the plethora of natural peptides and synthetic analogs thereof studied in recent years for their antimicrobial activities, only a very few are known to be effective against protozoan parasites. In the present study we investigated the activity of NK-lysin, a broad-spectrum effector polypeptide of mammalian cytotoxic lymphocytes, against trypomastigotes of the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro. Moreover, the activity of a synthetic peptide named NK-2 that corresponds to the cationic core region of NK-lysin was tested in parallel against this parasite. T. cruzi was found to be highly susceptible to both peptides, as evidenced by inhibition of the mobility of trypomastigotes. The peptides rapidly permeabilized the plasma membrane of the parasite since micromolar concentrations resulted in the release of cytosolic enzymes within minutes. NK-lysin and NK-2 were even found to kill trypanosomes residing inside the human glioblastoma cell line 86HG39, but only NK-2 left the host cells apparently unharmed.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0066-4804
,
1098-6596
DOI:
10.1128/AAC.47.2.607-613.2003
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Society for Microbiology
Publication Date:
2003
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1496156-8
SSG:
12
SSG:
15,3
