• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1839-1844
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• 2009

A 20-residue hybrid peptide CA(1-8)-MA(1-12) (CAMA) incorporating residues 1-8 of cecropin A (CA) and residues 1-12 of magainin 2 (MA) has high antimicrobial activity without toxicity. To investigate the effects of the total positive charges of CAMA on the antibacterial activity and toxicity, a hybrid peptide analogue (CAMA-syn) was designed with substitutions of $Ile^{10}\;and\;Ser^{16}$ with Lys. According to CD spectra, structure of CAMA-syn with increase of cationicity was very similar to that of CAMA in DPC micelle. CAMA-syn showed antimicrobial activity similar with CAMA while CAMA-syn has no hemolytic activity and much lower cytotoxicity against RAW 264.7 macrophage cells than CAMA. Also, CAMA and CAMA-syn significantly inhibited NO production by LPSstimulated RAW264.7 macrophage at 10.0∼20.0 $\mu$M. CAMA-syn displayed salt resistance on antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli at the physiological concentrations of $CaCl_2\;and\;MgCl_2$. The combination studies of peptides and antibiotics showed that CAMA-syn has synergistic effects with synthetic compound and flavonoid against Enterococcus faecalis and VREF. CAMA-syn can be a good candidate for the development of new antibiotics with potent antibacterial and synergistic activity but without cytotoxicity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.569-576
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• 2007

Four hundred and fifty tilapias ($6.77{\pm}0.23$ g) were assigned randomly to six groups to evaluate the feasibility of the tested antibacterial peptides (ABPs) and oligosaccharides as substitutes for antibiotics. The control group was fed with a commercial tilapia diet; other five groups were fed with the same commercial diet supplemented with konjac glucomannan (KGLM), cluster bean galactomannan (CBGAM), and three animal intestinal ABPs derived from chicken, pig and rabbit at 100 mg/kg respectively. After 21 days of feeding, growth, disease resistance, and in vivo anti-adherence were determined. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of tested agents on adhesion of Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria (A.vbs) strain BJCP-5 to tilapia enteric epithelia in vitro was assessed by cell-ELISA system. As a result, the tested agents supplemented at 100 mg/kg show significant benefit to tilapia growth and disease resistance (p<0.05), and the benefit may be correlated with their interfering in the contact of bacteria with host mucosal surface. Although none of the tested agents did inhibit the growth of BJCP-5 in tryptic soy broth at $100{\mu}g/ml$, all of them did inhibit the adhesion of A.vbs to tilapia enteric epithelia in vivo and in vitro. In vitro mimic assays show that three ABPs at low concentrations of $25{\mu}g/ml$ and $2.5{\mu}g/ml$ have the reciprocal dose-dependent anti-adherence effect. The inhibition of ABPs may be correlated with a cation bridging and/or receptor-ligand binding, but not with hydrophobicity. The KGLM and CBGAM inhibited the adherence of BJCP-5 to tilapia enteric epithelia with dose-dependent manner in vitro, and this may be through altering bacterial hydrophobicity and interfering with receptor-ligand binding. Our results indicate that the anti-adherence of the tested ABPs and oligosaccharides may be one of the mechanisms in promoting tilapia growth and resistance to A.vbs.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 2012

Antimicrobial peptides of insects are found and reported as immune defence system against infectious agents. The peptides are produced by fat body cells and thrombocytoids, a blood cell type. Defensin is 38-45 amino acids long and consists of an ${\alpha}$-helix linked by a loop to an antiparallel ${\beta}$-sheet. Defensin from a bumblebee, Bombus ignitus, is known to comprise 52 amino acid residues. This peptide consists of two ${\alpha}$-helixes; ACAANCLSM and KTNFKDLWDKRF and one ${\beta}$-sheet; GGRCENGVCLCR. We carried out antibacterial activity test by radial diffusion assay against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive), Escherichia coli (Gram negative), Pseudomonas syringae (Gram negative), Candida albicans (fungi), MDRPA, MRSA, and VRE (antimicrobial resistant microbes) with synthetic oligopeptides from Peptron (Daejeon, Korea). The predicted curtailment fragment (GGRCEVCLCR-$NH_2$) for ${\beta}$-sheet had strong antibacterial activity when internal amino acids were removed. But, curtailment fragments (ACAANCLSM-$NH_2$ and TNFKDLWDKR-$NH_2$) of ${\alpha}$-helix were not showed antibacterial activity. These synthetic oligopeptides were showed the great activity against Gram positive and negative bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2022

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role in innate immunity against pathogenic infections. AMPs exterminate pathogenic bacteria by disrupting cell membranes or inhibiting intracellular molecules. NK-2, first identified in pigs and derived from NK-lysin, has antimicrobial effects against bacteria and parasites. In this study, chimeric peptides (cpNK) of chicken and pig NK-2 and cpNK-derived peptides (cpNK-a1 and cpNK-a2) were synthesized, and their antimicrobial effects against various pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were investigated. The structure of chimeric peptides from chicken and pig NK-2, cpNK, include α-helix like NK-2 and peptide net charge was +9 like porcine NK-2. The cpNK peptide showed powerful bactericidal effects against most bacterial species, including MRSA, especially against gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, cpNK-derived short peptides, cpNK-a1 and a2 also showed bactericidal activity, but the effects were weaker than those of cpNK. Therefore, we conclude that cpNK- and cpNK-derived short peptides have the potential to be used as antibiotic alternatives.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1046-1056
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• 2016

RV-23 is a melittin-related antibacterial peptide (MRP) with lower cytotoxicity than either melittin or AR-23, another MRP. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism of RV-23's antibacterial selectivity and its hemocompatibility. The results showed that all the peptides exhibited lytic activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with RV-23 showing the highest potency. Moreover, RV-23 had lower cytotoxicity than melittin or AR-23 at their minimal inhibitory concentration. In addition, CD experiments showed that melittin, RV-23, and AR-23 all had a typical α-helical structure, and RV-23 had the lowest α-helix content. The structural information showed that RV-23 has the lowest hydrophobicity and highest hydrophobic moment. Because hydrophobicity and α-helix content are believed to correlate with hemolysis, the results indicate that the selective lytic activity against bacteria of RV-23 may be due to its low hydrophobicity and α-helicity, which lead to low cytotoxicity without affecting antibacterial activity. Furthermore, RV-23 did not affect the structure and function of blood components such as red blood cells, platelets, albumin, and the blood coagulation system. In conclusion, RV-23 is a cell-selective antibacterial peptide with high hemocompatibility due to its unique structure.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.229-233
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• 1997

Indolicidin has been known to have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities against Gram negative and positive bacteria. Its eight analogues were chemically synthesized. The analogue design was based on the analysis of sequence to elucidate the role of some residues in the antibacterial mechanism of indolicidin. Bactericidal activities were assayed against Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris, and the membrane perturbing abilities of the peptides were assayed using a dye containing liposome. Among the eight analogues, $[Gly^4, Gly^6]-Indo,\;[Ile^6,Ile^8]-Indo,\;[Lys^{12}]-Indo$ and $[Thr^2,Tyr^9]-Indo$ showed enhanced antibacterial activities. These results suggest that proline and cationic residues are important in the bactericidal activity of indolicidin. We tried to describe the antimicrobial mechanism of indolicidin with these results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.29-29
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• 2001

Leukocytes are important elements in the host defense against microbial infections. A variety of antimicrobial peptides named as the cathelicidin family have been identified from leukocytes. PMAP-23 derived from porcine myeloid cells is an antimicrobial peptide belong to the cathelicidin family. PMAP-23 was reported to have potent growth inhibition activity against bacterial and tumor cells with no hemolytic activity.(omitted)

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.119-123
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• 2013

The insect baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is useful for producing biologically active recombinant proteins. However, the overexpression of heterologous proteins using this system often results in misfolded proteins and the formation of protein aggregates. To overcome this limitation, we developed a versatile baculovirus expression and secretion system using Bombyx mori protein disulfide isomerase (bPDI) as a fusion partner. bPDI gene fusion was found to improve the secretions and antibacterial activities of recombinant nuecin and enbocin proteins. Thus, we conclude that bPDI gene fusion is a useful addition to BEVS for the large-scale production of bioactive recombinant proteins.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.278-283
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• 2014

Cecropins (Cec) are antibacterial peptides and their expression is induced in a pig intestinal parasite Ascaris suum by bacterial infection. To explore the usefulness of its activity as an antibiotic, CecP4 cDNA was prepared and cloned into the pPICZ B expression vector and followed by the integration into AOX1 locus in Pichia pastoris. The supernatants from cell culture were collected after methanol induction and concentrated for the test of antimicrobial activity. The recombinant P. patoris having CecP4 showed antimicrobial activity when tested against Staphyllococcus aureus in disc diffusion assay. We selected one of the CecP4 clones (CecP4-2) and performed further studies with it. The growth of recombinant P. pastoris was optimized using various concentration of methanol, and it was found that 2% methanol in the culture induced more antibacterial activity, compared to 1% methanol. We extended the test of antimicrobial activity by applying the concentrated supernatant of CecP4 culture to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli respectively. Recombinant CecP4 also showed antimicrobial activity against both Pseudomona and E. coli, suggesting the broad spectrum of its antimicrobial activity. After improvements for the scale-up, it will be feasible to use recombinant CecP4 for supplementation to the feed to control microbial infections in young animals, such as piglets.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.650-655
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• 2011

Three new peptide analogs 5a-c were obtained through coupling of 5-Amino benzimidazoles 2a-c with L-phenylalanine. For the purpose ${\alpha}$-amino group was blocked with phthalic anhydride and activation of ${\alpha}$-carboxy group of phenylalanine was carried out by preparing phthaloyl-L-phenylalanyl chloride 4. After developing a successful peptide linkage, the phthaloyl group was removed by treating 5a-c with hydrazine hydrate to get free peptides 6a-c, purified through a column of Amberlite (IR-4B). All of these compounds 2a-c and 5,6a-c have been characterized on the basis of their IR, 1H NMR and EIMS analyses. Antibacterial activity of these compounds is also been reported.