title: Bactenecin, a leukocytic antimicrobial peptide, is cytotoxic to neuronal and glial cells.
abstract: Small antimicrobial peptides are abundantly produced by leukocytes. These peptides are active against a broad range of pathogens, notably bacteria, fungi, and enveloped viruses, but hardly anything is known about their physiological and pathophysiological relevance. We observed that bactenecin, a dodecapeptide, is strongly cytotoxic to rat embryonic neurons, fetal rat astrocytes and human glioblastoma cells. This neurotoxicity is unique to bactenecin, as a panel of antibacterial peptides from vertebrates and invertebrates, like defensins, corticostatin, indolicidin, cecropin P1, tachyplesin I, the magainins, or apidaecins did not impair neuronal viability.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Radermacher
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Schoop
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schluesener
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C056454:bactenecin