title: Chemotactic and protease-inhibiting activities of antibiotic peptide precursors.
abstract: We have recently shown that two antimicrobial peptides (Bac5 and Bac7) and/or their immature forms (proBac5 and proBac7) can be released extracellularly from activated neutrophils. In the present study we have investigated the biological activities of the immature forms, which do not exhibit antimicrobial effects. We show that proBac7 is a monocyte-selective chemoattractant, potentially contributing to the recruitment of these cells to infection sites, whereas proBac5 efficiently inhibits the in vitro activity of cathepsin L, a cysteine proteinase thought to contribute to tissue injury in inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Verbanac
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romeo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002417:Cattle; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010450:Endopeptidases; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C078861:CATHL2 protein, Bos taurus; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011506:Proteins; C056454:bactenecin; D002403:Cathepsins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D056668:Cathepsin L