title: Antibacterial activity of peptides homologous to a loop region in human lactoferrin.
abstract: Human lactoferrin contains a 46 residue sequence named lactoferricin H thought to be responsible for its antimicrobial properties. Synthetic peptides HLT1, corresponding to the loop region of human lactoferricin (FQWQR-NMRKVRGPPVS) and HLT2, corresponding to its charged portion (FQWQRNMRKVR), exerted significant antibacterial effects against E. coli serotype O111 strains NCTC 8007 and ML35. The corresponding sequences in native human lactoferrin were shown to adopt a charged helix and hydrophobic tail within the N-lobe remote from the iron binding site. Sequence similarities between lactoferricin and dermaseptin and magainins suggest that lactoferricin may act as an amphipathic alpha helix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, UMDS Guy's Hospital Dental School, London, U.K.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Odell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foxworthy
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chapple
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001059:Apoproteins / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001059:Apoproteins; C112552:HLP1 protein, synthetic; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C039223:apolactoferrin; C112553:human lactoferrin peptide 2; D007781:Lactoferrin