title: The morphological effects of two antimicrobial peptides, hecate-1 and melittin, on Escherichia coli.
abstract: The effects of the 26 amino acid, cationic, amphipathic, antibacterial peptide melittin and hecate-1, a 23 amino acid analog of it, on the gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and freeze-fracture. Both peptides killed virtually all bacteria at the peptide concentration and cell density used. TEM and SEM revealed aggregates of bacteria entangled with material extruded from the bacterial surfaces. SEM revealed irregular bacterial surfaces with bleb-like projections. TEM and freeze-fracture indicate that the bacterial inner and outer membranes, as well as the peptidoglycan layer between, were extensively damaged. The cytoplasmic contents of the cells, however, did not appear radically disturbed, providing little evidence for osmotically induced cytolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy, LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge 70803, USA. Henk@vt8200.dnet.lsu.edu
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Henk
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Enright
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D008555:Melitten / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010457:Peptidoglycan; C098827:hecate 1; D008555:Melitten