title: Beta-sheet antibiotic peptides as potential dental therapeutics.
abstract: Small, cysteine-rich, beta-sheet peptide antibiotics are found throughout the Animalia. Though broad spectrum in potential, they may exert selective antimicrobial effects under certain conditions. We have explored the antimicrobial properties of two families of beta-sheet peptide antibiotics, defensins and protegrins, against periodontopathic bacteria. The rabbit defensin NP-1 was active against facultative Gram-negative bacteria associated with early onset periodontitis, including Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and the Capnocytophaga spp. Porcine protegrins showed even greater activity against those organisms, as well as against anaerobic bacteria associated with adult periodontitis, including Porphyromonas gingivalis Prevotella intermedia and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Based on these observations, we believe that protegrin-like beta-sheet peptide antibiotics may be useful dental therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: UCLA School of Dentistry, Section of Oral Biology 90095-1668, USA. kmiyasak@ucla.edu
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Miyasaki
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lehrer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D023082:Defensins; D003752:Dental Health Services; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011506:Proteins; C057636:tachyplesin peptide, Tachypleus tridentatus