title: Membrane channel formation by antimicrobial protegrins.
abstract: Protegrins are small, arginine- and cysteine-rich, beta-sheet peptides with potent activity against bacteria, fungi, and certain enveloped viruses. We report that protegrins form weakly anion-selective channels in planar phospholipid bilayers, induce potassium leakage from liposomes and form moderately cation-selective channels in planar lipid membranes that contain bacterial lipopolysaccharide. The disruption of microbial membranes may be a central attribute related to the host defense properties of protegrins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, Suite 67-468 NPI, 750 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1759, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sokolov
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mirzabekov
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lehrer
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Kagan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D004563:Electrochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D010455:Peptides; D010743:Phospholipids; D011506:Proteins; C094880:protegrin-1; C094881:protegrin-3