title: Antimicrobial activity of polycationic peptides.
abstract: The in vitro activity of six polycationic peptides, buforin II, cecropin P1, indolicidin, magainin II, nisin, and ranalexin, were evaluated against several clinical isolates of gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic bacteria, yeasts, Pneumocystis carinii and Cryptosporidium parvum, by using microbroth dilution methods. The peptides exhibited different antibacterial activities and rapid time-dependent killing. The gram-negative organisms were more susceptible to buforin II and cecropin P1, whereas buforin II and ranalexin were the most active compounds against the gram-positive strains. Similarly, ranalexin showed the highest activity against Candida spp., whereas magainin II exerted the highest anticryptococcal activity. Finally, the peptides showed high anti-Pneumocystis activity, whereas no compound had strong inhibitory effect on C. parvum.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, University of Ancona, Italy. cmalinf@popcsi.unian.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giacometti
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cirioni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barchiesi
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Del Prete
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scalise
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000187:drug effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010455:Peptides; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes