title: LEAP-1, a novel highly disulfide-bonded human peptide, exhibits antimicrobial activity.
abstract: We report the isolation and characterization of a novel human peptide with antimicrobial activity, termed LEAP-1 (liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide). Using a mass spectrometric assay detecting cysteine-rich peptides, a 25-residue peptide containing four disulfide bonds was identified in human blood ultrafiltrate. LEAP-1 expression was predominantly detected in the liver, and, to a much lower extent, in the heart. In radial diffusion assays, Gram-positive Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus carnosus, and Gram-negative Neisseria cinerea as well as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae dose-dependently exhibited sensitivity upon treatment with synthetic LEAP-1. The discovery of LEAP-1 extends the known families of mammalian peptides with antimicrobial activity by its novel disulfide motif and distinct expression pattern.
authors.affiliation: Niedersächsisches Institut für Peptid-Forschung, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neitz
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Mägert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Forssmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schulz-Knappe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adermann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001410:Bacillus megaterium / Q000187:drug effects; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004220:Disulfides; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016982:Micrococcus luteus / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009343:Neisseria / Q000187:drug effects; D010455:Peptides / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004220:Disulfides; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins