title: The NK-lysin derived peptide NK-2 preferentially kills cancer cells with increased surface levels of negatively charged phosphatidylserine.
abstract: The NK-lysin derived peptide NK-2 is a potent antibacterial, but non-toxic to a human keratinocyte cell line and of low hemolytic activity. Its target selectivity is based upon a strong binding preference to membranes containing anionic phospholipids, which are normally not found on the surface of human cells. Here, we analyzed the interaction of NK-2 with normal human lymphocytes and seven different human cancer cell lines and demonstrate that some of these cells expose negatively charged surface phosphatidylserine (PS), which presumably facilitates killing of the cells by NK-2. This is underlined by the specific intercalation of the peptide into PS-containing liposomes analyzed by fluorescence-resonance energy transfer spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schröder-Borm
authors.forename: Rumiana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bakalova
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrä
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010455:Peptides / Q000633:toxicity*; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008081:Liposomes; C093238:NK-lysin; D010455:Peptides; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D011510:Proteolipids; C475945:peptide NK-2