title: Fungicidal and cytotoxic activity of a Capsicum chinense defensin expressed by endothelial cells.
abstract: Plant defensins are antimicrobial peptides that exhibit mainly antifungal activity against a broad range of plant fungal pathogens. However, their actions against Candida albicans have not been extensively studied. The mRNA for gamma-thionin, a defensin from Capsicum chinense, has been expressed in bovine endothelial cells. The conditioned medium of these cells showed antifungal activity on germ tube formation (60-70% of inhibition) and on the viability of C. albicans (70-80% of inhibition). Additionally, C. albicans was not able to penetrate transfected cells. Conditioned medium from these cells also inhibited the viability (80%) of the human tumor cell line, HeLa.
authors.affiliation: Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, México.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Anaya-López
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: López-Meza
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Baizabal-Aguirre
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cano-Camacho
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Zarzosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002212:Capsicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D023082:Defensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D023082:Defensins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins