Antifungal activity from 14-helical beta-peptides.
We have discovered that short beta-peptides (9 or 10 residues) designed to adopt globally amphiphilic helical conformations display significant antifungal activity. The most promising beta-peptides cause little lysis of human red blood cells at concentrations that kill Candida albicans, a common human fungal pathogen. Since fungi are eukaryotes, discrimination between fungal and human cells is a significant finding. Our beta-peptides are active under assay conditions that mimic physiological ionic strength; in contrast, alpha-helix-forming host-defense alpha-peptides are inactive against C. albicans under these conditions.
Karlsson
Amy J
AJ
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Pomerantz
William C
WC
Weisblum
Bernard
B
Gellman
Samuel H
SH
Palecek
Sean P
SP
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010455:Peptides