title: Melittin: a membrane-active peptide with diverse functions.
abstract: Melittin is the principal toxic component in the venom of the European honey bee Apis mellifera and is a cationic, hemolytic peptide. It is a small linear peptide composed of 26 amino acid residues in which the amino-terminal region is predominantly hydrophobic whereas the carboxy-terminal region is hydrophilic due to the presence of a stretch of positively charged amino acids. This amphiphilic property of melittin has resulted in melittin being used as a suitable model peptide for monitoring lipid-protein interactions in membranes. In this review, the solution and membrane properties of melittin are highlighted, with an emphasis on melittin-membrane interaction using biophysical approaches. The recent applications of melittin in various cellular processes are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raghuraman
authors.forename: Amitabha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D007891:Leishmania / Q000378:metabolism; D008555:Melitten / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017510:Protein Folding; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008555:Melitten