title: Dermaseptins from Phyllomedusa oreades and Phyllomedusa distincta: Secondary structure, antimicrobial activity, and mammalian cell toxicity.
abstract: The present study reports the structural characteristics, the biological activities, and preliminary clinical investigations of three synthetic members of the dermaseptin family of antimicrobial peptides. The three peptides showed similar tendencies to form alpha-helical structures in non-polar media. The antimicrobial activity towards bacteria and fungi was determined in the micromolar concentration and the peptides did not influenced peritoneal cells viability. One of the peptides was intravenously administered in mice at concentrations similar to those of antibiotics employed in bacterial/fungal infections and it did not cause any detectable changes in cells and tissues.
authors: Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil; Campus Ministro Reis Velloso, Universidade Federal do Piauí - UFPI, Parnaíba, Piauí, 64202-020, PI, Brazil. Electronic address: jrleite@ufpi.br.
authors: José Roberto S A
authors: JRSA
authors: Leite
authors: Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors: Guilherme D
authors: GD
authors: Brand
authors: Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil.
authors: Luciano P
authors: LP
authors: Silva
authors: Área de Morfologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil.
authors: Selma A S
authors: SAS
authors: Kückelhaus
authors: Laboratório Nacional Luz Síncrotón - LNLS, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors: Wilian R C
authors: WRC
authors: Bento
authors: Laboratório SABIN de Análises Clínicas, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors: Antonio L T
authors: ALT
authors: Araújo
authors: Laboratório SABIN de Análises Clínicas, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors: Graciella R
authors: GR
authors: Martins
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UPIS, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors: Andréia M
authors: AM
authors: Lazzari
authors: Laboratório de Espectrometria de Massa, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) - Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Estação Parque Biológico, Final W5, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70770-900, Brazil. Electronic address: cbloch@cenargen.embrapa.br.
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Bloch
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029845:Amphibian Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D001001:Anura; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D041022:Candida tropicalis / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009615:Nocardia / Q000187:drug effects; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000166:cytology*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C527843:dermadistinctin K, Phyllomedusa distincta; C070905:dermaseptin