title: Epinecidin-1, an antimicrobial peptide from fish (Epinephelus coioides) which has an antitumor effect like lytic peptides in human fibrosarcoma cells.
abstract: Epinecidin-1, a synthetic 21-mer antimicrobial peptide originally identified from grouper (Epinephelus coioides), specifically exhibited high antimicrobial activities against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In the current study we report on the in vitro cytotoxicity of the peptide, an important factor before it can be considered for further applications in cancer therapy. The cytotoxicity of epinecidin-1 was investigated against several cancer cells (A549, HA59T/VGH, HeLa, HepG2, HT1080, RAW264.7, and U937) and normal cells (AML-12, NIH3T3, and WS-1) with the MTT assay, and the inhibition of cancer cell growth was confirmed by a soft agar assay and scanning electron microscopy. However, cell variations were detected with AO/EtBr staining, while apoptosis and necrosis gene expressions in HT1080 cells after treatment with the epinecidin-1 peptide and Nec-1 showed that epinecidin-1 had an anti-necrosis function in HT1080 cells. The data presented here indicate that epinecidin-1 has in vitro antitumor activity against the HT1080 cell line, and functions like lytic peptides. In addition, our results suggest that epinecidin-1 may prove to be an effective chemotherapeutic agent for human fibrosarcoma cells in the future.
authors.affiliation: Marine Research Station, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, 23-10 Dahuen Rd., Jiaushi, Ilan 262, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Ju
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-Lun
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.forename: Chia-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Tai-Lang
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jyh-Yih
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shu-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Cho-Fat
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D010473:Perciformes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D029941:Fish Proteins; D007093:Imidazoles; D007211:Indoles; C521392:epinecidin-1, Epinephelus coioides; C507699:necrostatin-1