title: Rapid and reliable detection of antimicrobial peptide penetration into gram-negative bacteria based on fluorescence quenching.
abstract: In this paper, we describe a rapid flow cytometry method to identify antimicrobial peptides that are internalized into bacterial cells and differentiate them from those that are membrane active. The method was applied to fluorescently labeled Bac7(1-35) and polymyxin B, whose mechanisms of action are, respectively, based on cell penetration and on membrane binding and permeabilization. Identification of peptides with the former mechanism is of considerable interest for the intracellular delivery of membrane-impermeant drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benincasa
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pacor
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gennaro
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scocchi
mesh_terms: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011112:Polymyxin B / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C056454:bactenecin; D011112:Polymyxin B