title: The cationic peptide magainin II is antimicrobial for Burkholderia cepacia-complex strains.
abstract: This study was undertaken to determine the antibacterial activity of eight cationic antimicrobial peptides towards strains of genomovars I-V of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) in time-kill assays. All but one of the peptides failed to show activity against the panel of test strains. The exception was magainin II, a 23 aa peptide isolated from the epidermis of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, which exhibited significant bactericidal activity for Bcc genomovars most frequently associated with lung infection of patients with cystic fibrosis. In vitro studies indicated that magainin II protected a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) from killing by Bcc and suggest that this peptide may have therapeutic potential against these organisms.
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Joanne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Thwaite
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Laws
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: David O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Ulaeto
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Titball
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Helen S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Atkins
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D042602:Burkholderia cepacia complex / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D004355:Drug Stability; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D054806:Magainins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054806:Magainins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C053301:magainin 2 peptide, Xenopus; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases