title: Fungicidal effect of antimicrobial peptide arenicin-1.
abstract: Arenicin-1 is a 21-residue peptide which was derived from Arenicola marina. In this study, we investigated the antifungal effects and its mechanism of action towards human pathogenic fungi. Arenicin-1 exerted remarkable fungicidal activity with both energy-dependent and salt-insensitive manners. To investigate the fungicidal mechanisms of arenicin-1, the membrane interactions of arenicin-1 were examined. Flow cytometric analysis, using propidium iodide (PI) and bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethine oxonol [DiBAC(4)(3)], as well as fluorescence analysis, regarding the membrane probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), were conducted against Candida albicans. The results demonstrated that arenicin-1 was associated with lipid bilayers and induced membrane permeabilization. Additionally, the membrane studies in regard to liposomes resembling the phospholipid bilayer of C. albicans confirmed the membrane-disruptive potency of arenicin-1. Therefore, the present study suggests that arenicin-1 exerts its fungicidal effect by disrupting fungal phospholipid membranes.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, 1370 Sankyuk-dong, Puk-ku, Daegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Cana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong Gun
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019810:Sodium Azide / Q000494:pharmacology; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010455:Peptides; C496888:arenicin-1, Arenicola marina; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene; D019810:Sodium Azide