title: An atomic force microscopy study of Galleria mellonella apolipophorin III effect on bacteria.
abstract: Apolipophorin III (apoLp-III) is an abundant hemolymph protein involved in lipid transport and immune response in insects. As revealed by LIVE/DEAD staining, incubation of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in the presence of Galleria mellonella apoLp-III led to growth inhibition of selected bacteria. An atomic force microscopy (AFM) study of bacterial cells after apoLp-III treatment showed considerable alterations in the cell surface of Bacillus circulans, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhimurium. Our results clearly demonstrate that apoLp-III disturbed the proper structure of the bacterial cell surface. The alterations were dissimilar to those caused by cationic antimicrobial peptide, cecropin B, suggesting a different mode of action against bacteria. The present results indicate that AFM provides a powerful tool for studying the interactions of apoLp-III with microbial cells.
authors: Department of Invertebrate Immunology, Institute of Biology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 19 Akademicka St., 20-033 Lublin, Poland [corrected].
authors: Agnieszka
authors: A
authors: Zdybicka-Barabas
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Januszanis
authors: Pawel
authors: P
authors: Mak
authors: Małgorzata
authors: M
authors: Cytryńska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D009036:Moths / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; C042470:apolipophorin III