title: Supramolecular amphipathicity for probing antimicrobial propensity of host defence peptides.
abstract: Host defence peptides (HDPs) are effector components of innate immunity that provide defence against pathogens. These are small-to-medium sized proteins which fold into amphipathic conformations toxic to microbial membranes. Here we explore the concept of supramolecular amphipathicity for probing antimicrobial propensity of HDPs using elementary HDP-like amphiphiles. Such amphiphiles are individually inactive, but when ordered into microscopic micellar assemblies, respond to membrane binding according to the orthogonal type of their primary structure. The study demonstrates that inducible supramolecular amphipathicity can discriminate against bacterial growth and colonisation thereby offering a physico-chemical rationale for tuneable targeting of biological membranes.
authors.affiliation: National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0WL, UK. max.ryadnov@npl.co.uk.
authors.forename: Jascindra
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ravi
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: Ana J V
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Baptiste
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lamarre
authors.forename: Maxim G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ryadnov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides