In:
Biochemical Journal, Portland Press Ltd., Vol. 334, No. 1 ( 1998-08-15), p. 99-105
Abstract:
An active fragment was identified from tenecin 1, an antibacterial protein belonging to the insect defensin family, by synthesizing the peptides corresponding to the three regions of tenecin 1. Only the fragment corresponding to the C-terminal β-sheet domain showed activity against fungi as well as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, whereas tenecin 1, the native protein, showed activity only against Gram-positive bacteria. CD spectra indicated that each fragment in a membrane-mimetic environment might adopt a secondary structure corresponding to its region in the protein. The leakage of dye from liposomes induced by this fragment suggested that this fragment acts on the membrane of pathogens as a primary mode of action. A comparison between the structure and the activity of each fragment indicated that a net positive charge was a prerequisite factor for activity. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report in which the fragment corresponding to the β-sheet region in antibacterial proteins, which consists of α-helical and β-sheet regions, has been identified as a primary active fragment.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0264-6021
,
1470-8728
Language:
English
Publisher:
Portland Press Ltd.
Publication Date:
1998
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1473095-9
SSG:
12
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