In Vitro Modulation of Complement Activation by Therapeutically Prospective Analogues of the Marine Polychaeta Arenicin Peptides.

The widespread resistance to antibiotics in pathogenic bacteria makes the development of a new generation of antimicrobials an urgent task. The development of new antibiotics must be accompanied by a comprehensive study of all of their biological activities in order to avoid adverse side-effects from their application. Some promising antibiotic prototypes derived from the structures of arenicins, antimicrobial peptides from the lugworm , have been developed.

De novo sequencing of two new cyclic theta-defensins from baboon (Papio hamadryas) leukocytes by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

Two cyclic theta-defensin peptides were isolated from leukocytes of the hamadryas baboon, Papio hamadryas, and purified to homogeneity by gel electrophoresis and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Both peptides had high in vitro activity against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans. Here, we report their de novo sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS).

Aurelin, a novel antimicrobial peptide from jellyfish Aurelia aurita with structural features of defensins and channel-blocking toxins.

A novel 40-residue antimicrobial peptide, aurelin, exhibiting activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, was purified from the mesoglea of a scyphoid jellyfish Aurelia aurita by preparative gel electrophoresis and RP-HPLC. Molecular mass (4296.95 Da) and complete amino acid sequence of aurelin (AACSDRAHGHICESFKSFCKDSGRNGVKLRANCKKTCGLC) were determined.

Purification and primary structure of two isoforms of arenicin, a novel antimicrobial peptide from marine polychaeta Arenicola marina.

Two novel 21-residue antimicrobial peptides, arenicin-1 and arenicin-2, exhibiting activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, were purified from coelomocytes of marine polychaeta Arenicola marina (lugworm) by preparative gel electrophoresis and RP-HPLC. Molecular masses (2758.3 and 2772.