Innate immunity of invertebrates offers potent antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against drug-resistant infections. To identify new worm β-hairpin AMPs, we explored the sequence diversity of proteins with a BRICHOS domain, which comprises worm AMP precursors. Strikingly, we discovered new BRICHOS AMPs not in worms, but in caecilians, the least studied clade of vertebrates. Two precursor proteins from Microcaecilia unicolor and Rhinatrema bivittatum resemble SP-C lung surfactants and bear worm AMP-like peptides at C-termini. The analysis of M. unicolor tissue transcriptomes shows that the AMP precursor is highly expressed in the lung along with regular SP-C, suggesting a different, protective function. The peptides form right-twisted β-hairpins, change conformation upon lipid binding, and rapidly disrupt bacterial membranes. Both peptides exhibit broad-spectrum activity against multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens with 1-4 μM MICs and remarkably low toxicity, giving 40-70-fold selectivity towards bacteria. These BRICHOS AMPs, previously unseen in vertebrates, reveal a novel lung innate immunity mechanism and offer a promising antibiotics template.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149913 | DOI Listing |
Small Methods
December 2024
Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
Colored contact lenses have gained popularity among young individuals owing to their ability to alter the appearance of the wearer's eyes. However, conventional lenses containing chemical dyes are susceptible to detachment of the pigment layer, which can lead to corneal damage. In this research, a novel cellulose-based structural color contact lens (SCCL) is presented that enhances aesthetic appeal via a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) layer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
December 2024
Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia.
The gut microbiota influences the reactivity of the immune system, and has emerged as an anti-inflammatory commensal. Here, we investigated whether its lysate could prevent severe forms of neuroinflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice and how this preventive strategy affects the gut microbiota and immune response. Lysate of anaerobically cultured (Pd lysate) was orally administered to C57BL/6 mice in four weekly doses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasit Vectors
December 2024
Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Rd., Statesboro, GA, 30460, USA.
Background: Fleas are insect vectors that transmit several Gram-negative bacterial pathogens acquired by ingesting infected vertebrate blood. To combat foodborne illness, insect midgut epithelial cells are armed with efficient microbial recognition and control systems, such as the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway that regulates the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, despite their medical and veterinary importance, relatively little is known about the IMD signaling pathway and production of AMPs in the digestive tract of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis).
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December 2024
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Muang, Phitsanulok, Thailand.
Background: poses a significant public health threat. Phage-encoded antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising candidates in the battle against antibiotic-resistant .
Methods: Antimicrobial peptides from the endolysin of bacteriophage were designed from bacteriophage vB_AbaM_PhT2 and vB_AbaAut_ChT04.
Fish Shellfish Immunol
December 2024
School of Aquatic and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:
Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1), a scaffold protein, plays a pivotal role in the NF-κB pathway downstream of T-cell receptors (TCRs) and B-cell receptors (BCRs). As a key signaling hub, MALT1 integrates various pathways, making it essential for both innate and adaptive immunity. However, its role in the antibacterial immune responses of crustaceans remains unclear.
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