Abstract
Cathelicidins are a family of antimicrobial peptides acting as multifunctional effector molecules in innate immunity. Cathelicidin-BF has been purified from the snake venoms of Bungarus fasciatus and it is the first identified cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide in reptiles. In this study, cathelicidin-BF was found exerting strong antibacterial activities against Propionibacterium acnes. Its minimal inhibitory concentration against two strains of P. acnes was 4.7 µg/ml. Cathelicidin-BF also effectively killed other microorganisms including Staphylococcus epidermidis, which was possible pathogen for acne vulgaris. Cathelicidin-BF significantly inhibited pro-inflammatory factors secretion in human monocytic cells and P. acnes-induced O2 .− production of human HaCaT keratinocyte cells. Observed by scanning electron microscopy, the surfaces of the treated pathogens underwent obvious morphological changes compared with the untreated controls, suggesting that this antimicrobial peptide exerts its action by disrupting membranes of microorganisms. The efficacy of cathelicidin-BF gel topical administering was evaluated in experimental mice skin colonization model. In vivo anti-inflammatory effects of cathelicidin-BF were confirmed by relieving P. acnes-induced mice ear swelling and granulomatous inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effects combined with potent antimicrobial activities and O2 .− production inhibition activities of cathelicidin-BF indicate its potential as a novel therapeutic option for acne vulgaris.
Highlights
Antimicrobial peptides play important roles in preventing microorganism infections
Natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted considerable interests as a new type of antimicrobial agents for several reasons including their relative selectivity towards targets, their rapid mechanism of action and, above all, the low frequency in selecting resistant strains [13,14,15]
Cathelicidin-BF is an antimicrobial peptide identified from the snake venoms of B. fasciatus
Summary
Antimicrobial peptides play important roles in preventing microorganism infections. Most of them are 10–50 residues in length. They can provide an effective and fast acting defense against harmful microorganisms [1,2]. There are two major vertebrate antimicrobial peptide families including cathelicidins and defensins. Cathelicidins have been found in many mammalians and birds. A few cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides were identified from snake venoms [3,4]. They are the first report of reptile cathelicidins
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