6533b858fe1ef96bd12b6d6e

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Echinoderm Antimicrobial Peptides to Contrast Human Pathogens

Domenico SchillaciVincenzo Arizza

subject

Innate immune systembiologyPseudomonas aeruginosaAntimicrobial peptidesHolothuria tubulosaHuman pathogenAntibiotic therapymedicine.disease_causebiology.organism_classificationSettore BIO/19 - Microbiologia GeneraleMicrobiologyEchinodermbiology.animalmedicineAntimicrobial peptideCoelomocyteSea urchinTherapeutic agent

description

Increased attention has been focused in marine invertebrates as a source of bioactive molecules for biomedical applications. Many bioactive molecules are part of the innate immune system. Some more recently isolated compounds, mainly from sea urchin and sea cucumber are antimicrobial peptides (AMP) active against Gram positive, Gram negative and fungi. In this review we described the most recent studies on AMP isolated from echinoderms. The AMP are little peptides <10 kDa with cationic charge and amphipathic structure. Recently, it was demonstrated that in the coelomocyte lysates of Paracentrotus. lividus and Holothuria tubulosa AMP are present with activity against staphylococcal and Pseudomonas aeruginosa antibiofilm. The data show the great potential of application of AMPs in biotechnology for developing novel therapeutic agents and as complements to conventional antibiotic therapy to combat the multi - resistant bacterial strains.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2013-01-01
10.4172/npcr.1000109http://hdl.handle.net/10447/93481