Search results for "Defensins"
showing 4 items of 14 documents
Dual Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activity of TcPaSK Peptide Derived from a Tribolium castaneum Insect Defensin
2021
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in the innate immune system of a wide range of organisms might prove useful to fight infections, due to the reported slower development of resistance to AMPs. Increasing the cationicity and keeping moderate hydrophobicity of the AMPs have been described to improve antimicrobial activity. We previously found a peptide derived from the Tribolium castaneum insect defensin 3, exhibiting antrimicrobial activity against several human pathogens. Here, we analyzed the effect against Staphyloccocus aureus of an extended peptide (TcPaSK) containing two additional amino acids, lysine and asparagine, flanking the former peptide fragment in the original insect defensi…
Tribolium castaneum immune defense genes are differentially expressed in response to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins sharing common receptor molecules …
2015
In Tribolium castaneum larvae we have demonstrated by RNA interference knockdown that the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Ba toxin receptors Cadherin-like and Sodium solute symporter proteins are also functional receptors of the less active Cry3Aa toxin. Differences in susceptibility to B. thuringiensis infection might not only rely on toxin-receptor interaction but also on host defense mechanisms. We compared the expression of the immune related genes encoding Apolipophorin-III and two antimicrobial peptides, Defensin3 and Defensin2 after B. thuringiensis challenge. All three genes were up-regulated following Cry3Ba spore-crystal intoxication whereas only Defensins gene expression was induced u…
Polymorphisms of β-defensin genes in Valle del Belice dairy sheep
2011
The aim of this work was to study β-defensin 1 (SBD1) and β-defensin 2 (SBD2) genes in Valle del Belice dairy sheep in order to identify polymorphisms that can be utilized as markers of the analyzed genes, and search for the functional effects and roles of the identified polymorphisms (variation of the amino acid sequence of the protein and stability of mRNA molecule). The study was conducted on 300 randomly selected animals belonging to four flocks. A total of seven SNPs were identified, two in SBD1 and five in SBD2. The two SNPs identified in SBD2 coding region, at position 1659 and position 1667, were non-synonymous, leading to amino acid changes in the protein product. Nevertheless, the…
Non-conventional forms of HLA-B27 are expressed in spondyloarthritis joints and gut tissue
2016
Objectives Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 (B27) is the strongest genetic factor associated with development of Ankylosing Spondylitis and other spondyloarthropathies (SpA), yet the role it plays in disease pathogenesis remains unclear. We investigated the expression of potentially pathogenic non-conventional heavy chain forms (NC) of B27 in synovial and intestinal tissues obtained from SpA patients. We also determined the presence of NC-B27 in joints, lymphoid and gastrointestinal tissue from B27 transgenic (TG1) rats with M.tuberculosis-induced SpA. Methods Expression of NC-B27 in human SpA joints and gut and in (21-3 × 283-2)F1 HLA-B27/Huβ2m rat tissue was determined by immunohistochem…