Document Detail


Plectasin, a fungal defensin, targets the bacterial cell wall precursor Lipid II.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20508130     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Host defense peptides such as defensins are components of innate immunity and have retained antibiotic activity throughout evolution. Their activity is thought to be due to amphipathic structures, which enable binding and disruption of microbial cytoplasmic membranes. Contrary to this, we show that plectasin, a fungal defensin, acts by directly binding the bacterial cell-wall precursor Lipid II. A wide range of genetic and biochemical approaches identify cell-wall biosynthesis as the pathway targeted by plectasin. In vitro assays for cell-wall synthesis identified Lipid II as the specific cellular target. Consistently, binding studies confirmed the formation of an equimolar stoichiometric complex between Lipid II and plectasin. Furthermore, key residues in plectasin involved in complex formation were identified using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and computational modeling.
Authors:
Tanja Schneider; Thomas Kruse; Reinhard Wimmer; Imke Wiedemann; Vera Sass; Ulrike Pag; Andrea Jansen; Allan K Nielsen; Per H Mygind; Dorotea S Ravent?s; S?ren Neve; Birthe Ravn; Alexandre M J J Bonvin; Leonardo De Maria; Anders S Andersen; Lora K Gammelgaard; Hans-Georg Sahl; Hans-Henrik Kristensen
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Science (New York, N.Y.)     Volume:  328     ISSN:  1095-9203     ISO Abbreviation:  Science     Publication Date:  2010 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-05-28     Completed Date:  2010-06-08     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0404511     Medline TA:  Science     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1168-72     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Pharmaceutical Microbiology Section, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, University of Bonn, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Ascomycota / chemistry
Bacillus subtilis / drug effects,  growth & development,  metabolism*,  ultrastructure
Binding Sites
Cell Membrane / metabolism
Cell Wall / metabolism*
Computer Simulation
Defensins / metabolism*,  pharmacology
Fungal Proteins / metabolism*,  pharmacology
Models, Molecular
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
Peptides / metabolism*,  pharmacology
Protein Conformation
Staphylococcus / drug effects,  growth & development,  metabolism*,  ultrastructure
Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylmuramic Acid / analogs & derivatives*,  metabolism
Vancomycin / pharmacology
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Anti-Bacterial Agents; 0/Defensins; 0/Fungal Proteins; 0/Peptides; 0/Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylmuramic Acid; 0/muramyl-NAc-(pentapeptide)pyrophosphoryl-undecaprenol; 0/plectasin; 1404-90-6/Vancomycin

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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