Insights into the candidacidal mechanism of Ctn[15–34] – a carboxyl-terminal, crotalicidin-derived peptide related to cathelicidins

Abstract

Overall, Ctn[15-34] displays a synergistic antifungal activity with AMB, an effect that can be further developed into a multi-target therapeutic option with other antimycotics currently in use.

Abstracts from The International Conference on Medicinal Plants and Bioeconomy & the 1st Sino-CPLP Symposium on Natural Products and Biodiversity Resources

“…The activity of Ctn against trypanosomatid protozoa was also experimentally evidenced in vitro [2]. The Ctn was structurally dissected in two pharmacophore fragments, the 14-residue, N-terminal Ctn [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] and the 20-residue, C-terminal Ctn [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34], retrieving the antimicrobial and antitumor activities of the full-length peptides [3]. In comparison to the fulllength Ctn, the N-and C-terminal fragments showed distinct and selective activity against Gram-negative bacteria and some lines of tumor cells.…”

“…Against Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the antibacterial activity of Ctn [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] involves membrane perturbation, cytoplasmic internalization and interaction with nucleic acids [4]. The antifungal effects of these peptides were also demonstrated against amphotericin B-susceptible isolates of pathogenic yeasts and it was shown that the underlying mechanism by which Ctn[15-34] kills such eukaryotic pathogen involves membrane disruption and induction of early apoptosis and late necrosis [5]. Ctn [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] was also effective in vitro as an antiviral agent against infection myonecrosis virus (IMNV), a RNA virus that affects farming shrimps [6].…”

“…Daniela Vilas-Boas Campos 1,2,3 , Rejaine Rios 3,4 , Carlos Bessa 1,2 , Marta Daniela Costa 1,2 , Andreia Teixeira-Castro 1,2 , Patrícia Maciel 1,2 , Alberto C. P. Dias 3,5,6 Acknowledgement: The work was financially supported by the SAMRC Herbal Drugs Research Unit, South Africa.…”

“…In all cases, after repeated applications, notorious improvements or complete treatment were observed, without significant side effects. Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; 2 ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/ Guimarães, Portugal; 3 Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)-University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; 4 Instituto Federal Goiano, Biology Departament, Campus Rio Verde, Goiás, Brasil; 5 CITAB-UM, University of Minho, Portugal; 6 Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), University of Minho Correspondence: Alberto C. P. Dias -acpdias@bio.uminho.pt…”

Hitchhiking with Nature: Snake Venom Peptides to Fight Cancer and Superbugs

“…The fragment also showed antiviral activity against the infectious myonecrosis virus, an epizootic agent that threatens shrimp production in Brazil, and for which no current treatment exists [135]. Like Ctn, Ctn [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] acts via membrane permeabilization and necrosis, as described for strains of E.coli and C. albicans [122,123].…”