High amphipathicity of α-helical peptides enhances unmethylated CpG DNA-induced activation of mouse macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells.

ABSTRACT: The α-helical antimicrobial peptide Kn2-7 enhances the activation of mouse macrophage-like RAW264.7 induced by DNA containing unmethylated cytosine-guanine motifs (CpG DNA). This enhancement is related to increased cellular uptake of DNA by Kn2-7, but the relevant properties of Kn2-7 are unknown. Physicochemical property analysis revealed that Kn2-7 has high amphipathicity. In contrast, the α-helical antimicrobial peptide L5, which increases the cellular uptake of CpG DNA but does not enhance CpG DNA-induced activation, has low amphipathicity. Kn2-7 derivatives with decreased amphipathicity but the same amino acid composition as Kn2-7 did not enhance CpG DNA-induced activation. On the other hand, L5 derivatives with high amphipathicity but the same amino acid composition as L5 enhanced CpG

SUBMITTER: Nishihara S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11251158 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature