C-Terminal Modification Contributes the Antibacterial Activity of a Cecropin-like Region of Heteroscorpine-1 from Scorpion Venom.

ABSTRACT: The rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens has become a serious health concern, creating an urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches. Among the compounds explored, AMPs have emerged as promising candidates due to their broad-spectrum activity and low propensity for resistance development. However, their clinical implementation is limited by improper size, in vivo instability, and toxicity. Here, we designed short analogs of CeHS-1 via (1) truncation of intact CeHS-1, (2) amino acid substitution, (3) end-tagging, and (4) C-terminal amidation. The results showed that short analogs fused with an RWW stretch exhibited stronger antibacterial activity than the parent analogs, without inducing hemolysis in human red blood cells. Among the tested AMPs, mechanistic studies revealed membrane-disr

SUBMITTER: Saengkun Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12383718 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature