SA-XV, a 15-amino acid fragment of host defense peptide S100A12, targets mitochondria and is protective against fungal infections.

ABSTRACT: Fungal infections are a huge emerging crisis, with more than 2 million people infected worldwide annually. Corneal infections caused by fungus are the major cause of vision loss and often warrant corneal transplantation. Both Fusarium spp. and Candida spp. are critical etiological agents of fungal keratitis and also common causes for invasive fungal infections with high mortality rates. In the previous work, we described growth inhibition of Fusarium spp. by S100A12, a host antimicrobial peptide. Here, to optimize a potential therapeutic, we have studied a 15-amino acid fragment of S100A12, SA-XV. Interestingly, SA-XV demonstrated remarkable antifungal activities, similar to the parent peptide, against both Fusarium spp. and Candida spp. SA-XV is a cell-penetrating peptide, and once intern

SUBMITTER: Agarwal R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12552953 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature