Immunomodulatory effects of QsCATH on macrophages: transcriptomic insights and molecular docking analysis.

ABSTRACT: The molecular mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory effects of cathelicidins on macrophages remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to elucidate the immunomodulatory mechanisms of QsCATH, an antimicrobial peptide derived from the Chinese spiny frog (Quasipaa spinosa), in RAW264.7 macrophages using RNA sequencing and molecular docking. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that QsCATH significantly downregulated inflammatory-related genes (tnf, il6, ccl5, il1b) and suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine production (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β) by inhibiting key pathways such as NF-κB, TNF, and NOD-like receptor signaling. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology enrichment analyses showed that QsCATH balanced inflammatory resolution with hos

SUBMITTER: Qiao F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12700900 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature