Magainin 2 in action: distinct modes of membrane permeabilization in living bacterial and mammalian cells.

ABSTRACT: Interactions of cationic antimicrobial peptides with living bacterial and mammalian cells are little understood, although model membranes have been used extensively to elucidate how peptides permeabilize membranes. In this study, the interaction of F5W-magainin 2 (GIGKWLHSAKKFGKAFVGEIMNS), an equipotent analogue of magainin 2 isolated from the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis, with unfixed Bacillus megaterium and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells was investigated, using confocal laser scanning microscopy. A small amount of tetramethylrhodamine-labeled F5W-magainin 2 was incorporated into the unlabeled peptide for imaging. The influx of fluorescent markers of various sizes into the cytosol revealed that magainin 2 permeabilized bacterial and mammalian membranes in significantly differe

SUBMITTER: Imura Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2599864 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature