Collagen synthesis is suppressed in dermal fibroblasts by the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37.

ABSTRACT: LL-37 is a human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide that is released in the skin after injury and acts to defend against infection and modulate the local cellular immune response. We observed in human dermal keloids that fibrosis was inversely related to the expression of cathelicidin and sought to determine how LL-37 influenced expression of types I and III collagen genes in dermal fibroblasts. At nano-molar concentrations, LL-37 inhibited baseline and transforming growth factor-beta-induced collagen expression. At these concentrations, LL-37 also induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) within 30 minutes. Activation of ERK, and the activation of a G-protein-dependent pathway, was essential for inhibition of collagen expression as pertussis toxin or an inhibi

SUBMITTER: Park HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2665190 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature