Structure and function of papiliocin with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities isolated from the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus.

ABSTRACT: Papiliocin is a novel 37-residue cecropin-like peptide isolated recently from the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus. With the aim of identifying a potent antimicrobial peptide, we tested papiliocin in a variety of biological and biophysical assays, demonstrating that the peptide possesses very low cytotoxicity against mammalian cells and high bacterial cell selectivity, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria as well as high anti-inflammatory activity. Using LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW264.7 cells, we found that papiliocin exerted its anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production and secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, producing effects comparable with those of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37. We also sh

SUBMITTER: Kim JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3308842 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature