Semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI) binds bacteria, enhances bacterial phagocytosis by macrophages, and can protect against vaginal infection by a sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen.

ABSTRACT: The semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI) is a positively charged amyloid fibril that is derived from a self-assembling proteolytic cleavage fragment of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP(248-286)). SEVI efficiently facilitates HIV-1 infection in vitro, but its normal physiologic function remains unknown. In light of the fact that other amyloidogenic peptides have been shown to possess direct antibacterial activity, we investigated whether SEVI could inhibit bacterial growth. Neither SEVI fibrils nor the unassembled PAP(248-286) peptide had significant direct antibacterial activity in vitro. However, SEVI fibrils bound to both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) bacteria, in a charge-dependent fashion. Furthermore, SE

SUBMITTER: Easterhoff D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3716189 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature