| Antibacterial peptides are the effector molecules of innate immunity. There are a large quantity of peptides which include different families and components. Antibacterial peptides have powerful activity directed against various bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites and cancer cells. Transient synthesis is one of the features of the antibacterial peptides.The cecropin family of linear peptides without cysteine was found first in insects. ABP-CM4 is a small linear a-helics peptide that consists of 35 amino acids isolated from Chinese Bombyx mori by Zhang et al. ABP-CM4 has been proved to be a member of the cecropin family. Our lab has made deep researches on the mechanisms of ABP-CM4 against bacteria and cancer cells, but the mechanisms of the peptide to kill fungi is still need to do more study.The peptides used were expressed in Pichia pastor is and purified by HPLC. We studied the mechanisms of ABP-CM4 against fungi on cellular level and molecular level. The researches can establish a foundation for later studies and we can forecast that the antibacterial peptides may become a kind of new antifungal drug.We screened out some sensitive fungi by inhibition zone assay and then we selected Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride as our research objects. On cellular level, the results obtained by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy showed that the morphology and inner structure of the fungi treated with ABP-CM4 changed obviously. Some of the cells were made abnormality or lysed. Obviously, the amphipathic nature of these peptides enable them to associate with lipid membranes first, then they can penetrate into the cells and destruct cell organelles and cytoskeleton of cells.In an attempt to clarify the molecular mechanism of action, we examined the binding properties exerted by the peptide CM4 on DNA and RNA of fungal cells. Results showed the CM4 can inhibit the migration of DNA and RNA. With the... |
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