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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, October 2005, p. 4085-4092, Vol. 49, No. 10
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.10.4085-4092.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Atomic Force Microscopy Study of the Effect of Antimicrobial Peptides on the Cell Envelope of Escherichia coli

M. Meincken,1 D. L. Holroyd,2 and M. Rautenbach2*

UNESCO Associated Centre for Macromolecules, Department of Chemistry, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa,1 BIOPEP Peptide Group, Department of Biochemistry, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa2

Received 17 February 2005/ Returned for modification 18 March 2005/ Accepted 20 June 2005

The influences of the antibacterial magainin 2 and PGLa from the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and the hemolytic bee venom melittin on Escherichia coli as the target cell were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Nanometer-scale images of the effects of the peptides on this gram-negative bacterium's cell envelope were obtained in situ without the use of fixing agents. These high-resolution AFM images of the surviving and intact target cells before and after peptide treatment showed distinct changes in cell envelope morphology as a consequence of peptide action. Although all three peptides are lytic to E. coli, it is clear from this AFM study that each peptide causes distinct morphological changes in the outer membrane and in some cases the inner membrane, probably as a consequence of different mechanisms of action.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, Republic of South Africa. Phone: 27-21-8085872. Fax: 27-21-8085863. E-mail: mra{at}maties.sun.ac.za.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, October 2005, p. 4085-4092, Vol. 49, No. 10
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.10.4085-4092.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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