This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ericksen, B.
Right arrow Articles by Lehrer, R. I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ericksen, B.
Right arrow Articles by Lehrer, R. I.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, January 2005, p. 269-275, Vol. 49, No. 1
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.1.269-275.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Antibacterial Activity and Specificity of the Six Human {alpha}-Defensins

Bryan Ericksen,1 Zhibin Wu,1 Wuyuan Lu,1* and Robert I. Lehrer2*

Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore, Maryland,1 Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California2

Received 4 May 2004/ Returned for modification 1 July 2004/ Accepted 10 September 2004

We developed a kinetic, 96-well turbidimetric procedure that is capable of testing the antimicrobial properties of six human {alpha}-defensins concurrently on a single microplate. The defensins were prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis and tested against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and gram-negative bacteria (Enterobacter aerogenes and Escherichia coli). Analysis of the growth curves provided virtual lethal doses (vLDs) equivalent to conventional 50% lethal doses (LD50s), LD90s, LD99s, and LD99.9s obtained from colony counts. On the basis of their respective vLD90s and vLD99s, the relative potencies of human myeloid {alpha}-defensins against S. aureus were HNP2 > HNP1 > HNP3 > HNP4. In contrast, their relative potencies against E. coli and E. aerogenes were HNP4 > HNP2 > HNP1 = HNP3. HD5 was as effective as HNP2 against S. aureus and as effective as HNP4 against the gram-negative bacteria in our panel. HD6 showed little or no activity against any of the bacteria in our panel, including B. cereus, which was highly susceptible to the other five {alpha}-defensins. The assay described provides a quantitative, precise, and economical way to study the antimicrobial activities of host-defense peptides. Its use has clarified the relative potencies of human {alpha}-defensins and raised intriguing questions about the in vivo function(s) of HD6.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address for Wuyuan Lu: Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, 725 West Lombard St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Phone: (410) 706-4980. Fax: (410) 706-7583. E-mail: luw{at}umbi.umd.edu. Mailing address for Robert I. Lehrer: Department of Medicine, CHS 37-062, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Phone: (310) 825-5340. Fax: (310) 206-8766. E-mail: rlehrer{at}mednet.ucla.edu.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, January 2005, p. 269-275, Vol. 49, No. 1
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.1.269-275.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Wei, G., de Leeuw, E., Pazgier, M., Yuan, W., Zou, G., Wang, J., Ericksen, B., Lu, W.-Y., Lehrer, R. I., Lu, W. (2009). Through the Looking Glass, Mechanistic Insights from Enantiomeric Human Defensins. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 29180-29192 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Presicce, P., Giannelli, S., Taddeo, A., Villa, M. L., Della Bella, S. (2009). Human defensins activate monocyte-derived dendritic cells, promote the production of proinflammatory cytokines, and up-regulate the surface expression of CD91. J. Leukoc. Biol. 86: 941-948 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lehrer, R. I., Jung, G., Ruchala, P., Andre, S., Gabius, H. J., Lu, W. (2009). Multivalent Binding of Carbohydrates by the Human {alpha}-Defensin, HD5. J. Immunol. 183: 480-490 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tongaonkar, P., Selsted, M. E. (2009). SDF2L1, a Component of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone Complex, Differentially Interacts with {alpha}-, {beta}-, and {theta}-Defensin Propeptides. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 5602-5609 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rajabi, M., de Leeuw, E., Pazgier, M., Li, J., Lubkowski, J., Lu, W. (2008). The Conserved Salt Bridge in Human {alpha}-Defensin 5 Is Required for Its Precursor Processing and Proteolytic Stability. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 21509-21518 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Harder, J., Glaser, R., Schroder, J.-M. (2007). Review: Human antimicrobial proteins effectors of innate immunity. Innate Immunity 13: 317-338 [Abstract]  
  • Grigat, J., Soruri, A., Forssmann, U., Riggert, J., Zwirner, J. (2007). Chemoattraction of Macrophages, T Lymphocytes, and Mast Cells Is Evolutionarily Conserved within the Human {alpha}-Defensin Family. J. Immunol. 179: 3958-3965 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sundbom, M, Elphick, D A, Mahida, Y R, Cunliffe, R N, Midtvedt, T, Engstrand, L, Rubio, C, Axelsson, L G. (2007). Alteration in human defensin-5 expression following gastric bypass surgery. J. Clin. Pathol. 60: 1029-1034 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zou, G., de Leeuw, E., Li, C., Pazgier, M., Li, C., Zeng, P., Lu, W.-Y., Lubkowski, J., Lu, W. (2007). Toward Understanding the Cationicity of Defensins: ARG AND LYS VERSUS THEIR NONCODED ANALOGS. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 19653-19665 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hartshorn, K. L., White, M. R., Tecle, T., Holmskov, U., Crouch, E. C. (2006). Innate Defense against Influenza A Virus: Activity of Human Neutrophil Defensins and Interactions of Defensins with Surfactant Protein D.. J. Immunol. 176: 6962-6972 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wu, Z., Li, X., de Leeuw, E., Ericksen, B., Lu, W. (2005). Why Is the Arg5-Glu13 Salt Bridge Conserved in Mammalian {alpha}-Defensins?. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 43039-43047 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Varkey, J., Nagaraj, R. (2005). Antibacterial Activity of Human Neutrophil Defensin HNP-1 Analogs without Cysteines. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 4561-4566 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Liao, M., Ruddock, P. S., Rizvi, A. S., Hall, S. H., French, F. S., Dillon, J. R. (2005). Cationic peptide of the male reproductive tract, HE2{alpha}, displays antimicrobial activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. J Antimicrob Chemother 56: 957-961 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Xie, C., Prahl, A., Ericksen, B., Wu, Z., Zeng, P., Li, X., Lu, W.-Y., Lubkowski, J., Lu, W. (2005). Reconstruction of the Conserved {beta}-Bulge in Mammalian Defensins Using D-Amino Acids. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 32921-32929 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Aldred, P. M.R., Hollox, E. J., Armour, J. A.L. (2005). Copy number polymorphism and expression level variation of the human {alpha}-defensin genes DEFA1 and DEFA3. Hum Mol Genet 14: 2045-2052 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»