Molecular simulation studies of peptide/bilayer systems: application to structure/activity relationship of the indolicidin and mutants.

Author(s)

Carlos Alessandro Fuzo

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2009-05-07

Examining board members

Leo Degreve; Antonio Carlos Borin; Pietro Ciancaglini; Luis Gustavo Dias; Rosangela Itri

• Advisor: Leo Degreve

Abstract

Interactions of the antimicrobial peptides with biological membrane models have been broadly studied to understand the function and the action mechanism of this class of peptides. Many efforts have been realized to increase the potency and the specificity of these peptides with the purpose of obtain more selective pathogen antimicrobials with decrease of the toxic effects and for a better explanation of the biological process concerned in the peptide action. The action mechanism approached to antimicrobial peptides concern the cellular membrane permeation by pore formation or other type of membrane disruption. A fundamental point in the knowledge of the activity is the distinct lipid composition of pathogen and host cells that is conceived as the principal key point in the selectivity of the antimicrobial peptides. The aim of the present work is to contribute for the knowledge of the action of the antimicrobial peptide indolicidin and some of its mutants by molecular dynamics simulation. The indolicidin is a short 13 amino acid residues antimicrobial peptide that was isolated from bovine neutrofils that have the function of ingest and kill pathogens. The action mechanism of the indolicidin is not yet known despite of numerous experimental studies realized with this peptide. The interaction of the indolicidin with the membrane models is important both for the knowledge of the defense machinery of the live organisms and for the development of new antimicrobials. These questions were approached by the study of the indolicidin and some of its mutants in solution and in interaction with cell membrane models. (AU)