Characterization of anti-Legionella activity of warnericin RK and delta-lysin I from Staphylococcus warneri

Peptides. 2008 Jun;29(6):978-84. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2008.01.017. Epub 2008 Feb 6.

Abstract

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, is a waterborne bacteria. It can multiply in man-made water systems and infect people who inhale contaminated droplets. We have previously reported a Staphylococcus warneri strain that display an anti-Legionella activity. In this work, we characterized three anti-Legionella peptides that are produced by S. warneri. One peptide, warnericin RK, is original, while the two others are delta-lysin I and delta-lysin II, whose genes were previously described. Due to high sequence similarity of the two delta-lysins, further characterization was performed only on delta-lysin I. Warnericin RK and delta-lysin I displayed the same antibacterial spectrum, which is almost restricted to the Legionella genus. Also, both peptides have a hemolytic activity. These results led to the hypothesis that warnericin RK and delta-lysin I share a similar mode of action, and that Legionella should have a specific feature that may explain the high specificity of these antibacterial peptides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Erythrocytes / drug effects
  • Hemolysin Proteins / chemistry
  • Hemolysin Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Hemolysis / drug effects
  • Hemolysis / physiology
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Legionella pneumophila / drug effects*
  • Legionella pneumophila / growth & development
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / isolation & purification
  • Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Staphylococcus / chemistry
  • Staphylococcus / growth & development
  • Staphylococcus / isolation & purification
  • Staphylococcus / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Peptides
  • delta hemolysin protein, Staphylococcus aureus