Replication attempt: "Effect of BMAP-28 antimicrobial peptides on Leishmania major promastigote and amastigote growth: role of leishmanolysin in parasite survival"

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 17;9(12):e114614. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114614. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

This study describes an attempt to replicate experiments from the paper "Effect of BMAP-28 Antimicrobial Peptides on Leishmania major Promastigote and Amastigote Growth: Role of Leishmanolysin in Parasite Survival," which was submitted to the Reproducibility Initiative for independent validation. The cathelicidin bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide 28 (BMAP-28) and its isomers were previously shown to have potent antiparasitic activity against Leishmania major. We tested the effectiveness of L-BMAP-28 and two of its isomers, the D-amino acid form (D-BMAP-28) and the retro-inverso form (RI-BMAP-28), in both unamidated and amidated forms, as anti-leishmanial agents against Leishmania major promastigotes in vitro. We observed that L-BMAP-28, as well as its D and RI isomers, demonstrate anti-leishmanial activity against L. major promastigotes in vitro. The inhibitory effect was lower than what was seen in the original study. At 2 µM of amidated peptides, the viability was 94%, 36%, and 66% with L-, D- and RI-peptides, versus 57%, 6%, and 18% in the original study.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Leishmania major / drug effects*
  • Metalloendopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Microbial Viability*
  • Proteins / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Proteins
  • Metalloendopeptidases

Grants and funding

This research was funded by sponsorship from antibodies-online. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.