Antimicrobials Peptide antibiotics in mast cells of fish

Antimicrobial peptides are increasingly recognized as a critical first line of defence against many pathogens and have been isolated from epithelial tissues and blood cells of many vertebrates, as well as from prokaryotes, plants and invertebrates. Here we show that 'piscidins', a previous...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 2001-11, Vol.414 (6861), p.268-269
Main Authors: Noga, Edward J, Silphaduang, Umaporn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibiotics
Antibodies
Antimicrobial agents
Brackish
Freshwater
Infectious diseases
Marine
Pathogens
Peptides
Pisces
piscidins
Vertebrates
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Antimicrobial peptides are increasingly recognized as a critical first line of defence against many pathogens and have been isolated from epithelial tissues and blood cells of many vertebrates, as well as from prokaryotes, plants and invertebrates. Here we show that 'piscidins', a previously undiscovered family of peptide antibiotics isolated from fish, reside in mast cells, an immune cell of uncertain function that is present in all vertebrate classes. Until now, no peptide antibiotic has been isolated from the mast cells of any animal, and our discovery indicates that these cells may be critical in fighting many infectious diseases.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/35104690