In vitro complementary biological activity of the antifungal peptide Cm-p5 and in silico prediction of its functional regions

[摘要] Introduction:therapy for infectious disease has been hampered by the appearance of emergingand re-emerging pathogens which are often resistant to conventional antibiotics.This has led to an increase in the search for new therapeutic agents. Antimicrobialpeptides are a promising alternative in this respect, due to their broad spectrumof activity against several pathogenic microorganisms. One of the peptides reportedis Cm-p5, which has been characterized structurally and functionally as displayingactivity against pathogenic fungi in humans, particularly against Candidaalbicans.Objective:present a complementary characterization of the antifungal peptide Cm-p5 interms of its hemolytic activity, cytotoxicity, and fungicidal or fungistaticaction.Methods:an assay was conducted for hemolytic activity of peptide Cm-p5 and another forcytotoxicity against cell line RAW 264.7. Additionally, an experiment was performedto evaluate its antifungal effect against C. albicans, comparing itsantifungal activity with that of peptide LL-37, and aligning its sequence withthose of other antimicrobial peptides.Results:it was found that Cm-p5 does not display significant hemolysis at concentrationsclose to its minimum inhibitory concentration, and that it is not cytotoxicat the concentrations evaluated. Peptide Cm-p5 was also found to have a fungistaticeffect on the growth of C. albicans at concentrations of 10-40 µg/mL,its antifungal activity being less potent than that of peptide LL-37. Additionally,it was shown to have conserved regions with respect to other antimicrobial peptides. Conclusions:the study complements the characterization of Cm-p5 as a promising candidatefor the treatment of human mycoses, particularly candidiasis.

[学科分类] 传染病学