Antimicrobial Activity of Chicken NK-Lysin Against Eimeria Sporozoites

• Published in: Avian diseases Vol. 52; no. 2; pp. 302 - 305
• Main Authors: Hong, Y.H, Lillehoj, H.S, Siragusa, G.R, Bannerman, D.D, Lillehoj, E.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2008
• Subjects: animal pathogens; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; anticarcinogenic activity; antimicrobial peptides; Antiprotozoal Agents - pharmacology; bacteria; chickens; Chickens - genetics; Chickens - immunology; coccidiosis; Coccidiosis - immunology; Coccidiosis - veterinary; complementary DNA; cultured cells; cytotoxicity; Eimeria - drug effects; Eimeria - immunology; Eimeria - pathogenicity; Eimeria acervulina; Eimeria maxima; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Immunity, Innate; in vitro studies; natural killer cells; NK-lysin; Poultry Diseases - immunology; Proteolipids - genetics; Proteolipids - pharmacology; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Sporozoites - drug effects; Sporozoites - immunology; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Transfection
• ISSN: 0005-2086; 1938-4351
• DOI: 10.1637/8083-072307-ResNote.1

NK-lysin is an antimicrobial and antitumor polypeptide that is considered to play an important role in innate immunity. Chicken NK-lysin is a member of the saposin-like protein family and exhibits potent antitumor cell activity. To evaluate the antimicrobial properties of chicken NK-lysin, we examined its ability to reduce the viability of various bacterial strains and two species of Eimeria parasites. Culture supernatants from COS7 cells transfected with a chicken NK-lysin cDNA and His-tagged purified NK-lysin from the transfected cells both showed high cytotoxic activity against Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima sporozoites. In contrast, no bactericidal activity was observed. Further studies using synthetic peptides derived from NK-lysin may be useful for pharmaceutical and agricultural uses in the food animal industry.