Innate immunity: involvement of new neuropeptides

• Published in: Trends in microbiology (Regular ed.) Vol. 11; no. 12; pp. 585 - 592
• Main Authors: Metz-Boutigue, M.H, Kieffer, A.E, Goumon, Y, Aunis, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2003
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents - chemistry; Anti-Infective Agents - metabolism; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Bacteria - drug effects; Chromogranin A; Chromogranins - chemistry; Chromogranins - metabolism; Chromogranins - pharmacology; Enkephalins - chemistry; Enkephalins - metabolism; Enkephalins - pharmacology; Fungi - drug effects; Immunity, Innate; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Neuropeptides - chemistry; Neuropeptides - metabolism; Neuropeptides - pharmacology; Peptide Fragments - chemistry; Peptide Fragments - metabolism; Peptide Fragments - pharmacology; Ubiquitin - chemistry; Ubiquitin - metabolism; Ubiquitin - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0966-842X; 1878-4380
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2003.10.001

Secretory granules of chromaffin cells from the adrenal medulla store catecholamines and a variety of peptides that are secreted in the extracellular medium during exocytosis. Among these fragments, several natural peptides displaying antimicrobial activities at the micromolar range have been isolated and characterized. We have shown that these peptides, derived from the natural processing of chromogranins (CGs), proenkephalin-A (PEA) and free ubiquitin (Ub), are released into the circulation and display antibacterial and antifungal activities. In this review we focus on three naturally secreted antimicrobial peptides corresponding to CGA1–76 (vasostatin-I), the bisphosphorylated form of PEA209–237 (enkelytin) and Ub. In addition, the antimicrobial properties of the synthetic active domains of vasostatin-I (CGA47–66 or chromofungin) and Ub (Ub65–76 or ubifungin) are reported.