Your browser version may not work well with NCBI's Web applications. More information here...
1: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Mar 29;102(13):4830-5. Epub 2005 Mar 16.Click here to read Click here to read Links

Human alpha-defensins neutralize anthrax lethal toxin and protect against its fatal consequences.

Kim C, Gajendran N, Mittrücker HW, Weiwad M, Song YH, Hurwitz R, Wilmanns M, Fischer G, Kaufmann SH.

Department of Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Schumannstrasse 21-22, D-10117 Berlin, Germany.

Anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis represents a major bioterroristic threat. B. anthracis produces lethal toxin (LeTx), a combination of lethal factor (LF) and protective antigen that plays a major role in anthrax pathogenesis. We demonstrate that human neutrophil alpha-defensins are potent inhibitors of LF. The inhibition of LF by human neutrophil protein (HNP-1) was noncompetitive. HNP-1 inhibited cleavage of a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase and restored impaired mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in LeTx-treated macrophages. HNP-1 rescued murine macrophages from B. anthracis-induced cytotoxicity, and in vivo treatment with HNP-1-3 protected mice against the fatal consequences of LeTx.

PMID: 15772169 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC555714