Researchers identify unifying code among diverse classes of natural a...( Torrance Calif. (April 12 2004) Inve...)

Torrance, Calif. (April 12, 2004) Investigators at the Research and Education Institute (REI) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center have identified a novel structural signature that is conserved in otherwise distinct classes of antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides are small, naturally occurring protein antibiotics that protect organisms including man - against infection. The discovery of such a broadly encompassing structural signature within these ancient host defense peptides could significantly accelerate development of novel molecules to fight multi-drug resistant infections.

In a research article published in the April 12 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), Principal Investigators Nannette Yount, PhD, and Michael Yeaman, PhD, integrated novel proteomic methods with established microbiologic techniques to reveal previously hidden structural codes common to broad classes of antimicrobial peptides from diverse organisms spanning nearly 4 billion years of evolution. Proteomics is a relatively new field of biomedical research that uses powerful computational methods to analyze molecular databases and uncover complex structure-function codes that would otherwise remain unknown.

Using a unique combination of proteomic methods, Yount and Yeaman discovered the antimicrobial peptide signature, which integrates inverse amino acid sequence patterns and a hallmark 3-dimensional motif. This multidimensional signature is conserved in disulfide-stabilized antimicrobial peptides across biological kingdoms, and transcends motifs previously limited to defined peptide subclasses. Illustrating the promise of their findings, experimental data validating the multidimensional signature model enabled the identification of previously unrecognized antimicrobial peptides and peptide classes.

"Our work builds upon the efforts of many excellent researchers in the field. We believe t
'"/>

Contact: David Feuerherd
df@issuesmanagement.com
310-895-5357
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed)
12-Apr-2004

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Researchers determine genetic cause of Timothy syndrome
2. Researchers find color sensitive atomic switch in bacteria
3. Researchers identify protein promoting vascular tumor growth
4. Researchers devise potent new tools to curb ivory poaching
5. Researchers create nanotubes that change colors, form nanocarpet and kill bacteria
6. Researchers ID chlorophyll-regulating gene
7. Researchers develop fast track way to discover how cells are regulated
8. Researchers identify distinctive signature for metastatic prostate cancer
9. Researchers report new gene test for isolated cleft lip and palate
10. Researchers discover why mutant gene causes colon cancer
11. Researchers identify the genomes controlling elements