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H G Boman

Publications and source records attributed to H G Boman.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

The cecropin locus. Cloning and expression of a gene cluster encoding three antibacterial peptides in Hyalophora cecropia.

Cecropins A, B, and D are antibacterial peptides of 35-37 amino acids that are synthesized in pupae of the Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) as a response to a bacterial infection. cDNA cloning has shown that the cecropins are made as preproproteins that are processed in four steps to the mature peptides. We have now cloned the genes for preprocecropins A and D, data that together with earlier work on the B gene has made it possible to deduce the arrangement of the cecropin locus. The genes for the three cecropins are organized in a large cluster spanning 20 kilobases of DNA and for each gene there is one copy/haploid genome. The size of the cluster is in part due to long distances between the genes and to the presence of insertion elements in the introns of the A and D genes. The cecropin genes are not expressed in parallel. Transcripts for cecropins A and B appear within 2 h after injection of live bacteria, they reach a maximum after 48 h, and they are continuously expressed at this level for several days. The D gene has a delayed pattern of expression where transcripts appear within 48-96 h and reach a maximum after 144 h. In consonance is also the production of the mature cecropins A, B, and D where the active cecropins A and B are detected in the hemolymph within 10-24 h while the D form is not detected until 48 h post infection. Control injections with sterile saline produced only a weak induction of the cecropin genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Hemolin: an insect-immune protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily.

Insects have an efficient defense system against infections. Their antibacterial immune proteins have been well characterized. However, the molecular mechanisms by which insects recognize foreignness are not yet known. Data are presented showing that hemolin (previously named P4), a bacteria-inducible hemolymph protein of the giant silk moth Hyalophora cecropia, belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. Functional analyses indicate that hemolin is one of the first hemolymph components to bind to the bacterial surface, taking part in a protein complex formation that is likely to initiate the immune response.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

A large presecretory protein translocates both cotranslationally, using signal recognition particle and ribosome, and post-translationally, without these ribonucleoparticles, when synthesized in the presence of mammalian microsomes.

Translocation of large presecretory proteins into the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum requires the ribonucleoparticles, signal recognition particle, and ribosome and is tightly coupled to ongoing protein synthesis. We have shown previously that small presecretory proteins can translocate post-translationally in a reaction that does not require these ribonucleoparticles. We now report that one large protein, a synthetic hybrid between preprocecropin A and dihydrofolate reductase, translocates both cotranslationally (with the aid of signal recognition particle and ribosome) and post-translationally (without the involvement of these ribonucleoparticles) during its in vitro synthesis in the presence of dog pancreas microsomes. The distinction between these two modes of translocation was made possible by adding methotrexate to the translocation reaction. Methotrexate can only form a tight complex with those preprocecropin A-dihydrofolate reductase hybrid chains that have completed their synthesis and folded, but in forming this tight complex, this drug prevents translocation of the dihydrofolate reductase domain across the membrane.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

All-D amino acid-containing channel-forming antibiotic peptides.

The D enantiomers of three naturally occurring antibiotics--cecropin A, magainin 2 amide, and melittin--were synthesized. In addition, the D enantiomers of two synthetic chimeric cecropin-melittin hybrid peptides were prepared. Each D isomer was shown by circular dichroism to be a mirror image of the corresponding L isomer in several solvent mixtures. In 20% hexafluoro-2-propanol the peptides contained 43-75% alpha-helix. The all-D peptides were resistant to enzymatic degradation. The peptides produced single-channel conductances in planar lipid bilayers, and the D and L enantiomers caused equivalent amounts of electrical conductivity. All of the peptides were potent antibacterial agents against representative Gram-negative and Gram-positive species. The D and L enantiomers of each peptide pair were equally active, within experimental error. Sheep erythrocytes were lysed by both D- and L-melittin but not by either isomer of cecropin A, magainin 2 amide, or the hybrids cecropin A-(1-13)-melittin-(1-13)-NH2 or cecropin A-(1-8)-melittin-(1-18)-NH2. The infectivity of the bloodstream form of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum was also inhibited by the D and L hybrids. It is suggested that the mode of action of these peptides on the membranes of bacteria, erythrocytes, plasmodia, and artificial lipid bilayers may be similar and involves the formation of ion-channel pores spanning the membranes, but without specific interaction with chiral receptors or enzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Antibacterial and antimalarial properties of peptides that are cecropin-melittin hybrids.

Solid phase synthesis was used to produce 5 hybrid peptides containing sequences from the antibacterial peptide, cecropin A, and from the bee venom toxin, melittin. Four of these chimeric peptides showed good antibacterial activity against representative Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial species. The best hybrid, cecropin A(1-13)-melittin(1-13) was 100-fold more active than cecropin A against Staphylococcus aureus. It was also a 10-fold better antimalarial agent than cecropin B or magainin 2. Sheep red cells were lysed by melittin at low concentrations, but not by the hybrid molecules, even at 50 times higher concentrations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

The chemical synthesis of cecropin D and an analog with enhanced antibacterial activity.

Cecropin D was synthesized by solid-phase methods and shown to be homogeneous and of correct composition and molecular weight. It was indistinguishable from natural cecropin D and constitutes a structure proof for this peptide. Several analogs of cecropin D were synthesized and used to draw conclusions about the structural features contributing to antibacterial activity. They included [Lys1]cecropin D, [Gln3, Leu4] cecropin D, and cecropin D-(9-37). It was concluded that a strongly basic NH2-terminal segment is a prerequisite for antibacterial activity. A hybrid analog cecropin A-(1-11) D-(12-37) was designed and predicted to have enhanced potency. It was found to be 5 to 55 times as active as cecropin D against six of the bacteria tested and was slightly more active than cecropin A. However, against Bacillus subtilis Bs11 the analog was 6 times more active than cecropin A.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Antibacterial peptides from pig intestine: isolation of a mammalian cecropin.

Pig small intestine was used as starting material for a batchwise isolation of a peptide fraction enriched in antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (anti-Ec factor) and against Bacillus megaterium (anti-Bm factor). Separation and further purification were by different types of chromatography. Sequence analysis showed the anti-Bm factor to be apparently similar to vasoactive intestinal peptide. The anti-Ec factor was found to have a 31-residue sequence that was cecropin-like. It was named cecropin P1 and its structure was confirmed by solid-phase synthesis. Synthetic cecropin P1 with and without C-terminal amide was assayed on eight different bacteria. Mobility comparison between synthetic and natural cecropin P1 indicates that the natural peptide has a free C-terminal carboxyl group.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Design, synthesis and antibacterial activity of cecropin-like model peptides.

In order to investigate structure-activity relationships of cecropins, model peptides that mimic certain structural features of the cecropin molecules were designed and synthesized. The conformational analysis of cecropins and the design of the model peptides were based on Chou-Fasman calculations. The peptides were synthesized by solid-phase methods and purified by reverse-phase liquid-chromatography on C18-silica columns. Their secondary structures were studied by circular dichroism measurements. Antibacterial activities against seven test organisms were determined and compared to the activities of the natural cecropins A and B. These results were discussed on the basis of structural features of the model peptides and on model mechanisms. It was concluded that high antibacterial activity for this class of compounds requires a basic helical amphipathic N-terminal segment that is connected to a hydrophobic helical C-terminal segment by a flexible non-helical hinge region.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Effects on electrophoretic mobility and antibacterial spectrum of removal of two residues from synthetic sarcotoxin IA and addition of the same residues to cecropin B.

Cecropin B and cecropin IA (sarcotoxin IA) are 35- and 39-residue antibacterial peptides from a silk moth and a meat fly, respectively. Using solid phase synthesis we have made these peptides as well as two 37-residue analogs, one containing a deletion of leucine and lysine (residues 2a and 2b) as compared to cecropin IA, the other containing an insertion of leucine and lysine at the corresponding place in cecropin B. This addition and removal of a lysine residue did not cause the expected change in electrophoretic mobility. When tested for antibacterial spectra, the insertion analog was found to be as active as the parent compound while the deletion analog had lost most of its antibacterial capacity. In addition it was shown that the C-terminal amide contributes to the broad spectrum properties of the cecropins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

The structure of the gene for cecropin B, an antibacterial immune protein from Hyalophora cecropia.

Pupae of the moth Hyalophora cecropia respond to an injection of live bacteria by the production of a potent antibacterial activity. The broad-spectrum property of this activity is due chiefly to two small proteins, cecropins A and B. Sequences of the proteins showed them to be homologous and to contain 37 and 35 amino acid residues respectively. The subsequent isolation of two cDNA clones for cecropin B showed that this protein is made as a prepro molecule composed of 62 amino acid residues. We have now prepared a genomic bank and studied four genomic clones for cecropin B. The coding regions were found in two neighbouring BglII fragments, one 0.79 kb and another varying in size from 3.1 kb to 4.9 kb for different clones. One transcriptional unit for preprocecropin B was sequenced and found to be 1035 bp long with a single intron, 514 bp in size. A conserved, insect specific cap site, ATCATTC, was identified by S1 mapping and primer extension experiments. Indications were found for the presence of multigene families and multicopy genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Transformation of vegetative cells of Bacillus thuringiensis by plasmid DNA.

Plasmid DNA-mediated transformation of vegetative cells of Bacillus thuringiensis was studied with the following two plasmids: pBC16 coding for tetracycline resistance and pC194 expressing chloramphenicol resistance. A key step was the induction of competence by treatment of the bacteria with 50 mM Tris hydrochloride buffer (pH 8.9) containing 30% sucrose. Transformation frequency was strongly influenced by culture density during the uptake of DNA and required the presence of polyethylene glycol. Growth in a minimal medium supplemented with Casamino Acids gave 35 times more transformants than growth in a rich medium. The highest frequencies were obtained with covalently closed circular DNA. With all parameters optimized, the frequency was 10(-3) transformants per viable cell or 10(4) transformants per microgram of DNA. Cells previously frozen were also used as recipients in transformation experiments; such cells gave frequencies similar to those obtained with freshly grown cells. The procedure was optimized for B. thuringiensis subsp. gelechiae, but B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, B. thuringiensis subsp. galleriae, B. thuringiensis subsp. thuringiensis, and B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis were also transformed. Compared with protoplast transformation, our method is much faster and 3 orders of magnitude more efficient per microgram of added DNA.

Bacillus thuringiensis↗
PubMed1986

Bacteriophage-resistant mutants of Bacillus thuringiensis with decreased virulence in pupae of Hyalophora cecropia.

Starting from a crystal-negative parental strain of Bacillus thuringiensis, we isolated certain bacteriophage-resistant mutants which showed decreased virulence in pupae of the cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia). These strains (class I mutants) were highly pleiotropic and showed resistance to seven or eight different phages, sensitivity to methicillin, and loss of flagella. They were also more sensitive to cecropia immune hemolymph in vitro. In addition, the export of at least three proteins was reduced. Revertants (class II mutants) were sensitive to phages, virulent, and resistant to penicillin derivatives. One class II mutant was a complete revertant in all properties examined. The other class II mutant was an incomplete revertant still susceptible to immune hemolymph and with repressed export of proteins. Virulence was not coupled to phage resistance as such or to lack of flagella because other mutants affected in these properties were virulent. Other factors which could be excluded as causes of virulence were production of extracellular protease and hemolysin.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

N-terminal analogues of cecropin A: synthesis, antibacterial activity, and conformational properties.

Six analogues of the 37-residue antibacterial peptide cecropin A were synthesized by the solid-phase method: cecropin A-(2-37), [Glu2]cecropin A, [Pro4]cecropin A, [Glu6]cecropin A, [Leu6]cecropin A, and [Pro8]cecropin A. Their antibacterial activities against four test organisms were determined and related to conformational changes observed in their CD spectra and were discussed on the basis of a previously proposed amphipathic alpha-helix model. An aromatic residue in position 2 was shown to be important for activity against all tested bacteria. The highly alpha-helical 1-11 region of cecropin A did not appear to play a significant role in its activity against Escherichia coli but was clearly involved in its interaction against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus megaterium, and Micrococcus luteus.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1985

Amino acid and cDNA sequences of lysozyme from Hyalophora cecropia.

The amino acid and cDNA sequences of lysozyme from the giant silk moth Hyalophora cecropia have been determined. This enzyme is one of several immune proteins produced by the diapausing pupae after injection of bacteria. Cecropia lysozyme is composed of 120 amino acids, has a mol. wt. of 13.8 kd and shows great similarity with vertebrate lysozymes of the chicken type. The amino acid residues responsible for the catalytic activity and for the binding of substrate are essentially conserved. Three allelic variants of the Cecropia enzyme are identified. A comparison of the chicken and the Cecropia lysozymes shows that there is a 40% identity at both the amino acid and the nucleotide level. Some evolutionary aspects of the sequence data are discussed.

Journal Article↗