Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Year : 2003, Volume : 24, Issue : 2
First page : ( 187) Last page : ( 190)
Print ISSN : 0970-9320.

Studies on certain antibacterial peptides in goat polymorphonuclear cells

Kumar Sandeep, Nandi S., More T., Kaur S.

Division of Biochemistry, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Izatnagar–243122 (U.P.)

Received:  22  July,  2004.

Abstract

The antibacterial cationic peptides of caprine polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells have not been studied. Hence the PMN cells were isolated from whole caprine blood and the granular cationic proteins and peptides therein were extracted with 0.2 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.0). The extract was fractionated on a Sephadex-G-50 exclusion column (25 × 550 mm) which resolved these proteins into four major fractions. The last protein fraction which contained peptides showed the greatest antibacterial potency against E. coli and S. aureus. The results indicated that the antibacterial components were highly active at the optimum pH of 7.2 and the minimum inhibitory concentration for 2 × 10⁶ CFU of E. coli and S. aureus as assessed from the peptides content was 10 and 20 µg respectively. The minimum incubation time required for the lytic action against E. coli was shorter than that for S. aureus. The antibacterial agent caused bacteriolysis as judged from β-galactosidase release into the medium, which indicated the increased permeability or damage to the inner plasma membrane of the bacteria.

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