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The major regulator of systemic iron homeostasis is controlled by human Hepcidin, which is a 25 amino acid cysteine-rich cationic antimicrobial peptide (HAMP) hormone, that was first identified in ...

In recent years, considerable interest has been focused on the use of physiological parameters as selection criteria in salt tolerance ranking. Eighteen bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landraces from the west area of the Urmia Saline Lake were grown in a greenhouse in the Department of Plant Biology and Halophytes Biotechnology Center, Azarbaijan University of Tarbiyat Moallem, Tabriz, Iran to study the effects of increasing levels of sodium chloride (NaCl) (control, 75, and 150 mM) on the plant leaves. The experimental design was factorial with a randomized complete block with three replications. The results showed salinity caused an obvious decrease in growth of all landraces. Physiological parameters such as lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and cell membrane injury increased with increasing salinity levels with different degrees among the landraces. Salt stress increased the sodium (Na+) accumulation coupled with a decrease in leaf potassium (K+) depending on salinity levels. Th...

To study structure-activity relationship of antimicrobial peptides and to design novel antimicrobial peptides with selectivity for bacterial cells, we have performed molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction of Piscidin (Pis1) and its two analogues (Pis1-AA and Pis1-PG) with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer through 45 ns. Our results inform us of the detailed location and orientation of the peptide with respect to the bilayer as well as provide about hydrogen-bond-formation patterns and electrostatics interactions. Simulations show that Pis1 and Pis-AA form the most hydrogen bonds and Pis-PG forms the fewest hydrogen bonds with lipid. Thus, Pis1 and Pis-AA should have stronger interactions with the lipid head group when compared to Pis-PG. Experimental studies have shown that Pis1 and Pis1-AA have a high antimicrobial and hemolytic activities, and Pis1-PG has low hemolytic activity while keeps potent antimicrobial activity. Our results complement the previous experimental studies. According to our MD results and previous experimental studies, Pis1 and Pis1-AA are more effective at the zwitterionic bilayer comparing Pis1-PG. These properties of Pis1-PG could be accordance with its low hemolytic activities.