Superantigen antagonist peptides

Superantigen antagonist peptides

The production of superantigenic exotoxins by Gram positive bacteria underlies the pathology of toxic shock syndrome. Future treatment strategies for superantigen-mediated diseases are likely to be directed at blocking the three-way interaction between superantigen, T cell receptor and major histocompatibility class II molecule, which inititates an excessive and disordered inflammatory response...

Superantigen antagonist blocks Th1 cytokine gene induction and lethal shock.

Bacterial superantigens trigger an excessive, Th1-cytokine response leading to toxic shock. We designed a peptide antagonist that inhibits SEB-induced expression of human genes for IL-2, IFN-gamma, and TNF-beta, cytokines that mediate shock. The peptide antagonist shows homology to a beta-strand-hinge-alpha-helix domain that is conserved structurally in superantigens produced by Staphylococcus ...

Ethanol antagonist peptides: structural specificity without stereospecificity.

Increasing evidence suggests that ethanol damages the developing nervous system partly by disrupting the L1 cell adhesion molecule. Ethanol inhibits L1-mediated cell adhesion, and compounds that antagonize this action also prevent ethanol-induced embryotoxicity. Two such compounds are the small peptides NAPVSIPQ (NAP) and SALLRSIPA (SAL). We showed previously that NAP and SAL antagonize ethanol...

Activity of antimicrobial peptides and conventional antibiotics against superantigen positive Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with atopic dermatitis

Introduction Staphylococcus aureus causes a diverse array of diseases, ranging from relatively harmless localized skin infections to life-threatening systemic conditions. It secretes toxins directly associated with particular disease symptoms. Aim To determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) colonization among patients with...

Negative Selection by IgM Superantigen