1.D.107. The Putative Broad-spectrum Antimicrobial Peptide, HJH-1 (HJH-1) Family
Wang et al. 2018 examined the antimicrobial and membrane activity of HJH-1, a cationic peptide derived from the hemoglobin alpha-subunit of bovine erythrocytes P3. HJH-1 showed potent antimicrobial activity against different bacterial species associated with infection and causes weaker hemolysis of erythrocytes, at least five times the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). HJH-1 is stabile in a range of temperatures, pH values, and ionic strength. In the presence of HJH-1 (1x MIC), Escherichia coli membranes rapidly depolarised although red blood cells showed gradual hyperpolarisation. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron micrographs showed that HJH-1 (1x MIC) damaged the membranes of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Thus, HJH-1 has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity by disrupting microbial membranes (Wang et al. 2018).