This paper is concerned with the nature of the hemolytic material which occurs in certain tumors, and particularly with the question whether it dif fers from the hemolytic material found in many normal tissues. The latter, at least in one of its forms, has been shown to have the characteristics of soaps and of lysolecithin-like substances more or less loosely combined with inhibitory material i...

Cyclotides are a family of macrocyclic peptides that combine the unique features of a head-to-tail cyclic backbone and a cystine knot motif, the combination of which imparts them with extraordinary stability. The prototypic cyclotide kalata B1 is toxic against two economically important gastrointestinal nematode parasites of sheep, Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis. A lysi...

Peptides are part of the host defense system against bacteria and fungi in species right across the evolutionary scale. However, endogenous antibacterial peptides are often composed of 25 residues or more and, therefore, are not ideal for therapeutic use. Hence it is of considerable interest to design and engineer short peptides having antimicrobial activity. Peptides composed of 18 amino acids...

1. The evidence presented indicates that Mg(++), or other cation such as Ca(++), Ni(++), or Co(++), is essential for the hemolytic action of C'. Ca(++), Ni(++), and Co(++) are less effective than Mg(++). The hemolytic system usually does not contain sufficient Mg(++) for optimal hemolytic activity so that a marked enhancement can be obtained by addition of extra Mg(++). 2. The enhancing action ...

Incubation of liposome-encapsulated Hb (LEH) with rat serum at 37°C led to accelerated decay of serum complement (C) hemolytic activity (CH30). Empty hposomes (L) caused less expressed decrease of CH», whereas free Hb had no effect on C hemolytic activity. The LEHand L-induced increase in C consumption was unlikely due to endotoxin (LPS) contamination, as spiking of rat serum witijLPS caused re...