AUTHOR=Wu Jiena , Zhang Haiyun , Chen Xiaoxin , Chai Jinwei , Hu Yunrui , Xiong Weichen , Lu Wancheng , Tian Maolin , Chen Xin , Xu Xueqing TITLE=FM-CATH, A Novel Cathelicidin From Fejervarya Multistriata, Shows Therapeutic Potential for Treatment of CLP-Induced Sepsis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.731056 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.731056 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=

Sepsis is an exacerbated inflammatory reaction induced by severe infection. As important defensive molecules in innate immunity, several AMPs are reported to prevent septic shock. In this study, we characterized a novel cathelicidin, FM-CATH, from the frog skin of F. multistriata. FM-CATH was found to adopt an amphipathic α-helix structural in membrane-mimetic environments and possess favorable antimicrobial effects against bacteria and fungus. In addition, it triggered the agglutination of bacteria. It could also strongly bind to LPS and LTA. Additionally, FM-CATH affected the enzymatic activities of thrombin, plasmin, β-tryptase, and tPA, leading to coagulation inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we observed that FM-CATH improved survival rate and inhibited pathological alteration, bacterial count, serum biochemistry, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that FM-CATH might be served as a promising agent for the treatment of sepsis.