Actividad citotóxica de StAPs (Solanum tuberosum Aspartic Proteases) sobre bacterias patógenas de humanos

MENDIETA JULIETA R.*, MUÑOZ FERNANDO F. *, DALEO GUSTAVO R., GUEVARA MARÍA G.

San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina

Congreso; IX Simposio Argentino y XII Simposio Latinoamericano de Farmacobotánica; 2007

BLACPMA

Previous reports have been described the purification and characterization of two potato aspartic proteases, StAP1 and StAP3 with antimicrobial activity towards plant pathogenic microorganisms (Phytophthora infestans y Fusarium solani). On the other hand, we have cloned and expressed in E. coli a domain of these proteins named Plant Specific Insert (StAPs-PSIr). This domain has high structural homology with a proteins family with antimicrobial activity, named saposin-like proteins family. As well as StAPs and its structural homologous, StAP-PSIr has antimicrobial activity, specifically on plant pathogens. In this study we analysed the  citotoxic activity of StAPs and StAP-PSIr on three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and human erythrocytes cultures. The results obtained here show that StAPs and StAP-PSIr are able to diminish the viability of bacteria cultures in a dose-dependent manner; however, this effect was not observed on the human erythrocytes culture.