The Antimicrobial Peptide Melectin Shows Both Antimicrobial and Antitumor Activity via Membrane Interference and DNA Binding

PURPOSE: Increasingly complex diseases require novel drugs for their treatment. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidate treatments due to their broad existence and special characteristics. However, the current understanding of AMPs is not sufficient to allow them to be produced commercially for clinical use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Melectin, from the venom of the cleptoparasitic bee Melecta albifrons, does not exhibit sequence homology with other wasp venom peptides. To investigate this more deeply, we explored the antibacterial and antitumor activities of Melectin and related mechanisms. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that Melectin possesses antimicrobial properties against standard sensitive/clinical drug-resistant bacteria strains as well as antitumor activity. It has an α-helix form and exhibits moderate cytotoxicity. Its action mechanisms are involved with membrane interfering and DNA binding. The membrane interfering effect was distinct between different phospholipid compositions. CONCLUSION: We found that Melectin may serve as a new potential template in the battle against multidrug resistance, and our study indicated that there are promising prospects for medically applicable drugs based on AMPs.