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How Lactoferrin Kills Pneumococcus: Bacterial Protease PrtA Helps Lactoferrin's Antimicrobial Action

evidence
The takeaway

S. pneumoniae's own protease PrtA paradoxically facilitated its killing by apolactoferrin, revealing that bacterial enzymes can inadvertently enhance antimicrobial protein activity against the bacteria themselves.

Key finding

S. pneumoniae's own protease PrtA paradoxically facilitated its killing by apolactoferrin, revealing that bacterial enzymes can inadvertently enhance

What the researchers found

S. pneumoniae's own protease PrtA paradoxically facilitated its killing by apolactoferrin, revealing that bacterial enzymes can inadvertently enhance antimicrobial protein activity against the bacteria themselves.

Why it matters

Relevant for peptide research.

How the study worked

research study.

What this study cannot tell us

See abstract.

How to read the evidence

emerging evidence.

When this study was published

Published in 2011.

The bigger picture

Advances peptide research.

Questions still open

  • Further research needed.

Common questions

What was studied?
How Lactoferrin Kills Pneumococcus: Bacterial Protease PrtA Helps Lactoferrin's Antimicrobial Action
What was found?
S. pneumoniae's own protease PrtA paradoxically facilitated its killing by apolactoferrin, revealing that bacterial enzymes can inadvertently enhance antimicrobial protein activity against the bacteria themselves.

Read the original research

Serine protease PrtA from Streptococcus pneumoniae plays a role in the killing of S. pneumoniae by apolactoferrin.

Infection and immunity, 79(6), 2440-50

Citation

Mirza, Shaper; Wilson, Landon; Benjamin, William H; Novak, Jan; Barnes, Stephen; Hollingshead, Susan K; Briles, David E. (2011). Serine protease PrtA from Streptococcus pneumoniae plays a role in the killing of S. pneumoniae by apolactoferrin.. Infection and immunity, 79(6), 2440-50. https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00489-10