Abstract
In recent years, some of the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are toxic to bacteria, exhibit a strong cytotoxic activity in cancer cells, but not to normal mammalian cells. This intriguing feature has obvious anticancer potential. In the past, our laboratory screened to have active AMPs(m2163 and m2386) from Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334. The AMPs were confirmed to have anticancer activity in human colorectal cancer cell lines, SW480, and the AMPs would induce apoptosis of SW480.But the apoptotic pathways are not very clear. To find out the apoptotic pathways, we used real time PCR technology to test the relative mRNA expression of target gene. And used western blot to test the expression of target protein. The results show that AMPs could induce the expression of death receptor (Fas, TNFR1 and TRAILR1) of SW480 afterward, active the mitochondria release apoptotsis- associated proteins (cytochrome c and Smac). It is confirmed that AMP treatment cause SW480 apoptotic pathways included death receptor-mediated pathway and mitochondria-mediated pathway. These results suggest that the m2163 and m2386 interact with apoptotsis- associated receptor or affect on cell membrane surfaces.