Peptide and Protein Interaction with Membrane Systems

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. Antimicrobial Peptides: Mechanism of Action, Selectivity and Biological Activity

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introduction

      • Sara Bobone

      Pages 3-10

   3. Techniques

      • Sara Bobone

      Pages 11-17

   4. Materials and Methods

      • Sara Bobone

      Pages 19-27

   5. Results and Discussion

      • Sara Bobone

      Pages 29-90

3. Hydrogel Nanoparticles for Enzyme-Based Therapies

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 91-91

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   2. Introduction

      • Sara Bobone

      Pages 93-102

   3. Materials and Methods

      • Sara Bobone

      Pages 103-110

   4. Results and Discussion

      • Sara Bobone

      Pages 111-133

4. Back Matter

   Pages 135-140

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In her thesis, Sara Bobone outlines spectroscopic studies of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which are promising lead compounds for drugs used to fight multidrug resistant bacteria. Bobone shows that AMPs interact with liposomes and she clarifies the structure of pores formed by one of these molecules. These results help us to understand how AMPs are selective for bacterial membranes and how their activity can be finely tuned by modifying their sequence. Findings which solve several conundrums debated in the literature for years. In addition, Bobone uses liposomes as nanotemplates for the photopolymerization of hydrogels - exploiting the self- assembly properties of phospholipids. Bobone was able to trap an enzyme using nanometeric particles, while still allowing its activity by the diffusion of substrates and products through the network of the polymer. The innovative nano devices described in this thesis could solve many of the hurdles still hampering the therapeutic application of protein-based drugs.

• Enzyme Encapsulation
• Fluorescence Spectroscopy
• Mechanism of Action of Antimicrobial Peptides
• Peptide-Membrane Interactions
• Protein Drug Delivery
• Selectivity of Antimicrobial Peptides
• antibacterial drug resistance

• Department of Chemical Sciences and Technolgies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

  Sara Bobone

I received my M.Sc. Degree in Chemistry magna cum laude from the University of Rome "Sapienza". After the degree, I moved to Tor Vergata, where I won a fellowship for PhD students in Chemical Sciences, under the supervision of Prof. L. Stella. I defended my thesis in 2013 and then continued my work as a postdoctoral fellow. The thesis was awarded the 2012-2013 "Premio Semerano" by the Italian Chemical Society, as the best Italian PhD Physical Chemistry Thesis. The thesis work led to the publication of 7 papers on international journals and to the participation to 13 international and national conferences.

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