Development of a Bioactive Fiber with Immobilized Synthetic Peptides Designed from the Active Site of a Beetle Defensin

The 9-mer peptides RLYLRIGRR and RLLLRIGRR were immobilized to amino-functionalized cotton fibers by a modification of the SPOT synthesis technique. The antibacterial activities of the peptide-immobilized cotton fibers against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were investigated. Antibacterial assays revealed that these fibers inhibit the growth of MRSA and the antibacterial activities were maintained after washing and sterilization by autoclaving. The anticancer effect of the peptide-immobilized fiber was also investigated with mouse myeloma cells and human leukemia cells. These results indicate that these fibers have strong growth inhibition activity against bacteria and cancer cells.