Area of research
Microbiology · Genetics
Research interest
Research topics from publications: Fish-derived cationic antimicrobial peptide piscidin 1 exerts broad-spectrum bactericidal activities against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens; Expression of Toll‐like receptors and host defence peptides in the cecum of chicken challenged with Eimeria tenella. Representative work: The emergence and swift dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria have posed a grave threat to public health. To counteract the escalating menace posed by MDR organisms, particularly mcr-1 , bla NDM-1 , or/and tet (X3/X4)-positive Gram-negative pathogens, the identification of novel antimicrobial agents or treatment strategies is imperative. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as potential antibiotic candidates. In this study, we discovered that piscidin 1, a cationic AMP derived from fish, exhibits potent antibacterial activity against MDR bacteria. Safety and stability assessments revealed that this peptide demonstrates robust resistance to various physiological conditions Chicken coccidiosis, caused by Eimeria protozoa, affects poultry farming. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and host defence peptides (HDPs) help host innate immune responses to eliminate invading pathogens, but their roles in Eimeria tenella infection remain poorly understood. Herein, 14-day-old chickens were treated orally with 50,000 E. tenella oocysts and the cecum was dissected at different timepoints. mRNA expression of 10 chicken TLRs (chTLRs) and five HDPs was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. chTLR7 and chTLR15 were upregulated significantly at 3 h post-infection while other chTLRs were downregulated (p < .05). chTLR1a, chTLR1b, chTLR2b and chTLR4 peaked at 36 h post-infection, chTLR