In vitro cytocidal effect of lytic peptides on several transformed mammalian cell lines.

Several types of transformed mammalian cells, derived from established cell lines, were found to be lysed in vitro by three novel lytic peptides (SB-37, SB-37*, and Shiva-1). This is in contrast with the behavior of normal cells, where the observed lytic activity of the peptides is greatly reduced. Based on experiments utilizing compounds which disrupt the cytoskeleton (colchicine and cytochalasin-D), it is surmised that alterations in the cytoskeleton of transformed cells increase their sensitivity to the cytolytic activity exerted by the peptides, primarily by causing a loss of osmotic integrity. Thus, a stable and regenerative cytoskeletal system, as that possessed by normal cells, would seem requisite to withstanding the lytic effects of the peptides.