Synthesis, antimicrobial activity and toxicity of analogs of the scorpion venom BmKn peptides

Results show that the valine substituted analog BmKn2V1 and lysine substituted analog BmKn2K7 have in general, the highest antibiotic and hemolytic activity of the group. Introduction of one positive charge on the hydrophobic side shows a significant increase in antibacterial activity compared with the original sequence except for Bacillus and Enterobacter where, unexpectedly, the activity flats-off. In contrast, the analog with two positive charges has minimal antibacterial or hemolytic activity.