Image Number K8086-1

One peptide with antifungal promise comes from a surprising source: the cecropia moth. Here, the fluorescein-tagged cecropin-A peptide binds to the surface of nongerminated asexual spores (conidia) and along a threadlike hypha of Fusarium moniliforme. The peptides cause pores to form in the fungal wall, leakage of cell contents, and death.

Photo by Anthony De Lucca.

640 pixels wide: (k8086-1.jpg)