The first salamander defensin antimicrobial peptide

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 30;8(12):e83044. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083044. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides have been widely identified from amphibian skins except salamanders. A novel antimicrobial peptide (CFBD) was isolated and characterized from skin secretions of the salamander, Cynops fudingensis. The cDNA encoding CFBD precursor was cloned from the skin cDNA library of C. fudingensis. The precursor was composed of three domains: signal peptide of 17 residues, mature peptide of 41 residues and intervening propeptide of 3 residues. There are six cysteines in the sequence of mature CFBD peptide, which possibly form three disulfide-bridges. CFBD showed antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans and Escherichia coli. This peptide could be classified into family of β-defensin based on its sequence similarity with β-defensins from other vertebrates. Evolution analysis indicated that CFBD was close to fish β-defensin. As far as we know, CFBD is the first β-defensin antimicrobial peptide from salamanders.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphibian Proteins / chemistry
  • Amphibian Proteins / genetics
  • Amphibian Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Infective Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacillus subtilis / drug effects
  • Candida albicans / drug effects
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Erythrocytes / drug effects
  • Gene Library
  • Hemolytic Agents / chemistry
  • Hemolytic Agents / metabolism
  • Hemolytic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Phylogeny
  • Rabbits
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Urodela / genetics*
  • Urodela / metabolism
  • beta-Defensins / chemistry
  • beta-Defensins / genetics
  • beta-Defensins / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Amphibian Proteins
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Hemolytic Agents
  • beta-Defensins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (30830021, 31025025, 31070701, 31000960, 31025025, U1132601, 31200590), the Ministry of Science and Technology (2010CB529800, 2011ZX09102-002-10), Yunnan Province (2011CI139, 2012BC009,2013FB072), Jiangsu Province (BK2012365, BE2012748). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.