title: New caerin antibacterial peptides from the skin glands of the Australian tree frog Litoria xanthomera.
abstract: The secretion of the skin glands of the 'orange-thighed frog' Litoria xanthomera contains seven peptides. One of these is the know hypotensive peptide caerulein. Two new peptides, caerin 1.6 [GLFSVLGAVAKHVLPHVVPVIAEKL(NH2)], and caerin 1.7 [GLFKVLGSVAKHLLPHVAPVIAEKL(NH2)] show antibacterial properties. Two other peptides lack the first two amino acid residues of caerins 1.6 and 1.7 and show no antibacterial activity. The identification of the peptides in Litoria xanthomera confirms that this species is related to Litoria caerula, Litoria gilleni and Litoria splendida but not as closely as those three species are related to each other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Steinborner
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Waugh
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bowie
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ramsay
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001001:Anura; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment
chemical_list: D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D010455:Peptides; C107681:caerin 1.6 protein, Litoria; C107682:caerin 1.7 protein, Litoria