title: cDNA cloning of three cecropin-like antimicrobial peptides (Styelins) from the tunicate, Styela clava.
abstract: We cloned precursors of three new antimicrobial peptides, Styelins C, D and E, from a pharyngeal cDNA library of a tunicate, Styela clava. Preprostyelins resembled dipteran preprocecropins, while the mature domain of Styelin C resembled Cecropin P1, an antimicrobial peptide purified from the porcine intestine. Beginning with the last 6 residues of their signal sequences, Styelin C and Cecropin 1 from Drosophila virilis had 8/11 identical amino acids (72.7%). Moreover, 4 of the last 6 residues of their mature peptide domains were also identical. Styelins were shorter, by 8 residues, than dipteran cecropins and preprostyelins contained a conserved, polyanionic C-terminal extension that was absent in preprocecropins. Delineation of cecropin-like antimicrobial peptides in a protochordate supports the antiquity of this family as effectors of innate immunity in animals and it increases the likelihood that additional cecropin-like peptides will be found among other evolutionary descendants of protochordates--vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liaw
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lehrer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000737:chemistry; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine; D014561:Urochordata / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010455:Peptides; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D011506:Proteins; C107548:styelin C; C107549:styelin D; C107550:styelin E; C070016:cecropin P1-LI