title: Solution structure of the antimicrobial peptide gaegurin 4 by H and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
abstract: Gaegurin 4 (GGN4) is a 37-residue antimicrobial peptide isolated from the skin of a Korean frog, Rana rugosa. This peptide shows a broad range of activity against prokaryotic cells but shows very little hemolytic activity against human red blood cells. The solution structure of GGN4 was studied by using circular dichroism (CD) and NMR spectroscopy. CD investigations revealed that GGN4 adopts mainly an alpha-helical conformation in trifluoroethanol/water solution, in dodecylphosphocholine and in SDS micelles, but adopts random structure in aqueous solution. By using both homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR experiments, complete 1H and 15N resonance assignments were obtained for GGN4 in 50% trifluoroethanol/water solution. The calculated structures of GGN4 consist of two amphipathic alpha-helices extending from residues 2-10 and from residues 16-32. These two helices are connected by a flexible loop spanning between the residues 11 and 15. By using enzyme digestion and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectroscopy, we confirmed that GGN4 contains a disulfide bridge formed between the residues Cys31 and Cys37 in its C-terminus. The effect of disulfide bridge on the structure and the activity of GGN4 was investigated. The reduced form of GGN4 revealed a similar activity and conformation to native GGN4, suggesting that the disulfide bridge does not strongly affect the conformation and the antimicrobial activity of GGN4.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Korea.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004220:Disulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011522:Protons; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004220:Disulfides; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011522:Protons; D012996:Solutions; C096396:gaegurin 4