title: Common structural properties specifically found in the CSalphabeta-type antimicrobial peptides in nematodes and mollusks: evidence for the same evolutionary origin?
abstract: The structural properties of the Ascaris suum antibacterial factor (ASABF)-type antimicrobial peptides, isolated from nematodes, were compared with the CSalphabeta-type antimicrobial peptides found in other organisms. The spacing of the half-cystine residues, cysteine pairings, and organization of the precursor were different from the 'classical' CSalphabeta-type antimicrobial peptides, such as drosomycin and plant defensins, and identical only to the MGD and myticin in mollusks. In addition, ABF-5, a member of the ASABF-type antimicrobial peptides in Caenorhabditis elegans, is predicted to contain a basic mature region and an acidic pro-region, similar to MGD and myticin. These results suggest that the ASABF-type antimicrobial peptides, MGD and myticin are similar in their structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Oowashi 1-2, Ibaraki Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D017165:Ascaris suum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D023082:Defensins; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008974:Mollusca / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: C102532:ASABF protein, Ascaris suum; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; C101524:MGD-1 protein, Mytilus; D011506:Proteins; C400201:myticin; D003545:Cysteine