title: Antimicrobial peptides from the skin of the Tsushima brown frog Rana tsushimensis.
abstract: The Tsushima brown frog Rana tsushimensis Stejneger, 1907 exists in reproductive isolation on the island of Tsushima, Japan. Six peptides with antimicrobial activity were isolated in pure form from an extract of the skin of this species and their amino acid sequences identified them as members of the brevinin-1 (one peptide), brevinin-2 (one peptide) and temporin (four peptides) families. The C-terminally alpha-amidated brevinin-1 peptide (FLGSIVGALASALPSLISKIRN.NH2) lacks the cyclic heptapeptide domain Cys18-(Xaa)4-Lys-Cys24 at the COOH-terminus of the molecule that characterizes other members of that family. A structurally similar brevinin-1 peptide, also lacking the cyclic domain, was previously isolated from the skin of the Ryukyu brown frog Rana okinavana, indicative of a close phylogenetic relationship between the species. Brevinin-2TSa (GIMSLFKGVLKTAGKHVAGSLVDQLKCKITGGC) showed broad-spectrum growth inhibitory activity against a range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) (minimum inhibitory concentrations< or =25 microM) and relatively low hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes (LD50=100 microM). The peptide therefore represents a candidate for drug development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, 17666 Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. jmconlon@uaeu.ac.ae
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Conlon
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Ghaferi
authors.forename: Bency
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonnevend
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coquet
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leprince
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jouenne
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vaudry
authors.forename: Shawichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwamuro
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011898:Ranidae; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides