title: Purification and characterization of eight peptides from Galleria mellonella immune hemolymph.
abstract: Defense peptides play a crucial role in insect innate immunity against invading pathogens. From the hemolymph of immune-challenged greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Gm) larvae, eight peptides were isolated and characterized. Purified Gm peptides differ considerably in amino acid sequences, isoelectric point values and antimicrobial activity spectrum. Five of them, Gm proline-rich peptide 2, Gm defensin-like peptide, Gm anionic peptides 1 and 2 and Gm apolipophoricin, were not described earlier in G. mellonella. Three others, Gm proline-rich peptide 1, Gm cecropin D-like peptide and Galleria defensin, were identical with known G. mellonella peptides. Gm proline-rich peptides 1 and 2 and Gm anionic peptide 2, had unique amino acid sequences and no homologs have been found for these peptides. Antimicrobial activity of purified peptides was tested against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi. The most effective was Gm defensin-like peptide which inhibited fungal and sensitive bacteria growth in a concentration of 2.9 and 1.9 microM, respectively. This is the first report describing at least a part of defense peptide repertoire of G. mellonella immune hemolymph.
authors.affiliation: Department of Invertebrate Immunology, Institute of Biology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 19 Akademicka St., 20-033 Lublin, Poland. cytryna@biotop.umcs.lublin.pl
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cytryńska
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zdybicka-Barabas
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suder
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jakubowicz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D023082:Defensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000276:immunology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D023082:Defensins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010455:Peptides