title: Novel brevinins from Chinese piebald odorous frog (Huia schmackeri) skin deduced from cloned biosynthetic precursors.
abstract: Antimicrobial peptides represent the most characterized and diverse class of peptides within the defensive skin secretions of anuran amphibians. With an ever expanding database of primary structures, the current accepted rules for nomenclature have become increasingly difficult to apply to peptides whose primary structural attributes are either unique or that fall between those that define existing groups. An additional factor that adds to the confusion is the regular re-classification or revision of existing taxa. In the present study, we have identified five new antimicrobial peptide homologs in the defensive skin secretion of the Chinese piebald odorous frog, Huia schmackeri (formerly Rana (Odorrana) schmackeri), by cloning of their respective biosynthetic precursors. As these peptides are obvious homologs of the brevinin-1 and brevinin-2 families we have named these in accordance: (1) brevinin-1HS1, (2) brevinin-2HS1, (3) brevinin-2HS2, (4) brevinin-2HS3 and (5) brevinin-1HS2. The reasons for adopting these names are discussed. It is clear that with an ever-increasing number of amphibian skin antimicrobial peptides appearing in the literature that a consistent nomenclature scheme needs to be established.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Therapeutics Research, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Zhenzhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tianbao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029845:Amphibian Proteins / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011898:Ranidae; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; C078413:brevinin-1 protein, Rana; C078414:brevinin-2, Rana