title: Cloning and characterisation of cDNA sequences encoding for anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs) in Brazilian palaemonid and penaeid shrimps.
abstract: Anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs) are antimicrobial peptides found in limulids and crustaceans that have a potent and broad range of antimicrobial activity. We report here the identification and molecular characterisation of new sequences encoding for ALFs in the haemocytes of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium olfersi and also in two Brazilian penaeid species, Farfantepenaeus paulensis and Litopenaeus schmitti. All obtained sequences encoded for highly cationic peptides containing two conserved cysteine residues flanking a putative LPS-binding domain. They exhibited a significant amino acid similarity with crustacean and limulid ALF sequences, especially with those of penaeid shrimps. This is the first identification of ALF in a freshwater prawn.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada à Aqüicultura, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Embriologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Diego
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Patricia Hermes
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Stoco
authors.forename: Margherita Anna
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Barracco
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D007447:Invertebrate Hormones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033541:Palaemonidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007447:Invertebrate Hormones