title: Characterization of a new bioactive peptide from Potamotrygon gr. orbignyi freshwater stingray venom.
abstract: Brazilian freshwater stingrays, Potamotrygon gr. orbigyni, are relatively common in the middle-western regions of Brazil, where they are considered an important public health threat. In order to identify some of their naturally occurring toxin peptides available in very low amounts, we combine analytical protocols such as reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), followed by a biological microcirculatory screening and mass spectrometry analysis. Using this approach, one bioactive peptide was identified and characterized, and two analogues were synthesized. The natural peptide named Porflan has the primary structure ESIVRPPPVEAKVEETPE (MW 2006.09 Da) and has no similarity with any bioactive peptide or protein found in public data banks. Bioassay protocols characterized peptides as presenting potent activity in a microcirculatory environment. The primary sequences and bioassay results, including interactions with the membrane phospholipids, suggest that these toxins are a new class of fish toxins, directly involved in the inflammatory processes of a stingray sting.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Conceição
authors.forename: Juliane M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Fernanda M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.forename: Clécio F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Klitzke
authors.forename: Elineide E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Márcia H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Robson L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Jorge H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Mônica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lopes-Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005397:Fish Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000378:metabolism*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D005397:Fish Venoms; D010455:Peptides