title: A defensin antimicrobial peptide from the venoms of Nasonia vitripennis.
abstract: Although many antimicrobial components (i.e. antimicrobial peptides) have been found in many social Hymenoptera venoms, no antimicrobial compound is purified and characterized from parasitic Hymenoptera. From the venoms of the ectoparasitic wasp, Nasonia vitripennis, a defensin-like antimicrobial peptide named defensin-NV was purified and characterized. Defensin-NV is composed of 52 amino acid residues including 6 cysteines forming 3 disulfide bridges. Its amino acid sequence is VTCELLMFGGVVGDSACAANCLSMGKAGGSCNGGLCDCRKTTFKELWDKRFG. By BLAST search, defensin-NV showed significant sequence similarity to other insect defensin antimicrobial peptides. Defensin-NV exerted strong antimicrobial activity against tested microorganisms including Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The cDNA encoding defensin-NV was cloned from the venom reservoir cDNA library of N. vitripennis. The current work firstly purified and characterized an antimicrobial peptide from parasitic Hymenoptera.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit of Taizhou People's Hospital, Taizhou, Jiangsu 225300, China. h.xwan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Jilu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Hongwen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hanjin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.forename: Ruiqiang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D023082:Defensins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004175:Diptera / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D015723:Gene Library; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D053878:Hemolytic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014862:Wasp Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D014863:Wasps / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D023082:Defensins; D053878:Hemolytic Agents; D019476:Insect Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D014862:Wasp Venoms