title: The functional role of the tachykinin consensus region of urechistachykinin peptide family for its antimicrobial activity.
abstract: In our previous study, we reported that urechistachykinin I (U I) and II (U II) exerted antimicrobial effects. To find out how the tachykinin consensus sequence of the urechistachykinin peptide family affects its antimicrobial activity, analogues substituting the amino acid residues phenylalanine (Phe-6; Anal 1), glycine (Gly-8; Anal 2), and arginine (Arg-10; Anal 3) of U II to alanine (Ala) were designed. Subsequently, the antimicrobial activity was shown on the order of Anal 3>U II=Anal 2>Anal 1, and this activity pattern was correlated with membrane studies such as propidium iodide (PI) influx and fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FD) leakage assay. These results suggest that the antimicrobial activity is related to the hydrophobicity values of the peptides. In regards to the activity of U II, it is determined that the hydrophobic Phe-6 plays a more critical role than Gly-8 or Arg-10.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Sang
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Juneyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jaeyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Dong Gun
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D000845:Annelida / Q000378:metabolism; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003911:Dextrans / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011419:Propidium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D003911:Dextrans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015320:Tachykinins; C015219:fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran; C080807:urechistachykinin I; C080808:urechistachykinin II; D011419:Propidium; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate