title: Identification, synthesis and characterization of a novel antimicrobial peptide HKPLP derived from Hippocampus kuda Bleeker.
abstract: A novel gene encoding 55 amino-acid residues has been identified from the brooding pouch cDNA library of Hippocampus kuda Bleeker. The deduced amino-acid sequence is highly homologous to several pleurocidin-like peptides from the winter flounder and comprises a signal peptide, a pro-peptide and a mature peptide. The glycine-rich mature peptide, designated HKPLP, contains 24 amino-acid residues and has been synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis. The purified HKPLP exhibits antimicrobial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains at low concentrations (MIC 1.5-7.5 μM). Thermal stability assay data show good heat stability. CD spectroscopy experiments indicate that the dominant contents are anti-parallel and parallel sheets, which may have β-sheet or β-strand motif. It is inferred that HKPLP participates in the host defense during egg fertilization and embryo development as an antimicrobial peptide in brooding pouch.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, National Engineering Research Center of South China Sea Marine Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Songqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chenfeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Anlong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xu