title: Gene cloning and functional characterization of four novel antimicrobial-like peptides from scorpions of the family Vaejovidae.
abstract: From the cDNA libraries made from the venom glands of two scorpions belonging to the Vaejovidae family, four different putative non disulfide-bridged antimicrobial peptides were identified: VmCT1 and VmCT2 from Vaejovis mexicanus smithi plus VsCT1 and VsCT2 from Vaejovis subcristatus. These short peptides (with only 13 amino acid residues each) share important amino acid sequence similarities among themselves and with other reported antimicrobial peptides, but their biological activities vary dramatically. This communication reports the cloning, chemical synthesis and characterization of these peptides. Two peptides, VmCT1 and VmCT2 showed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations MICs in the range of 5-25 μM and 10-20 μM respectively, whereas their hemolytic activity at these concentrations was low. Structure-function relationships that might determine the differences in activities are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Carreto
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Quintero-Hernández
authors.forename: Juana María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Vargas
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corzo
authors.forename: Lourival D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Possani
authors.forename: Baltazar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Becerril
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortiz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D015723:Gene Library; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012605:Scorpions; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012604:Scorpion Venoms