title: StCT2, a new antibacterial peptide characterized from the venom of the scorpion Scorpiops tibetanus.
abstract: Bacterial infection poses an increasing threat to global public health and new types of antibacterial agents are urgently needed to respond to the threat. Scorpion venom contains series of bioactive peptides, among which antibacterial peptide is an important part. Herein, a new antimicrobial peptide StCT2 was characterized from the venomous gland cDNA library of the Scorpiops tibetanus. The full-length cDNA of StCT2 is 369 nucleotides encoding the precursor that contains a putative 24 residues signal peptide, a presumed 14 residues mature peptide, and a putative 37 residues acidic propeptide at the C-terminus. The minimal inhibition concentrations (MICs) of StCT2 for Staphylococcus aureus were 6.25-25μg/ml, including antibiotic-resistant strains such as methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). StCT2 was further found to show high in vivo antimicrobial activity by an S. aureus infection mouse model. StCT2 exerted its antimicrobial activity via a rapid bactericidal mechanism. Taken together, these results demonstrate the efficacy and general mechanism of StCT2 antimicrobial action and the therapeutic potential of StCT2 as a new antimicrobial peptide.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Luyang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Zhongjie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ruhong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yingliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wenxin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhijian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012605:Scorpions; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012604:Scorpion Venoms