Potamotrygon cf. henlei stingray mucus: biochemical features of a novel antimicrobial protein.
Antimicrobial molecules are important components of the innate immune system in vertebrates. They have been studied widely in several fishes, but little is known about these defence factors in stingrays, which are thought to have less sophisticated adaptive immune systems when compared to other teleosts. Stingrays from the specie Potamotrygon cf. henlei are distributed throughout the rivers of central-west Brazil, being the cause of numerous envenomations occurring in the dry seasons. In a previous study, we reported that the mucus of the stingray P. cf. henlei shows antimicrobial effects. Here, to analyze the antimicrobial compounds from the mucus of P. cf. henlei, we employed solid-phase extraction, chromatographic separation followed by ESI-MS, and Edman degradation. A protein similar to the β-chain of hemoglobin was identified, isolated and partially sequenced by Edman degradation. This protein has a molecular weight of 16072.8 Da, and was shown to be active against bacteria (Micrococcus luteus and Escherichiacoli) and yeast (Candida tropicalis) without hemolytic activity. Effects of this new protein in the microcirculation environment were also evaluated. The results obtained provide fundamental information for future basic research, clinical diagnosis and development of new therapies to accident treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a bioactive polypeptide from the mucus of a stingray.
Immunoregulation Unit, Special Laboratory of Applied Toxinology-CEPID/FAPESP, Butantan Institute, Avenida Vital Brazil 1500, Sao Paulo-SP 05503-900, Brazil. conceicaokatia@butantan.gov.br
Katia
K
Conceição
Juliane
J
Monteiro-dos-Santos
Carla Simone
CS
Seibert
Pedro Ismael
PI
Silva
Elineide Eugênio
EE
Marques
Michael
M
Richardson
Mônica
M
Lopes-Ferreira
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D041022:Candida tropicalis / Q000187:drug effects; D002845:Chromatography; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D016982:Micrococcus luteus / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000378:metabolism*; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides