title: Snake venom-like waprin from the frog of Ceratophrys calcarata contains antimicrobial function.
abstract: A 255-bp cDNA encoding an 84-amino acid residue (aa) precursor protein containing 8 half-cysteines was cloned from the skin of the frog, Ceratophrys calcarata. By sequence comparison and signal peptide prediction, the precursor was predicted to release a 63-aa mature peptide with amino acid sequence, NVTPATKPTPSKPGYCRVMDELILCPDPPLSKDLCKNDSDCPGAQKCCYRTCIMQCLPPIFRE. The mature was named ceratoxin. Ceratoxin shares significant sequence similarity with the toxin family of waprins containing the whey acidic protein-type (WAP) four-disulfide core domain found in snake venoms. Antimicrobial and trypsin-inhibitory abilities of recombinant ceratoxin were tested. Recombinant ceratoxin showed strong antimicrobial activities against wide spectrum of microorganisms including Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. It had no serine protease-inhibitory activity. The current results suggested that the snake venom-like waprin with antimicrobial activities in the frog skin plays a role in innate immunity.
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Daixi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Huahu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000664:Amphibian Venoms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001001:Anura / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006461:Hemolysis; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012910:Snake Venoms / Q000378:metabolism; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D020860:Subtilisin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000664:Amphibian Venoms; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012910:Snake Venoms; D014118:Toxins, Biological; C578500:ceratoxin, Ceratophrys calcarata; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D020860:Subtilisin