Echinometrin: a novel mast cell degranulating peptide from the coelomic liquid of Echinometra lucunter sea urchin.
Echinometra lucunter is an abundant sea urchin found in Brazilian waters. Accidents caused by this animal are common and are characterized by the penetration of the spines in the skin, which raises an inflammatory reaction through mechanical trauma as well as by the presumable action of toxins. Additionally, there have been reports of inflammatory reaction after the consumption of raw sea urchin eggs. In this work, we have isolated a peptide from E. lucunter coelomic fluid that could elicit inflammatory reactions, such as paw edema, leukocyte recruitment and diminishment of the pain threshold. This peptide was termed Echinometrin. Moreover, the peptide administration was able to produce in vivo degranulation of mouse mast cells, in a dose-response manner. The peptide was 'de novo' sequenced by mass spectrometry and its synthetic analog could reproduce all the observed effects. Sequence alignment indicates that this peptide is comprised in vitellogenin, an abundant nutrient protein present in the gametogenic cells of sea urchins, making it possible that echinometrin would be a cryptide with pro-inflammatory effects.
Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biofísica, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: jmsciani@butantan.gov.br.
Juliana Mozer
JM
Sciani
Laboratório de Farmacologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Marlos Cortez
MC
Sampaio
Laboratório de Fisiopatologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Bianca Cestari
BC
Zychar
Laboratório de Fisiopatologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Luis Roberto de Camargo
LR
Gonçalves
Laboratório de Fisiopatologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Renata
R
Giorgi
Laboratório de Fisiopatologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Thiago de Oliveira
Tde O
Nogueira
Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Robson Lopes
RL
de Melo
Laboratório de Farmacologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Catarina de Fátima Pereira
Cde F
Teixeira
Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biofísica, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil.
Daniel Carvalho
DC
Pimenta
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D010455:Peptides; C008331:mast cell degranulating peptide
Coelomic fluid; Cryptide; Echinometra lucunter; Inflammation; Mast cell; Peptide; Sea urchin