title: Structural characterization of a novel peptide with antimicrobial activity from the venom gland of the scorpion Tityus stigmurus: Stigmurin.
abstract: A new antimicrobial peptide, herein named Stigmurin, was selected based on a transcriptomic analysis of the Brazilian yellow scorpion Tityus stigmurus venom gland, an underexplored source for toxic peptides with possible biotechnological applications. Stigmurin was investigated in silico, by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and in vitro. The CD spectra suggested that this peptide interacts with membranes, changing its conformation in the presence of an amphipathic environment, with predominance of random coil and beta-sheet structures. Stigmurin exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activity, with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 8.7 to 69.5μM. It was also showed that Stigmurin is toxic against SiHa and Vero E6 cell lines. The results suggest that Stigmurin can be considered a potential anti-infective drug.
authors: Laboratório de Tecnologia e Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors: Edinara Targino
authors: ET
authors: de Melo
authors: Laboratório de Tecnologia e Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors: Andréia Bergamo
authors: AB
authors: Estrela
authors: Laboratório de Tecnologia e Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors: Elizabeth Cristina Gomes
authors: EC
authors: Santos
authors: Laboratório de Imunologia Clínica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, RN, Brazil.
authors: Paula Renata Lima
authors: PR
authors: Machado
authors: Laboratório de Imunologia Clínica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, RN, Brazil.
authors: Kleber Juvenal Silva
authors: KJ
authors: Farias
authors: Departamento de Ciências Animais, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil.
authors: Taffarel Melo
authors: TM
authors: Torres
authors: Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Enéas
authors: E
authors: Carvalho
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors: João Paulo Matos Santos
authors: JP
authors: Lima
authors: Laboratório de Tecnologia e Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors: Arnóbio Antonio
authors: AA
authors: Silva-Júnior
authors: Laboratório de Química Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors: Euzébio Guimarães
authors: EG
authors: Barbosa
authors: Laboratório de Tecnologia e Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil. Electronic address: mpedrosa@ufrnet.br.
authors: Matheus de Freitas
authors: Mde F
authors: Fernandes-Pedrosa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D012605:Scorpions / Q000737:chemistry*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D012604:Scorpion Venoms
keywords: Amphipathic peptide; Antimicrobial peptide (AMP); Circular dichroism (CD); Non-disulfide-bridged peptide (NDBP); Scorpion venom; Tityus stigmurus