scholarly journals Balteatide: A Novel Antimicrobial Decapeptide from the Skin Secretion of the Purple-Sided Leaf Frog,Phyllomedusa baltea

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilin Ge ◽  
Xiaole Chen ◽  
Chengbang Ma ◽  
Mei Zhou ◽  
Xinping Xi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Frog Skin ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Haemolytic Activity ◽  
Amino Acid Difference ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Skin Secretion ◽  
Skin Secretions

The skin secretions of Neotropical phyllomedusine leaf frogs have proven to be a rich source of biologically active peptides, including antimicrobials. The major families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) reported are the dermaseptins and phylloseptins and the minor families are the dermatoxins, phylloxins, plasticins, distinctins, and medusins. Here, we report a novel AMP of 10 amino acid residues (LRPAILVRIKamide), named balteatide, from the skin secretion of wild Peruvian purple-sided leaf frogs,Phyllomedusa baltea. Balteatide was found to exhibit a 90% sequence identity with sauvatide, a potent myotropic peptide from the skin secretion ofPhyllomedusa sauvagei. However, despite both peptides exhibiting only a single amino acid difference (I/T at position 9), sauvatide is devoid of antimicrobial activity and balteatide is devoid of myotropic activity. Balteatide was found to have differential activity against the Gram-positive bacterium,Staphylococcus aureus; the Gram-negative bacterium,Escherichia coli; and the yeast,Candida albicans, and unusual for phyllomedusine frog skin AMPs, was most potent (MIC 32 mg/L) against the yeast. Balteatide was also devoid of haemolytic activity up to concentrations of 512 mg/L. Phyllomedusine frog skin secretions thus continue to provide novel AMPs, some of which may provide templates for the rational design of new classes of anti-infective therapeutics.

scholarly journals Human ciliary neurotrophic factor: a structure-function analysis

1995 ◽  
Vol 309 (1) ◽  
pp. 215-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Krüttgen ◽  
J Grötzinger ◽  
G Kurapkat ◽  
J Weis ◽  
R Simon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
C Terminus

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) promotes survival in vitro and in vivo of several neuronal cell types including sensory and motor neurons. The primary structure of CNTF suggests it to be a cytosolic protein with strong similarity to the alpha-helical cytokine family which is characterized by a bundle of four anti-parallel helices. CNTF exerts its activity via complexation with CNTF receptor (CNTF-R). This complex consists of a CNTF-binding protein (CNTF-R) and two proteins important for signal transduction [gp130 and leukaemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIF-R)]. We have shortened the cDNA coding for CNTF at both the 5′ and the 3′ end and expressed the truncated proteins in bacteria. Biological activities of the protein preparations were determined by their ability to induce proliferation of BAF/3 cells that were stably transfected with CNTF-R, gp130 and LIF-R cDNAs. CNTF proteins with 14 amino acid residues removed from the N-terminus were biologically active whereas the removal of 23 amino acids resulted in an inactive protein. In addition, 18 amino acid residues could be removed from the C-terminus of the CNTF protein without apparent loss of bioactivity, but further truncation at the C-terminus yielded biologically inactive proteins. The introduction of two point mutations into the CNTF protein at a site that presumably interacts with one of the two signal-transducing proteins resulted in a CNTF mutant with no measurable bioactivity. In addition, a model of the three-dimensional structure of human CNTF was constructed using the recently established structural co-ordinates of the related cytokine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. CD spectra of CNTF together with our mutational analysis and our three-dimensional model fully support the view that CNTF belongs to the family of alpha-helical cytokines. It is expected that our results will facilitate the rational design of CNTF mutants with agonistic or antagonistic properties.

scholarly journals Molecular Cloning of a Novel Bradykinin-Related Peptide from the Skin of Indian Bronzed Frog Hylarana Temporalis

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. GEI.S5409 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Reshmy ◽  
V. Preeji ◽  
A. Parvin ◽  
K. Santhoshkumar ◽  
S. George
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Bioactive Peptides ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Skin Secretion ◽  
Mature Peptide ◽  
Amphibian Skin ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Putative Signal Peptide ◽  
Successful Isolation ◽  
Skin Secretions

Bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs) constitute one of the most studied groups of bioactive peptides in amphibian skin secretions. The present study describes the successful isolation of a novel BRP (hylaranakinin TE) from the skin secretion of the Indian bronzed frog Hylarana temporalis. The deduced open reading frame consisted of 115 amino acid residues with a putative signal peptide of 22 amino acid residues, followed by a spacer region and mature peptide regions that encode for two BRPs: a canonical bradykinin R-9-R with a C-terminal extension of FVPASSL and Thr 6 -BK. The Thr 6 -BK reported in the present study had an unusual FP-insertion in the N-terminal part and ended in FAPEII, which is very different from the IAPAIV sequence reported in other ranid frogs. Unlike the mammalian bradykinin and its precursor, amphibian BRPs and their precursors are extremely variable, as evident from the present study. This forms the first report of BRPs from Hylarana temporalis, endemic to India and Sri Lanka.

Analogues of the cholecystokinin octapeptide modified in the central part of the molecule

1991 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 1963-1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Hlaváček ◽  
Václav Čeřovský ◽  
Jana Pírková ◽  
Pavel Majer ◽  
Lenka Maletínská ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Cholecystokinin Octapeptide ◽  
Biological Tests ◽  
Biological Potency ◽  
Biologically Active Conformation

In a series of analogues of the cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) the amino acid residues were gradually modified by substituting Gly by Pro in position 4, Trp by His in position 5, Met by Cle in position 6, or the Gly residue was inserted between Tyr and Met in positions 2 and 3 of the peptide chain, and in the case of the cholecystokinin heptapeptide (CCK-7) the Met residues were substituted by Nle or Aib. These peptides were investigated from the point of view of their biological potency in the peripheral and central region. From the results of the biological tests it follows that the modifications carried out in these analogues and in their Nα-Boc derivatives mean a suppression of the investigated biological activities by 2-3 orders of magnitude (at a maximum dose of the tested substance of 2 . 10-2 mg per animal).This means that a disturbance of the assumed biologically active conformation of CCK-8, connected with a considerable decrease of the biological potency of the molecule, takes place not only after introduction of the side chain into its centre (substitution of Gly4), but also after the modification of the side chains of the amino acids or by extension of the backbone in further positions around this central amino acid.

Synthesis of a Biologically Active Nonadecapeptide Corresponding to the First Nineteen Amino Acid Residues of Adrenocorticotropins1a

1961 ◽  
Vol 83 (21) ◽  
pp. 4449-4457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Choh Hao Li ◽  
Johannes Meienhofer ◽  
Eugen Schnabel ◽  
David Chung ◽  
Tung-Bin Lo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Amino Acid Residues

scholarly journals Rational design of novel amphipathic antimicrobial peptides focused on the distribution of cationic amino acid residues

MedChemComm ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 896-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Misawa ◽  
Chihiro Goto ◽  
Norihito Shibata ◽  
Motoharu Hirano ◽  
Yutaka Kikuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Human Cell ◽  
Hemolytic Activity ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Cell Cytotoxicity ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
High Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Cationic Amino Acid ◽  
Helical Peptide

Amphipathic helical peptideStripeshowed high antimicrobial activity, low hemolytic activity, and low human cell cytotoxicity.

scholarly journals Unravelling the Skin Secretion Peptides of the Gliding Leaf Frog, Agalychnis spurrelli (Hylidae)

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Proaño-Bolaños ◽  
Ailín Blasco-Zúñiga ◽  
José Rafael Almeida ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Miguel Angel Llumiquinga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inhibitory Concentration ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Biological Characterization ◽  
Skin Secretion ◽  
Peptide Profile ◽  
Active Chemical ◽  
Molecular Masses ◽  
Skin Secretions

Frog skin secretions contain medically-valuable molecules, which are useful for the discovery of new biopharmaceuticals. The peptide profile of the skin secretion of Agalychnis spurrelli has not been investigated; therefore, the structural and biological characterization of its compounds signify an inestimable opportunity to acquire new biologically-active chemical scaffolds. In this work, skin secretion from this amphibian was analysed by molecular cloning and tandem mass spectrometry. Although the extent of this work was not exhaustive, eleven skin secretion peptides belonging to five peptide families were identified. Among these, we report the occurrence of two phyllokinins, and one medusin-SP which were previously reported in other related species. In addition, eight novel peptides were identified, including four dermaseptins, DRS-SP2 to DRS-SP5, one phylloseptin-SP1, and three orphan peptides. Phylloseptin-SP1 and dermaseptins-SP2 were identified in HPLC fractions based on their molecular masses determined by MALDI-TOF MS. Among the antimicrobial peptides, dermaseptin-SP2 was the most potent, inhibiting Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and ORSA with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2.68 μM, and Candida albicans with an MIC of 10.71 μM, without haemolytic effects. The peptides described in this study represent but a superficial glance at the considerable structural diversity of bioactive peptides produced in the skin secretion of A. spurrelli.

scholarly journals Transforming growth factor alpha: mutation of aspartic acid 47 and leucine 48 results in different biological activities.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1247-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Lazar ◽  
S Watanabe ◽  
S Dalton ◽  
M B Sporn
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Biological Activity ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Alpha ◽  
Factor Alpha

To study the relationship between the primary structure of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) and some of its functional properties (competition with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for binding to the EGF receptor and induction of anchorage-independent growth), we introduced single amino acid mutations into the sequence for the fully processed, 50-amino-acid human TGF-alpha. The wild-type and mutant proteins were expressed in a vector by using a yeast alpha mating pheromone promoter. Mutations of two amino acids that are conserved in the family of the EGF-like peptides and are located in the carboxy-terminal part of TGF-alpha resulted in different biological effects. When aspartic acid 47 was mutated to alanine or asparagine, biological activity was retained; in contrast, substitutions of this residue with serine or glutamic acid generated mutants with reduced binding and colony-forming capacities. When leucine 48 was mutated to alanine, a complete loss of binding and colony-forming abilities resulted; mutation of leucine 48 to isoleucine or methionine resulted in very low activities. Our data suggest that these two adjacent conserved amino acids in positions 47 and 48 play different roles in defining the structure and/or biological activity of TGF-alpha and that the carboxy terminus of TGF-alpha is involved in interactions with cellular TGF-alpha receptors. The side chain of leucine 48 appears to be crucial either indirectly in determining the biologically active conformation of TGF-alpha or directly in the molecular recognition of TGF-alpha by its receptor.

scholarly journals Identification of critical amino acid residues in the regulatory N-terminal domain of PMEL

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan M. Mitchell ◽  
Morven Graham ◽  
Xinran Liu ◽  
Ralf M. Leonhardt
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Pigment Cell ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Amyloid Formation ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Proteolytic Fragment ◽  
The Core ◽  
N Terminus ◽  
In Cis

AbstractThe pigment cell-specific protein PMEL forms a functional amyloid matrix in melanosomes onto which the pigment melanin is deposited. The amyloid core consists of a short proteolytic fragment, which we have termed the core-amyloid fragment (CAF) and perhaps additional parts of the protein, such as the PKD domain. A highly O-glycosylated repeat (RPT) domain also derived from PMEL proteolysis associates with the amyloid and is necessary to establish the sheet-like morphology of the assemblies. Excluded from the aggregate is the regulatory N-terminus, which nevertheless must be linked in cis to the CAF in order to drive amyloid formation. The domain is then likely cleaved away immediately before, during, or immediately after the incorporation of a new CAF subunit into the nascent amyloid. We had previously identified a 21 amino acid long region, which mediates the regulatory activity of the N-terminus towards the CAF. However, many mutations in the respective segment caused misfolding and/or blocked PMEL export from the endoplasmic reticulum, leaving their phenotype hard to interpret. Here, we employ a saturating mutagenesis approach targeting the motif at single amino acid resolution. Our results confirm the critical nature of the PMEL N-terminal region and identify several residues essential for PMEL amyloidogenesis.

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