Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006277 | Peptides | 2013 | 5 Pages |
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important components of the innate immunity. Many antimicrobial peptides have been found from marine mollusks. Little information about AMPs of mollusks living on land is available. A novel cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptide (mytimacin-AF) belonging to the peptide family of mytimacins was purified and characterized from the mucus of the snail of Achatina fulica. Its cDNA was also cloned from the cDNA library. Mytimacin-AF is composed of 80 amino acid residues including 10 cysteines. Mytimacin-AF showed potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and the fungus Candida albicans. Among tested microorganisms, it exerted strongest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with a minimal peptide concentration (MIC) of 1.9 μg/ml. Mytimacin-AF had little hemolytic activity against human blood red cells. The current work confirmed the presence of mytimacin-like antimicrobial peptide in land-living mollusks.
► A novel antimicrobial peptide (mytimacin-AF) was purified and characterized from the mucus of the snail, Achatina fulica. ► Mytimacin-AF was a cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptide belonging to the peptide family of mytimacins. ► Mytimacin-AF showed potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and -positive bacteria and the fungus. ► The current work confirmed the presence of mytimacin-like antimicrobial peptide in land-living mollusks.