Lucimycin, an antifungal peptide from the therapeutic maggot of the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata.
Biol Chem
; 395(6): 649-56, 2014 Jun.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24622788
ABSTRACT
We report the identification, cloning, heterologous expression and functional characterization of a novel antifungal peptide named lucimycin from the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata. The lucimycin cDNA was isolated from a library of genes induced during the innate immune response in L. sericata larvae, which are used as therapeutic maggots. The peptide comprises 77 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 8.2 kDa and a pI of 6.6. It is predicted to contain a zinc-binding motif and to form a random coil, lacking ß-sheets or other secondary structures. Lucimycin was active against fungi from the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota, in addition to the oomycete Phytophtora parasitica, but it was inactive against bacteria. A mutant version of lucimycin, lacking the four C-terminal amino acid residues, displayed 40-fold lower activity. The activity of lucimycin against a number of highly-destructive plant pathogens could be exploited to produce transgenic crops that are resistant against fungal diseases.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Peptídeos
/
Lucensomycin
/
Antifúngicos
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biol Chem
Assunto da revista:
BIOQUIMICA
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article