Abstract
An extract of skin taken from specimens of the freeze-tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica, that were collected from cold (<7°C) ponds and maintained at 5°C lacked detectable antimicrobial activity. In contrast, an extract of skin taken from specimens maintained at 30°C for 3 weeks under laboratory conditions contained a high concentration (approximately 4 nmol/g) of a single antimicrobial peptide of the brevinin-1 family (FLPVVAGLAAKVLPSIICAVTKKC). The peptide inhibited growth of Escherichia coli (minimum inhibitory concentration 45 μM) and Staphylococcus aureus (minimum inhibitory concentration 7 μM). The data suggest that synthesis of the peptide is induced when the animal is in an environment that promotes the growth of microorganisms consistent with a role in the animal's defense strategy. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 135-138 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | FEBS Letters |
Volume | 483 |
Issue number | 2-3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 20 Oct 2000 |
Keywords
- Amphibian skin
- Antimicrobial peptide
- Brevinin-1