Targeted Modification of a Novel Amphibian Antimicrobial Peptide from Phyllomedusa tarsius to Enhance Its Activity against MRSA and Microbial Biofilm.

ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the skin secretions of amphibians are fundamental components of a unique defense system that has evolved to protect these hosts from microbial invasion. Medusins constitute a recently-discovered AMP family from phyllomedusine leaf frog skin and exhibit highly-conserved structural characteristics. Here, we report a novel medusin, medusin-PT, from the skin secretion of the Tarsier Leaf Frog, Phyllomedusa tarsius. The mature peptide was initially identified from its cloned biosynthetic precursor-encoding cDNA as obtained by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. Reverse-phase HPLC and tandem mass spectrometry confirmed both the presence of medusin-PT in the skin secretion and its primary structure. In a range of bioassays, medusin-PT exhibi

SUBMITTER: Gao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5395648 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature