Molecular cloning and biological characterization of novel antimicrobial peptides, pilosulin 3 and pilosulin 4, from a species of the Australian ant genus Myrmecia

Arch Biochem Biophys. 2004 Aug 15;428(2):170-8. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2004.05.013.

Abstract

Venom of an Australian ant species of the Myrmecia pilosula species complex (mss. name Myrmecia banksi Taylor) contains two major allergenic peptides, pilosulin 1 and pilosulin 2. To obtain novel cDNA clones that encode the pilosulin-related bioactive peptides, mRNA of another Myrmecia species was subjected to RT-PCR in which the forward primer corresponds to a nucleotide sequence in the leader sequences of pilosulin 1 and pilosulin 2. As a result, we isolated cDNA clones encoding the novel antimicrobial peptides pilosulin 3 and pilosulin 4. The nucleotide and the amino acid sequences of all four pilosulins have high homology except for the mature peptide coding regions. Synthetic pilosulin 3 and pilosulin 4 peptides displayed antimicrobial activity with histamine-releasing and low hemolytic activities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Ant Venoms / chemistry
  • Ant Venoms / genetics*
  • Anti-Infective Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology
  • Ants
  • Base Sequence
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / metabolism
  • Databases as Topic
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Histamine / metabolism
  • Lactate Dehydrogenases / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / genetics*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

Substances

  • Ant Venoms
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Peptides
  • pilosulin 3
  • pilosulin 4
  • Histamine
  • Lactate Dehydrogenases