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Somuncurins: Bioactive Peptides from the Skin of the Endangered Endemic Patagonian Frog Pleurodema somuncurense
journal contribution
posted on 2020-03-05, 15:55 authored by Natalia
L. Cancelarich, Natalia Wilke, Marı́a
L. Fanani, Daniel C. Moreira, Luis O. Pérez, Eder Alves Barbosa, Alexandra Plácido, Renato Socodato, Camila C. Portugal, João B. Relvas, Beatriz G. de la Torre, Fernando Albericio, Néstor
G. Basso, José R. Leite, Mariela M. MaraniThe skin glands of amphibian species
hold a major component of
their innate immunity, namely a unique set of antimicrobial peptides
(AMPs). Although most of them have common characteristics, differences
in AMP sequences allow a huge repertoire of biological activity with
varying degrees of efficacy. We present the first study of the AMPs
from Pleurodema somuncurence (Anura: Leptodactylidae:
Leiuperinae). Among the 11 identified mature peptides, three presented
antimicrobial activity. Somuncurin-1 (FIIWPLRYRK), somuncurin-2 (FILKRSYPQYY),
and thaulin-3 (NLVGSLLGGILKK) inhibited Escherichia coli growth. Somuncurin-1 also showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Biophysical membrane model studies
revealed that this peptide had a greater permeation effect in prokaryotic-like
membranes and capacity to restructure liposomes, suggesting fusogenic
activity, which could lead to cell aggregation and disruption of cell
morphology. This study contributes to the characterization of peptides
with new sequences to enrich the databases for the design of therapeutic
agents. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of investing in
nature conservation and the power of genetic description as a strategy
to identify new compounds.