Insect immunity - Constitutive expression of a cysteine-rich antifungal and a linear antibacterial peptide in a termite insect

作     者：Lamberty, M Zachary, D Lanot, R Bordereau, C Robert, A Hoffmann, JA Bulet, P 

作者机构：CNRS Inst Biol Mol & Cellulaire Unite Propre Rech 9022 F-67084 Strasbourg France Univ Bourgogne Zool Lab CNRS Unite Mixte Rech 5548 F-21000 Dijon France 

出 版 物：《JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY》 (生物化学杂志)

年 卷 期：2001年第276卷第6期

页      面：4085-4092页

核心收录：

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 071010[理学-生物化学与分子生物学] 07[理学] 

主　　题：氨基酸序列 抗菌药/化学 抗菌药/分离和提纯 抗菌药/药理学 抗真菌药/化学 抗真菌药/分离和提纯 抗真菌药/药理学 碱基序列 色谱法 高压液相 半胱氨酸/化学 DNA引物 免疫组织化学 等翅目/免疫学 分子序列数据 肽类 蛋白质构象 重组蛋白质类/化学 重组蛋白质类/分离和提纯 重组蛋白质类/药理学 序列同源性 氨基酸 动物 

摘      要：Two novel antimicrobial peptides, which we propose to name termicin and spinigerin, have been isolated from the fungus-growing termite Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (heterometabole insect, Isoptera). Termicin is a 36-amino acid residue antifungal peptide, with six cysteines arranged in a disulfide array similar to that of insect defensins. In contrast to most insect defensins, termicin is C-terminally amidated. Spinigerin consists of 25 amino acids and is devoid of cysteines. It is active against bacteria and fungi, Termicin and spinigerin show no obvious sequence similarities with other peptides. Termicin is constitutively present in hemocyte granules and in salivary glands. The presence of termicin and spinigerin in unchallenged termites contrasts with observations in evolutionary recent insects or insects undergoing complete metamorphosis, in which antimicrobial peptides are induced in the fat body and released into the hemolymph after septic injury.