Maximins S, a novel group of antimicrobial peptides from toad Bombina maxima

Amphibian skin secretions are rich in antimicrobial peptides acting as important components of innate defense system against invading microorganisms. A novel type of peptide, designated as maximin S, was deduced by random sequencing of 793 clones from a constructed Bombina maxima skin cDNA library. The putative primary structures of maximin S peptides can be grouped into five species, in which maximin S I has 14 amino acid residues and the rest of maximin S peptides (S2-S5) all have 18 amino acid residues. Unlike most of the amphibian antimicrobial peptides so far identified, the newly characterized four maximin S precursors are composed of maximin S I and different combinations of tandem repeated maximin S2-S5 linked by internal peptides. Except maximin S I, the predicted secondary structures of maximin S2-S5 show a similar amphipathic alpha-helical structure. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis of partially isolated skin secretions of the toad indicates that most of the deduced maximin S peptides are expressed. Two deduced maximin S peptides (S1, S4) were synthesized and their antimicrobial activities were tested. Maximin S4 only had an antibiotic activity against mycoplasma and had no antibacterial or antifungal activity toward tested strains. Maximin S1 had no activity under the same conditions. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

China, India, and the Environment

This work was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2007CB411600), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30621092, 30623007), and Bureau of Science and Technology of Yunnan Province.

GENETIC DIVERSITY IN THE CHINESE PANGOLIN (MANIS-PENTADACTYLA) - INFERRED FROM RESTRICTION ENZYME ANALYSIS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNAS

Two different forms of Chinese pangolins can be recognized according to the color of their scales, i.e., brown and dusky. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) purified from the livers of seven dusky and six brown Chinese pangolins from the same locality, using cleavage patterns from 19 restriction enzymes. From the 19 6-bp recognition enzymes used, 51-56 sites were observed. By combining the cleavage patterns for each enzyme, the 13 samples were classified into four restriction types: two in dusky and two in brown Chinese pangolins. The estimated number of nucleotide substitutions per site in dusky and brown types is 0.002, and that between dusky and brown types is 0.012. Divergence between brown and dusky forms began 0.6 Myr ago, provided the mean rate of sequence divergence is 0.02 per Myr in mtDNA. Our results suggest that there is considerable divergence in Chinese pangolins, and brown and dusky Chinese pangolins may be quite different forms or, at least, belong to different maternal groups.

Evolutionary implications of avian infectious Bronchitis Virus (AIBV) analysis

For developing efficient vaccines, it is essential to identify which amino acid changes are most important to the survival of the virus. We investigate the amino acid substitution features in the Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus (AIBV) antigenic domain o

天然来源具有抗HIV 活性的多肽和蛋白类化合物

　从天然药物中寻找高效低毒的抗HIV/ AIDS 活性化合物和先导化合物是国内外新药研制中非 常活跃的领域之一,也应该是我国近期创制新药的一条捷径。来源于动植物、海洋生物、微生物以及人体等中 的许多天然化合物具有抗HIV 活性。本文仅对天然来源的多肽和蛋白类化合物抗HIV 的研究简要综述。

DNA 拓扑异构酶Ⅱ的结构和作用原理

1976年美国国立卫生研究所的 Gellert 等从大肠杆菌中提取到解旋酶 (gyrase, 也叫细菌DNA 拓扑异构酶Ⅱ ,以下简称 TopoⅡ )以来, 对 TopoⅡ的作用机制一直存在争议. Tse (1980)报道, Topo Ⅱ能同时打断 DNA 的两条链,TopoⅡ的两个亚基键分别与断开的 DNA 的两个5'末端连接, 并互相错开4个碱基对，以便让另一股 DNA 双链通过。