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Peptides Isolated from Amphibian Skin Secretions with Emphasis on Antimicrobial Peptides. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14100722. [PMID: 36287990 PMCID: PMC9607450 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14100722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The skin of amphibians is a tissue with biological functions, such as defense, respiration, and excretion. In recent years, researchers have discovered a large number of peptides in the skin secretions of amphibians, including antimicrobial peptides, antioxidant peptides, bradykinins, insulin-releasing peptides, and other peptides. This review focuses on the origin, primary structure, secondary structure, length, and functions of peptides secreted from amphibians' skin. We hope that this review will provide further information and promote the further study of amphibian skin secretions, in order to provide reference for expanding the research and application of amphibian bioactive peptides.
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Animal Venoms-Curse or Cure? Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040413. [PMID: 33921205 PMCID: PMC8068803 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
An estimated 15% of animals are venomous, with representatives spread across the majority of animal lineages. Animals use venoms for various purposes, such as prey capture and predator deterrence. Humans have always been fascinated by venomous animals in a Janus-faced way. On the one hand, humans have a deeply rooted fear of venomous animals. This is boosted by their largely negative image in public media and the fact that snakes alone cause an annual global death toll in the hundreds of thousands, with even more people being left disabled or disfigured. Consequently, snake envenomation has recently been reclassified by the World Health Organization as a neglected tropical disease. On the other hand, there has been a growth in recent decades in the global scene of enthusiasts keeping venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes in captivity as pets. Recent scientific research has focussed on utilising animal venoms and toxins for the benefit of humanity in the form of molecular research tools, novel diagnostics and therapeutics, biopesticides, or anti-parasitic treatments. Continued research into developing efficient and safe antivenoms and promising discoveries of beneficial effects of animal toxins is further tipping the scales in favour of the “cure” rather than the “curse” prospect of venoms.
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Gao Y, Li R, Yang W, Zhou M, Wang L, Ma C, Xi X, Chen T, Shaw C, Wu D. Identification of a new myotropic decapeptide from the skin secretion of the red-eyed leaf frog, Agalychnis callidryas. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243326. [PMID: 33270804 PMCID: PMC7714090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs) family is one of the most significant myotropic peptide families derived from frog skin secretions. Here, a novel BRP callitide was isolated and identified from the red-eyed leaf frog, Agalychnis callidryas, with atypical primary structure FRPAILVRPK-NH2. The mature peptide was cleaved N-terminally at a classic propeptide convertase cleavage site (-KR-) and at the C-terminus an unusual -GKGKGK sequence was removed using the first G residue as an amide donor for the C-terminally-located K residue. Thereafter, the synthetic replicates of callitide were assessed the myotropic activity and showed a significant contraction of balder, with the 0.63 nM EC50 value, more potent than most discovered myotropic peptides. The binding mode was further speculated by molecular docking and stimulation. The result indicated that the C-terminal of callitide might selectively bind to bradykinin receptor B2 (BKRB2). Further investigation of the callitide needs to be done in the future to be exploited as potential future drug leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yitian Gao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Renjie Li
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Wenqing Yang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Xinping Xi
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Di Wu
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- * E-mail:
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