Biological Properties of a Novel Multifunctional Host Defense Peptide from the Skin Secretion of the Chaco Tree Frog, <i>Boana raniceps</i>
Carlos José Correia Santana,
Ana Carolina Martins Magalhães,
César Augusto Prías-Márquez,
Diego A. Falico,
Agenor C. M. dos Santos Júnior,
Beatriz D. Lima,
Carlos André Ornelas Ricart,
Denise Regina Bairros de Pilger,
Rafaela Milan Bonotto,
Carolina Borsoi Moraes,
Lúcio H. Freitas-Júnior,
Alice da Cunha Morales Álvares,
Sonia Maria Freitas,
Isabelle S. Luz,
Osmindo Rodrigues Pires Jr.,
Wagner Fontes,
Mariana S. Castro
Affiliations
Carlos José Correia Santana
Laboratory of Toxinology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Ana Carolina Martins Magalhães
Laboratory of Toxinology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
César Augusto Prías-Márquez
Laboratory of Toxinology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Diego A. Falico
Laboratory of Toxinology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Agenor C. M. dos Santos Júnior
Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Beatriz D. Lima
Laboratory of Gene Biology, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Carlos André Ornelas Ricart
Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Denise Regina Bairros de Pilger
Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05.508-900, Brazil
Rafaela Milan Bonotto
Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05.508-900, Brazil
Carolina Borsoi Moraes
Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05.508-900, Brazil
Lúcio H. Freitas-Júnior
Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05.508-900, Brazil
Alice da Cunha Morales Álvares
Laboratory of Biophysics, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Sonia Maria Freitas
Laboratory of Biophysics, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Isabelle S. Luz
Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Osmindo Rodrigues Pires Jr.
Laboratory of Toxinology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Wagner Fontes
Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
Mariana S. Castro
Laboratory of Toxinology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70.910-900, Brazil
In recent years, the number of new antimicrobial drugs launched on the market has decreased considerably even though there has been an increase in the number of resistant microbial strains. Thus, antimicrobial resistance has become a serious public health problem. Amphibian skin secretions are a rich source of host defense peptides, which generally are cationic and hydrophobic molecules, with a broad-spectrum of activity. In this study, one novel multifunctional defense peptide was isolated from the skin secretion of the Chaco tree frog, Boana raniceps. Figainin 2 (1FLGAILKIGHALAKTVLPMVTNAFKPKQ28) is cationic and hydrophobic, adopts an α-helical structure in 50% (v/v) trifluoroethanol (TFE), and is thermally stable. This peptide exhibited activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria arboviruses, T. cruzi epimastigotes; however, it did not show activity against yeasts. Figainin 2 also showed antiproliferative activity on cancer cells, is moderately active on human erythrocytes, and activates the oxidative burst in human neutrophils.
