Identification and functional analyses of a novel dermaseptin peptide from the skin secretion of the frog, Phyllomedusa duellmani

Amphibians, including frogs and toads, are rich sources of bioactive molecules acting against microbial pathogens. These bioactive components, especially the antimicrobial peptides, which possess antimicrobial and antifungal functions, have been studied in-depth.

Dermaseptin peptides, derived from frogs of the Phyllomedusa genus, have been found to have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities and relatively low haemolytic activities.<br><br>Here, one novel dermaseptin, named DS-Du, was discovered from the skin secretion of the purple and orange leaf frog, Phyllomedusa duellmani through molecular cloning method. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analyses were employed to isolate and structurally-characterise respective encoded peptides from skin secretions.