Somuncurins: Bioactive Peptides from the Skin of the Endangered Endemic Patagonian Frog Pleurodema somuncurense

CANCELARICH, NATALIA L.; WILKE, NATALIA; FANANI, MARIA L.; MOREIRA, DANIEL C.; PÉREZ, LUIS O.; ALVES BARBOSA, EDER; PLÁCIDO, ALEXANDRA; SOCODATO, RENATO; PORTUGAL, CAMILA C.; RELVAS, JOÃO B.; DE LA TORRE, BEATRIZ G.; ALBERICIO, FERNANDO; BASSO, NÉSTOR G.; LEITE, JOSÉ R.; MARANI, MARIELA M.

JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2020 vol. 83 p. 972 - 972

0163-3864

he skin glands of amphibian species hold a major component of their innate immunity, namely a unique set of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Although most of them have common characteristics, differences in AMP sequences allow a huge repertoire of biological activity with varying degrees of efficacy. We present the first study of the AMPs from Pleurodema somuncurence (Anura: Leptodactylidae: Leiuperinae). Among the 11 identified mature peptides, three presented antimicrobial activity. Somuncurin-1 (FIIWPLRYRK), somuncurin-2 (FILKRSYPQYY), and thaulin-3 (NLVGSLLGGILKK) inhibited Escherichia coli growth. Somuncurin-1 also showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Biophysical membrane model studies revealed that this peptide had a greater permeation effect in prokaryotic-like membranes and capacity to restructure liposomes, suggesting fusogenic activity, which could lead to cell aggregation and disruption of cell morphology. This study contributes to the characterization