QUB-2454: a bioactive peptide from the frog skin secretion of Phyllomedusa palliate

Antimicrobial peptides belonging to the dermaseptin family are mainly found in phyllomedusine frogs. These peptides not only possess potent antimicrobial activity but exhibit low toxicity against eukaryotic cells. In a recent study, potent antimicrobial activity was correlated with the conserved structures and cationic amphiphilic characteristics of members of this peptide family. A dermaseptin peptide precursor was discovered here in the skin secretion of Phyllomedusa palliate, and the mature peptide was subsequently named QUB-2454. The chemically-synthesised and purified QUB-2454 showed that QUB-2454 has potent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli with MICs at 8μM, but it is weaker against C. albicans and has no effect on tested cancer cells: U251MG, H157, PC-3 and MCF-7. This article mainly discusses its possible antimicrobial mechanism by comparing other peptides of the same family. These data indicate that QUB-2454 may represent potential candidates for next-generation antibiotics. Thus, rational design through modification of the amino acid composition, affinity, cationic charge and so on could provide an accelerated path to overcoming obstacles enroute to their possible clinical applications.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Master of Philosophy

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Masters Thesis

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Queen's University Belfast

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Sheng, Pengcheng

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Shaw, Christopher
• Chen, Tianbao
• Zhou, Mei
• Wang, Lei

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:studenttheses/aec4086a-7014-4dad-8f8d-a411ff59a2ab

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:studenttheses/aec4086a-7014-4dad-8f8d-a411ff59a2ab