Structure and function of antimicrobial peptide penaeidin-5 from the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon

• Published in: Aquaculture 2006-09, Vol.260 (1), p.61-68
• Main Authors: Hu, Shao-Yang, Huang, Jan-Hsiung, Huang, Wei-Ting, Yeh, Yang-Hui, Chen, Mark Hung-Chih, Gong, Hong-Yi, Chiou, Tze-Ting, Yang, Tzu-Hsuan, Chen, Thomas T., Lu, Jenn-Khan, Wu, Jen-Leih
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerococcus viridans; amino acid sequences; Animal aquaculture; animal pathogenic bacteria; Animal productions; animal proteins; antibacterial properties; antifungal properties; Antimicrobial peptides; Biological and medical sciences; circular dichroism spectroscopy; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fusarium; Fusarium oxysporum; Fusarium pisi; General aspects; Innate immunity; Marine; messenger RNA; molecular sequence data; penaeidin-5; Penaeus monodon; Penseidins; plant pathogenic fungi; protein secondary structure; shrimp; shrimp culture; tissue distribution; Vibrio alginolyticus
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2006.06.017

The gene for penaeidin-5, an antimicrobial peptide comprising 55 amino acids, was isolated from the hemocyte of black tiger shrimp ( Penaeus monodon). RT-PCR expression tests revealed that penaeidin-5 was produced in hemocytes, gills, the intestine and muscle. Western blot analysis confirmed the panaeidin-5 was aboundantin hemocytes, the intestine and hemolymph. Immunohistochemistry revealedpenaeidin-5 in the cuticle and gills that are considered primary defense barriers. The deduced amino acid sequence of penaeidin-5 included a proline-rich N-terminal domain and a carboxyl-domain that contained six cysteine residues. Circular dichrosim analysis revealed an α-helix in its secondary structure and the predicted 3D structure indicated two-disulfide bridges in the α-helix. Based on the sequence of penaeidin-5 peptide cDNA, synthetic penaeidin-5 was prepared to carry out functional tests. The synthetic peptide had efficient bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against Aerococcus viridans, and also inhibited the growth of two filamentous fungi, Fusarium pisi and Fusarium oxysporum. To measure penaeidin-5 in vivo, black tiger shrimp were challenged with Vibrio alginolyticus and A. viridans. At 3 h post-challenge, penaeidin-5 was induced and bacterial numbers decreased significantly by 12 h and 24 h.