Journal article

Lucimycin, an antifungal peptide from the therapeutic maggot of the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata


Authors listPoppel, AK; Koch, A; Kogel, KH; Vogel, H; Kollewe, C; Wiesner, J; Vilcinskas, A

Publication year2014

Pages649-656

JournalBiological Chemistry

Volume number395

Issue number6

ISSN1431-6730

DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2013-0263

PublisherDe Gruyter Brill


Abstract
We report the identification, cloning, heterologous expression and functional characterization of a novel antifungal peptide named lucimycin from the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata. The lucimycin cDNA was isolated from a library of genes induced during the innate immune response in L. sericata larvae, which are used as therapeutic maggots. The peptide comprises 77 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 8.2 kDa and a pI of 6.6. It is predicted to contain a zinc-binding motif and to form a random coil, lacking beta-sheets or other secondary structures. Lucimycin was active against fungi from the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota, in addition to the oomycete Phytophtora parasitica, but it was inactive against bacteria. A mutant version of lucimycin, lacking the four C-terminal amino acid residues, displayed 40-fold lower activity. The activity of lucimycin against a number of highly-destructive plant pathogens could be exploited to produce transgenic crops that are resistant against fungal diseases.



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Citation Styles

Harvard Citation stylePoppel, A., Koch, A., Kogel, K., Vogel, H., Kollewe, C., Wiesner, J., et al. (2014) Lucimycin, an antifungal peptide from the therapeutic maggot of the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata, Biological Chemistry, 395(6), pp. 649-656. https://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2013-0263

APA Citation stylePoppel, A., Koch, A., Kogel, K., Vogel, H., Kollewe, C., Wiesner, J., & Vilcinskas, A. (2014). Lucimycin, an antifungal peptide from the therapeutic maggot of the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata. Biological Chemistry. 395(6), 649-656. https://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2013-0263


Last updated on 2025-21-05 at 16:26