Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Purification and characterization of the antimicrobial peptide, ostricacin

  • Published:
Biotechnology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An antimicrobial peptide, ostricacin-1, has been purified and characterized from ostrich leukocytes. The peptide has a mass of 4011 and contained 36 residues, including 3 intramolecular cystine disulfide bonds. Ostricacin-1 has a primary sequence homology to the β-defensin family and was active at 6.7 μg ml−1 against E. coli and Staphylocccus aureus in vitro.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Boman H (1991) Antibacterial peptides: key components needed in immunity. Cell 65: 205-207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brockus C,Jackwood M,Harmon B (1998) Characterization of β-defensin prepropeptide mRNA from chicken and turkey bone marrow. Animal Genet. 29: 283-289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans EW,Harmon BG (1995) A review of antimicrobial peptides: defensins and related cationic peptides. Vet. Clin. Pathol. 24: 109-116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans E,Beach F,Moore K,Jackwood M,Glisson J,Harmon B (1995) Antimicrobial activity of chicken and turkey heterophil peptides CHP1, CHP2, THP1, and THP3. Vet. Microbiol. 47: 295-303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganz T,Lehrer R (1994) Defensins. Curr. Opin. Immunol. 6: 584-589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmon BG (1998) Avaian heterophils in inflammation and disease resistance. Poultry Sci. 77: 972-977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harwig SSL,Swiderek KM,Kokryakov VN,Tan L,Lee TD,Panyutich EA,Aleshina GM,Shamova OV,Lehrer RI (1994) Gallinacins: cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides of chicken leukocytes. FEBS Lett. 342: 281-285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehrer R,Rosenman M,Harwig S,Jackson R,Eisenhauer P (1991) Ultrasensitive assays for endogenous antimicrobial polypeptides. J. Immunol. Meth. 137: 167-173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin E,Ganz T,Lehrer RI (1995) Defensins and their endogenous peptide antibiotics of vertebrates. J. Leukocyte Biol. 58: 128-136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolas P,Mor A (1995) Peptides as weapons against microorganisms in the chemical defense system of vertebrates. Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 49: 277-304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selsted M,Tang Y,Morris W,McGuire P,Novotny M,Smith W,Henschen A,Cullor JS (1993) Purification, primary structures, and antibacterial activities of β-defensins, a new family antimicrobial peptides from bovine neutrophils. J. Biol. Chem. 268: 6641-6648.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan TR,Lee CS (1997) Characterization of a partially puri-fied bacteriocin, Fermentcin B, from Lactobacillus fermentum. Biotechnol. Lett. 19: 741-744.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmermann G,Legault P,Selsted M,Pardi A (1995) Solution structure of bovine neutrophil β-defensin-12: the peptide fold of the β-defensins is identical to that of the classical defensins. Biochemistry 34: 13663-13671.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Group, Institute of Technology and Engineering, College of Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Pak-Lam Yu, Santanu Deb Choudhury & Katja Ahrens

Authors
  1. Pak-Lam Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Santanu Deb Choudhury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Katja Ahrens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pak-Lam Yu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yu, PL., Choudhury, S.D. & Ahrens, K. Purification and characterization of the antimicrobial peptide, ostricacin. Biotechnology Letters 23, 207–210 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005623806445

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005623806445

Search

Navigation