Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-2-29
pubmed:databankReference
pubmed:abstractText
Bradykinins and related peptides (BRPs) occur in the defensive skin secretions of many amphibians. Here we report the structures of BRPs and their corresponding biosynthetic precursor cDNAs from the Chinese brown frog, Rana chensinensis, and the North American leopard frog, Lithobates pipiens. R. chensinensis skin contained four transcripts each encoding a different kininogen whose organizations and spectrum of encoded BRPs were similar to those reported for the pickerel frog, Lithobates palustris. In contrast, from L. pipiens, a single skin kininogen was cloned whose structural organization and spectrum of mature BRPs were similar to those reported for the Chinese piebald odorous frog, Huia schmackeri. These data also implied that the endogenous precursor processing proteases in each species pair have identical site-directed specificities, which in part may be dictated by the primary structures of encoded BRPs. Thus the spectra of skin BRPs and the organization of their biosynthetic precursors are not consistent with recent taxonomy. The natural selective pressures that mould the primary structures of amphibian skin secretion peptides are thought to be related to the spectrum of predators encountered within their habitats. Thus similarities and differences in skin bradykinins may be reflective of predator spectra rather than indicative of species relatedness.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0196-9781
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
29
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
393-403
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
Skin bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs) and their biosynthetic precursors (kininogens): comparisons between various taxa of Chinese and North American ranid frogs.
pubmed:affiliation
Molecular Therapeutics Research, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't