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Molecular Characterization and Gene Expression Profiling ... - CUSAT

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2.3.1.5.2. Amino acid composition of Crustin-3<br />

Chapter 2<br />

The transcript had 73 amino acid residues with conserved cysteine<br />

residues characteristic of the WAP domain. The C-terminal segment<br />

included a high proportion of cysteine-rich region that participate in the<br />

formation of disulphide bonds. The partial cDNA fragment contained the 12<br />

conserved cysteine residues. The partial cDNA fragment lacked the signal<br />

peptide region but possessed the cysteine rich region characteristic to WAP<br />

domain. The other characteristic features of the WAP domain also confirm<br />

the 3’ end of the crustin-like AMP.<br />

2.3.1.5.3. Analysis of WAP domain structure of Crustin-3<br />

As predicted by the ScanProsite program, a whey-acidic protein<br />

(WAP) domain signature exists in the C-terminal. According to the previous<br />

reports on the crustin-like proteins, the four-disulfide core domain has<br />

proved to play important roles in the biological function of crustins (Zhang<br />

et al., 2007). The position of the conserved cysteines for such category of<br />

‘four-disulfide core’ domain <strong>and</strong> the location of the signature pattern is<br />

Cys 24 -Cys54, Cys31-Cys58, Cys 41 -Cys 53 , <strong>and</strong> Cys 47 -Cys 64 . In addition,<br />

searching against the Prosite database, analysis of Crustin-1 revealed the<br />

existence of WAP-type ‘four-disulfide core’ domain signature, C1-(Xn)-C2-<br />

(Xn)-C3-(X5)-C4-(X5)-C5-C6-(X3-5)-C7-(X3-4)-C8 (Bartlett et al., 2002) except for<br />

the presence of 5 residues between C7 & C8 (C7 X5 C8). 3 residues were found<br />

between C6 & C7 (C6 X3 C6). Several other consensus sequences also appears<br />

in the 4DSC domain: (1) the consensus KXGXCP containing C1; (2) a<br />

conserved aspartate (D) residue between C3 <strong>and</strong> C4; (3) KCC with C5 <strong>and</strong> C6;<br />

(4) CXP with C8 (Bartlett et al., 2002).<br />

2.3.1.5.4. Sequence alignment of Crustin-3<br />

BLAST analysis was performed at the nucleotide <strong>and</strong> amino acid level<br />

with other crustins in the GenBank. BLAST analysis showed that the crustin-<br />

like AMP shared maximum similarity with other crustins of P. monodon, F.<br />

<strong>Molecular</strong> <strong>Characterization</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Gene</strong> <strong>Expression</strong> <strong>Profiling</strong> of Antimicrobial Peptides in Penaeid Shrimps<br />

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