1. A novel class of antimicrobial peptides from the scorpion Heterometrus spinifer
Yao Nie, Xian-Chun Zeng, Ye Yang, Feng Luo, Xuesong Luo, Shifen Wu, Lei Zhang, Jianping Zhou Peptides. 2012 Dec;38(2):389-94. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.09.012. Epub 2012 Sep 21.
The venom peptides from the scorpion Heterometrus spinifer have been poorly characterized so far. Here, we identified a novel class of antimicrobial peptides from the venom gland of H. spinifer, which were referred to as HsAp, HsAp2, HsAp3 and HsAp4, respectively. Each of the four peptides consists of 29 amino acid residues, and is cationic and weakly amphipathic. They display no significant homology to any other known peptides, and thus represent a new family of venom peptides from scorpions. Antimicrobial assay showed that HsAp is able to inhibit the growth of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with the MIC values of 11.8-51.2 μM. HsAp is also able to inhibit the growth of the tested fungus. Genomic analysis indicated that the genes of all the four peptides are intronless. Our studies expand the families of antimicrobial peptides from scorpions.
2. Contribution to high-resolution mapping in pigs with 101 type I markers and progress in comparative map between humans and pigs
Yvette Lahbib-Mansais, et al. Mamm Genome. 2003 Apr;14(4):275-88. doi: 10.1007/s00335-002-2236-x.
In the frame of the European program GenetPig, we localized on the Pig map 105 coding sequences (type I markers) from different origins, using INRA-University of Minnesota porcine Radiation Hybrid Panel (IMpRH, 101 markers) and somatic cell hybrid panel (SCHP, 93 markers, of which only four were not also mapped using IMpRH). Thus, we contributed to the improvement of the porcine high-resolution map, and we complemented the integration between the RH and cytogenetic maps. IMpRH tools allowed us to map 101 new markers relatively to reference markers of the first generation radiation hybrid map. Ninety out of 101 markers are linked to an already mapped marker with a LOD score greater than 4.8. Seventy-eight markers were informative for comparative mapping. Comparison of marker positions on the RH map with those obtained on the cytogenetic map or those expected by Human-Pig comparative map data suggested to us to be cautious with markers linked with a LOD lower than 6. These results allowed us to specify chromosomal fragments well conserved between humans and pigs and also to suggest new correspondences (Sscr1-Hsap3, Sscr9-Hsap9, Sscr13-Hsap11, Sscr15-Hsap6) confirmed by FISH on pig chromosomes. We examined in more detail the comparative map between Hsap12 and Sscr5 considering gene order, which suggests that rearrangements have occurred within the conserved synteny.
