Resumen de Molecular Identification and Functional Characterisation of Epinecidin from Malabar Grouper, Epinephelus malabaricus
Pokkuruparambil Prahaladhan Athira, Meethale Veedu Anju, Vinodini Vadakkeveettil Anooja, Krishnakumar Archana, Surendran Neelima, Isaac Sarojini Bright Singh, Rosamma Philip
Epinecidin has been considered as a potent Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) in the piscidin family of AMPs. In this study, we identifed and functionally characterised an epinecidin from Malabar grouper, Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). A 201 bp peptide gene encoding 67 amino acids was amplifed from the Complementary DNA (cDNA) showing 100% similarity with Epinephelus coioides epinecidin and was termed as Em-Epi. Physico-chemical properties of Em-Epi is in accordance with the characteristic features of epinecidins. The peptide structure consists of alpha helix with random coil regions and the Ramachandran plot for the model is well explanatory. Em-Epi RNA was stable with -61.50 kcal/mol minimum free energy value. Multiple sequence analysis revealed that Em-Epi belongs to epinecidin AMPs and shares sequence identity with E. coioides epinecidin. Phylogenetic analysis displayed clustering with piscidin AMPs. A 25 amino acid mature peptide was released by signal peptidase and propeptidase cleavage. Functional characterisation of the mature peptide (Epi23−47) indicated antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities making Em-Epi an attractive candidate molecule for pharmaceutical applications.
