| the nmr-derived solution structure of a new cationic antimicrobial peptide from the skin secretion of the anuran hyla punctata. | amphibian skin secretions constitute an important source of molecules for antimicrobial drug research in order to combat the increasing resistance of pathogens to conventional antibiotics. among the various types of substances secreted by the dermal granular amphibian glands, there is a wide range of peptides and proteins, often displaying potent antimicrobial activities and providing an effective defense system against parasite infection. in the present work, we report the nmr solution structur ... | 2004 | 14715660 |
| naturally occurring fluorescence in frogs. | fluorescence, the absorption of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation reemitted at longer wavelengths, has been suggested to play several biological roles in metazoans. this phenomenon is uncommon in tetrapods, being restricted mostly to parrots and marine turtles. we report fluorescence in amphibians, in the tree frog hypsiboas punctatus, showing that fluorescence in living frogs is produced by a combination of lymph and glandular emission, with pigmentary cell filtering in the skin. the c ... | 2017 | 28289227 |
| membrane interactions of the anuran antimicrobial peptide hsp1-nh2: different aspects of the association to anionic and zwitterionic biomimetic systems. | studies have suggested that antimicrobial peptides act by different mechanisms, such as micellisation, self-assembly of nanostructures and pore formation on the membrane surface. this work presents an extensive investigation of the membrane interactions of the 14 amino-acid antimicrobial peptide hylaseptin p1-nh2 (hsp1-nh2), derived from the tree-frog hyla punctata, which has stronger antifungal than antibacterial potential. biophysical and structural analyses were performed and the correlated r ... | 2020 | 32828849 |
| conformational and functional effects induced by d- and l-amino acid epimerization on a single gene encoded peptide from the skin secretion of hypsiboas punctatus. | skin secretion of hypsiboas punctatus is the source of a complex mixture of bioactive compounds where peptides and small proteins prevail, similarly to many other amphibians. among dozens of molecules isolated from h. punctatus in a proteomic based approach, we report here the structural and functional studies of a novel peptide named phenylseptin (fffdtlknlagkvigalt-nh2) that was purified as two naturally occurring d- and l-phes configurations. the amino acid epimerization and c-terminal amidat ... | 2013 | 23565145 |
| new insights into sexually dimorphic skin glands of anurans: the structure and ultrastructure of the mental and lateral glands in hypsiboas punctatus (amphibia: anura: hylidae). | many anuran species are characterized by sexually dimorphic skin glands. these glands often are concentrated on specific areas, such as the mental region, flanks, or the nuptial pads. we studied the histology and histochemistry of mental and lateral glands in hypsiboas punctatus, and compared them to skin from other body regions. we describe four types of dermal glands, two types of mucous and two types of serous glands. the mucous glands are formed by a single layered epithelium. the mucocytes ... | 2012 | 22806994 |
| is the red spotted green frog hypsiboas punctatus (anura: hylidae) selecting its preys? the importance of prey availability. | the study of the feeding ecology of amphibians is an old issue in herpetology. notwithstanding, the lack of food resources data in many studies of amphibians feeding has lead to partial understanding of frog feeding strategies. in this study we evaluate the trophic selectivity of a red spotted green frog (hypsiboas punctatus) population from a middle paraná river floodplain pond in argentina, and discuss the importance of prey availability data when interpreting results from diet analysis. we an ... | 2009 | 19928476 |