Identification and characterization of novel host defense peptides from the skin secretion of the fungoid frog, Hydrophylax bahuvistara (Anura: Ranidae).

Two novel peptides (brevinin1 HYba1 and brevinin1 HYba2) were identified from the skin secretion of the frog Hydrophylax bahuvistara, endemic to Western Ghats, India, and their amino acid sequences were confirmed using cDNA cloning and LC/MS/MS. Antibacterial, hemolytic, and cytotoxic activities of brevinin1 peptides and their synthetic analogs (amidated C-terminus) were investigated and compared. All the peptides except the acidic forms showed antibacterial activity against all tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. They exhibited low hemolysis on human erythrocytes and showed potent cytotoxic activity against Hep 3B cancer cell line. Upon amidation, the peptides showed increased activity against the tested microbes without altering their hemolytic and cytotoxic properties. The study also emphasizes the need for screening endemic amphibian fauna of Western Ghats, as a potential source of host defense peptides with possible therapeutic applications in the future.