Isolation and characterization of Psacotheasin, a novel Knottin-type antimicrobial peptide, from Psacothea hilaris

We report the isolation and characterization of a novel knottin-type antimicrobial peptide from the yellow-spotted long-horned beetle Psacothea hilaris. A cDNA encoding a 56-mer knottin-type propeptide was identified and its predicted molecular mass and pI was 5.92 kDa and 8.28, respectively. A 34-mer mature peptide was also selected and named herein as psacotheasin. The antimicrobial activity of chemically synthesized psacotheasin against human bacterial pathogens was subsequently investigated. The results showed that psacotheasin exerted potent activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. The present study suggests that psacotheasin can be applied to develop novel therapeutic agents.