|
|
| Title: |
Nematode-derived drosomycin-type antifungal peptides provide evidence for plant-to-ecdysozoan horizontal transfer of a disease resistance gene |
| Author: |
Shun-yi Zhu*，Bin Gao |
| Abstract: |
Drosomycin-type antifungal peptides (DTAFPs) are key innate immunity components of Drosophila and plants and confer resistance to fungal infection. Here we report the discovery of a multigene family of DTAFPs, comprising of 15 members (termed cremycin-1 to crymycin-15), in the fruit nematode Caenorhabditis remanei. Cremycins share highly similar amino-acid sequences and identical precursor organization to drosomycins. Of the 15 cremycin genes, 10 are found to be transcriptionally active and 6 are upregulated after fungal challenge. Synthetic cremycin-5 is active on filamentous fungi and a series of clinical isolates of human pathogenic yeasts and exhibits low haemolysis and high serum stability. The specific distribution of DTAFPs in a clade of moulting animals (Ecdysozoa), including Arthropoda, Nematoda and Tardigrada, together with the widespread presence in plants but the absence in fungi and protozoans, provides evidence for horizontal transfer of a disease resistance gene between plants and ecdysozoans. |
| Corresponding author: |
Shun-yi Zhu |
| Subject: |
|
| Impact Factor: |
|
| Authors units: |
|
| PubYear: |
2014 |
| Volume: |
5 |
| Issue: |
3154 |
| Page: |
|
| Journal: |
Nature Communications |
| The full text link: |
|
| ISSN: |
|
| URL: |
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140117/ncomms4154/full/ncomms4154.html |
|
|
|
|
