Isolation of cucurmoschin, a novel antifungal peptide abundant in arginine, glutamate and glycine residues from black pumpkin seeds

Peptides. 2003 Jul;24(7):969-72. doi: 10.1016/s0196-9781(03)00191-8.

Abstract

A novel antifungal peptide, with a molecular mass of 8 kDa in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and in gel filtration on Superdex 75 and designated cucurmoschin, was isolated from the seeds of the black pumpkin. The peptide was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose but adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel. Cucurmoschin inhibited mycelial growth in the fungi Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum and Mycosphaerella oxysporum. It inhibited translation in a cell-free rabbit reticulocyte lysate system with an IC50 of 1.2 microM. The N-terminal sequence of cucurmoschin was rich in arginine, glutamate and glycine residues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antifungal Agents / analysis*
  • Antifungal Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Arginine / analysis
  • Botrytis / drug effects
  • Cell-Free System
  • Chromatography, Affinity
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Chromatography, Ion Exchange
  • Cucurbita / chemistry*
  • Defensins / analysis*
  • Defensins / isolation & purification
  • Defensins / pharmacology
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Fungi / drug effects
  • Fusarium / drug effects
  • Glutamic Acid / analysis
  • Glycine / analysis
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Plant Proteins / analysis*
  • Plant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Plant Proteins / pharmacology
  • Protein Biosynthesis / drug effects
  • Rabbits
  • Reticulocytes / metabolism
  • Seeds / chemistry*
  • Triazines / chemistry

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Defensins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Triazines
  • cucurmoschin protein, Cucurbita moschata
  • Glutamic Acid
  • Cibacron Blue F 3GA
  • Arginine
  • Glycine