Analysis of the skin secretion of the anura Pipa carvalhoi Searching for new molecules with relevant biological activities

• Grant number: 12/02510-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Carvalho Pimenta
• Grantee: Douglas Oscar Ceolin Mariano
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The search of new molecules presenting pharmacological activities is constantly increasing, especially because pathogenic microorganisms are becoming resistant against antibiotics. As an alternative, researchers are studying animals, plants or microorganisms, trying to find new molecules to fight microbial infections. Following the discovery of the antimicrobial peptides present in skin secretion from the frog Xenopus laevis, in 1987, the search for new molecules with these characteristics was intensified in others amphibians. Thus, due to the evolutionary relationship with X. leavis, the study of the frog Pipa carvalhoi is proposed in this project, aiming to isolate and biochemically characterize molecules that could present potential antimicrobial activities, given the unusual characteristic of females of this species that take care of their offspring, incubating the eggs and carrying tadpoles on the dorsal skin of their bodies.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CEOLIN MARIANO, DOUGLAS OSCAR; YAMAGUCHI, LYDIA FUMIKO; JARED, CARLOS; ANTONIAZZI, MARTA MARIA; SCIANI, JULIANA MOZER; KATO, MASSUO JORGE; PIMENTA, DANIEL CARVALHO. Pipa carvalhoi skin secretion profiling: Absence of peptides and identification of kynurenic acid as the major constitutive component. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY, v. 167, p. 1-6, JAN 2015. (12/02510-3)