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10 09, 2020;10 (1): 16875.

A bioinformatic study of antimicrobial peptides identified in the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae).

Antonio Moretta, Rosanna Salvia, Carmen Scieuzo, Angela Di Somma, Heiko Vogel, Pietro Pucci, Alessandro Sgambato, Michael Wolff, Patrizia Falabella
Author Information
  1. Antonio Moretta: Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy.
  2. Rosanna Salvia: Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy.
  3. Carmen Scieuzo: Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy.
  4. Angela Di Somma: Department of Chemical Sciences, University Federico II of Napoli, Via Cinthia 6, 80126, Napoli, Italy.
  5. Heiko Vogel: Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745, Jena, Germany.
  6. Pietro Pucci: CEINGE Advanced Biotechnology, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, Naples, Italy.
  7. Alessandro Sgambato: Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, PZ, Italy.
  8. Michael Wolff: Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, Wiesenstrasse 14, 35390, Giessen, Germany.
  9. Patrizia Falabella: Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy. patrizia.falabell@unibas.it.
PMID: 33037295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74017-9

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a key role in the innate immunity, the first line of defense against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. AMPs are small molecules, ranging from 10 to 100 amino acid residues produced by all living organisms. Because of their wide biodiversity, insects are among the richest and most innovative sources for AMPs. In particular, the insect Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) shows an extraordinary ability to live in hostile environments, as it feeds on decaying substrates, which are rich in microbial colonies, and is one of the most promising sources for AMPs. The larvae and the combined adult male and female H. illucens transcriptomes were examined, and all the sequences, putatively encoding AMPs, were analysed with different machine learning-algorithms, such as the Support Vector Machine, the Discriminant Analysis, the Artificial Neural Network, and the Random Forest available on the CAMP database, in order to predict their antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the iACP tool, the AVPpred, and the Antifp servers were used to predict the anticancer, the antiviral, and the antifungal activities, respectively. The related physicochemical properties were evaluated with the Antimicrobial Peptide Database Calculator and Predictor. These analyses allowed to identify 57 putatively active peptides suitable for subsequent experimental validation studies.

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MeSH Term

Algorithms
Animals
Antifungal Agents
Antineoplastic Agents
Antiviral Agents
Chemical Phenomena
Diptera
Female
Immunity, Innate
Larva
Machine Learning
Male
Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
Transcriptome

Chemicals

Antifungal Agents
Antineoplastic Agents
Antiviral Agents
Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0AMPspeptidesillucensAntimicrobialsourcesHermetiaDiptera:Stratiomyidaeputativelypredictantimicrobialplaykeyroleinnateimmunityfirstlinedefensebacteriafungivirusessmallmoleculesranging10100aminoacidresiduesproducedlivingorganismswidebiodiversityinsectsamongrichestinnovativeparticularinsectshowsextraordinaryabilitylivehostileenvironmentsfeedsdecayingsubstratesrichmicrobialcoloniesonepromisinglarvaecombinedadultmalefemaleHtranscriptomesexaminedsequencesencodinganalyseddifferentmachinelearning-algorithmsSupportVectorMachineDiscriminantAnalysisArtificialNeuralNetworkRandomForestavailableCAMPdatabaseorderactivityMoreoveriACPtoolAVPpredAntifpserversusedanticancerantiviralantifungalactivitiesrespectivelyrelatedphysicochemicalpropertiesevaluatedPeptideDatabaseCalculatorPredictoranalysesallowedidentify57activesuitablesubsequentexperimentalvalidationstudiesbioinformaticstudyidentifiedBlackSoldierFlyBSF

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