Purification and characterisation of a cysteine-rich 11.5 kDa antibacterial protein from the granular haemocytes of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas

Extracts of the granular haemocytes of Carcinus maenas were subjected to ion-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase (RP)-HPLC to investigate the presence of an antibacterial protein of approximate to 11 kDa, This protein was isolated, characterized and subjected to partial amino acid sequence analysis. It was found by mass spectrometry to have a molecular mass of 11 534 Da, to be cationic and hydrophobic and active only against marine Gram-positive bacteria. In addition its activity is stable after heating to 100 degrees C and is retained at concentrations as low as 10 mu g.mL(-1). It has an unusual amino acid sequence, unlike any known antibacterial peptide described in the literature but bears a consensus disulphide domain signature, indicating that it might be a member of the four-disulphide core proteins. Partial cDNA sequence data has been obtained.