Molecular Cloning and Structural Analysis of the Antibacterial Gene from the Common Cutworm, Spodoptera litura

The cDNA clone encoding the antibacterial peptide (SL-1) was isolated from the fat body of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, immunized with E. coli K12. The primary structure analysis revealed that its deduced amino acid sequence showed the characteristics of the cecropin family antibacterial peptides and that the amino acid residues highly conserved in the antibacterial peptides from moths and flies were also conserved, implying that SL-1 was a cecropin-like, and especially cecropin B-like, peptide. The predicted secondary structure of the mature SL-1 consists of three domains: (i) an amphiphilic ${\alpha}$-helical domain (Ile-4 to Gly-18); (ii) the hinge region (Gly-23 and Pro-24); and (iii) a hydrophobic domain (Ala-25 to IIe-38).