Artemin: A brine shrimp-derived peptide and its influence on algal growth

Abstract

This study identified a peptide, termed Artemin, derived from the Brine Shrimp, Artemia franciscana. A gene encoding a 109 amino acid peptide with an open reading frame of 327 nucleotides could be identified by detailed gene sequence analysis. Characterization of the mature peptide revealed a molecular weight of 12.21 kDa and a net charge of + 12.75. In silico analysis suggested that Artemin possessed a 20-amino acid antimicrobial stretch from residues I¹⁰ to S²⁹. This peptide segment was chemically synthesized and characterized for further functional characterization. As a pioneering study, the interaction of this synthetic peptide at varying concentrations (10–200 μM) against three algal strains: Chlorella marina, Nannochloropsis salina and Chaetoceros calcitrans, was evaluated. Interestingly, the peptide segment influenced the growth of these algal strains in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings suggest that Artemin possesses potential applications in biotechnology for controlling microbial and algal populations. Future research should explore the mechanistic basis of antialgal activities of this peptide and evaluate its potential use in various environmental and industrial contexts.