Dipeptidyl peptidase IV processing activates Manduca sexta pro-moricin-6: structural basis of enhanced antimicrobial activity
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are effectors of innate immunity, which directly kill invading microbes. In insects, α-helical AMPs such as moricins are synthesized as inactive precursors requiring proteolytic activation by dipeptidyl peptidase IVs (DPP4s). However, the biochemical basis and functional consequence of this process remain poorly understood. Here, we identify and characterize two DPP4 enzymes from Manduca sexta, DPP4A and DPP4B. Both genes were cloned and expressed in...
