Attacin is a glycine -rich protein of about 20 kDa belonging to the group of antimicrobial peptides (AMP). It is active against Gram-negative bacteria .[ 1]
Attacin was first discovered in Hyalophora cecropia ,[ 2] [ 3] but is widely conserved in different insects from butterflies to fruit flies.
Diptericin , a structurally related antimicrobial peptide
^ Imler JL, Bulet P (2005). "Antimicrobial Peptides in Drosophila: Structures,Activities and Gene Regulation". Mechanisms of Epithelial Defense . Chemical Immunology and Allergy. Vol. 86. pp. 1–21. doi :10.1159/000086648 . ISBN 978-3-8055-7862-2 . PMID 15976485 .
^ Hultmark D, Engström A, Andersson K, Steiner H, Bennich H, Boman HG (1983). "Insect immunity. Attacins, a family of antibacterial proteins from Hyalophora cecropia" . The EMBO Journal . 2 (4): 571–6. doi :10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01465.x . PMC 555063 . PMID 6628360 .
^ Lee JY, Edlund T, Ny T, Faye I, Boman HG (1983). "Insect immunity. Isolation of cDNA clones corresponding to attacins and immune protein P4 from Hyalophora cecropia" . The EMBO Journal . 2 (4): 577–81. doi :10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01466.x . PMC 555064 . PMID 6628361 .