Novel defensin-like sequences found in endemic Australian Cnidaria transcriptomes. Novel defensin-like sequences from endemic Australian Cnidaria

This project identified homologous defensin-like sequences (short cationic peptides with toxic or antimicrobial activity) from tissue transcriptomes of endemic Australian Cnidaria. Tissue transcriptomes consisted of: Tentacle (inner and/or outer, dependant on species), mesenterial filaments, gametes, acrorhagi and frill. Fauna consisted of two species of Actiniaria (True sea anemones) Oulactis sp. nov., Oulactis muscosa and one corallimorpharian (Rhodactis sp., identified to genus). The full-length, translated amino-acid sequences were utilised in an evolutionary study on the defensins found in cnidaria.