Gaegurin 5 (GGN5) is a cationic 24-residue anti-microbial peptide isolated from the skin of a Korean frog, Rana rugosa. It contains a central proline residue and an intra-residue disulphide bridge in its C-terminus, which are common to the anti-microbial peptides found in Ranidae. We determined the solution structure of GGN5 bound to SDS micelles for the first time and investigated the role of ...

We describe a new species of forest frog (genus Platymantis) from 180–300 m above sea level on Mt. Lihidan in the northwestern part of Panay Island, Philippines. It is assigned to the Platymantis dorsalis species group and is distinguished from congeners by external morphology, various spectral and temporal components of the advertisement call, and a preference for terrestrial, limestone microh...

A new species Rana dabieshanensissp. n. is described from the Dabie Mountains in Anhui Province, China, based on morphological character differences and molecular analyses. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of diagnostic characters. The results of phylogenetic analyses (based on 12s rRNA, 16s rRNA, ND2, Cyt b, RAG1, BDNF and Tyr) and genetic distances (bas...

The rapid worldwide emergence of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is having a profound negative impact on biodiversity. However, global research efforts are fragmented and an overarching synthesis of global infection data is lacking. Here, we provide results from a community tool for the compilation of worldwide Bd presence and report on the analyses of data collated o...

Amphibians are important vertebrates in toxicology often representing both aquatic and terrestrial forms within the life history of the same species. Of the thousands of species, only two have substantial genomics resources: the recently published genome of the Pipid, Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis, and transcript information (and ongoing genome sequencing project) of Xenopus laevis. However, ma...

Factors that determine genetic structure of species in southwestern China remain largely unknown. In this study, sequences of two mitochondrial genes (COI and cyt b) were determined to investigate the phylogeography and demography of Babina pleuraden, a pond frog endemic to southwestern China. A total of 262 individuals from 22 populations across the entire range of the species were collected. ...

In sub-Saharan Africa, amphibians are represented by a large number of endemic frog genera and species of incompletely clarified phylogenetic relationships. This applies especially to African frogs of the family Ranidae. We provide a molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for ranids, including 11 of the 12 African endemic genera. Analysis of nuclear (rag-1, rag-2, and rhodopsin genes) and mitochondr...

From neurointermediate pituitary glands of Xenopus laevis and Rana esculenta, previously unreported peptides termed hydrins, active on water permeability of frog urinary bladder and frog skin (Brunn or "water-balance" effect), have been isolated and sequenced. These peptides seem to be derived from the pro-vasotocin-neurophysin precursor. Hydrin 1, found in Xenopus, has been identified as vasot...