HPLC/ESI-MS identification of common peptides in amphibian skin secretions

Amphibian skin secretions are rich in peptides which are linked to defense mechanisms. Peptides that appear in the skin secretions of two or more species are likely to have desirable biological activity such as antibiotic, antimicrobial or analgesic properties. We present a computational protocol and associated algorithms for analysing low-mass-resolution high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) data from skin secretions and flagging candidate peptides for chemical sequencing. Results from analysis of Litoria Aurea, Litoria Caerulea and Litoria Infrafrenata are presented.