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The Baramicin A precursor protein can be broken into three distinct domains: the IM10-like, IM22, and IM24 domains. Five sub-peptides are produced by the BaraA precursor including one IM24 peptide, three IM10-like peptides, and one IM22 peptide.Immune response
The ''Baramicin'' gene is part of the Toll pathway antifungal immune response. Flies lacking ''BaraA'' genetically are susceptible to infection by entomopathogenic fungi such as ''Nervous system
Antimicrobial peptides and neuropeptides share many common features. The distinction between which of these two roles, if either, is the primary function of any given peptide is often unclear. The ''Baramicin'' gene family of ''D. melanogaster'' includes the immune-induced ''BaraA'' and also two non-immune ''Baramicin'' genes ''BaraB'' and ''BaraC''. The ''BaraB'' and ''BaraC'' genes are expressed in the nervous system, in neurons or glia respectively. Evolutionary study suggests the IM24 domain is the key element of the Baramicin precursor that is involved in Baramicin function in the nervous system. This finding suggests antimicrobial peptides and neuropeptides might accomplish immune or neural roles not only by dual action of a single peptide, but rather by different mechanisms of action of sub-peptides.References
{{reflistFurther reading
* FlyBase BaraA: http://flybase.org/reports/FBgn0288447 * FlyBase BaraB: http://flybase.org/reports/FBgn0033353 * FlyBase BaraC: http://flybase.org/reports/FBgn0050285 Peptides Antifungals