Antimicrobial peptides have been widely identified from amphibian skins except 
salamanders. A novel antimicrobial peptide (CFBD) was isolated and characterized 
from skin secretions of the salamander, Cynops fudingensis. The cDNA encoding 
CFBD precursor was cloned from the skin cDNA library of C. fudingensis. The 
precursor was composed of three domains: signal peptide of 17 residues, mature 
peptide of 41 residues and intervening propeptide of 3 residues. There are six 
cysteines in the sequence of mature CFBD peptide, which possibly form three 
disulfide-bridges. CFBD showed antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus 
aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans and Escherichia coli. This peptide 
could be classified into family of β-defensin based on its sequence similarity 
with β-defensins from other vertebrates. Evolution analysis indicated that CFBD 
was close to fish β-defensin. As far as we know, CFBD is the first β-defensin 
antimicrobial peptide from salamanders.