Skin secretion peptides: the molecular facet of the deimatic behavior of the four-eyed frog, Physalaemus nattereri (Anura, Leptodactylidae).

Rationale: Amphibians can produce a large amount of bioactive peptides over the skin. In order to map the precise tissue localization of these compounds and evaluate their functions, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and gene expression studies were used to investigate a possible correlation between molecules involved in the antimicrobial defense mechanisms and anti-predatory behavior by Physalaemus nattereri.

Methods: Total skin secretion of P.