London, Nov 9 (IANS): Researchers have discovered a protein with antibiotic properties in a mushroom which grows on horse dung.

Microbiologists and molecular biologists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and the University of Bonn in Germany found a new agent called Copsin in fungi that kills bacteria.

The mushroom called Coprinopsis cinerea grows on horse dung.

"Whether Copsin will one day be used as an antibiotic in medicine remains to be seen. This is by no means certain but it cannot be ruled out either," said Markus Aebi, professor of mycology at ETH Zurich.

Copsin has the same effect as traditional antibiotics but belongs to a different class of biochemical substances, showed research.

For the study, the scientists cultivated the fungus in a laboratory along with several different types of bacteria.

It was found that C. cinerea is able to kill certain bacteria.

Copsin belongs to the group of defensins - a class of small proteins produced by many organisms to combat microorganisms that cause disease.

Our human body also produces defensins to protect itself against infections.

The team is now exploring various potential applications of the protein.

The study appeared in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.