Tracheal antimicrobial peptide, a cysteine-rich peptide from mammalian tracheal mucosa: peptide isolation and cloning of a cDNA.

Abstract

Extracts of the bovine tracheal mucosa have an abundant peptide with potent antimicrobial activity. The 38-amino acid peptide, which we have named tracheal antimicrobial peptide (TAP), was isolated by a sequential use of size-exclusion, ion-exchange, and reverse-phase chromatographic fractionations using antimicrobial activity as a functional assay. The yield was -2 ,ug/g of wet mucosa. The complete peptide sequence was determined by a combination of peptide and cDNA analysis. The amino acid sequence of TAP is

Variability and evolution of bovine β-defensin genes

“…3 Based on their size and the spatial position of the six cysteine residues, animal defensins are classified as a-, b-, y-defensins of vertebrates (mammalia and birds) and insect defensins. To date, vertebrate defensins were identified in numerous species: mice, [6][7][8] birds-where they are called gallinacins- 9 rats, 10 cattle, 11,12 goats, 13 sheeps, 14 humans, 8,15,16 and non-human primates [17][18][19][20] (reviewed in Martin et al, 4 Hughes, 21 Schroder, 22 and Lehrer and Ganz 23 ). Interestingly, domestic cattle (Bos taurus) was shown to share a broad spectrum of different b-defensins, for example, tap (tracheal antimicrobial peptide), lap (lingual antimicrobial peptide), bnbd (bovine neutrophil peptide), nbd12 (neutrophil beta defensin 12), and ebd (enteric beta defensin).…”

“…Interestingly, domestic cattle (Bos taurus) was shown to share a broad spectrum of different b-defensins, for example, tap (tracheal antimicrobial peptide), lap (lingual antimicrobial peptide), bnbd (bovine neutrophil peptide), nbd12 (neutrophil beta defensin 12), and ebd (enteric beta defensin). 11,12 Regarding the sites of expression of the three classes of defensins, there appear to be substantial differences. Mammalian a-defensins were detected in neutrophils and alveolar macrophages, 24 as well as in Paneth cells of humans, 25,26 rats, 27 and mice.…”

Large-scale synthesis and functional elements for the antimicrobial activity of defensins

“…They are composed of 29-42 amino acids and contain three disulphide bonds, formed by three pairs of cysteine residues [1][2][3][4]. Defensins have been isolated from various tissue sources, such as mammalian trachea, intestine, tongue and skin, and human plasma, oral mucosa, salivary glands, saliva and ocular surface [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Defensins are involved in the oxygenindependent mechanism of the host immune response [14].…”

“…The `classic' or -defensins were the first group of defensins to be isolated from human and animal phagocytes, and they comprise a large subfamily of polypeptides containing 29-36 residues [3,15]. The more recently isolated -defensins are more basic and longer (34-42 residues), and are expressed in various mucosa and epithelial cells [5,16]. The tri-disulphide motifs in -and -defensins differ [16,17].…”

“…The more recently isolated -defensins are more basic and longer (34-42 residues), and are expressed in various mucosa and epithelial cells [5,16]. The tri-disulphide motifs in -and -defensins differ [16,17].…”