Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
29
pubmed:dateCreated
1991-11-14
pubmed:abstractText
Antimicrobial peptides are widely distributed in nature and appear to play a role in the host defense of plants and animals. In this study we report the existence of antimicrobial peptides in the stomach of the vertebrate Xenopus laevis, an animal previously shown to store high concentrations of antimicrobial peptides in its skin. Antimicrobial activity was detected in extracts of X. laevis stomach tissue and nine antimicrobial peptides were then purified. A novel 24-amino acid peptide, designated PGQ, was isolated from these extracts, and has the following amino acid sequence: GVLSNVIGYLKKLGTGALNAVLKQ. PGQ is relatively basic and has the potential to form an amphipathic alpha-helix. The other peptides isolated are members of the magainin family of antimicrobial peptides, and include magainins I and II, PGLa, xenopsin precursor fragment, and four caerulein precursor fragments. None of these peptides had been previously identified in tissues other than the skin. The purification of the peptides from stomach extracts and subsequent protein sequence analysis reveals that the peptides have undergone the same processing as their dermal counterparts, and that they are stored in their processed forms. Northern blot analysis indicates that the magainin family of peptides are synthesized in the stomach, and immunohistochemical studies demonstrate that magainin is stored in a novel granular multinucleated cell in the gastric mucosa of Xenopus. This study demonstrates that the magainin family of antimicrobial peptides is found in the gastrointestinal system of X. laevis and offers an opportunity to further define the physiological role of these defense peptides.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
0021-9258
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
266
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
19851-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1991
pubmed:articleTitle
Antimicrobial peptides in the stomach of Xenopus laevis.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't