title: Isolation and characterization of human defensin cDNA clones.
abstract: Four clones that encode defensins, a group of microbicidal and cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils, were isolated from an HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cDNA library. Analysis of these clones indicated that the defensins are made as precursor proteins, which must be cleaved to yield the mature peptides. Defensin mRNA was detected in normal bone marrow cells, but not in normal peripheral blood leukocytes. Defensin transcripts were also found in the peripheral leukocytes of some leukemia patients and in some lung and intestine tissues. Defensin mRNA content was augmented by treatment of HL-60 cells with dimethyl sulfoxide. These results define important aspects of the mechanism of synthesis and the tissue-specific expression of a major group of neutrophil granule proteins.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Los Angeles 90024.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Daher
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lehrer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kronenberg
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D023082:Defensins; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide