Isolation and purification of a small peptide with activity of increasing E-receptor expression from calf thymus.
A small peptide of molecular mass lower than 1,000 daltons was isolated and purified from a crude extract of calf thymus. It has been demonstrated to have the activity of increasing E-rosette formation and E-receptor expression of human and porcine T-lymphocytes with three different in vitro assays. Amino acid composition analysis showed that this peptide consists of glutamic acid, aspartic acid and glycine residues at a molecular ratio of 3:3:2. A hypothesis of a multi-factoral and multi-staged mechanism of regulation of thymocyte differentiation and maturation in the thymus is proposed.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013552:Swine; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000032:analysis* / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D009842:Oligopeptides; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic