title: The structure of porcine protegrin genes.
abstract: We cloned the genes of three protegrins, a family of cathelin-associated antimicrobial peptides originally isolated from porcine leukocytes. Each gene comprised 4 exons and 3 introns, wherein Exon I encoded the signal sequence and the first 37 amino acids of cathelin, Exons II and III contained 36 and 24 additional cathelin residues and Exon IV contained the final two cathelin residues followed by the protegrin sequence. This quadripartite gene structure helps explain how structurally diverse antimicrobial peptides can be expressed on common, cathelin-containing precursors. Southern blot probed with an oligonucleotide specific for protegrin genes suggested that several identical or nearly identical protegrin genes were densely clustered in the pig chromosome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences 90095-1678, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganz
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lehrer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016384:Consensus Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D011506:Proteins; C084515:cathelin; C094880:protegrin-1; C094881:protegrin-3; C094882:protegrin-5