title: Characterization of low-molecular-weight peptides in human parotid saliva.
abstract: The low-molecular-weight components of human saliva remain poorly characterized. Therefore, low-molecular-weight peptides (Mr < 3000) have been purified from human parotid saliva and characterized with respect to their amino acid sequence. From the sequences obtained, it is likely that these peptides are derived from proteolysis of the hydroxyapatite-interactive human salivary proteins, histatins, proline-rich proteins, and statherins. Since human parotid saliva is an amicrobial fluid, much of the low-molecular-weight peptide fraction of this secretion appears to be derived from the proteolytic processing of the larger proteins. Because of their small size, these peptides are likely to be in exchange with dental plaque fluid and may therefore help modulate events such as demineralization/remineralization, microbial attachment, and dental plaque metabolism at the tooth-saliva interface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Research, University of Rochester, NY 14642.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Perinpanayagam
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Van Wuyckhuyse
authors.forename: Z S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tabak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055232:Proline-Rich Protein Domains; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099053:Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; C018149:STATH protein, human; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D000099053:Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein