Identification of defensins in human lymphocyte nuclei.
The cell nucleus plays an essential role in all aspects of cell function and regulation. Most of the nuclear proteins/peptides are synthesized in the cytoplasm and transported into the nucleus through the nuclear pore complexes. The nuclear proteins/peptides conjugate with each other and interact in transcriptional activation/inactivation. Several of the high molecular mass transcription factors (> 30 kDa) have been identified and characterized. However, the information on the low molecular mass proteins/peptides of the nucleus is limited. We have investigated these low molecular mass proteins/peptides from the nucleus of human peripheral blood lymphocytes using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The HPLC fractions were further analysed by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, electrospray ionization time of flight (ESI-TOF) mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI-FTICR) mass spectrometry for mass determination. Using this combination of mass spectrometry techniques and microsequence analysis, we have shown that human lymphocyte nuclei contain defensins, a mixture of human neutrophil granule peptide 1, 2 and 3.
Blomqvist
M
M
Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Mölndal, Sweden.
Bergquist
J
J
Westman
A
A
Hâkansson
K
K
Hâkansson
P
P
Fredman
P
P
Ekman
R
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D016208:Databases, Factual; D023082:Defensins; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
D023082:Defensins; D019332:Endothelin-1; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D006710:Homocysteine