Four reasons to consider a novel class of innate immune molecules in the oral epithelium.
An expanding number of innate immune molecules occupy the "epithelial frontier". This review introduces a recently recognized class of mammalian proteins with similarity to PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone), which is itself related to the host defense protein BPI (bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein). Four emerging lines of evidence unite the PLUNC-like proteins: conserved genetic structure, epithelial expression, three-dimensional protein similarity, and a physiological response to injury or inflammation. By analogy to known proteins of the innate immune system, an emerging hypothesis for this family is that they act as sensors of Gram-negative bacteria in the oral cavity, among other areas.
LeClair
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Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, 2325 N. Clifton Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, USA. eleclair@depaul.edu
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity / Q000276:immunology*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D016350:Leucine Zippers / Q000276:immunology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology*
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C485599:BPIFA1 protein, human; D001798:Blood Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C021623:bactericidal permeability increasing protein