title: Theta-defensins: cyclic antimicrobial peptides produced by binary ligation of truncated alpha-defensins.
abstract: The first cyclic peptide discovered in animals is an antimicrobial octadecapeptide that is expressed in leukocytes of rhesus monkeys. The peptide, termed rhesus Theta-defensin 1 (RTD-1) is the prototype of a new family of antimicrobial peptides, which like the previously characterized alpha- and beta-defensin families, possesses broad spectrum microbicidal activities against bacteria, fungi, and protects mononuclear cells from infection by HIV-1. The cyclic Theta-defensin structure is essential for a number of its antimicrobial properties, as demonstrated by the markedly reduced microbicidal activities of de-cyclized Theta-defensin analogs. Genetic and biochemical experiments disclosed that the biosynthesis of RTD-1 results from the head-to-tail joining of two nine-amino acid peptides, each of which is donated by a separate precursor polypeptide, which are in fact C-terminally truncated pro-alpha-defensins. Alternate combinations of the two nonapeptides generate two additional macaque Theta-defensins, RTD-2 and RTD-3. Humans do not express Theta-defensin peptides, but mRNAs encoding at least two Theta-defensins are expressed in human bone marrow. However, in each case the open reading frame is interrupted by a stop codon in the signal peptide-coding region. The mature Theta-defensin peptide is a two-stranded beta-sheet that, like the alpha- and beta-defensins, is stabilized by three disulfides. However, the parallel orientation of the Theta-defensin disulfide arrangement allows for substantial flexibility around its short axis. Unlike alpha- and beta-defensins, RTD-1 lacks an amphiphilic topology. This may partially explain the unusual interaction between Theta-defensins and phospholipid bilayers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA. meselste@uci.edu
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Selsted
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D023082:Defensins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023082:Defensins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic