title: Characterization of a hemolytic protein, identified as histone H4, from the skin of the Japanese tree frog Hyla japonica (Hylidae).
abstract: An extract of the skin of the Japanese tree frog, Hyla japonica Günther, 1859 (Anura: Hylidae) did not inhibit the growth of the bacteria Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus, but contained a protein that was strongly hemolytic against human erythrocytes. The protein was purified to near homogeneity by reverse-phase HPLC, and its N-terminal amino acid sequence (SGRGKGGKGL...) identified it as histone H4. The complete primary structure of the 102-amino-acid-residue histone H4 was determined by a combination of molecular cloning of genomic and complementary DNAs encoding the protein. The molecular mass of the purified histone H4 determined by electrospray mass spectrometry was 71+/-2 Daltons greater than that predicted from the deduced amino acid sequence of the protein. The +71 mass units is consistent with the proposal that the protein isolated from the skin was post-translationally modified by addition of one acetyl and two methyl groups. The stem-loop structure at the 3' flanking region of the H. japonica histone H4 gene, which acts as a transcription termination signal, contained a nucleotide sequence (5'-GGCTCTCCTCAGAGCC-3') with unusual structural features not seen in other histone genes.
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan.
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Kawasaki
authors: Shawichi
authors: S
authors: Iwamuro
authors: Yuta
authors: Y
authors: Goto
authors: Per F
authors: PF
authors: Nielsen
authors: J Michael
authors: JM
authors: Conlon
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029845:Amphibian Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D053878:Hemolytic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D045424:Complex Mixtures; D053878:Hemolytic Agents; D006657:Histones