Computational analysis suggests beta-defensins are processed to mature peptides by signal peptidase.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are generally produced as precursor peptides containing a signal sequence, a pro-region and the mature peptide. A computational analysis of beta-defensin precursors predicts cleavage solely by signal peptidase to release the mature peptide, with no pro-region. This supports the extensive transcriptional control of beta-defensin expression compared with other AMP genes.
Department of Oral Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School, Newark, NJ 07101, USA.
Nicholas
N
Beckloff
Gill
G
Diamond
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D023083:beta-Defensins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C026515:type I signal peptidase