title: New insights on the palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) proteins: Based on molecular and functional analysis of its homolog of YH1/SPLUNC1.
abstract: The palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) proteins are intricate immune molecules and arisen questions from them are still unresolved. In order to identify the role of PLUNC family proteins, we had analyzed its homolog protein YH1/SPLUNC1, which highly expresses in nontumor nasopharyngeal epithelium while expresses weakly in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues. It is found that YH1/SPLUNC1 protein expression level was higher in chronic normal nasopharynx inflammatory cells compared to NPC tissue cells. An approach to produce active YH1/SPLUNC1 protein had been established and recombinant YH1/SPLUNC1 protein could bind to all four Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacteria we tested, and triggered the aggregation of those bacteria. Interestingly, YH1/SPLUNC1 protein has antimicrobial activity, and it can directly kill Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter haemolyticus. The microorganism cell showed morphological changes in cell wall such as cell damage and cytoplasmic leakage after exposure to YH1/SPLUNC1 protein, indicating that YH1/SPLUNC1 directly killed the microorganisms by cell wall permeabilization. All these results indicated that YH1/SPLUNC1 might be an important antimicrobial protein involved in innate immunity defense.
authors.affiliation: China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical College, No. 1 New City Ave, Songshan Lake High-Tech. Area, Dongguan 523808, China; Department of Pathology, University of California, Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90509, United States.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical College, No. 1 New City Ave, Songshan Lake High-Tech. Area, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Xiangning
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical College, No. 1 New City Ave, Songshan Lake High-Tech. Area, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of California, Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90509, United States.
authors.forename: Samuel W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical College, No. 1 New City Ave, Songshan Lake High-Tech. Area, Dongguan 523808, China. Electronic address: zhiweihe688@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011485:Protein Binding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C485599:BPIFA1 protein, human; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Innate immunity; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); Recombinant YH1/SPLUNC1 protein; The palate lung and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC)