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The structure of neutrophil defensin genes
Author(s) -
Linzmeier Rose,
Michaelson David,
Liu Lide,
Ganz Tomas
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)80122-b
Subject(s) - defensin , gene , exon , intron , biology , beta defensin , paneth cell , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , biochemistry , small intestine
Defensins are a family of microbicidal peptides abundant in the granules of mammalian neutrophils, in rabbit alveolar macrophages, and in human and murine intestinal Paneth cells. We cloned and sequenced the genes of three neutrophil‐specific defensins. Human HNP‐1 and HNP‐3 are nearly identical and rabbit NP‐3a is closely related. The four known neutrophil‐specific defensin genes are strikingly similar in the structure and organization of their three exons and two introns, but the three defensin genes expressed in macrophages (MCP‐1 and ‐2) or Paneth cells (HD‐5) are organized differently: HD‐5 has only two exons, and MCP‐1 and ‐2 have a comparatively short first intron. The diverse genomic organization of defensin genes may contribute to their cell‐specific expression.