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Circular minidefensins and posttranslational generation of molecular diversity
Author(s) -
Leonova Larisa,
Kokryakov Vladimir N.,
Aleshina Galina,
Hong Teresa,
Nguyen Tung,
Zhao Chengquan,
Waring Alan J.,
Lehrer Robert I.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1189/jlb.70.3.461
Subject(s) - biology , tandem repeat , effector , gene , intramolecular force , homologous chromosome , tandem , genome , disulfide bond , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , stereochemistry , biochemistry , chemistry , materials science , composite material
We purified two new minidefensins (RTD‐2 and RTD‐3) from the bone marrow of rhesus monkeys. Both were circular octadecapeptides that contained three intramolecular disulfide bonds and were homologous to RTD‐1, a circular (θ) defensin previously described by Tang et al. (Science, 286, 498–502, 1999). However, whereas the 18 residues of RTD‐1 represent spliced nonapeptide fragments derived from two different demidefensin precursors, RTD‐2 and ‐3 comprise tandem nonapeptide repeats derived from only one of the RTD‐1 precursors. Thus, circular minidefensins are products of a novel posttranslational system that generates effector molecule diversity without commensurate genome expansion. A system wherein two demidefensin genes can produce three circular minidefensins might allow n such genes to produce ( n /2)( n +1) peptides.