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. 1989 Jul;86(14):5610–5614. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.14.5610

Antibiotic proteins of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

J E Gabay 1, R W Scott 1, D Campanelli 1, J Griffith 1, C Wilde 1, M N Marra 1, M Seeger 1, C F Nathan 1
PMCID: PMC297672  PMID: 2501794

Abstract

Nine polypeptide peaks with antibiotic activity were resolved from human polymorphonuclear leukocyte azurophil granule membranes. All but 1 of the 12 constituent polypeptides were identified by N-terminal sequence analysis. Near quantitative recovery of protein and activity permitted an assessment of the contribution of each species to the overall respiratory-burst-independent antimicrobial capacity of the cell. Three uncharacterized polypeptides were discovered, including two broad-spectrum antibiotics. One of these, a defensin that we have designated human neutrophil antimicrobial peptide 4, was more potent than previously described defensins but represented less than 1% of the total protein. The other, named azurocidin, was abundant and comparable to bactericidal permeability-increasing factor in its contribution to the killing of Escherichia coli.

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Selected References

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