Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1976 Nov;14(5):1156–1166. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.5.1156-1166.1976

Isolation of a low-molecular-weight antibacterial system from human amniotic fluid.

P Schlievert, W Johnson, R P Galask
PMCID: PMC415508  PMID: 789241

Abstract

A low-molecular-weight antibacterial system has been isolated from human amniotic fluid. The bacterial inhibitor requires the metal cation zinc and a peptide with a molecular weight of 630. The peptide component was purified using ultrafiltration, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography. It can be inactivated by digestion with carboxypeptidase. The amino acid composition of the peptide is: 3 glutamine-glutamic acid, 2 glycine, and 1 lysine. Removal of zinc from the peptide has been shown to remove bacterial inhibitory activity.

Full text

PDF
1164

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bergman N., Bercovici B., Sacks T. Antibacterial activity of human amniotic fluid. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1972 Oct 15;114(4):520–523. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(72)90214-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bonsnes R. W. Composition of amniotic fluid. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1966 Jun;9(2):440–448. doi: 10.1097/00003081-196606000-00012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Burgus R., Dunn T. F., Desiderio D., Ward D. N., Vale W., Guillemin R. Characterization of ovine hypothalamic hypophysiotropic TSH-releasing factor. Nature. 1970 Apr 25;226(5243):321–325. doi: 10.1038/226321a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cherry S. H., Filler M., Harvey H. Lysozyme content of amniotic fluid. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1973 Jul 1;116(5):639–642. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(15)33127-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Coffey J. W., De Duve C. Digestive activity of lysosomes. I. The digestion of proteins by extracts of rat liver lysosomes. J Biol Chem. 1968 Jun 25;243(12):3255–3263. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DERRINGTON M. M., SOOTHILL J. F. An immunochemical study of the proteins of amniotic fluid and of maternal and foetal serum. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Emp. 1961 Oct;68:755–761. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1961.tb02805.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DONALDSON D. M., ELLSWORTH B., MATHESON A. SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION OF BETA-LYSIN FROM NORMAL SERUM. J Immunol. 1964 Jun;92:896–901. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Edelhoch H. Spectroscopic determination of tryptophan and tyrosine in proteins. Biochemistry. 1967 Jul;6(7):1948–1954. doi: 10.1021/bi00859a010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Florman A. L., Teubner D. Enhancement of bacterial growth in amniotic fluid by meconium. J Pediatr. 1969 Jan;74(1):111–114. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(69)80016-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. GORINI L., FELIX F., FROMAGEOT C. Influence du manganèse sur la stabilité du lysozyme. II. Rôle protecteur du manganèse lors de l'hydrolyse du lysozyme par la trypsine. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1953 Sep-Oct;12(1-2):283–288. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(53)90147-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. GUSDON J. P. A bactericidin for Bacillus subtilis in pregnancy. J Immunol. 1962 Apr;88:494–499. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Galask R. P., Snyder I. S. Antimicrobial factors in amniotic fluid. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1970 Jan 1;106(1):59–65. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(70)90126-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Galask R. P., Snyder I. S. Bacterial inhibition by amniotic fluid. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1968 Dec 1;102(7):949–955. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(68)90453-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Greene F. C., Feeney R. E. Physical evidence for transferrins as single polypeptide chains. Biochemistry. 1968 Apr;7(4):1366–1371. doi: 10.1021/bi00844a018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kitzmiller J. L., Highby S., Lucas W. E. Retarded growth of E coli in amniotic fluid. Obstet Gynecol. 1973 Jan;41(1):38–42. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Larsen B., Galask R. P., Snyder I. S. Muramidase and peroxidase activity of human amniotic fluid. Obstet Gynecol. 1974 Aug;44(2):219–223. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Larsen B., Snyder I. S., Galask R. P. Bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid. 2. Reversal of amniotic fluid bacterial growth inhibition by addition of a chemically defined medium. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1974 Jun 15;119(4):497–501. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(74)90208-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Larsen B., Snyder I. S., Galask R. P. Bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid. I. In vitro evidence for bacterial growth-inhibiting activity. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1974 Jun 15;119(4):492–496. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(74)90207-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Larsen B., Snyder I. S., Galask R. P. Transferrin concentration in human amniotic fluid. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1973 Dec 1;117(7):952–954. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(73)90067-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Marshall J. J., Rabinowitz M. L. Enzyme stabilization by covalent attachment of carbohydrate. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1975 Apr;167(2):777–779. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(75)90525-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Monif G. R., Mendenhall H. W. Immunoglobulin G levels and the titers of specific antiviral antibodies in amniotic fluid. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1970 Oct 15;108(4):651–654. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(70)90247-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Mutt V., Jorpes J. E. Contemporary developments in the biochemistry of the gastrointestinal hormones. Recent Prog Horm Res. 1967;23:483–503. doi: 10.1016/b978-1-4831-9826-2.50014-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. ORNSTEIN L. DISC ELECTROPHORESIS. I. BACKGROUND AND THEORY. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1964 Dec 28;121:321–349. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb14207.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Prasad A. S., Oberleas D. Binding of zinc to amino acids and serum proteins in vitro. J Lab Clin Med. 1970 Sep;76(3):416–425. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. REISFELD R. A., LEWIS U. J., WILLIAMS D. E. Disk electrophoresis of basic proteins and peptides on polyacrylamide gels. Nature. 1962 Jul 21;195:281–283. doi: 10.1038/195281a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. SOPHIANOPOULOS A. J., RHODES C. K., HOLCOMB D. N., VAN HOLDE K. E. Physical studies of lysozyme. I. Characterization. J Biol Chem. 1962 Apr;237:1107–1112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Schlievert P. S., Johnson W., Galask R. P. Bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid. VI. Evidence for a zinc-peptide antibacterial system. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Aug 1;125(7):906–910. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(76)90486-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Schlievert P., Johnson W., Galask R. P. Bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid. V. Phosphate-to-zinc ratio as a predictor of bacterial growth-inhibitory activity. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Aug 1;125(7):899–905. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(76)90485-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Schlievert P., Larsen B., Johnson W., Galask R. P. Bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid. III. Demonstration of the variability of bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid with a new plate-count technique. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1975 Aug 1;122(7):809–819. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Schlievert P., Larsen B., Johnson W., Galask R. P. Bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid. IV. Studies on the nature of bacterial inhibition with the use of plate-count determinations. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1975 Aug 1;122(7):814–819. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Usategui-Gomez M., Morgan D. F., Toolan H. W. A comparative study of amniotic fluid, maternal sera and cord sera by disc electrophoresis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Nov;123(2):547–551. doi: 10.3181/00379727-123-31539. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES