Novel Cathelicidins from Pigeon Highlights Evolutionary Convergence in Avain Cathelicidins and Functions in Modulation of Innate Immunity.

ABSTRACT: Cathelicidins are short cationic host defense peptides and play a central role in host innate immune system. Here we identified two novel cathelicidins, Cl-CATH2 and 3, from Columba livia. Evolutionary analysis of avian cathelicidins via phylogenetic tree and Ka/Ks calculations supported the positive selection that prompted evolution of CATH2 to CATH1 and 3, which originate from common ancestor and could belong to one superfamily. Cl-CATH2 and 3 both adopt amphipathic α-helical comformations identified by circular dichroism and the 3D structures built by Rosetta. Cl-CATH2 of CATH2 family with the most expression abundance in bird, exhibited relatively weak antimicrobial activity, but acted instead on the innate immune response without showing undesirable toxicities. In macrophages primed b

SUBMITTER: Yu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4508531 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature