Meet the relatives: a family of BPI- and LBP-related proteins.

Until recently, two key members of the innate immune response to Gram negative bacteria, bactericidal permeability-increasing protein (BPI) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein, have been considered to be members of a small family of lipid-binding proteins that also contains cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP). A recent paper has characterised three related proteins that are expressed in the mouth, nose and upper airways. Taken together with other recent data, it is clear that a large family of such proteins exists and these additional members might also function in the innate immune response.