Gallinacins: cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides of chicken leukocytes.

We purified three homologous antimicrobial peptides ('gallinacins') from chicken leukocytes, examined their antimicrobial activity in vitro, and established their primary sequences by a combination of gas phase microsequencing and on-line LC-ESI-MS analysis of endo- and exoprotease peptide digests. The peptides contained 36-39 amino acid residues, were relatively cationic due to their numerous lysine and arginine residues, and each contained 3 intramolecular cystine disulfide bonds. Gallinacins showed primary sequence homology to the recently delineated beta-defensin family, heretofore found only in the respiratory epithelial cells and neutrophils of cattle, suggesting that beta-defensins originated at least 250 million years ago, before avian and mammalian lineages diverged. The 9 invariant residues (6 cysteines, 2 glycines and 1 proline) common to avian gallinacins and bovine beta-defensins are likely to constitute the essential primary structural motif of this ancient family of host-defense peptides.