Airway epithelial cells are the site of expression of a mammalian antimicrobial peptide gene.

We previously reported the isolation and characterization of a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide from the bovine tracheal mucosa, which we called tracheal antimicrobial peptide (TAP). We now show the TAP gene is expressed throughout the adult conducting airway, from nasal to bronchiolar tissue, but not in tissues other than airway mucosa, as determined by Northern blot analysis. In situ hybridization of airway sections localizes TAP mRNA to columnar cells of the pseudostratified epithelium. We report the structural organization of the TAP gene and show that TAP is a member of a large family of related sequences with high nucleotide identity in the 5' exon. The data support the hypothesis that antimicrobial peptides contribute to host defense of the respiratory tract.