Protegrins: leukocyte antimicrobial peptides that combine features of corticostatic defensins and tachyplesins

Porcine leukocytes contained three homologous peptides, PG-1, 2 and 3, that manifested potent microbicidal activity against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans in vitro. The peptides ('protegrins') were composed of 16 (PG-2) or 18 amino acid residues, and, like tachyplesins (broad-spectrum antibiotic peptides of horseshoe crab hemocytes), they contained two intramolecular cystine disulfide bonds. Considerably smaller than defensins, protegrins nevertheless showed substantial homology to them, especially to the 'corticostatic' rabbit defensin, NP-3a. The relatively simple structure of protegrins should provide useful prototypes for constructing congeners with selectively enhanced host defense activities.