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Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, March 2001, p. 370-375, Vol. 8, No. 2
1071-412X/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/CDLI.8.2.370-375.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta) Mucosal Antimicrobial Peptides Are Close Homologues of Human Molecules

Robert Bals,1,* Christiane Lang,2 Daniel J. Weiner,3,4 Claus Vogelmeier,1 Ulrich Welsch,2 and James M. Wilson3

Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Hospital of the University of Munich, Campus Großhadern,1 and Anatomische Anstalt,2 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany, and Institute for Human Gene Therapy, Department of Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania and The Wistar Institute,3 and Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia,4 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

Received 31 July 2000/Returned for modification 19 October 2000/Accepted 5 December 2000

One component of host defense at mucosal surfaces appears to be epithelium-derived antimicrobial peptides. Molecules of the defensin and cathelicidin families have been studied in several species, including human and mouse. We describe in this report the identification and characterization of rhesus monkey homologues of human mucosal antimicrobial peptides. Using reverse transcriptase PCR methodology, we cloned the cDNAs of rhesus monkey beta -defensin 1 and 2 (rhBD-1 and rhBD-2) and rhesus monkey LL-37/CAP-18 (rhLL-37/rhCAP-18). The predicted amino acid sequences showed a high degree of homology to the human molecules. The expression of the monkey antimicrobial peptides was analyzed using immunohistochemistry with three polyclonal antibodies to the human molecules. As in humans, rhesus monkey antimicrobial peptides are expressed in epithelia of various organs. The present study demonstrates that beta -defensins and cathelicidins of rhesus monkeys are close homologues to the human molecules and indicate that nonhuman primates represent valid model organisms to study innate immune functions.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Hospital of the University of Munich, Campus Großhadern, Schwerpunkt Pneumologie, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 München, Germany. Phone: 49 (0)89 7095 3071. Fax: 49 (0)89 7095 8877. E-mail: rbals{at}med1.med.uni-muenchen.de.

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, March 2001, p. 370-375, Vol. 8, No. 2
1071-412X/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/CDLI.8.2.370-375.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.