Defensins mediate the microbicidal activity of human neutrophil granule extract against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus

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Abstract
An acid extract of human neutrophil granules was fractionated on a Sephadex G-100 column and tested for microbicidal activity against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus HO-1 as described previously (M. C. Modrzakowski and C. M. Paranavitana, infect. Immun. 32:668-674, 1981). The low-molecular-weight protein fraction, peak D, accounted for about 30% of the protein and nearly all of the activity of the crude extract against strain HO-1. Peak D protein proved to be a mixture of the three human defensin peptides HNP1, HNP2, and HNP3. Purified defensins reproduced the microbicial activity of peak D. The data suggest that defensins could play a major role in the killing of A. calcoaceticus by human neutrophils.