Alpha-defensins in the gastrointestinal tract

The human intestinal tract is constantly exposed to an enormous indigenous bacterial flora. It has recently been recognised that antimicrobial peptides of the defensin family likely play a role in protection against microbial invasion at a variety of mucosal epithelial surfaces, including that of the intestinal tract. To date, six alpha-defensins have been identified in humans. Four of these, designated Human Neutrophil Peptides (HNP) 1,2,3 and 4, form part of the armoury of neutrophils, where they participate in systemic innate immunity. The remaining two, Human Defensin (HD) 5 and 6, are expressed in intestinal Paneth cells, and probably contribute to innate defense of the GI mucosal surface. Murine intestinal alpha-defensins (the 'cryptdins') have been extensively studied, but less is known about their human counterparts. The putative mature HD-5 was chemically synthesised and used to raise polyclonal antiserum. Using this anti-HD-5 antiserum, the expression of HD-5 in normal and inflamed intestinal mucosal samples was studied using immunohistochemistry. HD-5 is expressed in Paneth cells and also in some villous epithelial cells in normal duodenum, jejunum and ileum. HD-5 is not expressed in the normal stomach or colon. In cases of gastritis, colonic Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, HD-5 is expressed in metaplastic Paneth cells. Utilizing the anti-HD-5 antiserum, native HD-5 was isolated and purified from acid extracts of normal terminal ileal mucosal epithelial cells using cation exchange and reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography. The purified peptide was characterised using N-terminal amino acid sequence and mass spectral analysis. Antimicrobial activity of the peptide was assessed using a sensitive colony forming unit antimicrobial assay. HD-5 is stored in the predicted precursor form in Paneth cells, and this form does not have antimicrobial activity against a defensin sensitive Salmonella. Potential processing of the precursor form of the HD-5 peptide into a mature active form, was studied by stimulating Paneth cell granule secretion in freshly isolated, cultured ileal crypts. A truncated form of the precursor form of HD-5, but not the predicted mature form, was present in the culture supernatant. Recently published studies suggest that further processing of the molecule occurs in vivo. The expression of HNP 1-3 in the normal intestinal mucosa and in cases of inflammatory bowel disease was studied. In the normal intestinal mucosa, HNP are expressed only in sparse lamina propria neutrophils, and not in Paneth cells. In cases of active ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, scattered surface epithelial cells, as well as numerous lamina propria neutrophils, were seen to express HNP. In conclusion, HD-5 is stored only in its precursor form in normal ileal Paneth cells, and partial processing of the peptide to a mature form occurs during and/or after secretion. In inflammatory bowel disease, HD-5 is expressed in metaplastic Paneth cells in the colon, and HNP is expressed by some surface epithelial cells. These studies suggest that antimicrobial defensin peptides may be important in protection of the host against microbial invasion in states of intestinal inflammation.