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Updated: Apr 29, 2026
Mechanical Separation and Protein Solubilization of the Outer and Inner Perivitelline Sublayers from Hen's Eggs
Published on: January 27, 2021
Biochemical and functional characterization of transiently expressed in neural precursor (TENP) protein in emu egg
Kenji Maehashi1, Megumi Ueda, Mami Matano
1Department of Fermentation Science, Faculty of Applied Bio-Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture , 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan.
Abstract:
A protein transiently expressed in the neural precursors of developing tissues (TENP) was found to be present in emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) egg white as one of the major proteins. Nucleotide analysis of its encoding cDNA revealed a sequence of 452 amino acids including a 19 amino acid peptide signal. Phylogenetic analysis determined that emu TENP was clustered within the bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) superfamily together with other avian TENPs. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the emu TENP gene was highly expressed in the magnum of the oviduct, indicating that TENP is a major egg white component. Emu TENP was purified by anion exchange chromatography and ammonium sulfate fractionation. Unlike BPI, emu TENP exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus subtilis, but not against Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. The results suggest that emu TENP is a potent novel antibacterial protein with a spectrum distinct from that of BPI.
