Detection of human defensin 5 in reproductive tissues.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine whether tissue-specific defensins are expressed within female reproductive tissues. Messenger ribonucleic acid from amnion, chorion, endometrium, endocervix, myometrium, placenta, small intestine, peripheral blood lymphocytes, and cervical, endometrial, and trophoblast cell lines was reverse transcribed with a 3'-RACE adapter. 3'-RACE polymerase chain reaction was conducted with an upstream human defensin 5 primer and 3'-RACE adapter primer. Polymerase chain reaction products hybridizing to a human defensin 5 probe were cloned for sequence analysis. Sequence data were compared against a nucleotide sequence database, and secondary structure predictions were made. Chorionic tissue, endocervical tissue, endometrial tissue, and an endometrial cell line all demonstrated a single hybridizing 362 bp polymerase chain reaction product. Sequence analysis of all clones demonstrated near-perfect identity with human defensin 5. Human endocervix, endometrium, and chorion express defensin 5 at the level of transcription. These findings suggest that a previously unrecognized mechanism of protecting female reproductive tissues against infection, by means of a natural antimicrobial system (defensins), may be present.