Antibacterial hemoglobin peptides in human menstrual blood

• Published in: Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980) Vol. 25; no. 11; pp. 1839 - 1847
• Main Authors: Mak, Paweł, Wójcik, Kinga, Wicherek, Łukasz, Suder, Piotr, Dubin, Adam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Amino Acid Sequence; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial/antimicrobial peptides; Antifungal Agents - chemistry; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Escherichia coli; Female; Female urogenital tract; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Negative Bacteria - growth & development; Gram-Positive Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Positive Bacteria - growth & development; Hemocidins; Hemoglobin; Hemoglobins - chemistry; Hormone metabolism and regulation; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Innate immunity; Mammalian female genital system; Mass Spectrometry; Menstrual Cycle - blood; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Weight; Peptide Fragments - chemical synthesis; Peptide Fragments - chemistry; Peptide Fragments - pharmacology; Peptides - chemical synthesis; Peptides - chemistry; Peptides - isolation & purification; Peptides - pharmacology; Reproductive immunology; Sequence Analysis, Protein; Vertebrates: reproduction; Hemoglobin; Female urogenital tract; Innate immunity; Reproductive immunology; Antibacterial/antimicrobial peptides; Hemocidins; Human; Menstruation; Female genital system; Vagina; Antibacterial agent; Immunity; Blood
• ISSN: 0196-9781; 1873-5169
• DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.06.015

This work documents that normal menstrual vaginal blood of healthy females is exceptionally rich in hemocidins—hemoglobin (Hb) fragments having bactericidal properties. The peptide fractions were isolated from the plasma of vaginal discharge of three healthy nulliparous women and subjected to identification by automatic sequencing as well as by mass spectrometry. All 44 identified peptides originate from Hb (mainly from the N-terminal part of alpha-globin) and all demonstrated differential killing activity toward Escherichia coli. The screening of antimicrobial activity was performed using two synthetic peptides identical to those found in menstrual blood. These peptides were active mainly toward Gram-negative bacteria and to a less degree toward Gram-positive bacteria. Our results confirm recent observations that Hb-derived fragments manifest pronounced antibacterial activity and suggest that these peptides help in maintaining human vaginal homeostasis during physiologic menstrual bleeding.