ARS | Publication request: Identification and Characterization of Thymosin B4 in Chicken Macrophages Using Whole Cell MALDI-TOF

Submitted to: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 1, 2007
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
Citation: Kannan, L., Rath, N.C., Liyange, R., Lay, Jr, J. 2007. Identification and Characterization of Thymosin B4 in Chicken Macrophages Using Whole Cell MALDI-TOF. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1112:425-434.

Interpretive Summary: To find if there are some signatory proteins associated with different cell types we studied two immunity related cells, macrophages and neutrophils, in chicken blood using an instrument called mass spectrometry. Our results show the presence of a protein named thymosin in the macrophages which takes part in resolving inflammation.

Technical Abstract: The aim of the study was to determine chicken monocyte and granulocyte associated peptides and proteins using "whole cell" matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and to characterize the peptides based on their abundance. The mass spectra showed a prominent peak at m/z 4963 in monocytes/macrophages but not in the granulocytes. Subsequent purification and characterization of the 4963 peptide from the macrophage cell line HTC revealed it to be thymosin B4 (TB4), an actin modulating peptide. HTC cells when treated with bacterial lipopolysacharide and peptidoglycan to determine the modulation of TB4 gene expression or its secretion showed no changes.