Low T L, Hu S K, Goldstein A L
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Feb;78(2):1162-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.2.1162.
The amino acid sequence of thymosin beta 4, a polypeptide isolated from calf thymus, was determined. Thymosin beta 4 is composed of 43 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of 4982 and an isoelectric point of 5.1. The NH2 terminus of the peptide is blocked by an acetyl group. This molecule induces expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (DNA nucleotidylexotransferase, EC 2.7.7.31) in transferase-negative murine thymocytes in vivo and in citro. Thus, it appears that thymosin beta 4 acts on lymphoid stem cells and may control the early stages of the maturation process of thymus-dependent lymphocytes. This peptide is one of several present in thymosin fraction 5 that participates in the regulation, differentiation, and function of thymus-dependent thymocytes.
已确定从小牛胸腺中分离出的一种多肽——胸腺素β4的氨基酸序列。胸腺素β4由43个氨基酸残基组成,分子量为4982,等电点为5.1。该肽的NH2末端被一个乙酰基封闭。此分子在体内和体外均可诱导转移酶阴性的小鼠胸腺细胞中末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶(DNA核苷酸外转移酶,EC 2.7.7.31)的表达。因此,胸腺素β4似乎作用于淋巴干细胞,并可能控制胸腺依赖性淋巴细胞成熟过程的早期阶段。该肽是胸腺素组分5中存在的几种参与胸腺依赖性胸腺细胞调节、分化和功能的肽之一。