Synthesis of Six Common Amino Acid Sequence Fragments of Thymosins β₄, β₈ and β₉ and Determination of Their Effects on the Low E-Rosette Forming Cells of Lupus Nephritis Patients

Abstract

Six common amino acid sequence fragments of thymosins β₄, β₈ and β₉, H-Lys-Leu-Lys-Lys-Thr-Glu-Thr-Gln-Glu-Lys-Asn-OH (positions 16-26), H-Lys-Glu-Thr-Ile-Glu-Gln-Glu-Lys-Gln-OH (positions 31-39), H-Asp-Lys-Pro-Asp-OH (positions 2-5), H-Phe-Asp-Lys-OH (positions 12-14), H-Leu-Pro-OH (positions 28-29) and H-Glu-Ile-OH (positions 8-9), were synthesized by the solution method, and were tested to determine their effects on the low E-rosette forming cells of lupus nephritis patients. Two of the fragments, H-Lys-Leu-Lys-Lys-Thr-Glu-Thr-Gln-Glu-Lys-Asn-OH and H-Lys-Glu-Thr-Ile-Glu-Gln-Glu-Lys-Gln-OH, increased E-rosette forming capacity when incubated in vitro with patient's blood though they were less effective than thymosin β₉, but the other four peptide fragments, H-Asp-Lys-Pro-Asp-OH, H-Phe-Asp-Lys-OH, H-Leu-Pro-OH and H-Glu-Ile-OH, had no effect.