Eosinophil Cationic Protein
Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP), encoded by the RNASE3 gene and also known as RAF1 or RNS3, is a secreted member of the pancreatic ribonuclease family. It acts as a cytotoxin and helminthotoxin with low-efficiency ribonuclease activity and has antibacterial properties. Browse Assay Genie's current range of Eosinophil Cationic Protein research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
Eosinophil Cationic Protein is a cytotoxin and helminthotoxin that retains low-efficiency ribonuclease activity. UniProt describes it as possessing a wide variety of biological activities, which makes it a multifunctional effector rather than a conventional digestive nuclease. It also exhibits antibacterial activity. It depolarises the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria, preferentially Gram-negative strains but also Gram-positive ones. In E. coli it promotes detachment of the outer membrane, alters the overall cell shape and causes partial loss of cell content.
The RNASE3 gene (ribonuclease A family member 3) encodes a secreted protein that belongs to the pancreatic ribonuclease family, a subset of the ribonuclease A superfamily. HGNC places it in the Ribonuclease A family gene group, and its enzyme classification is EC 3.1.27.-. Researchers studying the ECP protein often work alongside other ribonuclease A family members because of this shared lineage. The mouse ortholog is listed as Ear3 and the rat ortholog as Rnase3.
The gene has carried several names. Its previous HGNC name was ribonuclease, RNase A family, 3, and the aliases ECP, RAF1 and RNS3 are all in use. The NCBI Gene summary notes antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria. This is the main functional theme in the sources, and it places ECP at the interface of ribonuclease biology and host defence.
ECP shows antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, depolarising membranes of Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains.
In E. coli, ECP promotes outer membrane detachment, altered cell shape and partial loss of cell content.
ECP is annotated as a cytotoxin and helminthotoxin, making it a subject for studies of cytotoxic effector proteins.
As a pancreatic ribonuclease family member with low-efficiency ribonuclease activity, ECP is useful for comparing functions across the family.
ECP is a cytotoxin and helminthotoxin with low-efficiency ribonuclease activity. It also has antibacterial activity, depolarising the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative and, to a lesser degree, Gram-positive bacteria, and it disrupts the E. coli outer membrane.
The gene symbol is RNASE3, with ECP, RAF1 and RNS3 as aliases. The full HGNC name is ribonuclease A family member 3, and the previous name was ribonuclease, RNase A family, 3. UniProt lists the protein as eosinophil cationic protein.
The data list Ear3 as the mouse ortholog and Rnase3 as the rat ortholog of human RNASE3. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity before using it in a given species.
Other ribonuclease A family members and related ribonucleases that sit alongside ECP in innate defence and RNA biology research.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P12724; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.