Histatin 1 (HTN1)

Histatin-1 is a phosphoprotein thought to be involved in formation of the acquired enamel pellicle, a proteinaceous layer covering tooth surfaces that forms a barrier between tooth enamel and the oral environment. All 3 major histatins have candidicidal and bactericidal activity. By Southern analysis of somatic cell hybrids and by in situ hybridization, vanderSpek et al. (1989) demonstrated that the genes for histatins are at a single locus, within 15 kb of each other on chromosome 4, band q13, and that histatin mRNAs are found only in the salivary glands. Two dental disorders, juvenile periodontitis and dentinogenesis imperfecta , map to the same area, as does another salivary protein, statherin.