Beta defensin

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Beta defensin
1ijv.gif
Identifiers
Symbol Defensin_beta
Pfam PF00711
InterPro IPR001855
SCOP 1bnb
SUPERFAMILY 1bnb
OPM family 56
OPM protein 1ut3

Beta defensins are a family of mammalian defensins. The beta defensins are antimicrobial peptides implicated in the resistance of epithelial surfaces to microbial colonization.

Defensins are 2-6 kDa, cationic, microbicidal peptides active against many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and enveloped viruses[1], containing three pairs of intramolecular disulfide bonds. On the basis of their size and pattern of disulfide bonding, mammalian defensins are classified into alpha, beta and theta categories. Every mammalian species explored thus far has beta-defensins. In cows, as many as 13 beta-defensins exist in neutrophils. However, in other species, beta-defensins are more often produced by epithelial cells lining various organs (e.g. the epidermis, bronchial tree and genitourinary tract).

Human, rabbit and guinea-pig beta-defensins, as well as human beta-defensin-2 (hBD2), induce the activation and degranulation of mast cells, resulting in the release of histamine and prostaglandin D2.[2]

The first human beta-defensin, HBD1, was discovered in 1995,[2] followed by the HBD2 in 1997.[3]

[edit] Human proteins containing this domain

DEFB1; DEFB103A; DEFB105A; DEFB105B; DEFB108B; DEFB109; DEFB110; DEFB111; DEFB114; DEFB130; DEFB136; DEFB4; SPAG11A;

[edit] References

  1. ^ Selsted ME, White SH, Wimley WC (1995). "Structure, function, and membrane integration of defensins". Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 5 (4): 521–527. doi:10.1016/0959-440X(95)80038-7. PMID 8528769. 
  2. ^ a b Bensch KW, Raida M, Mägert HJ, Schulz-Knappe P, Forssmann WG (July 1995). "hBD-1: a novel beta-defensin from human plasma". FEBS Lett. 368 (2): 331–5. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(95)00687-5. PMID 7628632. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0014-5793(95)00687-5. 
  3. ^ Harder J, Siebert R, Zhang Y, Matthiesen P, Christophers E, Schlegelberger B, Schröder JM (December 1997). "Mapping of the gene encoding human beta-defensin-2 (DEFB2) to chromosome region 8p22-p23.1". Genomics 46 (3): 472–5. doi:10.1006/geno.1997.5074. PMID 9441752. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0888-7543(97)95074-6. 

[edit] Further reading


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