Patil, Amar A., Yibin Cai, Yongming Sang, Frank Blecha, and Guolong Zhang. Cross-species analysis of the mammalian -defensin gene family: presence of syntenic gene clusters and preferential expression in the male reproductive tract. Physiol Genomics 23: 5–17, 2005. First published July 20, 2005; 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00104.2005.—Mammalian -defensins are an important family of innate host defe...

Theta-defensins (θ-defensins) are macrocyclic antimicrobial peptides expressed in leukocytes of Old World monkeys. The peptides are broad spectrum microbicides in vitro and numerous θ-defensin isoforms have been identified in granulocytes of rhesus macaques and Olive baboons. Several mammalian α- and β-defensins, genetically related to θ-defensins, have proinflammatory and immune-activating pro...

In the modern world, multi-drug antibiotic resistance is an increasingly serious problem which poses a threat to both plants, animals and humans. The unreasonable use of antibiotics has led spread increase in number infectious diseases that existing may not be able cope with. Thus, there need for development new classes do induce resistance. It necessary find agents with mechanisms action such ...

Due to their activity against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, antimicrobial peptides are important factors in the innate resistance system of humans and animals. They are called "new generation antibiotics" for their potential use in preventive and therapeutic medicine. The most numerous group of antimicrobial peptides is a family of cationic peptides which include defensins and cathelicidins. Am...

Defensins are innate immune effector peptides expressed at mucosal surfaces throughout the human body and are potently antiviral in vitro The role of defensins in viral pathogenesis in vivo is poorly understood; however, recent studies have revealed that defensin-virus interactions in vivo are complicated and distinct from their proposed antiviral mechanisms in vitro These findings highlight th...

Background: The goal of this study is the identification potential marker molecules for characterizing different basal cell carcinoma entities, to help improve clinical decisions surgical resection therapy. Methods: Three sclerodermiform, solid and superficial carcinomas, were subjected immunohistochemical microscopy histomorphometric analyses human α- (DEFA1/3; DEFA4) β-defensins (hBD1/2/3) sp...

Antimicrobial peptides (So-D1-7) were isolated from a crude cell wall preparation from spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea cv. Matador) and, judged from their amino acid sequences, six of them (So-D2-7) represented a novel structural subfamily of plant defensins (group IV). Group-IV defensins were also functionally distinct from those of groups I-III. They were active at concentrations < 20 micro...