Abstract
The cysteine-rich β-defensin peptides are broad-spectrum bactericidal agents expressed in epithelial and myeloid tissues. The human β-defensin-1 (hBD-1) gene maps adjacent to the human α-defensin cluster and is expressed in the respiratory, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Here, we characterize a mouse β-defensin gene (mBD-1) which is: (1) closely related to hBD-1 both in sequence and gene organization; (2) expressed at high levels in the mouse kidney and at lower levels in brain, heart, lung, uterus, spleen, skeletal muscle, stomach, and small intestine; and (3) maps to mouse chromosome 8 at or near the location of the mouse α-defensin genes. These data indicate that mBD-1 is a close homolog of hBD-1, and suggest that analysis of its role in mouse host defense may provide significant insights into human epithelial innate immunity.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-49 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | FEBS Letters |
Volume | 413 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 11 1997 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Antimicrobial peptide
- Defensin
- Mouse
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Molecular Biology