The mouse genome encodes a single homolog of the antimicrobial peptide human β‐defensin 1

FEBS Letters

Bevins, Charles L²  Kozak, Christine A¹  Huttner, Kenneth M³ 

[1] Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892-0460, USA;The Departments of Immunology, Gastroenterology and Colorectal Surgery, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA;Joint Program in Neonatology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA

关键词: Antimicrobial peptide;    Defensin;    Mouse;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(97)00875-2

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown