Chemoattraction of Macrophages, T Lymphocytes, and Mast Cells Is Evolutionarily Conserved within the Human α-Defensin Family

• Published in: Journal of Immunology Vol. 179; no. 6; pp. 3958 - 3965
• Main Authors: Grigat, Jasmin, Soruri, Afsaneh, Forssmann, Ulf, Riggert, Joachim, Zwirner, Jörg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15.09.2007
• Subjects: alpha-Defensins - chemistry; alpha-Defensins - physiology; Animals; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemotaxis, Leukocyte - immunology; Conserved Sequence; Dendritic Cells - cytology; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Dendritic Cells - metabolism; Evolution, Molecular; Humans; Macrophages - cytology; Macrophages - immunology; Macrophages - metabolism; MAP Kinase Signaling System - immunology; Mast Cells - cytology; Mast Cells - immunology; Mast Cells - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, SCID; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - physiology; Multigene Family - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - cytology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism

Human defensins are natural peptide antibiotics. On the basis of the position and bonding of six conserved cysteine residues, they are divided into two families, designated α- and β-defensins. Human α-defensins are expressed predominantly in neutrophils (human neutrophil peptides (HNP) 1–4) or intes...