Defensins (alpha and beta) are cationic peptides with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity that comprise an important arm of the innate immune system. The α-defensins are distinguished from the β-defensins by the pairing of their three disulfide bonds. To date, four human b-defensins have been identified; BD-1, BD-2, BD-3 and BD-4. The β-defensin proteins are expressed as the C-terminal portion of precursors and are released by proteolytic cleavage of a signal sequence. b-defensins contain a six-cysteine motif that forms three intra-molecular disulfide bonds. β-defensins are 3-5 kDa peptides ranging in size from 33-47 amino acid residues. BD-4 is expressed in testis, stomach, uterus, neutrophils, thyroid, lung and kidney. In addition to its direct antimicrobial activities, BD-4 is chemoattractant towards human blood monocytes. Recombinant human BD-4 is a 6.0 kDa protein containing 50 amino acid residues.
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Defensins (alpha and beta) are cationic peptides with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity that comprise an important arm of the innate immune system. Recombinant human BD-4 is a 6.0 kDa protein containing 50 amino acid residues.
Centrifuge the vial prior to opening. Reconstitute in 10 mM Acetic Acid to a concentration of 0.1-1.0 mg/ml. Do not vortex. This solution can be stored at 2-8°C for up to 1 week. For extended storage, it is recommended to further dilute in a buffer containing a carrier protein (example 0.1% BSA) and store in working aliquots at -20°C to -80°C.
Science (New York, N.Y.), 286(5439), 498-502 (1999-10-16)
Analysis of rhesus macaque leukocytes disclosed the presence of an 18-residue macrocyclic, tridisulfide antibiotic peptide in granules of neutrophils and monocytes. The peptide, termed rhesus theta defensin-1 (RTD-1), is microbicidal for bacteria and fungi at low micromolar concentrations. Antibacterial activity
Current opinion in immunology, 14(1), 96-102 (2002-01-16)
During the past year, novel beta-defensins of mice and men have been identified, together with a novel defensin subfamily (the circular or 'theta' minidefensins) in primates. Insight into the evolution of defensins has been obtained from structural studies, and several
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