| First Author | Bals R | Year | 1998 |
| Journal | Infect Immun | Volume | 66 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 1225-32 |
| PubMed ID | 9488417 | Mgi Jnum | J:45932 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1196718 | Doi | 10.1128/iai.66.3.1225-1232.1998 |
| Citation | Bals R, et al. (1998) Mouse beta-defensin 1 is a salt-sensitive antimicrobial peptide present in epithelia of the lung and urogenital tract. Infect Immun 66(3):1225-32 |
| abstractText | One component of host defense at mucosal surfaces appears to be epithelium-derived peptides with antimicrobial activity called defensins. Human beta-defensin 1 (hBD-1) represents the first member of the beta-defensin family isolated from humans and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis. We describe in this report the isolation and characterization of a murine homolog of hBD-1 called mouse beta-defensin 1 (mBD-1). The predicted amino acid sequence shows the hallmark features of other known epithelial beta-defensins, including the ordered array of six cysteine residues. Analysis of a genomic clone of mBD-1 revealed two exons separated by a 15-kb intron. By use of fluorescence in situ hybridization, the mBD-1 gene was localized at the proximal portion of chromosome 8, the site where mouse alpha-defensins are found. Lysates from cells transfected with the mBD-1 cDNA showed antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. mBD-1 transcripts were found in kidney, liver, and female reproductive organ tissues. In the airways, mBD-1 is expressed diffusely throughout the epithelial cells of the large proximal airways with less expression in the small distal airways and no expression in alveolar cells. The present study demonstrates that a beta-defensin potentially homologous to human beta-defensin 1 is present in the respiratory system and other mucosal surfaces in mice. |
