title: Epithelial defensins impair adenoviral infection: implication for adenovirus-mediated gene therapy.
abstract: Epithelial cells have been to participate actively in host defense by producing small cationic peptides called defensins. To investigate the biological activity of epithelial defensins in more detail, we expressed two defensins, hBD-1 and HD-5, in eukaryotic cell lines. Defensins were localized in the cytoplasm and in cell culture medium and exhibited strong microbicidal activity toward Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, our data indicate that the presence of defensins protected the cells from adenoviral infection. The presence of HD-5 or hBD-1 reduced the infectivity of Av1CF2 three- to fivefold. These results imply that defensins must be considered a serious obstacle whenever adenovirus is used to deliver genes to epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Frankfurt, Germany. gropp@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gropp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frye
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bargon
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D017931:DNA Primers; D023082:Defensins; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D023083:beta-Defensins
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C406407:DEFB1 protein, human; D017931:DNA Primers; D023082:Defensins; D011506:Proteins; D023083:beta-Defensins