title: Mammalian defensins in the antimicrobial immune response.
abstract: Defensins are peptidic components of the innate immune system of plants and animals. In mammals, defensins have evolved to have a central function in the host defense properties of granulocytic leukocytes, mucosal surfaces, skin and other epithelia. This review focuses on the biological functions of three structural subgroups of mammalian defensins and the evidence for their involvement as effectors of antimicrobial innate immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Center for Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA. meselste@uci.edu <meselste@uci.edu>
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Selsted
authors.forename: Andre J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ouellette
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023082:Defensins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D023082:Defensins