title: Antimicrobial activity of inducible human beta defensin-2 against Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
abstract: Defensins in innate immunity are known to play critical roles to protect the host from infection by invasive microbes, including Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. However, little is known about the interactions between defensins and mycoplasmas. Human beta defensin (hBD)-2 and hBD-3, but not hBD-1, were found to exert strikingly antimicrobial activity against Mycoplasma pneumoniae. To elucidate the role of defensins in M. pneumoniae infection, a human pulmonary squamous cell line EBC-1 was stimulated with M. pneumoniae and interleukin (IL)-1beta. hBD-2 was markedly upregulated by IL-1beta as well as M. pneumoniae, but neither hBD-1 nor hBD-3 was apparently upregulated. Thus, the results suggest that inducible hBD-2 would play a critical role in the protection of M. pneumoniae infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan. kuwano@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuwano
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kida
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C422950:DEFB103A protein, human; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D007375:Interleukin-1; D023083:beta-Defensins