A pocket guide to explorations of the defensin field.
Antimicrobial peptides are among the most ancient effectors of host defense. Intersecting lines of research demonstrate that life forms as diverse as plants, insects, and vertebrates employ antimicrobial peptides to kill or neutralize a wide variety of microbial species. Defensins, of which there are three structural sub-families, constitute a major category of host defense peptides in vertebrates. Presented here is a brief history of the emergence of the defensin field with an emphasis on the role of these peptides in mammalian innate immunity.
Selsted
Michael E
ME
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. michael.selsted@uci.edu
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000266:history*; D023082:Defensins / Q000266:history* / Q000502:physiology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023082:Defensins