Canadian Medical Guide > Chemicals and Drugs > Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins > Peptides > Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides > Defensins Terms and Definitions
Defensins
Medical Definition: | Family of antimicrobial peptides that have been identified in humans, animals, and plants. They are thought to play a role in host defenses against infections, inflammation, wound repair, and acquired immunity. Based on the disulfide pairing of their characteristic six cysteine residues, they are divided into ALPHA-DEFENSINS and BETA-DEFENSINS. |
Previously Indexed: | Blood Proteins (1985-1998),Proteins (1998-2000) |
alpha-Defensins - DEFENSINS found in azurophilic granules of neutrophils and in the secretory granules of intestinal PANETH CELLS. | |
beta-Defensins - DEFENSINS found mainly in epithelial cells. |
Defensins Medical Definitions and Terms
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