BD-4, Human

Defensins (alpha and beta) are cationic peptides with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity that comprise an important arm of the innate immune system. The α-defensins are distinguished from the β-defensins by the pairing of their three disulfide bonds. To date, four human β-defensins have been identified; BD-1, BD-2, BD-3 and BD-4. The β-defensin proteins are expressed as the C-terminal portion of precursors and are released by proteolytic cleavage of a signal sequence. β-defensins contain a six-cysteine motif that forms three intra-molecular disulfide bonds. β-defensins are 3-5 kDa peptides ranging in size from 33-47 amino acid residues. BD-4 is expressed in testis, stomach, uterus, neutrophils, thyroid, lung and kidney. In addition to its direct antimicrobial activities, BD-4 is chemoattractant towards human blood monocytes.