BD-1, human recombinant

The Defensin family are highly similar in their protein sequence and are microbicidal & cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. β Defensin-1 (BD-1) is an antimicrobial peptide having the resistance of epithelial surfaces to microbial colonization. BD-1 has close proximity to Defensin α-1 and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis. Skin of patients having atopic dermatitis patients and mycosis fungoides (non-lesional and lesional) show lower human BD-1 mRNA expression and higher human BD-2 and human BD-3 mRNA expression. β Defensin is highly expressed by epithelial cells. BD-1 may play a role in the pathogenesis of severe sepsis. Variation in human BD-1 contributes to asthma diagnosis, with apparent gender-specific effects. Human BD-3 is a dimer, while Human BD-1 and Human BD-2 are monomeric. Recombinant human β Defensin-1 produced in E.Coli is a single, non-glycosylated polypeptide chain containing 47 amino acids and having a molecular mass of 5 kDa.