BD-5 Recombinant Protein

Defensins (α and β) 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, six human β-defensins have been identified; BD-1, BD-2, BD-3, BD-4, BD-5 and BD-6. β-defensins are expressed on some leukocytes and at epithelial surfaces. In addition to their direct antimicrobial activities, they can act as chemoattractants towards immature dendritic cells and memory T cells. The β-defensin proteins are expressed as the C-terminal portion of precursors, and are released by proteolytic cleavage of a signal sequence and, in some cases, a propeptide sequence. β-defensins contain a six-cysteine motif that forms three intra-molecular disulfide bonds. Recombinant Human BD-5 is a 5.8 kDa protein containing 51 amino acid residues.

The recombinant protein is stable for at least 2 years from date of receipt at -20˚ C. Reconstituted protein is stable for at least 3 months when stored in working aliquots with a carrier protein at -20˚ C. As with any protein, exposing the recombinant protein to repeated freeze / thaw cycles is not recommended. When working with proteins care should be taken to keep recombinant protein at a cool and stable temperature.