Background: Human β-defensin 126 is a small cationic glycoprotein that coats the plasma membrane of sperm during epididymal transit. It provides protection for sperms from infection-causing microbes and against the female immune system. Defensin remains on the sperm until sperm become capacitated in the female reproductive tract. DEFB126 gene is located on the subtelomeric end of 20p13 in human...

Defensins comprise a family of cationic antimicrobial peptides containing a specific six-cysteine motif. Their contribution to the host defense against microbial invasion and the control of normal flora have been previously described. Some of the β-defensin isoforms are predominantly expressed in the epididymis and showed a region-specific expression pattern in the epididymis, which thus sugges...

BACKGROUND Innate immune antimicrobial peptides, including β-defensin-1, promote the chemotaxis and activation of several immune cells. The role of β-defensin-1 in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. METHODS Induced sputum was collected from healthy controls and individuals with asthma or COPD. β-defensin-1 protein in sputum supernatant was quantified by E...

An important member of the defensin family, β-defensin 2, is believed to play an important role in defense against foreign pathogens. In the present study, we constructed lentiviral vectors to express and knockdown β-defensin 2 in rat lungs. The results showed that the infection of β-defensin 2 overexpression lentivirus and β-defensin 2 shRNA effectively increased and suppressed the expression ...