Defensins: « simple » antimicrobial peptides or broad-spectrum molecules ?

Members of the antimicrobial peptide superfamily, defensins are small (∼4-6kDa) cationic peptides secreted in various species including humans and other mammals but also fishes, birds, insects, filamentous fungi, plants… This wide distribution suggests that the production of such peptides is an ancient and well-conserved mechanism of host defense [1]. In humans, defensins are classified into two subgroups (α and β), based on both unique amino acid sequences and disulfide connectivities (Table 1).
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Source Type: research