Linked Life Data

15821901

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/15821901

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
8
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-8-5
pubmed:abstractText
Antimicrobial peptides are small, cationic, amphiphilic peptides of 12-50 amino acids with microbicidal activity against both bacteria and fungi. The eukaryotic antimicrobial peptides may be divided into four distinct groups according to their structural features: cysteine-free alpha-helices, extended cysteine-free alpha-helices with a predominance of one or two amino acids, loop structures with one intramolecular disulfide bond, and beta-sheet structures which are stabilised by two or three intramolecular disulfide bonds. Mammalian defensins are part of the last-mentioned group. The mammalian defensins can be subdivided into three main classes according to their structural differences: the alpha-defensins, beta-defensins and the recently described theta-defensins. Mammalian alpha-defensins are predominantly found in neutrophils and in small intestinal Paneth cells, whereas mammalian beta-defensins have been isolated from both leukocytes and epithelial cells. Recently, two novel human beta-defensins, human beta-defensin-3 (HBD-3), and human beta-defensin-4 (HBD-4) have been discovered. Similar to HBD-1 and HBD-2, HBD-3 has microbicidal activity towards the Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) and the yeasts Candida albicans and Malassezia furfur. In addition, HBD-3 kills Gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes or Staphylococcus aureus, including multi-resistant S. aureus strains, and even vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. In contrast to HBD-1 and HBD-2, significant expression of HBD-3 has been demonstrated in non-epithelial tissues, such as leukocytes, heart and skeletal muscle. HBD-4 is expressed in certain epithelia and in neutrophils. Its bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa is stronger than that of the other known beta-defensins. Here we present an overview of human antimicrobial peptides with some emphasis on their antifungal properties.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
0946-2716
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
83
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
587-95
pubmed:dateRevised
2011-7-8
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
Human defensins.
pubmed:affiliation
Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Frauenlobstrasse 9-11, 80337 Munich, Germany. josefschneider@gmx.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review