Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2003-7-8
pubmed:abstractText
beta-Defensins are antimicrobial peptides that contribute to the innate immune responses of eukaryotes. At least three defensins, human beta-defensins 1, 2, and 3 (HBD-1, -2, and -3), are produced by epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract and are active toward Gram-positive (HBD-3) and Gram-negative (HBD-1, -2, and -3) bacteria. It has been postulated that the antimicrobial activity of defensins is compromised by changes in airway surface liquid composition in lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), therefore contributing to the bacterial colonization of the lung by Pseudomonas and other bacteria in CF. In this report we demonstrate that HBD-2 and HBD-3 are susceptible to degradation and inactivation by the cysteine proteases cathepsins B, L, and S. In addition, we show that all three cathepsins are present and active in CF bronchoalveolar lavage. Incubation of HBD-2 and -3 with CF bronchoalveolar lavage leads to their degradation, which can be completely (HBD-2) or partially (HBD-3) inhibited by a cathepsin inhibitor. These results suggest that beta-defensins are susceptible to degradation and inactivation by host proteases, which may be important in the regulation of beta-defensin activity. In chronic lung diseases associated with infection, overexpression of cathepsins may lead to increased degradation of HBD-2 and -3, thereby favoring bacterial infection and colonization.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0022-1767
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
171
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
931-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-9-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2003
pubmed:articleTitle
Inactivation of human beta-defensins 2 and 3 by elastolytic cathepsins.
pubmed:affiliation
Pulmonary Research Division, Department of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Education and Research Center, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. ctaggart@rcsi.i.e
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't