Work

Human β-Defensin-1 Is a Salt-Sensitive Antibiotic in Lung That Is Inactivated in Cystic Fibrosis

Year: 1997

Type: article

Abstract: A human bronchial xenograft model was used to characterize the molecular basis for the previously described defect in bacterial killing that is present in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. Airway surface fluid from CF grafts contained abnormally high NaCl and failed to kill bacteria, defects that were corrected with adenoviral vectors. A full-length clone for the only known human beta-defensin (i.e., hBD-1) was isolated. This gene is expressed throughout the respiratory epithelia of non-CF and CF lungs, and its protein product shows salt-dependent antimicrobial activity to P. aeruginosa. Antisense oligonucleotides to hBD-1 ablated the antimicrobial activity in airway surface fluid from non-CF grafts. These data suggest that hBD-1 plays an important role in innate immunity that is compromised in CF by its salt-dependent inactivation.

Source: Cell

DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)81895-4

Authors: Mitchell J Goldman, G.Mark Anderson, Ethan D Stolzenberg, U.Prasad Kari, Michael Zasloff, James M Wilson

Institutions: The Wistar Institute, University of Pennsylvania

Language: English

Topic: Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities

Subfield: Microbiology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $11,400