Defensins (alpha and beta) are cationic peptides with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity that comprise an important arm of the innate immune system. The alpha-defensins are distinguished from the beta-defensins by the pairing of their three disulfide bonds. To date, six human beta-defensins have been identified, BD-1, BD-2, BD-3, BD-4, BD-5 and BD-6. beta-defensins are expressed on some leukocytes and at epithelial surfaces. In addition to their direct antimicrobial activities, they can act as chemoattractants towards immature dendritic cells and memory T cells. The beta-defensin proteins are expressed as the C-terminal portion of precursors, and are released by proteolytic cleavage of a signal sequence and, in some cases, a propeptide sequence. beta-defensins contain a six-cysteine motif that forms three intra-molecular disulfide bonds. BD-4 is expressed in the testes, stomach, uterus, neutrophils, thyroid, lungs and kidneys. In addition to its direct antimicrobial activities, BD-4 is chemoattractant towards human blood monocytes. Recombinant human BD-4 is a 6kD protein containing 50 amino acid residues, expressed in E. coli. Molecular Weight: ~6kD Amino Acid Sequence: EFELDRICGY GTARCRKKCR SQEYRIGRCP NTYACCLRKW DESLLNRTKP Biological Activity: Determined by its ability to chemoattract human monocytes using a concentration range of 0.1-100ng/ml. Storage and Stability: Lyophilized and reconstituted products are stable for 6 months after receipt at -20C. Reconstitute with sterile ddH2O. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing. Store at -20C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.
