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THEMES

Events at the Host-Microbial Interface of the Gastrointestinal Tract V. Paneth cell -defensins in intestinal host defense

The Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California

Host defense of the small intestine is mediated, in part, by antimicrobial peptides, including -defensins. In the small intestine, Paneth cells, specialized secretory epithelial cells located at the base of the crypt invaginations lining the intestinal wall, produce -defensins. The -defensins are cysteine-rich cationic peptides with antibiotic activity against a wide range of bacteria and other microbes. Studies of transgenic and knockout mice have supported a pivotal role of Paneth cell -defensins in protection from bacterial pathogens. New data suggest that deficient expression of Paneth cell -defensins may contribute to the pathophysiology of Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

antimicrobial peptide; innate immunity; Crohn's disease