The role of defensins in virus induced asthma英文电子书.pdf

The Role of Defensins in Virus-induced Asthma David Proud, PhD Corresponding author responses may contribute to disease pathogenesis. In David Proud, PhD this article, the potential regulatory role of epithelial and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, HSC 1627, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada. neutrophil defensins in the pathogenesis of virus-induced E-mail: dproud @ucalgary.ca asthma is examined. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports 2006, 6:81– 85 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1529-7322 Copyright © 2006 by Current Science Inc. Structure, Genomic Location, and Antimicrobial Actions of Defensins Defensins are small (3–6 kDa), cationic antimicrobial Respiratory viruses appear to play a central role in asthma peptides characterized structurally by the presence of six pathogenesis. In addition to a major role in triggering cysteine residues that form three intramolecular disul- asthma exacerbations, viral infections early in life may play fide bonds. The two main subfamilies of mammalian a role in disease development. Although defensins were defensins are defined based on the pairing of cysteines i