Defensin Alpha 2 (DEFa2)

Defcr2; Defensin-Related Cryptdin-2; Cryptdin-1

SPN	H280
MGI	94882
UniProt	P28309

DEFa2 belongs to the alpha-defensin family, Has broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. Has antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive bacterium L.monocytogenes EGD and the Gram-negative bacteria E.coli ML-35p and avirulent S.typhimurium 7953, but not against the mouse-virulent S.typhimurium 14028S.

DEFA1 and DEFA3 differ only by the first amino acid of the mature peptides and DEFA2 lacks this residue. Given that no gene for DEFA2 has been discovered, it is thought that DEFA2 is a proteolytic product of one or both of DEFA1 and DEFA3. DEFA1 and DEFA2 are active against Candida albicans and are chemotactic for T-cells whereas DEFA3 is not. DEFA1 and DEFA2 have recently been observed to be more potent than DEFA3 against the Gram negative bacteria Enterobacter aerogenes and Escherichia coli as well as the Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus.

Reference

"Structure and diversity of the murine cryptdin gene family."
Genomics 19:448-453(1994) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]

"Enteric defensins: antibiotic peptide components of intestinal host defense."
J. Cell Biol. 118:929-936(1992) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]

"Cryptdins: antimicrobial defensins of the murine small intestine."
Infect. Immun. 60:3556-3565(1992) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]

"Genetic mapping of 40 cDNA clones on the mouse genome by PCR."
Mamm. Genome 5:349-355(1994) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]