Immunologic Factor
defensin
Subclass of:
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
Definitions related to defensins:
  • Family of cysteine rich, 29-35 amino acid, natural antibiotic peptides.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Family of antimicrobial peptides that have been identified in humans, animals, and plants. They are thought to play a role in host defenses against infections, inflammation, wound repair, and acquired immunity.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Highly conserved cysteine-rich peptides that play a role in host defense, and may be produced in response to microbial products or proinflammatory cytokines. Defensins bind to microbial cell membranes and can become aggregate either to form pore-like structures or to encapsulate the microbe. These peptide aggregates lead to destabilization of the cell membrane and, subsequently, to lysis of the microbe.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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