Events at the host-microbial Interface of the gastrointestinal tract -: V.: Paneth cell α-defensins in intestinal host defense

Events at the Host-Microbial Interface of the Gastrointestinal Tract. V. Paneth cell alpha-defensins in intestinal host defense. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 289: G173-G176, 2005; doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00079.2005.-Host defense of the small intestine is mediated, in part, by antimicrobial peptides, including alpha-defensins. In the small intestine, Paneth cells, specialized secretory epithelial cells located at the base of the crypt invaginations lining the intestinal wall, produce alpha-defensins. The alpha-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 alpha-defensins in protection from bacterial pathogens. New data suggest that deficient expression of Paneth cell alpha-defensins may contribute to the pathophysiology of Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.