Cell adhesion properties of human defensins

Effector peptides of innate immunity play an important role in host defense. They act directly by inactivating microbes but also link innate to adaptive immunity. A variety of innate immune functions has been described for these peptides, including chemoattraction and cytokine release. In this study, we describe the effect on cell morphology and cell adhesion of human defensins. We find that Human Defensin 5, the major product of specialized gut epithelial cells, causes changes in cell morphology. HD-5 induces cell adhesion, binds to fibronectin and facilitates binding of T cells to intestinal epithelial cells. These effects were found also for a second prominent defensing, termed Human Neutrophil peptide-1, but not for other human defensins.