High impact information on Def

• With the aim of studying the evolution of immune system genes, we identified a gene encoding the antimicrobial peptide defensin from a social insect, the wood ant Formica aquilonia [1].
• The ant defensin gene structure differs from both of these bee defensins with respect to the number and length of introns and exons [1].
• Mature defensin 2 peptide shows 55.8% identity with defensin 1 [2].
• Two defensins showing high mutual similarity have previously been characterized in honeybee Apis mellifera: royalisin, a peptide isolated from the royal jelly, and defensin, found in the hemolymph of bacterially infected bees [2].
• Immune response elements were identified by computer analysis of the promoter regions of defensin genes [2].

Other interactions of Def

• A humoral immune response of bees parasitized by V. destructor may be detected by studying the expression levels of antibacterial peptides, such as abaecin and defensin, known to be immune-responsive [3].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Def

• Transcription of defensin genes in some nurse honeybees tissues was studied by RT-PCR [2].

References