Defensins are a peptide family of cytotoxicmicrobicides involved in innate immunity.[9] Members of the defensin family are distinguished by a conserved six-cysteine motif. Several human alpha defensin genes including HNP4 are clustered on chromosome 8. DEFA4 differs from other defensin genes by an extra 83-base segment that is apparently the result of a recent duplication within the coding region. HNP4 inhibits corticotropin-stimulated corticosterone production.[5]
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