Chicken avian β-defensin 8 modulates immune response via the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in a chicken macrophage cell line

Abstract

Background: Defensins are antimicrobial peptides composed of three conserved disulfide bridges, a β-sheet, and both hydrophobic and cationic amino acids. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the immunomodulation role of avian β-defensin 8 (AvBD8) in a chicken macrophage cell line.Results: Chicken AvBD8 stimulated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β, interferon-γ, and IL-12p40) and chemokines (CCL4, CXCL13, and CCL20) in macrophages.Furthermore, by western blotting and immunocytochemistry, we confirmed that AvBD8 activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway via extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 signaling molecules. Conclusion:Overall, AvBD8 regulates host immune system as not only an antimicrobial peptide, but also an immunomodulator by activating the MAPK signaling pathway and inducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines.

Sodium butyrate alleviates LPS ‐induced kidney injury via inhibiting TLR2 /4 to regulate rBD2 expression

“…Defensins, a family of cysteine-rich cationic secreted antimicrobial peptides with small molecular weight, represent an ancient, highly conserved part of the innate immune system (Kxa et al, 2021). The defensins are classified into α, β, and θ forms depending on the position of three intramolecular disulfide bonds (Hong et al, 2020).…”

“…Defensins, a family of cysteine‐rich cationic secreted antimicrobial peptides with small molecular weight, represent an ancient, highly conserved part of the innate immune system (Kxa et al, 2021). The defensins are classified into α, β, and θ forms depending on the position of three intramolecular disulfide bonds (Hong et al, 2020). As a new type of bacterial infection inhibitor, β‐defensins have drawn attention in clinical and basic research settings due to the multidirectional biological properties with low drug resistance rate, including antiviral, antibacterial, and anti‐inflammatory effects (Gao et al, 2021; Hou et al, 2021).…”