Defensins protect human barriers from commensal and pathogenic microorganisms. Human
α-defensin 6 (HD-6) is produced exclusively by small intestinal Paneth cells but, in contrast
to other antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for HD-6, no direct antibacterial killing activity has
been detected so far. Herein, we systematically tested how environmental factors, like pH
and reducing conditions, affect antimicrobial activity of different defensins against anaerobic
bacteria of the human intestinal microbiota. Remarkably, by mimicking the intestinal milieu …