| HGNC Family | Defensins |
| Name | defensin, beta 106B |
| Description | Defensins form a family of antimicrobial and cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. Defensins are short, processed peptide molecules that are classified by structure into three groups: alpha-defensins, beta-defensins and theta-defensins. All beta-defensin genes are densely clustered in four to five syntenic chromosomal regions. Chromosome 8p23 contains at least two copies of the duplicated beta-defensin cluster. This duplication results in two identical copies of defensin, beta 106, DEFB106A and DEFB106B, in head-to-head orientation. This gene, DEFB106B, represents the more telomeric copy. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2014] |
| Summary |
{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Human β‐defensin 6, here referred to as DEFB106B, is a small, cationic antimicrobial peptide that plays a critical role in the innate immune system. It is expressed in several tissues—including the lung, epididymis, testis, bone marrow, and skin—where it contributes to local host defense by directly inhibiting microbial pathogens. Functional studies using synthetic propeptides and in situ hybridization have demonstrated that DEFB106B exhibits strong antimicrobial activity against bacteria (such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) and fungi (including Candida albicans), indicating its capacity to control microbial colonization at mucosal and barrier surfaces."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Furthermore, its tissue‐specific expression pattern, especially in the reproductive tract (epididymis and testis), suggests an additional role in fertility by helping to preserve the immunological balance required for proper sperm maturation and protection against infections. DEFB106B also has biochemical features—such as a high affinity for heparin and lipopolysaccharide—that may enable it to modulate inflammatory responses at critical interfaces between host and pathogen."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n In summary, DEFB106B functions as an important effector molecule of the innate immunity network, mediating direct antimicrobial activity and contributing to tissue homeostasis and potentially fertility by protecting vulnerable epithelial surfaces from microbial invasion.\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cheng Yuan Kao, Yin Chen, Yu Hua Zhao, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "ORFeome-based search of airway epithelial cell-specific novel human [beta]-defensin genes."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol (2003)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1165/rcmb.2002-0205OC"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1165/rcmb.2002-0205OC"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12600824"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12600824"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Aijie Xin, Yue Zhao, Heguo Yu, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Soluble fusion expression, characterization and localization of human β-defensin 6."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Med Rep (2014)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3892/mmr.2013.1768"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2013.1768"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "24189797"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24189797"}]}]}]}
|
| Synonyms | BD-6 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 503841 |
| API | |
| Download Associations | |
| Predicted Functions |
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| Co-expressed Genes |
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| Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines |
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DEFB106B has 634 functional associations with biological entities spanning 7 categories (molecular profile, organism, functional term, phrase or reference, disease, phenotype or trait, chemical, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA) extracted from 29 datasets.
Click the + buttons to view associations for DEFB106B from the datasets below.
If available, associations are ranked by standardized value
| Dataset | Summary | |
|---|---|---|
| Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles | tissue samples with high or low expression of DEFB106B gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas | gene perturbations changing expression of DEFB106B gene from the CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores | cellular components containing DEFB106B protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 | cellular components containing DEFB106B protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores | cellular components co-occuring with DEFB106B protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 | cellular components co-occuring with DEFB106B protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles | cell lines with DEFB106B gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset. | |
| DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores | diseases co-occuring with DEFB106B gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025 | diseases co-occuring with DEFB106B gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations | diseases associated with DEFB106B gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset. | |
| ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles | transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of DEFB106B gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset. | |
| ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets | transcription factors binding the promoter of DEFB106B gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations | biological terms co-occuring with DEFB106B gene in literature-supported statements describing functions of genes from the GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations dataset. | |
| GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules | small molecule perturbations changing expression of DEFB106B gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset. | |
| GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Transcription Factor Perturbations | transcription factor perturbations changing expression of DEFB106B gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Transcription Factor Perturbations dataset. | |
| GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Viral Infections | virus perturbations changing expression of DEFB106B gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Viral Infections dataset. | |
| JASPAR Predicted Human Transcription Factor Targets 2025 | transcription factors regulating expression of DEFB106B gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the JASPAR Predicted Human Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| JASPAR Predicted Transcription Factor Targets | transcription factors regulating expression of DEFB106B gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the JASPAR Predicted Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| Klijn et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 2015 Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles | cell lines with high or low copy number of DEFB106B gene relative to other cell lines from the Klijn et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 2015 Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset. | |
| KnockTF Gene Expression Profiles with Transcription Factor Perturbations | transcription factor perturbations changing expression of DEFB106B gene from the KnockTF Gene Expression Profiles with Transcription Factor Perturbations dataset. | |
| MiRTarBase microRNA Targets | microRNAs targeting DEFB106B gene in low- or high-throughput microRNA targeting studies from the MiRTarBase microRNA Targets dataset. | |
| Rummagene Transcription Factor Associations 2026 | transcription factors regulating expression of DEFB106B gene from the Rummagene Transcription Factor Associations 2026 dataset. | |
| RummaGEO Gene Perturbation Signatures | gene perturbations changing expression of DEFB106B gene from the RummaGEO Gene Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| TargetScan Predicted Nonconserved microRNA Targets | microRNAs regulating expression of DEFB106B gene predicted using nonconserved miRNA seed sequences from the TargetScan Predicted Nonconserved microRNA Targets dataset. | |
| TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores | tissues with high expression of DEFB106B protein from the TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 | tissues with high expression of DEFB106B protein from the TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| TISSUES Experimental Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 | tissues with high expression of DEFB106B protein in proteomics datasets from the TISSUES Experimental Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores | tissues co-occuring with DEFB106B protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 | tissues co-occuring with DEFB106B protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |