{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Beta‐defensin 124 (DEFB124) is emerging as a multifaceted mediator in innate immunity and reproductive physiology. In prostate epithelial cells, DEFB124 expression is rapidly induced by bacterial components such as peptidoglycan via NF‐κB activation. This upregulation enhances the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, thereby promoting monocyte recruitment and reinforcing local immune defenses."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n In the male reproductive tract, particularly within the epididymis, proper expression of DEFB124 (along with other beta‐defensins) appears to be critical for both antimicrobial protection and optimal sperm maturation. Transcriptomic studies have demonstrated that reduced DEFB124 expression is associated with altered immune responses and may contribute to infertility in models such as the cattleyak and in bovine epididymis, highlighting a dual role in defense and sperm maturation processes."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "2", "end_ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Moreover, studies on intracellular pattern recognition receptors have shown that when negative regulators (e.g., NLRX1) are suppressed, increased NF‐κB activation can lead to elevated levels of DEFB124 and related defensins in response to pathogen challenge. This further supports the concept that DEFB124 is a key effector molecule orchestrating immune responses against microbial invasion in diverse tissue environments."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Collectively, these findings underscore that DEFB124 not only functions as an antimicrobial peptide by directly contributing to host defense through immune cell recruitment and cytokine production, but it also plays an important role in maintaining the proper microenvironment required for sperm maturation in the male reproductive tract.\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Kyeoung-Hwa Kim, Jaehyouk Lee, Jun Hyun Han, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Beta-Defensin 124 Is Required for Efficient Innate Immune Responses in Prostate Epithelial RWPE-1 Cells."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Korean J Urol (2014)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.4111/kju.2014.55.6.417"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.4111/kju.2014.55.6.417"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "24955228"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24955228"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Wangsheng Zhao, Kifayatullah Mengal, Meng Yuan, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Comparative RNA-Seq Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes in the Epididymides of Yak and Cattleyak."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Curr Genomics (2019)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.2174/1389202920666190809092819"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.2174/1389202920666190809092819"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "32030088"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32030088"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Wangsheng Zhao, Saeed Ahmed, Siraj Ahmed, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Analysis of long non-coding RNAs in epididymis of cattleyak associated with male infertility."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Theriogenology (2021)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.10.033"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.10.033"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "33181482"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33181482"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Christine Légaré, Ayodélé Akintayo, Patrick Blondin, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Impact of male fertility status on the transcriptome of the bovine epididymis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Hum Reprod (2017)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/molehr/gax019"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/molehr/gax019"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "28379507"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28379507"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mengjiao Guo, Congyue Zhang, Chengcheng Zhang, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Functional characterization of NLRX1 in rabbit during enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Dev Comp Immunol (2020)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.dci.2020.103612"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2020.103612"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "31962226"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31962226"}]}]}]}