beta-defensins: Linking innate and adaptive immunity through dendritic andT cell CCR6

Defensins contribute to host defense by disrupting the cytoplasmic membrane of microorganisms. This report shows that human beta-defensins are also ch emotactic for immature dendritic cells and memory T cells. Human beta-defen sin was selectively chemotactic for cells stably transfected to express hum an CCR6, a chemokine receptor preferentially expressed by immature dendriti c cells and memory T cells. The beta-defensin-induced chemotaxis was sensit ive to pertussis toxin and inhibited by antibodies to CCR6. The binding of iodinated LARC, the chemokine Ligand for CCR6, to CCR6-transfected cells wa s competitively displaced by beta-defensin. Thus, beta-defensins may promot e adaptive immune responses by recruiting dendritic and T cells to the site of microbial invasion through interaction with CCR6.