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Immunology

Peptide gets in shape for self-defence

The transformation of tadpole to frog and of caterpillar to butterfly are two of the more obvious examples of metamorphosis. But molecular shape-shifting may occur in each of us as part of our innate antibacterial defence system. See Letter p.419

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Figure 1: Computer-generated structures of human β-defensin 1.

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Lehrer, R. Peptide gets in shape for self-defence. Nature 469, 309–310 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/469309a

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