中文摘要：

抗菌肽可抵御细菌、病毒和真菌的入侵,在人类和家畜的先天性防御系统中具有重要的作用,是有望用于预防和治疗的药物,因此,抗菌肽被称为＂新一代的抗生素＂。抗菌肽是一个阳离子肽,其中的一个大家族就是防御素。防御素的结构中普通带有一个β-片状结构,其中包含3个分子内二硫键,可分为α-防御素、β-防御素和θ-防御素,其中β-防御素是最大的一个家族,在人类和家畜的组织内均有表达。结合已有的研究成果,作者主要对家畜体内防御素的表达、多态性及其作为健康和生产性能的遗传标记的潜在应用作一综述。

英文摘要：

Antimicrobial peptides have important effects on the innate resistance system of human and livestock due to their activity against bacteria,viruses and fungi.They also are expected to be used as preventive and therapeutic medicine.Therefore they are called ’new generation antibiotics’.Antimicrobial peptides are cationic peptides,and the most numerous group of them is a family of defensins.Among them the most common are peptides with a beta-sheet structure containing three intra-molecular disulphide bonds,called defensins,comprising three classes： alpha-,beta-and theta-defensin.The family of beta-defensins is the largest one,and their transcripts have been found in many tissues of human and livestock.The aim of this paper is to present the current knowledge about antimicrobial peptides from the defensins family in farm animals,their expression,polymorphism,as well as the potential of their use as genetic markers of health and production traits.