Defensins form a family of microbicidal and cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. Members of the defensin family are highly similar in protein sequence. This gene encodes defensin, beta 1, an antimicrobial peptide implicated in the resistance of epithelial surfaces to microbial colonization. This gene maps in close proximity to defensin family member, defensin, alpha 1 and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].