Description
The protein dermcidin expressed in the sweat glands is secreted into the sweat and transported to the epidermal surface. The concomitant processing of the protein yields a broad-spectrum antimicrobial 47 amino acid peptide, dermcidin-1 (DCD-1). Dermcidin and naturally occurring fragments as DCD-1L do not perturb membrane permeability and bind to distinct surface molecules. Niyonsaba et al. have reported that DCD-1L stimulates keratinocytes to generate cytokines and chemokines such as TNF-α, IL-8, CXCL10, and CCL20.
