Table of Contents:
  • The human microbiome
  • 16S ribosomal RNA
  • Physiological roles of the intestinal microbiota
  • Mammalian mucosal surfaces
  • Paneth cells
  • Intestinal antimicrobial peptides
  • The defensins: animal models
  • Defensins, regulation of the microbiota and implications for intestinal homeostasis
  • Paneth cells and the regulation of intestinal homeostasis
  • Diseases associated with Paneth cell abnormalities