DCD (Dermcidin) Gene
Antimicrobial Peptide and Survival Factor
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | DCD |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dermcidin |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 12q13.1 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 117159 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/117159 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000161634 |
| UniProt ID | P81605 |
| OMIM ID | 606634 |
| HGNC ID | 14669 |
| Aliases | DCD-1, DCD-2, AIDD, PIF, proteolysis-inducing factor |
Description
The DCD gene encodes dermcidin, a secreted antimicrobial peptide primarily expressed in eccrine sweat glands. Dermcidin is constitutively produced and processed into smaller active peptides (e.g., DCD-1L) that exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It also functions as a survival factor for neurons and is implicated in cancer cachexia. The gene is located on chromosome 12q13.1 and spans approximately 4.5 kb.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | Overexpression of DCD in breast tumors may promote cell survival and chemoresistance; proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF) isoform contributes to cachexia. | PMID: 15626734; COSMIC |
| Neuroblastoma | DCD expression is associated with poor prognosis and MYCN amplification; promotes tumor cell survival. | PMID: 17909023 |
| Atopic dermatitis | Reduced dermcidin expression in sweat leads to impaired antimicrobial defense and increased skin infections. | PMID: 19666079 |
| Cancer cachexia | Proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF) derived from DCD induces muscle wasting in cancer patients. | PMID: 10823961 |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Sweat gland | N/A | High |
| Skin | N/A | Moderate |
| Breast | N/A | Low |
| Brain | N/A | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MCF-7 (breast cancer) | N/A | Expressed |
| SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma) | N/A | Expressed |
| HaCaT (keratinocyte) | N/A | Expressed |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1A>G | missense | Rare | Unknown functional effect |
| c.256G>A | missense | Rare | Unknown functional effect |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
No confirmed loss-of-function mutations reported in ClinVar or COSMIC.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Overexpression in tumors suggests potential gain-of-function in cancer contexts.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Not described.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • extracellular region (GO:0005576) | • defense response to bacterium (GO:0042742) |
| • defense response to fungus (GO:0050832) | • innate immune response (GO:0045087) |
| • apoptotic process (GO:0006915) |
Pathways
• Antimicrobial peptides (KEGG: hsa04623)
• Innate immune system (Reactome: R-HSA-168249)
Protein Summary
Dermcidin is a 110-amino-acid precursor protein secreted by eccrine sweat glands. It is proteolytically processed into several active peptides, including DCD-1L (47 amino acids), which forms an amphipathic alpha-helix that disrupts microbial membranes. The protein also contains a survival domain that protects neurons from apoptosis. In cancer, a truncated isoform called proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF) is associated with cachexia.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCD Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ7597 | Human | 117159 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2B Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ10932 | Human | 149069 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ11107 | Human | 51473 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC1 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ13104 | Human | 341019 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2C Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ13105 | Human | 728597 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ37761 | Human | 51473 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC1 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ42404 | Human | 341019 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ56316 | Human | 51473 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCD Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ58006 | Human | 117159 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2B Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ58621 | Human | 149069 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2C Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ60716 | Human | 728597 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCD Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ66494 | Human | 117159 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2B Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ67103 | Human | 149069 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2C Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ69187 | Human | 728597 | Details Get a Quote |
| DCDC2 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ73248 | Human | 51473 | Details Get a Quote |
