Topic
Antimicrobial peptides
About: Antimicrobial peptides is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 10645 publications have been published within this topic receiving 507688 citations. The topic is also known as: host defense peptide & antimicrobial protein.
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TL;DR: The observation that respiratory infections are nevertheless rare is testimony to the presence of an efficient host defence system at the mucosal surface of the lung, and the importance of these peptides as effector molecules of innate immunity by killing microorganisms, but also as regulators of inflammation, immunity and wound repair is indicated.
Abstract: The human lung is exposed to a large number of airborne pathogens as a result of the daily inhalation of 10,000 litres of air. The observation that respiratory infections are nevertheless rare is testimony to the presence of an efficient host defence system at the mucosal surface of the lung. The airway epithelium is strategically positioned at the interface with the environment, and thus plays a key role in this host defence system. Recognition systems employed by airway epithelial cells to respond to microbial exposure include the action of the toll-like receptors. The airway epithelium responds to such exposure by increasing its production of mediators such as cytokines, chemokines and antimicrobial peptides. Recent findings indicate the importance of these peptides as effector molecules of innate immunity by killing microorganisms, but also as regulators of inflammation, immunity and wound repair. Finally, the clinical relevance of the functions of the airway epithelium in innate immunity is discussed.
564 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a 4-base pair deletion is introduced into the structural nisA gene (ΔnisA) and transcription of ΔnisA is abolished, but the gene can be restored by adding subinhibitory amounts of nisin, nisin mutants, or nisin analogs to the culture medium.
563 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that a novel class of core-shell nanoparticles formed by self-assembly of an amphiphilic peptide have strong antimicrobial properties against a range of bacteria, yeasts and fungi and can cross the blood-brain barrier and suppress bacterial growth in infected brains.
Abstract: Antimicrobial cationic peptides are of interest because they can combat multi-drug-resistant microbes. Most peptides form alpha-helices or beta-sheet-like structures that can insert into and subsequently disintegrate negatively charged bacterial cell surfaces. Here, we show that a novel class of core-shell nanoparticles formed by self-assembly of an amphiphilic peptide have strong antimicrobial properties against a range of bacteria, yeasts and fungi. The nanoparticles show a high therapeutic index against Staphylococcus aureus infection in mice and are more potent than their unassembled peptide counterparts. Using Staphylococcus aureus-infected meningitis rabbits, we show that the nanoparticles can cross the blood-brain barrier and suppress bacterial growth in infected brains. Taken together, these nanoparticles are promising antimicrobial agents that can be used to treat brain infections and other infectious diseases.
561 citations
TL;DR: A large number of cationic amphiphilic peptides found throughout nature have very broad-spectrum activities against microbes, and these peptides can traverse intact membranes to interact with internal targets.
Abstract: Cationic amphiphilic peptides that are found throughout nature have very broad-spectrum activities against microbes. The initial sites of interaction are with microbial membranes. Although dogma suggests that their lethal action involves disruption of the cytoplasmic membranes, a number of cationic peptides can traverse intact membranes to interact with internal targets.
560 citations
TL;DR: Monolayer experiments performed with some of these antimicrobial peptides, especially gramicidin A, melittin, cardiotoxins and defensin A are described, and the surface-active properties of these peptides and their behavior when they are arranged in monomolecular films are reported and discussed.
557 citations