Work

Describing the Mechanism of Antimicrobial Peptide Action with the Interfacial Activity Model

Year: 2010

Type: review

Abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been studied for three decades, and yet a molecular understanding of their mechanism of action is still lacking. Here we summarize current knowledge for both synthetic vesicle experiments and microbe experiments, with a focus on comparisons between the two. Microbial experiments are done at peptide to lipid ratios that are at least 4 orders of magnitude higher than vesicle-based experiments. To close the gap between the two concentration regimes, we propose an "interfacial activity model", which is based on an experimentally testable molecular image of AMP-membrane interactions. The interfacial activity model may be useful in driving engineering and design of novel AMPs.

Source: ACS Chemical Biology

DOI: 10.1021/cb1001558

Author: William C. Wimley

Institution: Tulane University

Language: English

Topic: Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities

Subfield: Microbiology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Award: Folding and Design of Beta Sheets in Membranes