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A New Family of Antimicrobial Lipopeptides: Biological Activities and Mode of Action
Author(s) -
Makovitzki Arik,
Shai Yechiel
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.lb15-c
Subject(s) - antimicrobial peptides , antimicrobial , mode of action , antibiotics , antifungal , microbiology and biotechnology , innate immune system , antibiotic resistance , biology , bacteria , immune system , chemistry , biochemistry , immunology , genetics
The increasing resistance of microorganisms to available antibiotics and antifungal agents is a major concern world wide, leading to enormous efforts to develop new antibiotics and antifungal agents with new modes of action. Two promising families of drugs that meet these criteria are host‐defense cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and lipopeptides. AMPs play an essential protective role in the innate immune system of all organisms, by physically permeating and rapidly disrupting the microorganism cell membrane. Therefore, microbial resistance may occur with low probability. In this study we investigate the mode of action and the parameters required for cell selectivity of synthetic AMPs and lipopeptides mimicking native antimicrobial peptides. Understanding these parameters allowed us to design specific and potent AMPs, and with selectivity toward bacteria and fungi over mammalian cells with properties that make them attractive antibiotic and antifungal agents against both human and plant pathogens.