Antibiotic peptides as mediators of innate immunity

Curr Opin Immunol. 1992 Feb;4(1):3-7. doi: 10.1016/0952-7915(92)90115-u.

Abstract

Antibiotic peptides are widely distributed in nature. Almost all function as membrane-active agents, disrupting target-cell permeability. Several exhibit a striking selectivity for single-celled microbes over metazoan cells, and as such are amongst the simplest components of the animal's defensive system, which distinguishes environmental microbes from 'self'.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides*
  • Blood Proteins / physiology
  • DNA-Binding Proteins*
  • Defensins
  • Diptera / physiology
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Epithelial Cells
  • Epithelium / immunology
  • Horseshoe Crabs / immunology
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Insect Hormones / physiology
  • Insecta / immunology*
  • Insecta / metabolism
  • Leukocytes / immunology
  • Mammals / immunology*
  • Mammals / metabolism
  • Moths / immunology
  • Moths / metabolism
  • Mucous Membrane / immunology
  • Peptides / physiology*
  • Peptides, Cyclic*
  • Xenopus / immunology
  • Xenopus / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Blood Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Defensins
  • Insect Hormones
  • Peptides
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • magainin A
  • tachyplesin peptide, Tachypleus tridentatus
  • cecropin A