Background: The emergence of antimicrobial resistance results in morbidities and mortalities associated with many bacterial infections is a major concerning issue front the healthcare system. As part competitive adaptive strategy for its growth, gram-positive bacteria like Bacillus subtilis produce peptides; bacteriocins. These peptides protect other species. Objectives: To counter resistance, ...

Antimicrobial peptides have been isolated and characterized from tissues and organisms representing virtually every kingdom and phylum, ranging from prokaryotes to humans. Yet, recurrent structural and functional themes in mechanisms of action and resistance are observed among peptides of widely diverse source and composition. Biochemical distinctions among the peptides themselves, target versu...

One component of host defense at mucosal surfaces seems to be epithelium-derived antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides are classified on the basis of their structure and amino acid motifs. Peptides of the defensin, cathelicidin, and histatin classes are found in humans. In the airways, alpha-defensins and the cathelicidin LL-37/hCAP-18 originate from neutrophils. beta-Defensins and LL-...

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted attention as next-generation antimicrobial drugs. Designing AMPs while considering multiple properties, such activities and toxicity, requires numerous trials errors by chemists. In...

New peptides for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) neutralization in upper respiratory tract infections were developed and evaluated in terms of efficacy and safety for application in humans. Based on the sequence of the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 we developed and investigated length variants, substitution analogues and modifications to stabilize the peptides to preven...

BACKGROUND Because both micronutrients and antimicrobial peptides protect against diarrhea, we looked for an effect on intestinal antimicrobial peptide gene expression during a randomized controlled trial of multiple micronutrient (MM) supplementation. METHODS Consenting adults (n=287) in Lusaka, Zambia, were randomized to receive a daily MM supplement or placebo and were followed up for 3.3 ...

Magainin antimicrobial peptide has been shown to increase skin permeability by perturbing stratum corneum lipids in the skin. In this study, we hypothesized that skin permeation enhancement depends on peptide structure. We therefore measured skin permeability enhancement by modified magainin derivitives and 20 different antimicrobial peptides in a formulation containing ethanol and N-lauroyl sa...

Antimicrobial peptides are small-molecule proteins that are usually encoded by multiple-gene families. They play crucial roles in the innate immune response, but reports on the functional divergence of antimicrobial peptide gene families are rare. In this study, 14 paralogs of antimicrobial peptides belonging to cecropin, moricin and gloverin families were recombinantly expressed in pET express...

Burkholderia thailandensis is a Gram-negative soil bacterium used as a model organism for B. pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis and an organism classified category B priority pathogen and a Tier 1 select agent for its potential use as a biological weapon. Burkholderia species are reportedly "highly resistant" to antimicrobial agents, including cyclic peptide antibiotics, due to mu...