title: Antibiotic peptides as mediators of innate immunity.
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'.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zasloff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D006737:Horseshoe Crabs / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D007313:Insecta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008322:Mammals / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009036:Moths / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D010455:Peptides / Q000502:physiology*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D014981:Xenopus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D010455:Peptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C067773:magainin A; C057636:tachyplesin peptide, Tachypleus tridentatus; C031161:cecropin A