title: Staphylococcal resistance to antimicrobial peptides of mammalian and bacterial origin.
abstract: Antimicrobial host defense peptides, such as defensins, protegrins, and platelet microbicidal proteins are deployed by mammalian skin, epithelia, phagocytes, and platelets in response to Staphylococcus aureus infection. In addition, staphylococcal products with similar structures and activities, called bacteriocins, inhibit competing microorganisms. Staphylococci have developed resistance mechanisms, which are either highly specific for certain host defense peptides or bacteriocins or which broadly protect against a range of cationic antimicrobial peptides. Experimental infection models can be used to study the molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial peptides, the peptide resistance strategies of S. aureus, and the therapeutic potential of peptides in staphylococcal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Genetics, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. andreas.peschel@uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peschel
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D008322:Mammals / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides