title: Natural roles of antimicrobial peptides in microbes, plants and animals.
abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are ribosomally synthesized natural antibiotics that are crucial effectors of innate immune systems in all living organisms. AMPs are diverse peptides, differing in their amino acid composition and structure, that generally display rapid killing and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. Therefore, AMPs have high potential for therapeutic use in healthcare and agriculture. This review focuses on in vivo studies relating how organisms - bacteria, plants, insects and mammals - employ AMPs in their interactions with microbial competitors, pathogens and symbionts.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Genomics, Human Biotechnology and Bioenergy, Bay Zoltán Foundation for Applied Research, Derkovits fasor 2, Szeged 6726, Hungary. marotig@baygen.hu
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maróti
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kereszt
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kondorosi
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mergaert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta / Q000276:immunology*; D008322:Mammals / Q000276:immunology*; D010944:Plants / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides