The bacterial surface layer provides protection against antimicrobial peptides.
This report describes a previously unrecognized role for bacterial surface layers as barriers that confer protection against antimicrobial peptides. As antimicrobial peptides exist in natural environments, S-layers may provide a bacterial survival mechanism that has been selected for through evolution.
Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
César
C
de la Fuente-Núñez
Jan
J
Mertens
John
J
Smit
Robert E W
RE
Hancock
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016935:Caulobacter crescentus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013045:Species Specificity
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C055764:S-layer proteins