title: Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides: potential therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
abstract: The increasing resistance of pathogens to antibiotics causes a huge clinical burden that places great demands on academic researchers and the pharmaceutical industry for resolution. Antimicrobial peptides, part of native host defense, have emerged as novel potential antibiotic alternatives. Among the different classes of antimicrobial peptides, proline-rich antimicrobial peptides, predominantly sourced from insects, have been extensively investigated to study their specific modes of action. In this review, we focus on recent developments in these peptides. They show a variety of modes of actions, including mechanism shift at high concentration, non-lytic mechanisms, as well as possessing different intracellular targets and lipopolysaccharide binding activity. Furthermore, proline-rich antimicrobial peptides display the ability to not only modulate the immune system via cytokine activity or angiogenesis but also possess properties of penetrating cell membranes and crossing the blood brain barrier suggesting a role as potential novel carriers. Ongoing studies of these peptides will likely lead to the development of more potent antimicrobial peptides that may serve as important additions to the armoury of agents against bacterial infection and drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Wenyi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tailhades
authors.forename: Neil M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: O'Brien-Simpson
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Separovic
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Otvos
authors.forename: M Akhter
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055232:Proline-Rich Protein Domains
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D007155:Immunologic Factors