title: Antimicrobial proteins: From old proteins, new tricks.
abstract: This review describes the main types of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) synthesised by crustaceans, primarily those identified in shrimp, crayfish, crab and lobster. It includes an overview of their range of microbicidal activities and the current landscape of our understanding of their gene expression patterns in different body tissues. It further summarises how their expression might change following various types of immune challenges. The review further considers proteins or protein fragments from crustaceans that have antimicrobial properties but are more usually associated with other biological functions, or are derived from such proteins. It discusses how these unconventional AMPs might be generated at, or delivered to, sites of infection and how they might contribute to crustacean host defence in vivo. It also highlights recent work that is starting to reveal the extent of multi-functionality displayed by some decapod AMPs, particularly their participation in other aspects of host protection. Examples of such activities include proteinase inhibition, phagocytosis, antiviral activity and haematopoiesis.
authors: Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB Scotland, UK. Electronic address: vjs1@st-andrews.ac.uk.
authors: Valerie J
authors: VJ
authors: Smith
authors: Centre for Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS Scotland, UK.
authors: Elisabeth A
authors: EA
authors: Dyrynda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D003400:Astacoidea / Q000378:metabolism*; D003386:Brachyura / Q000378:metabolism*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009113:Muramidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D012758:Shellfish
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; C034705:antilipopolysaccharide factor (Limulus); D009113:Muramidase
keywords: Anti-lipopolysaccharide factors; Antibacterials; Crabs; Crayfish; Crustins; ETosis; Haematopoiesis; Histones; Lysozyme; Penaeidins; Phagocytosis; Shrimp