Pharmacological characterisation of spider antimicrobial peptides

Protein Pept Lett. 2005 Aug;12(6):507-11. doi: 10.2174/0929866054395806.

Abstract

Most spider antimicrobial peptides share a common mechanism of membrane permeabilisation and the innate immune systems of the pathogen. In this review, we present recent accounts of the application at the preclinical level that should be tried and the range of bioactivities and their particular structure can be harnessed for molecular engineering applications and in drug design. Structural analyses such as amino acid sequence and circular dichroism are described. Conductance measurements and pharmacological studies of the action on the inner or outer membranes of anti-microbe will reveal more about the mode of action of the antimicrobial peptides of spider.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptides*
  • Spiders / chemistry*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Peptides