Abstract
Antibiotic peptides are widely distributed in nature. Almost all function as membrane-active agents, disrupting target-cell permeability. Several exhibit a striking selectivity for single-celled microbes over metazoan cells, and as such are amongst the simplest components of the animal's defensive system, which distinguishes environmental microbes from 'self'.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Anti-Bacterial Agents*
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Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides*
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Blood Proteins / physiology
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DNA-Binding Proteins*
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Defensins
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Diptera / physiology
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Drug Resistance, Microbial
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Epithelial Cells
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Epithelium / immunology
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Horseshoe Crabs / immunology
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Immunity, Innate*
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Insect Hormones / physiology
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Insecta / immunology*
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Insecta / metabolism
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Leukocytes / immunology
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Mammals / immunology*
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Mammals / metabolism
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Moths / immunology
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Moths / metabolism
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Mucous Membrane / immunology
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Peptides / physiology*
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Peptides, Cyclic*
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Xenopus / immunology
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Xenopus / metabolism
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
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Blood Proteins
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Defensins
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Insect Hormones
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Peptides
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Peptides, Cyclic
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magainin A
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tachyplesin peptide, Tachypleus tridentatus
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cecropin A