Abstract
Antimicrobial and cell-penetrating peptides are both classes of membrane-active peptides sharing similar physicochemical properties. Both kinds of peptides have attracted much attention owing to their specific features. AMPs disrupt cell membranes of bacteria and display urgently needed antibiotic substances with alternative modes of action. Since the multidrug resistance of bacterial pathogens is a more and more raising concern, AMPs have gained much interest during the past years. On the other side, CPPs enter eukaryotic cells without substantially affecting the plasma membrane. They can be used as drug delivery platforms and have proven their usefulness in various applications. However, although both groups of peptides are quite similar, their intrinsic activity is often different, and responsible factors are still in discussion. The aim of this chapter is to summarize and shed light on recent findings and concepts dealing with differences and similarities of AMPs and CPPs and to understand these different functions.
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Notes
- 1.
A few examples are listed in the text and in Table 7.1; however, this list is not exhaustive, and also alternative methods have been used.
Abbreviations
- AMP:
-
Antimicrobial peptide
- CD:
-
Circular dichroism
- CPP:
-
Cell-penetrating peptide
- CS:
-
Chondroitin sulfate
- DSC:
-
Differential scanning calorimetry
- EM:
-
Electron microscopy
- EPR:
-
Electron paramagnetic resonance
- FDA:
-
Food and Drug Administration
- FMM:
-
Functional membrane microdomain
- GAG:
-
Glycosaminoglycan
- GPMV:
-
Giant plasma membrane vesicle
- GUV:
-
Giant unilamellar vesicle
- HS:
-
Heparan sulfate
- IR:
-
Infrared
- Ld :
-
Liquid disordered
- Lo :
-
Liquid ordered
- LTA:
-
Lipoteichoic acid
- LUV:
-
Large unilamellar vesicle
- MALDI:
-
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization
- MS:
-
Mass spectrometry
- NMR:
-
Nuclear magnetic resonance
- OBOC:
-
One bead one compound
- PC:
-
Phosphatidylcholine
- PE:
-
Phosphatidylethanolamine
- PG:
-
Phosphatidylglycerol
- PI:
-
Phosphatidylinositol
- PS:
-
Phosphatidylserine
- QSAR:
-
Quantitative structure-activity relation-ship
- ROS:
-
Reactive oxygen species
- STED:
-
Stimulated emission depletion
- SUV:
-
Small unilamellar vesicle
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Neundorf, I. (2019). Antimicrobial and Cell-Penetrating Peptides: How to Understand Two Distinct Functions Despite Similar Physicochemical Properties. In: Matsuzaki, K. (eds) Antimicrobial Peptides. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1117. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3588-4_7
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