Mechanisms of Action for Antimicrobial Peptides With Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Functions

Nigare Raheem; Suzana K Straus

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.02866

Mechanisms of Action for Antimicrobial Peptides With Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Functions

Front Microbiol. 2019 Dec 12:10:2866. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02866. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Nigare Raheem¹, Suzana K Straus¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Abstract

The antibiotic crisis has led to a pressing need for alternatives such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Recent work has shown that these molecules have great potential not only as antimicrobials, but also as antibiofilm agents, immune modulators, anti-cancer agents and anti-inflammatories. A better understanding of the mechanism of action (MOA) of AMPs is an important part of the discovery of more potent and less toxic AMPs. Many models and techniques have been utilized to describe the MOA. This review will examine how biological assays and biophysical methods can be utilized in the context of the specific antibacterial and antibiofilm functions of AMPs.

Keywords: antimicrobial peptide; antimicrobial resistance; biological assays; biophysical methods; host defense peptide; mechanism of action.

Publication types

Review