Diamond Gill, Beckloff Nicholas, Weinberg Aaron, Kisich Kevin O
Department of Oral Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School, Newark, NJ 07101, USA.
Curr Pharm Des. 2009;15(21):2377-92. doi: 10.2174/138161209788682325.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are multi-functional peptides whose fundamental biological role in vivo has been proposed to be the elimination of pathogenic microorganisms, including Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Genes encoding these peptides are expressed in a variety of cells in the host, including circulating phagocytic cells and mucosal epithelial cells, demonstrating a wide range of utility in the innate immune system. Expression of these genes is tightly regulated; they are induced by pathogens and cytokines as part of the host defense response, and they can be suppressed by bacterial virulence factors and environmental factors which can lead to increased susceptibility to infection. New research has also cast light on alternative functionalities, including immunomodulatory activities, which are related to their unique structural characteristics. These peptides represent not only an important component of innate host defense against microbial colonization and a link between innate and adaptive immunity, but also form a foundation for the development of new therapeutic agents.
抗菌肽（AMPs）是多功能肽，其在体内的基本生物学作用被认为是清除致病微生物，包括革兰氏阳性和阴性细菌、真菌及病毒。编码这些肽的基因在宿主的多种细胞中表达，包括循环吞噬细胞和黏膜上皮细胞，这表明它们在先天免疫系统中具有广泛用途。这些基因的表达受到严格调控；它们作为宿主防御反应的一部分，由病原体和细胞因子诱导表达，并且可被细菌毒力因子和环境因子抑制，这些因子会导致感染易感性增加。新的研究还揭示了抗菌肽的其他功能，包括免疫调节活性，这与其独特的结构特征有关。这些肽不仅是宿主抵御微生物定植的先天防御的重要组成部分，也是先天免疫与适应性免疫之间的联系，而且还为新型治疗药物的开发奠定了基础。
