Research Center for Translational Medicine at East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200010, China.
Curr Microbiol. 2023 Nov 25;81(1):18. doi: 10.1007/s00284-023-03540-5.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small-molecule peptides that play a vital role in the nonspecific immune defense system of organisms. They mainly kill microorganisms by physically destroying the cell membrane and causing the leakage of contents. AMPs have attracted much attention as potential alternatives to antibiotics due to their low susceptibility to resistance. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is one of the main causative agents of human dental caries. The design, screening, and efficacy evaluation of AMPs targeting S. mutans offer new possibilities for the prevention and treatment of oral diseases, especially dental caries, in the future. This article reviews AMPs from different sources that have inhibitory effects on S. mutans, discusses the mechanism of action of AMPs against S. mutans biofilms, and focuses on the research progress of screening methods, design modification, and biological activity evaluation of AMPs. We hope to provide insights and reference value for the development of new biologics.
抗菌肽（AMPs）是在生物体的非特异性免疫防御系统中发挥重要作用的小分子肽。它们主要通过物理破坏细胞膜并导致内容物泄漏来杀死微生物。由于 AMPs 不易产生抗药性，因此作为抗生素的潜在替代品引起了广泛关注。变形链球菌（S. mutans）是导致人类龋齿的主要病原体之一。针对 S. mutans 的 AMPs 的设计、筛选和功效评估为未来预防和治疗口腔疾病，特别是龋齿，提供了新的可能性。本文综述了不同来源的对 S. mutans 具有抑制作用的 AMPs，讨论了 AMPs 对抗 S. mutans 生物膜的作用机制，并重点介绍了 AMPs 的筛选方法、设计修饰和生物活性评价的研究进展。我们希望为新型生物制剂的开发提供一些思路和参考价值。
