Lei Yining, He Dangui, Zhao Xiao, Miao Lixia, Cao Zhijian
Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2025 Aug;163:110365. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2025.110365. Epub 2025 May 1.
Defensins are a type of host defense peptides (HDPs), belonging to a family of cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exhibit activity against various infectious microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Due to the uniqueness of the ocean's ecological environment, defensins from marine animals have a rich biodiversity and some special molecular features so as to possess significant potential. They exert antibacterial activity by binding to cell membranes, forming specific channels, or interacting with lipid II. These peptides can be utilized through various nanotechnologies, such as antimicrobial peptide-antibiotic conjugates, nanonets, and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, to enhance their antibacterial activities and broaden their spectra. This review summarizes the structural characteristics and classification of defensins from marine animals (mainly fish and shellfish), outlines their evolutionary trajectory, and discusses their antibacterial, antiviral, immune-regulation, and reproductive functions. Finally, the future therapeutic potential of defensins from marine animals is highlighted for fighting antibiotic resistance and treating other diseases. This review provides new insights into the future development of marine resources and natural peptides.
防御素是一类宿主防御肽（HDPs），属于阳离子抗菌肽（AMPs）家族，对包括细菌、病毒和真菌在内的各种感染性微生物具有活性。由于海洋生态环境的独特性，海洋动物的防御素具有丰富的生物多样性和一些特殊的分子特征，因而具有巨大的潜力。它们通过与细胞膜结合、形成特定通道或与脂质II相互作用来发挥抗菌活性。这些肽可以通过各种纳米技术来利用，如抗菌肽-抗生素缀合物、纳米网和基于纳米颗粒的药物递送系统，以增强其抗菌活性并拓宽其光谱。本文综述了海洋动物（主要是鱼类和贝类）防御素的结构特征和分类，概述了它们的进化轨迹，并讨论了它们的抗菌、抗病毒、免疫调节和生殖功能。最后，强调了海洋动物防御素在对抗抗生素耐药性和治疗其他疾病方面未来的治疗潜力。本文为海洋资源和天然肽的未来发展提供了新的见解。
