Antimicrobial peptide

Antibiotic is the method of choice to fight bacterial infection. However due to over use of antibiotics drug-resistant bacteria frequently appear. Making recovery difficult. Nowadays more and more focuses put on new infectious agents to fight with these pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are stable peptides that have extensive ability to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. They play a role in defense mechanism for all organisms, ranging from prokaryotes to humans, to against predators. Some of them act against specific strain of microbes. Unlike antibiotics, AMPs use their chargeability to interact with bacteria cell membrane. Than use hydrophobic region interfere the membrane structure thus make the cell going to lysis process. [1] And pass through bacterial antibiotic drug resistance mechanisms. Besides, AMPs play multiple functions in immune system. They have ability to alter the properties of mammalian cells and effect cellular process to help wound healing.[2] The reasons why we choose these AMPs are because of their target specificity, charge, toxicity and their effect in healing process. We choose two kinds of AMPs: Signiferin and Epinecidin-1 as our reagents. Signiferin is a peptide came from the skin mucus of Crinia signifera (tree frog). It demonstrated effectiveness in killing MRSA, and had been kindly proved by the TU-Delft 2013 iGEM team.[3] Epinecidin-1 is a peptide came from the skin mucus of Epinephelus coioides. It has ability to help wound healing and has been proven by animal studies, and was selected as an additional reagent.[4]

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