| Popis: |
Natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are remarkably diverse, yet they all share some common structural and functional features. In an attempt to find what determines similar activities of non-homologous molecules, we performed a comprehensive analysis of sequence patterns in AMPs. We found that natural AMPs possess characteristic sequence patterns, and these patterns differ for peptides with α-helical and β-sheet structure. We showed that the patterns facilitate computational identification of AMPs in databases. We then used patterns to design new peptides, synthesized them and assayed for antibacterial activity. The most active among synthetic peptides exhibited activity against Gram(+) and Gram(-) pathogens comparable to best natural AMPs. |
