Antimicrobial peptide activity (AMP)

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are diverse, short, mostly cationic peptides produced by a wide variety of organisms as a crucial part of the innate immune system. They display broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria (both Gram-positive and Gram-negative), fungi, viruses, and even cancerous or transformed cells. AMPs kill pathogens primarily by destabilizing microbial membranes through a range of biophysical mechanisms but can also target intracellular processes such as nucleic acid and protein synthesis. In addition, many AMPs modulate the immune response, promote wound healing, and have anti-inflammatory or antitumor effects. Unlike a classical therapeutic target (receptor, enzyme, etc.), AMPs are effector molecules or drug classes themselves; thus, "antimicrobial peptide activity" refers to the overall function, not a specific druggable molecule.

Other names

Host defence peptidehost defense peptideinnate defense peptide

Disruption of microbial cell membranes (barrel-stave, toroidal pore, carpet models); Inhibition of cell wall synthesis; Inhibition of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis; Immunomodulation; Inhibition of gene expression or protein synthesis; Compaction/condensation of nucleic acids in bacteria