Bacterial and keratinocyte membranes

Bacterial and keratinocyte membranes represent the lipid bilayer boundaries of prokaryotic pathogens and human skin cells, respectively. In pharmacology, these structures are frequently discussed together when evaluating the therapeutic index of topical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and membrane-active antibiotics, which aim to selectively destroy bacteria while sparing host tissue (Zasloff, 2002, Nature). Bacterial membranes are characterized by a high proportion of negatively charged phospholipids and a strong transmembrane potential, making them primary targets for cationic antimicrobial agents (Epand et al., 2016, PMID: 27220111). Conversely, keratinocyte membranes are composed largely of neutral lipids and cholesterol, which generally provides resistance to these agents, though high concentrations can still cause host cell damage (Yeaman & Yount, 2003, Pharmacological Reviews). Drugs like polymyxins and daptomycin exploit these biochemical differences to treat multi-drug resistant infections (Mahlapuu et al., 2016, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology). This target entry is considered 'incorrect' in a strictly structured sense because it combines two distinct biological entities—a pathogen structure and a host cell structure—rather than defining a single molecular target.

Other names

Bacterial cell membraneKeratinocyte plasma membraneMicrobial lipid bilayerEpidermal cell membrane

Drugs targeting these membranes typically utilize electrostatic interactions between cationic groups and negatively charged lipids (like phosphatidylglycerol in bacteria) to bind to the surface, followed by hydrophobic insertion into the lipid bilayer (Brogden, 2005, Nature Reviews Microbiology). This leads to physical disruption via pore formation (barrel-stave or toroidal models) or a detergent-like 'carpet' effect, resulting in cytoplasmic leakage, loss of membrane potential, and cell death (Hancock & Sahl, 2006, Nature Biotechnology).