Cathelicidins: microbicidal activity, mechanisms of action, and roles in innate immunity

• Published in: Microbes and Infection Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 361 - 372
• Main Authors: Ramanathan, Balaji, Davis, Elizabeth G., Ross, Christopher R., Blecha, Frank
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier SAS 01.03.2002; Amsterdam Elsevier; Paris
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Anti-Infective Agents - metabolism; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - classification; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - genetics; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - metabolism; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - pharmacology; Antimicrobial peptides; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Proteins - biosynthesis; Blood Proteins - genetics; Blood Proteins - metabolism; Cathelicidin; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immunity, Innate; Innate immunity; Microbiology; Models, Genetic; Natural antibiotics; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Protein Precursors - biosynthesis; Protein Precursors - genetics; Protein Precursors - metabolism; Cathelicidin; Innate immunity; Antimicrobial peptides; Natural antibiotics; Antibiotic; Regulation(control); Endogenous; Peptides; Natural immunity; Host agent relation; Review; Activity spectrum; Mechanism of action; Antimicrobial agent
• ISSN: 1286-4579; 1769-714X
• DOI: 10.1016/S1286-4579(02)01549-6

Antimicrobial peptides are important host-defense molecules of innate immunity. Cathelicidins are a diverse family of potent, rapidly acting and broadly effective antimicrobial peptides, which are produced by a variety of cells. This review examines the classification, antimicrobial spectrum, mechanism of action, and regulation of cathelicidins.