The review summarizes current ideas about structure, function, action mechanisms and medical application prospects of a wide range of antimicrobial peptides with a special focus on defensins as most studied of them. By now, several thousands of antibiotic peptides have been identified that are produced by organisms occupying virtually all rungs of the evolutionary ladder—from prokaryotes to humans. They are active against all types of pathological microorganisms—archaea, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Antibiotic peptides are synthesized both on and beyond ribosomes. They bind to the envelope of a microorganism either via specific receptors or electrostatically, leading in both cases to the formation of pores for their penetration. Specific targets of antibiotic peptides include intracellular organelles, e.g., ribosomes. Antibiotic peptides offer a great potential for medical use because they promote the development of resistance to a much lesser extent than conventional synthetic antibiotics.

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抗生素肽

该综述总结了目前关于多种抗菌肽的结构、功能、作用机制和医学应用前景的观点，特别关注其中研究最多的防御素。到目前为止，已经确定了数千种抗生素肽，它们是由占据进化阶梯的几乎所有梯级的生物产生的——从原核生物到人类。它们对所有类型的病理微生物都具有活性——古细菌、细菌、真菌和原生动物。抗生素肽是在核糖体上和核糖体外合成的。它们通过特定受体或静电结合到微生物的包膜上，在这两种情况下都会形成用于渗透的孔。抗生素肽的特定靶标包括细胞内细胞器，例如核糖体。