Antimicrobial Peptides in the Cross Hairs of Computer Simulations

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides occur in a staggering variety throughout all organisms and range from just a few residues and no well-defined secondary structure to small proteins like human defensins (1,2). They are both of major biological interest in the chemical warfare between species and as possible new antibiotics, in their native forms or as a source of inspiration for the design of new compounds. Antimicrobial peptidelike peptides include cell-penetrating peptides, which may be useful in drug delivery and peptides targeted at other cell types, including cancer.