Nanomechanical Characterization of the Synergism of Antimicrobial Peptides PGLa and Mag2 for Lipid Membrane Disruption

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are amphiphilic molecules used by eukaryotic organisms as first defensive mechanism against infections. There is an increasing interest in the study of these peptides, considered promising alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of multi-resistance pathogens. AMPs target the bacterial membrane leading to membrane lysis by pore formation and bilayer disruption. Here we studied PGLa and Magainin 2 (Mag2), which are known for a particular synergistic behavior in their antimicrobial activity.