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. 2015 Mar;4(1):18-41.
doi: 10.3390/antibiotics4010018.

Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Peptide Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria

Victor I Band  1 , David S Weiss  2
Affiliations

Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Peptide Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria

Victor I Band et al. Antibiotics (Basel). 2015 Mar.

Abstract

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) are important innate immune defenses that inhibit colonization by pathogens and contribute to clearance of infections. Gram-negative bacterial pathogens are a major target, yet many of them have evolved mechanisms to resist these antimicrobials. These resistance mechanisms can be critical contributors to bacterial virulence and are often crucial for survival within the host. Here, we summarize methods used by Gram-negative bacteria to resist CAMPs. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to new therapeutic strategies against pathogens with extensive CAMP resistance.

Keywords: AMP; CAMP; Gram-negative; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial peptide.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Bacterial surface modifications that enhance cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) resistance. Gram-negative bacterial cell wall structure (A), with magnification of (B) capsule, (C) lipopolysaccharide, and (D) outer and plasma membranes. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure varies greatly across species; depicted is a representative E. coli LPS structure, with modifications from various other species.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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