Antimicrobial Peptides from Prokaryotes

Abstract

AMPs produced by bacteria are generally known as bacteriocins and are produced by either of two biosynthetic routes. They may be gene encoded or manufactured by ribosome-independent pathways. Non-ribosomal prokaryotic AMPs are generally secondary metabolites from fermentations that are assembled by large multifunctional enzyme complexes and belong to a large class of compounds that includes established antibiotics such as vancomycin and daptomycin. Gene-encoded AMPs from prokaryotes include microcins from gram-negative bacteria, lantibiotics, and non-modified bacteriocins from gram-positive bacteria. In general, these peptides show relatively narrow ranges of activity against organisms that are closely related to the host and utilize a diverse array of antimicrobial mechanisms involving specific receptors, membrane components, and intracellular targets. In this chapter, we review current knowledge of prokaryotic AMPs and the potential of these molecules for development as antimicrobial agents in areas such as food preservation and healthcare. é 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag Gmbh & Co. KGaA. All rights reserved.