2. Academic Validation
  3. Thanatin: An Emerging Host Defense Antimicrobial Peptide with Multiple Modes of Action

Thanatin: An Emerging Host Defense Antimicrobial Peptide with Multiple Modes of Action

  • Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Feb 3;22(4):1522. doi: 10.3390/ijms22041522.
Rachita Dash 1 2,  Surajit Bhattacharjya 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
  • 2 Department of Systems and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana 500046, India.
PMID: 33546369 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041522
Abstract

Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) possess great potential for combating drug-resistant bacteria. Thanatin is a pathogen-inducible single-disulfide-bond-containing β-hairpin AMP which was first isolated from the insect Podisus maculiventris. The 21-residue-long thanatin displays broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as against various species of fungi. Remarkably, thanatin was found to be highly potent in inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi at considerably low concentrations. Although thanatin was isolated around 25 years ago, only recently has there been a pronounced interest in understanding its mode of action and activity against drug-resistant bacteria. In this review, multiple modes of action of thanatin in killing bacteria and in vivo activity, therapeutic potential are discussed. This promising AMP requires further research for the development of novel molecules for the treatment of infections caused by drug resistant pathogens.

Keywords

antimicrobial peptides (AMPs); lipopolysaccharide (LPS); mechanism of AMPs; multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria; thanatin.

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