Antiviral and antibacterial peptides: Mechanisms of action
Mahdyeh Neghabi Hajigha,
Bahareh Hajikhani,
Maryam Vaezjalali,
Hossein Samadi Kafil,
Raana Kazemzadeh Anari,
Mehdi Goudarzi
Affiliations
Mahdyeh Neghabi Hajigha
Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Bahareh Hajikhani
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Vaezjalali
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hossein Samadi Kafil
Drug Applied Research Center, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Raana Kazemzadeh Anari
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Goudarzi
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding author. Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Behesthi University of Medical Sciences, Koodak-yar St., Daneshjoo Blvd, Velenjak, Chamran HWY, Tehran, Iran.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) present promising alternatives for addressing bacterial and viral multidrug resistance due to their distinctive properties. Understanding the mechanisms of these compounds is essential for achieving this objective. Therefore, this comprehensive review aims to highlight primary natural sources of AMPs and elucidate various aspects of the modes of action of antiviral and antibacterial peptides (ABPs). It emphasizes that antiviral peptides (AVPs) can disrupt the replication cycle of both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses at several stages, including pre-fusion, fusion, and post-entry into the host cell. Additionally, the review discusses the inhibitory effects of ABPs on bacterial growth, outlining their extracellular actions as well as their intracellular activities following membrane translocation. Factors such as structure, size, electric charge, environmental factors, degrading enzymes, and microbial resistance against AMPs can affect the function of AMPs.
