Nature Communications (May 2018)

X-ray structure of a carpet-like antimicrobial defensin–phospholipid membrane disruption complex

  • Michael Järvå,
  • Fung T. Lay,
  • Thanh Kha Phan,
  • Cassandra Humble,
  • Ivan K. H. Poon,
  • Mark R. Bleackley,
  • Marilyn A. Anderson,
  • Mark D. Hulett,
  • Marc Kvansakul

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04434-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Defensins are cationic antimicrobial peptides that permeabilize membranes of pathogens presumably via the assembly of defensin–lipid oligomers. Here authors provide evidence for this by solving the crystal structure of a plant defensin in an oligomeric state with phospholipids.