Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Antiviral Factors in Insect Antiviral Immune Response

Min Feng; Min Feng; Shigang Fei; Junming Xia; Vassiliki Labropoulou; Luc Swevers; Jingchen Sun

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.02030

Frontiers in Immunology (Sep 2020)

Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Antiviral Factors in Insect Antiviral Immune Response

Min Feng,
Min Feng,
Shigang Fei,
Junming Xia,
Vassiliki Labropoulou,
Luc Swevers,
Jingchen Sun

Affiliations

Min Feng: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Min Feng: Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Athens, Greece
Shigang Fei: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Junming Xia: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Vassiliki Labropoulou: Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Athens, Greece
Luc Swevers: Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Athens, Greece
Jingchen Sun: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.02030
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11

Abstract

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Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with antiviral activity (antiviral peptides: AVPs) have become a research hotspot and already show immense potential to become pharmaceutically available antiviral drugs. AVPs have exhibited huge potential in inhibiting viruses by targeting various stages of their life cycle. Insects are the most speciose group of animals that inhabit almost all ecosystems and habitats on the land and are a rich source of natural AMPs. However, insect AVP mining, functional research, and drug development are still in their infancy. This review aims to summarize the currently validated insect AVPs, explore potential new insect AVPs and to discuss their possible mechanism of synthesis and action, with a view to providing clues to unravel the mechanisms of insect antiviral immunity and to develop insect AVP-derived antiviral drugs.

Published in Frontiers in Immunology

ISSN: 1664-3224 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Immunologic diseases. Allergy
Website: http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/immunology

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