Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are as widespread as bacterial inactivator molecules in the innate immune systems of insects, fungi, plants, and mammals. These peptides are also known as host defense peptides (HDPs) as they have other immuno-modulatory functions besides the direct antimicrobial actions and are even capable of killing cancerous cells 1,2.
Three broad categories of HDPs have been identified: 1) the linear peptides with helical structures, 2) the cysteine stabilized peptides with beta-sheet, and 3) a group of linear peptides rich in proline and arginine that primarily have been identified in non-mammalian species.
clipped from: bio-synthesis.blogspot.com