Structure and activity determination of membrane-active peptides

膜活性多肽，如抗菌肽和淀粉样多肽，在疾病中起着重要作用。随着抗生素耐药性的增长和以抗体斑块为代表的阿尔茨海默病的增加，需要新的药物。虽然单抗在神经细胞培养中是有毒的，并破坏细胞膜，但其机制尚不清楚。以细菌膜为靶标的抗菌肽已演变为一种抵御感染的防御机制，由于膜几乎没有遗传适应性，因此可能成为候选药物。将开发模型膜来阐明抗菌肽和全长抗菌肽对膜脂的亲和力的作用机制和关键分子特征。

Membrane-active peptides, such as antimicrobial and amyloid (Ab) peptides, play an important role in disease. With the growth of antibiotic resistance and increase in Alzheimer’s disease, which is epitomised by plaques of Ab, new drugs are required. Although Ab is toxic in neuronal cell cultures and disrupts cell membranes, the mechanism is unknown. Antimicrobial peptides that target bacterial membranes have evolved as a defence mechanism against infection and, since membranes show little genetic adaptation, could be drug candidates. Model membranes will be developed to elucidate the mechanism of action and key molecular features that determine affinity for membrane lipids of an antimicrobial peptide and full length Ab peptides.