Antimicrobial Peptides in Reptiles

摘要: Reptiles are among the oldest known amniotes and highly diverse in their morphology ecological niches. These animals have an evolutionarily ancient innate-immune system that is of great interest to scientists trying identify new useful antimicrobial peptides. Significant work last decade fields biochemistry, proteomics genomics has begun reveal complexity reptilian Here, current knowledge about peptides reptiles reviewed, with specific examples each four orders: Testudines (turtles tortosises), Sphenodontia (tuataras), Squamata (snakes lizards), Crocodilia (crocodilans). Examples presented major classes expressed by including defensins, cathelicidins, liver-expressed (hepcidin LEAP-2), lysozyme, crotamine, others. Some these been identified tested for antibacterial or antiviral activity; others only predicted as possible genes from genomic sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis reptile genomes presented, revealing many candidate across this class. The study how creatures use within innate immune systems may understandings our mammalian also provide powerful scaffolds potential therapeutic development.