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Antimicrobial Peptides pp 23–34Cite as

Tools for Designing Amphipathic Helical Antimicrobial Peptides

Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB,volume 1548)

Abstract

Methods are described for the design of amphipathic helical AMPs, to improve potency and/or increase selectivity with respect to host cells. One method is based on the statistical analysis of known helical AMPs to derive a sequence template and ranges of charge, hydrophobicity, and amphipathicity (hydrophobic moment) values that lead to broad-spectrum activity, but leaves optimization for selectivity to subsequent rounds of SAR determinations. A second method uses a small database of anuran AMPs with known potency (MIC values vs. E. coli) and selectivity (HC50 values vs. human erythrocytes), as well as the concept of longitudinal moment, to suggest sequences or sequence variations that can improve selectivity. These methods can assist in the initial design of novel AMPs with useful properties in vitro, but further development requires knowledge-based decisions and a sound prior understanding of how structural and physical attributes of this class of peptides affect their mechanism of action against bacteria and host cells.

Key words

  • α-Helical AMPs
  • Anuran AMPs
  • Amphipathicity
  • Hydrophobic moment
  • Longitudinal moment
  • D-descriptor

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Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge funding from the Croatian Science Foundation project 8481 BioAmpMode.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, Split, Croatia

    Davor Juretić

  2. Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Split, Split, Croatia

    Damir Vukičević

  3. Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgiere1, 34127, Trieste, Italy

    Alessandro Tossi

Authors
  1. Davor Juretić
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  2. Damir Vukičević
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  3. Alessandro Tossi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandro Tossi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Paul R. Hansen

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Juretić, D., Vukičević, D., Tossi, A. (2017). Tools for Designing Amphipathic Helical Antimicrobial Peptides. In: Hansen, P. (eds) Antimicrobial Peptides. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1548. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6737-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6737-7_2

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