Study links antimicrobial peptides to amyloid disease and neurodegeneration

Background

For decades, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and amyloid-forming peptides were studied in largely separate contexts. AMPs were viewed primarily as innate immune effectors helping the host control microbial invasion, whereas amyloid aggregation was more commonly linked to disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (Aβ), Parkinson's disease (α-synuclein), type 2 diabetes (hIAPP), and systemic amyloidosis. Yet a growing body of evidence challenges this clean separation.

Both molecular families share striking structural and functional overlaps: they can adopt β-sheet-rich conformations, self-assemble into fibrillar aggregates, and disrupt lipid membranes through similar mechanisms. This convergence raises a medically profound question - can AMPs directly shape the course of amyloid disease, and might amyloid aggregates in turn compromise host defense against infection? Key Contributions In this comprehensive review published in Research, Prof. Jie Zheng and co-workers at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) synthesize emerging evidence that AMPs and disease-related amyloids can influence one another through heterotypic cross-seeding interactions. The key scientific contributions include:

Source:

Science and Technology Review Publishing House

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