[Research progress on mechanism of antimicrobial peptides]

The antimicrobial peptide is a class of small molecule peptide derived from a variety of creatures, able to kill the pathogens efficiently and has the potential of broad-spectrum activity, rapid and strong bactericidal activity, low propensity for resistance development, and many other advantages. As a new generation of anti-infective drug candidates, the mechanism of antimicrobial peptides has not yet entirely clear, but now there are two views have been widely recognized that the destruction of permeation through the membrane structural integrity and through the different intracellular target to affect bacterium growth and metabolic balance. In this paper, the physical and chemical properties, secondary structure, mechanism, and the relationship between the latter two to make a conclusion, in order to better understand the structure-activity relationships and to provide a theoretical basis for rational design of antimicrobial peptides.