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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Production and Visualization of Bacterial Spheroplasts and Protoplasts to Characterize Antimicrobial Peptide Localization
Published on: August 11, 2018
Effect of Surface-Immobilized States of Antimicrobial Peptides on Their Ability to Disrupt Bacterial Cell Membrane
Tong Lou1,2, Xueqiang Zhuang1,2, Jiangfan Chang1,2
1School of Marine Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China.
Abstract:
Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) surfaces are widely used to inhibit biofilm formation and bacterial infection. However, endpoint-immobilized AMPs on surfaces are totally different from free-state AMPs due to the constraints of the surface. In this work, the interactions between AMPs and bacterial cell membranes were analyzed through coarse-grained molecular dynamics and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. This AMP disrupted membrane structure by altering the thickness and curvature of the membrane. Furthermore, the effect of surface-immobilized states of AMPs on their ability to disrupt membrane structure was revealed. The immobilized AMPs in the freeze-N system could bind to the membrane and disrupt the membrane structure through electrostatic forces between positively charged N-terminal amino acid residues and the negatively charged membrane, while the immobilized AMPs in the freeze-C system were repelled. The results will aid in the rational design of new AMP surfaces with enhanced efficacy and stability.
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