Antimicrobial peptides in crustacean, especially in Procambarus clarkii (crayfish)

In light of the global proliferation of antibiotics and the increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are important immune effectors of invertebrate innate immune defense against pathogenic infections, are thought to have a high potential to replace antibiotics. Aside from antibacterial activity, AMPs also display antibiofilm, antifungal, antiviral, immune-regulatory, and other functions. Red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, being a lower invertebrate with great commercial value, lacks adaptive immunity, hence unique AMPs have become a vital and key element of their defense mechanism. In this review, we summarize the research progress on AMPs related to invertebrate, especially in P. clarkii, as well as their structure feature, action mechanisms and future prospects in drug development, aiming to improve the understanding of P. clarkii innate immunity and provides guidance for the fight against antimicrobial resistance in P. clarkii culture.