[Research progress in the development of antimicrobial peptides in the epidemic of polymyxin resistance]

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), with broad antimicrobial spectra, high efficacy, low immunogenicity, high sustainability, and diverse killing targets, demonstrate promising application prospects in clinical medicine, animal farming, and food processing and storage. Polymyxin (a lipopeptide AMP) resistance and its spread have been found in nosocomial and environmental micro-niches, resulting in significant changes in industrial/breeding application, clinical therapy, and development of AMPs. This review summarized the recent research advances in AMPs regarding the general properties, classification, synthesis/assembly, and genetic basis and regulatory factors of the diverse antibacterial patterns and antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, we systematically compared the antimicrobial susceptibility assessment and antibiotic resistance gene identification between pure culture and high-throughput sequencing and made an outlook on the enhancement approaches to prevent and control antibiotic resistance by focusing on re-sensitization adjuvants, chemical modification, and metabolic engineering driven by machine learning. Delving into the structure-function relationships and resistance mechanisms of AMPs would benefit the development of drugs with higher efficiency and lower side effects, facilitating food safety and public health.