Role of Antimicrobial Peptides in Immunity of Parasitic Leeches.

ABSTRACT: The review summarizes the current state of knowledge about leech immunity, with emphasis on the special role of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), and highlights the wide variety of primary AMP structures, which seem to correlate with a variety of life strategies and the ecology of ectoparasites. Antimicrobial proteins and AMPs are a diverse class of natural molecules that are produced in all living organisms in response to an attack by a pathogen and are essential components of the immune system. AMPs can have a wide range of antibiotic activities against foreign and opportunistic bacteria, fungi, and viruses. AMPs play an important role in selection of colonizing bacterial symbionts, thus helping multicellular organisms to cope with certain environmental problems. AMPs are especially importa

SUBMITTER: Kaygorodova IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10748772 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature