Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of lizards: a first comprehensive characterization of beta-defensins, ovo-defensins and cathelicidins from Podarcis lilfordi and closely related Lacertidae species.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reptiles exhibit remarkable resistance to infections, making them a critical model for studying the molecular basis of innate immunity. Key components of their innate immune response are the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), small, rapidly evolving molecules with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. Despite their importance, AMPs in reptiles remain largely understudied, with no current studies available on one of the most successful reptilian lineages, lizards from the Lacertidae family. In this study, we performed an extensive mining of published Lacertidae genomes and present the first comprehensive characterization of their major AMP families -beta-defensins (BDs), ovo-defensins (OVODs), and cathelicidins (CATHs) - with the aim of understanding their genomic diver

SUBMITTER: Otalora K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12278569 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature