Mimicking and Understanding the Agglutination Effect of the Antimicrobial Peptide Thanatin Using Model Phospholipid Vesicles.

Thanatin is a cationic 21-residue antimicrobial and antifongical peptide found in the spined soldier bug Podisus maculiventris. It is believed that it does not permeabilize membranes but rather induces the agglutination of bacteria and inhibits cellular respiration. To clarify its mode of action, lipid vesicle organization and aggregation propensity as well as peptide secondary structure have been studied using different membrane models.