Characterization of Cetacean Proline-Rich Antimicrobial Peptides Displaying Activity against ESKAPE Pathogens.

Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) may be a valuable weapon against multi-drug resistant pathogens, combining potent antimicrobial activity with low cytotoxicity. We have identified novel PrAMPs from five cetacean species (cePrAMPs), and characterized their potency, mechanism of action and cytotoxicity. Despite the homology between the N-terminal of cePrAMPs and the bovine PrAMP Bac7, some differences emerged in their sequence, activity spectrum and mode of action.