The generation of antimicrobial peptide activity: A trade-off between charge and aggregation?

Action stations: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be derived from amyloid-prone regions by introduction of cationic residues at privileged positions (see picture). The design and testing of 24 de novo amyloid-derived AMPs are described, and the likelihood of evolution of amyloid-prone protein regions, devoid of antimicrobial activity, into potent antimicrobial domains is addressed. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.