Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 168101 (2007) [4 pages]Physical Basis for Membrane-Charge Selectivity of Cationic Antimicrobial PeptidesReceived 15 June 2006; published 16 April 2007 Antimicrobial peptides are known to selectively disrupt (highly charged) microbial membranes by asymmetrical incorporation into the outer layers. We present a physical basis for membrane-charge selectivity of cationic antimicrobial peptides. In particular, we provide a clear picture of how peptide-charge Q influences the asymmetrical insertion—one salient feature is the existence of an optimal peptide charge, at which selective insertion is optimized. Our results suggest that large Q is required for antimicrobial selectivity, consistent with experiments. © 2007 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.168101
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.168101
PACS:
87.15.Kg, 87.16.Dg
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