Crotamine and crotalicidin, membrane active peptides fromCrotalus durissusterrificusrattlesnake venom, and their structurally-minimized fragments forapplications in medicine and biotechnology

Abstract

A global public health crisis has emerged with the extensive dissemination of multidrug-resistant microorgan-isms. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from plants and animals have represented promising tools to counteractthose resistant pathogens due to their multiple pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, anticancer,immunomodulatory and cell-penetrating activities. In this review, we will focus on crotamine and crotalicidin,which are two interesting examples of membrane active peptides derived from the South America rattlesnakeCrotalus durrisus terrificusvenom. Their full-sequences and structurally-minimized fragments have potentialapplications, as anti-infective and anti-proliferative agents and diagnostics in medicine and in pharmaceuticalbiotechnolog