The nomenclature of AMPs has not been standardized. Some major methods for naming antimicrobial peptides are described below.
1. Peptide property-based
Examples:
: a 37-residue human innate immune peptide starting with a pair of leucines (LL);
: a 39-residue AMP rich in Pro and Arg residues;
Cathelicidins: coined from the highly conserved "cathelin" domain of the precursur proteins by Zanetti. Initially this name refers to the precursor protein and now it is widely accepted as the name for a family of AMPs whose precursor proteins share the "cathelin" domain;
Defensins: related to the peptide function as a defense molecule (coined by Lehrer's group).
2. Peptide source-based
Examples:
: an AMP from termites (common name);
: liver expressed antimicrobial peptide 2;
: derived from Palicourea condensata (scientific name).
3. Peptide property and source-combined
Examples:
: derived from Euonymus europaeus Chitin Binding Protein or peptide;
: derived from Spinacia oleracea Defensin 1;
: derived from Clitoria ternatea antimicrobial peptide 1.
4. Peptide discovery method-based
Examples:
: database filtering tech designed antimicrobial peptide 1;
: combinatorial library identified antimicrobial peptide 2.
5. Peptide discoverer-based
Examples:
: a lantibiotic discovered by Entian KD and colleagues.
Also Bomanins were named in honor of Hans Boman for his antimicrobial peptide research using insects.
6. Peptide mechanism-based
Examples:
: the peptide has a marked lytic activity against an NK-sensitive mouse tumour cell line;
: transmembrane helix-containing bacteriocin
Please avoid using the following database search terms when naming your peptides:
Examples are XX, BB, ZZ, and JJ, natural, predicted, synthetic, bacteria, plants, fungii, animals, reptiles, amphibians, frogs, fish, worms, birds, etc. It is not good idea to report your AMPs as peptide 1 to n since others have done so.
Major Reference:
Wang G. (editor) Antimicrobial Peptides: Discovery, Design and Novel Therapeutic Strategies (2nd version), CABI, England, 2017.
