Aberrant action of amyloidogenic host defense peptides: a new paradigm to investigate neurodegenerative disorders?

Abstract

Host defence peptides are components of the innate immune system with activity against a broad range of microbes. In some cases, it appears that this activity is mediated by the ability of these peptides to permeabilise microbial membranes via the formation of amyloid associated structures. Recent evidence suggests that the naturally occurring function of the Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides, which are causative agents of Alzheimer’s disease, may be to serve as amyloidogenic host defence peptides. Here, it is hypothesised that amyloid mediated antimicrobial mechanisms may provide an, as yet, unexplored relationship between host defence peptides, neurodegenerative disorders and other conditions that could contribute to their understanding and remediation.