Antimicrobial peptides and their heterologous production in plant systems

Antimicrobial peptides, or AMPs, have broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, as well as other effects such as anti-cancer, wound healing, and anti-inflammatory properties. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant microbes is one of the major challenges facing humanity, which can make the treatment of many common diseases very difficult. AMPs, found in all six genera of living organisms, can help overcome many of these problems. However, it is very difficult to obtain these peptides from natural sources, which makes the use of alternative methods unavoidable. One of the most important methods for efficient production of these peptides is their expression in biological reactors. Plants are one of the most important systems for the expression of recombinant peptides due to their numerous benefits, especially low production costs. In this review article, AMPs are introduced first and then the production of recombinant antimicrobial peptides and different expression systems with emphasis on the plant system is discussed. Finally, important applications of AMP production in plants are mentioned.