Table 1.

Discovery timeline of select human antimicrobial peptides and proteins ¹.

Year	Name	Sequence	Source	Activity 2	Ref.
1922	Lysozyme	KVFERCELARTLKRLGMDGYRGISLANWMCLAKWESGYNTRATNYNAGDRSTDYGIFQINSRYWCNDGKTPGAVNACHLSCSALLQDNIADAVACAKRVVRDPQGIRAWVAWRNRCQNRDVRQYVQGCGV	saliva, tears, intestine	G, F	[20]
1985	α-Defensin HNP-1	ACYCRIPACIAGERRYGTCIYQGRLWAFCC	Neutrophils, bone marrow	G, V, F, P, C	[21]
1985	α-Defensin HNP-2	CYCRIPACIAGERRYGTCIYQGRLWAFCC	Neutrophils, bone marrow	G, V, F, C	[21]
1985	α-Defensin HNP-3	DCYCRIPACIAGERRYGTCIYQGRLWAFCC	Neutrophils, bone marrow	G, V, F, C	[21]
1988	Histatin 1	DSHEKRHHGYRRKFHEKHHSHREFPFYGDYGSNYLYDN	saliva	F	[22]
1988	Histatin 3	DSHAKRHHGYKRKFHEKHHSHRGYRSNYLYDN	saliva	G, F	[22]
1989	α-Defensin HNP-4	VCSCRLVFCRRTELRVGNCLIGGVSFTYCCTRV	neutrophils	G, V, F	[23]
1990	RNase 2	KPPQFTWAQWFETQHINMTSQQCTNAMQVINNYQRRCKNQNTFLLTTFANVVNVCGNPNMTCPSNKTRKNCHHSGSQVPLIHCNLTTPSPQNISNCRYAQTPANMFYIVACDNRDQRRDPPQYPVVPVHLDRII	eosinophils	V, P	[24]
1990	RNase 3 (Eosinophil cationic protein, ECP)	RPPQFTRAQWFAIQHISLNPPRCTIAMRAINNYRWRCKNQNTFLRTTFANVVNVCGNQSIRCPHNRTLNNCHRSRFRVPLLHCDLINPGAQNISNCTYADRPGRRFYVVACDNRDPRDSPRYPVVPVHLDTTI	neutrophils	G, V, P	[24]
1992	α-Defensin HD-5	ATCYCRTGRCATRESLSGVCEISGRLYRLCCR	Paneth cells/intestine, female reproductive system	G, V, F	[25]
1993	α-Defensin HD-6	AFTCHCRRSCYSTEYSYGTCTVMGINHRFCCL	Paneth cells/intestine	V, F	[26]
1995	β-Defensin hBD-1	DHYNCVSSGGQCLYSACPIFTKIQGTCYRGKAKCCK	Kidney, Skin, salivary glands	G, F, C	[27]
1995	Cathelicidin LL-37	LLGDFFRKSKEKIGKEFKRIVQRIKDFLRNLVPRTES	neutrophils; skin	G, V, F, P, C	[28,29,30]
1997	β-Defensin hBD-2	GIGDPVTCLKSGAICHPVFCPRRYKQIGTCGLPGTKCCKKP	skin, lung, epithelia, uterus, salivary glands	G, V, F	[31]
1998	Granulysin	GRDYRTCLTIVQKLKKMVDKPTQRSVSNAATRVCRTGRSRWRDVCRNFMRRYQSRVTQGLVAGETAQQICEDLR	cytolytic T and NK cells	G, F, P, C	[32]
1999	Ubiquicidin	KVHGSLARAGKVRGQTPKVAKQEKKKKKTGRAKRRMQYNRRFVNVVPTFGKKKGPNANS	macrophages	G	[33]
2000	Thrombocidin-1 (TC-1)	AELRCMCIKTTSGIHPKNIQSLEVIGKGTHCNQVEVIATLKDGRKICLDPDAPRIKKIVQKKLAGDES	human blood platelets	G, F	[34]
2000	Hepcidin 25 (LEAP-1)	DTHFPICIFCCGCCHRSKCGMCCKT	plasma, Urine/Liver	G, F	[35]
2000	Neuropeptide α-MSH	SYSMEHFRWGKPV	brain	G+, V, F	[36]
2001	β-Defensin hBD-3	GIINTLQKYYCRVRGGRCAVLSCLPKEEQIGKCSTRGRKCCRRKK	Skin, salivary glands	G, V, F	[37]
2001	β-Defensin hBD-4	FELDRICGYGTARCRKKCRSQEYRIGRCPNTYACCLRKWDESLLNRTKP	testis, lung, kidney, neutrophils	G	[38]
2001	Dermcidin	SSLLEKGLDGAKKAVGGLGKLGKDAVEDLESVGKGAVHDVKDVLDSV	eccrine sweat/skin	G, F	[39]
2002	RNase 7	KPKGMTSSQWFKIQHMQPSPQACNSAMKNINKHTKRCKDLNTFLHEPFSSVAATCQTPKIACKNGDKNCHQSHGAVSLTMCKLTSGKYPNCRYKEKRQNKSYVVACKPPQKKDSQQFHLVPVHLDRVL	urinary tract; respiratory tract; skin	G, F	[40]
2003	RNase 5 (angiogenin)	QDNSRYTHFLTQHYDAKPQGRDDRYCESIMRRRGPTSPCKDINTFIHGNKRSIKAICENKNGNPHRENLRISKSSFQVTTCKLHGGSPWPPCQYRATAGFRNVVVACENGLPVHLDQSIFRRPRP	Liver, skin, intestine	G+, F	[41]
2003	Chemokine CCL20	SNFDCCLGYTDRILHPKFIVGFTRQLANEGCDINAIIFHTKKKLSVCANPKQTWVKYIVRLLSKKVKNM	skin	G, F, P	[42]
2003	Chemokine CXCL9	TPVVRKGRCSCISTNQGTIHLQSLKDLKQFAPSPSCEKIEIIATLKNGVQTCLNPDSADVKELIKKWEKQVSQKKKQKNGKKHQKKKVLKVRKSQRSRQKKTT	blood	G, P	[42]
2005	Psoriasin (S100A7)	MSNTQAERSIIGMIDMFHKYTRRDDKIDKPSLLTMMKENFPNFLSACDKKGTNYLADVFEKKDKNEDKKIDFSEFLSLLGDIATDYHKQSHGAAPCSGGSQ	Skin, salivary glands, breast	G-	[43]
2006	RegIIIα	EEPQRELPSARIRCPKGSKAYGSHCYALFLSPKSWTDADLACQKRPSGNLVSVLSGAEGSFVSSLVKSIGNSYSYVWIGLHDPTQGTEPNGEGWEWSSSDVMNYFAWERNPSTISSPGHCASLSRSTAFLRWKDYNCNVRLPYVCKFTD	intestine	G+	[44]
2008	Substance P	RPKPQQFFGLM	the nervous system	G, F	[45]
2008	Drosomycin-like defensin (DLD)	CLAGRLDKQCTCRRSQPSRRSGHEVGRPSPHCGPSRQCGCHMD	oral epithelial cells, skin	F	[46]
2009	Elafin	AQEPVKGPVSTKPGSCPIILIRCAMLNPPNRCLKDTDCPGIKKCCEGSCGMACFVPQ	γδ T cells	G, F, V	[47]
2010	β-amyloid peptide 1-42	DAEFRHDSGYEVHHQKLVFFAEDVGSNKGAIIGLMVGGVVI	brain	G, F	[48]
2011	Chemerin	ELTEAQRRGLQVALEEFHKHPPVQWAFQETSVESAVDTPFPAGIFVRLEFKLQQTSCRKRDWKKPECKVRPNGRKRKCLACIKLGSEDKVLGRLVHCPIETQVLREAEEHQETQCLRVQRAGEDPHSFYFPGQFAFS	skin	G, F	[49]
2012	Amylin	KCNTATCATQRLANFLVHSSNNFGAILSSTNVGSNTY	pancreatic β-cells	G	[50]
2012	KDAMP	RAIGGGLSSVGGGSSTIKY	eyes	G-	[51]
2013	DEFB114	DRCTKRYGRCKRDCLESEKQIDICSLPRKICCTEKLYEEDDMF	epididymis	G, F	[19]

¹ Data from the APD [7,8]. For a complete list of human AMPs, please visit the APD website (http://aps.unmc.edu/AP) and search in the name field using “human”. ² In the APD, antimicrobial activities against different types of microbes are annotated as below: G, bacteria; G+, Gram-positive bacteria only; G-, Gram-negative bacteria only; F, fungi; V, viruses; P, parasites; C, cancer cells.