Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: PubMed "microbial biotechnology" Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2026 Nov 9;28(6):180. doi: 10.1007/s10126-026-10727-x.ABSTRACTMarine bivalves encounter high microbial loads in seawater and depend on humoral innate defenses, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This review brings together evidence on bivalve AMP families, evolutionary diversity, expression responses, and mechanisms of action. The synthesis connects these biological findings with peptide preparation, production research, and biotechnological development. Genomic studies associate family diversity, including defensins, mytilins, and myticins, with duplication, recombination, and selection. The functional consequences still require peptide-specific validation. AMP transcripts in immune and barrier tissues vary with development, pathogen exposure, and environmental conditions, while mature-peptide abundance and activity have been studied less extensively. Studies of characterized bivalve AMPs identify mechanisms beyond membrane permeabilization. These include inhibition of lipid II-dependent cell-wall synthesis, teichoic acid-associated nanonet formation, bacterial DNA interactions, and changes in reactive oxygen species homeostasis. Some members also inhibit biofilms or regulate host immunity through chemotaxis and phagocytosis. The evidence supports several antimicrobial and immune-regulatory roles for bivalve AMPs, but endogenous defense, exogenous efficacy, and production feasibility have been validated to different extents. A major gap remains between candidate sequences, verified mature-peptide functions, and reproducible production under use-relevant conditions. Research should therefore connect functional validation with folding, stability, scalable preparation, safety, and application-specific testing.PMID:43002305 | DOI:10.1007/s10126-026-10727-x