The role of chemerin and its antibacterial derivatives in maintaining epithelial barrier function

The epithelial tissues have continuous contact with external environment, including pathogenic microorganisms. Endogenous antimicrobial proteins and peptides produced by epithelial cells play a key role in controlling microbial burden and composition, either directly, or by engaging immune cells. These include active derivatives of multifunctional protein chemerin, which is equipped with both antimicrobial and chemotactic function. Given an increasing number of infections caused by antibiotic-insensitive microorganisms, such as methicillin- resistant S. aureus (MRSA), it is important to fully understand how these epithelia-associated microorganisms are controlled at barrier sites, including skin and oral cavity. Chemerin-derived synthetic peptide 4 (p4) covering central Val66-Pro85 chemerin sequence exhibits broad range of antimicrobial activity against skin- and oral cavity- associated bacteria, including MRSA strains, suggesting its therapeutic potential for bacteria-mediated barrier organs pathologies. In this article we present the overview of protective functions of chemerin and chemerin-derived peptides in the epithelial tissues.