Ancient Mammal Immune Peptides Reconstructed to Reveal 160 Million Years of Evolutionary Defense
University of Oregon researchers reconstructed ancestral versions of lactoferricin, an antimicrobial peptide found in mammalian fluids, to trace its evolution over 160 million years. By synthesizing extinct forms, they demonstrated how minor amino-acid changes significantly enhanced the peptide's ability to kill bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The study highlights that a single mutation can drastically alter immune defense potency, offering insights for designing new antimicrobial therapies.