Abstract
Previously reported D,L-lipo-alpha-peptides and their lipo-beta-peptide counterparts (C16-KGGK, C16-KAAK, C16-KKKK, and C12-KLLK) were studied, and the lipo-beta-peptides were found to retain antimicrobial activity. Likewise, no significant changes in antimicrobial activity were found upon activity comparisons with D,L-amino acid-based lipopeptides or any L-amino acid lipopeptides. As a defined amphipathic structure is unlikely to form with such short molecules and as similar activities were obtained from all lipopeptides, we suspect that the action of membrane permeation is retained.