Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of lizards: a first comprehensive characterization of beta-defensins, ovo-defensins and cathelicidins from Podarcis lilfordi and closely related Lacertidae species

Overall, our findings support a remarkable diversity of AMPs in lizards, driven by an ongoing process of gene expansion, primarily via duplication in tandem, and rapid diversification. The observed instances of peptide identity or similarity, along with the putative maintenance of specific polymorphisms across species, provide a basis for investigating the potential functional equivalence of these peptides among lizards and underscore the need for population-level studies of allele intraspecific diversity.