RW4 is a short peptide containing repeating arginine (R) and tryptophan (W) residues which has been shown to possess antimicrobial and antifungal activity with low cytotoxicity. The positively charged arginine interacts with the bacterial membrane through electrostatic attraction whereas the non-polar tryptophan residue interacts with the lipid bilayer. These two properties allow RW4 to interact with the bacterial membrane, resulting in membrane destabilization and pore formation and bacterial cell death. RW4 has been shown to have enhanced activity in combination with other antimicrobial agents.
