Antibiotic cryptdin peptides and methods of their use

Abstract

The present invention provides substantially purified cryptdin peptides having a consensus amino acid sequence as follows: X.sub.1 -C-X.sub.2 -C-R-X.sub.3 -C-X.sub.4 -E-X.sub.5 -G-X.sub.6 -C-X.sub.7 -C-C-X.sub.8 wherein X.sub.1 is 3-6 amino acids; X.sub.2 is one amino acid; X.sub.3 is 2 or 3 amino acids; X.sub.4 is three amino acids; X.sub.5 is three amino acids; X.sub.6 is one amino acid; X.sub.7 is 6 to 10 amino acids; and X.sub.8 is 0 to 7 amino acids. The invention further provides substantially purified cryptdin peptides having a consensus amino acid sequence as follows: X.sub.1 -L-X.sub.2 -C-Y-C-R-X.sub.3 -C-K-X.sub.4 -E-R-X.sub.5 -G-T-C-X.sub.6 -C-C-X.sub.7 wherein X.sub.1 is one to four amino acids; X.sub.2 is one amino acid; X.sub.3 is three amino acids; X.sub.4 is two amino acids; X.sub.5 is two amino acids; and X.sub.6 is six to nine amino acids; and X.sub.7 is zero to seven amino acids. The illustrated embodiments have amino acids selected from the group consisting of the following sequences: LRDLVCYCRSRGCKGRERMNGTCRKGHLLYTLCCR LRDLVCYCRTRGCKRRERMNGTCRKGHLMYTLCCR LRDLVCYCRKRGCKRRERMNGTCRKGHLMYTLCCR GLLCYCRKGHCKRGERVRGTCGIRFLYCCPR LSKKLICYCRIRGCKRRERVFGTCRNLFLTFVFCC LKQCHCRKFCRPYEKAEGSCRPGLFIKRKICCIQQWTPG In another embodiment, the inventions provide analogs devoid of amino acids to the N-terminal of the first cysteine. Cryptdins are typically characterized by being naturally found in the epithelial cells of the small intestine being cationic, being between 30 and 40 amino acids in length, having 3 to 6 amino acids to the N-terminal of the first cysteine residue, exhibiting specific antimicrobial activity against intestinal pathogens and being relatively non-toxic to cells of the host organism. However, there may be diversity in these structural and functional characteristics. The present invention provides a method for detecting inflammatory pathologies in the subject and, further, provides a method for treating an infectious process of the intestine or other organ of the patient by administering cryptdin in a physiologically acceptable medium.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.