Method of using prophenins-antibiotic peptides

Abstract

Peptide-based compounds containing multiple proline residues are useful as preservatives and in preventing, treating, or ameliorating microbial infection, especially Gram-negative bacterial infection in animals and plants, in treating conditions characterized by the presence of LPS. These compounds are of the formula ##STR1## including the N-terminal acylated and/or C-terminal amidated or esterified forms thereof wherein each of A.sub.1, A.sub.5, A.sub.1O, A.sub.14 and A.sub.20 is independently Ala, Gly or Ser; each of A.sub.2, A.sub.4, A.sub.7, A.sub.9, A.sub.11, A.sub.12, A.sub.13, A.sub.16, A.sub.17, A.sub.19 and A.sub.22 is independently a hydrophobic amino acid selected from the group consisting of Ile, Leu, Val, Phe and Met; each of A.sub.3 and A.sub.8 is independently a neutral polar amino acid selected from Asn and Gln or is a hydrophobic amino acid selected from the group consisting of Ile, Leu, Val, Phe and Met; each of A.sub.6, A.sub.18 and A.sub.21 is independently a basic amino acid selected from Arg, Lys, and Har; and wherein A.sub.15 is Trp or a basic amino acid selected from Lys, Arg and Har; wherein n is an integer of 1-6; and the antimicrobial or LPS-binding fragments thereof. Recombinant materials for the production of these peptides are also disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.