Immunglobulins reactive with protegrins

Abstract

Peptide-based compounds containing four invariant cysteine residues which have been optionally oxidized to contain two intramolecular disulfide bonds, or modified forms where the cysteines are replaced are useful as preservatives and in preventing, treating, or ameliorating viral or microbial infection in animals and plants, and in inactivating endotoxin. These compounds, in one embodiment, are of the formula: A.sub.1 -A.sub.2 -A.sub.3 -A.sub.4 -A.sub.5 -C-A.sub.7 -C-A.sub.9 -A.sub.10 -A.sub.11 -A.sub.12 -C-A.sub.14 -C-A.sub.16 -(A.sub.17 -A.sub.18)(1) and the N-terminal acylated and/or C-terminal amidated or esterified forms thereof, either in optionally --SH stabilized linear or in cystine-bridged form wherein A.sub.1 and A.sub.9 are basic amino acids; A.sub.2, A.sub.3 and A.sub.10 are small amino acids; A.sub.5, A.sub.7, A.sub.12, A.sub.14 and A.sub.16 are hydrophobic amino acids; and A.sub.4 is a basic or a small amino acid; A.sub.11 is a hydrophobic amino acid; A.sub.17 is not present or, if present, is a small amino acid; A.sub.18 is not present or, if present, is a basic amino acid, and modified form of formula (1) wherein each of 1-4 cysteines is independently replaced by a hydrophobic amino acid or a small amino acid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.