University of Missouri

University of Utah Research Foundation

George P Smith

Baldomero M Olivera

David R Hillyard

Francis J Schmidt

Roy O Morris

James T English

Richard A Myers

Sharon Bishop-Hurley

Jamie K Scott

A method for the identification of peptides having an affinity for the surface of fungi is provided as is a method for the identification of peptides capable of affecting the development of a fungus. Also provided are compositions containing peptides identified using the method of the present invention. In addition, isolated polynucleotides, vectors, expression cassettes and transformed cells capable of expressing peptides identified by the method of the present invention are provided.

Phage display selection of anti fungal peptides

A method for separating, identifying and purifying small, conotoxin-like rigidly conformed peptides ('conopeptides') containing multiple Cys residues comprises forming a conoeffector library, each member of which has a nucleic acid encoding a potential conopeptide sequence. The conoeffectors are expressed such that they are exposed on the surface of a bacteriophage. These bacteriophage are screened for binding to a target protein molecule, and receptors in particular, to separate and bind phage having affinity for the target protein. Reiterative screening, if required, is used to enrich and yield a phage carrying the bound conopeptide of the desired specificity and affinity. The enriched phage are then subjected to DNA sequencing to determine the conopeptide sequence including the position of the Cys residues. The chemical structure information gathered, coupled with the binding specificities to the target protein, permits the genetic or synthetic preparation of a large variety of small rigidly conformed disulfide rich peptides as pharmaceutical, pesticidal or other bioactive candidates.

Method of obtaining small conformationally rigid conopeptides

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Columbia, MO, United States of America

George P Smith