New peptide fragments of vasostatin I, useful as antimycotic agents, effective against filamentous fungi and yeasts, are not hemolytic

摘要

Peptides (A) derived from the vasostatin I (VS) sequence and their functional equivalents. (A) have formulae (I) or (II) a-(14)-b (I) c-(17)-d (II) a = absent or sequence (15) X1LPVNSPMX2KGDTX3VMKCX4EVISDX5LSKPSPMPVSX6ECX7ETLX8GDE (15); X1 = sequence of 0-10 amino acids; X2 = N or T; X3 = E or K; X4 = IV or VL; X5 = T or S; X6 = K, P or Q; X7 = F or L; X8 = R or Q; (14) = sequence RX9LSILRHQNLLKE; X9 = I or V; b = absent or is sequence (16) LQDLALQGAKERX10X11QQX12 (16); X10 = T, A or S; X11 = H or Q; X12 = nothing, KK or polyQ; c = absent or sequence (18) X1LPVNSPMX2KGDTX3 (18); (17) = sequence VMKCX4EVISDX5LSKPSPMPVSX6ECX7E; d = absent or is sequence (19) TLX8GDERX9LSILRHQNLLKELQDLALQGAKERX10X11QQX12 (19); and provided that in (15) and (17) two C residues may be linked by a disulfide bridge, and (I) and (II) are not any of six specified sequences, designated (1)-(6) and reproduced in the specification. Independent claims are also included for: (a) a composition containing at least one (A) and an excipient; (b) the use of sequences (1)-(6) as antifungals; (c) a nucleic acid (B) that encodes (A); (d) immunospecific antibodies (Ab) directed against (A); (e) a reagent for detecting (A) containing at least one Ab; (f) a method for detecting (A) using the reagent of (e); and (g) kits for method (f).