ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES FROM THE VENOM OF THE SPIDER CUPIENNIUS SALEI

摘要

The present invention relates to highly cationic peptides from a novel family of antimicrobial compounds designated cupiennins with an unique helical structure isolated from the venom of the hunting spider Cupiennius salei. Said peptides are characterized by having antimicrobial, cytotoxic and/or insecticidal activity. The invention further comprises nucleic acid molecules encoding the peptides, vectors and host cells containing said nucleic acid molecules; methods for producing the peptides; and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.