ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDE AND AN ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT

摘要

The present invention is concerned with a substantially purified and isolated peptide having antimicrobial activity which consists of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the following amino acid sequences (1)-(15): (1) Arg-Trp-Gln-Trp-Arg; (2) Arg-Arg-Gln-Trp-Arg; (3) Lys-Val-Ser-Trp-Arg; (4) Arg-Asn-Met-Arg-Lys; (5) Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Lys; (6) Arg-Arg-Trp-Gln-Trp-Arg; (7) Arg-Arg-Arg-Gln-Trp-Arg; (8) Lys-Thr-Val-Ser-Trp-Arg; (9) Lys-Arg-Asn-Met-Arg-Lys; (10) Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Lys; (11) Lys-Thr-Arg-Arg-Trp-Gln-Trp-Arg-Met-Lys-Lys; (12) Lys-Ser-Arg-Arg-Arg-Gln-Trp-Arg-Met-Lys-Lys; (13) Lys-Thr-Val-Ser-Trp-Gln-Thr-Tyr-Met-Lys-Lys; (14) Lys-Thr-Phe-Gln-Trp-Gln-Arg-Asn-Met-Arg-Lys; (15) Lys-Thr-Leu-Arg-Trp-Gln-Asn-Glu-Met-Arg-Lys; and antimicrobial derivatives thereof having minor amino acid partial substitutions or additions which do not abolish the antimicrobial properties of the peptide. The peptide or derivative thereof of the invention possesses strong antimicrobial properties and has no undesirable side effects.