Patent ID: 6120762
Filing Date: 2000-09-19
Classification: A61K,C07K

Abstract:
A peptide having an amino acid sequence consisting of the following components:optionally, an N-terminal amino acid residue or sequence of residues of from 2 to about 15 amino acids;an interferon-gamma-derived sequence that is:(a) the sequence of a fragment of a mammalian interferon-gamma protein other than murine interferon-gamma, the fragment having about 39 or 40 amino acid residues and corresponding to the C-terminal of the interferon protein;(b) a sequence which differs from a sequence according to (a) by the deletion of up to 15 amino acid residues from the N-terminus, the C-terminus, or both; or(c) a variant of a sequence according to (a) or (b), differing therefrom by an insertion of amino acid residue(s), a deletion of amino acid residue(s), or the substitution of an amino acid residue within the sequence of (a) or (b); andoptionally, a C-terminal amino acid residue or sequence of residues of from 2 to about 15 amino acids;wherein the peptide comprises a polycationic amino acid sequence, and wherein the peptide binds to the cytoplasmic domain of the interferon-gamma receptor, induces antiviral activity, or induces MHC class II antigen expression on a target cell, and wherein a peptide having only said interferon-gamma-derived sequence binds to the cytoplasmic domain of the interferon-gamma receptor, induces antiviral activity, or induces MHC class II antigen expression on a target cell.