Patent ID: 6576240
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
A structural peptide, recognized by antibodies directed against a polypeptide comprising the sequence of amino acids 2-45 of the N-terminal end of the Core or nucleocapsid protein (p21) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) (SEQ ID NO: 1), wherein said peptide comprises a peptide sequence equivalent but not identical to SEQ ID NO: 2, or said peptide consists of the peptide sequence SEQ ID NO: 2, said peptide sequence comprising a tertiary structure consisting of at least a first peptide fragment having a secondary structure in the form of an a helix, a second peptide fragment having a secondary structure in the form of an &agr; helix and a third joining peptide fragment linking the two &agr; helices, these two &agr; helices being substantially perpendicular to each other in space,excluding (i) all protein or peptide compounds comprising or consisting of the N-terminal end of the p21 protein, this end being considered as starting at the amino acid at position 1 or the amino acid at position 2, and (ii) the sequence SEQ ID NO: 11 identified below, Gln Arg Lys Thr Lys Arg Asn Thr Asn Arg Arg Pro Gln Asp Val Lys Phe Pro Gly Gly Gly Gln Val Val Gly Gly Val Tyr Leu Leu Pro Arg.