Patent ID: 7118872

Claim:
A B lymphocyte stimulator protein (BLyS) binding polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of the following formula: Cys-X 5 -Phe-X 7 -Trp-Glu-Cys (residue 4–10 of SEQ ID NO:1), (H) wherein X 5 is Phe, Trp, or Tyr; and X 7 is Pro or Tyr; or Cys-X 2 -X 3 -X 4 -X 5 -X 6 -X 7 -Cys (SEQ ID NO:9), (I) wherein X 2 is Asp, Ile, Leu, or Tyr; X 3 is Arg, Asp, Glu, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Phe, Pro, Tyr, or Val; X 4 is His, Leu, Lys, or Phe; X 5 is Leu, Pro, or Thr; X 6 is Arg, Asn, Gly, His, Ile, Lys, Met, or Trp; and X 7 is Ala, Asn, Gln, Glu, Gly, His, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Ser, Trp, Tyr, or Val; or Cys-X 2 -X 3 -X 4 -X 5 -X 6 -X 7 -X 8 -Cys (SEQ ID NO:10), (J) wherein X 2 is Asn, or Asp; X 3 is Arg, Asp, Ile, Leu, Met, Pro, or Val; X 4 is Ala, Ile, Leu, Pro, Thr, or Val; X 5 is Asn, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Phe, or Thr; X 6 is Asn, Glu, Gly, His, Leu, Lys, Met, Pro, or Thr; X 7 is Arg, Asn, Asp, Gln, Glu, Gly, Ile, Lys, Met, Pro, Ser, or Trp; and X 8 is Arg, Glu, Gly, Lys, Phe, Ser, Trp, or Tyr; or Cys-X 2 -X 3 -X 4 -X 5 -X 6 -X 7 -X 8 -X 9 -Cys (SEQ ID NO:11), (K) wherein X 2 is Asp, Gln, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, or Thr; X 3 is His, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Trp, or Tyr; X 4 is Asp, His, Leu, or Ser; X 5 is Ala, Arg, Asp, Glu, Leu, Phe, Pro, or Thr; X 6 is Ala, Arg, Asn, or Leu; X 7 is Ile, Leu, Met, Pro, Ser, or Thr; X 8 is Ala, Arg, Asn, Gly, His, Lys, Ser, or Tyr; and X 9 is Ala, Arg, Asn, Gln, Leu, Met, Ser, Trp, Tyr, or Val; or Cys-X 2 -X 3 -X 4 -X 5 -X 6 -X 7 -X 8 -X 9 -X 10 -X 11 -Cys (SEQ ID NO:12), (L) wherein X 2 is Arg, Asn, Gln, Glu, His, Leu, Phe, Pro, Trp, Tyr, or Val; X 3 is Arg, Asp, Gln, Gly, Ile, Lys, Phe, Thr, Trp or Tyr; X 4 is Ala, Arg, Asp, Glu, Gly, Leu, Ser, or Tyr; X 5 is Asp, Gln, Glu, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, or Tyr; X 6 is Asp, Leu, Pro, Thr, or Val; X 7 is Arg, Gln, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, Thr, Trp or Tyr; X 8 is Ala, Arg, Asn, Gln, Glu, His, Leu, Lys, Met, or Thr; X 9 is Ala, Asn, Gln, Gly, Leu, Lys, Phe, Pro, Thr, Trp, or Tyr; X 10 is Ala, Arg, Gln, His, Lys, Met, Phe, Pro, Thr, Trp, or Tyr; and X 11 is Arg, Gln, Glu, Gly, His, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Tyr, or Val.