Prediction of antibiotic activity and synthesis of new pentadecapeptides based on lactoferricins

The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus has been studied for a number of modified pentadecapeptides based on lactoferricins of different origin. The peptides were classified by multivariate methods and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) were developed using theoretically derived variables for the amino acids. For the modified peptides based on bovine lactoferricin (LFB) a model was calculated and used for prediction of new peptides that were then tested for antibacterial activity in order to improve peptide activity and to check the validity of the model. Models were also calculated including lactoferricins of different origin. Theories of the mechanism of action of the peptides are briefly discussed. Copyright (C) 2004 European Peptide Society and John Wiley Sons, Ltd.