Polypeptides having Antimicrobial Activity and Polynucleotides Encoding Same

Abstract

The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having antimicrobial activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.

1 . A polypeptide having antimicrobial activity, selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence which has at least 80% identity with amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2 or amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4 or amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or which has at least 85% identity with amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, or which has at least 60% identity with amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10;   (b) a polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes under at least high stringency conditions with (i) nucleotides 151 to 270 of SEQ ID NO:1, nucleotides 67 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:3, nucleotides 73 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:5, or nucleotides 67 to 195 of SEQ ID NO:7, (ii) the cDNA sequence contained in nucleotides 1 to 270 of SEQ ID NO:1, nucleotides 1 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:3, nucleotides 1 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:5, or nucleotides 1 to 195 of SEQ ID NO:7, or (iii) a complementary strand of (i) or (ii);   (c) a polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes under at least medium stringency conditions with (i) nucleotides 67 to 192 of SEQ ID NO:9, (ii) the cDNA sequence contained in nucleotides 1 to 192 of SEQ ID NO:9, or (iii) a complementary strand of (i) or (ii); and   (d) a variant comprising a conservative substitution, deletion, and/or insertion of one or more amino acids of amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2, amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4, amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10.   
     
     
         2 . The polypeptide of  claim 1 , having an amino acid sequence which has at least 80% identity with amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2, amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4, amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         3 . The polypeptide of  claim 2 , having an amino acid sequence which has at least 85% identity with amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2, amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4, amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         4 . The polypeptide of  claim 3 , having an amino acid sequence which has at least 90% identity with amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2, amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4, amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         5 . The polypeptide of  claim 4 , having an amino acid sequence which has at least 95% identity with amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2, amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4, amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         6 . The polypeptide of  claim 1 , comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         7 . The polypeptide of  claim 1 , which consists of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10 or a fragment thereof having antimicrobial activity. 
     
     
         8 . The polypeptide of  claim 7 , which consists of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         9 . The polypeptide of  claim 7 , which consists of amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2, amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4, amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         10 . The polypeptide of  claim 1 , which is encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes under at least high stringency conditions with (i) nucleotides 151 to 270 of SEQ ID NO:1, nucleotides 67 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:3, nucleotides 73 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:5, nucleotides 67 to 195 of SEQ ID NO:7, or nucleotides 67 to 192 of SEQ ID NO:9, (ii) the cDNA sequence contained in nucleotides 1 to 270 of SEQ ID NO:1, nucleotides 1 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:3, nucleotides 1 to 186 of SEQ ID NO:5, nucleotides 1 to 195 of SEQ ID NO:7, or nucleotides 1 to 192 of SEQ ID NO:9, or (iii) a complementary strand of (i) or (ii). 
     
     
         11 . The polypeptide of  claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide is a variant comprising a conservative substitution, deletion, and/or insertion of one or more amino acids of amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:2, amino acids 1 to 40 of SEQ ID NO:4, amino acids 1 to 38 of SEQ ID NO:6, amino acids 1 to 43 of SEQ ID NO:8, or amino acids 1 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:10. 
     
     
         12 . A medicament, or an antimicrobial veterinarian or human therapeutic or prophylactic agent comprising a polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A method for treating a microbial infection, comprising administering a polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A method for killing or inhibiting growth of microbial cells comprising contacting the microbial cells with a polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . An animal feed comprising a polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence which encodes the polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 - 32 . (canceled)