Screening Techniques Using the Periplasmic Expression of Peptide Libraries and Target Molecules

Tadashi Kimura*

Abstract

Middle molecular weight pharmaceuticals and peptide drugs are now becoming attractive strategy for developing new medicines. Several peptide display techniques, such as phage display and mRNA display, are used for drug discovery. Membrane proteins, such as G-protein coupled receptors, ion channels and transporters are important pharmaceutical targets. Animal peptide toxins contain many type of naturally occurring ligands which effect on several types of membrane proteins. Animal peptide toxins are suitable for a template of peptide display technique against membrane proteins. Along with several peptide display techniques, cost-effective peptide display technique against membrane protein has been developed, named intra periplasm secretion and selection (PERISS). In the PERISS technique, Escherichia coli periplasmic space is used for peptide display, and target membrane proteins are actively expressed inner membrane of Escherichia coli. In this review, several peptide templates for peptide display and application of PERISS technique are discussed.