Searching for EGF Fragments Recreating the Outer Sphere of the Growth Factor Involved in Receptor Interactions

Abstract

The aims of this study were to determine whether it is possible to use peptide microarrays obtained using the SPOT technique (immobilized on cellulose) and specific polyclonal antibodies to select fragments that reconstruct the outer sphere of proteins and to ascertain whether the selected peptide fragments can be useful in the study of their protein–protein and/or peptide–protein interactions. Using this approach, epidermal growth factor (EGF) fragments responsible for the interaction with the EGF receptor were searched. A library of EGF fragments immobilized on cellulose was obtained using triazine condensing reagents. Experiments on the interactions with EGFR confirmed the high affinity of the selected peptide fragments. Biological tests on cells showed the lack of cytotoxicity of the EGF fragments. Selected EGF fragments can be used in various areas of medicine.