The present disclosure relates to an acetylcholine receptor-binding peptide and, more particularly, to novel peptides which exhibit a wrinkle amelioration effect by binding the peptides to an acetylcholine receptor on which acetylcholine acts, thereby blocking secretion of acetylcholine. Peptides according to the present disclosure suppress secretion of acetylcholine by having a high binding strength with the acetylcholine receptor, thereby strongly binding the peptides to acetylcholine. Therefore, a cosmetic composition and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the peptides according to the present disclosure as an active ingredient exhibit an excellent wrinkle ameliorating effect.

Provided herein are methods for making targeted therapeutics. In several embodiments, the therapeutics are directed against soluble agents such as toxins, venoms, and/or other factors that alter physiological biopathways as well as methods of using such therapeutics to treat patients or patient populations to reduce, eliminate, or inactivate, detrimental soluble agents that such patients or patient populations have been exposed to. In several embodiments, the therapeutics are directed to patient-specific disease markers. In several embodiments, the methods comprise screening a library comprising proteins linked to their cognate mRNAs to identify mRNA-protein pairs that bind to the diseased cells, isolating one or more proteins from the identified mRNA-protein pairs, and conjugating the isolated protein(s) to a therapeutic agent.

A method of determining the effect of non-specific interactions in simulated in vivo conditions is presently disclosed. The method includes (a) contacting a solution comprising a biologically relevant molecular crowding agent and a target molecule with a biosensor, wherein the surface of the biosensor comprises a capture molecule that specifically binds the target molecule; (b) allowing the target molecule to bind to the capture molecule; and (c) determining an amount of the target molecule bound to capture molecule using biolayer interferometry.

The present disclosure relates to a class of engineered polypeptides and provides a polypeptide comprising the sequence EX.sub.2X.sub.3X.sub.4AX.sub.6X.sub.7EIX.sub.10 X.sub.11LPNLX.sub.16X.sub.17X.sub.18QX.sub.20 X.sub.21AFIX.sub.25X.sub.26LX.sub.28X.sub.29X.sub.30 PX.sub.32QSX.sub.35X.sub.36LLX.sub.39E AKKLX.sub.45X.sub.46X.sub.47Q (SEQ ID NO: 55). The present disclosure also relates to populations of polypeptide variants based on a common scaffold, each polypeptide in the population comprising the amino acid sequence EX.sub.2X.sub.3X.sub.4AX.sub.6X.sub.7EIX.sub.10 X.sub.11LPNLX.sub.16X.sub.17X.sub.18QX.sub.20 X.sub.21AFIX.sub.25X.sub.26LX.sub.28X.sub.29X.sub.30 PX.sub.32QSX.sub.35X.sub.36LLX.sub.39E AKKLX.sub.45X.sub.46X.sub.47Q (SEQ ID NO: 55), and methods for selecting a desired polypeptide having an affinity for a predetermined target from said population.

The present invention discloses methods for identifying a protein interaction between one or more first proteins and one or more further proteins comprising the steps of: exposing one or more samples comprising the proteins to at least one preselected condition for at least one preselected duration; isolating and separating at least one soluble fraction from an insoluble fraction of said one or more samples; and analyzing the at least one soluble fraction or the insoluble fraction to identify said protein interaction between one or more first proteins and one or more further proteins. Use of the method of the invention are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods employing conjugates that include a self-assembly and disassembly (SADA) polypeptide and a binding domain. The present invention encompasses the recognition that conjugates with a SADA polypeptide have certain improved biological properties. SADA-conjugates are described, along with uses thereof (e.g., as therapeutic or diagnostic agents) and methods of manufacture.

The present invention is related to a method for detecting and identifying protein-protein or protein-small molecule interactions using a bait and prey system. It is also related to bait and prey proteins, small molecules and constructs that are used for the methods described herein.

Provided herein are lasso peptides libraries, and particularly phage display libraries of lasso peptides. Also provided herein are related methods and systems for producing the libraries and for screening the libraries to identify candidate lasso peptides having desirable properties.

Compositions and methods for detecting molecule-molecule interactions are provided. The methods employ a prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) and a Pup ligase that is coupled to one of the molecules. When the Pup ligase is brought to proximity to the other molecule by virtue of the molecule-molecule interaction, the Pup ligase can conjugate the Pup to a lysine residue on the other molecule. As such conjugation can be easily detected, this method allows easy identification of the molecule-molecule interaction.

Synthesis of a sulfoxide-containing homobifunctional cysteine-reactive mass spectrometry-cleavable cross-linker for mapping intra-protein interactions in a protein and inter-protein interactions in a protein complex is provided. Methods for mapping intra-protein interactions in a protein and inter-protein interactions in a protein complex and cross-linking mass spectrometry for identifying one or more cross-linked peptides using the cross-linker are provided.