Fusion peptides comprising multi-functional peptidic solubility tags for efficient production, processing and surface applications

1. A method comprising:

a) providing a microbial host cell comprising a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding an insoluble fusion peptide comprising at least one first portion and at least one second portion, wherein said first portion comprises a multi-functional solubility tag and said second portion comprises a peptide of interest; wherein the multi-functional solubility tag comprises at least two core motifs independently selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 80-104;

b) growing the microbial host cell under conditions whereby the insoluble fusion peptide is produced within the microbial host cell in the form of at least one inclusion body;

c) recovering the insoluble fusion peptide from the microbial host cell;

d) subjecting the insoluble fusion peptide to an aqueous medium having a pH at which the insoluble fusion peptide becomes a soluble fusion peptide;

e) contacting the soluble fusion peptide with a first target material having a surface whereby the fusion peptide non-covalently associates, with a KD or MBs0 value of less than or equal to about 10-5 M, with the surface of the first target material; wherein the association between the fusion peptide and the first target material is dependent upon, or enhanced by, the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag; and

(f) altering the pH in step (d) to promote or enhance deposition of the soluble fusion peptide on the surface of the first target material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein pH is increased.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein pH is decreased.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein pH is altered by at least one pH unit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second portion of the fusion peptide is an antimicrobial agent.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second portion of the fusion peptide has an affinity for a second target material; wherein the first target material and the second target material are different.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first target material is a particle having an average particle size ranging from 100 nm to 10 μas measured by a light scattering method.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first target material is selected from the group consisting of a pigment, a body tissue, a cell surface receptor, hair, skin, nail, teeth, oral cavity tissues, plant tissue, a polymer, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, poly (methyl methacrylate), polyethersulfone, polyimide, polyamide, aramids, poly para-phenylene terephthalamide, poly meta-phenylene terephthalamide, poly urethanes, polysaccharides, cellulose, starch, chitin, minerals, silica, silicates, micas, titanium dioxide, alumina, iron oxides, clays, metals, gold, silver, carbon, carbon black, graphite, and carbon nanotubes.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the second target material is a keratin-containing material selected from the group consisting of skin, nail, and hair.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-functional solubility tag comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, and 77.

11. The method of claim 1 where the multi-functional solubility tag comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, and 77.