Synthesis of a large peptide mimicking the DNA binding properties of the sex determining protein, SRY.

The sex determining protein, SRY, has been recently described as containing a DNA binding motif, also called the SRY box. This 80 amino acid box was synthesized using the continuous flow solid-phase technique. The product was then purified and tested according to such diverse criteria as its intrinsic structure or its biological activity (DNA binding capacity), and compared to the full-length protein. The data indicate that the peptide is relevant for the properties described so far for the protein.