ENHANCEMENT OF CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY BY SYNTHESIS OF PEPTIDE MULTIMERIC FORMS

Synthesis of four multimeric Lys-Lys-His-Arg-Lys-Arg-Lys-His-His-Lys-A rg-Lys-oH peptides containing two, four, eight and sixteen branches wa s carried out by solid phase utilizing a lysine cole matrix. These mul timeric peptides enhanced activity by inhibiting the colony-forming ab ility of HeLa cells, from twenty-four to fifty-six times in comparison with the monomeric form. Unexpectedly the peptide with only two-branc hed sequences showed the highest inhibitory activity.