Polypeptides and compositions derived from the horny layer of the epidermis and its use

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition comprising, in a physiologically acceptable medium, a purified natural or synthetic epidermis-specific polypeptide which is involved in horny layer cell cohesion. The invention also relates to a cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition comprising a mixture of polypeptides derived from the proteolysis of the purified polypeptide of the present invention. The present invention further relates to a method for strengthening horny layer cell cohesion which comprises applying the cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition of the present invention to the skin. Finally, the present invention relates to a method for reducing horny layer cell cohesion, and thereby promoting exfoliation, wherein said method comprises applying to the skin a cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of at least one protease active on the polypeptide of the present invention.

1 - 17 . (canceled)  
     
     
         18 . A cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition comprising, in a physiologically acceptable medium, an effective quantity of at least one protease active on a polypeptide, comprising Endoproteinase LysC, Endoproteinase GluC, Proline-Endopeptidase, Thrombin, Pepsin, Myxobacter AL 117 and Elastase: 
 wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.    
     
     
         19 . The composition according to  claim 18 , further comprising a glycosidase.  
     
     
         20 . A method for preventing or treating hyperkeratosis, comprising administering an effective amount of the composition according to  claim 18  to a patient in need of such prevention or treatment.  
     
     
         21 . A method for preventing or treating xerosis, ichthyoses, psoriasis, benign or malignant hyperkeratotic tumour lesions or reactive keratoses, comprising administering an effective amount of the composition according to  claim 18  to a patient in need of such prevention or treatment.  
     
     
         22 . A method for preventing or treating leukokeratosis of the uterine neck during prolapsus, buccal leukokeratoses, or benign or malignant hyperkeratotic tumour lesions of the Malpighian mucosae, comprising administering an effective amount of the composition according to  claim 18  to a patient in need of such prevention or treatment.  
     
     
         23 . A method of cosmetic treatment for reducing intercorneocyte cohesion or for promoting desquamation, comprising administering an effective amount of the composition as described in  claim 18 , wherein the composition is applied to the skin of the subject in need of such reduction or promotion.  
     
     
         24 . Cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition comprising, in a physiologically acceptable medium, at least the following coding nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO: 2:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                 
                   1 
                     ATG  GGC TCG TCT CGG GCA CCC TGG ATG GGG CGT 
                     
                 
                     
                   GTG GGT GGG CAC 
                 
                     
                 
                   46 
                   GGG ATG ATG GCA CTG CTG CTG GCT GGT CTC CTC 
                 
                     
                   CTG CCA GGG ACC 
                 
                     
                 
                   91 
                   TTG GCT AAG AGC ATT GGC ACC TTC TCA GAC CCC 
                 
                     
                   TGT AAG GAC CCC 
                 
                     
                 
                   136 
                   ACG CGT ATC ACC TCC CCT AAC GAC CCC TGC CTC 
                 
                     
                   ACT GGG AAG GGT 
                 
                     
                 
                   181 
                   GAC TCC AGC GGC TTC AGT AGC TAC AGT GGC TCC 
                 
                     
                   AGC AGT TCT GGC 
                 
                     
                 
                   226 
                   AGC TCC ATT TCC AGT GCC AGA AGC TCT GGT GGT 
                 
                     
                   GGC TCC AGT GGT 
                 
                     
                 
                   271 
                   AGC TCC AGC GGA TCC AGC ATT GCC CAG GGT GGT 
                 
                     
                   TCT GCA GGA TCT 
                 
                     
                 
                   316 
                   TTT AAG CCA GGA ACG GGG TAT TCC CAG GTC AGC 
                 
                     
                   TAC TCC TCC GGA 
                 
                     
                 
                   361 
                   TCT GGC TCT AGT CTA CAA GGT GCA TCC GGT TCC 
                 
                     
                   TCC CAG CTG GGG 
                 
                     
                 
                   406 
                   AGC AGC AGC TCT CAC TCG GGA AGC AGC GGC TCT 
                 
                     
                   CAC TCG GGA AGC 
                 
                     
                 
                   451 
                   AGC AGC TCT CAT TCG AGC AGC AGC AGC AGC TTT 
                 
                     
                   CAG TTC AGC AGC 
                 
                     
                 
                   496 
                   AGC AGC TTC CAA GTA GGG AAT GGC TCT GCT CTG 
                 
                     
                   CCA ACC AAT GAC 
                 
                     
                 
                   541 
                   AAC TCT TAC CGC GGA ATA CTA AAC CCT TCC CAG 
                 
                     
                   CCT GGA CAA AGC 
                 
                     
                 
                   586 
                   TCT TCC TCT TCC CAA ACC TCT GGG GTA TCC AGC 
                 
                     
                   AGT GGC CAA AGC 
                 
                     
                 
                   631 
                   GTC AGC TCC AAC CAG CGT CCC TGT AGT TCG GAC 
                 
                     
                   ATC CCC GAC TCT 
                 
                     
                 
                   676 
                   CCC TGC AGT GGA GGG CCC ATC GTC TCG CAC TCT 
                 
                     
                   GGC CCC TAC ATC 
                 
                     
                 
                   721 
                   CCC AGC TCC CAC TCT GTG TCA GGG GGT CAG AGG 
                 
                     
                   CCT GTG GTG GTG 
                 
                     
                 
                   766 
                   GTG GTG GAC CAG CAC GGT TCT GGT GCC CCT GGA 
                 
                     
                   GTG GTT CAA GGT 
                 
                     
                 
                   811 
                   CCC CCC TGT AGC AAT GGT GGC CTT CCA GGC AAG 
                 
                     
                   CCC TGT CCC CCA 
                 
                     
                 
                   856 
                   ATC ACC TCT GTA GAC AAA TCC TAT GGT GGC TAC 
                 
                     
                   GAG GTG GTG GGT 
                 
                     
                 
                   901 
                   GGC TCC TCT GAC AGT TAT CTG GTT CCA GGC ATG 
                 
                     
                   ACC TAC AGT AAG 
                 
                     
                 
                   946 
                   GGT AAA ATC TAT CCT GTG GGC TAC TTC ACC AAA 
                 
                     
                   GAG AAC CCT GTG 
                 
                     
                 
                   991 
                   AAA GGC TCT CCA GGG GTC CCT TCC TTT GCA GCT 
                 
                     
                   GGG CCC CCC ATC 
                 
                     
                 
                   1036 
                   TCT GAG GGC AAA TAC TTC TCC AGC AAC CCC ATC 
                 
                     
                   ATC CCC AGC CAG 
                 
                     
                 
                   1081 
                   TCG GCA GCT TCC TCG GCC ATT GCG TTC CAG CCA 
                 
                     
                   GTG GGG ACT GGT 
                 
                     
                 
                   1126 
                   GGG GTC CAG CTC TGT GGA GGC GGC TCC ACG GGC 
                 
                     
                   TCC AAG GGA CCC 
                 
                     
                 
                   1171 
                   TGC TCT CCC TCC AGT TCT CGA GTC CCC AGC AGT 
                 
                     
                   TCT AGC ATT TCC 
                 
                     
                 
                   1216 
                   AGC AGC GCC GGT TCA CCC TAC CAT CCC TGC GGC 
                 
                     
                   AGT GCT TCC CAG 
                 
                     
                 
                   1261 
                   AGC CCC TGC TCC CCA CCA GGC ACC GGC TCC TTC 
                 
                     
                   AGC AGC AGC TCC 
                 
                     
                 
                   1306 
                   AGT TCC CAA TCG AGT GGC AAA ATC ATC CTT CAG 
                 
                     
                   CCT TGT GGC AGC 
                 
                     
                 
                   1351 
                   AAG TCC AGC TCT TCT GGT CAC CCT TGC ATG TCT 
                 
                     
                   GTC TCC TCC TTG 
                 
                     
                 
                   1396 
                   ACA CTG ACT GGG GGC CCC GAT GGC TCT CCC CAT 
                 
                     
                   CCT GAT CCC TCC 
                 
                     
                 
                   1441 
                   GCT GGT GCC AAG CCC TGT GGC TCC AGC AGT GCT 
                 
                     
                   GGA AAG ATC CCC 
                 
                     
                 
                   1486 
                   TGC CGC TCC ATC CGG GAT ATC CTA GCC CAA GTG 
                 
                     
                   AAG CCT CTG GGG 
                 
                     
                 
                   1531 
                   CCC CAG CTA GCT GAC CCT GAA GTT TTC CTA CCC 
                 
                     
                   CAA GGA GAG TTA 
                 
                     
                 
                   1576 
                   CTC GAC AGT CCA  TAA   
                 
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         25 . The composition according to  claim 24 , characterized in that the nucleotide sequence comprises all or part of the nucleotide sequence as described in  claim 24 .  
     
     
         27 . (canceled)  
     
     
         28 . A method for the preparation of a ribonucleic acid, comprising using the nucleic acid sequence according to  claim 24 .  
     
     
         29 . A method for preparing or purifying any molecule capable of binding specifically to a purified polypeptide or to purified proteolysis fragments or to a synthetic peptide: 
 wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.    
     
     
         30 . A method for preparing or purifying structural proteins specific to corneodesmosomes or enzymes of the horny layer of the “protease” or “glycosidase” type, comprising using a composition comprising one or more purified natural or synthetic polypeptides, wherein each of the polypeptides comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         31 . (canceled)