Rapid preparation of stable isotope labeled peptides that bind to target proteins by a phage library system

We have developed a system for directly isolating foreign peptides displayed on the N-terminus of the major coat protein of bacteriophage M13. The phage particle in this system is formed as a mixture of wild type and modified coat proteins. The N-terminal segment of the modified coat protein was mutated for chemical cleavage, in order to obtain the displayed peptide from the major coat protein. Using 13C, 15N- labeled medium, we introduced stable isotopes, 13C and/or 15N, into the coat proteins. The NMR spectra for the cleaved peptides from the phage particles could be recorded within a few days after the selection of the phage clone.