EP1322667A2 - Recepteurs du facteur de necrose tumorale 6-alpha et 6-beta - Google Patents

Recepteurs du facteur de necrose tumorale 6-alpha et 6-beta

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Publication number
EP1322667A2
EP1322667A2 EP01966151A EP01966151A EP1322667A2 EP 1322667 A2 EP1322667 A2 EP 1322667A2 EP 01966151 A EP01966151 A EP 01966151A EP 01966151 A EP01966151 A EP 01966151A EP 1322667 A2 EP1322667 A2 EP 1322667A2
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
amino acid
tnfr
polypeptide
seq
protein
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP01966151A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1322667A4 (fr
Inventor
Reiner L. Gentz
Reinhard Ebner
Guo-Liang Yu
Steven M. Ruben
Jian Ni
Ping Feng
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Human Genome Sciences Inc
Original Assignee
Human Genome Sciences Inc
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Publication date
Application filed by Human Genome Sciences Inc filed Critical Human Genome Sciences Inc
Publication of EP1322667A2 publication Critical patent/EP1322667A2/fr
Publication of EP1322667A4 publication Critical patent/EP1322667A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07K—PEPTIDES
    • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
    • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
    • C07K14/705—Receptors; Cell surface antigens; Cell surface determinants
    • C07K14/715—Receptors; Cell surface antigens; Cell surface determinants for cytokines; for lymphokines; for interferons
    • C07K14/7151—Receptors; Cell surface antigens; Cell surface determinants for cytokines; for lymphokines; for interferons for tumor necrosis factor [TNF], for lymphotoxin [LT]
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
    • A61P17/00—Drugs for dermatological disorders
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
    • C12Q1/00—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions
    • C12Q1/68—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions involving nucleic acids
    • C12Q1/6876—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes
    • C12Q1/6883—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes for diseases caused by alterations of genetic material
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
    • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07K—PEPTIDES
    • C07K2319/00—Fusion polypeptide
    • C07K2319/30—Non-immunoglobulin-derived peptide or protein having an immunoglobulin constant or Fc region, or a fragment thereof, attached thereto

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to novel human genes encoding polypeptides which are members of the TNF receptor family. More specifically, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding human polypeptides named tumor necrosis factor receptor-6 & -6 ⁇ hereinafter sometimes referred to as "TNFR-6 ⁇ , & TNFR-6 ⁇ " or generically as "TNFR polypeptides". TNFR polypeptides are also provided, as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of TNFR polypeptide activity. Also provided are diagnostic and therapeutic methods utilizing such compositions.
  • TNF tumor necrosis factors
  • TNF- ⁇ lymphotoxin-
  • LT- lymphotoxin-
  • LT- ⁇ lymphotoxin-
  • FasL CD40L
  • CD27L CD30L
  • 4-lBBL OX40L
  • NGF nerve growth factor
  • the superfamily of TNF receptors includes the p55TNF receptor, p75TNF receptor, TNF receptor-related protein, FAS antigen or APO- 1, CD40, CD27, CD30, 4-1BB, OX40, low affinity p75 and NGF-receptor (Meager, A., Biologicals, 22:291-295 (1994)).
  • Many members of the TNF-ligand superfamily are expressed by activated T-cells, implying that they are necessary for T-cell interactions with other cell types which underlie cell ontogeny and functions. (Meager, A., supra).
  • TNF and LT- ⁇ are capable of binding to two TNF receptors (the 55- and 75-kd TNF receptors).
  • a large number of biological effects elicited by TNF and LT- ⁇ , acting through their receptors, include hemorrhagic necrosis of transplanted tumors, cytotoxicity, a role in endotoxic shock, inflammation, immunoregulation, proliferation and anti-viral responses, as well as protection against the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation.
  • TNF and LT- ⁇ are involved in the pathogenesis of a wide range of diseases, including endotoxic shock, cerebral malaria, tumors, autoimmune disease, ADDS and graft-host rejection (Beutler, B. and Von Huffel, C, Science 264:667-668 (1994)). Mutations in the p55 Receptor cause increased susceptibility to microbial infection.
  • Apoptosis or programmed cell death, is a physiologic process essential to the normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms (H.
  • Apoptosis is a physiologic process essential to the normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms (H.
  • Apoptosis or programmed cell death, is a physiologic process essential to the normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms (H.
  • H. criz, Science 267, 1445-1449 (1995) Derangements of apoptosis contribute to the pathogenesis of several human diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (C.B. Thompson, Science 267, 1456-1462 (1995)).
  • Fas/APO-1 and TNFR-1 While family members are defined by the presence of cysteine-rich repeats in their extracellular domains, Fas/APO-1 and TNFR-1 also share a region of intracellular homology, appropriately designated the "death domain", which is distantly related to the Drosophila suicide gene, reaper (P. Golstein, D. Marguet, V. Depraetere, Cell 81, 185-6 (1995); . White et al., Science 264, 677-83 (1994)). This shared death domain suggests that both receptors interact with a related set of signal transducing molecules that, until recently, remained unidentified.
  • Fas/APO-1 recruits the death domain-containing adapter molecule FADD/MORT1 (A.M. Chinnaiyan, K. O'Rourke, M. Tewari, V. M. Dixit, Cell 81, 505-12 (1995); M. P. Boldin, et al., J. Biol Chem 270, 7795-8 (1995); F.C. Kischkel, et al., EMBO 14, 5579-5588 (1995)), which in turn binds and presumably activates ELICE/MACHl, a member of the ICE/CED-3 family of pro-apoptotic proteases (M.M. Chinnaiyan, K. O'Rourke, M. Tewari, V. M. Dixit, Cell 81, 505-12 (1995); M. P. Boldin, et al., J. Biol Chem 270, 7795-8 (1995); F.C. Kischkel, et al., EMBO
  • TNFR-1 can signal an array of diverse biological activities-many of which stem from its ability to activate NF-kB (L.A. Tartaglia, D.N. Goeddel, Immunol Today 13, 151-3 (1992)). Accordingly, T ⁇ FR-1 recruits the multivalent adapter molecule TRADD, which like FADD, also contains a death domain (H. Hsu, J. Xiong, D.N.
  • TRADD can signal both apoptosis and ⁇ F-kB activation (H. Hsu, H.-B. Shu, M.-P. Pan, D.N. Goeddel, Cell 84, 299-308 (1996); H. Hsu, J. Huang, H.-B. Shu, N. Baichwal, D.N. Goeddel, Immunity 4, 387-396 (1996)).
  • T ⁇ F family ligands and T ⁇ F family receptors are varied and influence numerous functions, both normal and abnormal, in the biological processes of the mammalian system. There is a clear need, therefore, for identification and characterization of ⁇ such receptors and ligands that influence biological activity, both normally and in disease states. In particular, there is a need to isolate and characterize novel members of the TNF receptor family.
  • the present invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a polynucleotide encoding at least a portion of a TNFR (i.e., TNFR-6 ⁇ or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptide) having the complete amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ED NOS:2 and 4, respectively, or the complete amino acid sequence encoded by a cDNA clone deposited as plasmid DNA as ATCC Deposit Number 97810 and 97809, respectively.
  • a TNFR i.e., TNFR-6 ⁇ or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptide
  • the TNFR proteins of the present invention share sequence homology with other TNF receptors.
  • Splice variants TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta show the highest degree of sequence homology with the translation products of the human mRNAs for TNFR-I and -II ( Figure 3) (SEQ ID NOS: 5 and 6, respectively) also including multiple conserved cysteine rich domains.
  • the TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta polypeptides have predicted leader sequences of 30 amino acids each; and the amino acid sequence of the predicted mature TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta polypeptides are also shown in Figures 1 and 2 as amino acid residues 31-300 (SEQ ID NO:2) and 31-170 (SEQ ID NO:4), respectively.
  • one aspect of the invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a TNFR polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO:2 or 4, or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or 97809; (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a mature TNFR polypeptide having the amino acid sequence at positions 31-300 in SEQ ID NO:2, or 31-170 in SEQ ID NO:4, or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No.
  • 97810 or 97809 (c) a nucleotide sequence encoding a soluble extracellular domain of a TNFR polypeptide having the amino acid sequence at positions 31 to 283 in SEQ ID NO:2 or 31 to 166 in SEQ ID NO:4, or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in the ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or 97809; (d) a nucleotide sequence encoding a fragment of a TNFR polypeptide having the amino acid sequence at positions 31 to 283 in SEQ ID NO:2 or 31 to 166 in SEQ ID NO:4, or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in the ATCC Deposit No.
  • nucleic acid molecules that comprise, or alternatively consist of, a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least 90% identical, and more preferably at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical, to any of the nucleotide sequences in (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) above, or a polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to a polynucleotide in (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e) above.
  • This polynucleotide which hybridizes does not hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions to a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence consisting of only A residues or of only T residues.
  • An additional nucleic acid embodiment of the invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a polynucleotide which encodes the amino acid sequence of an epitope-bearing portion of a TNFR polypeptide having an amino acid sequence in (a), (b), (c), or (d) above.
  • the present invention also relates to recombinant vectors, which include the isolated nucleic acid molecules of the present invention, and to host cells containing the recombinant vectors, as well as to methods of making such vectors and host cells and for using them for production of TNFR polypeptides or peptides by recombinant techniques.
  • the invention further provides an isolated TNFR polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) the amino acid sequence of a full-length TNFR polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2 or 4 or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No.
  • polypeptides of the present invention also include polypeptides having an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical, more preferably at least 85% identical, and still more preferably 90%, 92%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to those described in (a), (b), (c) or (d) above, as well as polypeptides having an amino acid sequence with at least 90% similarity, and more preferably at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95% similarity, to those above.
  • An additional embodiment of this aspect of the invention relates to a peptide or polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of an epitope-bearing portion of a TNFR polypeptide having an amino acid sequence described in (a), (b), (c) or (d), above.
  • Peptides or polypeptides having the amino acid sequence of an epitope-bearing portion of a TNFR polypeptide of the invention include portions of such polypeptides with at least six or seven, preferably at least nine, and more preferably at least about 30 amino acids to about 50 amino acids, although epitope-bearing polypeptides of any length up to and including the entire amino acid sequence of a polypeptide of the invention described above also are included in the invention.
  • the invention provides an isolated antibody that binds specifically to a TNFR polypeptide having an amino acid sequence described in (a), (b), (c) or (d) above.
  • the invention further provides methods for isolating antibodies that bind specifically to a TNFR polypeptide having an amino acid sequence as described herein. Such antibodies are useful diagnostically or therapeutically as described below.
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) family ligands are known to be among the most pleiotropic cytokines, inducing a large number of cellular responses, including cytotoxicity, anti-viral activity, immunoregulatory activities, and the transcriptional regulation of several genes.
  • compositions comprising TNFR polypeptides, particularly human TNFR polypeptides, which may be employed, for instance, to treat infectious disease including HIV infection, endotoxic shock, cancer, autoimmune diseases, graft vs. host disease, acute graft rejection, chronic graft rejection, neurodegenerative disorders, myelodysplastic syndromes, ischemic injury (e.g., ischemic cardiac injury), toxin-induced liver disease, septic shock, cachexia and anorexia.
  • infectious disease including HIV infection, endotoxic shock, cancer, autoimmune diseases, graft vs. host disease, acute graft rejection, chronic graft rejection, neurodegenerative disorders, myelodysplastic syndromes, ischemic injury (e.g., ischemic cardiac injury), toxin-induced liver disease, septic shock, cachexia and anorexia.
  • the invention further provides compositions comprising a TNFR polynucleotide or a TNFR polypeptide for administration to cells in vitro, to cells ex vivo and to cells in vivo, or to a multicellular organism.
  • the compositions comprise a TNFR polynucleotide for expression of a TNFR polypeptide in a host organism for treatment of disease.
  • a TNFR polynucleotide for expression of a TNFR polypeptide in a host organism for treatment of disease.
  • Particularly preferred in this regard is expression in a human patient for treatment of a dysfunction associated with aberrant endogenous activity of a TNFR polypeptide.
  • a screening assay for agonists and antagonists involves determining the effect a candidate compound has on TNFR polypeptide binding to a TNF-family ligand.
  • the method involves contacting the TNF-family ligand with a TNFR polypeptide and a candidate compound and determining whether TNFR polypeptide binding to the TNF-family ligand is increased or decreased due to the presence of the candidate compound.
  • an increase in binding of a TNFR polypeptide over the standard binding indicates that the candidate compound is an agonist of TNFR polypeptide binding activity and a decrease in TNFR polypeptide binding compared to the standard indicates that the compound is an antagonist of TNFR polypeptide binding activity.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta are expressed in endothelial cells, keratinocytes, normal prostate and prostate tumor tissue.
  • endothelial cells e.g., cancerous tissues
  • bodily fluids e.g., serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid or spinal fluid
  • a "standard" TNFR gene expression level i.e., the TNFR expression level in healthy tissue from an individual not having the immune system disorder.
  • the invention provides a diagnostic method useful during diagnosis of such a disorder, which involves: (a) assaying TNFR gene expression level in cells or body fluid of an individual; (b) comparing the TNFR gene expression level with a standard TNFR gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the assayed TNFR gene expression level compared to the standard expression level is indicative of disorder in the immune system.
  • An additional aspect of the invention is related to a method for treating an individual in need of an increased level of TNFR polypeptide activity in the body comprising administering to such an individual a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated TNFR polypeptide of the invention or an agonist thereof.
  • a still further aspect of the invention is related to a method for treating an individual in need of a decreased level of TNFR polypeptide activity in the body comprising, administering to such an individual a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a TNFR antagonist.
  • Preferred antagonists for use in the present invention are TNFR-specific antibodies.
  • Figure 1 shows the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ED NO:l) and deduced amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2) of TNFR-6 ⁇ .
  • the initial 30 amino acids (underlined) are the putative leader sequence.
  • Figure 2 shows the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO:3) and deduced amino acid sequence (SEQ ED NO:4) of TNFR-6 ⁇ .
  • the initial 30 amino acids (underlined) are the putative leader sequence.
  • Figure 3 shows an alignment created by the Clustal method using the Megaline program in the DNAstar suite comparing the amino acid sequences of TNFR-6 ⁇ ("TNFR-6 alpha” (SEQ ID NO:2)), and TNFR-6 ⁇ ("TNFR-6 beta” (SEQ ID NO:4)) with other TNF receptors, as follows: TNFR1 (SEQ ED NO:5); TNFR2 (SEQ ID NO:6); NGFR (SEQ ID NO:7); LTbR (SEQ ID NO:8); FAS (SEQ ID NO:9); CD27 (SEQ ED NO: 10); CD30 (SEQ ED NO: 11); CD40 (SEQ ID NO: 12); 4-1BB (SEQ ID NO: 13); OX40 (SEQ ID NO: 14); VC22 (SEQ ID NO: 15); and CRMB (SEQ ID NO: 16).
  • TNFR-6 alpha SEQ ID NO:2
  • NGFR SEQ ID NO:7
  • LTbR SEQ ID NO:8
  • Figures 4 and 5 show separate analyses of the TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta amino acid sequences, respectively.
  • Alpha, beta, turn and coil regions; hydrophilicity; amphipathic regions; flexible regions; antigenic index and surface probability are shown, as predicted for the amino acid sequence of SEQ ED NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:4, respectively, using the default parameters of the recited computer programs.
  • Antigenic Index - Jameson- Wolf graph, which indicates the location of the highly antigenic regions of TNFR- 6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ , i.e., regions from which epitope-bearing peptides of the invention may be obtained.
  • Antigenic regions of TNFR-6 ⁇ incude from about Ala-31 to about Thr-46, from about Phe-57 to about Thr- 117, from about Cys-132 to about Thr-175, from about Gly-185 to about Thr-194, from about Val-205 to about Asp-217, from about Pro-239 to about Leu-264, and from about Ala-283 to about Pro-298 (SEQ ID NO:2).
  • Antigenic regions of TNFR-6 ⁇ include from about Ala-31 to about Thr-46, from about Phe-57 to about Gln-80, from about Glu-86 to about His-106, from about Thr-108 to about Phe-119, from about His-129 to about Val-138, and from about Gly-142 to about Pro-166 (SEQ ED NO:4). These polypeptide fragments have been determined to bear antigenic epitopes of the TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta polypeptides by the analysis of the Jameson- Wolf antigenic index. [0030] The data presented in Figures 4 and 5 are also represented in tabular form in Tables I and II, respectively.
  • Figure 6 shows the nucleotide sequences of HELDI06R (SEQ ED NO: 17) and HCEOW38R (SEQ ID NO:18) which are related to SEQ ID NOS:l and 3.
  • Figures 7A-B show TNFR6 alpha blocking of Fas ligand mediated cell death.
  • Jurkat T-cells were treated with a combination of Fas ligand and TNFR 6 alpha Fc receptor for 16 hours. To measure the levels of viable cells after treatment, cells were incubated for 5 hours with 10% ALOMAR blue and examined spectrophotometrically at OD 570nm-630nm. All samples were tested in triplicate.
  • TNFR6 alpha-Fc appears to block Fas ligand mediated apoptosis of Jurkat cells in a dose dependent manner as effectively as Fas ligand.
  • the present invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a polynucleotide encoding a TNFR-6 ⁇ or -6 ⁇ polypeptide, generically "TNFR polypeptide(s)" having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ED NOS:2 and 4, respectively, which were determined by sequencing cloned cDNAs.
  • the nucleotide sequences shown in Figures 1 and 2 were obtained by sequencing the HPHAE52 and HTPCH84 clones, respectively, which were deposited on November 22, 1996 at the American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Boulevard, Manassas, Virginia 20110-2209 and given accession numbers ATCC 97810 and 97809, respectively.
  • the deposited clones are contained in the pBluescript S (-) plasmid (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA).
  • the TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta proteins of the present invention are splice variants which share an identical nucleotide and amino acid sequence over the N-terminal 142 residues of the respective proteins.
  • TNFR-2 The amino acid sequences of these proteins are about 23% similar to and share multiple conserved cysteine rich domains with the translation product of the human TNFR-2 mRNA ( Figure 3) (SEQ ID NO:6). Importantly, these proteins share substantial sequence similarity over a polypeptide sequence including four repeated cysteine rich motifs with significant intersubunit homology. TNFR-2 is thought to exclusively mediate human T-cell proliferation by TNF (PCT WO/94/09137).
  • nucleotide sequences determined by sequencing a DNA molecule herein were determined using an automated DNA sequencer (such as the Model 373 from Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, CA), and all amino acid sequences of polypeptides encoded by DNA molecules determined herein were predicted by translation of a DNA sequence determined as above. Therefore, as is known in the art for any DNA sequence determined by this automated approach, any nucleotide sequence determined herein may contain some errors. Nucleotide sequences determined by automation are typically at least about 90% identical, more typically at least about 95% to at least about 99.9% identical to the actual nucleotide sequence of the sequenced DNA molecule.
  • the actual sequence can be more precisely determined by other approaches including manual DNA sequencing methods well known in the art.
  • a single insertion or deletion in a determined nucleotide sequence compared to the actual sequence will cause a frame shift in translation of the nucleotide sequence such that the predicted amino acid sequence encoded by a determined nucleotide sequence will be completely different from the amino acid sequence actually encoded by the sequenced DNA molecule, beginning at the point of such an insertion or deletion.
  • nucleotide sequence of a nucleic acid molecule or polynucleotide is intended, for a DNA molecule or polynucleotide, a sequence of deoxyribonucleotides, and for an RNA molecule or polynucleotide, the corresponding sequence of ribonucleotides (A, G, C and U), where each thymidine deoxyribonucleotide (T) in the specified deoxyribonucleotide sequence is replaced by the ribonucleotide uridine (U).
  • a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encoding a TNFR polypeptide may be obtained using standard cloning and screening procedures, such as those for cloning cDNAs using mRNA as starting material.
  • the TNFR-6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ clones were identified in cDNA libraries from the following tissues: endothelial cells, keratinocytes, normal prostate tissue, and prostate tumor tissue.
  • the determined nucleotide sequences of the TNFR cDNAs of Figures 1 and 2 contain open reading frames encoding proteins of 300 and 170 amino acid residues, with an initiation codon at nucleotide positions 25-27 and 73-75 of the nucleotide sequences in Figures 1 and 2 (SEQ ID NOS:l and 3), respectively.
  • the open reading frames of the TNFR-6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ genes share sequence homology with the translation product of the human mRNA for TNFR-2, including the soluble extracellular domain of about residues 31-283 of SEQ JD NO:2 and 31-166 of SEQ ID NO:4, respectively.
  • the actual complete TNFR polypeptides encoded by the deposited cDNAs may be somewhat longer or shorter. More generally, the actual open reading frames may be anywhere in the range of ⁇ 20 amino acids, more likely in the range of +10 amino acids, of that predicted from the first methionine codon from the N-terminus shown in Figures 1 and 2 (SEQ ED NOS: 1 and 3), which is in- frame with the translated sequences shown in each respective figure.
  • the exact "address" of the extracellular and transmembrane domain(s) of the TNFR polypeptides may differ slightly from the predicted positions above.
  • the exact location of the extracellular domain or antigenic regions in SEQ ED NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:4 may vary slightly (e.g., the address may "shift" by about 1 to about 20 residues, more likely about 1 to about 5 residues) depending on the criteria used to define the domains and antigenic regions.
  • the invention further provides polypeptides having various residues deleted from the N-terminus of the complete polypeptide, including polypeptides lacking one or more amino acids from the N-terminus of the extracellular domain described herein, which constitute soluble forms of the extracellular domains of the TNFR-6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ proteins.
  • the amino acid sequences of the complete TNFR proteins include a leader sequence and a mature protein, as shown in SEQ JD NOS:2 and 4. More in particular, the present invention provides nucleic acid molecules encoding mature forms of the TNFR proteins.
  • proteins secreted by mammalian cells have a signal or secretory leader sequence which is cleaved from the complete polypeptide to produce a secreted "mature" form of the protein. Most mammalian cells and even insect cells cleave secreted proteins with the same specificity.
  • cleavage of a secreted protein is not entirely uniform, which results in two or more mature species of the protein.
  • the cleavage specificity of a secreted protein is ultimately determined by the primary structure of the complete protein, that is, it is inherent in the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide. Therefore, the present invention provides a nucleotide sequence encoding a mature TNFR polypeptide having the amino acid sequence encoded by a cDNA clone identified as ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or 97809.
  • 97810, or 97809 is meant the mature form(s) of the protein produced by expression in a mammalian cell (e.g., COS cells, as described below) of the complete open reading frame encoded by the human DNA sequence of the clone contained in the deposited vector.
  • a mammalian cell e.g., COS cells, as described below
  • TNFR-6 ⁇ & TNFR-6 ⁇ encode mature polypeptides having the amino acid sequences of residues 31-300 and 31-170 of SEQ ID NOS:2 and 4, respectively.
  • TNFR-6 ⁇ & TNFR-6 ⁇ encode mature polypeptides having the amino acid sequences of residues 31-299 and 31-169 of SEQ ID NOS:2 and 4, respectively.
  • nucleic acid molecules of the present invention may be in the form of RNA, such as mRNA, or in the form of DNA, including, for instance, cDNA and genomic DNA obtained by cloning or produced synthetically.
  • the DNA may be double-stranded or single-stranded.
  • Single-stranded DNA or RNA may be the coding strand, also known as the sense strand, or it may be the non-coding strand, also referred to as the anti-sense strand.
  • isolated nucleic acid molecule(s) is intended a nucleic acid molecule, DNA or RNA, which has been removed from its native environment
  • recombinant DNA molecules contained in a vector are considered isolated for the purposes of the present invention.
  • Further examples of isolated DNA molecules include recombinant DNA molecules maintained in heterologous host cells or purified (partially or substantially) DNA molecules in solution.
  • Isolated RNA molecules include in vivo or in vitro RNA transcripts of the DNA molecules of the present invention.
  • a nucleic acid contained in a clone that is a member of a mixed clone library e.g., a genomic or cDNA library
  • a chromosome isolated or removed from a cell or a cell lysate e.g., a "chromosome spread", as in a karyotype
  • isolated nucleic acid molecules according to the present invention may be produced naturally, recombinantly, or synthetically.
  • Isolated nucleic acid molecules of the present invention include DNA molecules comprising an open reading frame (ORF) with an initiation codon at positions 25-27 and 73- 75 of the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ JD NOS:l and 3, respectively.
  • ORF open reading frame
  • DNA molecules comprising the coding sequence for the predicted mature TNFR polypeptides shown at positions 31-300 and 31-170 of SEQ JD NOS:2 and 4, respectively.
  • DNA molecules comprising the coding sequence for the predicted mature TNFR polypeptides shown at positions 31-299 and 31-169 of SEQ ED NOS. -2 and 4, respectively.
  • the present invention encompasses isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding exon 1 of TNFR-6 alpha, (i.e., a polynucleotide sequence comprising nucleotides 1-424 of SEQ ID NO:28 which corresponds to nucleotides 25-448 of SEQ ED NO:l).
  • the present invention encompasses isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding exon 2 of TNFR-6 alpha, (i.e., a polynucleotide sequence comprising nucleotides 561-755 of SEQ ID NO:28 which corresponds to nucleotides 449-643 of SEQ ED NO:l).
  • the present invention encompasses isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding exon 3 of TNFR-6 alpha, (i.e., a polynucleotide sequence comprising nucleotides 1513-1793 of SEQ ED NO:28 which corresponds to nucleotides 644-924 of SEQ ID NO:l).
  • the present invention comprises isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding exons 1 and 2 of TNFR-6 alpha. In other embodiments, the present invention comprises isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding exons 1 and 3 of TNFR-6 alpha. In other embodiments, the present invention comprises isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding exons 2 and 3 of TNFR-6 alpha.
  • isolated nucleic acid molecules of the invention include DNA molecules which comprise a sequence substantially different from those described above but which, due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, still encode a TNFR protein.
  • the invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a TNFR polypeptide having an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in the plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or 97809.
  • this nucleic acid molecule will encode the mature polypeptide encoded by the above-described deposited cDNA clone.
  • the invention further provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule having the nucleotide sequence shown in Figure 1 or 2 (SEQ ED NO:l or 3) or the nucleotide sequence of the TNFR cDNAs contained in the above-described deposited clones, or a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence complementary to one of the above sequences.
  • isolated molecules particularly DNA molecules, are useful, for example, as probes for gene mapping by in situ hybridization with chromosomes, and for detecting expression of the TNFR genes in human tissue, for instance, by Northern blot analysis.
  • the present invention is further directed to nucleic acid molecules encoding portions of the nucleotide sequences described herein as well as to fragments of the isolated nucleic acid molecules described herein.
  • the invention provides polynucleotides having a nucleotide sequence representing the portion of SEQ ID NO:l or 3 which consist of positions 25-924 and 73-582 of SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 3, respectively.
  • polynucleotides encoding TNFR polypeptides which lack an amino terminal methionine such polynucleotides having a nucleotide sequence representing the portion of SEQ ID NOS:l and 3 which consist of positions 28-924 and 76-582, respectively.
  • Polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides are also provided, such polypeptides comprising an amino acid sequence at positions 2-300 and 2-170 of SEQ ED NOS:2 and 4, respectively.
  • the invention provides nucleic acid molecules having nucleotide sequences related to extensive portions of SEQ ID NOS:l and 3 as follows: HELDI06R (SEQ JD NO:17) and HCEOW38R (SEQ JD NO: 18) are related to both SEQ JD NOS:l and 3. Preferred are polynucleotide fragments of SEQ ID NOS:l and 3 which are not SEQ ID NO: 17 or 18 or subfragments of either SEQ JD NO:17 or 18. The sequences of HELDI06R and HCEOW38R are shown in Figure 6.
  • fragments of an isolated nucleic acid molecule having the nucleotide sequence of the deposited cDNA or the nucleotide sequence shown in Figures 1 or 2 is intended fragments at least about 15 nt, and more preferably at least about 20 nt, still more preferably at least about 30 nt, and even more preferably, at least about 40 nt in length.
  • SEQ ID NOS:l or 3 fragments at least about 15 nt, and more preferably at least about 20 nt, still more preferably at least about 30 nt, and even more preferably, at least about 40 nt in length.
  • fragments 50-300 nt in length are also useful according to the present invention as are fragments corresponding to most, if not all, of the nucleotide sequence of the deposited cDNAs or as shown in Figures 1 and 2 (SEQ ED NOS:l and 3).
  • fragments comprising at least 500 nucleotides which are at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95% identical to 500 contiguous nucleotides shown in SEQ ED NO:l.
  • a fragment at least about 20 nt in length is intended fragments which include 20 or more contiguous bases from the nucleotide sequence of a deposited cDNA or the nucleotide sequence as shown in Figures 1 and 2 (SEQ ID NOS:l and 3).
  • “about” includes the particularly recited size, and those sizes that are larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) nucleotides, at either terminus or at both termini.
  • Preferred nucleic acid fragments of the present invention include nucleic acid molecules encoding epitope-bearing portions of the TNFR polypeptides as identified in Figures 4 and 5 and described in more detail below.
  • TNFR-6 ⁇ nucleic acid fragments of the invention include, for example, fragments that comprise, or alternatively, consist of, a sequence from about nucleotide 1 to about nucleotide 25, about nucleotide 26 to about nucleotide 75, about nucleotide 76 to about nucleotide 114, about nucleotide 115 to about nucleotide 162, about nucleotide 163 to about nucleotide 216, about nucleotide 217 to about nucleotide 267, about nucleotide 268 to about nucleotide 318, about nucleotide 319 to about nucleotide 369, about nucleotide 370 to about nucleotide 420, about nucleotide 421 to about nucleotide 471, about nucleotide 472 to about nucleotide 522, about nucleotide 523 to about nucleotide 573, about nucleo
  • the nucleic acid fragments of the invention comprise, or alternatively, consist of, a polynucleotide sequence encoding amino acid residues 100 to 150, 150 to 200, 200 to 300, 220 to 300, 240 to 300, 250 to 300, 260 to 300, and/or 280 to 300, of SEQ ED NO:2, or the complementary strand thereto.
  • Polynucleotides that hybridize to these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed by the invention.
  • TNFR— 6 ⁇ nucleic acid fragments of the invention include, for example, fragments that comprise, or alternatively, consist of, a sequence from about nucleotide 1 to about nucleotide 36, about nucleotide 37 to about nucleotide 72, about nucleotide 73 to about nucleotide 123, about nucleotide 124 to about nucleotide 175, about nucleotide 176 to about nucleotide 216, about nucleotide 217 to about nucleotide 267, about nucleotide 268 to about nucleotide 318, about nucleotide 319 to about nucleotide 369, about nucleotide 370 to about nucleotide 420, about nucleotide 421 to about nucleotide 471, about nucleotide 472 to about nucleotide 522, about nucleotide 523 to about nucleotide 582, about nucleotide 421
  • nucleic acid fragments of the invention comprise, or alternatively, consist of, a polynucleotide sequence encoding amino acid residues 50 to 100, 100 to 170, 110 to 170, 130 to 170, 140 to 170, 150 to 170, and/or 160 to 170, of SEQ ID NO:4, or the complementary strand thereto.
  • Polynucleotides that hybridize to these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the polynucleotide fragments of the invention encode a polypeptide which demonstrates a TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ functional activity.
  • a polypeptide demonstrating "functional activity” is meant, a polypeptide capable of displaying one or more known functional activities associated with a complete (full-length) or mature TNFR- 6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptide.
  • Such functional activities include, but are not limited to, biological activity (e.g., inhibition or reduction of FasL mediated apoptosis, inhibition or reduction of AIM-II mediated apoptosis), antigenicity [ability to bind (or compete with a TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptide for binding) to an anti-TNFR-6 ⁇ antibody and/or anti-TNFR -6 ⁇ antibody], immunogenicity (ability to generate antibody which binds to a TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptide), ability to form multimers with TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptides of the invention, and ability to bind to a receptor or ligand for a TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptide (e.g., Fas ligand and/or AIM-JJ (International application publication number WO 97/34911, published September 25, 1997)) .
  • biological activity e.g., inhibition or
  • TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptides can be assayed by various methods.
  • various immunoassays known in the art can be used, including but not limited to, competitive and non-competitive assay systems using techniques such as radioimmunoassays, ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), "sandwich” immunoassays, immunoradiometric assays, gel diffusion precipitation reactions, immunodiffusion assays, in situ immunoassays (using colloidal gold, enzyme or radioisotope labels, for example), western blots, precipitation reactions, agglutination as
  • antibody binding is detected by detecting a label on the primary antibody.
  • the primary antibody is detected by detecting binding of a secondary antibody or reagent to the primary antibody.
  • the secondary antibody is labelled. Many means are known in the art for detecting binding in an immunoassay and are within the scope of the present invention.
  • binding can be assayed, e.g., by means well-known in the art, such as, for example, reducing and non-reducing gel chromatography, protein affinity chromatography, and affinity blotting. See generally, Phizicky, E., et al, Microbiol. Rev. 59:94-123 (1995).
  • physiological correlates of TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ binding to its substrates can be assayed.
  • assays described herein e.g., see Examples 7 -9) and otherwise known in the art may routinely be applied or modified to measure the ability of TNFR-6 ⁇ and or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptides and fragments, variants derivatives and analogs thereof, to elicit TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ related biological activity (e.g., to inhibit or reduce FasL mediated apoptosis in vitro or in vivo, or to inhibit or reduce AEV1-H mediated apoptosis in vitro or in vivo).
  • the ability of TNFR polypeptides of the invention to reduce or block FasL mediated apoptosis can be assayed using a Fas expressing T-cell line, such as Jurkat.
  • a Fas expressing T-cell line such as Jurkat.
  • Jurkat cells treated with soluble FasL undergo apoptosis.
  • Pretreatment of cells with TNFR and/or TNFR agonists prior to addition of FasL protects cells from undergoing apoptosis and results in a reduced level of apoptosis when compared to that observed when the same concentration of soluble FasL is contacted with the same concentration of the Fas expressing cells in the absence of the TNFR polypeptide or TNFR agonist.
  • TNFR antagonists of the invention block TNFR mediated inhibition of FasL mediated apoptosis.
  • TNFR antagonists of the invention can be assayed, for example, by combining the mature TNFR (known to bind FasL), the TNFR antagonist to be tested, and soluble FasL, and contacting this combination with the Fas expressing cell line. TNFR antagonists reduce or block TNFR mediated inhibition of FasL mediated apoptosis.
  • Fas expressing T cells contacted with mature TNFR, TNFR antagonist and soluble FasL exhibit elevated apoptosis levels when compared with the same concentration of Fas expressing cells that have been contacted with the same concentrations of mature TNFR and FasL in the absence of the TNFR antagonist.
  • Apoptosis can be measured, for example, by increased staining with Annexin, which selectively binds apoptotic cells.
  • the decrease in cell numbers due to apoptosis can be detected by a decrease in ALOMAR blue staining which detects viable cells.
  • the polynucleotides of the invention encode functional attributes of TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ .
  • Preferred embodiments of the invention in this regard include fragments that comprise alpha-helix and alpha-helix forming regions ("alpha-regions"), beta-sheet and beta-sheet forming regions ("beta-regions"), turn and turn-forming regions ("turn-regions”), coil and coil-forming regions ("coil-regions”), hydrophilic regions, hydrophobic regions, alpha amphipathic regions, beta amphipathic regions, flexible regions, surface-forming regions and high antigenic index regions of TNFR- 6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ polypeptides.
  • such preferred regions include Garnier-Robson alpha-regions, beta-regions, turn-regions, and coil-regions, Chou-Fasman alpha-regions, beta-regions, and coil-regions, Kyte-Doolittle hydrophilic regions, Eisenberg alpha- and beta-amphipathic regions, Karplus-Schulz flexible regions, Emini surface-forming regions and Jameson-Wolf regions of high antigenic index.
  • polynucleotides in this regard are those that encode polypeptides comprising regions of TNFR-6 D and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ that combine several structural features, such as several (e.g., 1, 2, 3 , or 4) of the features set out above.
  • the data presented in columns VIII, IX, XIII, and XIV of Tables I and II can routinely be used to determine regions of TNFR-6 D which exhibit a high degree of potential for antigenicity. Regions of high antigenicity are determined from the data presented in columns VIII, IX, XIII, and/or XIV by choosing values which represent regions of the polypeptide which are likely to be exposed on the surface of the polypeptide in an environment in which antigen recognition may occur in the process of initiation of an immune response.
  • Trp 82 1 L 1 . . 0.90 1.43 * 0.00 0.75
  • nucleic acid fragments of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of, nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more epitope-bearing portions of TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ .
  • nucleic acid fragments of the present invention include nucleic acid molecules encoding: a polypeptide comprising, or alternatively consisting of, amino acid residues from about Phe-57 to about Thr- 117, from about Cys-132 to about Thr-175, from about Gly-185 to about Thr-194, from about Val-205 to about Asp-217, from about Pro-239 to about Leu-264, and/or from about Ala-283 to about Pro-298 in SEQ ID NO:2.
  • nucleic acid fragments of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more epitpope bearing portions of TNFR-6 ⁇ from about Ala-31 to about Thr-46, from about Phe- 57 to about Gln-80, from about Glu-86 to about His-106, from about Thr-108 to about Phe- 119, from about His-129 to about Nal-138, and/or from about Gly-142 to about Pro-166 in SEQ ID ⁇ O:4.
  • “about” includes the particularly recited ranges and rangers larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acids at either terminus or at both termini.
  • polypeptide fragments have been determined to bear antigenic epitopes of the TNFR- 6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptides respectively, by the analysis of the Jameson- Wolf antigenic index, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, above. Further, polypeptide fragments which bear antigenic epitopes of TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ may be easily determined by one of skill in the art using the above-described analysis of the Jameson-Wolf antigenic index, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Methods for determining other such epitope-bearing portions of TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ are described in detail below.
  • the nucleic acids of the invention are less than 100000 kb, 50000 kb, 10000 kb, 1000 kb, 500 kb, 400 kb, 350 kb, 300 kb, 250 kb, 200 kb, 175 kb, 150 kb, 125 kb, 100 kb, 75 kb, 50 kb, 40 kb, 30 kb, 25 kb, 20 kb, 15 kb, 10 kb, 7.5 kb, or 5 kb in length.
  • nucleic acids of the invention comprise at least 15, at least 30, at least 50, at least 100, or at least 250, at least 500, or at least 1000 contiguous nucleotides of TNFR coding sequence, but consist of less than or equal to 1000 kb, 500 kb, 250 kb, 200 kb, 150 kb, 100 kb, 75 kb, 50 kb, 30 kb, 25 kb, 20 kb, 15 kb, 10 kb, or 5 kb of genomic DNA that flanks the 5 ' or 3' coding nucleotide sequence set forth in Figure 1 (SEQ ID NO:l) or Figure 2 (SEQ ID NO:3).
  • nucleic acids of the invention comprise at least 15, at least 30, at least 50, at least 100, or at least 250, at least 500, or at least 1000 contiguous nucleotides of TNFR coding sequence, but do not comprise all or a portion of any TNFR intron.
  • the nucleic acid comprising TNFR coding sequence does not contain coding sequences of a genomic flanking gene (i.e., 5 ' or 3 Jo the TNFR gene in the genome).
  • the nucleic acids of the invention do not contain the coding sequence of more than 1000, 500, 250, 100, 50, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 genomic flanking gene(s).
  • the invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to a portion of the polynucleotide in a nucleic acid molecule of the invention described above, for instance, the cDNA contained in the plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or 97809, or a fragment of the polynucleotide sequence disclosed in Figure 1 and/or Figure 2.
  • stringent hybridization conditions is intended overnight incubation at 42° C in a solution comprising: 50% formamide, 5x SSC (750 mM NaCl, 75 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5x Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 ⁇ g/ml denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing the filters in OJx SSC at about 65° C.
  • a polynucleotide which hybridizes to a "portion" of a polynucleotide is intended a polynucleotide (either DNA or RNA) hybridizing to at least about 15 nucleotides (nt), and more preferably at least about 20 nt, still more preferably at least about 30 nt, and even more preferably about 30-70 (e.g., 50) nt of the reference polynucleotide.
  • nt nucleotides
  • the reference polynucleotide e.g., a deposited cDNA or a nucleotide sequence as shown in Figure 1 or 2 (SEQ ID NO:l or 3
  • “about” includes the particularly recited size, and those sizes that are larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) nucleotides, at either terminus or at both termini.
  • a polynucleotide which hybridizes only to a poly A sequence would not be included in a polynucleotide of the invention used to hybridize to a portion of a nucleic acid of the invention, since such a polynucleotide would hybridize to any nucleic acid molecule containing a poly (A) stretch or the complement thereof (e.g., practically any double-stranded cDNA clone that has been generated using oligo dT as a primer).
  • nucleic acid molecules of the present invention which encode a TNFR polypeptide may include, but are not limited to, those encoding the amino acid sequence of the mature polypeptide, by itself; and the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide and additional sequences, such as those encoding the about 26-35 amino acid leader or secretory sequence, such as a pre-, or pro- or prepro- protein sequence; the coding sequence of the mature polypeptide, with or without the aforementioned additional coding sequences.
  • nucleic acids of the invention are the above protein sequences together with additional, non-coding sequences, including for example, but not limited to introns and non-coding 5' and 3' sequences, such as the transcribed, non-translated sequences that play a role in transcription, mRNA processing, including splicing and polyadenylation signals, for example - ribosome binding and stability of mRNA; an additional coding sequence which codes for additional amino acids, such as those which provide additional functionalities.
  • additional, non-coding sequences including for example, but not limited to introns and non-coding 5' and 3' sequences, such as the transcribed, non-translated sequences that play a role in transcription, mRNA processing, including splicing and polyadenylation signals, for example - ribosome binding and stability of mRNA; an additional coding sequence which codes for additional amino acids, such as those which provide additional functionalities.
  • the sequence encoding the polypeptide may be fused to a marker sequence, such as a sequence encoding a peptide which facilitates purification of the fused polypeptide.
  • the marker amino acid sequence is a hexa-histidine peptide, such as the tag provided in a pQE vector (QIAGEN, Inc., 9259 Eton Avenue, Chatsworth, CA, 91311), among others, many of which are commercially available.
  • a hexa-histidine provides for convenient purification of the fusion protein.
  • the "HA” tag is another peptide useful for purification which corresponds to an epitope derived from the influenza hemagglutinin protein, which has been described by Wilson et al, Cell 37: 767 (1984).
  • other such fusion proteins include a TNFR-6 or TNFR-6 ⁇ fused to Fc at the N- or C-terminus.
  • the present invention further relates to variants of the nucleic acid molecules of the present invention, which encode portions, analogs or derivatives of a TNFR polypeptide. Variants may occur naturally, such as a natural allelic variant. By an "allelic variant" is intended one of several alternate forms of a gene occupying a given locus on a chromosome of an organism. Genes II, Lewin, B., ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York (1985).
  • Non-naturally occurring variants may be produced using art-known mutagenesis techniques which include, but are not limited to oligonucleotide mediated mutagenesis, alanine scanning, PCR mutagenesis, site directed mutagenesis (see e.g., Carter et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 13:4331 (1986); and Zoller et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 10:6487 (1982)), cassette mutagenesis (see e.g., Wells et al., Gene 34:315 (1985)), restriction selection mutagenesis (see e.g., Wells et al, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London SerA 317:415 (1986)).
  • art-known mutagenesis techniques which include, but are not limited to oligonucleotide mediated mutagenesis, alanine scanning, PCR mutagenesis, site directed mutagenesis (see e.g., Carter e
  • the invention also encompasses TNFR variants (e.g., derivatives and analogs) that have one or more amino acid residues deleted, added, or substituted to generate TNFR polypeptides that are better suited for expression, scale up, etc., in the host cells chosen.
  • TNFR variants e.g., derivatives and analogs
  • cysteine residues can be deleted or substituted with another amino acid residue in order to eliminate disulfide bridges
  • N-linked glycosylation sites can be altered or eliminated to achieve, for example, expression of a homogeneous product that is more easily recovered and purified from yeast hosts which are known to hyperglycosylate N-linked sites.
  • amino acid residues of the polypeptides of the invention may be deleted or substituted with another residue to eliminate undesired processing by proteases such as, for example, furins or kexins.
  • polypeptides of the invention containing carboxy terminal TNFR polypeptide sequences may have the amino acid residue corresponding to the arginine residue at position 290 and/or 295 of S ⁇ Q ID NO:2 deleted or substituted with another residue.
  • Variants of the invention include those produced by nucleotide substitutions, deletions or additions.
  • the substitutions, deletions or additions may involve one or more nucleotides.
  • the variants may be altered in coding regions, non-coding regions, or both. Alterations in the coding regions may produce conservative or non-conservative amino acid substitutions, deletions or additions. Especially preferred among these are silent substitutions, additions and deletions, which do not alter the properties and activities of the TNFR polypeptide or portions thereof. Also especially preferred in this regard are conservative substitutions.
  • nucleic acid molecules encoding a mature protein having an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 4 or the mature TNFR polypeptide sequences encoded by the cDNA clone contained in the plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or ATCC Deposit No. 97809.
  • inventions include an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least 90% identical, and more preferably at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a TNFR polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO:2 or 4, or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in the plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No.
  • nucleic acid molecules that comprise a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least 90% identical, and more preferably at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical, to any of the nucleotide sequences in (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e), above, or a polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to a polynucleotide in (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e), above.
  • This polynucleotide which hybridizes does not hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions to a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence consisting of only A residues or of only T residues.
  • An additional nucleic acid embodiment of the invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a polynucleotide which encodes the amino acid sequence of an epitope-bearing portion of a TNFR polypeptide having an amino acid sequence in (a), (b), (c), (d), or (e), above.
  • a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least, for example, 95% "identical" to a reference nucleotide sequence encoding a TNFR polypeptide is intended that the nucleotide sequence of the polynucleotide is identical to the reference sequence except that the polynucleotide sequence may include up to five point mutations per each 100 nucleotides of the reference nucleotide sequence encoding the TNFR polypeptide.
  • a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95% identical to a reference nucleotide sequence up to 5% of the nucleotides in the reference sequence may be deleted or substituted with another nucleotide, or a number of nucleotides up to 5% of the total nucleotides in the reference sequence may be inserted into the reference sequence.
  • These mutations of the reference sequence may occur at the 5' or 3' terminal positions of the reference nucleotide sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions, interspersed either individually among nucleotides in the reference sequence or in one or more contiguous groups within the reference sequence.
  • the reference sequence may be the entire TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR -6 ⁇ encoding sequence shown in Figures 1 (SEQ ID NO:l and 2) and Figure 2 (SEQ ID NO: 3 and 4) or any fragment, variant, derivative or analog thereof, as described herein.
  • nucleic acid molecule is at least 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to, for instance, a nucleotide sequence shown in Figure 1 or 2, or to the nucleotides sequence contained in one or both of the deposited cDNA clones can be determined conventionally using known computer programs such as the Bestfit program (Wisconsin Sequence Analysis Package, Version 8 for Unix, Genetics Computer Group, University Research Park, 575 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711). Bestfit uses the local homology algorithm of Smith and Waterman, Advances in Applied Mathematics 2:482-489 (1981), to find the best segment of homology between two sequences.
  • Bestfit program Wiconsin Sequence Analysis Package, Version 8 for Unix, Genetics Computer Group, University Research Park, 575 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711. Bestfit uses the local homology algorithm of Smith and Waterman, Advances in Applied Mathematics 2:482-489 (1981), to find the best segment of homology between two sequences.
  • the parameters are set, of course, such that the percentage of identity is calculated over the full length of the reference nucleotide sequence and that gaps in homology of up to 5% of the total number of nucleotides in the reference sequence are allowed.
  • the reference (query) sequence may be the entire TNFR encoding nucleotide sequence shown in Figure 1 (SEQ ID NO:l), Figure 2 (SEQ ID NO:3) or any TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ polynucleotide fragment (e.g,.
  • a polynucleotide encoding the amino acid sequence of any of the N or C terminal deletions described herein), variant, derivative or analog, as described herein.
  • identity between a reference (query) sequence (a sequence of the present invention) and a subject sequence is determined using the FASTDB computer program based on the algorithm of Brutlag et al.(Comp. App. Biosci. 6:231-245 (1990)).
  • the percent identity is corrected by calculating the number of bases of the query sequence that are 5' and 3' of the subject sequence, which are not matched/aligned, as a percent of the total bases of the query sequence. A determination of whether a nucleotide is matched/aligned is determined by results of the FASTDB sequence alignment. This percentage is then subtracted from the percent identity, calculated by the above FASTDB program using the specified parameters, to arrive at a final percent identity score. This corrected score is what is used for the purposes of this embodiment.
  • a 90 base subject sequence is compared with a 100 base query sequence. This time the deletions are internal deletions so that there are no bases on the 5' or 3' of the subject sequence which are not matched/aligned with the query. In this case the percent identity calculated by FASTDB is not manually corrected. Once again, only bases 5' and 3' of the subject sequence which are not matched/aligned with the query sequence are manually corrected for. No other manual corrections are made for the purposes of this embodiment.
  • nucleic acid molecules at least 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to a nucleic acid sequence shown in Figure 1 or 2 (SEQ ID NO:l or 3), to the nucleic acid sequence of a deposited cDNA and/or to a nucleic acid sequence otherwise disclosed herein (e.g., encoding polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of a N and/or C terminal deletion disclosed herein, such as, for example, a nucleic acid molecule encoding amino acids Val-30 to His-300 of SEQ ID NO:2), irrespective of whether they encode a polypeptide having TNFR functional activity.
  • SEQ ID NO:l or 3 nucleic acid sequence shown in Figure 1 or 2
  • nucleic acid sequence of a deposited cDNA e.g., encoding polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of a N and/or C terminal deletion disclosed herein, such as, for example, a nucleic acid molecule encoding amino acids Val-30 to His-300 of S
  • nucleic acid molecule does not encode a polypeptide having TNFR functional activity
  • one of skill in the art would still know how to use the nucleic acid molecule, for instance, as a hybridization probe or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer.
  • PCR polymerase chain reaction
  • nucleic acid molecules of the present invention that do not encode a polypeptide having TNFR functional activity include, inter alia, (1) isolating a TNFR gene or allelic variants thereof in a cDNA library; (2) in situ hybridization (e.g., "FISH") to metaphase chromosomal spreads to provide precise chromosomal location of the TNFR gene, as described in Verma et al, Human Chromosomes: A Manual of Basic Techniques, Pergamon Press, New York (1988); and Northern Blot analysis for detecting TNFR mRNA expression in specific tissues.
  • FISH in situ hybridization
  • nucleic acid molecules having sequences at least 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to a nucleic acid sequence shown in Figure 1 or 2 (SEQ JD NOS:l or 3) or to the nucleic acid sequence of the cDNA clone contained in the plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or ATCC Deposit No. 97809, and/or to a nucleic acid sequence otherwise disclosed herein (e.g., encoding polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of a N and/or C terminal deletion disclosed herein), which do, in fact, encode polypeptides having TNFR (i.e., TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ ) protein functional activity.
  • TNFR i.e., TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇
  • a polypeptide having TNFR functional activity is intended polypeptides exhibiting activity similar, but not necessarily identical, to an activity of a TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ protein of the invention (e.g., complete (full-length), mature, and extracellular domain as measured, for example, in a particular immunoassay or biological assay.
  • TNFR-60C and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ activity can be measured by determining the ability of a TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptide to bind a TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or -6 ⁇ ligand (e.g., Fas Ligand and/or AIM-II (International application publication number WO 97/34911, published September 25, 1997).
  • TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ functional activity is measured by determining the ability of a polypeptide, such as cognate ligand which is free or expressed on a cell surface, to induce apoptosis.
  • the TNF family ligands induce various cellular responses by binding to TNF- family receptors, including the TNFR-6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ of the present invention.
  • Cells which express the TNFR proteins are believed to have a potent cellular response to TNFR-I receptor ligands including B lymphocytes (CD19+), both CD4 and CD8+ T lymphocytes, monocytes and endothelial cells.
  • a "cellular response to a TNF-family ligand" is intended any genotypic, phenotypic, and/or morphological change to a cell, cell line, tissue, tissue culture or patient that is induced by a TNF-family ligand.
  • such cellular responses include not only normal physiological responses to TNF-family ligands, but also diseases associated with increased cell proliferation or the inhibition of increased cell proliferation, such as by the inhibition of apoptosis.
  • Screening assays for the forgoing are known in the art.
  • One such screening assay involves the use of cells which express the receptor (for example, transfected CHO cells) in a system which measures extracellular pH changes caused by receptor activation, for example, as described in Science 246:181-296 (October 1989).
  • a TNF-family ligand may be contacted with a cell which expresses the mature form of the receptor polypeptide of the present invention and a second messenger response, e.g., signal transduction or pH changes, may be measured to determine whether the TNFR polypeptide is active.
  • a second messenger response e.g., signal transduction or pH changes
  • degenerate variants of these nucleotide sequences all encode the same polypeptide, this will be clear to the skilled artisan even without performing the above described comparison assay.
  • nucleic acid molecules that are not degenerate variants, a reasonable number will also encode a polypeptide having TNFR protein functional activity. This is because the skilled artisan is fully aware of amino acid substitutions that are either less likely or not likely to significantly effect protein function (e.g., replacing one aliphatic amino acid with a second aliphatic amino acid), as further described below.
  • the present invention also relates to vectors which include the isolated nucleic acid molecules of the present invention, host cells which are genetically engineered with the recombinant vectors, or which are otherwise engineered to produce the polypeptides of the invention, and the production of TNFR polypeptides, or fragments thereof, by recombinant techniques.
  • the polynucleotides of the invention are joined to a vector (e.g., a cloning or expression vector).
  • the vector may be, for example, a phage, plasmid, viral or retroviral vector.
  • Retroviral vectors may be replication competent or replication defective. In the latter case, viral propagation generally will occur only in complementing host cells.
  • a plasmid vector is introduced in a precipitate, such as a calcium phosphate precipitate, or in a complex with a charged lipid. If the vector is a virus, it may be packaged in vitro using an appropriate packaging cell line and then transduced into host cells.
  • recombinant expression vectors will include origins of replication and selectable markers permitting transformation of the host cell, e.g., the ampicillin resistance gene of E. coli and S. cerevisiae TRPl gene, and a promoter derived from a highly-expressed gene to direct transcription of a downstream structural sequence.
  • promoters can be derived from operons encoding glycolytic enzymes such as 3 -phosphogly cerate kinase (PGK), a-factor, acid phosphatase, or heat shock proteins, among others.
  • the expression constructs will further contain sites for transcription initiation, termination and, in the transcribed region, a ribosome binding site for translation.
  • the coding portion of the transcripts expressed by the constructs will preferably include a translation initiating codon at the beginning and a termination codon (UAA, UGA or UAG) appropriately positioned at the end of the polypeptide to be translated.
  • the heterologous structural sequence is assembled in appropriate phase with translation initiation and termination sequences, and preferably, a leader sequence capable of directing secretion of translated protein into the periplasmic space or extracellular medium.
  • the heterologous sequence can encode a fusion protein including an N-terminal identification peptide imparting desired characteristics, for example, stabilization or simplified purification of expressed recombinant product.
  • the DNA of the invention is operatively associated with an appropriate heterologous regulatory element (e.g., promoter or enhancer), such as, the phage lambda PL promoter, the E. coli lac, trp, phoA, and tac promoters, the S V40 early and late promoters and promoters of retroviral LTRs, to name a few.
  • an appropriate heterologous regulatory element e.g., promoter or enhancer
  • promoter or enhancer such as, the phage lambda PL promoter, the E. coli lac, trp, phoA, and tac promoters, the S V40 early and late promoters and promoters of retroviral LTRs, to name a few.
  • promoter or enhancer such as, the phage lambda PL promoter, the E. coli lac, trp, phoA, and tac promoters, the S V40 early and late promoters and promoters of retroviral LTRs,
  • the expression vectors will preferably include at least one selectable marker.
  • markers include dihydrofolate reductase, glutamine synthase, G418 or neomycin resistance for eukaryotic cell culture and tetracycline, kanamycin or ampicillin resistance genes for culturing in E. coli and other bacteria.
  • Vectors which use glutamine synthase (GS) or DHFR as the selectable markers can be amplified in the presence of the drugs methionine sulphoximine or methotrexate, respectively.
  • the availability of drugs which inhibit the function of the enzymes encoded by these selectable markers allows for selection of cell lines in which the vector sequences have been amplified after integration into the host cell's DNA.
  • An advantage of glutamine synthase based vectors are the availabilty of cell lines (e.g., the murine myeloma cell line, NS0) which are glutamine synthase negative.
  • Vectors containing glutamine synthase can also be amplified in glutamine synthase expressing cells (e.g.
  • Representative examples of appropriate hosts include, but are not limited to, bacterial cells, such as E. coli, Streptomyces and Salmonella typhimurium cells; fungal cells, such as yeast cells; insect cells such as Drosophila S2 and Spodoptera Sf9 cells; animal cells such as CHO, COS, 293 and Bowes melanoma cells; and plant cells.
  • bacterial cells such as E. coli, Streptomyces and Salmonella typhimurium cells
  • fungal cells such as yeast cells
  • insect cells such as Drosophila S2 and Spodoptera Sf9 cells
  • animal cells such as CHO, COS, 293 and Bowes melanoma cells
  • Appropriate culture mediums and conditions for the above-described host cells are known in the art.
  • the host cell can be a higher eukaryotic cell, such as a mammalian cell (e.g., a human derived cell), or a lower eukaryotic cell, such as a yeast cell, or the host cell can be a prokaryotic cell, such as a bacterial cell.
  • the host strain may be chosen which modulates the expression of the inserted gene sequences, or modifies and processes the gene product in the specific fashion desired. Expression from certain promoters can be elevated in the presence of certain inducers; thus expression of the genetically engineered polypeptide may be controlled.
  • different host cells have characteristics and specific mechanisms for the translational and post-translational processing and modification (e.g., phosphorylation, cleavage) of proteins.
  • Appropriate cell lines can be chosen to ensure the desired modifications and processing of the foreign protein expressed.
  • Selection of appropriate vectors and promoters for expression in a host cell is a well known procedure and the requisite techniques for expression vector construction, introduction of the vector into the host and expression in the host are routine skills in the art.
  • Useful expression vectors for bacterial use are constructed by inserting a structural DNA sequence encoding a desired protein together with suitable translation initiation and termination signals in onerable readinp- nhase with a functional nr ⁇ mnfp.r Thp. vpr.tnr will
  • plasmids comprising genetic elements of the well known cloning vector pBR322 (ATCC 37017).
  • cloning vector pBR322 ATCC 37017
  • Such commercial vectors include, for example, pKK223-3 (Pharmacia Fine Chemicals, Uppsala, Sweden) and GEM1 (Promega Biotec, Madison, WI, USA).
  • pBR322 "backbone" sections are combined with an appropriate promoter and the structural sequence to be expressed.
  • vectors preferred for use in bacteria include pHE4-5 (ATCC Accession No.
  • pQE70, pQE60 and QE-9 available from QIAGEN, Inc., supra
  • pBS vectors Phagescript vectors, Bluescript vectors, pNH8A, pNH16a, pNH18A, pNH46A, available from Stratagene; and ptrc99a, pKK223-3, pKK233-3, pDR540, pRIT5 available from Pharmacia.
  • preferred eukaryotic vectors are pWLNEO, pSV2CAT, pOG44, pXTl and pSG available from Stratagene; and pSVK3, pBPV, pMSG and pSVL available from Pharmacia.
  • Other suitable vectors will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan.
  • the selected promoter is induced by appropriate means (e.g., temperature shift or chemical induction) and cells are cultured for an additional period.
  • appropriate means e.g., temperature shift or chemical induction
  • Cells are typically harvested by centrifugation, disrupted by physical or chemical means, and the resulting crude extract retained for further purification.
  • ' Microbial cells employed in expression of proteins can be disrupted by any convenient method, including freeze-thaw cycling, sonication, mechanical disruption, or use of cell lysing agents, such methods are well know to those skilled in the art.
  • Transcription of the DNA encoding the polypeptides of the present invention by higher eukaryotes is increased by inserting an enhancer sequence into the vector. Enhancers are czs-acting elements of DNA, usually about from 10 to 300 bp that act on a promoter to increase its transcription.
  • Various mammalian cell culture systems can also be employed to express recombinant protein. Examples of mammalian expression systems include the COS-7 lines of monkey kidney fibroblasts, described by Gluzman (Cell 23:175 (1981)), and other cell lines capable of expressing a compatible vector, for example, the C127, 3T3, CHO, NSO HeLa and BH cell lines. NSO cell lines are particularly suitable host cells for transformation with polynucleotides and expression vectors of the invention.
  • Mammalian expression vectors will comprise an origin of replication, a suitable promoter and enhancer, and also any necessary ribosome binding sites, polyadenylation site, splice donor and acceptor sites, transcriptional termination sequences, and 5' flanking nontranscribed sequences.
  • DNA sequences derived from the S V40 splice, and polyadenylation sites may be used to provide the required nontranscribed genetic elements.
  • Introduction of the vector construct into the host cell can be effected by techniques known in the art which include, but are not limited to, calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE-dextran mediated transfection, cationic lipid-mediated transfection, electroporation, transduction, infection or other methods. Such methods are described in many standard laboratory manuals, such as Davis et al, Basic Methods In Molecular Biology (1986).
  • the invention also encompasses primary, secondary, and immortalized host cells of vertebrate origin, particularly mammalian origin, that have been engineered to delete or replace endogenous genetic material (e.g., TNFR coding sequence), and/or to include genetic material (e.g., heterologous polynucleotide sequences) that is operably associated with TNFR polynucleotides of the invention, and which activates, alters, and/or amplifies endogenous TNFR polynucleotides.
  • endogenous genetic material e.g., TNFR coding sequence
  • genetic material e.g., heterologous polynucleotide sequences
  • heterologous control regions e.g., promoter and/or enhancer
  • endogenous TNFR polynucleotide sequences via homologous recombination
  • heterologous control regions e.g., promoter and/or enhancer
  • endogenous TNFR polynucleotide sequences via homologous recombination
  • the host cells described infra can be used in a conventional manner to produce the gene product encoded by the recombinant sequence.
  • cell-free translation systems can also be employed to produce the polypeptides of the invention using RNAs derived from the DNA constructs of the present invention.
  • the polypeptide of the invention may be expressed or synthesized in a modified form, such as a fusion protein (comprising the polypeptide joined via a peptide bond to a heterologous protein sequence (of a different protein), e.g., the signal peptide of CK-beta8 (amino acids -21 to -1 of the C -D8 sequence disclosed in published PCT application PCT/US95/09058; filed 6/23/95) or the signal peptide of stanniocalcin (See ATCC Accession No. 75652, deposited January 25, 1994)), and may include not only secretion signals, but also additional heterologous functional regions.
  • a fusion protein comprising the polypeptide joined via a peptide bond to a heterologous protein sequence (of a different protein), e.g., the signal peptide of CK-beta8 (amino acids -21 to -1 of the C -D8 sequence disclosed in published PCT application PCT/US95/
  • Such a fusion protein can be made by ligating polynucleotides of the invention and the desired nucleic acid sequence encoding the desired amino acid sequence to each other, by methods known in the art, in the proper reading frame, and expressing the fusion protein product by methods known in the art.
  • a fusion protein can be made by protein synthetic techniques, e.g., by use of a peptide synthesizer.
  • a region of additional amino acids, particularly charged amino acids may be added to the N-terminus of the polypeptide to improve stability and persistence in the host cell, during purification, or during subsequent handling and storage.
  • peptide moieties may be added to the polypeptide to facilitate purification.
  • polynucleotides encoding TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides of the invention may be fused to signal sequences which will direct the localization of a protein of the invention to particular compartments of a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell and or direct the secretion of a protein of the invention from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell.
  • signal sequences which will direct the localization of a protein of the invention to particular compartments of a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell and or direct the secretion of a protein of the invention from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell.
  • signal sequences or proteins (or fragments thereof) to which the polypeptides of the invention may be fused in order to direct the expression of the polypeptide to the periplasrnic space of bacteria include, but are not limited to, the pelB signal sequence, the maltose binding protein (MBP) signal sequence, MBP, the ompA signal sequence, the signal sequence of the periplasrnic E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin B-subunit, the signal sequence of chemokine-beta-8, and the signal sequence of alkaline phosphatase.
  • MBP maltose binding protein
  • polynucleotides encoding TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides of the invention may be fused to the pelB pectate lyase signal sequence to increase the efficiency of expression and purification of such polypeptides in Gram-negative bacteria. See, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,576,195 and 5,846,818, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.
  • Examples of signal peptides that may be fused to a polypeptide of the invention in order to direct its secretion in mammalian cells include, but are not limited to, the MPIF-1 signal sequence (amino acids 1-21 of GenBank Accession number AAB51134), the stanniocalcin signal sequence (MLQNSAVLLLLVISASA, SEQ ID NO:29), and a consensus signal sequence (MPTWAWWLFLNLLLALWAPARG, SEQ ID ⁇ O:30).
  • a suitable signal sequence that may be used in conjunction with baculoviral expression systems is the gp67 signal sequence, (amino acids 1-19 of GenBank Accession Number AAA72759).
  • a preferred fusion protein comprises a heterologous region from immunoglobulin that is useful to stabilize and purify proteins.
  • EP-A-0464 533 (Canadian counterpart 2045869) discloses fusion proteins comprising various portions of constant region of immunoglobulin molecules together with another human protein or part thereof.
  • the Fc part in a fusion protein is thoroughly advantageous for use in therapy and diagnosis and thus results, for example, in improved pharmacokinetic properties (EP-A 0232 262).
  • the IgGl m(f) allele is used to generate Fc fusion proteins of the invention.
  • the IgGl m(f) allele in which the cysteine residue at position 220 in the hinge region of the constant region is substituted with a serine amino acid residue is used.
  • an enterokinase cleavage site between the protein of the invention and the fusion moiety e.g. Fc constant region
  • the protein of the invention may be separated from the fusion moiety by digestion with enterokinase.
  • enterokinase for example, human proteins, such as hIL-5 has been fused with Fc portions for the purpose of high-throughput screening assays to identify antagonists of hIL-5. See, D. Bennett et al., J. Molecular Recognition 8:52-58 (1995) and K. Johanson et al, J. Biol. Chem. 270:9459-9411 (1995).
  • preferred fusion proteins of the invention comprise a portion of an immunoglobulin light chain (i.e., a portion of a kappa or lambda light chain).
  • the fusion proteins of the invention comprise a portion of the constant region of a kappa or lambda light chain.
  • Polypeptides of the invention may also be fused to albumin (including but not limited to recombinant human serum albumin (HSA) (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 5,876,969, issued March 2, 1999, EP Patent 0413 622, and U.S. Patent No. 5,766,883, issued June 16, 1998, herein incorporated by reference in their entirety)), resulting in chimeric polypeptides.
  • HSA human serum albumin
  • polypeptides (including antibodies) of the present invention are fused with the mature form of human serum albumin (i.e., amino acids 1 - 585 of human serum albumin as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of EP Patent 0 322 094) which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
  • polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present invention are fused with polypeptide fragments comprising, or alternatively consisting of, amino acid residues 1- z of human serum albumin, where z is an integer from 369 to 419, as described in U.S. Patent 5,766,883 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
  • Polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present invention may be fused to either the N- or C-terminal end of the heterologous protein (e.g., immunoglobulin Fc polypeptide or human serum albumin polypeptide).
  • heterologous protein e.g., immunoglobulin Fc polypeptide or human serum albumin polypeptide.
  • human serum albumin TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta fusion proteins may be used therapeutically in accordance with the invention, in the same manner as, for example, the TNFR-6 - and TNFR-6 ⁇ - Fc fusion proteins described herein, below (see, e.g., Examples 22 and 23).
  • fusion proteins of the invention include fusion of TNFR-6 alpha or TNFR-6 beta, or even TNFR-6 alpha-Fc fusion protein, TNFR-6 beta-Fc fusion protein, TNFR-6 alpha-HSA fusion protein, or TNFR-6 beta-HSA fusion protein, fused to glucoamylase (e.g., GenBank Accession Number P23176 or P04064).
  • Nucleic acids encoding such fusion proteins operably associated with appropriate regulatory sequences and/or selectable markers may be expressed in fungal cells including, for example, Saccharomyces species such as S. cerevisiae, Aspergillus species such as A. niger and Chrysosporium species such as C. lucknowense.
  • Exemplary fragments of TNFR-6 alpha, that may be fused to a heterologous polypeptide, for example, immunoglobulin Fc domain or human serum albumin include, but are not limited to, amino acid residues 1-299, 1-300, 23-300, 34-300, 30-300, 1-195, 1-221, 1-254, 1-271, 35-300, 42-300, 47-300, and 48-300 of SEQ ID NO:2.
  • amino acid residues 30-300 of SEQ ED NO:2 are fused to an immunoglobulin Fc domain or human serum albumin.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs for expressing TNFR-6 alpha or fragments, variants or fusion proteins thereof, in which the polynucleotide encoding the TNFR-6 alpha polypeptide comprises exons 1, 2, and 3 of TNFR-6 alpha as well as the intervening introns, see for example SEQ JD NO:27, wherein exon 1 consists of nucleotides 425-560 of SEQ JD NO:27 and exon 2 consists of nucleotides 756-1512 of SEQ JD NO:27.
  • the above expression constructs comprising TNFR-6 alpha exons and introns may also be designed so that the TNFR-6 alpha protein will be expressed as a fusion protein (e.g., an Fc fusion protein or a human serum albumin fusion protein).
  • a fusion protein e.g., an Fc fusion protein or a human serum albumin fusion protein.
  • the proteins expressed by these expression constructs are also encompassed by the present invention.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs that express fragments of TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta containing the cysteine rich domains (e.g., amino acid residues 1-195 of SEQ JD NO:2) either alone or as a fusion protein (e.g., an Fc fusion protein or a human serum albumin fusion protein).
  • a fusion protein e.g., an Fc fusion protein or a human serum albumin fusion protein.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs for expressing TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta as a fusion protein with TR2 (SEQ ID NO:31, also described in International Publication Numbers WO96/34095 and WO98/18824 which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties).
  • the present invention encompasses an expression vector for expressing a TR2- TNFR-6 alphaTR2 fusion protein comprising amino acids M1-S41 of TR2 (SEQ JD NO:31) fused to C48-S195 of TNFR-6 alpha (SEQ JD NO:2) fused to S186-A192 of TR2 (SEQ JD NO:31).
  • the TR2-TNFR-6 alpha-TR2 fusion protein is additionally fused to an immunoglobulin Fc region or to human serum albumin.
  • the proteins expressed by these expression constructs as well as polynucleotides encoding the proteins expressed by these expression constructs, are also encompassed by the present invention.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs for expressing TNFR-6 alpha fusions proteins in which the last 6 amino acids of TNFR-6 alpha have been deleted and replaced with the amino acid sequence NIT.
  • Such fusion proteins have the TNFR-6 alpha protein N-terminal of the fusion protein moiety (e.g., an immunoglobulin Fc region or human serum albumin).
  • the NIT sequence may serve as a glycosylation site.
  • the carbohydrate moieties on a glycosylated TNFR-6 alpha (M1-E294 of SEQ ID NO:2)-NIT-fusion protein may mask the fusion protein junction and prevent cleavage of the protein in the host cell.
  • the TNFR-6 alpha (M1-E294 of SEQ ED NO:2)-NIT-fusion proteins (glycosylated and non-glycosylated) are also encompassed by the present invention, as are polynucleotides encoding the TNFR-6 alpha (M1-E294 of SEQ ID NO:2)-NIT-fusion proteins.
  • the present invention encompasses TNFR-6 alpha proteins which contain alanine- 160 to aspargine (A160N) and/or serine-186 to asparagine (S186N) point mutations.
  • the present invention also encompasses TNFR-6 alpha (A160N, S186N) fusion polypeptides (e.g., TNFR6- alpha (A160N, S186N) fused to an immunoglobulin Fc domain or to human serum albumin).
  • Polynucleotides encoding these TNFR-6 alpha (A160N, S186N) polypeptides (both fusion and non-fusion) as well as vectors comprising polynucleotides encoding these TNFR-6 alpha (A160N, S186N) polypeptides, are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs which comprise a polynucleotide encoding mammalian synthetic TNFR-6 alpha (SEQ JD NO:32).
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs which comprise a polynucleotide encoding mammalian synthetic TNFR-6 alpha (SEQ ID NO:32) operably linked to a heterologous regulatory sequence.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs which comprise a polynucleotide encoding mammalian synthetic TNFR-6 alpha (SEQ JD NO:32) fused in frame to a polynucleotide encoding a heterologous polypeptide, such as a polynucleotide encoding an immunoglobulin constant domain or human serum albumin.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs which comprise a polynucleotide encoding TNFR-6 alpha which has been codon optimized for expression in yeast (SEQ ID NO:33).
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs which comprise polynucleotide encoding TNFR-6 alpha which has been codon optimized for expression in yeast (SEQ JD NO:33) operably linked to a heterologous regulatory sequence.
  • the present invention provides TNFR-6 alpha expression constructs which polynucleotide encoding TNFR-6 alpha which has been codon optimized for expression in yeast (SEQ ID NO:33) fused in frame to a polynucleotide encoding a heterologous polypeptide such as, a polynucleotide encoding an immunoglobulin constant domain or human serum albumin.
  • Proteins of the present invention include: products purified from natural sources, including bodily fluids, tissues and cells, whether directly isolated or cultured; products of chemical synthetic procedures; and products produced by recombinant techniques from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host, including, for example, bacterial, yeast, higher plant, insect and mammalian cells.
  • a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host including, for example, bacterial, yeast, higher plant, insect and mammalian cells.
  • the polypeptides of the present invention may be glycosylated or may be non-glycosylated.
  • polypeptides of the invention may also include an initial modified methionine residue, in some cases as a result of host-mediated processes.
  • Proteins of the invention can be chemically synthesized using techniques known in the art (e.g., see Creighton, 1983, Proteins: Structures and Molecular Principles, W.H. Freeman & Co., N.Y., and Hunkapiller, M., et al, Nature 370:105-111 (1984)).
  • a peptide corresponding to a fragment of the complete TNFR (i.e., TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ ) polypeptides of the invention can be synthesized by use of a peptide synthesizer.
  • nonclassical amino acids or chemical amino acid analogs can be introduced as a substitution or addition into the TNFR polypeptide sequence.
  • Non-classical amino acids include, but are not limited to, to the D-isomers of the common amino acids, 2,4- diaminobutyric acid, a-amino isobutyric acid, 4-aminobutyric acid, Abu, 2-amino butyric acid, g-Abu, e-Ahx, 6-amino hexanoic acid, Aib, 2-amino isobutyric acid, 3-amino propionic acid, ornithine, norleucine, norvaline, hydroxyproline, sarcosine, citrulline, homocitrulline, cysteic acid, t-butylglycine, t-butylalanine, phenylglycine, cyclohexylalanine, b-alanine, fluoro-amino acids, designer amino acids such as b-methyl amino acids, Ca-methyl amino acids, Na-methyl amino acids, and amino acid analogs in general. Furthermore, the amino acid can
  • the TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta proteins may be modified by either natural processes, such as posttranslational processing, or by chemical modification techniques which are well known in the art. It will be appreciated that the same type of modification may be present in the same or varying degrees at several sites in a given TNFR- 6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta protein. Also, a given TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta protein may contain many types of modifications. TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta proteins may be branched , for example, as a result of ubiquitination, and they may be cyclic, with or without branching.
  • Cyclic, branched, and branched cyclic TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta proteins may result from posttranslation natural processes or may be made by synthetic methods. Modifications include acetylation, acylation, ADP-ribosylation, amidation, covalent attachment of flavin, covalent attachment of a heme moiety, covalent attachment of a nucleotide or nucleotide derivative, covalent attachment of a lipid or lipid derivative, covalent attachment of phosphotidylinositol, cross-linking, cyclization, disulfide bond formation, demethylation, formation of covalent cross-links, formation of cysteine, formation of pyroglutamate, formylation, gamma-carboxylation, glycosylation, GPI anchor formation, hydroxylation, iodination, methylation, myristoylation, oxidation, pegylation, proteolytic processing, phosphorylation, prenylation, racemization
  • the invention encompasses TNFR-6 ⁇ and or TNFR-6 ⁇ proteins which are differentially modified during or after translation, e.g., by glycosylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, amidation, derivatization by known protecting blocking groups, proteolytic cleavage, linkage to an antibody molecule or other cellular ligand, etc.
  • Additional post-translational modifications encompassed by the invention include, for example, e.g., N-linked or O-linked carbohydrate chains, processing of N-terminal or C-terminal ends), attachment of chemical moieties to the amino acid backbone, chemical modifications of N-linked or O-linked carbohydrate chains, and addition or deletion of an N-terminal methionine residue as a result of procaryotic host cell expression.
  • the polypeptides may also be modified with a detectable label, such as an enzymatic, fluorescent, isotopic or affinity label to allow for detection and isolation of the protein.
  • the present invention further encompasses TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptides or fragments thereof conjugated to a diagnostic agent (e.g. a detecable agent) and/or therapeutic agent.
  • a diagnostic agent e.g. a detecable agent
  • detectable substances include various enzymes, prosthetic groups, fluorescent materials, luminescent materials, bioluminescent materials, radioactive materials, positron emitting metals using various positron emission tomographies, and nonradioactive paramagnetic metal ions.
  • the detectable substance may be coupled or conjugated either directly to the polypeptide (or fragment thereof) or indirectly, through an intermediate (such as, for example, a linker known in the art) using techniques known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Patent No.
  • suitable enzymes include horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, beta- galactosidase, or acetylcholinesterase;
  • suitable prosthetic group complexes include streptavidin/biotin and avidin/biotin;
  • suitable fluorescent materials include umbelhferone, fluorescein, fluorescein isothiocyanate, rhodamine, dichlorotriazinylamine fluorescein, dansyl chloride or phycoerythrin;
  • an example of a luminescent material includes luminol;
  • bioluminescent materials include luciferase, luciferin, and aequorin;
  • suitable radioactive material include iodine ( 12, I, ' 23 1, 125 1, 131 I), carbon ( 14 C), sulfur ( 35 S), tritium ( 3 H
  • TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptides or fragments or variants thereof may be conjugated to a therapeutic moiety such as a cytotoxin, e.g., a cytostatic or cytocidal agent, a therapeutic agent or a radioactive metal ion, e.g., alpha-emitters such as, for example, 21 ⁇ i or other radioisotopes such as, for example, 103 Pd, 133 Xe, 131 1, 68 Ge, 57 Co, K Zn, 85 Sc,r, 32- Pr,, 35 S 0 , 90- Yr, 153 S,-,m, 153 G,-,d j, 169- Y ⁇ b,, SI C * -,r, 54 ⁇ M «-n, 75 Se, H3 Sr ⁇ n, 90 Yr, 117r Tpm- , 18&r,.e, 188- R,,e and j 166- Hr ⁇
  • TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptides or fragments or variants thereof are attached to macrocyclic chelators useful for conjugating radiometal ions, including but not limited to, 177 Lu, 90 Y, 166 Ho, and 153 Sm, to polypeptides.
  • the radiometal ion associated with the macrocyclic chelators attached to TNFR- 6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptides of the invention is ⁇ In.
  • the radiometal ion associated with the macrocyclic chelator attached to TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptides of the invention is 90 Y.
  • the macrocyclic chelator is 1,4,7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid (DOTA).
  • DOTA is attached to the an antibody of the invention or fragment thereof via a linker molecule.
  • linker molecules useful for conjugating DOTA to a polypeptide are commonly known in the art - see, for example, DeNardo et al., Clin Cancer Res. 4(10):2483-90, 1998; Peterson et al., Bioconjug. Chem. 10(4):553-7, 1999; and Zimmerman et al, Nucl. Med. Biol.
  • TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ which may provide additional advantages such as increased solubility, stability and circulating time of the polypeptide, or decreased immunogenicity (see US Patent Number 4,119,331).
  • the chemical moieties for derivitization may be selected from water soluble polymers such as polyethylene glycol, ethylene glycol/propylene glycol copolymers, carboxymethylcellulose, dextran, polyvinyl alcohol and the like.
  • the polypeptides may be modified at random positions within the molecule, or at predetermined positions within the molecule and may include one, two, three or more attached chemical moieties.
  • the polymer may be of any molecular weight, and may be branched or unbranched.
  • the preferred molecular weight is between about 1 kDa and about 100 kDa (the term "about” indicating that in preparations of polyethylene glycol, some molecules will weigh more, some less, than the stated molecular weight) for ease in handling and manufacturing.
  • Other sizes may be used, depending on the desired therapeutic profile (e.g., the duration of sustained release desired, the effects, if any on biological activity, the ease in handling, the degree or lack of antigenicity and other known effects of the polyethylene glycol to a therapeutic protein or analog).
  • the polyethylene glycol may have an average molecular weight of about 200, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500, 7000, 7500, 8000, 8500, 9000, 9500, 10,000, 10,500, 11,000, 11,500, 12,000, 12,500, 13,000, 13,500, 14,000, 14,500, 15,000, 15,500, 16,000, 16,500, 17,000, 17,500, 18,000, 18,500, 19,000, 19,500, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 50,000, 55,000, 60,000, 65,000, 70,000, 75,000, 80,000, 85,000, 90,000, 95,000, or 100,000 kDa.
  • the polyethylene glycol may have a branched structure.
  • Branched polyethylene glycols are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,643,575; Morpurgo et al, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 56:59-12 (1996); Vorobjev et al, Nucleosides Nucleotides 18:2145-2150 (1999); and Caliceti etal, Bioconjug. Chem. 10:638-646 (1999), the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
  • the polyethylene glycol molecules should be attached to the protein with consideration of effects on functional or antigenic domains of the protein.
  • polyethylene glycol may be covalently bound through amino acid residues via a reactive group, such as, a free amino or carboxyl group.
  • Reactive groups are those to which an activated polyethylene glycol molecule may be bound.
  • the amino acid residues having a free amino group may include lysine residues and the N-terminal amino acid residues; those having a free carboxyl group may include aspartic acid residues glutamic acid residues and the C-terminal amino acid residue.
  • Sulfhydryl groups may also be used as a reactive group for attaching the polyethylene glycol molecules. Preferred for therapeutic purposes is attachment at an amino group, such as attachment at the N-terminus or lysine group.
  • polyethylene glycol may be attached to proteins via linkage to any of a number of amino acid residues.
  • polyethylene glycol can be linked to a proteins via covalent bonds to lysine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, or cysteine residues.
  • One or more reaction chemistries may be employed to attach polyethylene glycol to specific amino acid residues (e.g., lysine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, or cysteine) of the protein or to more than one type of amino acid residue (e.g., lysine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, cysteine and combinations thereof) of the protein.
  • polyethylene glycol as an illustration of the present composition, one may select from a variety of polyethylene glycol molecules (by molecular weight, branching, etc.), the proportion of polyethylene glycol molecules to protein (or peptide) molecules in the reaction mix, the type of pegylation reaction to be performed, and the method of obtaining the selected N-terminally pegylated protein.
  • the method of obtaining the N-terminally pegylated preparation i.e., separating this moiety from other monopegylated moieties if necessary
  • Selective proteins chemically modified at the N-terminus modification may be accomplished by reductive alkylation which exploits differential reactivity of different types of primary amino groups (lysine versus the N-terminal) available for derivatization in a particular protein. Under the appropriate reaction conditions, substantially selective derivatization of the protein at the N-terminus with a carbonyl group containing polymer is achieved.
  • pegylation of the proteins of the invention may be accomplished by any number of means.
  • polyethylene glycol may be attached to the protein either directly or by an intervening linker.
  • Linkerless systems for attaching polyethylene glycol to proteins are described in Delgado et al, Crit. Rev. Tliera. Drug Carrier Sys. 9:249-304 (1992); Francis et al, Intern. J. of Hematol. 68:1-18 (1998); U.S. Patent No. 4,002,531; U.S. Patent No. 5,349,052; WO 95/06058; and WO 98/32466, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
  • One system for attaching polyethylene glycol directly to amino acid residues of- proteins without an intervening linker employs tresylated MPEG, which is produced by the modification of monmethoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG) using tresylchloride (ClSO-CILCF j ).
  • MPEG monmethoxy polyethylene glycol
  • ClSO-CILCF j tresylchloride
  • polyethylene glycol is directly attached to amine groups of the protein.
  • the invention includes protein- polyethylene glycol conjugates produced by reacting proteins of the invention with a polyethylene glycol molecule having a 2,2,2-trifluoreothane sulphonyl group.
  • Polyethylene glycol can also be attached to proteins using a number of different intervening linkers. For example, U.S.
  • Patent No. 5,612,460 discloses urethane linkers for connecting polyethylene glycol to proteins.
  • Protein-polyethylene glycol conjugates wherein the polyethylene glycol is attached to the protein by a linker can also be produced by reaction of proteins with compounds such as MPEG-succinimidylsuccinate, MPEG activated with lJ'-carbonyldiimidazole, MPEG-2,4,5-trichloropenylcarbonate, MPEG-p- nitrophenolcarbonate, and various MPEG-succinate derivatives.
  • the number of polyethylene glycol moieties attached to each protein of the invention may also vary.
  • the pegylated proteins of the invention may be linked, on average, to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, or more polyethylene glycol molecules.
  • the average degree of substitution within ranges such as 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, 4-6, 5-7, 6-8, 7-9, 8-10, 9-11, 10-12, 11-13, 12-14, 13-15, 14-16, 15-17, 16-18, 17-19, or 18-20 polyethylene glycol moieties per protein molecule. Methods for determining the degree of substitution are discussed, for example, in Delgado et al, Crit. Rev. Thera. Drug Carrier Sys. 9:249-304 (1992).
  • the TNFR proteins can be recovered and purified by known methods which include, but are not limited to, ammonium sulfate or ethanol precipitation, acid extraction, anion or cation exchange chromatography, phosphocellulose chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, affinity chromatography, hydroxylapatite chromatography and lectin chromatography. Most preferably, high performance liquid chromatography (“HPLC”) is employed for purification.
  • HPLC high performance liquid chromatography
  • the invention further provides for the proteins containing polypeptide sequences encoded by the polynucleotides of the invention.
  • the TNFR proteins of the invention may be in monomers or multimers (i.e., dimers, trimers, tetramers, and higher multimers). Accordingly, the present invention relates to monomers and multimers of the TNFR proteins of the invention, their preparation, and compositions (preferably, pharmaceutical compositions) containing them.
  • the polypeptides of the invention are monomers, dimers, trimers or tetramers.
  • the multimers of the invention are at least dimers, at least trimers, or at least tetramers.
  • Multimers encompassed by the invention may be homomers or heteromers.
  • the term homomer refers to a multimer containing only TNFR proteins of the invention (including TNFR fragments, variants, and fusion proteins, as described herein). These homomers may contain TNFR proteins having identical or different polypeptide sequences.
  • a homomer of the invention is a multimer containing only TNFR proteins having an identical polypeptide sequence.
  • a homomer of the invention is a multimer containing TNFR proteins having different polypeptide sequences.
  • the multimer of the invention is a homodimer (e.g., containing TNFR proteins having identical or different polypeptide sequences) or a homotrimer (e.g., containing TNFR proteins having identical or different polypeptide sequences).
  • the homomeric multimer of the invention is at least a homodimer, at least a homotrimer, or at least a homotetramer.
  • the term heteromer refers to a multimer containing heterologous proteins (i.e., proteins containing only polypeptide sequences that do not correspond to a polypeptide sequences encoded by the TNFR gene) in addition to the TNFR proteins of the invention.
  • the multimer of the invention is a heterodimer, a heterotrimer, or a heterotetramer.
  • the heteromeric multimer of the invention is at least a heterodimer, at least a heterotrimer, or at least a heterotetramer.
  • Multimers of the invention may be the result of hydrophobic, hydrophilic, ionic and/or covalent associations and/or may be indirectly linked, by for example, liposome formation.
  • multimers of the invention such as, for example, homodimers or homotrimers, are formed when proteins of the invention contact one another in solution.
  • heteromultimers of the invention are formed when proteins of the invention contact antibodies to the polypeptides of the invention (including antibodies to the heterologous polypeptide sequence in a fusion protein of the invention) in solution.
  • multimers of the invention are formed by covalent associations with and/or between the TNFR proteins of the invention. Such covalent associations may involve one or more amino acid residues contained in the polypeptide sequence of the protein (e.g., the polypeptide sequence recited in SEQ JD NO:2 or SEQ ED NO:4, contained in the polypeptide encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No.
  • covalent associations are cross-linking between cysteine residues located within the polypeptide sequences of the proteins which interact in the native (i.e., naturally occurring) polypeptide.
  • covalent associations are the consequence of chemical or recombinant manipulation.
  • covalent associations may involve one or more amino acid residues contained in the heterologous polypeptide sequence in a TNFR fusion protein.
  • covalent associations are between the heterologous sequence contained in a fusion protein of the invention (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925).
  • the covalent associations are between the heterologous sequence contained in a TNFR-Fc fusion protein of the invention (as described herein).
  • covalent associations of fusion proteins of the invention are between heterologous polypeptide sequences from another TNF family ligand/receptor member that is capable of forming covalently associated multimers, such as for example, oseteoprotegerin (see, e.g., International application publication number WO 98/49305, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
  • two or more TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polypeptides of the invention are joined through peptide linkers. Examples include those peptide linkers described in U.S.
  • Proteins comprising multiple TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polypeptides separated by peptide linkers may be produced using conventional recombinant DNA technology.
  • Another method for preparing multimer TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polypeptides of the invention involves use of TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polypeptides fused to a leucine zipper or isoleucine zipper polypeptide sequence.
  • Leucine zipper and isoleucine zipper domains are polypeptides that promote multimerization of the proteins in which they are found.
  • Leucine zippers were originally identified in several DNA-binding proteins (Landschulz et al., Science 240:1759, (1988)), and have since been found in a variety of different proteins. Among the known leucine zippers are naturally occurring peptides and derivatives thereof that dimerize or trimerize. Examples of leucine zipper domains suitable for producing soluble multimeric TR6-aIpha and/or TR6-beta proteins are those described in PCT application WO 94/10308, hereby incorporated by reference.
  • Recombinant fusion proteins comprising a soluble TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polypeptide fused to a peptide that dimerizes or trimerizes in solution are expressed in suitable host cells, and the resulting soluble multimeric TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta is recovered from the culture supernatant using techniques known in the art.
  • trimeric TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta may offer the advantage of enhanced biological activity.
  • Preferred leucine zipper moieties are those that preferentially form trimers.
  • One example is a leucine zipper derived from lung surfactant protein D (SPD), as described in Hoppe et al. (FEBS Letters 344:191, (1994)) and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/446,922, hereby incorporated by reference.
  • Other peptides derived from naturally occurring trimeric proteins may be employed in preparing trimeric TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta.
  • TR6-alpha or TR6-beta polynucleotides of the invention are fused to a polynucleotide encoding a "FLAG" polypeptide.
  • a TR6-alpha- FLAG or a TR6-beta-FLAG fusion protein is encompassed by the present invention.
  • the FLAG antigenic polypeptide may be fused to a TR6-alpha or a TR6-beta polypeptide of the invention at either or both the amino or the carboxy terminus.
  • a TR6-alpha-FLAG or a TR6-beta-FLAG fusion protein is expressed from a pFLAG-CMV-5a or a pFLAG-CMV-1 expression vector (available from Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA). See, Andersson, S., et al, J. Biol. Chem. 264:8222-29 (1989); Thomsen, D. R., et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81:659-63 (1984); and Kozak, M., Nature 308:241 (1984) (each of which is hereby incorporated by reference).
  • a TR6-alpha-FLAG or a TR6-beta-FLAG fusion protein is detectable by anti-FLAG monoclonal antibodies (also available from Sigma).
  • the multimers of the invention may be generated using chemical techniques known in the art.
  • proteins desired to be contained in the multimers of the invention may be chemically cross-linked using linker molecules and linker molecule length optimization techniques known in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
  • multimers of the invention may be generated using techniques known in the art to form one or more inter-molecule cross-links between the cysteine residues located within the polypeptide sequence of the proteins desired to be contained in the multimer (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
  • proteins of the invention may be routinely modified by the addition of cysteine or biotin to the C terminus or N- terminus of the polypeptide sequence of the protein and techniques known in the art may be applied to generate multimers containing one or more of these modified proteins (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). Additionally, techniques known in the art may be applied to generate liposomes containing the protein components desired to be contained in the multimer of the invention (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). [0157] Alternatively, multimers of the invention may be generated using genetic engineering techniques known in the art.
  • proteins contained in multimers of the invention are produced recombinantly using fusion protein technology described herein or otherwise known in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
  • polynucleotides coding for a homodimer of the invention are generated by ligating a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide of the invention to a sequence encoding a linker polypeptide and then further to a synthetic polynucleotide encoding the translated product of the polypeptide in the reverse orientation from the original C-terminus to the N-terminus (lacking the leader sequence) (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
  • recombinant techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art are applied to generate recombinant polypeptides of the invention which contain a transmembrane domain and which can be incorporated by membrane reconstitution techniques into liposomes (see, e.g., US Patent Number 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
  • the invention provides isolated TNFR proteins comprising, or alternatively, consisting of, the amino acid sequence of the complete (full-length) TNFR polypeptide encoded by the cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97810, the amino acid sequence of the complete (full-length) TNFR polypeptide encoded by the cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97809, the amino acid sequence of the complete TNFR-6 polypeptide disclosed in Figure 1 (SEQ JD NO:2), the amino acid sequence of the complete TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptide disclosed in Figure 2 (SEQ ID.NO:4), or a portion of the above polypeptides.
  • the invention provides isolated TNFR proteins comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of the mature TNFR polypeptide encoded by the cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97810, the amino acid sequence of the mature TNFR polypeptide encoded by the cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97809, amino acid residues 31 to 300 of the TNFR-6 sequence disclosed in Figure 1 (SEQ ED NO:2), amino acid residues 31 to 170 of the TNFR-6 ⁇ sequence disclosed in Figure2 (SEQ D NO:4), or a portion (i.e., fragment) of the above polypeptides.
  • Polypeptide fragments of the present invention include polypeptides comprising or alternatively, consisting of, an amino acid sequence contained in SEQ ID NO:2, an amino acid sequence contained in SEQ ID NO:4, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97810, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97809, or an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleic acid which hybridizes (e.g., under stringent hybridization conditions) to the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No.
  • polypeptide fragments of the invention include, for example, fragments that comprise or alternatively, consist of from amino acid residues: 1 to 31, 32 to 50, 51 to 100, 101 to 150, 151 to 200, 201 to 250, and/or 251 to 300 of SEQ ID NO:2.
  • polypeptide fragments of the invention include polypeptide fragments that comprise, or alternatively, consist of from amino acids 1 to 31, 32 to 70, 70 to 100, 100 to 125, 126 to 150, and/or 151 to 170 of SEQ ED NO:4. Moreover, polypeptide fragments can be at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 175 or 200 amino acids in length. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
  • polypeptide fragments of the invention comprise, or alternatively consist of, amino acid residues: 100 to 150, 150 to 200, 200 to 300, 210 to 300, 220 to 300, 230 to 300, 240 to 300, 250 to 300, 260 to 300, 270 to 300, 280 to 300, and/or 290 to 300 as depicted in Figure 1 (SEQ ID NO:2).
  • Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
  • TNFR comprises two domains having different structural and functional properties.
  • the amino terminal domain spanning residues 30 to 196 of SEQ D NO:2 shows homology to other members of the TNFR family, through conservation of four cysteine rich domains characteristic of TNFR families.
  • Amino acid sequences contained in each of the four domains include amino acid residues 34 to 70, 73 to 113, 115 to 150, and 153 to 193, of SEQ D NO:2, respectively.
  • the carboxy terminal domain, spanning amino acid residues 197 to 300 of SEQ ID NO:2 has no significant homology to any known sequences.
  • TNFR appears to be exclusively a secreted protein and does not appear to be synthesized as a membrane associated form.
  • polypeptides of the invention comprise, or alternatively consist of, amino acid residues 34 to 70, 73 to 113, 115 to 150, and 153 to 193, and/or 30-196 of SEQ ID NO:2. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
  • polypeptides of the invention comprise, or alternatively consist of, amino acid residues 197 to 240, 241 to 270, 271-300, and/or 197 to 300 of SEQ ID NO:2.
  • Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention. Since these polypeptide sequences are believed to be associated with multimerization of TNFR, proteins having one or more of these polypeptide sequences would be expected to form dimers, trimers and higher multimers, which may have advantageous properties, such as, increased binding affinity, greater stability, and longer circulating half life compared to monomeric forms.
  • the invention provides for fusion proteins comprising fusions of one or more of the above polypeptides to a heterologous sequence of a cell signaling molecule, such as a receptor, an extracellular domain thereof, and an active fragment, derivative, or analog of a receptor or an extracellular domain.
  • heterologous sequences are selected from the family of TNR-like receptors. Such sequences preferably include functional extracellular ligand binding domains and lack functional transmembrane and/or cytoplasmic domains.
  • Such fusion proteins are useful for detecting molecules which interact with the fused heterologous sequences and thereby identifying potential new receptors and ligands.
  • fusion proteins are also useful for treatment of a variety of disorders, for example, those related to receptor binding.
  • fusion proteins of the invention comprising TNF/TNFR and TNF receptor/TNFR sequences are used to treat TNF and TNF receptor mediated disorders, such as, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and disorders associated with excessive or alternatively, reduced apoptosis.
  • TNFR polypeptide fragments comprising, or alternatively, consisting of, functional regions of polypeptides of the invention, such as the Garnier-Robson alpha-regions, beta-regions, turn-regions, and coil-regions, Chou-Fasman alpha-regions, beta-regions, and coil-regions, Kyte-Doolittle hydrophilic regions, Eisenberg alpha- and beta-amphipathic regions, Karplus-Schulz flexible regions, Emini surface-forming regions and Jameson-Wolf regions of high antigenic index set out in Figure 4 (Table I) and Figure 5 (Table 2) and as described herein.
  • the polypeptide fragments of the invention are antigenic.
  • the data presented in columns VTfl, IX, XIII, and XIV of Tables I and II can be used to routinely determine regions of TNFR which exhibit a high degree of potential for antigenicity. Regions of high antigenicity are determined from the data presented in columns VIII, TX, XIII, and/or XIV by choosing values which represent regions of the polypeptide which are likely to be exposed on the surface of the polypeptide in an environment in which antigen recognition may occur in the process of initiation of an immune response.
  • highly preferred fragments of the invention are those that comprise regions of TNFR that combine several structural features, such as several (e.g., 1, 2, 3 or 4) of the features set out above.
  • polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, an epitope of the polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ED NOS:2 and 4, respectively, or an epitope of the polypeptide sequence encoded by a polynucleotide sequence contained in deposited clone ATCC Deposit Number 97810 and 97809, respectively, or encoded by a polynucleotide that hybridizes to the complement of the sequence of SEQ ED NOS:l and 3, respectively, or contained in deposited clone ATCC Deposit Number 97810 and 97809, respectively, under stringent hybridization conditions or lower stringency hybridization conditions as defined supra.
  • the present invention further encompasses polynucleotide sequences encoding an epitope of a polypeptide sequence of the invention (such as, for example, the sequence disclosed in SEQ ID NOS:l and/or 3), polynucleotide sequences of the complementary strand of a polynucleotide sequence encoding an epitope of the invention, and polynucleotide sequences which hybridize to the complementary strand under stringent hybridization conditions or lower stringency hybridization conditions defined supra.
  • polypeptide sequence of the invention such as, for example, the sequence disclosed in SEQ ID NOS:l and/or 3
  • polynucleotide sequences of the complementary strand of a polynucleotide sequence encoding an epitope of the invention and polynucleotide sequences which hybridize to the complementary strand under stringent hybridization conditions or lower stringency hybridization conditions defined supra.
  • epitopeJ refers to portions of a polypeptide having antigenic or immunogenic activity in an animal, preferably a mammal, and most preferably in a human.
  • the present invention encompasses a polypeptide comprising an epitope, as well as the polynucleotide encoding this polypeptide.
  • An "immunogenic epitope,” as used herein, is defined as a portion of a protein that elicits an antibody response in an animal, as determined by any method known in the art, for example, by the methods for generating antibodies described infra. (See, for example, Geysen et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
  • antigenic epitope is defined as a portion of a protein to which an antibody can immunospecifically bind its antigen as determined by any method well known in the art, for example, by the immunoassays described herein. Immunospecific binding excludes non-specific binding but does not necessarily exclude cross-reactivity with other antigens. Antigenic epitopes need not necessarily be immunogenic.
  • Non-limiting examples of antigenic polypeptides or peptides that can be used to generate TNFR-specific antibodies include: a polypeptide comprising, or alternatively consisting of, amino acid residues from about Ala-31 to about Thr-46, from about Phe-57 to about Thr-117, from about Cys-132 to about Thr-175, from about Gly-185 to about Thr-194, from about Val-205 to about Asp-217, from about Pro-239 to about Leu-264, and from about Ala-283 to about Pro-298 in SEQ ID NO:2; and from about Ala-31 to about Thr-46, from about Phe-57 to about Gln-80, from about Glu-86 to about His-106, from about Thr-108 to about Phe-119, from about His-129 to about Val-138, and from about Gly-142 to about Pro- 166 in SEQ ED NO:4.
  • fragments have been determined to bear antigenic epitopes of the TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta polypeptides respectively, by the analysis of the Jameson- Wolf antigenic index, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, above.
  • Fragments that function as epitopes may be produced by any conventional means. (See, e.g., Houghten, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:5131-5135 (1985), further described in U.S. Patent No. 4,631,211).
  • antigenic epitopes preferably contain a sequence of at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, more preferably at least 8, at least 9, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, and, most preferably, between about 15 to about 30 amino acids.
  • Preferred polypeptides comprising immunogenic or antigenic epitopes are at least 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or 100 amino acid residues in length.
  • Antigenic epitopes are useful, for example, to raise antibodies, including monoclonal antibodies, that specifically bind the epitope.
  • Antigenic epitopes can be used as the target molecules in immunoassays. (See, for instance, Wilson et al., Cell 37:767-778 (1984); Sutcliffe et al., Science 219:660-666 (1983)).
  • immunogenic epitopes can be used, for example, to induce antibodies according to methods well known in the art. (See, for instance, Sutcliffe et al., supra; Wilson et al., supra; Chow et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:910-914; and Bittle et al., J. Gen. Virol. 66:2347-2354 (1985).
  • the polypeptides comprising one or more immunogenic epitopes may be presented for eliciting an antibody response together with a carrier protein, such as an albumin, to an animal system (such as, for example, rabbit or mouse), or, if the polypeptide is of sufficient length (at least about 25 amino acids), the polypeptide may be presented without a carrier.
  • a carrier protein such as an albumin
  • immunogenic epitopes comprising as few as 8 to 10 amino acids have been shown to be sufficient to raise antibodies capable of binding to, at the very least, linear epitopes in a denatured polypeptide (e.g., in Western blotting).
  • Epitope-bearing polypeptides of the present invention may be used to induce antibodies according to methods well known in the art including, but not limited to, in vivo immunization, in vitro immunization, and phage display methods. See, e.g., Sutcliffe et al., supra; Wilson et al., supra, and Bittle et al., J. Gen. Virol., 66:2347-2354 (1985).
  • animals may be immunized with free peptide; however, anti-peptide antibody titer may be boosted by coupling the peptide to a macromolecular carrier, such as keyhole limpet hemacyanin (KLH) or tetanus toxoid.
  • KLH keyhole limpet hemacyanin
  • peptides containing cysteine residues may be coupled to a carrier using a linker such as maleimidobenzoyl-N- hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS), while other peptides may be coupled to carriers using a more general linking agent such as glutaraldehyde.
  • Epitope bearing peptides of the invention may also be synthesized as multiple antigen peptides (MAPs), first described by J. P. Tam in Proc. Nat Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85:5409 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
  • MAPs consist of multiple copies of a specific peptide attached to a non-immunogenic lysine core.
  • Map peptides usually contain four or eight copies of the peptide often referred to as MAP-4 or MAP-8 peptides.
  • MAPs may be synthesized onto a lysine core matrix attached to a polyethylene glycol-polystyrene (PEG-PS) support.
  • PEG-PS polyethylene glycol-polystyrene
  • the peptide of interest is synthesized onto the lysine residues using 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) chemistry.
  • Fmoc 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl
  • Applied Biosystems Foster City, CA
  • MAP resins such as, for example, the Fmoc Resin 4 Branch and the Fmoc Resin 8 Branch which can be used to synthesize MAPs.
  • Cleavage of MAPs from the resin is performed with standard trifloroacetic acid (TFA)-based cocktails known in the art. Purification of MAPs, except for desalting, is not necessary.
  • MAP peptides may be used as an immunizing vaccine which elicits antibodies that recognize both the MAP and the native protein from which the peptide was derived.
  • Epitope bearing polypeptides of the invention may be modified, for example, by the addition of amino acids at the amino- and/or carboxy- termini of the peptide. Such modifications may be performed, for example, to alter the conformation of the epitope bearing polypeptide such that the epitope will have a conformation more closely related to the structure of the epitope in the native protein.
  • An example of a modified epitope-bearing polypeptide of the invention is a polypeptide in which one or more cysteine residues have been added to the polypeptide to allow for the formation of a disulfide bond between two cysteines, resulting in a stable loop structure of the epitope bearing polypeptide under non- reducing conditions.
  • Disulfide bonds may form between a cysteine residue added to the polypeptide and a cysteine residue of the naturally occurring epitope, or may form bewteen two cysteines which have both been added to the naturally ocurring epitope bearing polypeptide. Additionally, it is possible to modify one or more amino acid residues of the naturally occurring epitope bearing polypeptide by substituting them with cysteines to promote the formation of disulfide bonded loop structures. Cyclic thioether molecules of synthetic peptides may be routinely generated using techniques known in the art and are described in PCT publication WO 97/46251, incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. Other modifications of epitope-bearing polypeptides contemplated by this invention include biotinylation.
  • Animals such as, for example, rabbits, rats, and mice are immunized with either free or carrier-coupled peptides, or MAP peptides, for instance, by intraperitoneal and/or intradermal injection of emulsions containing about 100 micrograms of peptide or carrier protein and Freund's adjuvant or any other adjuvant known for stimulating an immune response.
  • booster injections may be needed, for instance, at intervals of about two weeks, to provide a useful titer of anti-peptide antibody that can be detected, for example, by ELIS A assay using free peptide adsorbed to a solid surface.
  • the titer of anti-peptide antibodies in serum from an immunized animal may be increased by selection of anti-peptide antibodies, for instance, by adsorption to the peptide on a solid support and elution of the selected antibodies according to methods well known in the art.
  • polypeptides of the present invention can be fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences.
  • polypeptides of the present invention may be fused with the constant domain of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgE, IgG, IgM), or portions thereof (CHI, CH2, CH3, or any combination thereof and portions thereof, resulting in chimeric polypeptides.
  • polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present invention may be fused with albumin (including but not limited to recombinant human serum albumin or fragments or variants thereof (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 5,876,969, issued March 2, 1999, EP Patent 0 413 622, and U.S. Patent No. 5,766,883, issued June 16, 1998, herein incorporated by reference in their entirety)).
  • albumin including but not limited to recombinant human serum albumin or fragments or variants thereof (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 5,876,969, issued March 2, 1999, EP Patent 0 413 622, and U.S. Patent No. 5,766,883, issued June 16, 1998, herein incorporated by reference in their entirety).
  • polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present invention are fused with the mature form of human serum albumin (i.e., amino acids 1 - 585 of human serum albumin as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of EP Patent 0 322 094) which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
  • polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present invention are fused with polypeptide fragments comprising, or alternatively consisting of, amino acid residues 1-z of human serum albumin, where z is an integer from 369 to 419, as described in U.S. Patent 5,766,883 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
  • Polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present invention may be fused to either the N- or C-terminal end of the heterologous protein (e.g., immunoglobulin Fc polypeptide or human serum albumin polypeptide).
  • heterologous protein e.g., immunoglobulin Fc polypeptide or human serum albumin polypeptide
  • Polynucleotides encoding fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention.
  • Such fusion proteins as those described above may facilitate purification and may increase half -life in vivo. This has been shown for chimeric proteins consisting of the first two domains of the human CD4-polypeptide and various domains of the constant regions of the heavy or light chains of mammalian immunoglobulins.
  • IgG Fusion proteins that have a disulfide-linked dimeric structure due to the IgG portion desulfide bonds have also been found to be more efficient in binding and neutralizing other molecules than monomeric polypeptides or fragments thereof alone. See, e.g., Fountoulakis et al., J. Biochem., 270:3958-3964 (1995).
  • Nucleic acids encoding the above epitopes can also be recombined with a gene of interest as an epitope tag (e.g., the hemagglutinin ("HA") tag or flag tag) to aid in detection and purification of the expressed polypeptide.
  • an epitope tag e.g., the hemagglutinin ("HA") tag or flag tag
  • HA hemagglutinin
  • a system described by Janknecht et al. allows for the ready purification of non-denatured fusion proteins expressed in human cell lines (Janknecht et al., 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:8972- 897).
  • the gene of interest is subcloned into a vaccinia recombination plasmid such that the open reading frame of the gene is translationally fused to an amino-terminal tag consisting of six histidine residues.
  • the tag serves as a matrix-binding domain for the fusion protein. Extracts from cells infected with the recombinant vaccinia virus are loaded onto Ni 2+ nitriloacetic acid-agarose column and histidine-tagged proteins can be selectively eluted with imidazole-containing buffers.
  • DNA shuffling The techniques of gene-shuffling, motif-shuffling, exon-shuffling, and/or codon- shuffling (collectively referred to as "DNA shuffling") may be employed to modulate the activities of TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta thereby effectively generating agonists and antagonists of TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta. See generally, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,605,793, 5,811,238, 5,830,721, 5,834,252, and 5,837,458, and Patten, P. A., et al, Curr. Opinion Biotechnol 8:724-33 (1997); Harayama, S. Trends Biotechnol.
  • alteration of TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polynucleotides and corresponding polypeptides may be achieved by DNA shuffling.
  • DNA shuffling involves the assembly of two or more DNA segments into a desired TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta molecule by homologous, or site-specific, recombination.
  • TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polynucleotides and corresponding polypeptides may be alterred by being subjected to random mutagenesis by error-prone PCR, random nucleotide insertion or other methods prior to recombination.
  • one or more components, motifs, sections, parts, domains, fragments, etc., of TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta may be recombined with one or more components, motifs, sections, parts, domains, fragments, etc. of one or more heterologous molecules.
  • the heterologous molecules are TNF-alph, TNF-beta, lymphotoxin-alpha, lymphotoxin-beta, FAS ligand, APRIL. In further preferred embodiments, the heterologous molecules are any member of the TNF family.
  • DNA shuffling may be employed to modulate the activities of TNFR thereby effectively generating agonists and antagonists of TNFR. See generally, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,605,793, 5,811,238, 5,830,721, 5,834,252, and 5,837,458, and Patten et al, Curr. Opinion Biotechnol. 8:124-33 (1997); Harayama, Trends Biotechnol. 16(2):16-82 (1998); Hansson et al, J. Mol. Biol.
  • alteration of TNFR polynucleotides and corresponding polypeptides may be achieved by DNA shuffling.
  • DNA shuffling involves the assembly of two or more DNA segments into a desired TNFR molecule by homologous, or site-specific, recombination.
  • TNFR polynucleotides and corresponding polypeptides may be altered by being subjected to random mutagenesis by error-prone PCR, random nucleotide insertion or other methods prior to recombination.
  • one or more components, motifs, sections, parts, domains, fragments, etc., of TNFR may be recombined with one or more components, motifs, sections, parts, domains, fragments, etc. of one or more heterologous molecules.
  • the heterologous molecules are include, but are not limited to, TNF-alpha, lymphotoxin-alpha (LT-alpha, also known as TNF-beta), LT-beta (found in complex heterotrimer LT-alpha2-beta), OPGL, FasL, CD27L, CD30L, CD40L, 4-lBBL, DcR3, OX40L, TNF-gamma (International Publication No.
  • WO 96/14328 TRAIL, AIM-II (International Publication No. WO 97/34911), APRIL (J. Exp. Med. 1SS(6):H85-1190), endokine-alpha (International Publication No. WO 98/07880), neutrokine alpha (International Publication No.WO98/18921), TR6 (International Publication No. WO 98/30694), OPG, OX40, and nerve growth factor (NGF), and soluble forms of Fas, CD30, CD27, CD40 and 4-IBB, TR2 (International Publication No. WO 96/34095), DR3 (International Publication No. WO 97/33904), DR4 (International Publication No.
  • WO 98/32856 discloses WO 98/32856
  • TR5 International Publication No. WO 98/30693
  • TR7 International Publication No. WO 98/41629
  • TRANK International Publication No. WO 98/56892
  • TRIO International Publication No. WO 98/54202
  • 312C2 International Publication No. WO 98/06842
  • TR12 and soluble forms CD154, CD70, and CD153.
  • the heterologous molecules are any member of the TNF family.
  • a TNFR polypeptide to improve or alter the characteristics of a TNFR polypeptide, protein engineering may be employed.
  • Recombinant DNA technology known to those skilled in the art can be used to create novel mutant proteins or "muteins" including single or multiple amino acid substitutions, deletions, additions or fusion proteins.
  • Such modified polypeptides can show, e.g., enhanced activity or increased stability.
  • they may be purified in higher yields and show better solubility than the corresponding natural polypeptide, at least under certain purification and storage conditions.
  • deletions of N-terminal amino acids up to the Cysteine at position 49 of SEQ ED NOS:2 and 4 may retain some biological activity such as, for example regulation of cellular proliferation and apoptosis (e.g., of lymphoid cells), ability to bind Fas ligand (FasL), and ability to bind AIM-II.
  • Polypeptides having further N-terminal deletions including the Cys-49 residue in SEQ ID NOS:2 and 4 would not be expected to retain such biological activities because it is known that these residues in a TNFR-related polypeptide are required for forming a disulfide bridge to provide structural stability which is needed for receptor/ligand binding and signal transduction.
  • deletion of one or more amino acids from the N-terminus of a protein results in modification of loss of one or more biological functions of the protein, other functional activities may still be retained.
  • the ability of the shortened protein to induce and/or bind to antibodies which recognize the complete or mature TNFR or extracellular domain of TNFR protein generally will be retained when less than the majority of the residues of the complete TNFR, mature TNFR, or extracellular domain of TNFR are removed from the N-terminus. Whether a particular polypeptide lacking N-terminal residues of a complete protein retains such immunologic activities can readily be determined by routine methods described herein and otherwise known in the art.
  • the present invention further provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, one or more residues deleted from the amino terminus of the amino acid sequence of the TNFR shown in SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 4, up to the cysteine residue at position number 49, and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.
  • the present invention provides TNFR polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of residues m-300 of Figure 1 (SEQ ED NO:2) and/or residues n-170 of Figure 2 (SEQ ED NO:4), where m and n are integers in the range of 1-49 and where 49 is the position of the first cysteine residue from the N-terminus of the complete TNFR-6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptides (shown in SEQ ID NOS:2 and 4, respectively) believed to be required for activity of the TNFR-6 and TNFR-6 ⁇ proteins.
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides having (i.e., comprising) or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues: 1-300, 2-300, 3-300, 4-300, 5-300, 6-300, 7- 300, 8-300, 9-300, 10-300, 11-300, 12-300, 13-300, 14-300, 15-300, 16-300, 17-300, 18-300, 19-300, 20-300, 21-300, 22-300, 23-300, 24-300, 25-300, 26-300, 27-300, 28-300, 29-300, 30-300, 31-300, 32-300, 33-300, 34-300, 35-300, 36-300, 37-300, 38-300, 39-300, 40-300, 41-300, 42-300, 43-300, 44-300, 45-300, 46-300, 47-300, 48-300, and 49-300 of SEQ ID NO:2; and
  • polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues: Val-30 to His-300 of SEQ ID NO:2. Polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues: P-23 to H-300, and or P-34 to H-300 of SEQ ID NO:2. Polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotides are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the present invention further provides polypeptides having one or more residues deleted from the amino terminus of the TNFR- ⁇ amino acid sequence shown in Figure 1 (i.e., SEQ ED NO:2), up to the arginine residue at position number 295 and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid of residues n -300 of Figure 1 (SEQ ID NO:2), where n 1 is an integer from 49 to 295, corresponding to the position of the amino acid residue in Figure 1 (SEQ ED NO:2).
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues of C-49 to H-300; A-50 to H-300; Q-51 to H-300; C-52 to H-300; P-53 to H-300; P-54 to H-300; G-55 to H-300; T-56 to H-300; F-57 to H-300; V-58 to H-300; Q-59 to H-300; R-60 to H-300; P-61 to H-300; C-62 to H-300; R-63 to H-300; R-64 to H-300; D-65 to H-300; S-66 to H-300; P-67 to H-300; T-68 to H-300; T-69 to H-300; C-70 to H-300; G-71 to H-300; P-72 to H-300; C-73 to H-300; P-74 to
  • Polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed by the invention.
  • many examples of biologically functional C-terminal deletion muteins are known. For instance, interferon gamma shows up to ten times higher activities by deleting 8-10 amino acid residues from the carboxy terminus of the protein (D ⁇ beli et al, J. Biotechnology 7:199-216 (1988)).
  • deletions of C-terminal amino acids up to the cysteine at position 193 and 132 of SEQ DD NOS:2 and 4, respectively, may retain some functional activity, such as, for example, a biological activity (such as, for example, regulation of proliferation and apoptosis (e.g., of lymphoid cells, ability to bind Fas ligand, and ability to bind AIM-II)).
  • a biological activity such as, for example, regulation of proliferation and apoptosis (e.g., of lymphoid cells, ability to bind Fas ligand, and ability to bind AIM-II)).
  • Polypeptides having further C-terminal deletions including the cysteines at positions 193 and 132 of SEQ DD NOS:2 and 4, respectively, would not be expected to retain such biological activities because it is known that these residues in TNF receptor-related polypeptides are required for forming disulfide bridges to provide structural stability which is needed for receptor binding.
  • the present invention further provides polypeptides having one or more residues from the carboxy terminus of the amino acid sequence of TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta shown in SEQ JD NOS:2 and 4 up to the cysteine at position 193 and 132 of SEQ JD NOS:2 and 4, respectively, and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues 1-y and 1-z of the amino acid sequence in SEQ JD NOS:2 and 4, respectively, where y is any integer in the range of 193-300 and z is any integer in the range of 132-170. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides also are provided.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively, consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues 1-y' and 1-z' of the amino acid sequence in SEQ DD NOS:2 and 4, respectively, where y' is any integer in the range of 193-299 and z' is any integer in the range of 132-169. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides also are provided.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues Pro-23 to His-300, Val-30 to His-300, and Pro-34 to His-300 of SEQ DD NO: 2 and polypeptides having the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues Pro-23 to Pro-170, Val-30 to Pro-170, and Pro-34 to His-Pro-170 of SEQ JD NO:4.
  • these polypeptides may be fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides and these fusion polypeptides are also provided.
  • the invention also provides polypeptides having one or more amino acids deleted from both the amino and the carboxyl termini, which may be described generally as having residues m-y of SEQ ID NO:2 and n-z of SEQ DD NO:4, where m, n, y and z are integers as described above.
  • a particular polypeptide lacking C-terminal residues of a complete polypeptide retains such immunologic activities can readily be determined by routine methods described herein and otherwise known in the art. It is not unlikely that a TNFR mutein with a large number of deleted C-terminal amino acid residues may retain some biological or immunogenic activities. In fact, peptides composed of as few as six TNFR amino acid residues may often evoke an immune response.
  • the present invention further provides polypeptides having one or more residues deleted from the carboxy terminus of the amino acid sequence of the TNFR polypeptide shown in Figure 1 (SEQ JD NO:2), up to the glycine residue at position number 6, and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of residues 1-m 1 of Figure 1 (i.e., SEQ DD NO:2), where m 1 is an integer from 6 to 299, corresponding to the position of the amino acid residue in Figure 1 (SEQ DD NO:2).
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues M-1 to V-299; M-1 to P-298; M-1 to L-297; M-1 to F-296; M-1 to R-295; M-1 to E-294; M-1 to R-293; M-1 to V-292; M-1 to S-291; M-1 to R-290; M-1 to E-289; M-1 to L-288; M-1 to G-287; M-1 to P-286; M-1 to M-285; M-1 to R-284; M-1 to A-283; M-1 to V-282; M-1 to R-281; M-1 to L-280; M-1 to A-279; M-1 to Q-278; M-1 to L-277; M-1 to L-276; M-1 to R-275; M-1 to V-274; M-1 to L-273; M-1 to L-272; M-1 to A-271;
  • polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed' by the invention.
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising or alternatively consisting of the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues: M-1 to A-271, M-1 to Q-254 and/or M-1 to F- 221 of SEQ JD NO:2. Polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the invention also provides polypeptides having one or more amino acids deleted from both the amino and the carboxyl termini of a TNFR polypeptide, which may be described generally as having residues n'-m 1 of Figure 1 (i.e., SEQ DD NO:2), where n 1 and m 1 are integers as described above.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of residues 30-m 3 of Figure 1 (i.e., SEQ DD NO:2), where m 3 is an integer from 36 to 299, corresponding to the position of the amino acid residue in Figure 1 (SEQ DD NO:2).
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues V-30 to V-299; V-30 to P-298; V-30 to L-297; V-30 to F-296; V-30 to R-295; V-30 to E-294; V-30 to R-293; V-30 to V-292; V-30 to S-291; V-30 to R-290; V-30 to E-289; V-30 to L-288; V- 30 to G-287; V-30 to P-286; V-30 to M-285; V-30 to R-284; V-30 to A-283; V-30 to V-282; V-30 to R-281; V-30 to L-280; V-30 to A-279; V-30 to Q-278; V-30 to L-277; V-30 to L-276; V-30 to R-275; V-30 to V-274; V-30 to L-273; V-30 to L-272; V-30 to A-271; V-30 to G
  • polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotide fragments are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising or alternatively consisting of the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues: V-30 to A- 271, V-30 to Q-254 and/or V-30 to F-221 of SEQ ID NO:2. Polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotides are also encompassed by the invention.
  • the present application is also directed to polynucleotides or polypeptides comprising, or alternatively, consisting of, a polynucleotide or polypeptide sequence at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, 95%, 96%, 91%, 98% or 99% identical to a polypeptide or polypeptide sequence described above, respectively.
  • the present invention also encompasses the above polynucleotide or polypeptide sequences fused to a heterologous polynucleotide or polypeptide sequence, respectively.
  • fragments of TNFR-6 ⁇ even if deletion of one or more amino acids from the N-terminus of a protein results in modification of loss of one or more biological functions of the protein, other functional activities (e.g., biological activities, the ability to multimerize, the ability to bind ligand (e.g., Fas ligand and/or AIM- II)) may still be retained.
  • biological activities e.g., biological activities, the ability to multimerize, the ability to bind ligand (e.g., Fas ligand and/or AIM- II)
  • the ability of shortened TNFR muteins to induce and/or bind to antibodies which recognize the complete or mature forms of the polypeptides generally will be retained when less than the majority of the residues of the complete or mature polypeptide are removed from the N-terminus.
  • a particular polypeptide lacking N-terminal residues of a complete polypeptide retains such immunologic activities can readily be determined by routine methods described herein and otherwise known in the art. It is not unlikely that a TNFR mutein with a large number of deleted N-terminal amino acid residues may retain some biological or immunogenic activities. In fact, peptides composed of as few as six TNFR amino acid residues may often evoke an immune response.
  • the present invention further provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively, consisting of, one or more residues deleted from the amino terminus of the TNFR-6 ⁇ amino acid sequence shown in Figure 2 (i.e., SEQ DD NO:4), up to the glycine residue at position number 165 and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of residues n 2 -170 of Figure 2 (SEQ DD NO:4), where n 2 is an integer from 2 to 165, corresponding to the position of the amino acid residue in Figure 2 (SEQ DD NO:4).
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues of R-2 to P-170; A-3 to P-170; L-4 to P-170; E-5 to P-170; G-6 to P-170; P-7 to P-170; G-8 to P-170; L-9 to P-170; S-10 to P-170; L-ll to P-170; L-12 to P-170; C-13 to P-170; L-14 to P-170; V-15 to P-170; L-16 to P-170; A-17 to P-170; L-18 to P-170; P-19 to P-170; A-20 to P-170; L-21 to P-170; L-22 to P-170; P-23 to P-170; V-24 to P-170; P-25 to P-170; A-26 to P-170; V-27 to P-170; R-28 to P-170; G-29 to P-170;
  • a particular polypeptide lacking C-terminal residues of a complete polypeptide retains such immunologic activities can readily be determined by routine methods described herein and otherwise known in the art. It is not unlikely that a TNFR-6 ⁇ mutein with a large number of deleted C-terminal amino acid residues may retain some biological or immunogenic activities. In fact, peptides composed of as few as six TNFR-6 ⁇ amino acid residues may often evoke an immune response.
  • the present invention further provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of one or more residues deleted from the carboxy terminus of the amino acid sequence of the TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptide shown in Figure 2 (SEQ DD NO:4), up to the glycine residue at position number 6, and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.
  • the present invention provides polypeptides comprising , or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of residues 1-m 2 of Figure 2 (i.e., SEQ DD NO:2), where m 2 is an integer from 6 to 169, corresponding to the position of the amino acid residue in Figure 2 (SEQ DD NO:4).
  • the invention provides polynucleotides encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, the amino acid sequence of a member selected from the group consisting of residues M-1 to A-169; M-1 to L-168; M-1 to S-167; M-1 to P-166; M-1 to G-165; M-1 to A-164; M-1 to V-163; M-1 to Q-162; M-1 to G-161; M-1 to R-160; M-1 to G-159; M-1 to C-158; M-1 to R-157; M-1 to R-156; M-1 to G-155; M-1 to G-154; M-1 to S-153; M-1 to R-152; M-1 to P-151; M-1 to A-150; M-1 to G-149; M-1 to G-148; M-1 to R-147; M-1 to A-146; M-1 to W-145; M-1 to S-144; M-1 to E-143; M-1 to G-142; M-1 to P-141;
  • the invention also provides polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, one or more amino acids deleted from both the amino and the carboxyl termini of a TNFR-6 ⁇ polypeptide, which may be described generally as having residues n 2 -m 2 of Figure 2 (i.e., SEQ ED NO:4), where n 2 and m 2 are integers as described above.
  • nucleic acid molecules comprising, or alternatively, consisting of, a polynucleotide sequence at least 90%, 92%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to the polynucleotide sequence encoding a TNFR polypeptide set forth herein as m-y, n-z, n'-m 1 , 30-m 3 , and/or n 2 -m 2 .
  • the application is directed to nucleic acid molecules comprising, or alternatively, consisting of, a polynucleotide sequence at least 90%, 92%, 95%, 96%, 91%, 98% or 99% identical to the polynucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides having the amino acid sequence of the specific N- and C-terminal deletions recited herein.
  • the present invention also encompasses the above polynucleotide sequences fused to a heterologous polynucleotide sequence. Polypeptides encoded by these nucleic acids and/or polynucleotide sequences are also encompassed by the invention.
  • nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide consisting of a portion of a complete TNFR amino acid sequence encoded by a cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97810, or 97809, where this portion excludes from 1 to about 49 amino acids from the amino terminus of the complete amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97810 and 97809, respectively, or from 1 to about 107 or 58 amino acids from the carboxy terminus of the complete amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No.
  • the invention further includes variations of the TNFR polypeptides which show substantial TNFR polypeptide functional activity (e.g., immunogenic activity, biological activity) or which include regions of TNFR protein such as the protein portions discussed below.
  • Such mutants include deletions, insertions, inversions, repeats, and type substitutions selected according to general rules known in the art so as have little effect on activity. For example, guidance concerning how to make phenotypically silent amino acid substitutions is provided in Bowie, J. U.
  • the fragment, derivative or analog of the polypeptide of SEQ DD NO: 2, 4 or 6, or that encoded by a deposited cDNA may be (i) one in which one or more of the amino acid residues are substituted with a conserved or non-conserved amino acid residue (preferably a conserved amino acid residue) and such substituted amino acid residue may or may not be one encoded by the genetic code, or (ii) one in which one or more of the amino acid residues includes a substituent group, or (iii) one in which the mature or soluble extracellular polypeptide is fused with another compound, such as a compound to increase the half -life of the polypeptide (for example, polyethylene glycol), or (iv) one in which the additional amino acids (such as, for example, an IgG Fc peptide fusion and/or an immunoglobulin light chain constant region peptide), a leader or secretory sequence, or a sequence which is employed for purification of the TNFR polypeptide) are fused
  • the TNFR of the present invention may include one or more amino acid substitutions, deletions or additions, either from natural mutations or human manipulation. As indicated, changes are preferably of a minor nature, such as conservative amino acid substitutions that do not significantly affect the folding or activity of the protein (see Table ⁇ i).
  • Amino acids in the TNFR proteins of the present invention that are essential for function can be identified by methods known in the art, such as site-directed mutagenesis or alanine-scanning mutagenesis (Cunningham and Wells, Science 244: 1081-1085 (1989)). The latter procedure introduces single alanine mutations at every residue in the molecule. The resulting mutant molecules are then tested for functional activity such as, for example, ligand/receptor (e.g., Fas ligand and/or AIM-II) receptor binding or in vitro or in vitro proliferative activity.
  • ligand/receptor e.g., Fas ligand and/or AIM-II
  • Replacement of amino acids can also change the selectivity of the binding of a ligand to cell surface receptors.
  • Ostade et al Nature 361:266-268 (1993) describes certain mutations resulting in selective binding of TNF- to only one of the two known types of TNF receptors.
  • Sites that are critical for ligand-receptor binding can also be determined by structural analysis such as crystallization, nuclear magnetic resonance or photoaffinity labeling (Smith et al, J. Mol. Biol. 224:899-904 (1992) and de Vos et alScience 255:306-312 (1992)).
  • TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta are members of the TNF receptor-related protein family, to modulate rather than completely eliminate biological activities of TNFR preferably mutations are made in sequences encoding amino acids in the TNFR conserved extracellular domain, more preferably in residues within this region which are not conserved among members of the TNF receptor family. Also forming part of the present invention are isolated polynucleotides comprising nucleic acid sequences which encode the above TNFR mutants.
  • polypeptides of the present invention are preferably provided in an isolated form, and preferably are substantially purified.
  • TNFR polypeptides can be substantially purified by the one-step method described in Smith and Johnson, Gene 67:31-40 (1988). Polypeptides of the invention also can be purified from natural or recombinant sources using anti-TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta antibodies of the invention in methods which are well known in the art of protein purification.
  • [U218J ne lnven ti 0 n further provides isolated TNFR polypeptides comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) the amino acid sequence of a full- length TNFR polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence shown in SEQ JD NO: 2 or 4 or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in the plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97810 or 97809; (b) the amino acid sequence of a mature TNFR polypeptide having the amino acid sequence at positions 31-300 in SEQ ID NO:2 or 31-170 in SEQ DD NO:4, or as encoded by the cDNA clone contained in the plasmid deposited as ATCC Deposit No.
  • polypeptides of the present invention include polypeptides which have at least 90% similarity, more preferably at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95% similarity, and still more preferably at least 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% similarity to those described above.
  • the polypeptides of the invention also comprise those which are at least 80% identical, more preferably at least 85%, 90%, 92% or 95% identical, still more preferably at least 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to the polypeptide encoded by the deposited cDNA (ATCC Deposit Nos.
  • % similarity for two polypeptides is intended a similarity score produced by comparing the amino acid sequences of the two polypeptides using the Bestfit program (Wisconsin Sequence Analysis Package, Version 8 for Unix, Genetics Computer Group, University Research Park, 575 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711) and the default settings for determining similarity. Bestfit uses the local homology algorithm of Smith and Waterman (Advances in Applied Mathematics 2:482-489, 1981) to find the best segment of similarity between two sequences.
  • a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least, for example, 95% "identical" to a reference amino acid sequence of a TNFR polypeptide is intended that the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide is identical to the reference sequence except that the polypeptide sequence may include up to five amino acid alterations per each 100 amino acids of the reference amino acid of the TNFR polypeptide.
  • up to 5% of the amino acid residues in the reference sequence may be deleted or substituted with another amino acid, or a number of amino acids up to 5% of the total amino acid residues in the reference sequence may be inserted into the reference sequence.
  • These alterations of the reference sequence may occur at the amino or carboxy terminal positions of the reference amino acid sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions, interspersed either individually among residues in the reference sequence or in one or more contiguous groups within the reference sequence.
  • any particular polypeptide is at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to, for instance, the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ DD NO:2 or 4, or to an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA contained in the deposits having ATCC Deposit No.
  • 97810, or 97809, or fragments thereof can be determined conventionally using known computer programs such the Bestfit program (Wisconsin Sequence Analysis Package, Version 8 for Unix, Genetics Computer Group, University Research Park, 575 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711).
  • the parameters are set, of course, such that the percentage of identity is calculated over the full length of the reference amino acid sequence and that gaps in homology of up to 5% of the total number of amino acid residues in the reference sequence are allowed.
  • identity between a reference (query) sequence (a sequence of the present invention) and a subject sequence is determined using the FASTDB computer program based on the algorithm of Brutlag et al.(Comp. App. Biosci. 6:231-245 (1990)).
  • the percent identity is corrected by calculating the number of residues of the query sequence that are N- and C-terminal of the subject sequence, which are not matched/aligned with a corresponding subject residue, as a percent of the total bases of the query sequence.
  • a determination of whether a residue is matched/aligned is determined by results of the FASTDB sequence alignment. This percentage is then subtracted from the percent identity, calculated by the above FASTDB program using the specified parameters, to arrive at a final percent identity score. This final percent identity score is what is used for the purposes of this embodiment.
  • the 10 unpaired residues represent 10% of the sequence (number of residues at the N- and C- termini not matched/total number of residues in the query sequence) so 10% is subtracted from the percent identity score calculated by the FASTDB program. If the remaining 90 residues were perfectly matched the final percent identity would be 90%.
  • a 90 residue subject sequence is compared with a 100 residue query sequence. This time the deletions are internal deletions so there are no residues at the N- or C-termini of the subject sequence which are not matched/aligned with the query. In this case the percent identity calculated by FASTDB is not manually corrected.
  • polypeptide of the present invention have uses which include, but are not limited to, as molecular weight markers on SDS-PAGE gels or on molecular sieve gel filtration columns using methods well known to those of skill in the art.
  • polypeptides of the present invention can also be used to raise polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, which are useful in assays for detecting TNFR protein expression as described below or as agonists and antagonists capable of enhancing or inhibiting TNFR protein function.
  • polypeptides can be used in the yeast two-hybrid system to "capture" TNFR protein binding proteins which are also candidate agonists and antagonists according to the present invention.
  • the yeast two hybrid system is described in Fields and Song, Nature 340:245-246 (1989).
  • the proteins of the invention can also be expressed in transgenic animals.
  • Animals of any species including, but not limited to, mice, rats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, pigs, micro-pigs, goats, sheep, cows and non-human primates, e.g., baboons, monkeys, and chimpanzees may be used to generate transgenic animals.
  • techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art are used to express polypeptides of the invention in humans, as part of a gene therapy protocol.
  • transgene i.e., polynucleotides of the invention
  • transgene i.e., polynucleotides of the invention
  • Such techniques include, but are not limited to, pronuclear microinjection (Paterson et al, Appl. Microbiol Biotechnol. 40:691-698 (1994); Carver et al, Biotechnology (NY) 11:1263-1210 (1993); Wright et al, Biotechnology (NY) 9:830-834 (1991); and Hoppe et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,191 (1989)); retrovirus mediated gene transfer into germ lines (Van der Putten et al, Proc. Natl Acad.
  • transgenic clones containing polynucleotides of the invention for example, nuclear transfer into enucleated oocytes of nuclei from cultured embryonic, fetal, or adult cells induced to quiescence (Campell et al, Nature 380:64-66 (1996); Wilmut et al, Nature 385:810-813 (1997)), each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
  • the present invention provides for transgenic animals that carry the transgene in all their cells, as well as animals which carry the transgene in some, but not all their cells, i.e., mosaic animals or chimeric animals.
  • the transgene may be integrated as a single transgene or as multiple copies such as in concatamers, e.g., head-to-head tandems or head-to-tail tandems.
  • the transgene may also be selectively introduced into and activated in a particular cell type by following, for example, the teaching of Lasko et ⁇ /.(Lasko et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6232-6236 (1992)).
  • the regulatory sequences required for such a cell- type specific activation will depend upon the particular cell type of interest, and will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
  • gene targeting is preferred.
  • vectors containing some nucleotide sequences homologous to the endogenous gene are designed for the purpose of integrating, via homologous recombination with chromosomal sequences, into and disrupting the function of the nucleotide sequence of the endogenous gene.
  • the transgene may also be selectively introduced into a particular cell type, thus inactivating the endogenous gene in only that cell type, by following, for example, the teaching of Gu et al(Science 265:103-106 (1994)).
  • the regulatory sequences required for such a cell-type specific inactivation will depend upon the particular cell type of interest, and will be apparent to those of skill in the art. The contents of each of the documents recited in this paragraph is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
  • the expression of the recombinant gene may be assayed utilizing standard techniques. Initial screening may be accomplished by Southern blot analysis or PCR techniques to analyze animal tissues to verify that integration of the transgene has taken place. The level of mRNA expression of the transgene in the tissues of the transgenic animals may also be assessed using techniques which include, but are not limited to, Northern blot analysis of tissue samples obtained from the animal, in situ hybridization analysis, and reverse transcriptase-PCR (rt-PCR). Samples of transgenic gene- expressing tissue may also be evaluated immunocytochemically or immunohistochemically using antibodies specific for the transgene product.
  • founder animals may be bred, inbred, outbred, or crossbred to produce colonies of the paiticular animal.
  • breeding strategies include, but are not limited to: outbreeding of founder animals with more than one integration site in order to establish separate lines; inbreeding of separate lines in order to produce compound transgenics that express the transgene at higher levels because of the effects of additive expression of each transgene; crossing of heterozygous transgenic animals to produce animals homozygous for a given integration site in order to both augment expression and eliminate the need for screening of animals by DNA analysis; crossing of separate homozygous lines to produce compound heterozygous or homozygous lines; and breeding to place the transgene on a distinct background that is appropriate for an experimental model of interest.
  • mice that secrete a TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptide in their milk may be generated using the pBCl Milk Expression Vector Kit, available from Invitrogen Corp. (Carlsbad, CA; Catalog Number K270-01). Transgenic mice can be made using the pBCl vector according to protocols well-known in the art. Milk may be harvested from the mice and TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides purified from the milk according to the manufacturer's instructions published in the package insert that accompanies the pBCl Milk Expression Vector Kit (Version B, 000829; 25-0264).
  • Transgenic and "knock-out" animals of the invention have uses which include, but are not limited to, animal model systems useful in elaborating the biological function of TNFR polypeptides, studying conditions and/or disorders associated with aberrant TNFR expression, and in screening for compounds effective in ameliorating such conditions and/or disorders.
  • cells that are genetically engineered to express the proteins of the invention, or alternatively, that are genetically engineered not to express the proteins of the invention are administered to a patient in vivo.
  • Such cells may be obtained from the patient (i.e., animal, including human) or an MHC compatible donor and can include, but are not limited to fibroblasts, bone marrow cells, blood cells (e.g., lymphocytes), adipocytes, muscle cells, endothelial cells, etc.
  • the cells are genetically engineered in vitro using recombinant DNA techniques to introduce the coding sequence of polypeptides of the invention into the cells, or alternatively, to disrupt the coding sequence and/or endogenous regulatory sequence associated with the polypeptides of the invention, e.g., by transduction (using viral vectors, and preferably vectors that integrate the transgene into the cell genome) or transfection procedures, including, but not limited to, the use of plasmids, cosmids, YACs, naked DNA, electroporation, liposomes, etc.
  • the coding sequence of the polypeptides of the invention can be placed under the control of a strong constitutive or inducible promoter or promoter/enhancer to achieve expression, and preferably secretion, of the polypeptides of the invention.
  • the engineered cells which express and preferably secrete the polypeptides of the invention can be introduced into the patient systemically, e.g., in the circulation, or intraperitoneally. Alternatively, the cells can be incorporated into a matrix and implanted in the body, e.g., genetically engineered fibroblasts can be implanted as part of a skin graft; genetically engineered endothelial cells can be implanted as part of a lymphatic or vascular graft. (See, for example, Anderson et ⁇ Z.US Patent No. 5,399,349; and Mulligan & Wilson, US Patent No. 5,460,959, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety).
  • the cells to be administered are non-autologous or non-MHC compatible cells, they can be administered using well known techniques which prevent the development of a host immune response against the introduced cells.
  • the cells may be introduced in an encapsulated form which, while allowing for an exchange of components with the immediate extracellular environment, does not allow the introduced cells to be recognized by the host immune system.
  • the present invention further relates to antibodies and T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) which immunospecifically bind a polypeptide, preferably an epitope, of the present invention (as determined by immunoassays well known in the art for assaying specific antibody-antigen binding).
  • TCR T-cell antigen receptors
  • Antibodies of the invention include, but are not limited to, polyclonal, monoclonal, multispecific, human, humanized or chimeric antibodies, single chain antibodies, Fab fragments, F(ab') fragments, fragments produced by a Fab expression library, anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) antibodies (including, e.g., anti-Id antibodies to antibodies of the invention), and epitope-binding fragments of any of the above.
  • antibody/' refers to immunoglobulin molecules and immunologically active portions of immunoglobulin molecules, i.e., molecules that contain an antigen binding site that immunospecifically binds an antigen.
  • the immunoglobulin molecules of the invention can be of any type (e.g., IgG, IgE, IgM, IgD, IgA and IgY), class (e.g., IgGl, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgAl and IgA2) or subclass of immunoglobulin molecule.
  • the immunoglobulin is an IgGl isotype.
  • the immunoglobulin is an IgG4 isotype.
  • the antibodies are human antigen-binding antibody fragments of the present invention and include, but are not limited to, Fab, Fab' and F(ab')2, Fd, single- chain Fvs (scFv), single-chain antibodies, disulfide-linked Fvs (sdFv) and fragments comprising either a VL or VH domain.
  • Antigen-binding antibody fragments, including single-chain antibodies may comprise the variable region(s) alone or in combination with the entirety or a portion of the following: hinge region, CHI, CH2, and CH3 domains. Also included in the invention are antigen-binding fragments also comprising any combination of variable region(s) with a hinge region, CHI, CH2, and CH3 domains.
  • the antibodies of the invention may be from any animal origin including birds and mammals.
  • the antibodies are human, murine, donkey, ship rabbit, goat, guinea pig, camel, horse, or chicken.
  • "human” antibodies include antibodies having the amino acid sequence of a human immunoglobulin and include antibodies isolated from human immunoglobulin libraries or from animals transgenic for one or more human immunoglobulin and that do not express endogenous immunoglobulins, as described infra and, for example in, U.S. Patent No. 5,939,598 by Kucherlapati et al.
  • the antibodies of the present invention may be monospecific, bispecific, trispecific or of greater multispecificity. Multispecific antibodies may be specific for different epitopes of a polypeptide of the present invention or may be specific for both a polypeptide of the present invention as well as for a heterologous epitope, such as a heterologous polypeptide or solid support material. See, e.g., PCT publications WO 93/17715; WO 92/08802; WO 91/00360; WO 92/05793; Tutt, et al., J. Immunol. 147:60-69 (1991); U.S. Patent Nos. 4,474,893; 4,714,681; 4,925,648; 5,573,920; 5,601,819; Kostelny et al., J. Immunol. 148:1547-1553 (1992).
  • Antibodies of the present invention may be described or specified in terms of the epitope(s) or portion(s) of a polypeptide of the present invention that they recognize or specifically bind.
  • the epitope(s) or polypeptide portion(s) may be specified as described herein, e.g., by N-terminal and C-terminal positions, by size in contiguous amino acid residues, or listed in the Tables and Figures.
  • Antibodies that specifically bind any epitope or polypeptide of the present invention may also be excluded. Therefore, the present invention includes antibodies that specifically bind polypeptides of the present invention, and allows for the exclusion of the same.
  • Antibodies of the present invention may also be described or specified in terms of their cross-reactivity. Antibodies that do not bind any other analog, ortholog, or homolog of a polypeptide of the present invention are included. Antibodies that bind polypeptides with at least 95%, at least 90%, at least 85%, at least 80%, at least 75%, at least 70%, at least 65%, at least 60%, at least 55%, and at least 50% identity (as calculated using methods known in the art and described herein) to a polypeptide of the present invention are also included in the present invention.
  • Antibodies that do not bind polypeptides with less than 95%, less than 90%, less than 85%, less than 80%, less than 75%, less than 70%, less than 65%, less than 60%, less than 55%, and less than 50% identity (as calculated using methods known in the art and described herein) to a polypeptide of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Further included in the present invention are antibodies that bind polypeptides encoded by polynucleotides which hybridize to a polynucleotide of the present invention under stringent hybridization conditions (as described herein).
  • binding affinities include those with a dissociation constant or Kd less than 5 X 10 "2 M, 10 "2 M, 5 X 10 "3 M, 10 "3 M, 5 X 10 "4 M, 10 "4 M, 5 X 10 "5 M, or 10 "5 M. More preferred binding affinities include those with a dissociation constant or Kd less than 5 X 10 s M, 10 6 M, 5 X 10 "7 M, 10 7 M, 5 X 10 "8 M, or 10 "8 M.
  • binding affinities include those with a dissociation constant or Kd less than 5 X 10 "9 M, 10 "9 M, 5 X 10 "10 M, 10 "10 M, 5 X 10 "11 M, 10 'u M, 5 X 10 '12 M, 10 2 M, 5 X 10 13 M, 10 13 M, 5 X 10 "14 M, 10 14 M, 5 X 10 '15 M, or 10 "15 M.
  • the invention also provides antibodies that competitively inhibit binding of an antibody to an epitope of the invention as determined by any method known in the art for determining competitive binding, for example, the immunoassays described herein. In preferred embodiments, the antibody competitively inhibits binding to the epitope by at least 90%, at least 80%, at least 70%, at least 60%, or at least 50%.
  • Antibodies of the present invention may act as agonists or antagonists of the polypeptides of the present invention.
  • the present invention includes antibodies which disrupt the receptor/ligand interactions with the polypeptides of the invention either partially or fully.
  • the invention features both receptor-specific antibodies and ligand-specific antibodies.
  • the invention also features receptor-specific antibodies which do not prevent ligand binding but prevent receptor activation.
  • Receptor activation i.e., signaling
  • receptor activation may be determined by techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art. For example, receptor activation can be determined by detecting the phosphorylation (e.g., tyrosine or serine/threonine) of the receptor or its substrate by immunoprecipitation followed by western blot analysis (for example, as described supra).
  • antibodies are provided that inhibit ligand or receptor activity by at least 90%, at least 80%, at least 70%, at least 60%, or at least 50% of the activity in absence of the antibody.
  • the invention also features receptor-specific antibodies which both prevent ligand binding and receptor activation as well as antibodies that recognize the receptor-ligand complex, and, preferably, do not specifically recognize the unbound receptor or the unbound ligand.
  • receptor-specific antibodies which both prevent ligand binding and receptor activation as well as antibodies that recognize the receptor-ligand complex, and, preferably, do not specifically recognize the unbound receptor or the unbound ligand.
  • neutralizing antibodies which bind the ligand and prevent binding of the ligand to the receptor, as well as antibodies which bind the ligand, thereby preventing receptor activation, but do not prevent the ligand from binding the receptor.
  • antibodies which activate the receptor are also act as receptor agonists, i.e., potentiate or activate either all or a subset of the biological activities of the ligand-mediated receptor activation.
  • the antibodies may be specified as agonists, antagonists or inverse agonists for biological activities comprising the specific biological activities of the peptides of the invention disclosed herein.
  • the above antibody agonists can be made using methods known in the art. See, e.g., PCT publication WO 96/40281; U.S. Patent No. 5,811,097; Deng et al., Blood 92(6): 1981-1988 (1998); Chen, et al., Cancer Res. 58(16):3668-3678 (1998); Harrop et al., J. Immunol. 161(4): 1786-1794 (1998); Zhu et al., Cancer Res.
  • Antibodies of the present invention may be used, for example, but not limited to, to purify, detect, and target the polypeptides of the present invention, including both in vitro and in vivo diagnostic and therapeutic methods.
  • the antibodies have use in immunoassays for qualitatively and quantitatively measuring levels of the polypeptides of the present invention in biological samples. See, e.g., Harlow et al., Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2nd ed. 1988) (incorporated by reference herein in its entirety).
  • antibodies of the invention may be administered to individuals as a form of passive immunization.
  • antibodies of the present invention may be used for epitope mapping to identify the epitope(s) bound by the antibody.
  • Epitopes identified in this way may, in turn, for example, be used as vaccine candidates, i.e., to immunize an individual to elicit antibodies against the naturally occuring forms of TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta.
  • the antibodies of the present invention may be used either alone or in combination with other compositions.
  • the antibodies may further be recombinantly fused to a heterologous polypeptide at the N- or C-terminus or chemically conjugated (including covalent and non-covalent conjugations) to polypeptides or other compositions.
  • antibodies of the present invention may be recombinantly fused or conjugated to molecules useful as labels in detection assays and effector molecules such as heterologous polypeptides, drugs, or toxins. See, e.g., PCT publications WO 92/08495; WO 91/14438; WO 89/12624; U.S. Patent No. 5,314,995; andEP 396,387.
  • Additional antibodies of the invention may be to albumin, as described above.
  • the antibodies of the invention include derivatives that are modified, i.e, by the covalent attachment of any type of molecule to the antibody such that covalent attachment does not prevent the antibody from generating an anti-idiotypic response.
  • the antibody derivatives include antibodies that have been modified, e.g., by glycosylation, acetylation, pegylation, phosphylation, amidation, derivatization by known protecting/blocking groups, proteolytic cleavage, linkage to a cellular ligand or other protein, etc. Any of numerous chemical modifications may be carried out by known techniques, including, but not limited to specific chemical cleavage, acetylation, formylation, metabolic synthesis of tunicamycin, etc. Additionally, the derivative may contain one or more non-classical amino acids.
  • the antibodies of the present invention may be generated by any suitable method known in the art.
  • Polyclonal antibodies to an antigen-of- interest can be produced by various procedures well known in the art.
  • a polypeptide of the invention can be administered to various host animals including, but not limited to, rabbits, mice, rats, etc. to induce the production of sera containing polyclonal antibodies specific for the antigen.
  • adjuvants may be used to increase the immunological response, depending on the host species, and include but are not limited to, Freund's (complete and incomplete), mineral gels such as aluminum hydroxide, surface active substances such as lysolecithin, pluronic polyols, polyanions, peptides, oil emulsions, keyhole limpet hemocyanins, dinitrophenol, and potentially useful human adjuvants such as BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) and corynebacterium parvum. Such adjuvants are also well known in the art.
  • Monoclonal antibodies can be prepared using a wide variety of techniques known in the art including the use of hybridoma, recombinant, and phage display technologies, or a combination thereof.
  • monoclonal antibodies can be produced using hybridoma techniques including those known in the art and taught, for example, in Harlow et al., Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2nd ed. 1988); Hammerling, et al., in: Monoclonal Antibodies and T-Cell Hybridomas 563-681 (Elsevier, N.Y., 1981) (said references incorporated by reference in their entireties).
  • the term “monoclonal antibody” as used herein is not limited to antibodies produced through hybridoma technology.
  • the term “monoclonal antibody” refers to an antibody that is derived from a single clone, including any eukaryotic, prokaryotic, or phage clone, and not the method by which it is produced.
  • mice can be immunized with a polypeptide of the invention or a cell expressing such peptide.
  • an immune response e.g., antibodies specific for the antigen are detected in the mouse serum
  • the mouse spleen is harvested and splenocytes isolated.
  • the splenocytes are then fused by well-known techniques to any suitable myeloma cells, for example cells from cell line SP20 available from the ATCC.
  • Hybridomas are selected and cloned by limited dilution.
  • hybridoma clones are then assayed by methods known in the art for cells that secrete antibodies capable of binding a polypeptide of the invention.
  • Ascites fluid which generally contains high levels of antibodies, can be generated by immunizing mice with positive hybridoma clones.
  • EBV Epstein Barr Virus
  • Protocols for generating EBV-transformed B cell lines are commonly known in the art, such as, for example, the protocol outlined in Chapter 7.22 of Current Protocols in Immunology, Coligan et al., Eds., 1994, John Wiley & Sons, NY, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
  • the source of B cells for transformation is commonly human peripheral blood, but B cells for transformation may also be derived from other sources including, but not limited to, lymph nodes, tonsil, spleen, tumor tissue, and infected tissues. Tissues are generally made into single cell suspensions prior to EBV transformation.
  • steps may be taken to either physically remove or inactivate T cells (e.g., by treatment with cyclosporin A) in B cell-containing samples, because T cells from individuals seropositive for anti-EB V antibodies can suppress B cell immortalization by EBV.
  • the sample containing human B cells is innoculated with EBV, and cultured for 3-4 weeks.
  • a typical source of EBV is the culture supernatant of the B95-8 cell line (ATCC #VR-1492).
  • Physical signs of EBV transformation can generally be seen towards the end of the 3-4 week culture period. By phase-contrast microscopy, transformed cells may appear large, clear, hairy and tend to aggregate in tight clusters of cells. Initially, EBV lines are generally polyclonal.
  • EBV lines may become monoclonal or polyclonal as a result of the selective outgrowth of particular B cell clones.
  • polyclonal EBV transformed lines may be subcloned (e.g., by limiting dilution culture) or fused with a suitable fusion partner and plated at limiting dilution to obtain monoclonal B cell lines.
  • Suitable fusion partners for EBV transformed cell lines include mouse myeloma cell lines (e.g., SP2/0, X63-Ag8.653), heteromyeloma cell lines (human x mouse; e.g, SPAM-8, SBC-H20, and CB-F7), and human cell lines (e.g., GM 1500, SKO-007, RPMI 8226, and KR-4).
  • the present invention also provides a method of generating polyclonal or monoclonal human antibodies against polypeptides of the invention or fragments thereof, comprising EB V-transformation of human B cells.
  • the present invention provides methods of generating monoclonal antibodies as well as antibodies produced by the method comprising culturing a hybridoma cell secreting an antibody of the invention wherein, preferably, the hybridoma is generated by fusing splenocytes isolated from a mouse immunized with an antigen of the invention with myeloma cells and then screening the hybridomas resulting from the fusion for hybridoma clones that secrete an antibody able to bind a polypeptide of the invention.
  • Antibody fragments that recognize specific epitopes may be generated by known techniques.
  • Fab and F(ab')2 fragments of the invention may be produced by proteolytic cleavage of immunoglobulin molecules, using enzymes such as papain (to produce Fab fragments) or pepsin (to produce F(ab')2 fragments).
  • F(ab')2 fragments contain the variable region, the light chain constant region and the CHI domain of the heavy chain.
  • the antibodies of the present invention can also be generated using various phage display methods known in the art. In phage display methods, functional antibody domains are displayed on the surface of phage particles which carry the polynucleotide sequences encoding them.
  • such phage can be utilized to display antigen-binding domains expressed from a repertoire or combinatorial antibody library (e.g., human or murine).
  • Phage expressing an antigen binding domain that binds the antigen of interest can be selected or identified with antigen, e.g., using labeled antigen or antigen bound or captured to a solid surface or bead.
  • Phage used in these methods are typically filamentous phage including fd and M13 binding domains expressed from phage with Fab, Fv or disulfide stabilized Fv antibody domains recombinantly fused to either the phage gene El or gene VDI protein.
  • the antibody coding regions from the phage can be isolated and used to generate whole antibodies, including human antibodies, or any other desired antigen binding fragment, and expressed in any desired host, including mammalian cells, insect cells, plant cells, yeast, and bacteria, e.g., as described in detail below.
  • a chimeric antibody is a molecule in which different portions of the antibody are derived from different animal species, such as antibodies having a variable region derived from a murine monoclonal antibody and a human immunoglobulin constant region.
  • Methods for producing chimeric antibodies are known in the art. See e.g., Morrison, Science 229:1202 (1985); Oi et al., BioTechniques 4:214 (1986); Gillies et al.,
  • Humanized antibodies are antibody molecules from non-human species antibody that binds the desired antigen having one or more complementarity determining regions (CDRs) from the non- human species and framework regions from a human immunoglobulin molecule. Often, framework residues in the human framework regions will be substituted with the corresponding residue from the CDR donor antibody to alter, preferably improve, antigen binding. These framework substitutions are identified by methods well known in the art, e.g.
  • Antibodies can be humanized using a variety of techniques known in the art including, for example, CDR-grafting (EP 239,400; PCT publication WO 91/09967; U.S. Patent Nos.
  • Human antibodies are particularly desirable for therapeutic treatment of human patients.
  • Human antibodies can be made by a variety of methods known in the art including phage display methods described above using antibody libraries derived from human immunoglobulin sequences. See also, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,444,887 and 4,716, 111 ; and PCT publications WO 98/46645, WO 98/50433, WO 98/24893, WO 98/16654, WO 96/34096, WO 96/33735, and WO 91/10741; each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
  • Human antibodies can also be produced using transgenic mice which are incapable of expressing functional endogenous immunoglobulins, but which can express human immunoglobulin genes.
  • the human heavy and light chain immunoglobulin gene complexes may be introduced randomly or by homologous recombination into mouse embryonic stem cells.
  • the human variable region, constant region, and diversity region may be introduced into mouse embryonic stem cells in addition to the human heavy and light chain genes.
  • the mouse heavy and light chain immunoglobulin genes may be rendered non-functional separately or simultaneously with the introduction of human immunoglobulin loci by homologous recombination. In particular, homozygous deletion of the JH region prevents endogenous antibody production.
  • the modified embryonic stem cells are expanded and microinjected into blastocysts to produce chimeric mice.
  • the chimeric mice are then bred to produce homozygous offspring that express human antibodies.
  • the transgenic mice are immunized in the normal fashion with a selected antigen, e.g., all or a portion of a polypeptide of the invention.
  • Monoclonal antibodies directed against the antigen can be obtained from the immunized, transgenic mice using conventional hybridoma technology.
  • the human immunoglobulin transgenes harbored by the transgenic mice rearrange during B cell differentiation, and subsequently undergo class switching and somatic mutation.
  • Completely human antibodies which recognize a selected epitope can be generated using a technique referred to as "guided selection.”
  • a selected non-human monoclonal antibody e.g., a mouse antibody, is used to guide the selection of a completely human antibody recognizing the same epitope. (Jespers et al., Bio/technology 12:899-903 (1988)).
  • antibodies to the polypeptides of the invention can, in turn, be utilized to generate anti-idiotype antibodies that "mimic" polypeptides of the invention using techniques well known to those skilled in the art. (See, e.g., Greenspan & Bona, FASEB J. 7(5):437-444; (1989) and Nissinoff, J. Immunol. 147(8):2429-2438 (1991)).
  • antibodies which bind to and competitively inhibit polypeptide multimerization and/or binding of a polypeptide of the invention to a ligand can be used to generate anti-idiotypes that "mimic" the polypeptide multimerization and/or binding domain and, as a consequence, bind to and neutralize polypeptide and/or its ligand.
  • Such neutralizing anti-idiotypes or Fab fragments of such anti-idiotypes can be used in therapeutic regimens to neutralize polypeptide ligand.
  • anti-idiotypic antibodies can be used to bind a polypeptide of the invention and/or to bind its ligands/receptors, and thereby activate or block TNFR mediated inhibition of apoptosis.
  • the invention further provides polynucleotides comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an antibody of the invention and fragments thereof.
  • the invention also encompasses polynucleotides that hybridize under stringent or lower stringency hybridization conditions, e.g., as defined supra, to polynucleotides that encode an antibody, preferably, that specifically binds to a polypeptide of the invention, preferably, an antibody that binds to a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ DD NO:2 or 4.
  • the polynucleotides may be obtained, and the nucleotide sequence of the polynucleotides determined, by any method known in the art.
  • a polynucleotide encoding the antibody may be assembled from chemically synthesized oligonucleotides (e.g., as described in Kutmeier et al., BioTechniques 17:242 (1994)), which, briefly, involves the synthesis of overlapping oligonucleotides containing portions of the sequence encoding the antibody, annealing and ligation of those oligonucleotides, and then amplification of the ligated oligonucleotides by PCR.
  • chemically synthesized oligonucleotides e.g., as described in Kutmeier et al., BioTechniques 17:242 (1994)
  • a polynucleotide encoding an antibody may be generated from nucleic acid from a suitable source. If a clone containing a nucleic acid encoding a particular antibody is not available, but the sequence of the antibody molecule is known, a nucleic acid encoding the immunoglobulin may be obtained from a suitable source (e.g., an antibody cDNA library, or a cDNA library generated from, or nucleic acid, preferably poly A+ RNA, isolated from, any tissue or cells expressing the antibody, such as hybridoma cells selected to express an antibody of the invention) by PCR amplification using synthetic primers hybridizable to the 3' and 5' ends of the sequence or by cloning using an oligonucleotide probe specific for the particular gene sequence to identify, e.g., a cDNA clone from a cDNA library that encodes the antibody.
  • a suitable source e.g., an antibody cDNA library, or a
  • nucleotide sequence and corresponding amino acid sequence of the antibody may be manipulated using methods well known in the art for the manipulation of nucleotide sequences, e.g., recombinant DNA techniques, site directed mutagenesis, PCR, etc.
  • the amino acid sequence of the heavy and/or light chain variable domains may be inspected to identify the sequences of the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) by methods that are well know in the art, e.g., by comparison to known amino acid sequences of other heavy and light chain variable regions to determine the regions of sequence hypervariability.
  • CDRs complementarity determining regions
  • one or more of the CDRs may be inserted within framework regions, e.g., into human framework regions to humanize a non-human antibody, as described supra.
  • the framework regions may be naturally occurring or consensus framework regions, and preferably human framework regions (see, e.g., Chothia et al., J. Mol. Biol.
  • the polynucleotide generated by the combination of the framework regions and CDRs encodes an antibody that specifically binds a polypeptide of the invention.
  • one or more amino acid substitutions may be made within the framework regions, and, preferably, the amino acid substitutions improve binding of the antibody to its antigen. Additionally, such methods may be used to make amino acid substitutions or deletions of one or more variable region cysteine residues participating in an intrachain disulfide bond to generate antibody molecules lacking one or more intrachain disulfide bonds.
  • Other alterations to the polynucleotide are encompassed by the present invention and within the skill of the art.
  • a chimeric antibody is a molecule in which different portions are derived from different animal species, such as those having a variable region derived from a murine mAb and a human immunoglobulin constant region, e.g., humanized antibodies.
  • the antibodies of the invention can be produced by any method known in the art for the synthesis of antibodies, in particular, by chemical synthesis or preferably, by recombinant expression techniques. Methods of producing antibodies include, but are not limited to, hybridoma technology, EBV transformation, and other methods discussed herein as well as through the use recombinant DNA technology, as discussed below. [0268] Recombinant expression of an antibody of the invention, or fragment, derivative or analog thereof, e.g., a heavy or light chain of an antibody of the invention, requires construction of an expression vector containing a polynucleotide that encodes the antibody.
  • the vector for the production of the antibody molecule may be produced by recombinant DNA technology using techniques well known in the art.
  • methods for preparing a protein by expressing a polynucleotide containing an antibody encoding nucleotide sequence are described herein. Methods which are well known to those skilled in the art can be used to construct expression vectors containing antibody coding sequences and appropriate transcriptional and translational control signals. These methods include, for example, in vitro recombinant DNA techniques, synthetic techniques, and in vivo genetic recombination.
  • the invention thus, provides replicable vectors comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an antibody molecule of the invention, or a heavy or light chain thereof, or a heavy or light chain variable domain, operably linked to a promoter.
  • Such vectors may include the nucleotide sequence encoding the constant region of the antibody molecule (see, e.g., PCT Publication WO 86/05807; PCT Publication WO 89/01036; and U.S. Patent No. 5,122,464) and the variable domain of the antibody may be cloned into such a vector for expression of the entire heavy or light chain.
  • the expression vector is transferred to a host cell by conventional techniques and the transfected cells are then cultured by conventional techniques to produce an antibody of the invention.
  • the invention includes host cells containing a polynucleotide encoding an antibody of the invention, or a heavy or light chain thereof, operably linked to a heterologous promoter.
  • vectors encoding both the heavy and light chains may be co-expressed in the host cell for expression of the entire immunoglobulin molecule, as detailed below.
  • a variety of host-expression vector systems may be utilized to express the antibody molecules of the invention.
  • Such host-expression systems represent vehicles by which the coding sequences of interest may be produced and subsequently purified, but also represent cells which may, when transformed or transfected with the appropriate nucleotide coding sequences, express an antibody molecule of the invention in situ.
  • These include but are not limited to microorganisms such as bacteria (e.g., E. coli, B.
  • subtilis transformed with recombinant bacteriophage DNA, plasmid DNA or cosmid DNA expression vectors containing antibody coding sequences; yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces, Pichia) transformed with recombinant yeast expression vectors containing antibody coding sequences; insect cell systems infected with recombinant virus expression vectors (e.g., baculovirus) containing antibody coding sequences; plant cell systems infected with recombinant virus expression vectors (e.g., cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMN; tobacco mosaic virus, TMN) or transformed with recombinant plasmid expression vectors (e.g., Ti plasmid) containing antibody coding sequences; or mammalian cell systems (e.g., COS, CHO, BHK, 293, 3T3 cells) harboring recombinant expression constructs containing promoters derived from the genome of mammalian cells (e.g., metallothionein promoter) or from
  • bacterial cells such as Escherichia coli, and more preferably, eukaryotic cells, especially for the expression of whole recombinant antibody molecule, are used for the expression of a recombinant antibody molecule.
  • mammalian cells such as Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO), in conjunction with a vector such as the major intermediate early gene promoter element from human cytomegalovirus is an effective expression system for antibodies (Foecking et al., 1986, Gene 45:101; Cockett et al., 1990, Bio/Technology 8:2).
  • a number of expression vectors may be advantageously selected depending upon the use intended for the antibody molecule being expressed.
  • vectors which direct the expression of high levels of fusion protein products that are readily purified may be desirable.
  • Such vectors include, but are not limited, to the E. coli expression vector pUR278 (Ruther et al., 1983, EMBO J. 2:1791), in which the antibody coding sequence may be ligated individually into the vector in frame with the lac Z coding region so that a fusion protein is produced; pIN vectors (Inouye & Inouye, 1985, Nucleic Acids Res. 13:3101-3109; Van Heeke & Schuster, 1989, J. Biol. Chem.
  • pGEX vectors may also be used to express foreign polypeptides as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST).
  • GST glutathione S-transferase
  • fusion proteins are soluble and can easily be purified from lysed cells by adsorption and binding to a matrix glutathione-agarose beads followed by elution in the presence of free glutathione.
  • the pGEX vectors are designed to include thrombin or factor Xa protease cleavage sites so that the cloned target gene product can be released from the GST moiety.
  • AcNPV Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis vims
  • the virus grows in Spodoptera frugiperda cells.
  • the antibody coding sequence may be cloned individually into non-essential regions (for example the polyhedrin gene) of the virus and placed under control of an AcNPV promoter (for example the polyhedrin promoter).
  • a number of viral-based expression systems may be utilized.
  • the antibody coding sequence of interest may be ligated to an adenoviras transcription/translation control complex, e.g., the late promoter and tripartite leader sequence. This chimeric gene may then be inserted in the adenoviras genome by in vitro or in vivo recombination.
  • Insertion in a non- essential region of the viral genome will result in a recombinant virus that is viable and capable of expressing the antibody molecule in infected hosts, (e.g., see Logan & Shenk, 1984, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:355-359).
  • Specific initiation signals may also be required for efficient translation of inserted antibody coding sequences. These signals include the ATG initiation codon and adjacent sequences. Furthermore, the initiation codon must be in phase with the reading frame of the desired coding sequence to ensure translation of the entire insert.
  • These exogenous translational control signals and initiation codons can be of a variety of origins, both natural and synthetic. The efficiency of expression may be enhanced by the inclusion of appropriate transcription enhancer elements, transcription terminators, etc. (see Bittner et al., 1987, Methods in Enzymol. 153:51-544).
  • a host cell strain may be chosen which modulates the expression of the inserted sequences, or modifies and processes the gene product in the specific fashion desired. Such modifications (e.g., glycosylation) and processing (e.g., cleavage) of protein products may be important for the function of the protein.
  • Different host cells have characteristic and specific mechanisms for the post-translational processing and modification of proteins and gene products. Appropriate cell lines or host systems can be chosen to ensure the correct modification and processing of the foreign protein expressed.
  • eukaryotic host cells which possess the cellular machinery for proper processing of the primary transcript, glycosylation, and phosphorylation of the gene product may be used.
  • Such mammalian host cells include but are not limited to CHO, VERY, BHK, Hela, COS, MDCK, 293, 3T3, WI38, and in particular, breast cancer cell lines such as, for example, BT483, Hs578T, HTB2, BT20 and T47D, and normal mammary gland cell line such as, for example, CRL7030 and Hs578Bst.
  • cell lines which stably express the antibody molecule may be engineered.
  • host cells can be transformed with DNA controlled by appropriate expression control elements (e.g., promoter, enhancer, sequences, transcription terminators, polyadenylation sites, etc.), and a selectable marker.
  • appropriate expression control elements e.g., promoter, enhancer, sequences, transcription terminators, polyadenylation sites, etc.
  • engineered cells may be allowed to grow for 1-2 days in an enriched media, and then are switched to a selective media.
  • the selectable marker in the recombinant plasmid confers resistance to the selection and allows cells to stably integrate the plasmid into their chromosomes and grow to form foci which in turn can be cloned and expanded into cell lines.
  • This method may advantageously be used to engineer cell lines which express the antibody molecule.
  • Such engineered cell lines may be particularly useful in screening and evaluation of compounds that interact directly or indirectly with the antibody molecule.
  • a number of selection systems may be used, including but not limited to the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (Wigler et al., 1977, Cell 11:223), hypoxanthine- guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (Szybalska & Szybalski, 192, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 48:202), and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (Lowy et al., 1980, Cell 22:817) genes can be employed in tk-, hgprt- or aprt- cells, respectively.
  • antimetabolite resistance can be used as the basis of selection for the following genes: dhfr, which confers resistance to methotrexate (Wigler et al., 1980, Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:357; OHare et al, 1981, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:1527); gpt, which confers resistance to mycophenolic acid (Mulligan & Berg, 1981, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:2072); neo, which confers resistance to the aminoglycoside G-418 Clinical Pharmacy 12:488-505; Wu and Wu, 1991, Biotherapy 3:87-95; Tolstoshev, 1993, Ann.
  • the expression levels of an antibody molecule can be increased by vector amplification (for a review, see Bebbington and Hentschel, The use of vectors based on gene amplification for the expression of cloned genes in mammalian cells in DNA cloning, Vol.3. (Academic Press, New York, 1987)).
  • vector amplification for a review, see Bebbington and Hentschel, The use of vectors based on gene amplification for the expression of cloned genes in mammalian cells in DNA cloning, Vol.3. (Academic Press, New York, 1987)).
  • a marker in the vector system expressing antibody is amplifiable
  • increase in the level of inhibitor present in culture of host cell will increase the number of copies of the marker gene. Since the amplified region is associated with the antibody gene, production of the antibody will also increase (Grouse et al., 1983, Mol. Cell. Biol. 3:257).
  • Vectors which use glutamine synthase (GS) or DHFR as the selectable markers can be amplified in the presence of the drugs methionine sulphoximine or methotrexate, respectively.
  • An advantage of glutamine synthase based vectors are the availabilty of cell lines (e.g., the murine myeloma cell line, NSO) which are glutamine synthase negative. It is also possible to amplify vectors that utilize glutamine synthase selection in glutamine synthase expressing cells (e.g., Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells), however, by providing additional inhibitor to prevent the functioning of the endogenous gene.
  • glutamine synthase expressing cells e.g., Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells
  • glutamine synthase expression system and components thereof are detailed in PCT publications: WO87/04462; WO86/05807; WO89/01036; WO89/10404; and WO91/06657 which are hereby incorporated in their entireties by reference herein. Additionally, glutamine synthase expression vectors can be obtained from Lonza Biologies, Inc. (Portsmouth, NH). Expression and production of monoclonal antibodies using a GS expression system in murine myeloma cells is described in Bebbington et al, Bio/technology 10:169(1992) and in Biblia and Robinson Biotechnol. Prog. 11:1 (1995) which are herein incorporated by reference.
  • the host cell may be co-transfected with two expression vectors of the invention, the first vector encoding a heavy chain derived polypeptide and the second vector encoding a light chain derived polypeptide.
  • the two vectors may contain identical selectable markers which enable equal expression of heavy and light chain polypeptides.
  • a single vector may be used which encodes both heavy and light chain polypeptides. In such situations, the light chain should be placed before the heavy chain to avoid an excess of toxic free heavy chain (Proudfoot, 1986, Nature 322:52; Kohler, 1980, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:2197).
  • the coding sequences for the heavy and light chains may comprise cDNA or genomic DNA.
  • an antibody molecule of the invention may be purified by any method known in the art for purification of an immunoglobulin molecule, for example, by chromatography (e.g., ion exchange, affinity, particularly by affinity for the specific antigen after Protein A, and sizing column chromatography), centrifugation, differential solubility, or by any other standard technique for the purification of proteins.
  • chromatography e.g., ion exchange, affinity, particularly by affinity for the specific antigen after Protein A, and sizing column chromatography
  • centrifugation e.g., centrifugation, differential solubility, or by any other standard technique for the purification of proteins.
  • the present invention encompasses antibodies recombinantly fused or chemically conjugated (including both covalently and non-covalently conjugations) to a polypeptide (or portion thereof, preferably at least 10, 20 or 50 amino acids of the polypeptide) of the present invention to generate fusion proteins.
  • the fusion does not necessarily need to be direct, but may occur through linker sequences.
  • the antibodies may be specific for antigens other than polypeptides (or portion thereof, preferably at least 10, 20 or 50 amino acids of the polypeptide) of the present invention.
  • antibodies may be used to target the polypeptides of the present invention to particular cell types, either in vitro or in vivo, by fusing or conjugating the polypeptides of the present invention to antibodies specific for particular cell surface receptors.
  • Antibodies fused or conjugated to the polypeptides of the present invention may also be used in in vitro immunoassays and purification methods using methods Icnown in the art. See e.g., Harbor et al., supra, and PCT publication WO 93/21232; EP 439,095; Naramura et al., Immunol. Lett. 39:91-99 (1994); U.S. Patent 5,474,981; Gillies et al., PNAS 89:1428-1432 (1992); Fell et al., J. Immunol. 146:2446-2452(1991), which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.
  • the present invention further includes compositions comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused or conjugated to antibody domains other than the variable regions.
  • the polypeptides of the present invention may be fused or conjugated to an antibody Fc region, or portion thereof.
  • the antibody portion fused to a polypeptide of the present invention may comprise the constant region, hinge region, CHI domain, CH2 domain, and CH3 domain or any combination of whole domains or portions thereof.
  • the polypeptides may also be fused or conjugated to the above antibody portions to form multimers.
  • Fc portions fused to the polypeptides of the present invention can form dimers through disulfide bonding between the Fc portions.
  • Higher multimeric forms can be made by fusing the polypeptides to portions of IgA and IgM.
  • Methods for fusing or conjugating the polypeptides of the present invention to antibody portions are known in the art. See, e.g., U.S. Patent Nos. 5,336,603; 5,622,929; 5,359,046; 5,349,053; 5,447,851; 5,112,946; EP 307,434; EP 367,166; PCT publications WO 96/04388; WO 91/06570; Ashkenazi et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:10535-10539 (1991); Zheng et al., J. Immunol.
  • polypeptides of the present invention may be fused or conjugated to the above antibody portions to increase the in vivo half life of the polypeptides or for use in immunoassays using methods known in the art. Further, the polypeptides of the present invention may be fused or conjugated to the above antibody portions to facilitate purification.
  • the Fc part in a fusion protein is beneficial in therapy and diagnosis, and thus can result in, for example, improved pharmacokinetic properties.
  • EP A 232,262 Alternatively, deleting the Fc part after the fusion protein has been expressed, detected, and purified, would be desired.
  • the Fc portion may hinder therapy and diagnosis if the fusion protein is used as an antigen for immunizations.
  • human proteins, such as hXL-5 have been fused with Fc portions for the purpose of high-throughput screening assays to identify antagonists of hE -5. (See, D. Bennett et al., J. Molecular Recognition 8:52-58 (1995); K. Johanson et al., J.
  • the antibodies or fragments thereof of the present invention can be fused to marker sequences, such as a peptide to facilitates their purification.
  • the marker amino acid sequence is a hexa-histidine peptide, such as the tag provided in a pQE vector (QIAGEN, Inc., 9259 Eton Avenue, Chatsworth, CA, 91311), among others, many of which are commercially available.
  • hexa-histidine provides for convenient purification of the fusion protein.
  • peptide tags useful for purification include, but are not limited to, the "HA” tag, which corresponds to an epitope derived from the influenza hemagglutinin protein (Wilson et al., Cell 37:767 (1984)) and the "flag" tag.
  • the present invention further encompasses antibodies or fragments thereof conjugated to a diagnostic or therapeutic agent.
  • the antibodies can be used diagnostically to, for example, monitor the development or progression of a tumor as part of a clinical testing procedure to, e.g., determine the efficacy of a given treatment regimen. Detection can be facilitated by coupling the antibody to a detectable substance.
  • detectable substances include various enzymes, prosthetic groups, fluorescent materials, luminescent materials, bioluminescent materials, radioactive materials, positron emitting metals using various positron emission tomographies, and nonradioactive paramagnetic metal ions. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,741,900 for metal ions which can be conjugated to antibodies for use as diagnostics according to the present invention.
  • suitable enzymes include horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, beta-galactosidase, or acetylcholinesterase;
  • suitable prosthetic group complexes include streptavidin/biotin and avidin/biotin;
  • suitable fluorescent materials include umbelhferone, fluorescein, fluorescein isothiocyanate, rhodamine, dichlorotriazinylamine fluorescein, dansyl chloride or phycoerythrin;
  • an example of a luminescent material includes luminol;
  • bioluminescent materials include luciferase, luciferin, and aequorin;
  • radioactive material examples include iodine ( I, I, I, I), carbon ( C), sulfur ( 35 S), tritium ( 3 H), indium ( m In, 112 In, 113m In, 115m In), technetium ( 99 Tc, 99m Tc), thallium ( 201 Ti), gallium ( 68 Ga, 67 Ga), palladium ( 103 Pd), molybdenum ( 99 Mo), xenon ( 133 Xe), fluorine ( 18 F), 153 Sm, 177 Lu, 159 Gd, 149 Pm, 140 La, 175 Yb, 16 1Ho, 90 Y, 47 Sc, 186 Re, 188 Re, 142 Pr, 105 Rh, and 97 Ru.
  • an antibody or fragment thereof may be conjugated to a therapeutic moiety such as a cytotoxin, e.g., a cytostatic or cytocidal agent, a therapeutic agent or a radioactive metal ion, e.g., alpha-emitters such as, for example, 213Bi or other radioisotopes such as, for example, 103 Pd, 133 Xe, 131 I, 68 Ge, 57 Co, 65 Zn, 85 Sr, 32 P, 35 S, 90 Y, 153 Sm, 153 Gd, 169 Yb, 51 Cr, 54 Mn, 75 Se, 113 Sn, 90 Y, 117 Tin, 186 Re, 188 Re and 166 Ho.
  • a cytotoxin e.g., a cytostatic or cytocidal agent
  • a therapeutic agent or a radioactive metal ion e.g., alpha-emitters such as, for example, 213Bi or other radioisotop
  • an antibody or fragment thereof is attached to macrocyclic chelators useful for chelating radiometal ions, including but not limited to, 177 Lu, 90 Y, 166 Ho, and 153 Sm, to polypeptides.
  • the radiometal ion associated with the macrocyclic chelators attached to antibodies of the invention is ! ! 'in.
  • the radiometal ion associated with the macrocyclic chelator attached to antibodies of the invention is 90 Y.
  • the macrocyclic chelator is 1,4,7,10- tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N",N'"-tetraacetic acid (DOTA).
  • the DOTA is attached to the an antibody of the invention or fragment thereof via a linker molecule.
  • linker molecules useful for conjugating DOTA to a polypeptide are commonly known in the art - see, for example, DeNardo et al., Clin Cancer Res. 4(10):2483- 90, 1998; Peterson et al., Bioconjug. Chem. 10(4):553-7, 1999; and Zimmerman et al, Nucl. Med. Biol. 26(8):943-50, 1999 which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
  • U.S. Patents 5,652,361 and 5,756,065 which disclose chelating agents that may be conjugated to antibodies, and methods for making and using them, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
  • a cytotoxin or cytotoxic agent includes any agent that is detrimental to cells. Examples include paclitaxol, cytochalasin B, gramicidin D, ethidium bromide, emetine, mitomycin, etoposide, tenoposide, vincristine, vinblastine, colchicin, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, dihydroxy anthracin dione, mitoxantrone, mithramycin, actinomycin D, 1- dehydrotestosterone, glucocorticoids, procaine, tetracaine, lidocaine, propranolol, and puromycin and analogs or homologs thereof.
  • Therapeutic agents include, but are not limited to, antimetabolites (e.g., methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, cytarabine, 5- fluorouracil decarbazine), alkylating agents (e.g., mechlorethamine, thioepa chlorambucil, melphalan, carmustine (BSNU) and lomustine (CCNU), cyclothosphamide, busulfan, dibromomannitol, streptozotocin, mitomycin C, and cis- dichlorodiamine platinum (II) (DDP) cisplatin), anthracyclines (e.g., daunorubicin (formerly daunomycin) and doxorubicin), antibiotics (e.g., dactinomycin (formerly actinomycin), bleomycin, mithramycin, and anthramycin (AMC)), and anti-mitotic agents (e.g.,
  • the conjugates of the invention can be used for modifying a given biological response, the therapeutic agent or drag moiety is not to be construed as limited to classical chemical therapeutic agents.
  • the drag moiety may be a protein or polypeptide possessing a desired biological activity.
  • Such proteins may include, for example, a toxin such as abrin, ricin A, pseudomonas exotoxin, or diphtheria toxin; a protein such as tumor necrosis factor, a-interferon, ⁇ -interferon, nerve growth factor, platelet derived growth factor, tissue plasminogen activator, a thrombotic agent or an anti- angiogenic agent, e.g., angiostatin or endostatin; or, biological response modifiers such as, for example, lymphokines, interleukin-1 (“EL-l”), interleukin-2 (“IL-2”), interleukin-6 (“EL-6”), granulocyte macrophase colony stimulating factor (“GM-CSF”), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (“G-CSF”), or other growth factors.
  • a toxin such as abrin, ricin A, pseudomonas exotoxin, or diphtheria toxin
  • a protein such as tumor necrosis factor,
  • Antibodies may also be attached to solid supports, which are particularly useful for immunoassays or purification of the target antigen.
  • solid supports include, but are not limited to, glass, cellulose, polyacrylamide, nylon, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene.
  • Techniques for conjugating such therapeutic moiety to antibodies are well known, see, e.g., Amon et al., "Monoclonal Antibodies For Immunotargeting Of Drugs In Cancer Therapy", in Monoclonal Antibodies And Cancer Therapy, Reisfeld et al. (eds.), pp. 243-56 (Alan R. Liss, Inc.
  • an antibody can be conjugated to a second antibody to form an antibody heteroconjugate as described by Segal in U.S. Patent No. 4,676,980, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
  • An antibody, with or without a therapeutic moiety conjugated to it, administered alone or in combination with cytotoxic factor(s) and/or cytokine(s) can be used as a therapeutic.
  • the antibodies of the invention may be assayed for immunospecific binding by any method known in the art.
  • the immunoassays which can be used include but are not limited to competitive and non-competitive assay systems using techniques such as western blots, radioimmunoassays, ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), "sandwich” immunoassays, immunoprecipitation assays, precipitin reactions, gel diffusion precipitin reactions, immunodiffusion assays, agglutination assays, complement-fixation assays, immunoradiometric assays, fluorescent immunoassays, protein A immunoassays, to name but a few.
  • Immunoprecipitation protocols generally comprise lysing a population of cells in a lysis buffer such as RIPA buffer (1% NP-40 or Triton X- 100, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% SDS, 0.15 M NaCl, 0.01 M sodium phosphate at pH 7.2, 1% Trasylol) supplemented with protein phosphatase and/or protease inhibitors (e.g., EDTA, PMSF, aprotinin, sodium vanadate), adding the antibody of interest to the cell lysate, incubating for a period of time (e.g., 1-4 hours) at 4° C, adding protein A and/or protein G sepharose beads to the cell lysate, incubating for about an hour or more at 4° C, washing the beads in lysis buffer and resuspending the beads in SDS/sample buffer.
  • a lysis buffer such as RIPA buffer (1% NP-40 or Triton X- 100, 1% sodium deoxy
  • the ability of the antibody of interest to immunoprecipitate a particular antigen can be assessed by, e.g., western blot analysis.
  • One of skill in the art would be knowledgeable as to the parameters that can be modified to increase the binding of the antibody to an antigen and decrease the background (e.g., pre- clearing the cell lysate with sepharose beads).
  • immunoprecipitation protocols see, e.g., Ausubel et al, eds, 1994, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol. 1, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York at 10.16.1.
  • Western blot analysis generally comprises preparing protein samples, electrophoresis of the protein samples in a polyacrylamide gel (e.g., 8%- 20% SDS-PAGE depending on the molecular weight of the antigen), transferring the protein sample from the polyacrylamide gel to a membrane such as nitrocellulose, PVDF or nylon, blocking the membrane in blocking solution (e.g., PBS with 3% BSA or non-fat milk), washing the membrane in washing buffer (e.g., PBS-Tween 20), blocking the membrane with primary antibody (the antibody of interest) diluted in blocking buffer, washing the membrane in washing buffer, blocking the membrane with a secondary antibody (which recognizes the primary antibody, e.g., an anti-human antibody) conjugated to an enzymatic substrate (e.g., horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase) or radioactive molecule (e.g., 32P or 1251) diluted in blocking buffer, washing the membrane in wash buffer, and detecting the presence of the antigen
  • ELISAs comprise preparing antigen, coating the well of a 96 well microtiter plate with the antigen, adding the antibody of interest conjugated to a detectable compound such as an enzymatic substrate (e.g., horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase) to the well and incubating for a period of time, and detecting the presence of the antigen.
  • a detectable compound such as an enzymatic substrate (e.g., horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase)
  • the antibody of interest does not have to be conjugated to a detectable compound; instead, a second antibody (which recognizes the antibody of interest) conjugated to a detectable compound may be added to the well. Further, instead of coating the well with the antigen, the antibody may be coated to the well. In this case, a second antibody conjugated to a detectable compound may be added following the addition of the antigen of interest to the coated well.
  • a second antibody conjugated to a detectable compound may be added following the addition of the antigen of interest to the coated well.
  • the binding affinity of an antibody to an antigen and the off -rate of an antibody- antigen interaction can be determined by competitive binding assays.
  • a competitive binding assay is a radioimmunoassay comprising the incubation of labeled antigen (e.g., 3H or 1251) with the antibody of interest in the presence of increasing amounts of unlabeled antigen, and the detection of the antibody bound to the labeled antigen.
  • the affinity of the antibody of interest for a particular antigen and the binding off-rates can be determined from the data by scatchard plot analysis. Competition with a second antibody can also be determined using radioimmunoassays.
  • the antigen is incubated with antibody of interest is conjugated to a labeled compound (e.g., 3H or 1251) in the presence of increasing amounts of an unlabeled second antibody.
  • the present invention is further directed to antibody-based therapies which involve administering antibodies of the invention to an animal, preferably a mammal, and most preferably a human, patient for treating one or more of the described disorders.
  • Therapeutic compounds of the invention include, but are not limited to, antibodies of the invention (including fragments, analogs and derivatives thereof as described herein) and nucleic acids encoding antibodies of the invention (including fragments, analogs and derivatives thereof as described herein).
  • the antibodies of the invention can be used to treat or prevent diseases and disorders associated with aberrant expression and/or activity of a polypeptide of the invention, including, but not limited to, diseases and/or disorders such as autoimmune diseases and/or deficiencies, as discussed herein.
  • the treatment and/or prevention of diseases and disorders associated with aberrant expression and/or activity of a polypeptide of the invention includes, but is not limited to, alleviating symptoms associated with those diseases and disorders.
  • Antibodies of the invention may be provided in pharmaceutically acceptable compositions as Icnown in the art or as described herein. [0300] A summary of the ways in which the antibodies of the present invention may be used therapeutically includes binding polynucleotides or polypeptides of the present invention locally or systemically in the body or by direct cytotoxicity of the antibody, e.g. as mediated by complement (CDC) or by effector cells (ADCC). Some of these approaches are described in more detail below.
  • the antibodies of this invention may be advantageously utilized in combination with other monoclonal or chimeric antibodies, or with lymphokines or hematopoietic growth factors (such as, e.g., IL-2, E -3 and EL-7), for example, which serve to increase the number or activity of effector cells which interact with the antibodies.
  • lymphokines or hematopoietic growth factors such as, e.g., IL-2, E -3 and EL-7
  • the antibodies of the invention may be administered alone or in combination with other types of treatments (e.g., radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, anti-retroviral agents, and anti-tumor agents).
  • treatments e.g., radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, anti-retroviral agents, and anti-tumor agents.
  • administration of products of a species origin or species reactivity in the case of antibodies
  • human antibodies, fragments derivatives, analogs, or nucleic acids are administered to a human patient for therapy or prophylaxis.
  • Preferred binding affinities include those with a dissociation constant or Kd less than 5 X 10-6 M, 10-6 M, 5 X 10-7 M, 10-7 M, 5 X 10-8 M, 10-8 M, 5 X 10-9 M, 10-9 M, 5 X 10-10 M, 10-10 M, 5 X 10-11 M, 10- 11 M, 5 X 10-12 M, 10-12 M, 5 X 10-13 M, 10- 13 M, 5 X 10-14 M, 10-14 M, 5 X 10-15 M, and 10-15 M.
  • nucleic acids comprising sequences encoding antibodies or functional derivatives thereof, are administered to treat, inhibit or prevent a disease or disorder associated with aberrant expression and/or activity of a polypeptide of the invention, by way of gene therapy.
  • Gene therapy refers to therapy performed by the administration to a subject of an expressed or expressible nucleic acid.
  • the nucleic acids produce their encoded protein that mediates a therapeutic effect.
  • the compound comprises nucleic acid sequences encoding an antibody, said nucleic acid sequences being part of expression vectors that express the antibody or fragments or chimeric proteins or heavy or light chains thereof in a suitable host.
  • nucleic acid sequences have promoters operably linked to the antibody coding region, said promoter being inducible or constitutive, and, optionally, tissue- specific.
  • nucleic acid molecules are used in which the antibody coding sequences and any other desired sequences are flanked by regions that promote homologous recombination at a desired site in the genome, thus providing for intrachromosomal expression of the antibody nucleic acids (Koller and Smithies, 1989, Proc. Natl.
  • the expressed antibody molecule is a single chain antibody; alternatively, the nucleic acid sequences include sequences encoding both the heavy and light chains, or fragments thereof, of the antibody.
  • Delivery of the nucleic acids into a patient may be either direct, in which case the patient is directly exposed to the nucleic acid or nucleic acid- carrying vectors, or indirect, in which case, cells are first transformed with the nucleic acids in vitro, then transplanted into the patient. These two approaches are known, respectively, as in vivo or ex vivo gene therapy.
  • the nucleic acid sequences are directly administered in vivo, where it is expressed to produce the encoded product. This can be accomplished by any of numerous methods known in the art, e.g., by constructing them as part of an appropriate nucleic acid expression vector and administering it so that they become intracellular, e.g., by infection using defective or attenuated retro virals or other viral vectors (see U.S. Patent No.
  • microparticle bombardment e.g., a gene gun; Biolistic, Dupont
  • coating lipids or cell-surface receptors or transfecting agents, encapsulation in liposomes, microparticles, or microcapsules, or by administering them in linkage to a peptide which is known to enter the nucleus, by administering it in linkage to a ligand subject to receptor-mediated endocytosis (see, e.g., Wu and Wu, 1987, J. Biol. Chem. 262:4429-4432) (which can be used to target cell types specifically expressing the receptors), etc.
  • nucleic acid- ligand complexes can be formed in which the ligand comprises a fusogenic viral peptide to disrupt endosomes, allowing the nucleic acid to avoid lysosomal degradation.
  • the nucleic acid can be targeted in vivo for cell specific uptake and expression, by targeting a specific receptor (see, e.g., PCT Publications WO 92/06180 dated April 16, 1992 (Wu et al.); WO 92/22635 dated December 23, 1992 (Wilson et al.); WO92/20316 dated November 26, 1992 (Findeis et al.); WO93/14188 dated July 22, 1993 (Clarke et al.), WO 93/20221 dated October 14, 1993 (Young)).
  • the nucleic acid can be introduced intracellularly and incorporated within host cell DNA for expression, by homologous recombination (Koller and Smithies, 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:8932-8935; Zijlstra et al., 1989, Nature 342:435-438).
  • viral vectors that contains nucleic acid sequences encoding an antibody of the invention are used.
  • a retroviral vector can be used (see Miller et al., 1993, Meth. Enzymol. 217:581-599). These retroviral vectors have been to delete retroviral sequences that are not necessary for packaging of the viral genome and integration into host cell DNA.
  • the nucleic acid sequences encoding the antibody to be used in gene therapy are cloned into one or more vectors, which facilitates delivery of the gene into a patient.
  • retroviral vectors More detail about retroviral vectors can be found in Boesen et al., 1994, Biotherapy 6:291-302, which describes the use of a retroviral vector to deliver the mdrl gene to hematopoietic stem cells in order to make the stem cells more resistant to chemotherapy.
  • Other references illustrating the use of retroviral vectors in gene therapy are: Clowes et al., 1994, J. Clin. Invest. 93:644-651; Kiem et al., 1994, Blood 83:1467-1473; Salmons and Gunzberg, 1993, Human Gene Therapy 4:129-141; and Grossman and Wilson, 1993, Curr. Opin. in Genetics and Devel. 3:110-114.
  • Adenovirases are other viral vectors that can be used in gene therapy. Adenovirases are especially attractive vehicles for delivering genes to respiratory epithelia. Adenovirases naturally infect respiratory epithelia where they cause a mild disease. Other targets for adenovirus-based delivery systems are liver, the central nervous system, endothelial cells, and muscle. Adenovirases have the advantage of being capable of infecting non-dividing cells. Kozarsky and Wilson, 1993, Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 3:499-503 present a review of adenovirus-based gene therapy.
  • adenoviras vectors are used.
  • Adeno-associated virus has also been proposed for use in gene therapy (Walsh et al., 1993, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 204:289-300; U.S. Patent No. 5,436,146).
  • Another approach to gene therapy involves transferring a gene to cells in tissue culture by such methods as electroporation, lipofection, calcium phosphate mediated transfection, or viral infection. Usually, the method of transfer includes the transfer of a selectable marker to the cells. The cells are then placed under selection to isolate those cells that have taken up and are expressing the transferred gene. Those cells are then delivered to a patient.
  • the nucleic acid is introduced into a cell prior to administration in vivo of the resulting recombinant cell.
  • introduction can be carried out by any method known in the art, including but not limited to transfection, electroporation, microinjection, infection with a viral or bacteriophage vector containing the nucleic acid sequences, cell fusion, chromosome-mediated gene transfer, microcell-mediated gene transfer, spheroplast fusion, etc.
  • Numerous techniques are known in the art for the introduction of foreign genes into cells (see, e.g., Loeffler and Behr, 1993, Meth. Enzymol. 217:599-618; Cohen et al., 1993, Meth. Enzymol.
  • the technique should provide for the stable transfer of the nucleic acid to the cell, so that the nucleic acid is expressible by the cell and preferably heritable and expressible by its cell progeny.
  • the resulting recombinant cells can be delivered to a patient by various methods known in the art.
  • Recombinant blood cells e.g., hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells
  • the amount of cells envisioned for use depends on the desired effect, patient state, etc., and can be determined by one skilled in the art.
  • Cells into which a nucleic acid can be introduced for purposes of gene therapy encompass any desired, available cell type, and include but are not limited to epithelial cells, endothelial cells, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, muscle cells, hepatocytes; blood cells such as Tlymphocytes, Blymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, megakaryocytes, granulocytes; various stem or progenitor cells, in particular hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells, e.g., as obtained from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood, fetal liver, etc.
  • the cell used for gene therapy is autologous to the patient.
  • nucleic acid sequences encoding an antibody are introduced into the cells such that they are expressible by the cells or their progeny, and the recombinant cells are then administered in vivo for therapeutic effect.
  • stem or progenitor cells are used. Any stem and or progenitor cells which can be isolated and maintained in vitro can potentially be used in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention (see e.g. PCT Publication WO 94/08598, dated April 28, 1994; Stemple and Anderson, 1992, Cell 71:973-985; Rheinwald, 1980, Meth. Cell Bio. 21 A:229; and Pittelkow and Scott, 1986, Mayo Clinic Proc. 61:771).
  • the nucleic acid to be introduced for purposes of gene therapy comprises an inducible promoter operably linked to the coding region, such that expression of the nucleic acid is controllable by controlling the presence or absence of the appropriate inducer of transcription.
  • the compounds or pharmaceutical compositions of the invention are preferably tested in vitro, and then in vivo for the desired therapeutic or prophylactic activity, prior to use in humans.
  • in vitro assays to demonstrate the therapeutic or prophylactic utility of a compound or pharmaceutical composition include, the effect of a compound on a cell line or a patient tissue sample.
  • the effect of the compound or composition on the cell line and/or tissue sample can be determined utilizing techniques known to those of skill in the art including, but not limited to, rosette formation assays and cell lysis assays.
  • in vitro assays which can be used to determine whether administration of a specific compound is indicated, include in vitro cell culture assays in which a patient tissue sample is grown in culture, and exposed to or otherwise administered a compound, and the effect of such compound upon the tissue sample is observed.
  • the invention provides methods of treatment, inhibition and prophylaxis by administration to a subject of an effective amount of a compound or pharmaceutical composition of the invention, preferably an antibody of the invention.
  • the compound is substantially purified (e.g., substantially free from substances that limit its effect or produce undesired side-effects).
  • the subject is preferably an animal, including but not limited to animals such as cows, pigs, horses, chickens, cats, dogs, etc., and is preferably a mammal, and most preferably human.
  • Formulations and methods of administration that can be employed when the compound comprises a nucleic acid or an immunoglobulin are described above; additional appropriate formulations and routes of administration can be selected from among those described herein below.
  • Various delivery systems are known and can be used to administer a compound of the invention, e.g., encapsulation in liposomes, microparticles, microcapsules, recombinant cells capable of expressing the compound, receptor-mediated endocytosis (see, e.g., Wu and Wu, 1987, J. Biol. Chem. 262:4429-4432), construction of a nucleic acid as part of a retroviral or other vector, etc.
  • Methods of introduction include but are not limited to intradermal, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous, intranasal, epidural, and oral routes.
  • the compounds or compositions may be administered by any convenient route, for example by infusion or bolus injection, by absorption through epithelial or mucocutaneous linings (e.g., oral mucosa, rectal and intestinal mucosa, etc.) and may be administered together with other biologically active agents. Administration can be systemic or local.
  • Pulmonary administration can also be employed, e.g., by use of an inhaler or nebulizer, and formulation with an aerosolizing agent.
  • a protein, including an antibody, of the invention care must be taken to use materials to which the protein does not absorb.
  • the compound or composition can be delivered in a vesicle, in particular a liposome (see Langer, 1990, Science 249:1527-1533; Treat et al., in Liposomes in the Therapy of Infectious Disease and Cancer, Lopez-Berestein and Fidler (eds.), Liss, New York, pp. 353- 365 (1989); Lopez-Berestein, ibid., pp. 317-327; see generally ibid.) [0326] In yet another embodiment, the compound or composition can be delivered in a controlled release system. In one embodiment, a pump may be used (see Langer, supra; Sefton, 1987, CRC Crit. Ref. Biomed. Eng.
  • polymeric materials can be used (see Medical Applications of Controlled Release, Langer and Wise (eds.), CRC Pres., Boca Raton, Florida (1974); Controlled Drug Bioavailability, Drug Product Design and Performance, Smolen and Ball (eds.), Wiley, New York (1984); Ranger and Peppas, J., 1983, Macromol. Sci. Rev. Macromol. Chem. 23:61; see also Levy et al., 1985, Science 228:190; During et al., 1989, Ann. Neurol.
  • a controlled release system can be placed in proximity of the therapeutic target, i.e., the brain, thus requiring only a fraction of the systemic dose (see, e.g., Goodson, in Medical Applications of Controlled Release, supra, vol. 2, pp. 115- 138 (1984)).
  • the nucleic acid can be administered in vivo to promote expression of its encoded protein, by constructing it as part of an appropriate nucleic acid expression vector and administering it so that it becomes intracellular, e.g., by use of a retroviral vector (see U.S. Patent No.
  • a nucleic acid can be introduced intracellularly and incorporated within host cell DNA for expression, by homologous recombination.
  • the present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions.
  • compositions comprise a therapeutically effective amount of a compound, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
  • pharmaceutically acceptable means approved by a regulatory agency of the Federal or a state government or listed in the U.S. Pharmacopeia or other generally recognized pharmacopeia for use in animals, and more particularly in humans.
  • carrier refers to a diluent, adjuvant, excipient, or vehicle with which the therapeutic is administered.
  • Such pharmaceutical carriers can be sterile liquids, such as water and oils, including those of petroleum, animal, vegetable or synthetic origin, such as peanut oil, soybean oil, mineral oil, sesame oil and the like. Water is a preferred carrier when the pharmaceutical composition is administered intravenously.
  • Saline solutions and aqueous dextrose and glycerol solutions can also be employed as liquid carriers, particularly for injectable solutions.
  • suitable pharmaceutical excipients include starch, glucose, lactose, sucrose, gelatin, malt, rice, flour, chalk, silica gel, sodium stearate, glycerol monostearate, talc, sodium chloride, dried skim milk, glycerol, propylene, glycol, water, ethanol and the like.
  • the composition if desired, can also contain minor amounts of wetting or emulsifying agents, or pH buffering agents. These compositions can take the form of solutions, suspensions, emulsion, tablets, pills, capsules, powders, sustained-release formulations and the like.
  • composition can be formulated as a suppository, with traditional binders and carriers such as triglycerides.
  • Oral formulation can include standard carriers such as pharmaceutical grades of mannitol, lactose, starch, magnesium stearate, sodium saccharine, cellulose, magnesium carbonate, etc. Examples of suitable pharmaceutical carriers are described in "Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences” by E.W. Martin.
  • Such compositions will contain a therapeutically effective amount of the compound, preferably in purified form, together with a suitable amount of carrier so as to provide the form for proper administration to the patient.
  • the formulation should suit the mode of administration.
  • the composition is formulated in accordance with routine procedures as a pharmaceutical composition adapted for intravenous administration to human beings.
  • compositions for intravenous administration are solutions in sterile isotonic aqueous buffer.
  • the composition may also include a solubilizing agent and a local anesthetic such as lignocaine to ease pain at the site of the injection.
  • the ingredients are supplied either separately or mixed together in unit dosage form, for example, as a dry lyophilized powder or water free concentrate in a hermetically sealed container such as an ampoule or sachette indicating the quantity of active agent.
  • composition is to be administered by infusion, it can be dispensed with an infusion bottle containing sterile pharmaceutical grade water or saline.
  • an ampoule of sterile water for injection or saline can be provided so that the ingredients may be mixed prior to administration.
  • the compounds of the invention can be formulated as neutral or salt forms.
  • Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include those formed with anions such as those derived from hydrochloric, phosphoric, acetic, oxalic, tartaric acids, etc., and those formed with cations such as those derived from sodium, potassium, ammonium, calcium, ferric hydroxides, isopropylamine, triethylamine, 2-ethylamino ethanol, histidine, procaine, etc.
  • the amount of the compound of the invention which will be effective in the treatment, inhibition and prevention of a disease or disorder associated with aberrant expression and/or activity of a polypeptide of the invention can be determined by standard clinical techniques. In addition, in vitro assays may optionally be employed to help identify optimal dosage ranges.
  • Effective doses may be extrapolated from dose-response curves derived from in vitro or animal model test systems.
  • the dosage administered to a patient is typically OJ mg/kg to 100 mg/kg of the patient's body weight.
  • the dosage administered to a patient is between 0J mg/kg and 20 mg/kg of the patient's body weight, more preferably 1 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg of the patient's body weight.
  • human antibodies have a longer half-life within the human body than antibodies from other species due to the immune response to the foreign polypeptides. Thus, lower dosages of human antibodies and less frequent administration is often possible.
  • the dosage and frequency of administration of antibodies of the invention may be reduced by enhancing uptake and tissue penetration (e.g., into the brain) of the antibodies by modifications such as, for example, lipidation.
  • the invention also provides a pharmaceutical pack or kit comprising one or more containers filled with one or more of the ingredients of the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention.
  • a pharmaceutical pack or kit comprising one or more containers filled with one or more of the ingredients of the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention.
  • Optionally associated with such container(s) can be a notice in the form prescribed by a governmental agency regulating the manufacture, use or sale of pharmaceuticals or biological products, which notice reflects approval by the agency of manufacture, use or sale for human administration.
  • Labeled antibodies, and derivatives and analogs thereof, which specifically bind to a polypeptide of interest can be used for diagnostic purposes to detect, diagnose, or monitor diseases and/or disorders associated with the aberrant expression and/or activity of a polypeptide of the invention.
  • the invention provides for the detection of aberrant expression of a polypeptide of interest, comprising (a) assaying the expression of the polypeptide of interest in cells or body fluid of an individual using one or more antibodies specific to the polypeptide interest and (b) comparing the level of gene expression with a standard gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the assayed polypeptide gene expression level compared to the standard expression level is indicative of aberrant expression.
  • the invention provides a diagnostic assay for diagnosising a disorder, comprising (a) assaying the expression of the polypeptide of interest in cells or body fluid of an individual using one or more antibodies specific to the polypeptide interest and (b) comparing the level of gene expression with a standard gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the assayed polypeptide gene expression level compared to the standard expression level is indicative of a particular disorder.
  • a diagnostic assay for diagnosising a disorder comprising (a) assaying the expression of the polypeptide of interest in cells or body fluid of an individual using one or more antibodies specific to the polypeptide interest and (b) comparing the level of gene expression with a standard gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the assayed polypeptide gene expression level compared to the standard expression level is indicative of a particular disorder.
  • the presence of a relatively high amount of transcript in biopsied tissue from an individual may indicate a predisposition for the development of the disease, or may provide a means for detecting the disease prior
  • Assaying TR6-alpha and/or TR6-beta polypeptide levels in a biological sample can occur using antibody-based techniques.
  • Antibodies of the invention can be used to assay protein levels in a biological sample using classical immunohistological methods known to those of skill in the art (e.g., see Jalkanen, M., et al., J. Cell. Biol. 101:976-985 (1985); Jalkanen, M., et al., J. Cell . Biol. 105:3087-3096 (1987)).
  • antibody-based methods useful for detecting protein gene expression include immunoassays, such as the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the radioimmunoassay (RIA).
  • Suitable antibody assay labels are known in the art and include enzyme labels, such as, glucose oxidase, and radioisotopes, such as iodine ( 131 1, 125 I, I23 1, 121 I), carbon ( 14 C), sulfur ( 35 S), tritium ( 3 H), indium ( 115m In, 113m In, 112 In, H1 In), and technetium ( 99 Tc, 99m Tc), thallium ( 20!
  • One aspect of the invention is the detection and diagnosis of a disease or disorder associated with aberrant expression of a polypeptide of the interest in an animal, preferably a mammal and most preferably a human.
  • diagnosis comprises: a) administering (for example, parenterally, subcutaneously, or intraperitoneally) to a subject an effective amount of a labeled molecule which specifically binds to the polypeptide of interest; b) waiting for a time interval following the administering for permitting the labeled molecule to preferentially concentrate at sites in the subject where the polypeptide is expressed (and for unbound labeled molecule to be cleared to background level); c) determining background level; and d) detecting the labeled molecule in the subject, such that detection of labeled molecule above the background level indicates that the subject has a particular disease or disorder associated with aberrant expression of the polypeptide of interest.
  • Background level can be determined by various methods including, comparing the amount of labeled molecule detected to a standard value previously determined for a particular system.
  • the size of the subject and the imaging system used will determine the quantity of imaging moiety needed to produce diagnostic images.
  • the quantity of radioactivity injected will normally range from about 5 to 20 millicuries of 99mTc.
  • the labeled antibody or antibody fragment will then preferentially accumulate at the location of cells which contain the specific protein.
  • In vivo tumor imaging is described in S.W. Burchiel et al., "Immunopharmacokinetics of Radiolabeled Antibodies and Their Fragments.” (Chapter 13 in Tumor Imaging: The Radiochemical Detection of Cancer, S.W. Burchiel and B. A. Rhodes, eds., Masson Publishing Inc. (1982).
  • the time interval following the administration for permitting the labeled molecule to preferentially concentrate at sites in the subject and for unbound labeled molecule to be cleared to background level is 6 to 48 hours or 6 to 24 hours or 6 to 12 hours. In another embodiment the time interval following administration is 5 to 20 days or 5 to 10 days.
  • monitoring of the disease or disorder is carried out by repeating the method for diagnosing the disease or disease, for example, one month after initial diagnosis, six months after initial diagnosis, one year after initial diagnosis, etc.
  • Presence of the labeled molecule can be detected in the patient using methods known in the art for in vivo scanning. These methods depend upon the type of label used. Skilled artisans will be able to determine the appropriate method for detecting a particular label. Methods and devices that may be used in the diagnostic methods of the invention include, but are not limited to, computed tomography (CT), whole body scan such as position emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and sonography.
  • CT computed tomography
  • PET position emission tomography
  • MRI magnetic resonance imaging
  • sonography sonography
  • the molecule is labeled with a radioisotope and is detected in the patient using a radiation responsive surgical instrument (Thurston et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,441,050).
  • the molecule is labeled with a fluorescent compound and is detected in the patient using a fluorescence responsive scanning instrument.
  • the molecule is labeled with a positron emitting metal and is detected in the patent using positron emission-tomography.
  • the molecule is labeled with a paramagnetic label and is detected in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  • MRI magnetic resonance imaging
  • kits that can be used in the above methods.
  • a kit comprises an antibody of the invention, preferably a purified antibody, in one or more containers.
  • the kits of the present invention contain a substantially isolated polypeptide comprising an epitope which is specifically immunoreactive with an antibody included in the kit.
  • the kits of the present invention further comprise a control antibody which does not react with the polypeptide of interest.
  • kits of the present invention contain a means for detecting the binding of an antibody to a polypeptide of interest (e.g., the antibody may be conjugated to a detectable substrate such as a fluorescent compound, an enzymatic substrate, a radioactive compound or a luminescent compound, or a second antibody which recognizes the first antibody may be conjugated to a detectable substrate).
  • a detectable substrate such as a fluorescent compound, an enzymatic substrate, a radioactive compound or a luminescent compound, or a second antibody which recognizes the first antibody may be conjugated to a detectable substrate.
  • the kit is a diagnostic kit for use in screening serum containing antibodies specific against proliferative and/or cancerous polynucleotides and polypeptides.
  • a kit may include a control antibody that does not react with the polypeptide of interest.
  • a kit may include a substantially isolated polypeptide antigen comprising an epitope which is specifically immunoreactive with at least one anti-polypeptide antigen antibody.
  • a kit includes means for detecting the binding of said antibody to the antigen (e.g., the antibody may be conjugated to a fluorescent compound such as fluorescein or rhodamine which can be detected by flow cytometry).
  • the kit may include a recombinantly produced or chemically synthesized polypeptide antigen.
  • the polypeptide antigen of the kit may also be attached to a solid support.
  • the detecting means of the above-described kit includes a solid support to which said polypeptide antigen is attached.
  • a kit may also include a non-attached reporter-labeled anti-human antibody.
  • binding of the antibody to the polypeptide antigen can be detected by binding of the said reporter- labeled antibody.
  • the invention includes a diagnostic kit for use in screening serum containing antigens of the polypeptide of the invention.
  • the diagnostic kit includes a substantially isolated antibody specifically immunoreactive with polypeptide or polynucleotide antigens, and means for detecting the binding of the polynucleotide or polypeptide antigen to the antibody.
  • the antibody is attached to a solid support.
  • the antibody may be a monoclonal antibody.
  • the detecting means of the kit may include a second, labeled monoclonal antibody. Alternatively, or in addition, the detecting means may include a labeled, competing antigen.
  • test serum is reacted with a solid phase reagent having a surface-bound antigen obtained by the methods of the present invention.
  • the reagent After binding with specific antigen antibody to the reagent and removing unbound serum components by washing, the reagent is reacted with reporter-labeled anti-human antibody to bind reporter to the reagent in proportion to the amount of bound anti-antigen antibody on the solid support.
  • the reagent is again washed to remove unbound labeled antibody, and the amount of reporter associated with the reagent is determined.
  • the reporter is an enzyme which is detected by incubating the solid phase in the presence of a suitable fluorometric, luminescent or colorimetric substrate (Sigma, St. Louis, MO).
  • the solid surface reagent in the above assay is prepared by known techniques for attaching protein material to solid support material, such as polymeric beads, dip sticks, 96- well plate or filter material. These attachment methods generally include non-specific adsorption of the protein to the support or covalent attachment of the protein, typically through a free amine group, to a chemically reactive group on the solid support, such as an activated carboxyl, hydroxy], or aldehyde group. Alternatively, streptavidin coated plates can be used in conjunction with biotinylated antigen(s).
  • the invention provides an assay system or kit for carrying out this diagnostic method.
  • the kit generally includes a support with surface- bound recombinant antigens, and a reporter-labeled anti-human antibody for detecting surface-bound anti-antigen antibody.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and TNFR-6 beta are expressed in hematopoietic and transformed tissues.
  • substantially altered (increased or decreased) levels of TNFR gene expression can be detected in immune system tissue or other cells or bodily fluids (e.g., sera and plasma) taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to a "standard" TNFR gene expression level, that is, the TNFR expression level in immune system tissues or other cells or bodily fluids from an individual not having the immune system disorder.
  • the invention provides a diagnostic method useful during diagnosis of an immune system disorder, which involves measuring the expression level of the gene encoding the TNFR protein in immune system tissue or other cells or body fluid from an individual and comparing the measured gene expression level with a standard TNFR gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the gene expression level compared to the standard is indicative of an immune system disorder.
  • certain tissues in mammals with cancer e.g., colon, breast and lung cancers
  • elevated levels of the TNFR protein can be detected in certain cells or body fluids (e.g., sera and plasma) from mammals with such a cancer when compared to sera from mammals of the same species not having the cancer.
  • the invention provides a diagnostic method useful during diagnosis of an immune system disorder, including cancers which involves measuring the expression level of the gene encoding the TNFR protein in immune system tissue or other cells or body fluid from an individual and comparing the measured gene expression level with a standard TNFR gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the gene expression level compared to the standard is indicative of an immune system disorder.
  • the present invention is useful as a prognostic indicator, whereby patients exhibiting depressed gene expression will experience a worse clinical outcome relative to patients expressing the gene at a level nearer the standard level.
  • saying the expression level of the gene encoding a TNFR protein is intended qualitatively or quantitatively measuring or estimating the level of the TNFR-6 and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ protein or the level of the mRNA encoding the TNFR-6 ⁇ and/or TNFR-6 ⁇ protein in a first biological sample either directly (e.g., by determining or estimating absolute protein level or mRNA level) or relatively (e.g., by comparing to the TNFR protein level or mRNA level in a second biological sample).
  • the TNFR protein level or mRNA level in the first biological sample is measured or estimated and compared to a standard TNFR protein level or mRNA level, the standard being taken from a second biological sample obtained from an individual not having the disorder or being determined by averaging levels from a population of individuals not having a disorder of the immune system.
  • a standard TNFR protein level or mRNA level is known, they can be used repeatedly as a standard for comparison.
  • biological sample is intended any biological sample obtained from an individual, body fluid, cell line, tissue culture, or other source which contains TNFR protein or mRNA.
  • biological samples include body fluids (such as sera, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) which contain free extracellular domain(s) (or soluble form(s)) of a TNFR protein, immune system tissue, and other tissue sources found to express complete TNFR, mature TNFR, or extracellular domain of a TNFR.
  • body fluids such as sera, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid
  • free extracellular domain(s) or soluble form(s) of a TNFR protein
  • immune system tissue and other tissue sources found to express complete TNFR, mature TNFR, or extracellular domain of a TNFR.
  • tissue biopsies and body fluids from mammals are well known in the art.
  • tissue biopsy is the preferred source.
  • the invention also contemplates the use of a gene of the present invention for diagnosing mutations in a TNFR gene.
  • mutations which enhance receptor polypeptide activity would lead to diseases associated with an over expression of the receptor polypeptide, e.g., cancer.
  • Mutations in the genes can be detected by comparing the sequence of the defective gene with that of a normal one. Subsequently one can verify that a mutant gene is associated with a disease condition or the susceptibility to a disease condition.
  • a mutant gene which leads to the underexpression of the receptor polypeptides of the present invention would be associated with an inability of TNFR to inhibit Fas ligand and/or AIM-II mediated apoptosis, and thereby result in irregular cell proliferation (e.g., tumor growth).
  • immune system disorders which may be diagnosed by the foregoing assays include, but are not limited to, hypersensitivity, allergy, infectious disease, graft-host disease, Immunodificiency, autoimmune diseases and the like.
  • Nucleic acids used for diagnosis may be obtained from a patient's cells, such as from blood, urine, saliva and tissue biopsy among other tissues.
  • the genomic DNA may be used directly for detection or may be amplified enzymatically by using PCR (Saiki et al, Nature, 324:163-166 (1986)) prior to analysis.
  • RNA or cDNA may also be used for the same purpose.
  • PCR primers complementary to the nucleic acid of the instant invention can be used to identify and analyze mutations in the human genes of the present invention.
  • deletions and insertions can be detected by a change in the size of the amplified product in comparison to the normal genotype.
  • Point mutations can be identified by hybridizing amplified DNA to radiolabeled RNA or alternatively, radiolabeled antisense DNA sequences of the present invention. Perfectly matched sequences can be distinguished from mismatched duplexes by RNase A digestion or by differences in melting temperatures. Such a diagnostic would be particularly useful for prenatal or even neonatal testing.
  • Sequence differences between the reference gene and "mutants" may be revealed by the direct DNA sequencing method.
  • cloned DNA segments may be used as probes to detect specific DNA segments.
  • the sensitivity of this method is greatly enhanced when combined with PCR.
  • a sequencing primer used with double stranded PCR product or a single stranded template molecule generated by a modified PCR product.
  • the sequence determination is performed by conventional procedures with radiolabeled nucleotides or by automatic sequencing procedures with fluorescent tags.
  • Sequence changes at the specific locations may be revealed by nuclease protection assays, such as RNase and SI protection or the chemical cleavage method (for example, Cotton et al, PNAS, 55:4397-4401 (1985)).
  • Assaying TNFR protein levels in a biological sample can occur using antibody-based techniques.
  • TNFR protein expression in tissues can be studied with classical immunohistological methods (Jalkanen, M., etal, J. Cell Biol. 101:916-985 (1985); Jalkanen, M., et al, J. Cell . Biol 105:3081-3096 (1987)).
  • Other antibody-based methods useful for detecting TNFR gene expression include immunoassays, such as the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the radioimmunoassay (RIA).
  • ELISA enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
  • RIA radioimmunoassay
  • Suitable antibody assay labels include enzyme labels, such as, glucose oxidase, and radioisotopes, such as iodine ( 125 1, 121 I), carbon ( 14 C), sulfur ( 35 S), tritium ( 3 H), indium ( ⁇ 2 In), and technetium ( 99m Tc), and fluorescent labels, such as fluorescein and rhodamine, and biotin.
  • enzyme labels such as, glucose oxidase, and radioisotopes, such as iodine ( 125 1, 121 I), carbon ( 14 C), sulfur ( 35 S), tritium ( 3 H), indium ( ⁇ 2 In), and technetium ( 99m Tc)
  • fluorescent labels such as fluorescein and rhodamine, and biotin.
  • TNFR proteins can also be detected in vivo by imaging.
  • Antibody labels or markers for in vivo imaging of TNFR proteins include those detectable by X-radiography , NMR or ESR.
  • suitable labels include radioisotopes such as barium or cesium, which emit detectable radiation but are not overtly harmful to the subject.
  • Suitable markers for NMR and ESR include those with a detectable characteristic spin, such as deuterium, which may be incorporated into the antibody by labeling of nutrients for the relevant hybridoma.
  • a TNFR-specific antibody or antibody fragment which has been labeled with an appropriate detectable imaging moiety such as a radioisotope (for example, I31 1, 112 In, 99m Tc, ( 131 I, I25 1, 123 1, 121 I), carbon ( 14 C), sulfur ( 35 S), tritium ( 3 H), indium ( ,15m In, ⁇ 3m In, ,12 In, In), and technetium ( 99 Tc, 99,r Tc), thallium ( 201 Ti), gallium ( 68 Ga, 67 Ga), palladium ( 103 Pd), molybdenum ( 99 Mo), xenon ( 133 Xe), fluorine ( 18 F), I53 Sm, 177 Lu, 159 Gd, 149 Pm, 140 La, 175 Yb, 166 Ho, 90 Y, 47 Sc, 186 Re, 188 Re, I42 Pr, I05 Rh, 97 Ru), a radio-opaque substance, or a material detectable
  • the size of the subject and the imaging system used will determine the quantity of imaging moiety needed to produce diagnostic images.
  • the quantity of radioactivity injected will normally range from about 5 to 20 millicuries of 99 ⁇ Tc.
  • the labeled antibody or antibody fragment will then preferentially accumulate at the location of cells which contain TNFR protein.
  • In vivo tumor imaging is described in S.W. Burchiel et al., "Immunopharmacokinetics of Radiolabeled Antibodies and Their Fragments" (Chapter 13 in Tumor Imaging: The Radiochemical Detection of Cancer, S.W. Burchiel and B. A. Rhodes, eds., Masson Publishing Inc. (1982)).
  • TNF Tumor Necrosis Factor
  • the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) family ligands are known to be among the most pleiotropic cytokines, inducing a large number of cellular responses, including cytotoxicity, anti-viral activity, immunoregulatory activities, and the transcriptional regulation of several genes (Goeddel, D.N. et al, "Tumor Necrosis Factors: Gene Structure and Biological Activities;' Symp. Quant. Biol. 51:591-609 (1986), Cold Spring Harbor;
  • TNF-family ligands induce such various cellular responses by binding to TNF-family receptors.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention may be used in developing treatments for any disorder mediated (directly or indirectly) by defective, or insufficient amounts of TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta .
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides may be administered to a patient (e.g., mammal, preferably human) afflicted with such a disorder.
  • a gene therapy approach may be applied to treat such disorders.
  • Disclosure herein of TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta nucleotide sequences permits the detection of defective TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta genes, and the replacement thereof with normal TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta -encoding genes.
  • Defective genes may be detected in in vitro diagnostic assays, and by comparison of a TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta nucleotide sequence disclosed herein with that of a TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta gene derived from a patient suspected of harboring a defect in this gene.
  • the polypeptides of the present invention are used as a research tool for studying the biological effects that result from inhibiting Fas ligand/TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta and/or AIM-II interactions on different cell types.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides also may be employed in in vitro assays for detecting Fas ligand, AIM-II, or TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta or the interactions thereof.
  • a purified TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptide of the invention is used to inhibit binding of Fas ligand and/or AEVI-II to endogenous cell surface Fas ligand and/or AIM- ⁇ receptors.
  • Certain ligands of the TNF family (of which Fas ligand and AIM-II are members) have been reported to bind to more than one distinct cell surface receptor protein.
  • AIM-II likewise is believed to bind multiple cell surface proteins.
  • soluble TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides of the present invention may be employed to inhibit the binding of Fas ligand and/or AEVI-DL not only to endogenous TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta, but also to Fas ligand and AIM-II receptor proteins that are distinct from TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta is used to inhibit a biological activity of Fas ligand and/or AIM-II, in in vitro or in vivo procedures.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides of the invention By inhibiting binding of Fas ligand and/or AIM-E to cell surface receptors, TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides of the invention also inhibit biological effects that result from the binding of Fas ligand and/or AIM-II to endogenous receptors.
  • Various forms of TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta may be employed, including, for example, the above-described TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta fragments, derivatives, and variants that are capable of binding Fas ligand and/or AIM-II.
  • a soluble TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptide of the invention is administered to inhibit a biological activity of Fas ligand and/or AIM-II, e.g., to inhibit Fas ligand-mediated and/or AIM-II-mediated apoptosis of cells susceptible to such apoptosis.
  • a TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptide of the invention is administered to a mammal to treat a Fas ligand-mediated and/or AIM- II-mediated disorder.
  • Fas ligand-mediated and/or AIM-II-mediated (e.g., a human) disorders include conditions caused (directly or indirectly) or exacerbated by Fas ligand and/or AIM-II.
  • FasL/Fas interactions There are numerous autoimmune diseases in which FasL/Fas interactions play a role.
  • seram levels of FasL were abnormally high as was the number of FasL + T cells .
  • the CNS plaques from patients with MS have been shown to express high levels of Fas and FasL. This is particularly significant since Fas and FasL expression is normally absent in the mature CNS.
  • patients with DDDM have a superabundance of FasL + T cells associated with their islet cells.
  • FasL/Fas mediated cell killing patients with chronic renal failure have been reported to have a 50 fold increase in the number of apoptotic nephrons compared to normal.
  • FasL This has been ascribed to renal tubule epithelial cell expression of both FasL and Fas, leading to cellular fratricide .
  • activated T cells expressing FasL are seen in conjunction with Fas expressing chondrocytes.
  • Fas expression is observed on colonic epithelial cells, and FasL on lamina propria lymphocytes. This lead to the observation that FasL positive lymphocytes are present only in the lamina intestinal of UC patients with active lesions but not in tissues from inactive UC patients.
  • MDS myelodisplastic syndrome
  • LGL large granular lymphocyte
  • MDS bone marrow hematopoetic cells suffer an abnormally high level of apoptosis, associated with the upregulation of bone marrow Fas expression and lymphocyte FasL expression .
  • the neutropenia seen in patients with LGL leukemia has been attributed to the high levels of circulating seram FasL.
  • leukemic LGL serum was incubated in vitro for 24 hours with normal neutrophils, the degree of apoptosis significantly increased above that of cells incubated with normal serum.
  • TNFR6-Fc is a potent inhibitor FasL-mediated killing.
  • FasL-associated disorders listed above may be treated and/or prevented, in accordance with the invention, through administration of the TNFR6- containing polypeptides and polynucleotides desribed herein.
  • Suitable animal models for examining the effectiveness of TNFR6 in treating disease include but are not limited to mouse models of graft versus host disease (GVHD), murine allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an assay used as a central nervous system (CNS) model of multiple sclerosis (MS); non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of insulin- dependant diabetes mellitus (DDDM), which is characterized by FasL + T cell destruction of islet cells, while Fas " NOD mice fail to develop diabetes. NOD mice can also be used to model Sjogren's disease, since apoptosis in the salivary and lacrimal glands of these mice has been reported.
  • mice developed spontaneous tubular atrophy and renal failure correlated with upregulation of Fas and FasL in these tissues.
  • the invention encompasses the treatment and prevention of the human disesases corresonding to these animal models, through administration of the TNFR6 polypeptides and polynucleotides of the present invention.
  • TNFR6 binds to LIGHT (TL3), a regulator of T cell funtion.
  • LIGHT a regulator of T cell funtion.
  • TNFR6-Fc can ameliorate the effects of transplantation, including the inhibition of transplant or graft rejection and the inhibition of graft versus host disease (GVHD).
  • the methods encompass the treatment of graft rejection or GVHD wherein the grafted tissue or organ is one or more of a variety, of tissues and/or organs, including, but not limted to, heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, islet cells, bone marrow, and skin.
  • Such methods of preventing FasL-mediated killing or ameliorating the effects of transplantation may be carried out, in accordance with the present invention, using TNFR6-human serum albumin fusions, in lieu of Fc fusions.
  • Cells which express a TNFR polypeptide and have a potent cellular response to TNFR-6 ⁇ and TNFR-6 ⁇ ligands include lymphocytes, endothelial cells, keratinocytes, and prostate tissue.
  • a cellular response to a TNF-family ligand is intended any genotypic, phenotypic, and/or morphologic change to a cell, cell line, tissue, tissue culture or patient that is induced by a TNF-family ligand.
  • such cellular responses include not only normal physiological responses to TNF-family ligands, but also diseases associated with increased apoptosis or the inhibition of apoptosis.
  • TNFR polypeptides of the invention bind. Fas ligand and AIM-II and consequently block Fas ligand and AIM-II mediated apoptosis.
  • Apoptosis-programmed cell death is a physiological mechanism involved in the deletion of B and/or T lymphocytes of the immune system, and its disregulation can lead to a number of different pathogenic processes (J.C. Ameisen AIDS 8:1197-1213 (1994); P.H. Kramner et al, Curr. Opin. Immunol. 6:279-289 (1994)).
  • Diseases associated with increased cell survival, or the inhibition of apoptosis include cancers (such as follicular lymphomas, carcinomas with p53 mutations, and hormone- dependent tumors, including, but not limited to colon cancer, cardiac tumors, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, retinoblastoma, glioblastoma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer, testicular cancer, stomach cancer, neuroblastoma, myxoma, myoma, lymphoma, endothelioma, osteoblastoma, osteoclastoma, osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, adenoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma and ovarian cancer); autoimmune disorders (such as, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune diabetes, biliary cirrhosis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, polymy
  • cancers
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or antagonists of the invention are used to inhibit growth, progression, and/or metastasis of cancers, in particular those listed above.
  • Additional diseases or conditions associated with increased cell survival include, but are not limited to, progression, and/or metastases of malignancies and related disorders such as leukemia (including acute leukemias (e.g., acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelocytic leukemia (including myeloblastic, promyelocytic, myelomonocytic, monocytic, and erythroleukemia)) and chronic leukemias (e.g., chronic myelocytic (granulocytic) leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia)), polycythemia vera, lymphomas (e.g., Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's disease), multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, heavy chain disease, and solid tumors including, but not limited to, sarcomas and carcinomas such as fibrosarcoma, myxosarcoma, liposarcoma,
  • ADDS Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Retinitis pigmentosa, Cerebellar degeneration and brain tumor or prior associated disease
  • autoimmune disorders such as, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, Grave's disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune diabetes, biliary cirrhosis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, polymyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, immune-related glomerulonephritis (e.g., proliferative glomeralonephritis), autoimmune gastritis, thrombocytopenic purpura, and rheumatoid arthritis) myelodysplastic syndromes (such as aplastic anemia), graft vs.
  • neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Retinitis pigmentosa, Cerebellar degeneration and
  • ischemic injury such as ischemic cardiac injury and that caused by myocardial infarction, stroke and reperfusion injury
  • liver injury or disease e.g., hepatitis related liver injury, cirrhosis, ischemia/reperfusion injury, cholestosis (bile duct injury) and liver cancer
  • toxin-induced liver disease such as that caused by alcohol
  • septic shock ulcerative colitis
  • cachexia cachexia and anorexia
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides and/or agonists are used to treat or prevent the diseases and disorders listed above.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent glomeralonephritis.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent chronic glomerulonephritis and/or cell/tissue damage (e.g., glomerular cell death) and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent proliferative glomerulonephritis and/or cell/tissue damage (e.g., glomerular cell death) and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used treat or prevent biliary cirrhosis and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used treat or prevent disease, such as, for example, alcoholic liver disease and/or medical conditions associated with this disease (e.g., cirrhosis).
  • disease such as, for example, alcoholic liver disease and/or medical conditions associated with this disease (e.g., cirrhosis).
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent graft vs host disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent graft vs host disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat (e.g., reduce) or prevent tissue or cell damage or destruction (e.g., lymphoid cell depletion associated with graft vs host disease) and/or other medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • tissue or cell damage or destruction e.g., lymphoid cell depletion associated with graft vs host disease
  • the TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat (e.g., reduce) and/or prevent diarrhea during graft vs host disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent Sjogren's diesease and/or to reduce tissue/cell damage or destruction (e.g., damage or destruction of salivary and/or lacrimal tissues) and/or other medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent multiple sclerosis and/or to reduce tissue damage or destruction (such as, for example, neurological tissue (e.g., CNS tissue) damage or destruction) and/or lesions or other medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • tissue damage or destruction such as, for example, neurological tissue (e.g., CNS tissue) damage or destruction
  • lesions or other medical conditions associated with this disease such as, for example, neurological tissue (e.g., CNS tissue) damage or destruction
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists, including antibody and antibody fragments, of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent
  • tissue damage or destruction e.g., damage or destruction of neurological tissue or cells
  • medical conditions associated with this disease e.g., Alzheimer's disease and/or to reduce tissue damage or destruction (e.g., damage or destruction of neurological tissue or cells) and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat, prevent Parkinson's disease and/or to reduce tissue damage or destruction (e.g., damage or destruction of neurological tissue or cells, such as, for example neuronal cells) and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • tissue damage or destruction e.g., damage or destruction of neurological tissue or cells, such as, for example neuronal cells
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used before, during, immediately after, and/or after a stroke to treat, prevent, or reduce damage of cells or tissue (such as, for example, neurological tissue) and/or medical conditions associated with stroke.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat, prevent, or reduce ischemic injury (such as, for example, ischemic cardiac injury) and/or medical conditions associated with ischemic injury.
  • ischemic injury such as, for example, ischemic cardiac injury
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used before, during, immediately after, and/or after a heart attack to treat, prevent, or reduce ischemic cardiac injury.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and/or medical conditions associated with MDS.
  • MDS myelodysplastic syndromes
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to increase circulating blood cell numbers in patients suffering from cytopenia, lymphopenia and/or anemia.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent Hashimoto's thyroiditis and/or to reduce destraction or damage of tissue or cells (e.g., thyroid gland) and/or to treat or prevent medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat (e.g., reduce) and/or prevent autoimmune gastritis and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent ulcerative colitis and/or cell/tissue damage (e.g., ulceration in the colon) and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention are used to treat and/or prevent rheumatoid arthritis and/or medical conditions associated with this disease.
  • a number of cancers secrete FasL which binds Fas positive T cells and kills them. Any cancer which expresses FasL could therefor be a target for treatment by TNFR and TNFR agonists of the invention.
  • Such cancers include, but are not limited to, malignant myeloma, leukemia and lymphoma.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or TNFR agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent ADDS and pathologies associated with ADDS.
  • Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to the use of TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta (e.g., TR6-alpha- and/or TR6-beta- Fc or albumin fusion proteins) to reduce Fas ligand and/or AIM- II-mediated death of T cells in FJJV-infected patients.
  • apoptosis and CD4 + T-lymphocyte depletion is tightly correlated in different animal models of ADDS (Brunner, T., et al, Nature 373:441- 444 (1995); Gougeon, M.L., et al, AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses 9:553-563 (1993)) and, apoptosis is not observed in those animal models in which viral replication does not result in ADDS (Gougeon, M.L. et al, AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses 9:553-563 (1993)). Further data indicates that uninfected but primed or activated T lymphocytes from HIV-infected individuals undergo apoptosis after encountering the Fas Ligand.
  • a method for treating HJV + individuals involves administering TNFR and/or TNFR agonists of the present invention to reduce selective killing of CD4 T-lymphocytes. Modes of administration and dosages are discussed in detail below.
  • T cell apoptosis occurs through multiple mechanisms. Further at least some of the T cell death seen in FflV patients may be mediated by AIM-II. While not wishing to be bound by theory, such Fas ligand and/or AEVI-II-mediated T cell death is believed to occur through the mechanism known as activation-induced cell death (AICD).
  • AICD activation-induced cell death
  • Activated human T cells are induced to undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis) upon triggering through the CD3/T cell receptor complex, a process termed activated-induced cell death (AICD).
  • AICD activated-induced cell death
  • CD4 T cells isolated from HlV-Infected asymptomatic individuals has been reported (Groux et al, supra).
  • AICD may play a role in the depletion of CD4+ T cells and the progression to ADDS in HIN-infected individuals.
  • the present invention provides a method of inhibiting Fas ligand-mediated and/or AIM- ⁇ -mediated T cell death in FflV patients, comprising administering a TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptide of the invention to the patients.
  • the patient is asymptomatic when treatment with TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta commences.
  • peripheral blood T cells may be extracted from an FflV patient, and tested for susceptibility to Fas ligand-mediated and/or AIM-II-mediated cell death by conventional procedures.
  • a patient's blood or plasma is contacted with TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta ex vivo.
  • the TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR- 6 beta may be bound to a suitable chromatography matrix known in the art by conventional procedures.
  • the patient's blood or plasma flows through a chromatography column containing TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides of the invention bound to the matrix, before being returned to the patient.
  • the immobilized TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta binds Fas ligand and/or AIM-II, thus removing Fas ligand and/or AIM-II protein from the patient's blood.
  • a TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptide of the invention may be administered in combination with other inhibitors of T cell apoptosis.
  • T cell death seen in FflV patients is believed to be mediated by TRAIL (International application publication number WO 97/01633 hereby incorporated by reference).
  • TRAIL International application publication number WO 97/01633 hereby incorporated by reference.
  • a patient susceptible to both Fas ligand mediated and TRAIL mediated T cell death may be treated with both an agent that blocks TRAE /TRAD - receptor interactions and an agent that blocks Fas-ligand/Fas interactions.
  • Suitable agents that may be administered with the polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention to block binding of TRAIL to TRAE receptors include, but are not limited to, soluble TRAEL receptor polypeptides (e.g., a soluble form of OPG, DR4 (International application publication number WO 98/32856); TR5 (International application publication number WO 98/30693); DR5 (International application publication number WO 98/41629); TRIO (International application publication number WO 98/54202)); multimeric forms of soluble TRAIL receptor polypeptides; and TRAIL receptor antibodies that bind the TRAIL receptor without transducing the biological signal that results in apoptosis, anti-TRAIL antibodies that block binding of TRAIL to one or more TRAEL receptors, and muteins of TRAIL that bind TRAEL receptors but do not transduce the biological signal that results in apoptosis.
  • soluble TRAEL receptor polypeptides e.g.
  • the antibodies employed according to this method are monoclonal antibodies.
  • Suitable agents, which also block binding of Fas-ligand to Fas include, but are not limited to, soluble Fas polypeptides; multimeric forms of soluble Fas polypeptides (e.g., dimers of sFas/Fc); anti-Fas antibodies that bind Fas without transducing the biological signal that results in apoptosis; anti-Fas-ligand antibodies that block binding of Fas-ligand to Fas; and muteins of Fas-ligand that bind Fas but do not transduce the biological signal that results in apoptosis.
  • Suitable agents that may be administered with the polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention to block binding of AIM-H to AEVI-II receptors include, but are not limited to, soluble AIM-II receptor polypeptides (e.g., a soluble form of TR2 (International application publication number WO 96/34095); LT beta receptor; and TR8 (International application publication number WO 98/54201)); multimeric forms of soluble AIM-D receptor polypeptides; and AIM-II receptor antibodies that bind the AIM-II receptor without transducing the biological signal that results in apoptosis, anti- AIM-II antibodies that block binding of AIM-II to one or more AIM-II receptors, and muteins of AIM-II
  • the antibodies employed according to this method are monoclonal antibodies.
  • the immune system of the recipient animal has not previously been primed to respond because the immune system for the most part is only primed by environmental antigens. Tissues from other members of the same species have not been presented in the same way that, for example, viruses and bacteria have been presented.
  • immunosuppressive regimens are designed to prevent the immune system from reaching the effector stage.
  • the immune profile of xenograft rejection may resemble disease recurrence more than allograft rejection.
  • the immune system has already been activated, as evidenced by destraction of the native islet cells.
  • Antagonists of the present invention are able to suppress the immune response to both allografts and xenografts because lymphocytes activated and differentiated into effector cells will express the TNFR polypeptide, and thereby are susceptible to compounds which enhance TNFR activity.
  • the present invention further provides a method for creating immune privileged tissues.
  • Antagonist of the invention can further be used in the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel-Disease.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists of the invention may also be used to suppress immune responses.
  • the TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists of the invention are used to minimize untoward effects associated with transplantation.
  • the TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists of the invention are used to suppress Fas mediated immune responses (e.g., in a manner similar to an immunosuppressant such as, for example, rapamycin or cyclosporin).
  • the TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists of the invention are used to suppress AIM-D mediated immune responses.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or TNFR agonists of the invention are used to treat and prevent and/or reduce graft rejection.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or TNFR agonists of the invention are used to treat and prevent and/or reduce graft vs. host disease.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides, polynucleotides, and/or agonists may be used to treat or prevent graft rejection (e.g., xenograft and allograft rejection (e.g, acute allograft rejection)) and/or medical conditions associated with graft rejection.
  • graft rejection e.g., xenograft and allograft rejection (e.g, acute allograft rejection)
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides, polynucleotides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent acute allograft rejection and/or medical conditions associated with acute allograft rejection.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides, polynucleotides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent acute allograft rejection of a kidney and/or medical conditions associated with acute allograft rejection of a kidney.
  • Fas ligand is a type D membrane protein that induces apoptosis by binding to Fas. Fas ligand is expressed in activated T cells, and works as an effector of cytotoxic lymphocytes.
  • Fas and Fas ligand Molecular and genetic analysis of Fas and Fas ligand have indicated that mouse lymphoproliferation mutation (lpr) and generalized lymphoproliferative disease (gld) are mutations of Fas and Fas ligand respectively.
  • the lpr of gld mice develop lymphadenopathy, and suffer from autoimmune disease. Based on these phenotypes and other studies, it is believed that the Fas system is involved in the apoptotic process during T-cell development, specifically peripheral clonal deletion or activation-induced suicide of mature T cells. In addition to the activated lymphocytes, Fas is expressed in the liver, heart and lung.
  • Fas system plays a role not only in the physiological process of lymphocyte development, but also in the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated disease such as fulminant hepatitis and/or hepatitis resulting from viral infection or toxic agents.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta binds Fas ligand, and thus functions as an antagonist of Fas-ligand mediated activity.
  • the TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides and/or polynucleotides of the invention, and/or agonists thereof may be used to treat or prevent lymphoproliferative disorders (e.g., lymphadenopathy and others described herein), autoimmune disorders (e.g., autoimmune diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, immune-related glomerulonephritis, autoimmune gastritis, autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and others described herein), and/or liver disease (e.g., acute and chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis).
  • lymphoproliferative disorders e.g., lymphadenopathy and others described herein
  • autoimmune disorders e.g., autoimmune diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, Grave's disease, Hashimoto'
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent hepatitis and/or tissue/cell damage or destruction and/or medical conditions associated with hepatitis.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent fulminant hepatitis and/or medical conditions associated with fulminant hepatitis.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides., and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and/or tissue/cell damage or destruction and/or medical conditions associated with SLE.
  • SLE systemic lupus erythematosus
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent skin lesions in SLE patients.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and/or tissue/cell damage or destraction and/or medical conditions associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are prior to, during, or immediately after the onset of diabetes to reduce or prevent damage to islet cells and/or to reduce exogenous insulin requirement.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and/or tissue/cell damage or destraction, and/or medical conditions associated with TEN.
  • TNFR polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent Lyell's syndrome.
  • Hepatitis virus e.g., Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus
  • Fas expression in hepatocytes is up- regulated in accordance with the severity of liver inflammation.
  • Hepatitis virus-specific T cells migrate into hepatocytes and recognize the viral antigen via the T cell receptor, they become activated and express Fas ligand that can transduce the apoptotic death signal to Fas-bearing hepatocytes.
  • Fas system plays an important role in liver cell injury by viral hepatitis.
  • the TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides and/or polynucleotides of the invention and/or agonists or antagonists thereof are used to treat or prevent hepatitis resulting from viral infection (e.g., infection resulting form Hepatitis B virus or Hepatitis C virus infection).
  • a patient's blood or plasma is contacted with TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides of the invention ex vivo.
  • the TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta may be bound to a suitable chromatography matrix by conventional procedures.
  • the patient's blood or plasma flows through a chromatography column containing TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta bound to the matrix, before being returned to the patient.
  • the immobilized TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta binds Fas-ligand, thus removing Fas-ligand protein from the patient's blood.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides, polynucleotides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention may be used to treat or prevent renal failure (e.g., chronic renal failure), and/or tissue/cell damage or destruction (e.g., tubular epithelial cell deletion) and/or medical conditions associated with renal failure.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides, polynucleotides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention may be used to regulate (i.e., stimulate or inhibit) bone growth.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polypeptides, polynucleotides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention are used to stimulate bone growth.
  • Specific diseases or conditions that may be treated or prevented with the compositions of the invention include, but are not limited to, bone fractures, and defects, and disorders which result in weakened bones such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and age- related loss of bone mass.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta of the invention may be used to treat or prevent cardiovascular disorders, including peripheral artery disease, such as limb ischemia.
  • Cardiovascular disorders include cardiovascular abnormalities, such as arterio- arterial fistula, arteriovenous fistula, cerebral arteriovenous malformations, congenital heart defects, pulmonary atresia, and Scimitar Syndrome.
  • Congenital heart defects include aortic coarctation, cor triatriatum, coronary vessel anomalies, crisscross heart, dextrocardia, patent ductus arteriosus, Ebstein's anomaly, Eisenmenger complex, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, levocardia, tetralogy of fallot, transposition of great vessels, double outlet right ventricle, tricuspid atresia, persistent trancus arteriosus, and heart septal defects, such as aortopulmonary septal defect, endocardial cushion defects, Lutembacher's Syndrome, trilogy of Fallot, ventricular heart septal defects.
  • Cardiovascular disorders also include heart disease, such as atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, carcinoid heart disease, high cardiac output, low cardiac output, cardiac tamponade, endocarditis (including bacterial), heart aneurysm, cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure (e.g., chronic congestive heart failure), congestive cardiomyopathy, paroxysmal dyspnea, cardiac edema, heart hypertrophy, congestive cardiomyopathy, left ventricular ⁇ hypertrophy, right ventricular hypertrophy, post-infarction heart rupture, ventricular septal rupture, heart valve diseases, myocardial diseases, myocardial ischemia, pericardial effusion, pericarditis (including constrictive and tuberculous), pneumopericardium, postpericardiotomy syndrome, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, ventricular dysfunction, hyperemia, cardiovascular pregnancy complications, Scimitar Syndrome, cardiovascular syphilis, and cardiovascular tubercul
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention may be used to treat and/or prevent chronic congestive heart failure and/or medical conditions associated chronic congestive heart failure.
  • TNFR-6 alpha and/or TNFR-6 beta polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists of the invention may be used to treat and/or prevent pulmonary injury or disease (e.g., pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as, for example, emphysema and chronic bronchitis), and/or tissue/cell damage or destruction (e.g., alveolar wall and/or bronchiolar wall destruction) and/or medical conditions associated with pulmonary injury or disease.
  • pulmonary injury or disease e.g., pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as, for example, emphysema and chronic bronchitis
  • tissue/cell damage or destruction e.g., alveolar wall and/or bronchiolar wall destruction
  • Arrhythmias include sinus arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, bradycardia, extrasystole, Adams-Stokes Syndrome, bundle-branch block, sinoatrial block, long QT syndrome, parasystole, Lown-Ganong-Levine Syndrome, Mahaim-type pre-excitation syndrome, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, sick sinus syndrome, tachycardias, and ventricular fibrillation.
  • Tachycardias include paroxysmal tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia, accelerated idioventricular rhythm, atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia, ectopic atrial tachycardia, ectopic junctional tachycardia, sinoatrial nodal reentry tachycardia, sinus tachycardia, Torsades de Pointes, and ventricular tachycardia.
  • Heart valve disease include aortic valve insufficiency, aortic valve stenosis, hear murmurs, aortic valve prolapse, mitral valve prolapse, tricuspid valve prolapse, mitral valve insufficiency, mitral valve stenosis, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary valve insufficiency, pulmonary valve stenosis, tricuspid atresia, tricuspid valve insufficiency, and tricuspid valve stenosis.
  • Myocardial diseases include alcoholic cardiomyopathy, congestive cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic subvalvular stenosis, pulmonary subvalvular stenosis, restrictive cardiomyopathy, Chagas cardiomyopathy, endocardial fibroelastosis, endomyocardial fibrosis, Keams Syndrome, myocardial reperfusion injury, and myocarditis.
  • Myocardial ischemias include coronary disease, such as angina pectoris, coronary aneurysm, coronary arteriosclerosis, coronary thrombosis, coronary vasospasm, myocardial infarction and myocardial stunning.
  • coronary disease such as angina pectoris, coronary aneurysm, coronary arteriosclerosis, coronary thrombosis, coronary vasospasm, myocardial infarction and myocardial stunning.
  • Cardiovascular diseases also include vascular diseases such as aneurysms, angiodysplasia, angiomatosis, bacillary angiomatosis, Hippel-Lindau Disease, Klippel- Trenaunay- Weber Syndrome, Sturge- Weber Syndrome, angioneurotic edema, aortic diseases, Takayasu's Arteritis, aortitis, Leriche's Syndrome, arterial occlusive diseases, arteritis, enarteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, cerebrovascular disorders, diabetic angiopathies, diabetic retinopathy, embolisms, thrombosis, erythromelalgia, hemorrhoids, hepatic veno-occlusive disease, hypertension, hypotension, ischemia, peripheral vascular diseases, phlebitis, pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, Raynaud's disease, CREST syndrome
  • Aneurysms include dissecting aneurysms, false aneurysms, infected aneurysms, ruptured aneurysms, aortic aneurysms, cerebral aneurysms, coronary aneurysms, heart aneurysms, and iliac aneurysms.
  • Arterial occlusive diseases include arteriosclerosis, intermittent claudication, carotid stenosis, fibromuscular dysplasias, mesenteric vascular occlusion, Moyamoya disease, renal artery obstruction, retinal artery occlusion, and thromboangiitis obliterans.

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Abstract

Cette invention se rapporte à de nouvelles protéines servant de récepteurs du facteur de nécrose tumorale (TNFR). Cette invention concerne en particulier des molécules d'acide nucléique isolées codant les protéines servant de TNFR 6α et 6β humains. Cette invention décrit en particulier des polypeptides TNFR 6α et 6β, ainsi que des vecteurs, des cellules hôtes et des procédés de recombinaison servant à leur production. Cette invention concerne enfin des procédés de criblage pour identifier des agonistes et des antagonistes de l'activité des TNFR 6α et 6β, ainsi que des procédés diagnostiques permettant de détecter des troubles liés au système immunitaire et des procédés thérapeutiques servant à traiter des troubles liés au système immunitaire.
EP01966151A 2000-08-25 2001-08-24 Recepteurs du facteur de necrose tumorale 6-alpha et 6-beta Withdrawn EP1322667A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22759800P 2000-08-25 2000-08-25
US227598P 2000-08-25
US25213100P 2000-11-21 2000-11-21
US252131P 2000-11-21
US30322401P 2001-07-06 2001-07-06
US303224P 2001-07-06
PCT/US2001/026396 WO2002018622A2 (fr) 2000-08-25 2001-08-24 Recepteurs du facteur de necrose tumorale 6$g(a) et 6$g(b)

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EP1322667A2 true EP1322667A2 (fr) 2003-07-02
EP1322667A4 EP1322667A4 (fr) 2004-08-18

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AU (1) AU2001286688A1 (fr)
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AU2018213315A1 (en) * 2017-01-26 2019-07-25 Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Biomarkers for systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity, and intensity and flare

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0399666A1 (fr) * 1989-04-29 1990-11-28 Delta Biotechnology Limited Protéines de fusion contenant des fragments N-terminaux de l'albumine de sérum humaine
WO1993015199A1 (fr) * 1992-01-31 1993-08-05 Rhone-Poulenc Rorer S.A. Nouveaux polypeptides biologiquement actifs, leur preparation et composition pharmaceutique les contenant
WO1997024445A1 (fr) * 1995-12-30 1997-07-10 Delta Biotechnology Limited Proteines de fusion recombinees d'hormone de croissance et d'albumine serique
WO1998030694A2 (fr) * 1997-01-14 1998-07-16 Human Genome Sciences, Inc. RECEPTEURS 6α ET 6β DU FACTEUR DE NECROSE TUMORALE

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5885800A (en) * 1997-02-04 1999-03-23 Smithkline Beecham Corporation DNA encoding tumor necrosis related receptor, TR4
DK1015587T3 (da) * 1997-09-18 2008-08-25 Genentech Inc DcR3 polypeptid, en TNFR-homolog
HUP0102067A2 (hu) * 1998-03-30 2001-10-28 Eli Lilly And Co. A TNF receptorcsaládba tartozó érett FLINT (mFLINT) polipeptid vagy más néven az OPG3 terápiás alkalmazásai

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0399666A1 (fr) * 1989-04-29 1990-11-28 Delta Biotechnology Limited Protéines de fusion contenant des fragments N-terminaux de l'albumine de sérum humaine
WO1993015199A1 (fr) * 1992-01-31 1993-08-05 Rhone-Poulenc Rorer S.A. Nouveaux polypeptides biologiquement actifs, leur preparation et composition pharmaceutique les contenant
WO1997024445A1 (fr) * 1995-12-30 1997-07-10 Delta Biotechnology Limited Proteines de fusion recombinees d'hormone de croissance et d'albumine serique
WO1998030694A2 (fr) * 1997-01-14 1998-07-16 Human Genome Sciences, Inc. RECEPTEURS 6α ET 6β DU FACTEUR DE NECROSE TUMORALE

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO0218622A2 *
SYED S ET AL: "Potent antithrombin activity and delayed clearance from the circulation characterize recombinant hirudin genetically fused to albumin" BLOOD, W.B. SAUNDERS, PHILADELPHIA, VA, US, vol. 89, no. 9, 1 May 1997 (1997-05-01), pages 3243-3252, XP002130705 ISSN: 0006-4971 *

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EP1322667A4 (fr) 2004-08-18
WO2002018622A2 (fr) 2002-03-07
WO2002018622A3 (fr) 2002-08-29
CA2420593A1 (fr) 2002-03-07
AU2001286688A1 (en) 2002-03-13

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