Classifications

• • 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
  • C07K14/78—Connective tissue peptides, e.g. collagen, elastin, laminin, fibronectin, vitronectin or cold insoluble globulin [CIG]
• • 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
• • 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
  • A61P17/02—Drugs for dermatological disorders for treating wounds, ulcers, burns, scars, keloids, or the like
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K2217/00—Genetically modified animals
  • A01K2217/05—Animals comprising random inserted nucleic acids (transgenic)
• • 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
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03C—PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES; PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, e.g. CINE, X-RAY, COLOUR, STEREO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES; AUXILIARY PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
  • G03C1/00—Photosensitive materials
  • G03C1/005—Silver halide emulsions; Preparation thereof; Physical treatment thereof; Incorporation of additives therein
  • G03C1/04—Silver halide emulsions; Preparation thereof; Physical treatment thereof; Incorporation of additives therein with macromolecular additives; with layer-forming substances
  • G03C1/047—Proteins, e.g. gelatine derivatives; Hydrolysis or extraction products of proteins

Definitions

• the present invention concerns novel molecules, in particular novel procollagen molecules, together with collagen molecules, fibrils and fibres comprising a non-natural combination of collagen ⁇ -chains, DNA encoding same, expression hosts transformed or transfected with same, transgenic animals and methods of producing a non- natural collagen.
• Collagen also known as processed procollagen molecule and triple helical processed procollagen monomeric molecule
• ECM extracellular matrix
• fibrils also known as polymeric collagen
• Fibril-forming collagens (types I, II, III, V and XI; see Table 1) are synthesized as soluble procollagens (also known as pro ⁇ chains, procollagen ⁇ -chains and monomer chains) and comprises a C-propeptide, a Gly-X-Y repeat containing region (which in the case of monomer chains of fibril-forming collagens comprise an uninterrupted collagen ⁇ -chain) and an N-propeptide.
• the pro ⁇ chains trimerise to form unprocessed procollagen molecules (also known as monomeric procollagen molecules and trimerised pro ⁇ chains), assembling into fibrillar structures upon enzymic cleavage of their N- and C- terminal propeptide domains (the N- and C-propeptides) (see Figure 1).
• the genes encoding the pro ⁇ chains are remarkably similar, relatively little is known about the processes which control the folding and trimerization of the pro ⁇ chains (Dion, A.S. and Myers, J.C, 1987, J. Molec. Biol., 192: 127-143), and only a restricted range of collagens is formed.
• pro ⁇ 1(1), pro ⁇ 1 (III), pro ⁇ l(V), pro ⁇ 2(I), pro ⁇ 2(V) and pro ⁇ 3(V) skin fibroblasts synthesise co ⁇ incidentally the six highly homologous pro ⁇ chains (pro ⁇ 1(1), pro ⁇ 1 (III), pro ⁇ l(V), pro ⁇ 2(I), pro ⁇ 2(V) and pro ⁇ 3(V)).
• pro ⁇ 1(1), pro ⁇ 1 (III), pro ⁇ l(V), pro ⁇ 2(I), pro ⁇ 2(V) and pro ⁇ 3(V) Despite the great number of possible combinations of the six pro ⁇ chains, only specific combinations of collagen chains occur - these are those resulting in types I, III and V collagen.
• Type I collagen exists as a heterotrimer and assembles with the stoichiometry of two pro ⁇ 1(1) chains and one pro ⁇ 2(I) chain ([pro ⁇ l(I)] 2 pro ⁇ 2(I)).
• Type III collagens comprise a homotrimer ([pro ⁇ 1(III)] 3 ), and the constituent chains do not assemble with either of the Type I collagen pro ⁇ chains.
• Type V collagen displays heterogeneity with regard to chain composition, forming both homo- ([pro ⁇ 3(V)] 3 ) and hetero-trimers ([pro ⁇ l(V)] 2 pro ⁇ 2(V) and [pro ⁇ l(V) pro ⁇ 2(V) pro ⁇ 3(V)]).
• the C-propeptide is known to be implicated in the assembly ofthe monomer chains into trimerised pro ⁇ chains (unprocessed procollagen) prior to cleavage ofthe N- and C-propeptides and formation of collagen in fibril-forming pro ⁇ chains.
• trimerised pro ⁇ chains unprocessed procollagen
• the assembly ofthe three monomer chains into trimerised pro ⁇ chains is initiated by association of the C- propeptides. This association can be divided into two stages: an initial recognition event between the pro ⁇ chains which determines chain selection and then a registration event which leads to correct alignment and folding ofthe triple helix.
• novel pro ⁇ chains which have formed novel trimerised pro ⁇ chains and collagen.
• novel trimeric molecules in particular collagens, may be synthesised at will using existing and novel pro ⁇ chains and C-propeptides.
• novel collagens may be used in industries which use collagen either as a product or as part of a process.
• Such collagens and uses may include for example: novel gelatins for use in food, food processing and photography; novel finings for clearing yeast during the brewing process; novel gelatins for the food packaging industry; novel polymers for the manufacture of textiles; novel glues for use in construction, building and manufacturing; novel coatings for tablets; novel glues for use with the human or animal body; novel collagens for use as body implants; novel collagens and procollagens as adjuvants; novel collagens and procollagens as molecular carriers for drugs and pharmaceuticals; and as modulators of collagen fibril formation for use in. for example, wound healing and fibrosis.
• a molecule comprising at least a first moiety having the activity of a procollagen C-propeptide and a second moiety selected from any one ofthe group of an alien collagen ⁇ -chain and non-collagen materials, the first moiety being attached to the second moiety.
• the molecule may be able to bind to other similar molecules. It may trimerise with other similar molecules.
• the first moiety will generally be attached to the C-terminal end ofthe second moiety, although intervening amino acid residues may be present.
• the first moiety may comprise a pro ⁇ chain C-propeptide or a partially modified form thereof or an analogue thereof, and when forming the C-terminal region of a pro ⁇ chain, may allow the molecule to bind to other similar molecules.
• the C-propeptide region of a pro ⁇ chain may be the C-terminal fragment resulting from C-proteinase cleavage of a pro ⁇ chain.
• the C-proteinase may cleave between the residues G and D or A and D or an analogue thereof in the sequence FAPYYGD (residues 376-382 of SEQ ID NO: 2), YYRAD (residues 1-5 of SEQ ID NO: 14) or FYRAD (residues 284-288 of SEQ ID NO: 1) ( Figure 2) or an analogue thereof.
• Modifications to molecules may include the addition, deletion or substitution of residues. Substitutions may be conservative substitutions. Modified molecules may have substantially the same properties and characteristics as the molecules form which they are derived. Modified molecules may be homologues of the molecules from which they are derived. They may for example have at least 40% homology, for example 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or 95% homology.
• the present inventors have isolated and identified (see "Experimental” section) a site - the recognition site - in the procollagen C-propeptide which contains a sequence which is necessary and sufficient to determine the type-specific assembly ofthe moieties to which it is attached.
• the recognition site is defined as being the part ofthe C- propeptide containing the sequence (the recognition sequence) which, in an alignment plot ofthe C-propeptide against other C-propeptides, corresponds to the sequence in the region between the junction points B and G ( Figure 2). Alignment plots may be done using the PILE-UP program on SEQNET at the Daresbury Laboratories, UK.
• An existing pro ⁇ chain which has been substituted at the recognition sequence and as a result has different properties or characteristics is considered to be a molecule comprising a pro ⁇ chain C- propeptide and an alien collagen ⁇ -chain since the C-propeptide is novel, all collagen ⁇ - chains therefore being alien to it.
• the recognition sequences contain a region of homologous amino acids. Substitution to the conserved residues (see “Experimental” section below) has not disrupted chain selection nor has it prevented the formation of a correctly aligned helix, and so it appears that the conserved residues are not involved in chain selection.
• the recognition sequence although comprising a continuous sequence of about 23 amino acids, may be considered to have the chain selection properties contained within a discontinuous variable sequence.
• the discontinuous variable sequence may be considered to comprise residues 1-12 and 21-23.
• the C-propeptide and/or the recognition sequence may be that of a fibrillar pro ⁇ chain.
• the C-propeptide may be an existing C-propeptide, for example a C-propeptide found in nature, or it may be a partially modified form of or an analogue (i.e. possessing substantially the same properties and characteristics but having a different sequence) of an existing pro ⁇ chain C-propeptide, or it may comprise a novel C-propeptide (i.e. a C-propeptide having significantly different properties or characteristics to other C- propeptides) and may for example have different binding kinetics or ⁇ -chain selection properties.
• the existing C-propeptide may be selected from any one ofthe group ofthe pro ⁇ 1(1), pro ⁇ 2(I), prol(II), pro ⁇ l(III), pro ⁇ l(V), pro ⁇ 2(V), pro ⁇ 3(V), pro ⁇ l(XI), pro ⁇ - 2(XI), and pro ⁇ 3(XI) pro ⁇ chain C-propeptides or a partially modified form thereof or an analogue thereof.
• Partially modified forms of procollagen C-propeptides include the recognition sequences of C-propeptides, for example those identified in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings in relation to the C-propeptides from which they are derived.
• such modified forms may be the only, or substantially the only, elements derived from a C-propeptide, in other words, no other C-propeptide- derived sequences need be present.
• this will not always be the case, as the invention also encompasses the presence of other parts ofthe C-propeptide including, of course, the balance of it.
• the C-propeptide may comprise an existing C-propeptide or a partially modified form thereof or an analogue thereof substituted at the recognition site.
• the C- propeptide may be substituted at the recognition site with the recognition sequence of an existing C-propeptide, for example that ofa different C-propeptide. It may for example be substituted at the recognition site with the recognition sequence ofthe C-propeptide of any one of the group of pro ⁇ 1 (III), pro ⁇ 1(1), pro ⁇ 2(I), pro ⁇ 1 (II), pro ⁇ l(V), pro ⁇ 2(V), pro ⁇ l(XI), pro ⁇ 2(XT) and pro ⁇ 3(XI) pro ⁇ chains.
• the recognition sequence of a C-propeptide which has been modified for example by addition, deletion or substitution of amino acid residues yet which has substantially the same properties and/or characteristics is considered to be essentially that of an existing C-propeptide.
• the recognition sequence may generally be at least 40% homologous, or even at least 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 95% homologous to the sequence from which it was derived.
• the recognition sequence may be novel.
• Such a novel recognition sequence may for example give the first moiety novel binding kinetics or specificity for a novel first moiety or a novel set of first moieties.
• the second moiety is a molecular component which may be anything bound to the first moiety. This may include, for example, alien collagen ⁇ -chain molecules, or other proteins or fragments of proteins, such as antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof, or combinations thereof. Proteins constituting or contributing to the second moiety may be glycosylated or otherwise post-translationally modified.
• alien collagen ⁇ -chain is meant a collagen ⁇ -chain which does not form part of a pro ⁇ chain with the C-propeptide in nature; collagen ⁇ -chains comprise a triple helical forming domain, and an N-propeptide may also be present.
• Other collagen ⁇ -chains from the same species, as well as those from different species, may be used. Included as collagen ⁇ -chains which do not form part ofa pro ⁇ chain with the C-propeptide in nature are partially modified forms and analogues of existing collagen ⁇ -chains which form part of a pro ⁇ chain with the C-propeptide in nature and which do not significantly affect the relevant properties or characteristics of the procollagen molecule, such as binding specificity. Partially modified forms and analogues of collagen ⁇ -chains may, for example, have additions, deletions or substitutions which do not significantly affect the relevant properties or characteristics of the C-propeptide or collagen ⁇ -chain.
• novel collagens may be produced.
• Such novel collagens have combinations of ⁇ -chains which are not seen in nature because ofthe assembly-directing effect of the natural C-propeptides.
• the invention allows the protein engineer to construct novel collagens having a non-natural combination of ⁇ -chains.
• the invention therefore extends to a procollagen molecule comprising a non-natural combination of ⁇ -chains.
• Non-natural pro-collagen homotrimers and heterotrimers, including all the possible trimers not mentioned in Table 1, are within the scope of the invention.
• the second moiety may comprise at least a collagen ⁇ -chain.
• a collagen ⁇ - chain may be selected from any one of the group of pro ⁇ 1(1) chain, pro ⁇ 2(I) chain, pro ⁇ l(II) chain, pro ⁇ 1 (III) chain, pro ⁇ l(V) chain, pro ⁇ 2(V) chain, pro ⁇ 3(V) chain, pro ⁇ l(XI) chain, pro ⁇ 2(XI) chain, and pro ⁇ 3(XI) chain collagen ⁇ -chains.
• the second moiety may also comprise a pro ⁇ chain N-propeptide.
• An N- propeptide may be selected from any one ofthe group ofthe pro ⁇ 1(1), pro ⁇ 2(I), pro ⁇ 1 (II), pro ⁇ l(III), pro ⁇ l(V), pro ⁇ 2(V), pro ⁇ 3(V), pro ⁇ l(XI), pro ⁇ 2(XI), and pro ⁇ 3(XI) pro ⁇ chain N-propeptides.
• the second moiety may comprise a collagen ⁇ -chain and N-propeptide which are naturally associated (for example those ofthe pro ⁇ 2(I) chain), or it may comprise a non- natural combination of collagen ⁇ -chain and N-propeptide.
• the N-terminal propeptide may be replaced or adapted to facilitate secretion or other handling or processing in the expression system.
• the molecule may comprises a first moiety having the activity of the pro ⁇ l(III) C-propeptide attached to a second moiety comprising the collagen ⁇ -chain and N-propeptide ofthe pro ⁇ 2(I) chain.
• the molecule may have the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4.
• the N- and C- propeptides are cleaved off the procollagen molecule to yield a collagen molecule during the formation of polymeric collagen. Consequently, the invention includes within its scope a collagen molecule comprising a non-natural combination of ⁇ -chains.
• Non-natural collagen homotrimers and heterotrimers, including all the possible collagen trimers not mentioned in Table 1, are within the scope ofthe invention.
• the enzymes responsible for processing in the chosen expression system may be manipulated or selected accordingly or the sequence ofthe molecule modified to make it susceptible to enzymatic processing as appropriate.
• Collagen molecules naturally self-assemble into collagen fibrils, which in turn aggregate to form a collagen fibre.
• Collagen fibrils and collagen fibres comprising collagen molecules as described above are therefore also contemplated by the invention.
• Molecules of the first aspect of the invention may be prepared by any convenient method, including peptide ligation and complete synthesis. It is preferred however, that the molecules be prepared by expression from a recombinant DNA system.
• a DNA molecule which may be in recombinant or isolated form, encoding a molecule as described above (particularly a non-natural procollagen ⁇ -chain).
• Recombinant DNA in accordance with the invention may be in the form of a vector.
• the vector may for example be a plasmid, cosmid or phage.
• Vectors will frequently include one or more selectable markers to enable selection of cells transfected (or transformed: the terms are used interchangeably in this specification) with them and, preferably, to enable selection of cells harbouring vectors inco ⁇ orating heterologous DNA. Appropriate start and stop signals may be present.
• the vector may be an expression vector having regulatory sequences to drive expression. Vectors not including regulatory sequences are useful as cloning vectors; and, of course, expression vectors may also be useful as cloning vectors.
• Cloning vectors can be introduced into E. coli or another suitable host which facilitate their manipulation.
• a host cell transfected or transformed with DNA as described above may be prokaryotic or eukaryotic.
• Eukaryotic hosts may include yeasts, insect and mammalian cell lines.
• Expression hosts may be stably transformed. Unstable and cell-free expression systems may be used in appropriate circumstances, but it is unlikely that they will be favoured, at the present state of technology, for bulk production.
• DNA of the invention may also be in the form of a transgene construct designed for expression in a transgenic plant or, preferably, animal.
• the invention is applicable to all animals, including birds such as domestic fowl, amphibian species and fish species.
• the protein may be harvested from body fluids or other body products (such as eggs, where appropriate).
• body fluids or other body products such as eggs, where appropriate.
• it will be to (non-human) mammals, particularly placental mammals, that the greatest commercially useful applicability is presently envisaged, as expression in the mammary gland, with subsequent optional recovery ofthe expression product from the milk, is a proven and preferred technology. It is with ungulates, particularly economically important ungulates such as cattle, sheep, goats, water buffalo, camels and pigs that the invention is likely to be most useful.
• WO-A-8800239 The generation and usefulness of such mammalian transgenic mammary expression systems is both generally, and in certain instances specifically, disclosed in WO-A-8800239 and WO- 9005188.
• the ⁇ -lactoglobulin promoter is especially preferred for use in transgenic mammary expression systems.
• WO-A-9416570 purports to disclose the production of human recombinant collagen in the milk of transgenic animals but contains no experimental details of such production having taken place.
• Expression hosts may contain other exogenous DNA to facilitate the expression, assembly, secretion and other aspects ofthe biosynthesis of molecules ofthe invention.
• expression hosts may co-express prolyl 4-hydroxylase, which is a post-translational enzyme important in the natural biosynthesis of procollagens, as disclosed in WO-9307889.
• DNA particularly cDNA, encoding natural procollagen chains is known and available in the art.
• WO-A-9307889, WO-A-9416570 and the references cited in both of them give details.
• Such DNA forms a convenient starting point for DNA ofthe present invention, which may be prepared by recombinant techniques from it. While in general terms DNA encoding a C-propeptide (or a minimal essential region from it) may simply be ligated to DNA encoding an alien collagen triple helical domain (usually attached to DNA encoding the corresponding N-propeptide), in practice it is useful to use PCR-based techniques to effect the precise ligation.
• PCR products flanking the junction region between the C-propeptide and the triple helical domain may be prepared and combined; an overlap extension reaction can then be carried out to yield a PCR product which is a hybrid between DNA encoding the C-propeptide of one procollagen chain and DNA encoding the triple helical domain (and the N-propeptide, usually) of another procollagen chain.
• the invention is in principle capable of accommodating the use of synthetic DNA sequences, cDNAs, full genomic sequences and "minigenes", which is to say partial genomic sequences containing some, but not all, ofthe introns present in the full length gene. Because ofthe large number of introns present in collagen genes in general, though, experimental practicalities will usually favour the use of cDNAs or, in some circumstances, minigenes.
• DNA in accordance with the invention can in principle be prepared by any convenient method involving coupling together successive nucleotides, and/or ligating oligo- and/or poly-nucleotides, including in vitro processes, but recombinant DNA technology forms the method of choice.
• Molecules of the invention may be useful in a method of treatment or diagnosis ofthe human or animal body.
• the invention therefore extends to molecules as described above for use in medicine.
• the molecule may be for use as an adhesive or implant. It may be for use in promoting the healing of wounds or fibrotic disorders with reduced scarring. It may be for use in promoting the healing of chronic wounds.
• wounds or fibrotic disorders is meant any condition which may result in the formation of scar tissue. In particular, this includes the healing of skin wounds, the repair of tendon damage, the healing of crush injuries, the healing of central nervous system (CNS) injuries, conditions which result in the formation of scar tissue in the CNS, scar tissue formation resulting from strokes, and tissue adhesion, for example, as a result of injury or surgery (this may apply to e.g. tendon healing and abdominal strictures and adhesions).
• fibrotic disorders include pulmonary fibrosis, glomerulonephritis, cirrhosis ofthe liver, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
• a novel collagen molecule or pro ⁇ chain may be applied to a site of wounding or fibrosis, the novel collagen (or pro ⁇ chain) inhibiting collagen fibril formation and thus fibrosis.
• the novel collagen or pro ⁇ chain may for example have a shortened ⁇ -chain.
• DNA ofthe invention may be useful, in appropriate constructs, in a method of gene therapy. It may be for use in the treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), Ehlers- Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Stickler Syndrome, Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, Hypochondrogenesis or Aortic Aneurisms. Mutations within collagen genes are the cause of most forms of OI, some forms of EDS and of some chondrodysplasias. In most cases the devastating effects ofthe disease are due to substitutions of glycine within the triple helical domain - the Gly-X-Y repeat containing region - for amino acids with bulkier side chains.
• pro ⁇ chains By engineering pro ⁇ chains having altered chain selectivity, pro ⁇ chains maybe produced which do not associate with the mutant chains, and will therefore fold and be secreted normally.
• engineered pro ⁇ chains may contain the wild-type collagen ⁇ -chain, thereby making up for the deficit caused by the mutant collagen ⁇ -chain.
• Expressed protein may in some circumstances also be useful in the treatment of diseases and conditions which could be addressed at a more fundamental level by gene therapy.
• the invention may also be useful in photography, brewing, foodstuffs, textiles or adhesives.
• Also provided according to the present invention is a method of treatment or diagnosis ofthe human or animal body comprising the use ofa molecule according to the present invention.
• Figure 1 shows the initial stages in the intra-cellular folding, assembly and modification of procollagen.
• co-translational translocation and signal peptide cleavage occurs at stage number 1.
• Intra-molecular disulphide bond formation then takes place as well as N-linked glycosylation, proline isomerisation and proline hydroxylation at stage 2.
• stage 3 type-specific assembly ofthe pro ⁇ chains by trimerisation and inter-molecular disulphide bond formation.
• triple helix formation proceeds in a carboxy-to-amino-direction to give trimerised pro ⁇ chains;
• Figure 2 shows an alignment plot made using the PILE-UP program on SEQNET at the Daresbury Laboratories, UK using default settings, ofthe C-propeptides of pro ⁇ chains of type I and type III procollagen.
• Alpha 1(1) is SEQ ID NO: 14;
• alpha 2(1) is residues number 284-534 of SEQ ID NO: 1;
• alpha l(III) is residues number 379-626 of SEQ ID NO: 2.
• C-proteinase cleavage sites (marked CP) are between A and D (alpha 1(1)), A and D (alpha 2(1)) and G and D (alpha l(III)).
• Junction points A, F, B, C and G are as shown. Numbers indicate conserved cysteine residues. # indicates identical amino acids and ⁇ indicates amino acids with conserved side chains;
• Figure 3 shows recognition sequences for pro ⁇ 1 (I), pro ⁇ 2(I), pro ⁇ 1 (II), pro ⁇ l(III), pro ⁇ l(V), pro ⁇ 2(V), pro ⁇ l(XI) and pro ⁇ 2(XI) pro ⁇ chains having SEQ ID NOs: 7, 8, 9, 6, 10, 11, 12, and 13 respectively and which were identified by alignment plots of C-propeptides against other C-propeptides (specifically, those of Figure 2) as corresponding to the sequences in the regions between junction points B and G of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 shows an SDS-PAGE gel of translated procollagen constructs. Lanes are as follows: 1 - molecular weight markers; 2 and 6 - pro ⁇ l(III) ⁇ l ; 3 and 7 - pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ l; 4 and 8 - pro ⁇ 2(I):(III)CP; 5 and 9 - pro ⁇ l(III):(I)CP;
• Figure 5 shows an SDS-PAGE gel of translated procollagen constructs. Lanes are as follows: 1 - molecular weight markers; 2 and 7 - A-join; 3 and 8 - F-join; 4 and 9 - B-join; 5 and 10 - C-join; 6 and 11 - recip-C-join;
• Figure 6 shows translated procollagens in the presence (Lanes 3, 5 and 7) and absence (Lanes 2, 4 and 6) of ⁇ , ⁇ '-dipyridyl. Lanes are as follows: 2 and 3 - pro ⁇ 2(I):(III)CP; 4 and 5 - BGR; 6 and 7 - pro ⁇ l(III):(I)CP;
• Figure 7 shows an SDS-PAGE gel of translated procollagen constructs under reducing (lanes 1-3) and non-reducing (lanes 4-6) conditions. Lanes are as follows: 1 and 4 - BGR S C ; 2 and 5 - BGR; 3 and 6 - BGR L M ; and Figure 8 shows an SDS-PAGE gel of translated procollagen constructs. Lanes are as follows: 1 - molecular weight markers; 2 - BGR S C ; 3 - BGR; 4 - BGR L'M .
• a cDNA clone coding for a truncated pro ⁇ 2(I) chain (designated pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ 1 ; SEQ ID NO: 1; nucleic acid coding sequence - SEQ ID NO: 19) was constructed from two partial cDNA clones, pHfl 131 and pHp2010 (Kuivaniemi, H. et al, 1988, Biochem. J., 25 : 633-640) which were sub-cloned into the EcoRI site of pBluescript SK + .
• a 3.4 kb fragment PstI fragment containing the vector and the 5 '-terminal 0.5 kb ofthe gene was isolated from pHp2010 and ligated to a 1.4 kb PstI fragment derived from pH ⁇ 131 encoding the 3' terminus.
• the resultant recombinant, pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ l has a 2.2 kb deletion in the coding sequence (Lees and Bulleid, 1994, J. Biol. Chem., 26 : 24354-24360).
• the flask was transferred to ice where 8 ml of ice-cold KHM (110 mM KOAc, 20 mM Hepes, pH 7.2, 2 mM MgOAc) was added containing 100 ⁇ g/ml soyabean trypsin inhibitor and the cells released from the plate. Cells were pelleted at 12,000 rpm for 3 minutes and resuspended in 6 ml of KHM containing 40 ⁇ g ml digitonin (diluted from a 40 mg/ml stock in DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide)) and incubated on ice for 5 minutes.
• KHM ice-cold KHM
• DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide
• RNA was translated using a rabbit reticulocyte lysate (FlexiLysate, Promega, Victoria, U.K.) for 1 hour at 30 °C.
• the translation reaction (25 ⁇ l) contained 16 ⁇ l reticulocyte lysate, 1 ⁇ l 1 mM amino acids (minus methionine), 15 ⁇ Ci L-[ 35 S] methionine, 1 ⁇ l transcribed RNA and semi- permeabilised cells (approx. 1 x 10 5 ).
• N-ethylmaleimide was added to a final concentration of 20 mM.
• the formation of disulphide bonds was verified by comparative gel electrophoresis on 7.5% polyacrylamide gel of translation products run under reducing and non-reducing conditions.
• a cDNA clone coding for a truncated pro ⁇ 1 (III) chain (designated pro ⁇ l(III) ⁇ l; SEQ ID NO: 2; nucleic acid coding sequence - SEQ ID NO: 20) was constructed from a full-length type III procollagen cDNA which was constructed from two partial cDNAs, pS413 and pS31 (Ala-Kokko, et al, 1989, Biochem. J., 26J): 509-516). Each cDNA was subcloned into the EcoRI site of pBluescript SK.
• a 4.7 kb Sal I (restriction enzyme) fragment containing the vector and the 5' terminal 1.8 kb was isolated from pS413 and ligated to a 3.6 kb Sal I fragment derived from pS31 to produce pro ⁇ 1 (III).
• An internal 2.5 kb Xhol fragment was excised from pro ⁇ l(III) and the parental plasmid re-ligated to create pro ⁇ l(III) ⁇ l (Lees and Bulleid, 1994, J. Biol. Chem., 262: 24354-24360).
• the translation product from pro ⁇ 1(III) ⁇ 1 mRNA was able to assemble to form a homotrimer as judged by its ability to form inter-chain disulphide bonded dimers and trimers when translated in a semi-permeabilised cell-free translation system. This demonstrated that it contained the information required for self-assembly ( Figure 4, lanes 2 and 6).
• Hybrid cDNA clones were prepared which contained sequences derived from pro ⁇ 1 (III) ⁇ 1 and pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ 1.
• the C-proteinase cleavage site of pro ⁇ 1 (III) ⁇ 1 was, for these experiments, taken to be between Ala 377 and Pro 378 of SEQ ID NO: 2, instead of between Gly 381 and Asp 382 of SEQ ID NO: 2 as shown in Figure 2.
• the coding sequence for the C-propeptide from the pro ⁇ l(III) ⁇ l chain was replaced by that for the C-propeptide from the pro ⁇ 2(I) chain, the resulting chimera being designated pro ⁇ 1(III):(I)CP (SEQ ID NO: 3).
• the hybrid cDNA clones were prepared using a PCR-based approach.
• a PCR product was prepared from pro ⁇ l(III) ⁇ l with primers, one of which (SEQ ID NO: 15; JL-35) hybridised within the triple helical domain whilst the other (SEQ ID NO: 16; JL-32) hybridised with 21 nucleotides upstream from the junction point at the C-propeptide.
• This primer also contained an overlap of 21 nucleotides which were complimentary to the first 21 nucleotides ofthe C-propeptide of pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ l. This gave a 0.25 Kb PCR product.
• a second PCR product was prepared from pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ 1 with primers, one of which (SEQ ID NO: 17; JL-31Kpn) hybridised downstream from the stop codon for translation within the 3 '-non-translated region.
• This primer also contained a Kpnl site.
• the other primer (SEQ ID NO: 18; JL-36) hybridised with the first 18 nucleotides of the C- propeptide of pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ l. This gave a 0.85 Kb PCR product.
• the two PCR products were combined and a third PCR (an overlap extension) was carried out with primers JL-35 (SEQ ID NO: 15) and JL-3 IKpn (SEQ ID NO: 17) to yield a 1.1 Kb product. This was cut with Xhol and Kpnl and subcloned into Xhol and Kpnl cut pro ⁇ 1(III) ⁇ 1 to yield pro ⁇ 1(III):(I)CP.
• a variety of hybrid constructs were then prepared in which parts of the pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ 1 C-propeptide sequence was replaced with the corresponding region from the pro ⁇ 1 (III) C-propeptide.
• the various regions are outlined in Figure 2 with the junction points designated as A, F, B, C, and G. So for example the A-join molecule contains all of the pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ l sequence up to but not including the A site (i.e. . . DY) with all of the sequence carboxy-to this site (i.e. EI . . . ) being derived from the corresponding region from the C-propeptide ofthe pro ⁇ 1(111) chain.
• Pro ⁇ 1(111) and pro ⁇ 2(I) C-propeptides differ in their complement of cysteine residues (and hence in their ability to form disulphide bonds), with pro ⁇ 2(I) lacking the Cys 2 residue ( Figure 2), instead having a serine residue.
• the F, B and C constructs contained a serine to cysteine mutation at the Cys 2 site ofthe pro ⁇ 2(I) chain.
• a similarly mutated construct (pro ⁇ 2(I):(III) BGR S C - also referred to as BGR S - C ; see below) was back-mutated.
• the back- mutated construct i.e. pro ⁇ 2(I):(III) BGR - also referred to as BGR
• This construct contained the pro ⁇ 1(III) ⁇ 1 chain up to the C-site with the rest ofthe C-propeptide being derived from the pro ⁇ 2(I) C-propeptide. No assembly occurred from this construct (recip-C-join) illustrating that the recognition site had been disrupted ( Figure 5, lane 11).
• the next construct made contained all ofthe pro ⁇ 2(I) ⁇ 1 sequence apart from a short stretch of 23 amino acids between the B-site and the G-site (SEQ ID NO: 6) which were replaced with the corresponding region from the C-propeptide of pro ⁇ 1 (III).
• This construct (designated BGR; SEQ ID NO: 5) was altered by site directed mutagenesis of cysteine for serine at the Cys 2 site ofthe pro ⁇ 2(I) part ofthe molecule (i.e. cysteine was substituted for the serine 335 residue of SEQ ID NO: 5).
• pro ⁇ 2(1) :(III) BGR S ' C was shown to assemble to form inter-chain disulphide bonded homotrimers when translated in the cell-free system ( Figure 7, lane 4), demonstrating that this short stretch of 23 amino acids contains all the information to drive homotrimer formation.
• protease protection assay was carried out. This involved treating the translation products with a combination of proteolytic enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin and pepsin). Isolated SP-cells following translation were resuspended in 0.5 M acetic acid in 1% (v/v) Triton X-100 and incubated with pepsin (100 mg/ml) for 2 hours at 20 °C. Digestions were stopped by neutralisation with 1 M Tris base and proteins precipitated with ethanol at a final concentration of 27% (v/v).
• proteolytic enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin and pepsin
• Precipitated protein from pepsin digests were resuspended in 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4 containing 0.15 M NaCl, 10 mM EDTA (ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid) and 1% Triton X-100. Chymotrypsin and trypsin were added to a final concentration of 250 ⁇ g/ml and 100 ⁇ g/ml respectively and samples incubated at room temperature for 2 minutes.
• V ⁇ l(V) heterotrimers widespread, particularly found ⁇ 2(V) in cornea with type I collagen ⁇ 3(V)
• CCAGGGCAAC CAGGCCCTCC TGGACCTCCT GGTGCCCCTG GTCCTTGCTG TGGTGGTGTT 1080

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