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Abstract

The invention describes the construction of murine, human and non-human primate variant DNA sequences encoding proteins, such as C3d units, which can be ligated in tandem with each other with or without the native (wild-type) protein (C3d) DNA sequence and may be stably maintained in prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression vectors to produce concatamers of two, three or four copies of either murine, human or non-human primate protein (C3d) at commercially viable levels, and their use in DNA immunization vectors with reduced capacity for homologous integration into host genomic DNA. The invention describes: the construction of novel synthetic DNA sequences encoding concatamers of murine, human or non-human primate C3d where the polypeptide sequence of each unit of the C3d is identical, but the DNA encoding each unit is unique; high-level expression of concatamers of murine, human or non-human primate C3d in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems and maintenance of stable recombinant expression vector stocks; and the use of variant C3d genes fused to antigen in a DNA immunization vector. The invention also provides a process for preparing oligomeric polypeptides (proteins) in vitro or in vivo which process comprises construction of a DNA vector encoding said polypeptide and its introduction into a recombinant host cell in vitro or host organism in vivo and providing conditions under which said polypeptide will be expressed. The variant DNA polymer comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes the polypeptide also forms part of the invention.

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First Claim