ANALOGS OF GLYCOPROTEIN HORMONES HAVING ALTERED IMMUNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, EFFICACY AND/OR RECEPTOR SPECIFICITY

摘要

The invention relates to modified chorionic gonadotropin (CG) alpha, beta- heterodimeric polypeptides comprising a gly- coprotein hormone alpha-subunit polypeptide and a non-naturally occurring be ta- subunit polypeptide. The modifications in the beta-subunit polypeptide involve tho deletion, addition, or substitution of one or more amino acid residues. The modified heter- odimeric polypeptides of the invention have different properties compared to native hCG. Certain alpha, beta-heterodimeric pol- ypeptides bind to LH and FSH receptors and stimulate steroidogenesis in testicular and ovarian cells. Other alpha, beta-heterodi- meric polypeptides bind to LH receptors but have lower efficacy than hCG to stimulate steroidogenesis in testicular and ovarian cells.