GENERATION OF MULTIPLE GENE PRODUCTS FROM CHIMERIC FUSION PROTEINS BY CLEAVAGE WITH UBIQUITOUS ENDOPROTEASES

摘要

The present invention concerns materials and methods relating to the expression of genes. In particular, it relates to the expression of multiple gene products as a single cistron. The invention is achieved by constructing a nucleic acid construct comprising a first sequence encoding a first polypeptide (such as a protein subunit) and a second sequence encoding a second polypeptide (a further protein subunit), said first and second sequences being separated by a linker sequence encoding an endoprotease cleavage site. Once expressed as a single fusion protein it can be cleaved and processed into its constituent, biologically active, first and second polypeptides. The invention has particular implications with regard to expression of proteins that have multiple subunits (e.g. IL-12) that require expression of the independent subunits at equimolar amounts.