IMMUNOGLOBULIN SUPERFAMILY DOMAINS AND FRAGMENTS WITH INCREASED SOLUBILITY

摘要

The present invention relates to the modification of immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) domains, IgSF fragments and fusion proteins thereof, especially to the modification of antibody derivatives, so as to improve their solubility, and hence the yield, and ease of handling. The inventors have found that this can be achieved by making the region which comprises the interface with domains adjoined to said IgSF domain in a larger fragment or a full IgSF protein, and which becomes exposed in the IgSF domain, more hydrophilic by modification. The present invention describes DNA sequences encoding modified IgSF domains or fragments and fusion proteins thereof, vectors and hosts containing these DNA sequences, IgSF domains or fragments or fusion proteins obtainable by expressing said DNA sequences in suitable expression systems, and a method for modifying IgSF domains, so as to improve their solubility, expressibility and ease of handling.