T-CELL RECEPTOR ALPHA-CHAIN CONSTANT-REGION PEPTIDES, PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING THE PEPTIDES, AND USE THEREOF

摘要

Polypeptides that contain substantially part or the whole of the constant region of a T-cell receptor alpha -chain, have immunosuppressive effects, but do not substantially cause any production of antibodies against themselves even when administered; DNAs coding for the polypeptides; a DNA having a base sequence coding for fused polypeptides represented by the general formula R1-X-R2 (wherein R1 is a carrier polypeptide; X is a protease recognition site; and R2 is a polypeptide that contains substantially part or the whole of the constant region of a T-cell receptor alpha -chain, has immunosuppressive activities, but does not substantially cause any production of antibodies against itself even when administered); an expression vector having the above DNA carried thereon; host cells transformed by the above vector; processes for producing the above polypeptides; and pharmaceutical compositions containing the above polypeptides as the active ingredient. These polypeptides have non-antigen-specific immunosuppressive effects and can suppress not only humoral but also cell-mediated immunoreactions. Furthermore, the administration, if ever, of them does not substantially cause any production of antibodies against them.