Abstract: The present invention encompasses albumin fusion proteins. Nucleic acid molecules encodings the albumin fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention, as are vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the intention and using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. Additionally the present invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising albumin fusion proteins and methods of treating, preventing, or ameliorating diseases, disorders or conditions using albumin fusion proteins of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a 2 ?m-family plasmid comprising a polynucleotide sequence insertion, deletion and/or substitution between the first base after the last functional codon of at least one of either a REP2 gene or an FLP gene and the last base before the FRT site in an inverted repeat adjacent to said gene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a desired protein (such as a desired heterologous protein) comprising: (a) providing a host cell comprising a first recombinant gene encoding a protein comprising the sequence of a first chaperone protein, a second recombinant gene encoding a protein comprising the sequence of a second chaperone protein and a third gene, such as a third recombinant gene, encoding a desired protein (such as a desired heterologous protein), wherein the first and second chaperones are different; and (b) culturing the host cell in a culture medium to obtain expression of the first, second and third genes.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses albumin fusion proteins. Nucleic acid molecules encodings the albumin fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention, as are vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the intention and using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. Additionally the present invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising albumin fusion proteins and methods of treating, preventing, or ameliorating diseases, disorders or conditions using albumin fusion proteins of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing heterologous protein comprising: (a) providing a host cell comprising a 2 ?m-family plasmid, the plasmid comprising a gene encoding a protein comprising the sequence of a chaperone protein and a gene encoding a heterologous protein; (b) culturing the host cell in a culture medium under conditions that allow the expression of the gene encoding the chaperone protein and the gene encoding a heterologous protein; (c) purifying the thus expressed heterologous protein from the cultured host cell or the culture medium.

Abstract: An agent having a greater half-life than naturally produced albumin in a patient with NS, the agent comprising an albumin-like first polypeptide bound to a second polypeptide, wherein the second polypeptide, when bound to the albumin-like first polypeptide is therapeutically inert and wherein if the agent consists of two albumin molecules, then they are covalently joined to one another other than solely by means of one or more cysteine-cysteine disulphide bridges.

Abstract: The invention relates to proteins comprising HIV fusion inhibiting peptides, such as T-20 and/or T-1249 peptides (including, but not limited to, fragments and variants thereof), which exhibit anti-retroviral activity, fused to albumin (including, but nbot limited to fragments or variants of albumin). These fusion proteins are herein collectively referred to as “albumin fusion proteins of the invention.” These fusion proteins exhibit extended shelf-life and/or extended or therapeutic activity. The invention encompasses therapeutic albumin fusion proteins, compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, formulations and kits. The invention also encompasses nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteins of the invention, as well as vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids and vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polypeptide comprising (i) a leader sequence, the leader sequence comprising a (a) secretion pre sequence, and (b) the following motif: -X1-X2-X3-X4-X5- where X1 is phenylalanine, tryptophan, or tyrosine, X2 is isoleucine, leucine, valine, alanine or methionine, X3 is leucine, valine, alanine or methionine, X4 is serine or threonine and X5 is isoleucine, valine, alanine or methionine; and (ii) a desired protein heterologous to the leader sequence. A polypeptide of the invention may additionally comprise, as part of the leader sequence, a secretion pro sequence. The invention also provides a polynucleotide comprising a sequence that encodes a polypeptide of the invention and a cell, preferably a yeast cell, comprising said polynucleotide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fusion protein comprising an albumin, or a fragment or a variant or a derivative thereof and at least one biologically active peptide which activates the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) receptor, or a fragment or variant or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to proteins comprising angiogenesis inhibiting peptides, such as endostatin peptides (including, but not limited to, fragments and variants thereof), which exhibit anti-retroviral activity, fused or conjugated to albumin (including, but not limited to fragments or variants of albumin). These fusion proteins are herein collectively referred to as “albumin fusion proteins of the invention.” These fusion proteins are herein collectively referred to as “albumin fusion proteins of the invention.” These fusion proteins exhibit extended shelf-life and/or extended or therapeutic activity in solution. The invention encompasses therapeutic albumin fusion proteins, compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, formulations and kits.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses albumin fusion proteins. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention, as are vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention and using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. Additionally the present invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising albumin fusion proteins and methods of treating, preventing, or ameliorating diseases, disordrs or conditions using albumin fusion proteins of the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to proteins comprising serine protease inhibiting peptides, such as Kunitz domain peptides (including, but not limited to, fragments and variants thereof) fused to albumin, or fragments or variants thereof. These fusion proteins are herein collectively referred to as “albumin fusion proteins of the invention.” These fusion proteins exhibit extended shelf-life and/or extended or therapeutic activity in solution. The invention encompasses, therapeutic albumin fusion proteins, compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, formulations and kits. The invention also encompasses nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteins of the invention, as well as vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids and vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for purifying the protein human serum albumin extracted from serum or recombinant human albumin produced by transforming a microorganism with a nucleotide coding sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of human serum albumin. The present invention provides highly purified albumin.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses albumin fusion proteins. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention, as are vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention and using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. Additionally the present invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising albumin fusion proteins and methods of treating, preventing, or ameliorating diseases, disordrs or conditions using albumin fusion proteins of the invention.

Abstract: A process is provided for the preparation of albumin which has extremely low levels of or is essentially free of colorants, metal ions, human proteins, host proteins, fragments of albumin, polymers or aggregates of albumin and viruses, and which is essentially non-glycated, relatively high in free thiol and with an intact C-terminus. The process comprises passing albumin (preferably expressed and secreted by transformed yeast) through positive mode cation exchange and then positive mode anion exchange chromatography. Other steps may also be employed, for example ultrafiltration, gel permeation chromatography, affinity chromatography binding the albumin (for example using blue dyes) and affinity chromatography binding contaminants (for example using an aminophenylboronic acid resin). Elution of albumin, with a compound having affinity for albumin, from a material having no specific affinity for albumin is also disclosed, as is removal of ammonium ions with a counter-ion.

Abstract: The use of a means to vary Ubc4p or Ubc5p activity in a fungal cell to control the copy number of a plasmid in the cell. The level of Ubc4p or Ubc5p activity may be reduced/abolished (for example by gene deletion, mutagenesis to provide a less active protein, production of antisense mRNA or production of competitive peptides) to raise the copy number and increase yield of a protein encoded by the plasmid.

Abstract: A method of modulating cellular proliferation by the application of a thymidine phosphorylase to an organism. In a further aspect of the subject method, the thymidine phosphorylase is a conjugate which includes a targeting portion adapted to target the conjugate to a specific cell type or anatomical location. The thymidine phosphorylase has a thymidine phosphorylase activity of at least about 5%, preferably at least about 50% and, most preferably, at least about 90%, of the native E. coli enzyme.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of albumin which has extremely low levels of or is essentially free of colorants, metal ions, human proteins, fragments of albumin, polymers or aggregates of albumin, and viruses, and which is relatively non-glycated, relatively high in free thiol and with an intact C-terminus. The process comprises passing albumin (preferably expressed and secreted by transformed yeast) through two chromatography purifications, ultrafiltering the product, passing through two further chromatography steps and again ultrafiltering the product.

Abstract: A yeast promoter comprising the promoter of the (cytoplasmically located glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GPD 1) possesses advantageous capacity to regulate the expression of heterologous polypeptides in yeasts transformed therewith. Expression of such polypeptides utilizing the GPD1 promoter can be regulated by the presence(repressed) or absence(derepressed) of high levels of sucrose or glucose in the fermentation medium. Alternatively, a non-repressing carbon source, such as glycerol or ethanol, can be added to the fermentation medium.

Abstract: Secretory leader sequences, for use in secreting heterologous polypeptides in yeast, are formed by fusing part of the human serum albumin pre-sequence or part of the Kluyveromyces lactis killer toxin pre-sequence to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating factor alpha-1 KEX2 cleavage recognition site. The resulting fusion leader sequences are:(a) H.sub.2 N-Met-Lys-Trp-Val-Ser-Phe-Ile-Ser-Leu-Leu-Phe-Leu-Phe-Ser-Ser-Ala-Tyr-Ser- Arg-Ser-Leu-Asp-Lys-Arg-COOH or(b) H.sub.2 N-Met-Asn-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Leu-Phe-Leu-Leu-Ser-Phe-Val-Gln-Gly-Ser-Leu- Asp-Lys-Arg-COOHConservative variations are also encompassed.