Abstract: A method of minimizing the aggregation tendencies of an amyloid forming protein is provided comprising identifying a portion of the protein that is critical to amyloid formation; and inserting a peptide at the portion. The invention also provides a peptide for insertion in an intact human kappa-IV light chain variable domain, the peptide comprising the following amino acid sequence Phe71-Thr72-Leu73-Thr74-Ile75-Ser76-Ser77 (SEQ ID NO. 1) wherein the subscript numbers are the residue location points in the domain. A method for preventing amyloid formation in human kappa-IV light chain variable domain is also provided, the method comprising inserting the peptide Phe1-Thr72-Leu73-Thr74-Ile75-Ser76-Ser77 (SEQ ID NO. 1) into the domain, wherein the subscript numbers indicate the residue location on the domain.

Abstract: A method for recombinant antibody subunit dimerization including modifying at least one codon of a nucleic acid sequence to replace an amino acid occurring naturally in the antibody with a charged amino acid at a position in the interface segment of the light polypeptide variable region, the charged amino acid having a first polarity; and modifying at least one codon of the nucleic acid sequence to replace an amino acid occurring naturally in the antibody with a charged amino acid at a position in an interface segment of the heavy polypeptide variable region corresponding to a position in the light polypeptide variable region, the charged amino acid having a second polarity opposite the first polarity. Nucleic acid sequences which code for novel light chain proteins, the latter of which are used in conjunction with the inventive method, are also provided.

Abstract: A method for recombinant antibody subunit dimerization including modifying at least one codon of a nucleic acid sequence to replace an amino acid occurring naturally in the antibody with a charged amino acid at a position in the interface segment of the light polypeptide variable region, the charged amino acid having a first polarity; and modifying at least one codon of the nucleic acid sequence to replace an amino acid occurring naturally in the antibody with a charged amino acid at a position in an interface segment of the heavy polypeptide variable region corresponding to a position in the light polypeptide variable region, the charged amino acid having a second polarity opposite the first polarity. Nucleic acid sequences which code for novel light chain proteins, the latter of which are used in conjunction with the inventive method, are also provided.