Generation of mutant leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-IgG heavy chain fusion proteins as bivalent antagonists of LIF

J Immunol Methods. 2007 May 31;323(1):1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jim.2007.02.011. Epub 2007 Mar 28.

Abstract

Two leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) mutants, designated MH35-BD and LIF05, have been shown to have a capacity to inhibit the biological activities of not only human LIF (hLIF) but also other interleukin-6 (IL-6) subfamily cytokines such as human oncostatin M (hOSM). These cytokines share the same receptor complex in which the glycoprotein 130 (gp130) subunit is a common constituent. However, at low concentrations and in their monomeric forms, such molecules have a relatively short plasma half-life due to rapid clearance from the kidneys. Here, to prolong their serum half-lives, we have used a multi-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to fuse each of the LIF05 and MH35-BD cDNA fragments to a sequence encoding the Fc portion, and the hinge region, of the human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) heavy chain. The linking was achieved through an oligomer encoding a thrombin-sensitive peptide linker thus generating MH35-BD:Fc and LIF05:Fc, respectively. Both Fc fusion constructs were expressed in insect cell Sf21 and the proteins were purified by two successive affinity chromatography steps using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) agarose and protein A beads. The Ba/F3 cell-based proliferation assay was used to confirm that the proteins were biologically active. In addition, preliminary pharmacokinetics indicates that the Fc fusion constructs have a longer serum half-life compared to their non-fusion counterparts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Half-Life
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / biosynthesis*
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / pharmacology*
  • Immunoglobulin G / pharmacology
  • Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacokinetics*
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • LIFR protein, human
  • Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins