Fusion proteins incorporating lysozyme
View Patent ↗A process for the production of a peptide is disclosed, the process comprising expressing in the milk of a transgenic, non-human, placental mammal a fusion protein which comprises the peptide to be expressed linked to a fusion partner protein which is lysozyme. The fusion protein may be separate from the milk and cleaved to yield the target peptide. A transgenic, non-human, placental mammal whose genome incorporates a DNA molecule comprising a coding sequence encoding lysozyme coupled to a peptide is also described.
1. A transgenic non-human placental mammal whose genome incorporates a DNA molecule comprising a coding sequence operably linked to a control sequence which comprises a promoter from a gene encoding a naturally-derived milk protein, wherein said coding sequence comprises in order a first segment encoding a fusion partner protein which is lysozyme coupled in-frame to a second segment encoding a peptide other than a protein leader sequence and wherein said fusion protein is expressed in the milk of said transgenic animal.
2. A transgenic mammal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mammal is selected from the group consisting of a cow, a sheep, a goat, a rabbit, a mouse and a pig.
3. The transgenic animal of claim 1 , wherein said promoter sequence is a β-lactoglobulin promoter.
4. The transgenic animal of claim 1 , wherein said second segment encodes a peptide selected from the group consisting of:
(a) calcitonin;
(b) parathyroid hormone;
(c) glucagon;
(d) glucagon-like-peptide-1;
(e) a magainin;
(f) a histatin;
(g) a protegrin; and
(h) a clavanin.
5. The transgenic animal of claim 1 , wherein said lysozyme is human lysozyme.