Glucose-regulating polypeptides and methods of making and using same

1. A method of producing a fusion protein comprising a glucose regulating peptide that is at least 90% identical to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10, wherein said glucose regulating peptide is linked to an extended recombinant polypeptide (XTEN), wherein the XTEN sequence exhibits at least 90% sequence identity to a comparable length of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 189-207, comprising;

(a) providing a host cell comprising a recombinant polynucleotide molecule encoding the fusion protein;

(b) culturing the host cell under conditions permitting the expression of the fusion protein; and

(c) recovering the fusion protein.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucose regulating peptide of the fusion protein is at least 95% identical to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucose regulating peptide of the fusion protein is a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucose regulating peptide of the fusion protein is at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:4.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucose regulating peptide of the fusion protein is at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:5.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucose regulating peptide of the fusion protein is at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:6.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucose regulating peptide of the fusion protein is at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:10.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the XTEN sequence exhibits at least 90% sequence identity to a comparable length of an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:189, SEQ ID NO:191, or SEQ ID NO:199.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polynucleotide is codon optimized for enhanced expression of said fusion protein in the host cell.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the host cell is a prokaryotic cell.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolated fusion protein is recovered from the host cell cytoplasm in a form having at least 20% greater water solubility as compared to the glucose regulating peptide not linked to XTEN.

12. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a fusion protein comprising a glucose regulating peptide that is at least 90% identical to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10, wherein said glucose regulating peptide is linked to an extended recombinant polypeptide (XTEN), wherein the XTEN sequence exhibits at least 90% sequence identity to a comparable length of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 189-207.

13. An expression vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 12 .

14. An isolated host cell comprising the nucleic acid of claim 12 , wherein the host cell is a prokaryotic host cell.

15. A method of treating a glucose regulating peptide related condition in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a fusion protein comprising a glucose regulating peptide that is at least 90% identical to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:10, wherein said glucose regulating peptide is linked to an extended recombinant polypeptide (XTEN), wherein the XTEN sequence exhibits at least 90% sequence identity to a comparable length of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 189-207.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the glucose regulating peptide related condition is selected from juvenile diabetes, type I diabetes, type II diabetes, obesity, acute hypoglycemia, acute hyperglycemia, nocturnal hypoglycemia, chronic hyperglycemia, glucagonomas, secretory disorders of the airway, arthritis, osteoporosis, central nervous system disease, restenosis, neurodegenerative disease, renal failure, congestive heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis, pulmonary edema, hypertension, stroke, irritable bowel syndrome, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, post-surgical catabolic changes, hibernating myocardium, diabetic cardiomyopathy, insufficient urinary sodium excretion, excessive urinary potassium concentration, polycystic ovary syndrome, respiratory distress, nephropathy, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, diarrhea, postoperative dumping syndrome, critical illness polyneuropathy (CIPN), dyslipidemia, organ tissue injury caused by reperfusion of blood flow following ischemia, and coronary heart disease risk factor (CHDRF) syndrome.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount results in maintaining blood concentrations of the fusion protein within a therapeutic window for the fusion protein at least three-fold longer compared to the corresponding native glucose regulating peptide that lacks the XTEN administered at a comparable amount to a subject.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein administration of two or more consecutive doses of the fusion protein administered using a therapeutically effective dose regimen to a subject results in a gain in time between consecutive C max peaks and/or C min troughs for blood levels of the fusion protein compared to the corresponding glucose regulating peptide not linked to the fusion protein and administered to a subject using a therapeutically effective dose regimen established for the glucose regulating peptide.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein

(i) a smaller molar amount of the fusion protein is administered to a subject in comparison to the corresponding glucose regulating peptide that lacks the XTEN administered to a subject under an otherwise equivalent dose regimen, and the fusion protein achieves a comparable therapeutic effect as the corresponding glucose regulating peptide that lacks the XTEN;

(ii) the fusion protein is administered less frequently to a subject in comparison to the corresponding glucose regulating peptide that lacks the XTEN administered to a subject using an otherwise equivalent molar dose, and the fusion protein achieves a comparable therapeutic effect as the corresponding glucose regulating peptide that lacks the XTEN; or

(iii) an accumulatively smaller molar amount of the fusion protein is administered to a subject in comparison to the corresponding glucose regulating peptide that lacks the XTEN administered to a subject under the otherwise equivalent dose period, the fusion protein achieves a comparable therapeutic effect as the corresponding glucose regulating peptide that lacks the XTEN.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the therapeutic effect is a measured parameter selected from HbA1c concentrations, insulin concentrations, stimulated C peptide, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum cytokine levels, CRP levels, insulin secretion and Insulin-sensitivity index derived from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), body weight, and food consumption.