Conjugates that contain the homeodomain of antennapedia
The subject invention pertains to a conjugate comprising: (a) a first region comprising the homeodomain of antennapedia or a variant thereof; and (b) a second region not naturally associated with the first region. In one embodiment, the second region of the conjugate comprises a protein of at least 100 amino acids.
1. A conjugate comprising:
(a) a first region comprising the homeodomain of antennapedia; and
(b) a second region at the C-terminus of the first region and not naturally associated with the first region;
wherein the second region comprises at least 100 amino acids, and wherein at least the first region is non-denatured.
2. The conjugate according to claim 1 , in the form of a fusion protein.
3. The conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein the second region is a functional or regulatory protein.
4. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the conjugate of claim 1 , in combination with a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.
5. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 4 , in the form of a vaccine.
6. A conjugate prepared by a method comprising the steps:
(i) culturing a host cell transformed with an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a conjugate according to claim 2 under conditions which provide for the expression of the conjugate within the host cell; and
(ii) recovering the conjugate by affinity purification under non-denaturing conditions.
7. The conjugate prepared according to claim 6 , wherein the conjugate comprises an amino acid tail that binds to an immobilised substrate.