Ubiquitin or gamma-crystalline conjugates for use in therapy, diagnosis and chromatography

1. A conjugate comprising the following components:

one or more polypeptide molecules (I), wherein each polypeptide molecule (I) is a modified mammalian ubiquitin and has a binding property for specific binding to a ligand which is newly generated or altered as compared to the corresponding wildtype mammalian ubiquitin, wherein said binding property which is newly generated or altered compared to wildtype mammalian ubiquitin is based on one or more amino acid substitutions in a surface exposed region of a β sheet of the polypeptide molecule (I), and wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions are of one or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of residues corresponding to residues 2, 4, 6, 62, 63, 64, 65, and 66 of the wildtype mammalian ubiquitin, and, covalently linked thereto,

one or more functional component (II) selected from the group consisting of polypeptides and proteins, organic and inorganic polymers, nucleic acids, lipids, sugars, low molecular weight substances, and peptides as well as derivatives of these substances, wherein after coupling of (I) to (II) the functionality of all components is retained.

2. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the coupling of (I) to (II) is performed in a region outside of the surface-exposed region of the β sheet of the polypeptide molecule (I) intended for specific binding to a ligand.

3. The conjugate according to claim 2 wherein the coupling of (I) to (II) is performed in a region outside of the β sheet of the polypeptide molecule (I) which has the newly generated or altered binding property for specific binding to a ligand.

4. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the coupling of (I) to (II) is performed via amino acid residues of (I).

5. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the coupling of (I) to (II) is performed via amino acid residues in an additional terminal peptide fusion to (I).

6. The conjugate according to claim 4 wherein the coupling is performed site-specifically or selectively in an undirected manner via cysteine or lysine side chains in (I).

7. The conjugate according to claim 4 or 6 wherein side chains outside of the binding surface of (I) to the ligand are involved in coupling.

8. The conjugate according to claim 6 wherein the coupling is performed via the lysine residues 29 and 33 of the ubiquitin molecule.

9. The conjugate according to claim 5 wherein the additional terminal peptide fusion to (I) contains one or more cysteine residues or one or more lysine residues wherein these amino acid residues preferably are not involved in the interaction of (I) with the ligand.

10. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the functional component (II) is a peptide, polypeptide or a protein, preferably a protein chromophore, an enzyme, an immunoglobulin, an immunoglobulin derivative, a toxin or a polypeptide according to I.

11. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the functional component (II) is a polymer, preferably dextrane, polymethacrylate, sepharose, agarose, polyvinyl, polystyrene, silica gel, cellulose or polyethylene glycol, or a polymer derivative.

12. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the functional component (II) is a low molecular weight substance, preferably a dye, biotin, digoxigenin, a heavy metal, a chelating agent, a radioisotope, an antibiotic or a cytotoxic substance.

13. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein polypeptide molecule (I) shows a newly generated or altered binding property for specific binding to a ligand selected from the group consisting of proteins, polypeptides, peptides, low molecular weight substances, lipids, sugars, nucleic acids, organic and inorganic polymers, as well as derivatives of these substances, wherein the polypeptide molecule (I) and the ligand form a complex havin a dissociation constant K D of 10 −5 M or smaller.

14. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein polypeptide molecule (I) shows a newly generated or altered binding property for specific binding to a ligand which is a polypeptide or a protein.

15. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein polypeptide molecule (I) shows a newly generated or altered binding property for specific binding to a ligand which is a peptide.

16. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein polypeptide molecule (I) shows a newly generated or altered binding property for specific binding to a ligand which is a low molecular weight substance.

17. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein polypeptide molecule (I) shows a newly generated or altered binding property for specific binding to a ligand which is a lipid or lipid derivative.

18. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the component (II) is one or more polypeptides which is identical to (I) and covalently linked thereto whereby an enhancement of the affinity for the ligand of (I) is achieved due to avidity effects.

19. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the component (II) is a polypeptide, protein or polymer to which polypeptide molecule (I) is covalently linked several times whereby an enhancement of the affinity for the ligand of (I) is achieved due to avidity effects.

20. The conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the component (II) is a polypeptide or polymer which after covalent linkage to polypeptide molecule (I) undergoes a covalent or non-covalent binding to other conjugates of this type whereby an enhancement of the affinity for the ligand of (I) is achieved due to avidity effects.

21. The conjugate according to claim 14 wherein the ligand is a polypeptide or a protein selected from the group consisting of immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin derivatives, proteins obtained from blood plasma, blood clotting factors and inhibitors, growth factors, interleukins, cytokins, receptor proteins, glycoproteins, viral proteins and cell surface markers.

22. The conjugate according to claim 21 wherein the ligand is selected from CD14, CD25, and CD34.

23. The conjugate according to claim 15 wherein the peptide is an affinity tag, or a peptide of viral origin.

24. The conjugate according to claim 23 , wherein the affinity tag is selected from the group consisting of S-Tag, T7-Tag, His-Tag, Strep-Tag, Myc-Tag, and FLAG-Tag.

25. The conjugate according to claim 16 wherein the low molecular weight substance is selected from the group consisting of steroids, cholesterol and noxious substances.

26. The conjugate according to claim 25 , wherein the noxious substance is a halogenated hydrocarbon.

27. The conjugate according to claim 17 wherein the lipid or lipid derivative is selected from the group consisting of bacterial lipopolysaccharides, liposomes and lipoproteins.

28. A diagnostic kit containing a conjugate according to claim 1 .

29. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a conjugate according to claims 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

30. A composition for affinity enrichment comprising a conjugate according to claim 1 wherein the functional component is a membrane, polymer bead or a chromatographic support material.

31. A conjugate comprising the following components:

one or more polypeptide molecules (I) wherein each polypeptide molecule (I) is encoded by SEQ ID NO: 12 or SEQ ID NO: 13; and covalently linked thereto,

one or more functional component (II) selected from the group consisting of polypeptides and proteins, organic and inorganic polymers, nucleic acids, lipids, sugars, low molecular weight substances, and peptides as well as derivatives of these substances, wherein after coupling of (I) to (II) the functionality of all components is retained.

32. A process for the preparation of a conjugate according to claim 1 starting with polypeptide molecule (I) having a known sequence the process comprising the following steps:

Identification of amino acid residues suitable for coupling by analysis of the spatial structure of the protein, preferably of residues outside of the surface of interaction of (I) with the ligand;

activation of a coupling partner by a suitable coupling reagent;

performing the coupling reaction;

isolation of the conjugate; and

detection of the functionality of both components of the conjugate.

33. A process for the preparation of a conjugate according to claim 1 starting with polypeptide molecule (I) having a known sequence wherein no amino acid residues suitable for coupling were identified the process comprising the following steps:

Introduction of amino acid residues suitable for coupling by substitution, insertion or fusion, preferably of residues exposed to the surface outside of the surface of interaction of (I) with the ligand;

detection of the accessibility of the amino acid residues introduced;

detection of the functionality of the polypeptide molecule (I) altered in this manner;

activation of a coupling partner by a suitable coupling reagent;

performing the coupling reaction;

isolation of the conjugate; and

detection of the functionality of both components of the conjugate.

34. The conjugate which can be prepared by the process according to claim 32 or 33 .