Genentech, Inc.

Genencor International, Inc.

Genetech, Inc.

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Brian C Cunningham

James A Wells

David Aaron Estell

Richard Ray Bott

Scott Douglas Power

Robert Mark Caldwell

Henry Bernard Lowman

Germaine G Fuh

Ross G Clark

Kenneth C Olson

Robert S McDowell

David A Oare

John P Burnier

David G Lowe

Bing Li

Napoleone Ferrara

Kenneth Jay Barr

Wenjin Yang

Brian Raimundo

Bruce A Keyt

William Michael Flanagan

Mark Ultsch

Michael George Mulkerrin

Jiang Zhu

Francis Hung Nguyen

Wanli Lu

Nathan D Waal

Jennifer Wilkinson

Abraham M DeVos

Abraham M De Vos

The invention provides variants of human growth hormone having an amino acid substitution at amino acid residue R77, numbered from the N-terminus of 191-amino add human growth hormone as well as nucleic acid molecules encoding these variants.

Growth hormone variants

The present invention provides VEGF variants having one or more amino acid mutations in the KDR and/or FLT-1 receptor binding domains in the native VEGF sequence and selective binding affinity for either the KDR receptor or the FLT-1 receptor. Methods of making the VEGF variants and methods of using the VEGF variants are also provided.

Vascular endothelial cell growth factor variants and uses thereof

We have discovered that growth hormones from ternary complexes with their receptors in which site 1 on the hormone first binds to one molecule of receptor and then hormone site 2 then binds to another molecule of receptor, thereby producing a 1:2 complex. We believe this phenomenon is shared by other ligands having similar conformational structure. Assays based on this phenomenon are useful for identifying ligand agonists and antagonists. Sites 1 and 2 are structurally identified to facilitate generation of amino acid sequence variants of ternary complex-forming ligands. Novel variants of growth hormone, prolactin placental lactogen and other related ligands are provided. As a result of our studies with the ternary complex we have determined that selected antibodies to the receptor for these ligands are capable of acting as ligand agonists or antagonists. Novel growth hormones and novel uses for anti-growth hormone receptor antibodies are described.

Selecting ligand agonists and antagonists

Growth hormones contain two receptor binding sites termed site 1 and site 2 with which they form ternary complexes with their receptors. In this scheme, site 1 on the hormone binds to one molecule of receptor and then site 2 binds to another molecule of receptor, thereby producing a 1:2 complex. Disclosed herein are growth hormone variants consisting of modifications to the native sequence in the region of site 1 or site 2, or alternatively a combination of modifications at both site 1 and site 2.

Variants of native growth hormones having non naturally occurring amino acid sequences or covalent modifications

The invention provides methods for the systematic analysis of the structure and function of polypeptides by identifying active domains which influence the activity of the polypeptide with a target substance. Such active domains are determined by substituting selected amino acid segments of the polypeptide with an analogous polypeptide segment from an analog to the polypeptide. The analog has a different activity with the target substance as compared to the parent polypeptide. The activities of the segment-substituted polypeptides are compared to the same activity for the parent polypeptide for the target. A comparison of such activities provides an indication of the location of the active domain in the parent polypeptide. The invention also provides methods for identifying the active amino acid residues within the active domain of the parent polypeptide. The method comprises substituting a scanning amino acid for one of the amino acid residues within the active domain of the parent polypeptide and assaying the residue-substituted polypeptide so formed with a target substance. The invention further provides polypeptide variants comprising segment-substituted and residue-substituted growth hormones, prolactins and placental lactogens.

Human receptor selective atrial natriuretic factor variants containing various substitutions, especially G16R, show equal potency and binding affinity for the human A-receptor but have decreased affinity for the human clearance or C-receptor. These ANF variants have natriuretic, diuretic and vasorelaxant activity but have increased metabolic stability, making them suitable for treating congestive heart failure, acute kidney failure and renal hypertension.

Receptor specific atrial natriuretic peptides

Novel carbonyl hydrolase mutants derived from the amino acid sequence of naturally-occurring or recombinant non-human carbonyl hydrolases and DNA sequences encoding the same. The mutant carbonyl hydrolases, in general, are obtained by in vitro modification of a precursor DNA sequence encoding the naturally-occurring or recombinant carbonyl hydrolase to encode the substitution, insertion or deletion of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequence of a precursor carbonyl hydrolase. Such mutants have one or more properties which are different than the same property of the precursor hydrolase.

Non-human carbonyl hydrolase mutants, DNA sequences and vectors encoding same and hosts transformed with said vectors

The invention provides methods for the systematic analysis of the structure and function of polypeptides by identifying active domains which influence the activity of the polypeptide with a target substance. Such active domains are determined by substituting selected amino acid segments of the polypeptide with an analogous polypeptide segment from an analog to the polypeptide. The analog has a different activity with the target substance as compared to the parent polypeptide. The activities of the segment-substituted polypeptides are compared to the same activity for the parent polypeptide for the target. A comparison of such activities provides an indication of the location of the active domain in the parent polypeptide. The invention also provides methods for identifying the active amino acid residues within the active domain of the parent polypeptide. The method comprises substituting a scanning amino acid for one of the amino acid residues within the active domain of the parent polypeptide and assaying the residue-substituted polypeptide so formed with a target substance. The invention further provides polypeptide variants comprising segment-substituted and residue-substituted growth hormones, prolactens and placental lactogens.

Method for identifying active domains and amino acid residues in polypeptides and hormone variants

Triphenyl compounds as interleukin-4 antagonists

Human growth hormone variants and their nucleic acids are disclosed wherein the amino acid residues at positions 10, 14, 18, 21, 167, 171, 174, 176 and 179 have been replaced with other amino acids. Also claimed are vectors and host cells comprising these human growth hormone variants as well as processes for their preparation.

Human growth hormone variants

Human growth hormone variants are disclosed having enhanced affinity for the growth hormone receptor. Also disclosed are human growth hormone variants conjugated to one or more chemical groups, such as poly(ethylene glycol), which is believed to prolong the in vivo half-life of the variants.

Human growth hormone variants comprising amino acid substitutions

Method for inhibiting growth hormone action

The present invention involves the preparation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) variants which provide materials that are selective in respect to binding characteristics to the kinase domain region and the FMS-like tyrosine-kinase region, respectively KDR and FLT-1. The respective KDR and FLT-1 receptors are bound by corresponding domains within the VEGF compound domains. The variants hereof define those two binding regions and modify them so as to introduce changes that interrupt the binding to the respective domain. In this fashion the final biological characteristics of the VEGF molecule are selectively modified.

Variants of vascular endothelial cell growth factor

Growth hormone participates in the regulation of normal growth and development processes. The binding affinity of growth hormone for its target receptors is dependent upon the interaction of site 1 and site 2 domains of growth hormone with the target receptor. Embodiments of the present invention include site 1 variants of human growth hormone which bind to target receptors with a different affinity than that of the native hormone. Embodiments of the invention further include components for the production of isolated human growth hormone variants using a host cell/vector expression system.

Growing community of inventors

Piedmont, CA, United States of America

Brian C Cunningham