Methods for producing immunoglobulins containing protection proteins in plants and their use

A method for producing an immunoglobulin molecule having heavy, light and J chains and a protection protein comprising the steps of:

• a) introducing into a eukaryotic cell nucleotide sequences operably linked for expression encoding:
• i) an immunoglobulin derived heavy chain having at least a portion of an antigen binding domain,
• ii) an immunoglobulin derived light chain having at least a portion of an antigen binding domain,
• iii) an immunoglobulin J chain, and
• iv) a protection protein;
• and
• b) maintaining said cell under conditions allowing production and assembly of said immunoglobulin derived heavy and light chains, said immunoglobulin J chain and said protection protein into an immunoglobulin molecule.

A method for producing an assembled immunoglobulin molecule having heavy, light and J chains and a protection protein by maintaining under conditions allowing protein production and immunoglobulin assembly, a eukaryotic cell containing nucleotide sequences operably linked for expression encoding:

• i) an immunoglobulin derived heavy chain having at least a portion of an antigen binding domain,
• ii) an immunoglobulin derived light chain having at least a portion of an antigen binding domain,
• iii) an immunoglobulin J chain, and
• iv) a protection protein.

A method of making an immunoglobulin resistant to environmental conditions comprising the steps of:

• a) operably linking a nucleotide sequence encoding at least a portion of the antigen binding domain derived from an immunoglobulin heavy chain to a nucleotide sequence encoding at least one domain derived from an immunoglobulin alpha heavy chain to form a nucleotide sequence encoding a chimeric immunoglobulin heavy chain;
• b) expressing said nucleotide sequence encoding said chimeric immunoglobulin heavy chain to produce said chimeric immunoglobulin heavy chain in a eukaryotic cell which also contains at least one other molecule selected from the group consisting of:
• a protection protein, an immunoglobulin derived light chain having at least a portion of an antigen binding domain and an immunoglobulin J chain;
• and
• thereby allowing the chimeric immunoglobulin heavy chain to assemble with said at least one other molecule to form said immunoglobulin resistant to said environmental conditions.

A process for producing an immunoglobulin resistant to environmental conditions by maintaining under conditions allowing protein production and immunoglobulin assembly a cell containing:

• a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a chimeric immunoglobulin heavy chain in which a nucleotide sequence encoding at least a portion of an antigen binding domain derived from heavy chain is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding at least one domain derived from an immunoglobulin alpha heavy chain;
• and
• b) at least one other molecule selected from the group consisting of:
• protection protein, an immunoglobulin derive light chain having at least a portion of an antigen binding domain and an immunoglobulin J chain;
• thereby allowing the chimeric immunoglobulin heavy chain to assemble with said at least one other molecule to form said immunoglobulin resistant to said environmental conditions.