Growth hormone variants

A method for forming a growth hormone variant, said method comprising:

• substituting at least one different amino acid for at least one of the active amino acid residues in a parent growth hormone to form a growth hormone variant having a different activity with a target as compared to the activity of said parent growth hormone.

A method for forming a growth hormone variant such method comprising

• substituting at least one different amino acid for at least one of the active amino acids in an active domain of a parent growth hormone to form a growth hormone variant having a different activity with a target as compared to the activity of said parent growth hormone.

A growth hormone variant comprising in order relative to the N-terminus, sequentially, at least first, second and third portions, said first portion corresponding to at least one part of the amino acid sequence of a parent growth hormone, said third portion corresponding to at least another part of the amino acid sequence of said parent growth hormone and said second portion corresponding to an analogous portion of amino acid sequence of a naturally occurring analog to said parent growth hormone.

A human growth hormone variant having an amino acid sequence not found in nature and which is derived by replacement of at least one amino acid residue of a human growth hormone with a different amino acid, said amino acid residue being selected from the group of amino acid residue of human growth hormone consisting of F10, F54, E56, I58, R64, Q68, D171, K172, E174, T175, P176, R178, C182, V185, I4, P5, L6, S7, R8, N12, M14, L15, R16, R19, S55, S57, P59, S62, N63, E66, K70, S71, K168, I179, C182, R183, G187, P2, T3, L10, H18, R64, E65, Q69, L73, R167. E174, S184, E186, S188, F191, H21, N47, P48, Q49, T50, S57, Q46, V173, R77, L80, F25, D26, Q29, E30, D169, S43, F44, P97, A98, N99, S100, L101, V102, Y103, G104, Q22, E33 and equivalents thereof.

A human growth hormone variant having amino acid sequence not found in nature and which is derived with replacement of at least one amino acid residue of a human growth hormone with a different amino acid, said amino acid residue being selected form the group of amino acid residues of human growth hormone consisting of F10, F25, D26, R167, K168, K172, E174, F176, I58, R64 and equivalents thereof.

A human growth hormone variant having amino acid sequence not found in nature and which is derived with replacement of at least one amino acid residue of a human growth hormone with a different amino acid, said amino acid residue being selected form the group of amino acid residues of human growth hormone consisting of F97, S100, L101, V102, Y103, T175 and equvalents thereof.

A human growth hormone variant having the amino acid sequence of a human growth hormone containing one or more amino acid modifications comprising the substitution, insertion or deletion of an amino acid residue in said sequence, wherein the active domains for the somatogenic receptor for said growth hormone are unmodified.

A growth hormone variant having the amino acid sequence of a human growth hormone containing one or more amino acid modifications comprising the substitution, insertion or deletion of an amino acid residue in said sequence, wherein the active amino acids for the somatogenic receptor for said growth hormone are unmodified.

A human prolactin hormone variant having an amino acid sequence not found in nature and which is derived by replacement of at least one amino acid residue of a human prolactin hormone with a different amino acid, said amino acid residue being selected from the group of amino acid residues of human prolactin consisting of H171, N175, Y176, K178, H54, S56, L58, A59, E62, D63, Q66, N71, L179, T55, K64, A67, M70, Q72, K73, D74.

The human prolactin variant of claim 74 further comprising the replacement H54F.

A human placental lactogen variant having amino acid sequence not found in nature and which is derived by the replacement of at least one amino acid residue of a placental lactogin with a different amino acid, said amino acid residue being selected from the group consisting of Q2, V4, H12, Q16, D56, M64, M179, and equivalents thereof.