Chimeric toxins

Abstract

A chimeric toxin comprising protein fragments joined together by peptide bonds, the chimeric toxin comprising, in sequential order, beginning at the amino terminal end of the chimeric toxin, (a) the enzymatically active Fragment A of diphtheria toxin, (b) a first fragment including the cleavage domain 1.sub.1 adjacent the Fragment A of diphtheria toxin, (c) a second fragment comprising at least a portion of the hydrophobic transmembrane region of Fragment B of diphtheria toxin, the second fragment having a deletion of at least 50 diphtheria toxin amino acid residues, the deletion being C-terminal to the portion of the transmembrane region, and the second fragment not including domain 1.sub.2, and (d) a third fragment comprising a portion of a cell-specific polypeptide ligand, the portion including at least a portion of the binding domain of the polypeptide ligand, the portion of the binding domain being effective to cause the chimeric toxin to bind selectively to a predetermined class of cells to be attacked by the enzymatically active Fragment A, the chimeric toxin possessing any of, greater toxicity than that of a toxin comprised of DAB.sub.486 fused to the third fragment, a lower K.sub.d for the sites on cells of the predetermined class to which the chimeric toxin binds than that of a toxin comprised of DAB.sub.486 fused to the third fragment, greater resistance to proteolytic degradation than that exhibited by a toxin comprised of DAB.sub.486 fused to the third fragment, greater resistance to the inhibition of its cytotoxicity by the cell-specific polypeptide ligand than that exhibited by DAB.sub.486 fused to the third fragment, the ability to inhibit protein synthesis to a given degree by a period of exposure that is shorter than the period of exposure required by DAB.sub.489 fused to the third fragment to inhibit protein synthesis to the same degree, or the ability to effect a more rapid onset of the inhibition of protein synthesis than that exhibited by DAB.sub.486 fused to the third fragment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.