Antiviral ricin-like proteins

A recombinant protein comprising an A chain of a ricin-like toxin, a B chain of a ricin-like toxin and a heterologous linker amino acid sequence, linking the A and B chains, wherein the linker sequence contains a cleavage recognition site for a retroviral protease.

A recombinant protein comprising an A chain of a ricin-like toxin, a B chain of a ricin-like toxin and a heterologous linker amino acid sequence, linking the A and B chains, wherein the linker sequence contains a cleavage recognition site for a HTLV protease.

A process for preparing a pharmaceutical for treating a mammal infected with a retrovirus having a protease comprising the steps of preparing a purified and isolated nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence encoding an A chain of a ricin-like toxin, a B chain of a ricin-like toxin and a heterologous linker amino acid sequence, linking the A and B chains, wherein the linker sequence contains a cleavage recognition site for the protease;

• introducing the nucleic acid into a host cell;
• expressing the nucleic acid in the host cell to obtain a recombinant protein comprising an A chain of a ricin-like toxin, a B chain of a ricin-like toxin and a linker amino acid sequence, linking the A and B chains wherein the linker sequence contains the cleavage recognition site for the protease, and suspending the protein in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient.

A process for preparing a pharmaceutical for treating a mammal infected with a retrovirus having a protease comprising the steps of identifying a cleavage recognition site for the protease;

• preparing a recombinant protein comprising an A chain of a ricin-like toxin, a B chain of a ricin-like toxin and a heterologous linker amino acid sequence, linking the A and B chains, wherein the linker sequence contains the cleavage recognition site for the protease and suspending the protein in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient.