Patent ID: 6214613
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: C07K,C12N,C40B

Abstract:
An expression vector having restriction sites to receive DNA encoding the variable regions of antibodies, said vector expressing polypeptides comprising said variable regions in the membrane-bound form on the surface of eukaryotic cells, and said vector being replicable in said cells, said vector containing at least one of the nucleotide sequences AKL and AKH:5'-P.sub.L -S.sub.L -C.sub.L -M.sub.L -A.sub.L -3' (AKL)5'-P.sub.H -S.sub.H -C.sub.H -M.sub.H -A.sub.H -3' (AKH)wherein P.sub.L and P.sub.H each represent a promoter; S.sub.L and S.sub.H each represent a nucleotide sequence coding for a signal peptide; C.sub.L represents a nucleotide sequence coding for the L-chain constant region of an antibody; C.sub.H represents a nucleotide sequence coding for the H-chain constant region of an antibody or a nucleotide sequence coding for the C.sub.H1 portion of the H-chain constant region of an antibody; A.sub.L and A.sub.H each represent a polyadenylation signal; and at least one of M.sub.L and M.sub.H represents a nucleotide sequence coding for a transmembrane domain, wherein one is M.sub.L and M.sub.H is a phosphodiester bond when the expression vector contains both AKL and AKH, and wherein AKL and AKH are free of nucleotide sequences encoding antibody variable regions and contain said restriction sites comprising sites R1.sub.L, R2.sub.L, R1.sub.H and R2.sub.H associated with S.sub.L, C.sub.L, S.sub.H and C.sub.H respectively, to facilitate insertion of nucleotide sequences coding for the L-chain and H-chain variable regions between S.sub.L and C.sub.L, and S.sub.H and C.sub.H, respectively.